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emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
If have strong emotional connections to music this lovely book will make an impact. Music is magic in this novel just like it is in real life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Death of parent
Moderate: Death of parent
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I’ve never met an Ashley Poston book I didn’t LOVE. Atmospheric, beautifully written, emotional….I already want to read it again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Ashley Poston has become and auto-buy author for me! While this one was very cute and the idea was very interesting and I love how it was tied back in at the end with her mom, this might be my least favorite of her recent releases. Still a great story and loved the subplot about her mom! But it just seemed a little lacking at some points. I think maybe a bit more tension could have been built up in the beginning. It was very much like hey this weird thing is happening and now I’m flying out to you. No questions. Which felt a bit unrealistic to how I think a normal person would act but the story between Joni and Sasha was really cute! And her “bird” nickname was so freaking cute. I loved it the whole book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Minor: 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
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
CW: Parent with early onset dementia
Content Warnings
Minor: 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
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Car accident
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.