Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this one!

This was such a quick and cozy romance! I binged it in a day

Thoughts:
- I loved the fall vibes at the beginning and the cute Brooklyn cafe setting
- The friendships and side characters were really cute
- The romance seemed a bit fast but was sweet
- This could kind of just be a me thing being both a southerner and a Christian lol — but Ryan’s background kind of irked me as it seemed like it was just based around southern/christian stereotypes and assumptions

Overall this was a cute fall read!

A romance for the spread of ‘ber months, Make Me A Mixtape captured me first with its incredibly cozy cover that begged for a read. Inside, the tropes fit the season as well as those leaves for me. Give me a reverse grumpy x sunshine, found-family filled story any day, and add a cafe backdrop to cause absolute atmospheric bliss.

Former punk-rock band member Allie is working in her aunt’s New York City cafe when she collides with Ryan, an absolute golden retriever of a sound tech who recognizes her from the Jetskis. When their budding friendship causes her to engage in her past in ways she’s been unwilling to for so long, her present, and she, begin to change as well.

The novel covers a stretch of time that moved a little too fast for me - I missed some of the smaller moments that often make a romance for me in the pacing, but thought the relationship at the core was engaging enough to navigate the time skips for. A small core cast of characters helps with my pacing issues as well - the side characters sing as much as the leads. Music adds a charming connection point, plot driver, and backdrop for the story. That being said, while I can’t say exactly why, I didn’t lose myself in this like I often look to when reading in the genre - which is primarily what makes this a 3 star rating for me. Worth checking out if any of the above tropes, settings, or vibes appeal to you.

A heartfelt exploration of love, nostalgia, and the powerful connections we forge through music. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant, music-infused landscape in New York, the book follows the journey of its FMC, whose life is intertwined with the mixtapes that have shaped her experiences and relationships. As a punk fan, this was such a fun book to read. I also adored the grungy concert venues, I have been to many of those to see some amazing bands. Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!

This story started out slow but did get better about halfway through. Allie is a musician who delivers coffee to a recording student where she meets Ryan. There was a lot of back and forth miscommunications but ultimately this is a story about love and friendship. Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review

As a teen of the 90s, I loved all of the mixtape references, having made and received quite a few “back in the day”. I also loved the friendships and found family in this book.

DNF at 22%...

The book started out sweet with the cute, cozy, autumn vibes and I love the idea of the book. A kind hearted sound tech trying to help a former musician-turned-barista heal from her past and potentially help her open up to love.

I was not the biggest fan of the characters as I found them slightly boring. The FMC irritated me a little bit with her woe-is-me attitude, rejecting help from anyone. The writing also just didn't grab my attention like I expected it to and the story line seems slightly predictable. I'd read the same paragraph over and over and just could not move on or find the energy to continue with the story, thus the DNF.

I just don't think this book was for me personally, but I could see how others would like it! I feel bad rating 1 star as it's my fault for not enjoying it, but I just did not have the care to finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this advance copy!

So, so sweet! I really enjoyed reading this book. The non-romance plot was intriguing and had great pacing. I felt like the plot progressed in a really lovely way and allowed me to see the world that Allie and Ryan live in at the moment. This story isn't a cookie cutter romance with a extremely distinct trope, which was refreshing.

I felt as if I knew Allie (the FMC) inside and out. I was able to cheer her on and be sad with her too. I really appreciated how complex pieces of her life were, and I thought her challenges were worthwhile and helped develop her as a character.

However, I felt as if Ryan (MMC) didn't quite have the same depth. I felt like I knew elements of how he was raised, but I was left feeling that there were two distinct versions of Ryan - golden retriever, and something else I can't quite put a finger on. I wish we'd had at least a little storytelling from his perspective, but this felt like a minor wish of mine.

Chemistry-wise...the two main characters seemed to have magnetic chemistry when they clicked, which was great. The spice was nice for someone who is into romance, but isn't looking for hyper-detailed descriptions. There's some description, but it doesn't leave you having to think about if the characters are contortionists.

As for supporting characters, there was SO much development there for Ren and Anisha that it felt as if I got a bonus romance in the story!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this sweet, fun romance for everyone.

What a sweet yet thoughtful book. Loved the characters, and I didn’t want their story to end. This is a love story with depth to it. Great representation of LGBTQIA characters.

While I wouldn’t say this isn’t a “Christmas book”, I would love to read this on a snowy day with all of my holiday lights turned on.

Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Whiteford and Penguin Randomhouse for the ARC!

Make me a Mixtape was such a nice and easy read for the fall! I absolutely loved all the these characters and the way they all interacted.

Allie’s search for her old bandmate was so fun to go along with. I really enjoyed seeing Allie grow and learn what she wanted. The found family aspect was so perfect in this book! I loved Ryan, Anisha and Ren so much. All of the characters and the setting were so cozy.

Going with 4 stars here because I loved the book, but didn’t feel like the romance was the greatest! Every other part of the plot was incredibly well done, I just didn’t feel much chemistry. I loved Make me a Mixtape as fiction but not as much for romance!

This book brought back SO many memories of little emo me, ten years ago, reading Cherie Currie’s Neon Angel, and reading this book felt like a full-circle moment. The main character, Allie, was moody enough to believably be a former punk, there’s good LGBTQIA+ representation, and the male lead has a well-kept beard and a belly, which are both brutally hot characteristics and exactly my type. He does unfortunately work on a podcast, but we forgive him for that pretty quickly. I also love that the characters felt very believable, because of course the former punk, non-binary friend are baristas at a coffeeshop owned by a spinster aunt.
Although the setting of the book felt slightly more wintry than autumnal as advertised, it was VERY New York, so maybe my Midwest emo upbringing instilled in me a different expectation for “fall vibes.” Either way, prepare for lots of snow and Christmas.
Overall, this is a fun found family book about picking up the pieces of the past, heavily enjoyable for punk fans and baristas alike! TW/CW for shitty parents, sex scenes, references to death and religious upbringings

This certainly was a book I read.

I appreciated that it had a diverse cast of characters. But after that? There was a lot that I feel like could have been tightened up or fixed. Another pass of editing could have helped.

Also none of the characters really seemed to communicate with each other, which was just sort of forever a pain. Even when Ren decided to ask Allie sometime that resulted in them being mad, it felt so fake.

This book was utterly adorable. Its perfect New York vibes but in a cozy way. Allie is so relatable and loveable and you just root for her right from the beginning. And Ryan, the big ol' teddy bear. Hes a little broken, but so is Allie and thats what makes them so perfect. I will say both their stubborn issues caused me some stress but the ending was worth it. As a music lover, I loved all the musical references and karaoke scene, I could hear the songs in my head as Allie was singing and recording on page. And the scene toward the ending with the casette tapes actually made me tear up. I absolutely recommend this book for any music lover and all romance lovers.

I like that the characters weren’t perfect, they were adults who were still trying to figure their life out. And the ending was satisfying. The mixtape theme and reveal was a sweet way to bring it all together. And the epilogue was great.

TW/cw: sex scenes; neglectful mom;

This book was absolutely delightful and so much more than I expected. There’s a nostalgia to it and a bit of a sadness but the love stories told and themes of friendship and found family really triumph. I would certainly call it more “idiots to lovers” than “friends to lovers,” but it worked. I found myself really rooting for both the FMC and the MMC and loved the FMC’s journey to rebuilding friendships and feeling secure in her relationships.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful read, I liked it a lot because it is very easy to read and very entertaining.
A very cozy, cheerful book, sometimes a little sad but totally cute.

Allie's story is a bit sad and indifferent to her exterior due to various events that happened in her life, but when she met Ryan everything changes and I loved that.
The way he accompanies her and shows her another side of life is perfect. Along with the rest of the characters, the story is really good.

From my point of view the main message is that no matter what events you have experienced in the past, there is always a way to redirect your life; choosing your best options in everything: in your work, your friends, your passions, hobbies but above all choosing you first so that everything turns out perfectly.

I sped through this book and am glad I did- it was a good enough plot/story but just fell kind of flat for me. Kind of charming but I just didn’t connect with or enjoy the story as I hoped I would.

This book put me in my feels and that's hard to do. I love any books that are music based in the story line and this did not disappoint. It was easy to read and gave all the fall vibes I've been looking for. I liked it a lot.

This was such a cute and cozy story about overcoming fear, anxiety and finding yourself. I absolutely devoured this book in less than 8 hours because I couldn’t put it down. And the Elvis ending had me cheesin’!

3.75 stars - Fast-paced and music-based, this was such a sweet romance! Allie Andrews spent her teens touring in a punk band, but ever since their disastrous break-up she's been working in her aunt's café in Brooklyn. Life is no longer the crazy adventure it once was, and Allie is mostly okay with that, but she misses the music. When a chance encounter with a fan from her former life kick-starts a surprising and significant new relationship, Allie is finally forced to deal with the past she's been avoiding all these years.

Filled with autumnal vibes, holiday parties, and café romance, this is a cozy and cute read. Allie and Ryan's love for music comes across so clearly and adds so much heart to the book. And when it comes to the romance, although their chemistry was a bit faint at the start, I do think it got there eventually and I adored the ending. Overall I'd say this is a story about finding your passion, finding your place, and finding your family.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, DoubleDay, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a quick, cozy read that felt like a love letter not only to small neighborhood coffee shops but also the nostalgia of mixtapes and music from the 1980s. I always enjoy some of the tropes in this book - found family, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first and they were all well done here. The found family trope really was well done here and is central to the entire book. I did get frustrated at miscommunication between characters from time to time, but I was rooting for Allie and Ryan to figure things out. There was a bit of mystery built into the story as well, with Allie trying to reconnect to her punk roots. Overall, this hit the nostalgia perfectly and had characters that I was happy to see fighting for their HEA.