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emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Car accident, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston is a standalone romance blended with magical realism. I absolutely loved this book and it easily catapulted into one of my fave books of the year.
This is one of those books where I knew it’d be a five star read for me after only a couple of pages. It’s a beautiful blend of music and romance and magical realism and grief and nostalgia and change. It’s just perfect. Ashley Poston’s writing captures the beauty and magic of music in a delightful way.
Getting lost in this book feels a bit like getting lost in a song. I love the descriptive writing and how relatable and realistic the characters are. And the little things, like, I love that the chapters have titles. And then I realized that I think the chapter titles are song names! Pieces of Joni’s character really struck a chord with me. And I really felt for Sebastian and his inner turmoil. I couldn’t help but root for their budding romance and their unique connection, but also for them to find their own joy in life.
I love reading books that make me *feel* them, and this one absolutely does. I found myself so, SO caught up in it. This spoke to me in a way I was utterly unprepared for and it left me super emotional. To say I loved it is an understatement.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
A romance for music lovers - this was so cute! I just love how Ashley writes magical realism into her books! Prob my second fav book of hers after SYS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- the romance/chemistry just wasn’t there for me like i didn’t connect with it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent
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
I really enjoyed Sebastian and Joni as a couple, and the author will make you fall in love with Vienna Beach. The epilogue/final chapter really packed in a lot, and I wish I could have savored different elements more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Dementia
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
No
This book was one of the most beautiful books I’ve read this year. I could probably go on and on about the intricacies of how Ashley used weather and emotions to show the tension between character, how real and relatable the characters are to our own lives, how deeply you can connect with them even if you don’t have the same challenges as Joni and her family, but I’d end up reciting the whole book at that point. For people who love Emily Henry’s work, it’s that but with a magical realism that has you screaming for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book so much and will shout it from the rooftops.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Spice Rating: 🌶️.5 / 5
My Summary: Joni is a successful songwriter in L.A. who hasn't felt inspired to write in a while. She returns to her hometown, Vienna Shores, NC, to spend the summer with her family and helping out at their music venue, the Revelry. But being home brings its own challenges--particularly with her mom who has been diagnosed with dementia, her best friend who is avoiding her, and the Revelry which is closing after this summer. As she's processing everything going on in her life, Joni starts to hear a melody in her head along with a... voice.
My Thoughts: Sounds Like Love is a beautiful story about regret, grief, and dreams. Joni is a songwriter in L.A., and she's the only one of her family and friends who "made it" outside of their small town in North Carolina. But Joni is stuck--she hasn't felt inspired to write a song. Until she starts to hear a melody in her head along with a voice. The two decide to meet up in person, and Joni realizes that it's Sebastian Fell--a world-famous boy band singer and musician Roman Fell's son--who's in her head, they decide to work together to write a song to the melody pulling them together.
Joni and Sebastian seem like complete opposites at first, but as they get closer, they realize that their fears might be more similar than they thought. The pair believe a partnership and romantic relationship could be messy, but it just might be worth it. Though they are both from the flashy music scene, they got to experience a love story in a small town where they could be their true selves without the cameras and lights.
As usual, Ashley Poston does a fantastic job blending romance with magical realism. She just has a way with words, and I love the way she pulls a thread throughout a story and weaves in that metaphor beautifully all the way to the end. The way Poston explained how music impacts us throughout our lives. One of my favorite quotes was, "Grief is a love song in reverse." As someone who recently lost a loved one to Alzheimer's, that quote, and many others, hit me hard.
I don't think Sounds Like Love will be the book for everyone, but I do hope that it is a balm for the souls who need it. ❤️
My Summary: Joni is a successful songwriter in L.A. who hasn't felt inspired to write in a while. She returns to her hometown, Vienna Shores, NC, to spend the summer with her family and helping out at their music venue, the Revelry. But being home brings its own challenges--particularly with her mom who has been diagnosed with dementia, her best friend who is avoiding her, and the Revelry which is closing after this summer. As she's processing everything going on in her life, Joni starts to hear a melody in her head along with a... voice.
My Thoughts: Sounds Like Love is a beautiful story about regret, grief, and dreams. Joni is a songwriter in L.A., and she's the only one of her family and friends who "made it" outside of their small town in North Carolina. But Joni is stuck--she hasn't felt inspired to write a song. Until she starts to hear a melody in her head along with a voice. The two decide to meet up in person, and Joni realizes that it's Sebastian Fell--a world-famous boy band singer and musician Roman Fell's son--who's in her head, they decide to work together to write a song to the melody pulling them together.
Joni and Sebastian seem like complete opposites at first, but as they get closer, they realize that their fears might be more similar than they thought. The pair believe a partnership and romantic relationship could be messy, but it just might be worth it. Though they are both from the flashy music scene, they got to experience a love story in a small town where they could be their true selves without the cameras and lights.
As usual, Ashley Poston does a fantastic job blending romance with magical realism. She just has a way with words, and I love the way she pulls a thread throughout a story and weaves in that metaphor beautifully all the way to the end. The way Poston explained how music impacts us throughout our lives. One of my favorite quotes was, "Grief is a love song in reverse." As someone who recently lost a loved one to Alzheimer's, that quote, and many others, hit me hard.
I don't think Sounds Like Love will be the book for everyone, but I do hope that it is a balm for the souls who need it. ❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident, Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm being generous because it is Ashley Poston. Though, I'm starting to second guess my self-imposed hype around her. Was the amazingness that is Seven Year Slip just a fluke? The other books of hers have been pretty middle of the road. But also, magical realism isn't always my favorite. This one was fun, don't get me wrong, but there was no wow factor for me. Possibly trying to do too much - characters were navigating parental loss, failing careers, an alcohol problem, dementia... and I never picked up on the chemistry of the two MC's. But I'm sure music lovers in particular would enjoy this!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content