This book gave me SUCH a big book hangover. I didn't want it to end. I'm still thinking of Joni, Sasha, and the whole crew in Vienna Shores. Ashley Poston does magical realism in such a fun way. I liked the premise of two people connected by thought without having any idea who they actually were in person. It was funny how they answered each other's thoughts even when the other one forgot the other was in their head. I would feel bad for whoever got my thoughts, cause they're a mile a minute!

This story does deal with some pretty heavy topics. Joni's mom is struggling with the decline from dementia, and they are dealing with closing the family business because of it. I thought it was handled nicely. I've read a bunch of books lately with dying parent subplots, and it's always so hard to read because it's one of my biggest fears, but this was handled so well and a little bit more broadly than in detail, which I prefer. Sometimes it can take you out of the story too much. Joni is also facing writer's block and is having trouble sometimes relating to her best friend after being away for so many years.

I laughed, I cried, I loved this book so much, and I hope you do too!

Read if you like a small town, celebrity-adjacent romance with some magical realism thrown in. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/17.

Ashley Poston's books are like that summer you will always go back to coupled with your favorite Charmed episode.

Sounds Like Love hits all the right notes-- lyrics and melody, you and that hot (you won't ever admit it to them though) pop star ... who has now taken up space rent-free in your mind.

Joni Lark heads home to the coast of North Carolina to visit her family and their famed music hall, The Revelry.

Before heading home, Joni, a songwriter for LA's famous, has a disastrously hot meet-cute with a pop star on the VIP balcony of a client. How will all this pan out? You won't believe it... seriously.

You’ll love every minute with Joni, her family, and The Revelry. Don't miss this one!

Ashley Poston is BACK, baby!!!! Music, magical realism, weird North Carolina snacks . . . All the hallmarks of Poston's best work come out to play in this story of putting your life back together when it looks like the storm is about to sweep you out to sea.

The idea of an Ashley Poston novel with songs threaded through the pages sounded appealing, but <i>Sounds Like Love</i> resonated with me in unexpected ways. The entire novel is well developed from characters and themes to plot and pacing; it is fantastic.

Joni "Jo" Lark is a successful songwriter living her dream in L.A. until she hears that her mother has been diagnosed with dementia. She is now plagued with writer's block. She heads home to North Carolina for the summer in hopes to spend time with her mom while there are good days left. Also, she's crossing her fingers that a change in scenery might help her to write again. Jo begins to hear small snatches of a melody in her mind, but it isn't exactly her usual process. She is also privy to some thoughts of a man named "Sacha". He can hear a portion of her thoughts too. They tend to receive the louder thoughts the other has. Sacha decides to fly out to where Jo is to try and get to the bottom of what has their mental wires crossed.

Characters willing to dream even when dreams change was explored and that is a brave concept. We change and evolve and so do our dreams and priorities. The use of magical realism was understated here yet, added to the plot and characterization. It also showcased the characters' integrity I can't imagine having access to someone's thoughts or vice versa.

I love how music was used throughout as a nostalgic guide. I imagine there will be many playlists compiled from the songs used as chapter titles. I know they had me smiling throughout.

A beautiful soul baring celebration of connection, family, love, and song. Well Done!

All the stars!

This book was absolutely everything to me. It’s been far too long since I picked up a romance that I simply couldn’t leave behind. My kindle never left my hand, it trailed me through chores and errands on the off chance I had a moment to read.

This one made me laugh and cry. It had just enough magic to give that light airy feel, but also rooted in reality enough to break your heart just a little (or a lot) and tape it back together. Kinda like life when the best and worst of times mix.

I loved everything. I loved that Ashley stepped out of using the publishing and bookish space as a backdrop to the music and song writing scene. It was so fun and unique and I enjoyed getting to fall into a new kind of story! The idea of accidental telepathy took a whole new twist on having a song stuck in your head. It had me giggling and blushing and just hoping for these two flawed and hurt characters to find each other.

The backdrop to the story was perfect, the small beach town was summery but also realistic and full of actual people. I felt like it was somewhere I could actually visit, instead of a completely idealistic place I only wish I could. And I loved the family aspect of this book. Ashley is a master of painting real families, full of imperfections and love and best intentions. I sobbed. I hoped. I laughed. I already want to read it again.

And if you’re a Seven Year Slip fan… I’ll just say you will want to get this one expeditiously 🥰

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC and NetGalley for facilitating! This one is out June 17th and you better get it!!! And scream at me about how you love it! And if you have an ARC please read it ASAP so I can gab about it with you endlessly!!!

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
This book beautifully explores how music can carry us through grief and guide us toward healing. There’s so much to love here, from the chapter titles named after songs to the emotional depth Ashley Poston brings to every page. She has such a gift for making you feel everything, and the way she weaves in magical realism feels effortless, like it’s just a natural part of life. I really enjoyed this one, especially the love story between Joni and Sebastian. At its core, it’s about both of them finding healing in unexpected ways. I’ve read quite a few books this year that touch on dementia, and it never stops being heartbreaking. I did have a couple of lingering questions by the end and found myself wishing for a bit more spice between the main characters, and a deeper dive into some of the relationship dynamics. But honestly, Ashley Poston can do no wrong in my book, and overall, I truly enjoyed this story.

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🪄Magical Realism
👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻Forced proximity
🔥Slow burn
🎶Music talk
🪄Song writer x musician
🧠Telepathic connection
😢Grief/ loss
🏡Small town vibes

⚠️ 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: Dementia, death of a parent.

🎶𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🎶
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💕Q U O T E: “𝒢𝓇𝒾𝑒𝒻 𝒾𝓈 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓃𝑔 𝒾𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑒."

“𝒲𝑒 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝓊𝒾𝓁𝓉 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓈𝒶𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓊𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓌𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓌𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝓌𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒𝒹𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”

🙏 Thank you Berkley Romance, and Ashley Poston for this free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. 💕

Before this book, I had a pretty lacklustre track record with romance stories about music and song artists. This one, however, did everything right.

I absolutely adored the slow buildup of Joni and Sebastian’s relationship. Their connection actually took time and many deep conversations to form and, because of that, their friendship and budding feelings felt real and genuine.

Also, on top of their amazing chemistry together, the two main characters were incredibly well fleshed out and loveable on their own. I was rooting for them so hard in every possible way that the last couple of chapters actually brought happy tears to my eyes. I especially related to Joni’s conflicting feelings with trying to reconcile her homesickness and her determination to accomplish her dreams, and I’m glad she found her answer in the end.

I highly recommend this book to any romance lover out there. It really hits the spot.

I love that Ashley Poston's books always have a bit of the supernatural about them but it isn't the whole focus of the story. A successful songwriter and a washed-up musician meet and instantly start to hear each other's thoughts. The only way to get them out of each other's minds is to put a song to ink. But romance gets in the way of the writing. This was a darling book set on the islands off North Carolina, a place I'd love to visit someday. Definitely recommend.

4.5⭐️ This was written for my one direction fangirl heart AND I LOVED IT. I absolutely pictures Harry Styles as the MMC the whole book and I’m not mad about it.

I absolutely love the magical realism in Ashley Poston’s books. She is pure magic. I love how her stories feel so fresh and unique while also focusing on grief and real life experiences.

First I need to say how much I loved these characters. Each and every one of them! Joni’s parents especially warmed my heart. I pictured myself visiting this town and seeing all of them, that would be magic.

The way the romance came together was really beautiful, the whole story felt engaging and I kept making excuses to myself to pick this book back up and keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Ashley Poston is an auto-read author for me and a household name. And like with any of her books, this one had me crying towards the end. Super nostalgic for anyone who used to (or still does) summer in the OBX and woof does it pull hard on the homesick vibes. It’s a perfect beach read or for a summer storm. You’re not gunna want to put it down once you start though. More please asap!

So. Many. Tears.

"Sounds Like Love" tackles a number of human experiences and puts concepts of feelings into words, with lyrical prose and a determination to get to the core of the emotion.

Grief, love, and chasing dreams are how I would ultimately describe the novel, but the depth explored throughout the pages goes beyond the novel. The feelings of knowing something is wrong, faced with mortality of your parents, and trying to enjoy the present while bracing for the future. Finding love in an unlikely place, with a spark from a spontaneous moment. Recognizing that dreams are not stagnant and tend to alter as we grow older.

One of my favorite aspects of an Ashley Poston novel are the magical realism elements that open the story to a whole knew view. I loved the way it's incorporated in "Sounds Like Love" and felt it elevated the story and helped us experience every moment along with the main characters.

Cute, fun, raw and injected with musicality that feels real. I like that it’s added elements that change the traditional Rom com. Highly recommend.

Another incredibly moving, beautifully heartfelt magical realism romance from fav author Ashley Poston. This one features Joni Lark, a talented LA songwriter returning to her North Carolina home for the summer to spend time with her mother who is suffering from dementia (something the author has a personal connection with).

The love story also involves a former boy band musician Sebastian who somehow gets inside Joni's head with each being able to hear the other's thoughts. I loved the way this brought the two together and the way they believe writing a song they can both hear the beginnings of will help correct the situation.

Full of emotional depth and forced proximity goodness, this closed door romance grabbed me from the start and wouldn't let go. It was fantastic on audio with an original song and author's note included at the end.

It's also perfect for fans of other Alzheimer's/dementia focused romance books like Can't get enough, Say you'll remember me or Fake it like you mean in. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

It’s not summer without a magical romance from Ashley Poston. I devoured this book!!! I couldn’t put it down. It was romantic and cozy and magical and a perfect summer read.

I loved this one. It was a sweet book. If you loved her other books, you will love this one. It had her usual magic realism and romance that is so fun to read.

Hands down my new favorite Ashley Poston book🥹🤩

This was absolutely fabulous!!!
When I tell you the second I read the words
“I can hear you” I lit up with the BIGGEST smile and it
never went away!!

We follow the story of Joni (a song writer) & Sebastian (a musician) and Ashley Postons Magical addictions!
I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to give anything away…it’s a must read 🤭

This book is fun, sexy, heart wrenching, for me.. impossible to put down and one the best times I’ve had with a romance book 🫶
AND the music!! I’m such a sucker for books with music inspirations and this one definitely did not disappoint.

I loved everything about it! ♥️

I love all of Ashley Postons books but this one literally made my heart so full and I was SO giddy 😆😆

Definitely recommend and am so grateful for this arc!

All the memories that make us are also the ones that bring us home. What better way to hold the memories than with music. This book feels like home.

Pub Date: 6/17/25

#SoundsLikeLove
#AshleyPoston
#NetGalley
#Mixtapes

I absolutely loved this book! I thought it was fun, whimsy and really liked both the MFC and MMC, rooting for them to get together. I cannot wait for this to be released this summer.

Sounds Like Love" is as delightful as it is heartbreaking. Ashley Poston, of course, gives us another lightly fantastical, hopeful love story while absolutely crushing our hearts. She is so very good at writing grief and putting into words the jumbled, messy, intangible feelings that come along with it. The HEA is wistful, achy and beautiful. This story is easy to hold close to the heart and will resonate long after the last page is read.

Joni has hit it big as a songwriter in LA - her dream come true! But she finds herself feeling a little empty, and she returns home to Vienna Shores to be with her parents and help out at her parents' music venue, The Revelry. Hoping for inspiration, Joni just finds herself lost amidst her mom's memories fading, her best friend being distant, and her manager's texts for updates. And then she hears it - a melody and a voice. He calls himself Sasha, and they can hear each other's thoughts, the melody haunting them both. Working together brings out the best in them, as they open up on a deeper level and write the love song that they hope will break their connection. But it turns out, they may be writing their own love song.

I loved this mix of celebrities and LA, with a small North Carolina beach town. The details were so perfect - the Marge (a margarita barge), mix tapes, seagulls in the rafters, sticky venue floors, Jimmy Buffet cover bands, a storm brewing. On a deeper level, Joni was home to savor memories with her mom - her best friend, who was slowly losing her memories. Sasha, the voice in her head turned writing partner, was sweet and supportive, and boy did he fall hard (and first). I loved how his desire to move on from his past mistakes, reputation, and fame drew him to be a part of Joni's dreams. Their connection was magical and the love stories (Joni's parents, her best friend, and her own) were inspiring.