What do you think?
The Last Love Story
From Katharyn Blair, author of The Beckoning Shadow and Unchosen, comes a standalone twist-filled teen romance set in a dystopian world, perfect for fans of The Hunger Games films.
Ripley Hart didn’t plan to break the law.
But on her eighteenth birthday, the Administration bans all books. Which means that the story Ripley wrote years ago, about her first love, is contraband.
It’s also gone viral. Suddenly, everyone is reading her story—and trying to write her next
Lyceum, a group of vigilante librarians, wants her to fight with them; the Machs, a ruthless faction of the rebellion, want her to kill for them; and President Graves wants her to be his Propaganda Princess.
Forced into a fake engagement with the president’s son and striking a tenuous truce with the annoyingly attractive leader of the Machs, Ripley takes control of the narrative.
She doesn’t know if a love story can save the world, but no matter what—she’s going to write her own ending.
Ripley Hart didn’t plan to break the law.
But on her eighteenth birthday, the Administration bans all books. Which means that the story Ripley wrote years ago, about her first love, is contraband.
It’s also gone viral. Suddenly, everyone is reading her story—and trying to write her next
Lyceum, a group of vigilante librarians, wants her to fight with them; the Machs, a ruthless faction of the rebellion, want her to kill for them; and President Graves wants her to be his Propaganda Princess.
Forced into a fake engagement with the president’s son and striking a tenuous truce with the annoyingly attractive leader of the Machs, Ripley takes control of the narrative.
She doesn’t know if a love story can save the world, but no matter what—she’s going to write her own ending.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 22, 2026
The Last Love Story is a young adult dystopian novel about a young woman who lives in a futuristic America plagued by war, environmental disasters, and pollution. She is thrown in the middle of a power struggle between an authoritarian president and resistance groups.
Ripley Hart is stuck in a rapidly declining US where 18-year-olds are sent to war overseas, books are banned, and the Earth is polluted by data farms. But when two vastly different resistance groups discover that she’s the author of a popular series of stories, they try to position her in the White House to stop the president from becoming a dictator. The president and his son have their own motivations, forcing Ripley into a fake engagement that starts to become too real, much to the objections of her old classmate, Hux.
The Last Love Story has a fast-paced plot and lots of throwbacks to the Golden Age of YA dystopian with a love triangle, evil politicians and CEOs, vapid public engrossed in the algorithm on their devices, and a young woman that can save everything. I’m not sure I bought in completely on the complete collapse of the U.S. or that these rebellion groups are run by a bunch of teens that seem to show up everywhere (including the White House) undetected and on no one’s radar. But if you suspend disbelief a little, it’s a fun ride.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Disclosure: An ARC of The Last Love Story was provided for review purposes by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Ripley Hart is stuck in a rapidly declining US where 18-year-olds are sent to war overseas, books are banned, and the Earth is polluted by data farms. But when two vastly different resistance groups discover that she’s the author of a popular series of stories, they try to position her in the White House to stop the president from becoming a dictator. The president and his son have their own motivations, forcing Ripley into a fake engagement that starts to become too real, much to the objections of her old classmate, Hux.
The Last Love Story has a fast-paced plot and lots of throwbacks to the Golden Age of YA dystopian with a love triangle, evil politicians and CEOs, vapid public engrossed in the algorithm on their devices, and a young woman that can save everything. I’m not sure I bought in completely on the complete collapse of the U.S. or that these rebellion groups are run by a bunch of teens that seem to show up everywhere (including the White House) undetected and on no one’s radar. But if you suspend disbelief a little, it’s a fun ride.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Disclosure: An ARC of The Last Love Story was provided for review purposes by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RIPLEY:
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT RIPLEY:
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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
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
August 9, 2026
The Last Love Story gave me one of those reading experiences where I was completely intrigued by the world, invested in what was happening, and then reached the ending thinking… wait, that’s it?
The world-building was easily one of the strongest parts for me. Blair creates a future that feels unique while also being just uncomfortable enough to feel possible. With everything happening in the world today, it wasn't difficult to imagine society slowly spiraling toward something resembling the reality Ripley is living in. That made the story hit a little harder because the dystopian elements didn't always feel quite as far-fetched as I would have liked them to.
I also really enjoyed Ripley as a character and watching her navigate a world where love, books, and personal choices have become tangled up with control and rebellion. Her relationships with Callum and Hux add another complicated layer to everything, and I spent a good portion of the book wondering where her heart was actually going to land.
And that's where the ending lost me a little.
After all that buildup, I wanted Ripley to choose. Instead, I felt like we reached the end without her ever truly deciding between Callum and Hux. I don't necessarily need every story wrapped up in a perfect little bow. Still, after being invested in that emotional conflict for so long, I wanted more resolution than we got.
So this was a mixed one for me—not because I didn't enjoy the journey, because I absolutely did. The world was fascinating, the premise gave me plenty to think about, and there were some genuinely compelling ideas here. I wish the emotional payoff at the end had been as strong as everything that came before it.
Reader Verdict: A thought-provoking dystopian story with fantastic world-building and an ending that left me wanting a much more definite answer.
The world-building was easily one of the strongest parts for me. Blair creates a future that feels unique while also being just uncomfortable enough to feel possible. With everything happening in the world today, it wasn't difficult to imagine society slowly spiraling toward something resembling the reality Ripley is living in. That made the story hit a little harder because the dystopian elements didn't always feel quite as far-fetched as I would have liked them to.
I also really enjoyed Ripley as a character and watching her navigate a world where love, books, and personal choices have become tangled up with control and rebellion. Her relationships with Callum and Hux add another complicated layer to everything, and I spent a good portion of the book wondering where her heart was actually going to land.
And that's where the ending lost me a little.
After all that buildup, I wanted Ripley to choose. Instead, I felt like we reached the end without her ever truly deciding between Callum and Hux. I don't necessarily need every story wrapped up in a perfect little bow. Still, after being invested in that emotional conflict for so long, I wanted more resolution than we got.
So this was a mixed one for me—not because I didn't enjoy the journey, because I absolutely did. The world was fascinating, the premise gave me plenty to think about, and there were some genuinely compelling ideas here. I wish the emotional payoff at the end had been as strong as everything that came before it.
Reader Verdict: A thought-provoking dystopian story with fantastic world-building and an ending that left me wanting a much more definite answer.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgally and the Publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Ripley Hart was so in love with a boy she was sure she could never have, that she wrote an epic love story to cope. Now, several years later her story has gone viral and just might give her back the boy she loved. Now she must decide; is that love worth the end of democracy?
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. It had a great premise and interesting characters. The world building was so interesting. However, it was unfortunately lacking. It seems to want to be dystopian so bad, but focus too much on being a 'love story' to pull it off.
The characters are interesting, but lack depth. The world is interesting, but not explored enough. There is not one, but two rebellious factions that we learn very little about. Everything felt very surface level.
This story did pull me in. It was interesting and intriguing, but unfortunately under-delivered. The entire story felt rushed and the ending didn't make sense for who Ripley is. Both Hux and Callum should have been developed more to be a compelling love interest.
I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 since it is a YA book. This story is something that I think teenage me would have been less critical over, but there are certainly things I would have noticed then as well.
2.5⭐ for characters
2⭐ for world building
2⭐ for plot
3 ⭐ for entertainment
Ripley Hart was so in love with a boy she was sure she could never have, that she wrote an epic love story to cope. Now, several years later her story has gone viral and just might give her back the boy she loved. Now she must decide; is that love worth the end of democracy?
This book pulled me in from the very beginning. It had a great premise and interesting characters. The world building was so interesting. However, it was unfortunately lacking. It seems to want to be dystopian so bad, but focus too much on being a 'love story' to pull it off.
The characters are interesting, but lack depth. The world is interesting, but not explored enough. There is not one, but two rebellious factions that we learn very little about. Everything felt very surface level.
This story did pull me in. It was interesting and intriguing, but unfortunately under-delivered. The entire story felt rushed and the ending didn't make sense for who Ripley is. Both Hux and Callum should have been developed more to be a compelling love interest.
I'm giving this 3 stars instead of 2 since it is a YA book. This story is something that I think teenage me would have been less critical over, but there are certainly things I would have noticed then as well.
2.5⭐ for characters
2⭐ for world building
2⭐ for plot
3 ⭐ for entertainment
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for giving me an ARC of this book.
I made the executive decision for my reading health not to finish this book.
Firstly, I want to start off with the things I really enjoyed about this book.
The main themes in this book are censorship and AI. I do believe that it is important to teach children why censorship is bad for society and how anything taken to an extreme. I think the author wrote the story in such a way that a younger reader could pick up the message and especially something as powerful as AI is dangerous and I applaude Blair for doing that. The book is set in the future where the expansion of AI has made it so there are no books because they burned them all to fuel the data centers. I really loved the opening line. It was something about the end of the world and how it's not as fast as people make it out to be in stories.
My main problem is that the book is more "younger "YA or middle grade than it is "older" YA if that makes sense. The writing style was more targeted to 10-12 year olds and I just felt a little old reading this, like guys stop freaking out it's not that deep kind of thing and I just wasn't expecting that. And the fact that Huxley couldn't be friends with FMC pissed me off. Whatever issue you have is not deep enough for you to dismiss socializing with another HUMAN being instead of an AI. It also felt very slow for being such a small book and I felt like it was going to put me in a reading slump after.
I made the executive decision for my reading health not to finish this book.
Firstly, I want to start off with the things I really enjoyed about this book.
The main themes in this book are censorship and AI. I do believe that it is important to teach children why censorship is bad for society and how anything taken to an extreme. I think the author wrote the story in such a way that a younger reader could pick up the message and especially something as powerful as AI is dangerous and I applaude Blair for doing that. The book is set in the future where the expansion of AI has made it so there are no books because they burned them all to fuel the data centers. I really loved the opening line. It was something about the end of the world and how it's not as fast as people make it out to be in stories.
My main problem is that the book is more "younger "YA or middle grade than it is "older" YA if that makes sense. The writing style was more targeted to 10-12 year olds and I just felt a little old reading this, like guys stop freaking out it's not that deep kind of thing and I just wasn't expecting that. And the fact that Huxley couldn't be friends with FMC pissed me off. Whatever issue you have is not deep enough for you to dismiss socializing with another HUMAN being instead of an AI. It also felt very slow for being such a small book and I felt like it was going to put me in a reading slump after.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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!
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!
March 26, 2026
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars || thank you to netgalley for this wonderful arc!! (10.27.26)
I went into The Last Love Story expecting a poetic forbidden love story and was met with an epic political romance set in a dystopian world—a surprise but felt so much better that I thought! I’ve read my fair share of dystopian books where the fmc has to rebel against the corrupt and prejudiced government. However, with this one, it was completely different. I really enjoyed Ripley’s uncertainty throughout her choices of either siding with Hux or Callum—rather than jumping immediately into a rebellion. I also really enjoyed seeing Ripley’s story become famous as well as the whole issue of literature being banned and having dopamine screens (it felt really relevant). While the ending wasn’t what I’d thought it would be, I was really satisfied with it and thought it was a very nice conclusion to the story. Overall, I think this was such a great read!!
I went into The Last Love Story expecting a poetic forbidden love story and was met with an epic political romance set in a dystopian world—a surprise but felt so much better that I thought! I’ve read my fair share of dystopian books where the fmc has to rebel against the corrupt and prejudiced government. However, with this one, it was completely different. I really enjoyed Ripley’s uncertainty throughout her choices of either siding with Hux or Callum—rather than jumping immediately into a rebellion. I also really enjoyed seeing Ripley’s story become famous as well as the whole issue of literature being banned and having dopamine screens (it felt really relevant). While the ending wasn’t what I’d thought it would be, I was really satisfied with it and thought it was a very nice conclusion to the story. Overall, I think this was such a great read!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
Want to Read
August 3, 2026Expected publication October 27
August 29, 2026
I would have preferred if Ripley capitalized upon her supposed combat—or literary—prowess.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews