I think maybe I wanted too much from this book. The cover is kind of giving 70s rock and roll vibes, so I was hoping for that nostalgic feel however it's a modern book set in modern time and it didn't really deliver any vibes other than a little bit of insta love and a whole lot of slow and steady wins the race. This was definitely a quiet story and honestly not much happened. I didn't hate it but there really wasn't anything to love either. I guess if I was going to sum it up in a word it would be, meh.

This was good for a women's fiction novel. It didn't feel as much of a romance, but it was more about self discovery. A solid novel!

As a divorcee, it's hard to explain to people you want to get back into the dating game, but also have to carry your baggage into it. I'm fortunate to be in a loving relationship now, but of course my baggage came along and all the rules Layla and Josh broke we broke too!

Layla is newly divorced and rediscovering herself. Josh is working towards a divorce and finding hobbies again. Neither is ready to date, but somehow they find one another and they start a friendship. I loved the truly adult nature of their relationship, with a slower pace and sharing hobbies together as they bonded. TGG really made this feel natural and real, something I truly appreciated it. I felt like one of their friends, watching my friends fall in love, and I enjoyed that perspective. This one was classically TGG, beautiful and fun to read and romantic.

I didn't love the flashback portions as much as I usually do. They had almost too much detail, I ended up skimming more than I'd like to admit. Only pieces of them felt pertinent to the story, however I did not dock my review rating for these, because ultimately it did not take away from the read for me.

ARC provided.

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves was so good! I loved the writing and characters; it felt like a character study of real people with real-life problems and complexities which is one of my fav tropes. It didn't have senseless misunderstandings, unnecessary angst, or 3rd act problems like many romance novels but instead, it boasted a character study of what life looks like for complicated adults in complicated situations and I loved it. This was my 2nd Tracey Garvis Graves book and she is quickly becoming one of my favs. Oh and that cover.... come on! Just gorgeous!

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I am guilty of judging a book by its cover and assuming this was more of a historical fiction book about a fictional band in the past. I have read a couple of those in the last couple of years. But I was wrong. This is a sweet contemporary love story with music weaved throughout the story.

Two divorced thirty-somethings try to learn how to date again. I enjoyed the character development. The novel is done in a past and present style that I thought did a good job telling the story of Layla and Josh.

This is a light and fun romance novel.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net galley for an advanced reader's copy of this book for my honest review.

I loved this! I alternated between the audio and book format and both were excellent. I love a story with a slow build. Multiple POV and timelines made this multi faceted. Just a great story. Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for review.

Heard It in a Love Song
By Tracey Garvis

I was oddly surprised by this book. I put off reading it because I thought it was another 70s rock and roll remembrance story. Instead, I found a very relatable story about real relationships, how they start with love and hope, and the issues that cause them to wilt and die like a deflated balloon. I’ve long been interested in the workings of what makes some marriages work and others to combust.

This book is mainly focused on two people; Layla, the former talented singer in a band who gives up her hopes and dreams to keep the peace in her marriage. And there’s Josh, married too young to his high school girlfriend, Kimmie, who realizes after two decades they have grown apart. Of course, It’s much more complicated than this, the inner workings of what once made these marriages work, and now they just don’t. I found myself feeling very connected to Layla in many ways and understood her when she thought that she didn’t mind being alone now because she had been so lonely in her marriage.

I also appreciated the way the author drew out out the relationship between Layla and Josh as they took it slowly instead of jumping into bed. They were both gun-shy and navigating their way into the new world of being single again. They both take their time and learn to trust themselves again, to figure out want they really want.

All in all this was a great story, a bit slow-paced, but I was fine with that. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. I gave it four stars.

3.75 stars

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Todays book review boils down to the age old lesson: don’t judge a book by its cover.

This cover screamed to me 70s, the title screamed a musical element. The music was there, the 70s were not.

Now I didn’t hate this book, it just wasn’t what I expected. It was a modern love story of two mid-30s divorcees. The narrative flips between Layla, a elementary school music teacher, and Josh, the single dad of one of her students.

The writing is pretty simplistic, it’s an easy read so I whipped through it. The dialogue at times felt far from natural, I would pause and think ‘people don’t actually speak to each other like this’ frequently, or roll my eyes.

What really got to me was the flashbacks. The flashbacks aren’t just glimpses for the readers: the leads are actively reminiscing every time! They are having conversations and then drift into thought. It’s weird. No one does that as frequently as these two weirdos do.

Ultimately it’s an ok read. You root for them. The drama is grown up and pretty tame which I appreciated. There’s a dog. Bonus points for that. But overall it just wasn’t what I expected.

Layla, the recently divorced music teacher. Josh, the soon-to-be divorced single father of one of her students. What started as a "friends with potential" begin spending time together, each becoming an outlet to discuss life past, present, and future. Though neither of them feel ready for something serious, they both begin realizing that the more time they spend together, the more potential there is for feelings to crop up.

I was really excited to read this after I loved The Girl He Used to Know in 2019. Unfortunately, Heard It in a Love Song was a little too predictable for me. Though a quick read, I felt like it left something to be desired in the way of little details of both Layla and Josh's individual stories.

That being said, I usually am not a fan of novels that go back and forth between different time periods or the story being told from different perspectives, and this one did both. I didn't mind it at all, since it flowed pretty well from one chapter to another.

All in all, I would recommend this if you're looking for a quick romance read, but you might be disappointed if you're looking for something a little more substantial. For that reason, I'm only able to give it three stars, but I'd still happily pick up Graves' next book with the hopes that I loved it as much as her last.

As always, a thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free copy of this novel in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Ultimately this book is not my cup of tea. I am not a fan of flashbacks and this book has wayyy too many. I see why people would like this one, but I like my romance to be a bit more romance-y with less of a focus on the past.

This is a story about a couple will are both figuring out their post divorce identities.
Layla was in a band when she was younger, and she loved performing in front of people. She would have kept on doing it somehow, but her boyfriend then spouse wasn’t excited about the idea of her continuing. He undermines her confidence and chips away at her self esteem.

Layla is now divorced and teaching music in an elementary school where she meets Josh, the father of one of her students. He’s sharing custody with his soon to be ex-wife. While Layla and Josh are “friends with potential”, they slowly recognize their growing feelings for each other as they move away from their exes.

I enjoyed it even though it was slow in places, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Heard It in a Love Song is a beautifully written ode to second chances; particularly second chances at finding yourself.

This was my first Tracey Garvis Graves book and I'm sure I'll be back for more. The prose is gorgeous and flows with ease, making this an enjoyable and quick read.

Tracey Garvis Graves has an easiness about her. Her books are so powerful in how simple they are. This one features Layla and Josh. Both are divorcees hesitant to get back out there again into the world of romantic love but also feeling the loneliness of being alone. Layla is the music teacher at the preschool where Josh's daughter attends. They meet nearly daily at the drop off line. These simple, sweet interactions slowly lead into something more as the two become friends and wonder whether they can become more. Layla is cautious after a difficult divorce where she and her husband separated under tumultuous circumstances. Josh's divorce is the opposite...in fact he isn't even fully divorced from the high school sweetheart he married and had a child with. The two share custody and maintain amicable contact. I loved the slower pace of the book and the ways in which the two become increasingly close through simple conversations. Layla has a musical past and the ways in which this part of her is woven through the book is great. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It did not take me long to read it. If you are looking for a closed door romance with older characters who have already been some things in their past, this would be a great one to pick up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I really liked the cover but I never read the synopsis or anything before I started reading it. Turns out I really enjoyed it. :) I immediately got into the storyline and got to know the characters and was able to stay with it the entire way through...there was a part where the main character kind of escaped from her life and THAT part keeps coming back to me...I could so easily picture what she was doing and where she was, even though I had never been there. Turns out I want to go visit that place and do the exact same thing lol...

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for the gifted copy of Heard it in a Love Song. {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Friends to Lovers
Format: 🎧
Pub Date: 11.9.2021
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

"As women, when we start hiding our truth from other people, especially the people who should be aware of it the most, that's when we give them the power to diminish it."

For some reason, it's taken me almost a year to read this book, and I'm so glad I did! Heard it in a Love Song might be listed as a 'romance', but in my opinion, it's more about learning to let go. While there is a focus on the relationship between Layla and Josh, there is a focus on their previous marriages and the ways they went wrong. Oddly, it made me appreciate the story even more.

Speaking of, I chose to listen to this book over reading it, and I did enjoy the audiobook, but I struggled with the transitions from past to present. For some reason, it wasn't made abundantly clear to me. Several times, I had to rewind the audio because I was confused about whether we were in the past or present. However, when the characters reminisce in the book, it is indicated through italicized front. When listening to an audiobook, do you need a clear indicator of when the storyline is flipping from past to present, or is that just me?

Heard it in a Love Song is a slow-burn story. By the 40% mark, I didn't feel like much had happened besides a retelling of their pasts. Again, maybe that was the point of the book. I saw that the song Landslide inspired this book, and I can see that.

✌🏼 Told in third person with alternating perspectives
⏳ Past & Present
🫶🏼 More about learning to let go
🎶 Musical references
🐌 Slowww burn
🥰 Both characters are lovable

Overall, I did enjoy reading Heard it in a Love Song. I especially loved the references to some of my favorite music - it helped to bring the story to life.

I really enjoyed this story and the writing. However, I would have liked to feel a little more connection to the characters. I didn't feel a lot of emotion reading this story. That is just me though, I like to be pulled a little more into the story. It is a beautiful story and I love Tracey's writing style. I would definitely read more from this author.

absolutely loved The Girl He Used to Know so was eager to read another book by the author, and let me say, Heard It in a Love Song did not disappoint! It was such an excellent read!

I appreciated the writing here so much and the dual POV’s the story is told in. Tracy sure knows how to write a strong story! It was perfect getting to experience the story through both Layla and Josh’s lenses (both past and present) and the way that their connection grew uniquely out of both perspectives. These characters were genuinely likeable and relatable, and I found myself rooting so hard for our main characters and their second chance at love and really just life in general.

This was the perfect, easy read. The story was straightforward (please don’t translate as boring), meaningful, and heartfelt. I truly enjoyed all the elements to it (with all of the music mods being a fun bonus) and was sad to part with these characters and their story by the end.

I will continue picking up any and all things Tracy Garvis Graves writes and I highly recommend you do the same if you haven’t already!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy.

If you’re looking for a solid book about divorce, this is it.

Gosh, what a bummer. Where’s the romance? This book was depressing and uninteresting. I loved The Girl He Used to Know, which now I’m realizing was a bit sad throughout, however there was a real love story there. And even though this one literally had love song in the title, it’s about divorce?

There was no sense of a happy ending here. I did not find that any of the characters reached a level of renewal—which is what I was beginning to hope the book’s focus was…. And then it ended?

Sadly, I would not recommend this book to others. However, I would read future books from this author.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and #netgalley for my advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I love all of Tracey Garvis Graves' books and Heard It in a Love Song was no different! While this one leans a bit more Women's Fiction than her past books (more traditional romance), the writing and the story was every bit as amazing as I've come to expect from this author and I can't wait to keep reading more from her.

This was a solid love story with two likable people. My biggest pet peeve is the amount of times when we'd flashback to the past during random points throughout the story, like in the middle of conversation. It felt like the author had a lot to say about these characters but wasn't really sure where it all fit.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.