The Last Love Story

by Katharyn Blair

The Last Love Story has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 27, 2026

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t ask for a morally-gray protagonist if you can’t actually handle one! 🧼 📦

This is an incredible YA Political Romance (a rarity for this demographic!) against a Dystopian backdrop.

🩶 If you're tired of books that promise morally-gray characters, but deliver saintly ones who are self-righteous, whose mistakes don't actually cost them anything long-term, you'll love this one. Here, we have a truly morally-gray FMC; it's not because she's immoral, but because she makes morally-ambiguous choices for moral reasons. That makes it impossible for me to hate her.

Besides, she is not any grayer than the two love interests.
Combined, the three of them make me 👀.

I loved reading Ripley’s journey from an idealistic girl to someone who…still has her ideals, but understands that sometimes you have to do what’s ugly in order to preserve the beautiful. Sometimes, you can’t have it both ways. It’s easy to complain about the ending and pass moral judgment on a character when we don’t have the weight of the entire world resting on our shoulders.

Also, keep in mind, too, that this is the first book of a series. If you don’t like the ending, there’s still more to come.

Regarding Ripley's action at the end, I understand that some readers are going to dislike how she is handling the love triangle. However, you must remember one thing: she isn't doing this egregiously. She's doing it with her eyes wide open, and with a mission in mind, not for selfish reasons. She's looking at the big picture. Yes, someone will experience heartbreak and betrayal down the line. Unfortunately, collateral damages are a real thing. This person has used Ripley as collateral damage before, and even though he may love her, she can't trust him. It's his turn to be collateral damage. Everyone is playing the game, but not everyone is doing it out of enjoyment or greed. Ripley was thrown into this political game that she's never prepared or given the player’s guide for.

We see her going from having idealistic optimism, to idealistic realism. We see her grapple with...self-doubt, guilt (misplaced and not), realizing the person she's built up in her mind had gradually broken in the years they were apart. Not completely broken, but broken in parts. And still, even in his broken state, he chooses her. But…does he do it purely because of her, or due to agendas of his own?

Also, can the other MMC be trusted? Are the two MMCs in cahoots with each other behind the scene? Ripley knows she can’t trust one of them, but I certainly am confident that they’re both using her, even if they do love her. One of them is the leader of the Machs—so named because they believe in employing Machiavellian tactics. Who’s to say he won’t sell her out? He’s the leader of a rebel group, a cause that—while has a noble goal—is still an extremist group at the end of the day. He lives, breathes, and eats his group’s philosophy. He’s been a member since he was barely into his teens, they molded him. So, how strong is his love for her, really?

One love interest is influenced by the Institution: he loves her, but is shaped by the power structures he benefits from.

One love interest is influenced by the Revolution: he loves her, but is shaped by a philosophy that requires sacrifice.

Their love for her may be real, but it may not be stronger than their conditioning, so that love gets reprioritized. That is how indoctrination would win in the end.

Knowing all this now, the title The Last Love Story no longer conjures up images of love and romance, but ones of heartbreaks. The titling is brilliant: this could very well be the last love story in Ripley’s world, if love loses.

Both MMCs are guilty of truth-trickling Ripley throughout the novel. She continues to find things out only after the facts. They were both playing her before she was even aware that she was a player in the game. Don’t hate her, root for her.

Can one truly hate Ripley for her seemingly underhanded tactics after all this?

You can, but only if you ignore the context.

We don't have to like a character's actions in order to understand the acts. But remember this: Ripley isn’t doing anything out of selfishness, but preemptive survival. She doesn’t want to be the only honest player in a dishonest game, when everyone is out for blood like sharks, and she’s caught in a net she never even asked to be in. Because that’s how she’d die if she fights against a gun using a sword.

You might think that this is a story about a simpering girl who can’t choose between two boys, but it’s really about a girl fighting to reclaim the narrative to her life…no matter what.

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN WITH THE ROMANCE: Think of this as the reader’s wishlist, though I think that it’d make the book subversive and memorable.



I’d love it if the boy Ripley chooses (MMC-1) ends up betraying her in the the next book (maybe towards the end of Book 2, if this ends up being a trilogy), while the one she’s taking advantage of right now (MMC-2) is the one who comes through for her—at a great personal loss (because this would show his devotion).

By then, Ripley and MMC-2 will both have hurt each other in some way, but work their way toward reconciliation in Book 3 because the love was always there, just momentarily lost in the melees. This direction would really allow the intended relationship, the endgame, to grow and develop throughout book 3, culminating in a satisfying HEA that feels earned because it’s had time to develop.

That direction would be great in a coming-of-age story, too, because it addresses:

1) First love.
2) First heartbreak.
3) A learning experience, in which a young protagonist learns that what she’s been believing about something or someone turns out to be erroneous.
4) The realization that even those who love us can still let us down.
5) We get a good groveling arc, but instead of the usual one involving an MMC doing the groveling, this time it’d be the FMC. Like I said: subversive!
6) This relationship development and evolution between the three of them will organically expand the series, resulting in a smooth read that constantly feels fresh, instead of making it feel dragged and forced with prolonged misunderstandings, repetitive drama (fight-reconciliation-fight-reconciliation X infinity), and other multi-book “crimes.”

As for the first love (MMC-1) she chooses with confidence at the end of book 1? He lets her down at the end of book 2 not because he doesn’t love her, but because he ultimately chooses his ideology. And what would make it unsettling is that we’d still understand his motivations, even when it hurts. It’d also serve to show us how indoctrination works: he always has a choice, but believes he has no choice.



WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RIPLEY:



1. Her strong sense of self.

You know how a lot of FMCs in books tend to forgive their lovers’ dastardly behaviors on the same page, or by the next chapter at the latest?

Ripley doesn’t do that. Not out of vengeance or pettiness, but out of self-respect and the confidence in holding others accountable. Like, she doesn’t let power imbalances affect her.

Callum—the president’s son—did her dirty? She tells him she’s hurt, and withdraws. When he faces dangers during that time period, she saves him. But she maintains her emotional distance, not because she wants to punish him, but because she just isn’t emotionally ready to let him in again.

And when Huxley—leader of the Machs—says and does things that make her feel disrespected? She doesn’t care that he’s taller and physically stronger. She physically fights him anyway, not because she believes that she'll win, but to send a message.

2. None of that “I can fix him” bullshit.

Ripley’s energy is more like, “Go fix yourself, and maybe we’ll talk later,” and I love that.

Yup, this book was definitely written with readers like me in mind

3. She’s a rare Extroverted FMC.

Even though we are in her head (the book is first-person POV), Ripley a very extroverted character.

A lot of main characters in literature tend to be introverted because writing is a solitary activity, and authors tend to be introverts.

But here? Ripley is an extrovert and is written so well. She adapts to people and situations in real time. That’s a strength.



WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:



1) It isn't 500 pages long for no reason. I'm looking at you, Powerless.

2) It's fast-paced. This is a work of YA, and the author never once forgets her intended audience.

3) I love how Ripley is mature when it comes to certain things, and less mature when it comes to others. This is how I'd imagine someone who's been raised by the algorithms to sound like.

4) The topic is timely. I know some people complain that it's "on the nose," but when it comes to true YA literature (not Adult novels masquerading as YA), the stories are expected to be what young readers can connect their own realities to, even if the book versions are more fantastical. Also, in YA, there is less room for ambiguity when it comes to certain things. Don't get me wrong, The Last Love Story has plenty of ambiguity, but when it comes to real-world conflicts? The author holds nothing back, and I love that she doesn't play coy.

5) No cliched blond male love interest bad, black-haired love interest good dichotomy in the love triangle. Here, you see two love interests trying to do the right things, each with his own struggles and temptations.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniella Guevara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Love Story by Katharyn Blair is a fast-paced YA dystopian romance built around three central characters and a classic, but undeniably addictive, love triangle. From the beginning, the characters are compelling and emotionally engaging, making it easy to become invested in their journeys and relationships.
Where the novel shines most is in its characters. I found myself genuinely attached to them and curious about their motivations, choices, and emotional arcs. The interpersonal dynamics kept me turning pages, and the story has clear potential for something deeply powerful.
However, I did feel that the world-building lacked depth in places. The dystopian setting introduces several intriguing ideas and societal changes, but many of them felt only lightly explored. I often found myself wanting more clarity about how the world reached this point and how certain systems within it actually function. The concepts are interesting, but they sometimes felt more like glimpses than fully realized foundations.
The pacing also felt rushed at times. Major events and character developments happen very quickly, which occasionally made situations feel unlikely or not fully earned. Slowing down to explore the emotional weight of these moments, and to deepen the world itself, would have made the story feel more immersive and believable.
I also noticed some parallels to current American social and political tensions woven into the narrative. While I appreciated the commentary, it occasionally felt a bit on the nose rather than leaving space for readers to interpret the themes themselves.
Overall, this is a story with strong characters and a premise full of potential. While the pacing and world-building sometimes felt underdeveloped for my taste, I still found the book engaging and easy to get pulled into.
Character connection: 5/5
Storytelling: 3/5
Believability: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

[Laura Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early reading copy of "The Last Love Story" by Katharyn Blair.

I'm a middle school ELA teacher and chose this book because of the cover, title, description, and the dystopian genre. Dystopian lit continues to be popular among my students. Ripley is the female protagonist of the story. She's a 17-year-old (turning 18) in a society where books are banned, there is strict government control, and AI rules. Ripley has written a book - a love story modeled after her own childhood crush on a neighbor, with PII changed/modified to hide both of their true identities. However, multiple groups discover she is the author. You'll have to read the book to see how this dystopian adventure plays out.

As a teacher, one of my favorite books to teach is "Fahrenheit 451," and this book so cleverly uses it as an allusion in so many ways: as a nod to what could happen to knowledge and independent thought if we burn books, the opening line from F451 woven in, and the fact that it is the first book Ripley reads. I will definitely purchase a copy of this book for my classroom!

[Breanna Beaulieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me a copy of The Last Love Story by Kathryn Blair.

I was immediately drawn into the synopsis of this story. I loved the idea of a young woman taking on the government to fight back for the freedom of books, while working with a group of vigilante librarians.

I enjoyed how the author created a political environment that was relevant enough for me to feel a connection to the characters world, while creating a futuristic environment to allow some distance from the world of today.

One area I did struggle with was the romantic aspect of this story. I would have preferred the love story not be so much of the plot, or if the characters were older and in a different part of their lives. I enjoy a second chance romance, or reunited after circumstances keep people apart. However I struggled to connect with those storylines due to the characters ages, and the lack of life experiences.

[Misty Calloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I'm honestly not sure where to start. This book gave me so many emotions. From the very beginning, it draws you in. The main character Ripley lives in a world where curiosity and independent thought not only is rare, but it's also discouraged. And of course, books are outlawed because they might teach someone to think for themselves. The world is basically run by a computer and people's sole job is to input information into this computer. As you read, you get to see how Ripley slowly grows and learns to think for herself and to fight for change. There is some romance in this story with the main character being torn between her childhood first love, and her rival and frenemy next door. Overall, this book made me really think about just how bad things could get if our freedoms were curtailed in this fashion and how lucky I am to have access to stories like this one.

[Janet C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
I'm really torn by how to review this book. I did like some things, but didn't like others. I found the world building to be decent, but there were many, many unanswered questions that I would have liked to have more insight into especially given how extreme some of the changes to the country are. It's obvious that a bit of the current political landscape has been built into this dystopian future, but I think how on the nose it was became a negative, at least for me. The plot was certainly compelling in parts, but towards the end I found myself disappointed. The characters were just OK, but also felt very surface level.

[Betsy Fulmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty interesting. It reminded me of a cross between Hunger Games and the Divergent Series. It was a good YA book. Not really something I would typically pick out for myself now. I chose it blindly without noticing it was YA in Netgalley, but followed through and did enjoy the read. It was very different from what I expected it to be. It was a tragic love story of sorts. Very imaginative.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while I read a book and at the end, I don't know how I feel about it. The Last Love Story is one of those books. It is well written and grabs the reader right off the bat. The action continues all the way to the end. There is a love triangle, an evil political leader, dystopian angst, betrayal, vigilantes; this book has it all. The ending. That is where the book fumbles the ball. Content is for mature readers. There is strong language and violence. The romance is kisses only.

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.