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emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent
In Sounds Like Love, hit songwriter Joni Lark returns home to Vienna Shores, North Carolina, hoping the sand, surf, and her family’s music venue will help spark her creativity. But nothing is the way she left it. Just as Joni struggles to reconnect with herself, a mysterious melody and a voice start echoing in her head - belonging to a wry, guarded musician named Sebastian. Their inexplicable mental connection might be the key to finishing the haunting song stuck in both their minds.
I love the hint of magical realism that Ashley Poston always sprinkles into her novels, it’s just enough to let you escape reality without losing the emotional grounding. Sounds Like Love did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the storytelling aspect of Joni and Sebastian’s mental connection—getting to know someone with your guard down, without the layers we often use to protect ourselves, felt refreshing and honest. It made me think about how often we perform versions of ourselves, especially when meeting someone new. Their bond felt genuine and emotional in all the right ways.
As someone who deeply connects to music (and experiences frisson!), I loved how central music was to the plot. It felt like a character in its own right. And while the romance and magic carried the story beautifully, there are also heavier elements (particularly the storyline involving Joni’s mother and her dementia diagnosis, which may be a trigger for some readers.) Still, this book struck a lovely balance between emotional depth and lyrical charm.
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautifully written story with a unique premise, but it didn’t fully land for me. The magical connection between Joni and Sebastian was intriguing, though it sometimes felt underdeveloped. While the themes of grief and healing were touching, the pacing dragged in places and left me wanting more emotional depth. The story felt too crowded with ideas for me to form any deeper emotional connection. The lyrical style was lovely, but occasionally overshadowed the plot. Overall, it was a thoughtful and creative read, just not one that completely resonated with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Death of parent
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Minor: Car accident
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
Ashley Poston… count your days. This book is an assault against all mankind. 1 million stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Minor: Death, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
Ashly Poston spins the most magical tales. Her use of magical realism in her stories is poetry to my mind. I have been a fan since reading The Dead Romantics and each year since I look forward to her next release. Sounds Like Love is no exception. I’m the kind of person that gets chills listening to an amazing song and this book at the end was giving me chills just reading about the song. That’s how amazing Ashly Poston spins this lyrical tale.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Car accident
Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Grief
Minor: Death of parent
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ashley Poston remains my #1 magical realism author and her books are an insta-read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Grief
Moderate: Death of parent