I received a free advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley.

This is my first Poston book and, my goodness, was it delightful. I'm not an avid romance reader by any means, but I do occasionally read one here and there as a palate cleanser when I feel like my mind needs a break.

Although I had read the synopsis, I had kind of forgotten that it had some elements of magical realism in it when I started it. That was a brief surprise to me as I read, but it was seamlessly slipped into the story and wasn't jarring. I think that if someone picked this up without realizing it had magical realism, they would likely still be okay with it. It's minimal, while still being integral to the plot, so even folks who stick to strictly realistic fiction would probably find themselves suspending disbelief and continuing on.

What I really liked about this book was that while it was a romance, it also had a secondary plot that focused on best friends and family that felt really sincere. It didn't take a backseat to the romance; they were both blended effortlessly together in the way that real life often is. As someone who jumps around between genres, this dual plotline really made the book stand out to me as a book that I could recommend to a broader audience than just romance readers.

I loved every character in this book. Every single one. There wasn't a true villain... in the form of a human. And, honestly, that was great. It might seem like it would reduce the complexity, but the truth is that a bad guy (or gal) isn't always necessary, and this book pulls it off amazingly. It was just a feelgood book the whole way through. Even when things were getting tumultuous, there was an underlying current of positivity and let's be frank... we can all use that these days.

This book is for the music lovers out there. It pulled at my heartstrings and made me long for a sunny day where I could drive with the windows down and the perfect playlist. Ashley easily encapsulated what good music can do for the soul and how those in the industry struggle with the art and fame of it all.

Ill be honest I was not in board with the telepathy premise in the beginning and I wish there was more of an explanation as to why it occurs, but once I hit 25% I couldn’t put the book down. I enjoyed peeling back the layers of Sasha’s character and getting to know him alongside Joni. I love the relationship she had with her parents and the ending had me sobbing over the what ifs of grief.

I think Ashley puts a little of herself into each of her books and you can feel the personal connections in these pages. The romance was good, not over the top, but the descriptions of the Revelry, listening to music with her parents and the piano parts - those really got me.

Vibes:
Slow burn
Dislike to lovers
Music industry
Small town
Family relationships
Career vs family
Memory loss

Ashley Poston is an expert at balancing her love stories with grief and still making you swoon (a la The Dead Romantics), but Sounds Like Love really takes you through all of the emotions. Set in small-town North Carolina over main-character Joni's "last good summer" with her mom*, Poston weaves in creative burnout, imposter syndrome, and good ol' fashioned death anxiety with ride-or-die best friendships and doing what makes you happy in a place that feels like home... all while falling in love with the (tragically misunderstood) bad boy of yesteryear's most popular boy band ripe for a comeback. Sprinkle in a dose of magical realism and you have one hell of a book.

* [SPOILER] Joni's mom is newly diagnosed with dementia and definitely on the decline, but the worst of it happens off-page towards the end [/SPOILER]

Ashley Poston just has the BEST magical realism rom-coms, and honestly I am ready to devour anything that she writes. This was so much extra fun for me because of how much I love music, so the connection of songwriting was so incredible! I loved this so much, and I am very excited to grab a copy to put on my shelf. Great characters, an amazing setting, and a fantastically woven plot!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC!

Really enjoyed this one. Thankfully I started it early enough on a Sunday that I was able to finish it in one sitting! What I love about Poston is that her female main characters are flawed yet strong and so so relatable. I have yet to find one of her stories I don't love!

5 stars, and let's be real-- it would be impossible for me to give Poston anything less. Ashley Poston is an auto-buy author for me. I have loved every book I've ever read from her. If you haven't read her before, she has major Emily Henry vibes, if Henry's books had magical realism components. A lot of Poston's books were, well, about books. So I loved that she switched things up a bit with Sounds Like Love, and focused on the music industry. Also, perhaps because of the magical realism component, but I typically love to save Ashley's books for the Fall. But it turns out that Sounds Like Love is such a perfect summery beach read, that happens to take place during the summer, and on the beach. Poston's writing hooks me from the first chapter, and if I'm honest, there is never a moment that I find myself lagging while reading one of her books. They're funny, and swoony, and deep, and introspective, and emotional, and Sounds Like Love is no different. Not only do we get a romantic love story, but we also get a love story about family and also a love story about music (the music vibes kind of reminded me a bit of Julie Soto's Not Another Love Song, which was one of my favorite reads of 2024). Sounds Like Love follows Joni, a song writer who is experiencing a heavy heavy dose of writer's block. She decides to leave LA and come home for the summer, in part to spend time with her sick mother, but also to potentially find her spark again. Because this is an Ashley Poston book, you know there's going to be a swoony romance with some wild magical realism component. I'm not an emotional person, but parts of this book definitely sucker punched me a bit. And if I'm honest, I definitely had tears in my eyes multiple times while reading... which I LOVE. Nothing about Sounds Like Loved disappointed, and I absolutely, wholeheartedly, 100% recommend it. Thank you so much to Poston, Berkley Romance (Berkley partner), and netgalley for the ARC!

I love a music-based story, and this one did not disappoint! I love the way Ashley does magical realism, and the connection between the two main characters had me swooning. The family dynamic was beautiful, also. Would recommend!

Ashley Poston has done it again…

magical realism is probably my absolute favorite subgenre/trope to read and ashley poston is the absolute best at writing it.

joni and sasha are brought together by an inexplicable force and being able to see them open up to each other was just 🥹🥹🥹

sounds like love will make you laugh and smile but by the end you might be in tears by the emotion punch that is thrown your way.

the cherry on top for me was the theme of music throughout this story. as a huge music lover, it spoke right to my heart.

ashley always finds a way to craft such unique stores that in the end, always come full circle and are so fulfilling.

4.5/5
This book was amazing! Thank you to Berkley for providing this ARC. Honestly, I think I might like this book more than The Seven Year Slip (which says a lot because I LOVE The Seven Year Slip). The characters, the story, and the writing are all beautiful. I finished reading this in two days because it was that GOOD! Once again, anything Ashley Poston writes is a 10/10. I'm definitely looking forward to rereading this book.

Back in 2022, I stumbled across a book called The Dead Romantics. The premise was so fun but I was something of a staunch romance-novel-averse person. In my youth, I loved teen romances but contemporary, adult romance left something to be desired for me. Fortunately, for who knows what reason, I did stick with The Dead Romantics and loved it. Ashley Poston transformed me into a sucker for a good romance novel and I am constantly chasing the perfection she achieves when she puts pen to page.

Sounds Like Love is yet another stellar work from a talented, inventive writer. If you've read Poston's work before, you know there is always a magical twist. The magic in Sounds Like Love is a bit more abrupt in the story but it is satisfyingly resolved in the end. At a few points, I felt fairly sure that I knew where the story was going and it seemed headed for dreadfully cliché avenues but Poston surprised me in each of these instances. I was surprised to find that I was already 50% of the way through the story and it somehow felt like there was nowhere left to go and absolutely too much ground to still cover. Everything came together perfectly in the end though. Joni and Sasha's love story felt organic, just kissed by magic. I loved the way Poston resolved each of their big hurts but I also appreciated that she didn't make the third act drama too explosive, which wouldn't have felt real for the circumstance or characters. I adored each MC's family story and their sweet resolution.

I usually look forward to the book angle of Poston's stories but I found that I didn't miss that at all in Sounds Like Love. I don't always think songs or music work on the page but they really did here.

I loved this story and I know I'll be comparing couples in books to Joni and Sasha for a long, long time.

Ashley Poston has done it again—and honestly, I should’ve known to keep tissues nearby. This book wrapped around me like a favorite song I didn’t know I’d missed. From the first page, I was hooked—Joni and Sebastian (or should I say Sasha?) had that kind of chemistry that sparks instantly and quietly simmers until you’re fully immersed in it.

The premise is already magic—a songwriter and a rockstar tied together by a telepathic connection, forced to write a song to break it. But what Poston does so well is infuse that magic realism into something deeply emotional and human. It’s not just about the connection between them, but the grief, healing, and longing each character carries. Joni, returning to her hometown—burnt out and searching for something real—felt so relatable. She’s raw and grounded in this gentle way that makes you want to root for her. And seeing Sebastian through her eyes, watching him shift from a distant, broken celebrity to someone soft and vulnerable, was just so beautifully done.

And can we talk about the music? The song lyrics opening each chapter gave this story a heartbeat. It felt like a love letter to all the songs that get you through—the ones you blast in the car, the ones that break you, the ones that heal you. I could practically hear the soundtrack of this book playing in the background as I read.

Poston has this way of making you feel like you’re there—whether it’s the coast of North Carolina or the cozy corners of a dive bar in Vienna Shores. Her writing just radiates warmth and nostalgia, and I was completely swept up in the world. The romance? So tender it hurts. The grief? It cracked me wide open. And that line—“You feel like home, bird”? Cue the tears.

Some books you read and move on. Others stay with you, humming in the background long after you’ve turned the last page. This one? It’s still singing.

This was both very fun and emotionally rich! I liked how their relationship didn't fix Joni's problem of being burnt out, but offered her a way of thinking differently. The moment when she finishes the song! Heartbreaking and also freeing!

Absolutely loved it! Ashely Posten is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I love how her books have a tiny fantasy twist to them. The telepathic link on this one was very interesting. Definitely a must read.

4.5

isnt it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me ✨

i have to say that after not liking her last book very much i was a little nervous but still excited to dive into this one, after liking seven year slip & the dead romantics so much i realllly wanted to love another book of hers and im so excited that this was what i hoped it would be 💓

im usually not the biggest fan of books that revolve around music but this one was SO much fun, i absolutely love ashley postons brand of magic. her stories are so unique and i love the way they always come full circle, i mean all of the connections in life that led joni and sasha together?! 😭

i was so pleasantly surprised by how much i ended up loving sasha, when we first meet him hes an absolute prick and i was extremely worried that he would remain that way for a huge chunk of the book but thankfully i was proven wrong very quickly, this man is so beautifully romantic 😭

this is one of those books where i don’t wanna get TOO into a bunch of details that i loved because i think that the magic of this book should be experienced blind, just know youre in for a treat 🤭

Ashley Poston does magical realism so lyrically and beautifully, and Sounds Like Love hits all the right notes! Songwriter Joni Lark has writer’s block and no way to get over it, so she returns home to find inspiration. And then she hears it—a melody in her head she can’t shake, and the voice of musician Sebastian Fell in her head. When he shows up in her town, these two finish the song in their heads, but will they lose their hearts in the process? This is a slow burn with great banter and an emotionally gripping story of family, love, and dreams. For me, it was a slow start that had me questioning if I really enjoy magical realism—I feel like the last few I’ve read just haven’t totally worked for me in the subgenre—but by the second half, this was feeling like a five star. I just wish the whole book felt like the second half did. I loved Joni; she feels very real. She’s flawed and looking for her inspiration while also dealing with her mom’s dementia and the changes in her family and life. She feels at times a little selfish, but never in a way that didn’t make sense; she has a lot on her plate and she’s doing her best. And Sebastian! I wish there had been his POV too because I just adored him. He’s cocky and vulnerable, and their conversations stuck in each other’s head were raw and sweet and honest. I loved their connection. I loved the love of music in these pages, and the story is striking. It’s a really lovely, magical read!

4.5 out of 5 stars

I just continue to fall more and more in love with Ashley Poston and her stories with every book she writes. This book is a love letter, a love song, to so many types of love. Ashley Poston is an automatic read for me.

SOUNDS LIKE LOVE by Ashley Poston has all of the typical elements of an Ashley Poston novel – 1st person narration, magical realism, slow-burn romance, troubles with communication. However, this latest novel is NOT a typical Ashley Poston novel. It is more personal, more intimate; and it is this essence of the writing that makes the story a compelling read.

Joni Lark is a successful song writer. However, she is in the throes of an existential crisis – she has lost her zest for song writing. Part of the issue is that despite all of the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles that many dreamers chase after, she has lost that euphoric feeling she experiences when she writes a truly wonderful song. She is also homesick. So a trip back home is exactly what the doctor (and the author) prescribes. When she returns home, she realizes that life has happened and things are not as rosy as she thought they were – her parents are giving up their music venue. Why? Because mom is suffering from dementia that is steadily growing worse, and dad needs to be on hand to take care of mom full time. Also, why has not her best friend told Joni about the fact that Joni’s brother has proposed? Oh yeah, and why does she keep hearing someone else’s thoughts in her head? And what is that tune she and the mystery person, whose thoughts she is privy to, keep hearing?

Plotwise, there is a lot happening in Poston’s latest, and some of it can be a bit distracting. I read the book in spurts, mostly because life kept getting in the way of my reading. I’d read 20 or 30 pages, then put it down. Then a few days later, I’d pick it back up again, read 20 or 30 pages, and then put it back down again.

However, something happened by the time I reached the halfway mark – I could not stop, and I refused to allow anything to intrude on my time with Poston. I realized – Oh! Poston is not writing a romance; she is writing about relationships and dreams. The romance might be the hook, but this is a book about mothers and fathers and daughters and best friends (and yes, lovers) and Life with a capital L. And all of the good and all of the bad that happens when someone is busy living their Life. AND all of the songs that are the soundtrack to that Life.

I recently had a wonderful conversation with Sarah Hogle. We both mentioned that romance novels, especially those published over the last few years – read THE FOLKLORE OF FOREVER, HAPPY PLACE, WHAT’S IN A KISS just to name a few – are less about the romance and more about the relationships between the characters. Poston, Hogle, Emily Henry, and Lauren Kate are taking romance in a new direction, and I find that very exciting — romances, with a lower case r, that are actually love stories about family and friendship.

I am excited to read what Poston produces next, whether it is shelved in romance or (quite possibly) the fiction section. I know that it will be brilliant.

Really enjoyed this one! I love the magical elements Ashley Poston always brings to her story and I really enjoyed Jo and Sebastian's characters. I loved the little beach town setting and now I want to move to Vienna Shores.

Sounds Like Love featured the usual Ashley Poston magical elements and it was a love story with a happy ending, but it felt like something was missing.

Joni and Sebastian's characters didn't feel fully flushed out; their connection, the supporting characters, the conflict, it all felt incomplete.

I think the issue may be that I keep chasing the high that was The Seven Year Slip and keep ending up with mixed results

2.5 stars, I think I finally have to admit that Ashley Poston’s romances don’t really do it for me. I loved her fantasy, Among the Beasts & Briars, and though I’ve tried every single one of her contemporary romances, I’ve found each of them to be lacking. I’m not sure if it’s the magical realism of it all, the writing style, or the characters, but I can’t never fully invest like I want to.

This one started out good! I was intrigued by Joni and Sebastian’s first meeting and the whole mind-reading thing. But the mind-reading aspect quickly got out of hand; I felt confused about how it worked, and it seemed like there were contradictions. It was a bit hard to navigate between Joni’s thoughts and what Sebastian was or wasn’t hearing. It was a distraction, to be honest. It was also difficult to really see a growth in their feelings for each other because their thoughts were all over the place. It just didn’t really work for me. Also, this is a nitpicky thing but I hated the way the chapter titles were formatted?? Why the parentheses?

I will say that the ending really packed an emotional punch! The storyline with Joni’s mom and Ami was super interesting, and I liked the messages about grief and loss. This’ll be my last Poston book for awhile; disappointed that I can’t seem to get into her books!