I found the beginning a little slow, but I’m so glad I stuck with it—the ending is incredible. Multiple plotlines come together with emotional, satisfying resolutions. I cried more than once. The emotional payoff is real, especially in the final chapters.

Even with heavy themes like dementia and grief, the story stayed hopeful, which I really appreciated. It reminded me of a gentler version of Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez—emotional, romantic, and full of heart.

I loved Jo and Sebastian’s connection. It felt fresh and emotionally grounded, especially with the mind-reading twist. The magical realism element (hearing each other’s thoughts + a melody only they can hear) was unique and beautifully done. The romance is a slow burn, with love taking center stage before spice. Their vulnerability made it even better.

Is it truly an Ash Poston book without magical realism WELCOME BACK BABY. I am so beyond delighted with this book and love the tried and true formula that is in a Poston book. Jo is a songwriter who is struggling to create her next big single, after getting caught in a kiss cam with Sebastian Fell, resident rock star and bad boy heartthrob, she leaves feeling disrespected but finds that their tether is stronger than ever considering she starts hearing melodies in her head of a song unfinished as well as thoughts that belong to him as well. Taking bigger than life characters and placing them into small towns is one of my newer favorite tropes, I just felt that all of the character development was so well rounded and I wanted more and will always want more!

4.25

It’s hard to enjoy a book about dementia and this is the second one this spring where the female protagonist went back home and found herself in a situation that everyone else had been dealing with and she couldn’t quite grasp.
Joni‘s mother, for the most part, was doing very well and I do have some hesitations about the rate of progression, but I don’t want to spoil it and I know there are no normals with this disease.

I have read all of Ashley Poston’s books, so I knew there was some sort of fantasy or other-worldly element coming, but it seemed to take a little while. I wouldn’t say that this book’s twist was too out there, but definitely not in our conventional world. Of course, how would we know?

I liked this book a lot, but I can easily imagine that many people might not “get” some of the characters or find them believable. I do did struggle with Sebastian being so handsome, but also having a man bun. To me, those things are mutually exclusive. I liked the closeness between them. I did spend quite a while being distracted by the two characters conveniently not listening when key biographical data was being discussed, which would easily tell tem who the other person was. Joni mentions her town and lots of other “giveaways” all the time, but an explanation, or at least a acknowledgement, is provided before tooooo long. Keep that in mind while you read this book and are similarly agitated by the oversight. This isn’t too far into the book, relatively speaking. I did also struggle with all of the songwriting scenes where they used a lot of jargon, were stingy in providing the lyrics, and I had no frame of reference to imagine such a great song.

Many of my critiques might be considered spoilers, however, so I won’t get into that. It was a good and enjoyable book for me, though I think, at least looking back at my Goodreads list and the review I posted, not as good as “A Novel Love Story”, which I possibly rated a little high. I know I loved the dead Romantics, which is the reason I read the next one when it came out. “The Seven Year Slip” was not my favorite of them, but once I got my head around the bizarre situation, it was still a good book. Ironically, that is rated much higher than he other two.

This will be an enjoyable romance for most of her fans or fans of similar books, if there is such a thing. They have a fantasy element, but are pretty mundane for the most part if you’re not into that, which I am not.

Thank you to Ashley Poston, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book for my unbiased review.

#SoundsLikeLove #NetGalley #bookreview #ADHDreader #AshleyPoston #songwriting #music #hasbeens #BerkeleyPublishing #OuterBanks #romance

I’m honestly not sure where I stand with this author. I really enjoyed The Dead Romantics, but The Seven Year Slip didn’t work for me at all. Sounds Like Love falls somewhere in the middle.

The characters meet right away and the romance moves pretty quickly, which I didn’t love. While I did feel their chemistry, it didn’t really click for me until the end of the story.

That said, I really enjoyed reading about Joni’s family and the charming small-town setting in the OBX. Ashley’s writing is beautiful as always, but I’m still not completely sold on the romance side of things.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC!

i’m impressed by how much i enjoyed this book! i’m not the biggest fan of the celebrity/pop star trope, but it didn’t have any of those annoying elements they typically do! i enjoy ashley poston’s additions of magical realism that’s she adds to her novels. while this isn’t my favorite by her, it was a lot better than the dead romantics which is a win in my book!

Ashley Poston does it AGAIN! This one got me good! Anyone who knows me knows that The Seven Year Slip is my all time favorite book and this one was back on TSYS level. It was light-hearted, but deep. Ashley has this amazing ability to draw me in and wrap me up in her stories. They are magical and enchanting, but so freaking emotional. This one was a million stars and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to experience it!

Have you ever read a book that just gets you on every level? That was THIS one for me. 💖

🎶 The connection between Joni and Sasha had me completely hooked — it felt raw, real, and oh-so-intimate. The idea of them hearing each other’s thoughts while trying to write a song together?? Like… WHAT?! It sounds wild, but it works so well. You get to watch them grow closer in a way that feels so honest and vulnerable because they literally can’t hide from each other. As someone with an avoidant attachment style… YES. THIS. IS. THE. DREAM. 😭🫶

Everything about the way this story unfolded was perfection. Every little plot thread came together like a symphony — beautifully orchestrated and emotionally rich. 🎼💫

⚠️ TW: Dementia
This story also explores grief and guilt through such a tender lens. Joni’s journey as “the one who left” hit me hard. I saw so much of myself in her, and it made the story that much more impactful. 🥺

If you're looking for a romance that blends heartfelt emotion, creative plot twists, and characters who grow together in the realest way — this one is calling your name. 💗

Ashley Poston has such a unique spin on contemporary fiction, with a taste of the magical/unexplainable always mixed in. I absolutely adored this premise and had a lot of fun witnessing these two characters grow separately and together. Loved the cameo of certain other citrusy characters!!!!

I’m such a huge Ashley Poston fan, and this newest release reminded me exactly why. Her books always deliver lovable characters, creative settings, and just the right touch of magic, and this one might be my favorite yet.

What really stood out to me was the strong theme around music and how it has the power to connect people across time, space, and emotion. The writing is beautiful, the characters are memorable, and the story is full of heart and quiet wisdom. I absolutely loved the ending. It hit all the right notes.

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish it and I can't wait to add it to our library collection. I will never miss a book by Ashley Poston and I highly recommend adding this June release to your summer reading list.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston was one of the most surprising delights when I was first getting heavy into romance. The voice, the concept, the execution - 10/10. I was recently provided an early copy of her latest novel, Sounds Like Love, and at first I was just as delighted. In fact, I immediately wrote down "Da**it Ashley Poston, your prose is impeccable". I still stand by that, but the story this time didn't hold up as well.

Joni Lark is a songwriter in a rut. She's had some hit songs, but the creative well is all dried up and it terrifies her. She's hoping her annual summer trip back home to North Carolina will rejuvenate her and she'll get back on track, but her mother is sick, her best friend is hiding something from her, her ex-lover happens to be in town, and there's this new melody she just can't get out of her head.

This book has a heavy dose of magical realism. Turns out the tune in her head is actually attached to a voice. Of a man. They literally read each other's minds.

For me, this element could have maybe been okay if executed a little better. But the communication felt very heavily one-sided. Joni wasn't reading much of Sasha's intimate thoughts, only ones that made him more mysterious and wounded. I didn't like that. It felt unrealistic for her own parameters of her story. Apply a rule and apply it to all.

There are certainly some sweet and swoony moments in this book, but for me there just wasn't a strong enough foundation to make this work. I don't think the ever-sacred logic was actually broken at any point, but my believeability was stretched to the point of buckling a few times.

It's not a complete dumpster fire though. Joni's family owns a music hall/dive bar, and that holds a lot of significance to her too. There is plenty of personal development for the characters (mostly Joni), and it does feel like a pretty full little world. It's a nice atmospheric book to read, especially if you're a music aficionado.

I'm honestly surprised by myself for dropping two stars on this, usually great prose trumps all for me (looking at you Carley Fortune), but part of the magic was just lost on me this time, and the writing wasn't enough to save it for me.

Now, should you read this book? Yes! But if you've never read Ashley Poston before, I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend The Dead Romantics first!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

So I did a mix with this one of the e-arc and the audiobook. I found the audiobook a bit off-putting with actual singing, but I can see how that may work for other people. I did struggle a bit with the magical realism of the story. It was a decent read and I can see why Ashley Poston has a big fan-following, but unfortunately this read didn't work for me on a personal level. I liked the non-romance aspects of the book, and wanted more from the romance.

3.5 stars

i always love the magical realism in ashley postons books. it truly adds such a fun unique element and this one was no different! joni & sasha had the invisible string type of connection that kept pulling them together. i love how this one centered around music and i loved how it came full circle in the end. seeing joni realize what her true dreams are was very inspirational and i loved getting to experience that.

my biggest dislike in this book was all the pop culture references, it’s always something i struggle with in books and truly think that was why i didn’t rate it as high

Ashley Poston does it again! I think I’ve read every single book she’s written at this point, and she has not disappointed me yet. I really enjoyed this. I didn’t love it quite as much as some of her other books, but it’s still REALLY good.

This story follows Joni, a hit songwriter struggling with writer’s block, who returns to her hometown hoping for inspiration. Instead, she finds everything is changing, including herself. When a mysterious melody and an equally mysterious musician start haunting her thoughts, she’s drawn into a strange, magical connection that neither of them can explain.

While I did enjoy this book, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. I’m not 100% sure what it was, but it just didn’t give me the same feeling as her other stories. I didn’t connect with the characters or the storyline as deeply as I usually do with her work.

That said, I still really liked this! I finished it in one day because I just couldn’t stop reading. Ashley has such a great way of blending magical realism with swoon-worthy romance in the coziest settings.

All in all, this was still a really solid read with a unique story and beautiful writing. Even though it didn’t hit me as hard as some of her other books, I still had a great time with it. I already can’t wait to see what Ashley Poston comes out with next!

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was SO beautifully written. It was magical and romantic and so perfect. Ashley Poston has found what works and I am a sucker for it everytime. I love a little magical realism and the way this was played out was so perfect. I will keep reading anything Ashley writes! I will also one day go back and read Seven Year Slip (I know I know it’s such a fan fav but sometimes I just can’t read a book a REALLY want bc I don’t ever want it to be over???)!

Jo and Sasha are quite literally everything. I loved their connection, it more than just being in each other’s heads and I LOVED watching it all unravel. I really appreciated that writing the song wasn’t necessarily easy?? They had so much to figure out, how to be in each others heads, but also how to work together and Jo had a huge block to work through on her own and Sasha had things to sort out too! And it was such a BEAUTIFUL journey.

I also LOVED all the characters?? Gigi and Mitch?! I would read a whole book about them! Joni’s partners?? I LOVE THEM! I loved that they called each other heart!!! I loved how goofy they were and how much love just POURED out of them. I loved the home that the Revelry was for everyone! I loved Vienna Shores! I loved that Jo was able to come home again!! It was just SO GOOD!

Thanks to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

5 STARSS💜💛

⋆˙⟡ I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and Ashley Poston for this rec.
As someone who has never read a book by Ashley Poston I can already tell I will be a fan of her other works. The way the writing was able to speak to me and the emotions that came were everything all I can say is …YOU GUYS MUST READ THIS WHEN IT COMES OUT. THOSE WHO WANT TO FEEL SOMETHING IT DEFINITELY SCRATCHES THAT ITCH!

Ashley Poston, you are the best author in the history of the world. I knew that this book would be a five star read, based on her three previous books, and I was not disappointed. I adored every page. The romance was beautiful, the writing was astounding, the characters were so nicely developed, and the plot, while having elements of magical realism, still managed to be so devastatingly real. I cried very hard at multiple points of this book, I love it so so much. It helps that Ashley told me Sasha looks like Hozier. Yum.

Ashley Poston writes grief in such an intricate, profoundly beautiful way. It's a feeling that's so often associated with the pain of loss-rightfully so-but it's one that also encompasses what it means to have loved fully. Grief, as she shows us in this book, is the echo of a song. It's a reminder of all the times you lived without abandon, of the moments that define what it means to have been present, and of the knowledge that the person you experienced that happiness with may no longer exist as they once did. Grief is a five letter word that holds an ember that can be ignited by a smell, a touch, a taste, but never quite put out. Grief is a memory.

Sasha and Joni's story is one of my favorite displays of how love exists in the memories of grief. Of how love connects you back to your favorite moments in the most unexpected ways. In the idea that grief is love is finding a new way to define the word home. 

Ashley Poston is an incredible writer, and I'd read anything she writes.

It’s been a while since I started a book and was hooked by the end of chapter 1. This one from Ashley did it for me though! I really loved the entire book. Ashley creates some beautiful imagery with her writing throughout this story. Personally, I love music, if I could have any talent or profession, it would be something in music (sadly I have neither). So, this one just really made me smile throughout. The “magical” connection the main characters share is really fun and it gives you good insight in to the MMC. There were some points where I was frustrated with Joni’s (FMC) family’s poor communication and brushing over big life things. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that’s so common. I think we all do that to some degree in our own lives, with our own families. I hope there truly are places like the Revelry and they fill people’s lives with joy. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✨This book sang to my soul.✨

Ashley Poston never misses. I was beyond thrilled (and wildly grateful!!) to receive an ARC of Sounds Like Love, and let me just say—this was everything I hoped for and so much more. Emotional, magical, lyrical... this book is a love song wrapped in heartbreak, healing, and hope.

Joni Lark might be one of my favorite protagonists ever. Her quiet ache, her creative block, her desperate search for meaning—it felt so real. And then Sebastian—ugh, Sebastian—he’s grumpy and guarded and unexpectedly sweet, and I fell for him the second he called her “Bird.” Their connection is so unique and tender, I swear I felt it humming in my bones. The chemistry? Literal sparks. The banter? Perfection. The emotional beats? Wrecked me in the best possible way.

Ashley Poston is the queen of writing stories that blend just the right amount of magical realism with gut-punch truths. The way she writes about grief, memory, music, and rediscovery is simply unmatched. And this time, she wove in such a stunning meditation on time—how it stretches, breaks, heals us—and I found myself crying in the quietest moments.

The music elements were especially gorgeous—the lyrics, the songwriting process, the nostalgia! I felt like I was swaying under fairy lights at The Revelry, caught up in the rhythm of something bigger than myself. And the fact that the magical thread between Joni and Sebastian literally comes in the form of a melody?? GENIUS. Only Poston could take a concept like that and turn it into something so achingly intimate.

Also: shoutout to the cameo from I Wish You All the Best—yes, I screamed. 💛

If you’ve ever lost your spark, doubted your path, or needed a song to remind you who you are, Sounds Like Love is that story. It’s soft and slow and devastatingly beautiful. I’m already counting the days until I can reread it with my annotated sticky notes and a box of tissues.

This book sounds like love, yes—but more than that, it feels like it.

This musical romance with a touch of magical realism from Ashley Poston is my new favorite of hers! It’s romantic, funny, and heartwarming. A must read!