When You Get the Chance is one of the most utterly joyful and charming contemporary books I’ve read. It is filled with Mamma Mia! parallels, musical theater references, and a delightful slow-burn romance. When Millie receives acceptance to a pre-college program for performers, she is devastated when her dad says no. This sets Millie off on a quest to find her birth mom, who might be able to help. Luckily she has Theo, her geo-caching expert best friend! They read her dad’s LiveJournal and the quest is on to find Millie’s birth mother.

When You Get the Chance is the perfect book to read when you want a musical theatre adventure, with rom-com moments that will give you all the feels. This is the first book that I've read from Emma Lord and it absolutely won’t be my last! I love the snappy character dialogue and relatable nature to her writing style. The romance is slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers (the YA version), and was so heartwarming to read about!! Lord makes every point of contact between Millie and Oliver meaningful and intense.

When You Get the Chance has so many satisfying moments from what it means to be a performer, found/non traditional family, and vivid description. I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially any current or past theatre kid! I can’t wait to see what’s next from Emma Lord! Thank you so much to Emma Lord, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.