Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review

YA author Mejia’s (Lucha of the Night Forest) adult debut transports listeners to the small town of Ridley Falls, WA. Seattle music columnist Sammy Espinoza’s life has taken a turn for the worse. Her rock star girlfriend broke up with her, and now her job is in jeopardy after she wrote lots of positive (and biased) reviews in an attempt to win her girlfriend back. Sammy comes up with a last-ditch plan to save her career—return to her hometown and interview the reclusive rock god Max Ryan about his rumored solo album. Though the two spent a magical night together when he was on the brink of making it big, Max doesn’t recognize Sammy at all. On top of her other drama and her uncertainty about Max, Sammy also struggles with family secrets and an absentee mother. Listeners will be rapt as narrator Victoria Villarreal describes Sammy’s determined efforts to navigate the challenges before her. Villarreal brings Sammy and Max to life and also provides distinct personalities for secondary characters.