In a more lukewarm review, Evan Sawdey from "PopMatters" described the track as "appropriately melodramatic," drawing similarities between it and JoJo's debut single "Leave (Get Out)" only "without the angry chorus". Sawdey continued, "It's something that Alanis Morissette might have recorded for her last I'm-no-longer-angry-and-therefore-am-content-with-plain-ballads album." However, the critic concluded, "As repackaged as it is, it actually has something that the rest of the album is sorely lacking: personality." Despite calling it "a slab of confident, sophisticated maturo-pop", particularly praising its refrain, Fraser M. of BBC Online felt that the song's production grows repetitive in addition to overwhelming JoJo's singing voice at times, continuing, "it is slightly disappointing that they feel the need to water down the strength of her voice to fit her into more of a Rihanna mould than an Xtina mould." However, the critic concluded that the song remains a "Catchy tune, mind, and it lends itself well to a singalong in the car". In 2007, "Too Little Too Late" earned JoJo a Boston Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Cunningham won an ASCAP songwriting award for her contributions to the song.