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schweibertsm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was so good, I love Quito's father so much and the flashbacks to how Emmett and Quito's friendship and relationship developed. This book had so many lovely moments, but there were also some moments I just wanted to skip past, mainly anything with Mark. I love that the audiobook had actual singing. This also would have been great have dual perspective. Definitely a favorite for this year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Car accident, and Transphobia
kshertz's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was cute! I don’t know if movie star falling in love with a regular guy is a trope that’s hard for me, even though they are childhood friends but it was! But otherwise, this is an adorable book about falling in love and what it means. They grow up together and navigate together. It’s sweet and a must for musical fans
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Bullying, Death of parent, Homophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Outing
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Outing, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Homophobia and Terminal illness
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
[Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a gifted copy for review!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
Quito Cruz is forced to reconnect with his high school friend (and crush) Emmett Aoki when Quito’s father insists the two perform together in his retirement concert.
I chose to listen to this one on audio and I am SO glad I did because the audio production was one of my favorites of all time. The narration was phenomenal, and because it is narrated by an actual Broadway actor, it also features real music and (incredible) singing, which really helped bring the story to life.
I was not necessarily expecting the emotional gut punch that this book had, but, yes, I definitely cried. Even though I don’t share any of the “main” characteristics of the MCs (I’m straight, I’m white, I’m a woman, etc) I still found so many aspects of the story to be relatable, and I really really loved the characters and the message it delivered. If this one sounds good to you, I wholeheartedly recommend it (especially on audio!)
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; dynamic audiobooks; books about music/theater
CW: Death of parent; grief; mentions of sexual assault
Rating: 4/5 stars
Quito Cruz is forced to reconnect with his high school friend (and crush) Emmett Aoki when Quito’s father insists the two perform together in his retirement concert.
I chose to listen to this one on audio and I am SO glad I did because the audio production was one of my favorites of all time. The narration was phenomenal, and because it is narrated by an actual Broadway actor, it also features real music and (incredible) singing, which really helped bring the story to life.
I was not necessarily expecting the emotional gut punch that this book had, but, yes, I definitely cried. Even though I don’t share any of the “main” characteristics of the MCs (I’m straight, I’m white, I’m a woman, etc) I still found so many aspects of the story to be relatable, and I really really loved the characters and the message it delivered. If this one sounds good to you, I wholeheartedly recommend it (especially on audio!)
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: second chance romance; dynamic audiobooks; books about music/theater
CW: Death of parent; grief; mentions of sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Outing
dogoodwithbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I would like to thank NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Dominic Lim’s debut novel, All the Right Notes, heart-warming novel featuring a romance decades in the making and a powerful relationship between father and son.
When Quito Cruz gets an unexpected request from his dad to help in leading his retirement concert but also get Hollywood superstar Emmett Aoki to perform in the concert, he doesn’t know what to think. After not speaking in over two decades, Quito is surprised that Emmett happily agrees and later comes to find that their connection becomes more intense than it ever has before.
Adopting a then/now alternate POV, Lim really gets at the heart of telling the timeline between Quito’s and Emmett’s relationship from their first choir rehearsal together during high school to college to finally the present day with organizing the concert. I think this adds a really interesting dynamic to the plot and it helps with understanding the nature of their relationship between the present-day narrative. Though, near the end of the “then” chapters, I don't really know what to feel about that plot twist.
Likewise, there’s some solid character development in All the Right Notes. Alongside Quito and Emmett defining their relationship as well as growing within their perspective fields, you also get some insight on how some of the side characters develop in the book. From Ujima’s positive portrayal of discovering the right gender expression to Mr. Cruz’s dedication for wanting the best for Quito, you really get some well-thought out characters that you’ll enjoy reading about.
Overall, All the Right Notes is definitely a novel to check out this summer for a heart-warming read of music, family, and finding love.
Dominic Lim’s debut novel, All the Right Notes, heart-warming novel featuring a romance decades in the making and a powerful relationship between father and son.
When Quito Cruz gets an unexpected request from his dad to help in leading his retirement concert but also get Hollywood superstar Emmett Aoki to perform in the concert, he doesn’t know what to think. After not speaking in over two decades, Quito is surprised that Emmett happily agrees and later comes to find that their connection becomes more intense than it ever has before.
Adopting a then/now alternate POV, Lim really gets at the heart of telling the timeline between Quito’s and Emmett’s relationship from their first choir rehearsal together during high school to college to finally the present day with organizing the concert. I think this adds a really interesting dynamic to the plot and it helps with understanding the nature of their relationship between the present-day narrative. Though, near the end of the “then” chapters, I don't really know what to feel about that plot twist.
Likewise, there’s some solid character development in All the Right Notes. Alongside Quito and Emmett defining their relationship as well as growing within their perspective fields, you also get some insight on how some of the side characters develop in the book. From Ujima’s positive portrayal of discovering the right gender expression to Mr. Cruz’s dedication for wanting the best for Quito, you really get some well-thought out characters that you’ll enjoy reading about.
Overall, All the Right Notes is definitely a novel to check out this summer for a heart-warming read of music, family, and finding love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Outing, and Homophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Blood, and Car accident
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Drug use, Blood, Medical content, Body shaming, Racism, Outing, Car accident, Vomit, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Death
noellelovesbooks's review
5.0
Content Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, outing, cheating, sexual assault, death, death of parent, toxic relationships, sexual content [not graphic but not fade to black either...kind of in the middle?], anxiety, and bullying.
***I received access to an E-Arc through the Forever Influencer program, all thoughts are my own***
OMG, how to start talking about this beautiful book. I loved that we got to see Emmett and Quito from their very first meeting to their reunion as adults.
As someone who lived in the East Bay for...almost 10 years? I loved all the bay references, when it started and they mentioned Martinez I was like, "WHAT! I LIVED THERE!" haha
I also loved all the little Filipino references, especially the lip pointing...if you know...you know haha
This was an absolutely beautiful story about love, family, found family, and acceptance. There are some tear-jerking moments, like my vision was obscured until I could get a tissue 😅
Anyways, this book came out the 6th and I highly recommend reading it 💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Outing, Death, Bullying, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Medical content
louisekf's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Outing
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, and Sexual content
readwithcaitlyn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
REVIEW: All The Right Notes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I would watch them, during choir rehearsal, you know? Or at our house for dinner. When they would work on music together. Emmett would watch Quito. All the time. That look on his face. I’ll never forget it. As if there was no better thing in the world than to be near my son.”
This. Book. I loved it. The narrator was everything, he just brought the story to life. Have you ever loved a book so much that you can’t even put into words why? Because that’s what’s happening here.
For Fans Of:
🎶 musical theater & choir
⭐️ celebrity x non-celebrity
👨❤️👨 m/m romance
💕 friends-to-lovers second-chance romance
🏠 accepting, close family dynamic
🇵🇭 Filipino-American Rep
🎧 amazing audiobooks
I think my favorite character was Quito’s father. I love that he saw Emmett and Quito’s relationship for what it really was all the way from the beginning, and that he loved both of them enough to bring them back together 🥲
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, and Death of parent
womanwill's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this queer second chance romance by Dominic Lim. The rich language and Filipino food descriptions had me drooling at parts. I absolutely loved Mr. Cruz as a meddling father, and it read as a love note to immigrant parents.
The story follows Quito, a Filipino pianist, and Emmett, a Japanese and white movie star, as they reconnect after a college fallout 20 years later. Told in alternating chapters from their meeting in high school and reconnect in modern day, I was particularly impressed with how Lim pulled off alternating flashback chapters that actually worked.
However, I do wish that what drove Quito and Emmett apart was revealed earlier and that they had discussed and processed it more together. It didn't really make sense to me that they didn't talk for 20 years. The miscommunication trope was heavy in this book, which isn't my favorite, but I think the shame and self-doubt driving the lack of communication made it more believable.
Thanks to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
The story follows Quito, a Filipino pianist, and Emmett, a Japanese and white movie star, as they reconnect after a college fallout 20 years later. Told in alternating chapters from their meeting in high school and reconnect in modern day, I was particularly impressed with how Lim pulled off alternating flashback chapters that actually worked.
However, I do wish that what drove Quito and Emmett apart was revealed earlier and that they had discussed and processed it more together. It didn't really make sense to me that they didn't talk for 20 years. The miscommunication trope was heavy in this book, which isn't my favorite, but I think the shame and self-doubt driving the lack of communication made it more believable.
Thanks to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Outing, and Blood
Minor: Car accident and Transphobia