I adored the author's "Girl He Used to Know" so very much, that I just couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest, "Heard It in a Love Song"... sadly, I feel a it let-down. The "friends to lovers" trope is a favorite of mine, and here we have Layla, a music teacher/musician and Josh, a single Dad... interesting characters. But I really did not care for the "dual time-line" that spent so very much time dissecting their details of both their previous marriages - just too much info there that took away from the "romance angle" story. Nonetheless, it was also a refreshing women's fiction" story. Overall, it was worth the time. Think I will try the author's back-listed "On the Island" soon. My thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for this ARC.

Layla’s and Josh’s stories are ones of love, heartache, betrayal, redemption, and learning about oneself. Each has their own set of baggage when they meet each other. Each needs to figure somethings out. I loved the slow burn build up of their relationship. Their banter is adorable. I liked seeing how marriage separations come in different packages. (Personally, I love that I share a name with a character!)
I did struggle with the timeline jumps of the stories. It works well for the story; it’s just difficult for me to keep the timelines straight. I think it took me longer to read this because the times jumps.
Overall, I highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to purchase a hardcover on release day.
Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Tracey Garvis Graves for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest review.

This was so boring. Nothing happened and I didn't care about any of the characters. Layla and Josh's past relationships could've been the seed of a compelling romance, but I never got invested.

I was taken back to the 1977 song of the same title by the Marshall Tucker Band—
“heard it in a love song can’t be wrong”

Is this love? Rebound? Loneliness? Layla and Josh need to pause and find out, and that’s what they do in this intriguing, uplifting, and romantic story. Often we need to pause in mid-life and find out what it is we really love to do and who it is we really love. Interspersed with references to other love songs and melodies, this lyrical story will make you examine your own love life, work life and figure out where you might need to change direction. A fun read with real meaning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This was a sweet story of past mistakes and second chances. I feel it could have tugged a few more emotions, but it also encourages the reader to follow their dreams and be who you want to be.

Tracey Garvis Graves' books always make me smile and Heard It in a Love Song is no exception. Layla and Josh are two lovely, likable people whose first marriages, for very different reasons, went wrong. They're both in the getting it altogether stage and I just rooted for them throughout the book. Layla is a singer and this book is as breezy, creative, and charming as she seems to be as a performer. Josh is an electrician and his work is a metaphor for their relationship...sparking.

5 REALLY BIG STARS!!

There is something so completely satisfying in reading those final words in the final pages of a really REALLY good book. After I close the book and turn it over in my hands, all the scenes from the story flip over in my mind like an old film reel, with particularly well-written scenes jumping out and almost teasing me to go back and read them again. Heard it in a Love Song was allllllll of that for me and more.

At the crux of it, Heard it in a Love Song is a love letter to anyone who has ever married their first love and then realized it wasn’t their endless love. As readers, we experience dual timelines glimpsing the destruction of two separate marriages, and the new love establishing between our main characters, Josh and Layla. Graves does an excellent job with character development and gives us real voices with relatable experiences and challenges.

Josh and Layla are unique and their love story is a slow, gentle, friends-to-lovers journey all while navigating the baggage and insecurities that divorce undoubtedly leaves in its wake. Possibly one of the most refreshing parts for me, was although there was plenty of trepidation between the main characters, there was an absence of unnecessary drama. Yes!

I enjoyed this story and savored it's an unapologetic nod to rock and roll, and navigating new love after a devastating heartbreak.

I had my eye on this book since I loved The Girl He Used to Know, so I was thrilled to win it from Goodreads. I immediately added it to my five-book pile and was excited when it reached the top. And I'm pleased to share that it will be worth your wait when it officially publishes in November.

Heard It in a Love Song was such a sweet and genuine love story with a cozy feel to it. I could practically hear the music being played throughout. I like how Tracey Garvis Graves showed both Layla and Josh's narratives and how she went back and forth between the past and present to paint the full picture. I loved watching Josh and Layla get to know each other, as well as Layla finding herself after her divorce. The music scenes were a lot of fun and I could feel Layla's energy radiating off the stage. I actually wish I could go hear her perform. Sasha seemed like a cute kid and I loved Norton's personality, as well.

All in all, a great story that will keep you warm this winter.

Movie casting ideas (I only cast the present versions of the characters):
Layla: Melissa Benoist
Josh: Dustin Milligan
Liam: John Patrick Amedori
Kimmy: Blake Lively
Brian: Matt Czuchry

Layla used to be in a band until her husband made her quit. Josh married his high school sweetheart soon after high school graduation, but is currently going thru a divorce.

The friends of Layla and Josh want each of them to start dating again, and find someone that makes them happy. What follows is a true and honest romance.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. For me, it is very rare to like ALL of the characters in a book. There’s always that one that just irks me. Not so in this book - I truly loved all of the main characters.

Heard It In A Love Song releases November 2, and you need to bump it up on your wish list.

2.5
This is a great little book about starting over in life.

What I liked:

-I liked Josh and Layla. I thought that they were both sweet and I thought they were a good match.

-I liked that this book really dissected the relationships in the story.

What I didn’t like:

-I normally hate books with flashback timelines and this was no different. I found myself flipping through flashback pages, especially Layla’s.

-It was fade to black. Which is fine, but not my preference.

-I felt like the pacing was a little weird. Some of the scenes with Josh and Layla were long and detailed and then all the sudden big chunks of time or specific events would be glossed over and rushed. I think I just needed MORE. With their relationship.

-The end was very cheesy.

Heard It In A Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is contemporary fiction. Layla is an elementary school music teacher. She is recently separated and getting a divorce. One of her students, Sasha, is walked to class every day by her doting father, Josh. Josh is also recently separated and waiting on his divorce to be final. Layla and Josh strike up a friendship after she is his dog sitter. Life does not go as planned and pretty soon the Ex's start stirring up trouble. Can Layla and Josh stand up to the pressure from outside sources? I recommend this book if you enjoy music, children, dogs, and love stories.

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is a beautiful story of love finding its way through heartache. I have enjoyed this author's previous work, and this latest offering proved to be no exception.

Layla is an elementary school music teacher learning to reconnect with her first passion, music, following a tremultuous marriage. Josh is a recently separated father of a student who attends Layla's school, and seems to recognize in the teacher another heart that is longing to be reawakened.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Layla and Josh, we move through their experiences of marital discord, and find ourselves becoming emotionally invested in their search for happiness. I was particularly fascinated by Layla's evolution through music, and loved all of the original lyrics that were birthed from the deepest recesses of her soul. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

I found Heard it in a Love Song to be a nice easy and enjoyable read. It lacked the depth of A Girl He Used to Know, but as someone who has been through a divorce myself, I found very much of the book relatable. I would recommend this book as a beach read. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Both (relatively) recently coming out of failed marriages, Josh and Layla meet primarily at the parent drop-off of the school where Layla is a music teacher and are forced into closer proximity much in thanks to Josh's daughter Sascha asking Layla to dog-sit for them while away at a wedding. Following Josh and Layla as they navigate their new lives, reflect on how they got to where they were today, and slowly ease into a relationship with each other, Tracey Garvis Graves gives us two heartbreaking stories of love and dreams lost with the promise and potential of everything that Josh and Layla could be together.

I thought this was such a lovely, easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed the snippets of songwriting we got throughout the novel and loved getting to experience both Josh and Layla's perspectives. This was a gem of a book and I am looking forward to recommending it once it's finally released.

I was up until 3am reading, Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves. Friends, mark your calendars because you want this book!!! November 2nd you can get your grabby hands on this fabulous read.

Heard It in a Love Song was exactly what my heart needed; a captivating story with gorgeous characters. When it comes to women’s fiction, Tracey Garvis Graves is my go to favourite because of the strong women she writes and the journeys she takes them on. I’m sure many women will be able to relate to Layla’s story.

If you’re looking for a feel good story with swoon worthy dose of romance, this is the book for you.

I really loved On the Island! So when I saw Heard it in a Love Song on NetGalley, I crossed my fingers big time for it!

This was a story about starting over and getting a second chance at romance.

I really loved this book! I loved Layla so much, she was so relatable. And Josh was a sweetheart.

Things I loved about this book:
-short chapters
-dual narrative
-the music aspect
-Layla was a teacher
-Layla was 35 and divorced (different from other romances that I've read)
-getting a glimpse of Josh and Layla's past


Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves was really good! It follows two recent divorcees, Josh and Layla, who are trying to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. They meet at Layla’s elementary school when Josh brings his daughter in for the first day and their relationship begins after months of “Friends with Potential”. I liked that we get to read both POVs and we can really get insight to what they are both thinking. The book takes place in the present day but it offers snippets of their past. This definitely helped understand them deeper. Josh and Layla had really great chemistry and I was rooting for them the entire book!

This was an excellent book! I loved the characters, and the fact it was a love story,without being a typical romance novel. I look forward to more from this author.

Heard It in a Love Song is a beautiful story of starting over and finding oneself in the midst of everything that life can throw our way. Anyone who enjoys a great romance or a book about starting over will love this book!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love this author. She is one of my favorites. This was like reading about an old friend. Very sweet story. My only wish is that there would be more to the ending. I wanted more!