First off, I was very excited to read this book. The cover caught my eye at first, then the summary of the book hooked me.

Unfortunately, I DNFed at 34%. There were a few things I couldn't get over: there were terribly long sentences of just overwhelming descriptions of random things, the banter was a bit corny, and the characters just seemed boring. There was nothing that made me want to keep reading- not even when they thought they found Jessi. That scene alone took me a week to get through.

The story is very promising, but it could do with a lot of changes.

A book about a Punk-rock turned Barista meeting a sound tech who not only helps her to revisit her musical past but also charms her along the way. This was a charming, cozy romance. Allie and Ryan were both heart warming characters and I definitely enjoyed their chemistry. It was a cute romance to read during fall and a good palette cleanser. Liked it.

My thoughts on this book are a bit complicated... overall however, this wasn't for me.

To start with the positives: the vibes and nostalgia of this are so much fun. The New York/coffee shop setting felt so perfect for the start of my fall, cozy reads. The musical references made this feel so fun and nostalgic. It was also a very short/quick read and I blew through it so fast, which was especially pleasant to help me out of this slump I've been in.

Unfortunately, the characters in here were a bit flat for me. I didn't really ever feel attached to either main character, both due to the storyline, as well as the story length. I just didn't really care much about them on a personal level, which makes it really hard for me to root for a romance.

My main issue here however was the writing. It was very redundant and simplistic. This was already a super short book, and I feel like it could've been cut in half just from removing things we've already said. There were so many descriptors that were said 500000x as well that I was thinking man, could we not find any synonyms?? It made it a bit irritating to read and feel like I was going in circles with these characters.

Overall great concept and vibes, but sadly not my favorite. 2.5 stars rounded down.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada | Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This books was so cute!! Allie and Ryan were adorable. I seriously ate this book up. Allie is a former punk rock star and is kind of trying to escape her past when Ryan shows up. He helps her come out of her shell and make her see there is more to the world than hiding. I LOVED Ryan. Let’s just start off with that. He is the sweetest, silliest, green flag of a character I probably have ever read. I honestly really loved Allie too. She was so real with her feelings and such a strong character. I think their friendship/relationship was perfect and they balanced each other so well. This book was an adorable sweet read and I’m so thankful I got this Arc from Netgalley.

If cozy romance were a mixtape, Make Me a Mixtape by Jennifer Whiteford would be that perfect blend of nostalgic punk rock, warm autumn vibes, and a slow burn love song that makes your heart do a little two-step.

It’s a love letter to music, second chances, and the idea that sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself. Oh, and did I mention it’s basically got a former punk rock goddess and a big hearted sound tech falling in love over coffee? Yeah, get ready for this one!

Allie Andrews, former punk rocker turned barista, has buried her wild music days deep in the past. She’s got her Brooklyn café gig, her apartment full of ‘80s cover songs, and a no nonsense attitude that basically says “I’m fine, leave me alone.”

Enter Ryan Abernathy, sound tech, Jetskis superfan, and walking sunshine. When Ryan stumbles into Allie’s life (literally), he’s not just here for coffee. He recognises her as Allie Jetski, the lead singer of the legendary (and long disbanded) punk band, the Jetskis.

Cue the awkward nostalgia and Allie’s snarky walls going up faster than you can say “one-hit wonder.” But Ryan’s not your average fanboy, he’s charming, relentless, and absolutely determined to help Allie rediscover her love for music. What starts as an awkward coffee delivery turns into a hunt for her old bandmates and, along the way, a reawakening of her buried dreams…and feelings she’s not sure she’s ready for.

This book has all the grumpy x sunshine energy you could ask for, with Allie’s tough exterior slowly cracking under Ryan’s relentless good vibes. And Ryan? He’s basically the human equivalent of that one song that always makes you smile, no matter how many times you hear it. The chemistry between them builds like the perfect slow jam on a mixtape, and by the time you get to the big crescendo, you’ll be all in on this quirky, heartwarming romance.

But the romance isn’t the only thing in play, Allie’s got some serious decisions to make. With her aunt selling the café and her past coming back to haunt her (in the form of punk rock memories and emotional baggage), Allie’s faced with the ultimate choice: stick with the safe, comfortable life she’s built, or risk it all for the music and the man who just might bring her back to life.

Make Me a Mixtape is more than just a rom-com; it’s about rediscovering yourself, dealing with past regrets, and the power of music to heal old wounds. It’s cozy, it’s charming, and it’s full of little moments that will make your heart hum like a well loved record. Plus, the Brooklyn café setting, the punk rock references, and Ryan’s absolutely swoon worthy determination to help Allie see her own worth? Total chef’s kiss.

DNF. Based on the reviews I've read, it sounds like I did myself a favor not finishing. I couldn't get past the writing style and the main characters. I had a hard time connecting with Allie and Ryan. Allie was too prickly for me. I found her a little immature. I thought Ryan was forced into the stereotypical "golden retriever" role. His behavior and clumsiness just weren't doing it for me. I also wasn't a big fan of the third-person POV. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the ARC.

This was sweet and lighthearted. My only complaint is that these characters in their 30's were annoyingly immature.

It's a beautiful cover and the premise seemed very promising, especially when considering the nostalgia factor but I struggled to relate to the characters and to get into the overall story of the book. DNFed about 25% in unfortunately.

"Make Me a Mixtape" follows Allie Andrews. Ten years ago, Allie was part of a punk all girl band that dissolved when things were said and Allie was crushed. She ran back to her aunt Mindy and got a job working at her café in Brooklyn. When Allie goes to deliver a coffee order to an office that makes podcasts (why would these people have an office....anyway) she meets a man named Ryan Abernathy who recognizes Allie and is a fan of her music. Ryan drops by the café and starts to push Allie into making music and reaching out to her old band mates.

Allie was exhausting. She's in her 30s and kept acting like she was brand new to people and relationships. It did not work and her behavior throughout the book got on my nerves.

Ryan was not very developed. It took til the 43 percent mark we got any type of backstory on him. Allie falling for him immediately didn’t even make sense when you read about her prior romances. It just limped along. Also, honestly, Ryan bugged me. Him ignoring Allie's request to stop calling her something that she didn't like and he kept doing it bothered me. And his doing the love bombing (that's what it was) but then the I don't know if we can be more crap was too much.

The mess with Mindy made zero sense and I just gave up on it after a while. How much money do you supposedly have that you can live in France for several years? I just went...sure.

Ren was an okay character, but them and Anisha felt like they were in a whole other book at times.

The book dragged and at one point I reread Allie telling Ryan something she had told him several chapters earlier. And it was like that for most of the book it seemed. I would go, didn't they talk about this? Or they talking about it again? It just got so boring.

I will say one positive, Whiteford does a great job of making me feel like I am in Brooklyn during the fall and winter. The description of things hit me with a nostalgia feeling. But not enough to make me give this book more than 3 stars.

The ending just read super unrealistic. For a lot of the characters honestly. I was more interested in Ren and Anisha honestly (and even that didn’t feel realistic).

Make Me a Mixtape has a really fun premise (and OMG I LOVE the cover), but falls a bit short in execution. It follows Allie Andrews, a former punk rocker now working in a Brooklyn café, as she reconnects with her past through Ryan, a bubbly podcaster who remembers her music days. The book blends themes of punk culture, mixtapes, and redemption with a sweet, if slightly underdeveloped, romance.

While nostalgic elements like mix tapes and 80s pop covers shine, the characters—especially Allie—can be hard to connect with. I really need that to love a romance. Ryan, her Southern love interest, feels somewhat stereotypical, and the romance lacks the tension and buildup needed for deeper emotional impact.

Despite its shortcomings, Whiteford’s writing has charm, and the café setting adds warmth. Make Me a Mixtape is a cute, heartwarming read that may resonate more with some readers than others.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Had to DNF within the first chapter. In general, I don’t like it when subjects from reality gets pushed in TV shows, so I really don’t like it when it’s in a book I’m reading. I read to get away from reality….

I think these came out of nowhere…
“… it wasn’t like I was misgendered by a racist or anything.”

“That would be a tall order, given that you’re white and girly.”

As a GenX I was so intrigued by this story. I love music and some 90s nostalgia but it fell so flat. It started off strong but I just could not connect to the characters and I was so disappointed.

Oh it’s the first week of autumn? You bet I picked this up! This was a cute, grumpy sunshine that was absolutely made for music lovers. The MMC was described a bit like my hubby, so I was immediately psyched. It may have not been the deepest dive into character development, but I liked it just the same. The fall vibes were as immaculate as sipping on a PSL while walking through crunchy leaves.

The setting for this was the best part. Fall vibes, NYC, cozy cafe, etc.

I found it a bit odd that Ryan was described as handsome, thick beard, and kind eyes....but then characters call him chubby and a gentle giant. Didn't really care for that. I couldn't imagine him really.

I'm all for a grumpy sunshine story, but there needs to be some depth to the characters too. I just struggled to connect with them.

HOWEVER, I think music fans and romance fans of second chances would like this.

DNF at 48%

The fall vibes are amazing in this book and there were flashes of brightness, but no matter how many times I picked this book back up, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters… They just felt one dimensional and I couldn’t see what connection they had. It just wasn’t for me.

I was really disappointed in the book. I was hoping a similar vibe to Better Then The Movies, but with a Musical Touch. I wanted that touch of 90's nostalgia, something Akin to High Fidelity and Even Some Ferris Buller ( yes i know this is 80's) but i really wanted something witty and almost self-aware. I was left wanting something more that this book did not give me unfortunately.

The story started off great.
But there's something missing in my opinion.
I didn't connect with any of the characters and truly don't see the chemistry between Allie and Ryan.
But the setting of the book is nice, the music background is actually interesting and the found family trope is well done.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and Jennifer Whiteford for this ARC.

The premise sounded really good but I just couldn’t get into it. I skipped forward a bit for teasers and it still just kind of fell flat for me.

This was incredibly cute and charming, as I expected it to be. Without spoiling, I’m glad everyone wound up in pretty good spots that worked out for them. I enjoyed the anticipation of the mini detective side plot, I think it added a fun layer to the plot that kept me on my toes.

I enjoyed this book immensely. From the very start, it had me hooked. With the golden retriever MMC and the reverse grumpy-sunshine main characters who both love music, the story was fresh and interesting.

It's a fun friends to lovers romance with a lot of extra emphasis on friendship with secondary characters and figuring out what you want in life, who you want to be.

The FMC and MMC have character flaws, but they acknowledge them. One of these flaws is that they both suck at communicating. They make mistakes, but they love each other and figure things out in their own way.

I also loved that neither main character was necessarily wealthy with an unrealistic job. They're happy with what they do and make it work with their future.

There are two spicy scenes, but only one is really very descriptive, but thank you for not writing them as closed door scenes. All in all, it's a super cute romance.