I liked this a lot—especially on audio (shoutout to the narrator for actually singing!), but I wasn’t obsessed with the story. Something just felt… lacking. I was honestly bored until the magical realism kicked in—and if you’re going in blind like I did it’ll be a pleasant surprise! 🤭

The book jumps right into the romance with very little context, which made it hard to connect with the main character’s emotions early on. That feeling continued throughout. I often wished for more descriptive moments, more grounding in the world, and less expectation that readers just get it. The main character’s mom was in a band when she was young and I think her past experiences needed to be explained a lot better, but it was always kind of glossed over. It had such an impact on the decisions the main character made in her life I think it was a shame that even in the end so much wasn’t clear to us as the reader.

This was a cute romcom with a magical twist, but I think it would’ve been stronger if the author had slowed down to really develop the characters and their personal dilemmas better. I appreciated the romance, the banter, and the family dynamics, but I never cared deeply about any of it. The twists were also incredibly obvious and didn’t surprise me whatsoever. This felt rushed and underdeveloped compared to her other books I’ve read.

Still, I enjoyed parts of it, and it’s definitely not a bad book—it just didn’t hit the same for me. 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the ARC. 🫶🏻

The idea of two people being in each other's thoughts and how that might come about and resolve is very interesting. I especially enjoyed the mind reading boundaries (and lack of boundaries) during the falling for each other parts. The making music together in their heads part was good too.

Sounds Like Love might resonate with readers who enjoy the “celebrity romance” trope—particularly those who like their love stories with a magical twist. The story centers on a successful songwriter and a brooding musician who share a mysterious, inexplicable bond that neither of them can seem to break. As they try to untangle this surreal connection, old wounds, creativity, and unexpected feelings begin to surface.

While the premise was promising and the magic intriguing, I personally felt like something was missing. The emotional stakes didn’t quite land for me the way I’d hoped. That said, I’m a big fan of Ashley Poston’s work—The Seven Year Slip, The Dead Romantics, and A Novel Love Story were all cozy, heartwarming reads that blended magic and emotion in a way that felt seamless. If you’re drawn to stories about fate, creative souls, and reluctant love, Sounds Like Love might still hit the right note for you.

Beautiful, hopeful and whimsical, Ashley Poston weaves another stunning novel with her classic magical realism. I always know when I pick up a book written by her I'm going to get a unique story with complicated character dynamics, a swoony romance, and explorations of heavier themes (then I will also inevitably end up crying). Sounds Like Love delivered all that and more and is a great summer read.

Every chapter's title is a song lyric which I thought was so creative and fun. The book follows Joni, a songwriter from LA who goes back home to spend time with her family, in particular her mom, who was diagnosed with dementia and is fading quickly. It is there that she tries to find inspiration for her songwriting and where she starts hearing a melody and a voice in her head. Could it belong to the bitter musician she had just met (and kissed!) in LA?

Ashley Poston's stories are beautifully woven and full of magic. I loved the integration of music into the story and the author created a wonderful male lead, Sebastian. The Revelry became a special place to the reader, just as it was for Joni. This book is up there as a favorite, right beneath The Seven Year Slip. Be sure to check out the afterword note in this book too.

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Romance, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

this book is soo so good

the little touches of magic in this contemporary story made it feel so special

family. love. dreams. figuring out what you want your life to look like. working up the courage to chase after what you want.

a really sweet, heartfelt story

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
6/17/2025

Joni Lark is a successful songwriter who has written one of the biggest hits of the year; but she has been suffering a severe case of writer’s block since finding out about her mother’s recent Alzheimer's diagnosis. After a concert where she sees her hit song performed live, and also have a run-in with a frustrating former bad boy musician, she heads home to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to spend time with her family and try to find some songwriting inspiration.

But once she’s there, she finds out that the family has decided to close The Revery, the live music venue that has been in her dad’s family for generations. And she’s realizing just how much of her friends’ and families’ lives she has missed while chasing her dreams in Los Angeles.

But then she starts to hear a song in her head… and a voice along with it. A voice that belongs to a former bad boy who has struggles of his own. And when he shows up in North Carolina to finish the song, they’ll have to figure out what comes next once the song is complete.

This well-crafted story was a love letter to the music industry and was full of heart – from Joni’s longing for her hometown to the family struggles with her mom’s diagnosis to her connection with Sasha. The chapter titles were song lyrics from popular songs that added a fun layer to the story. While this is a romance, the spice level was mild.

Poston does a great job of writing romances with a small amount of magical realism, and this is her best book yet!

Overall: 5/5
Spice: 1/3

If there’s even a hint of magical realism, I’m IN and Sounds Like Love didn’t disappoint. It took a bit to find its rhythm, but once it did, I was into it. On the scale from cheesy to serious, this definitely leans cheesy, but in a self-aware, rom-com kind of way that works more often than not.

I really enjoyed the build-up, and while I did see the twist coming, it was still satisfying when it hit.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit more than A Novel Love Story, though for me, The Seven Year Slip is still Ashley Poston’s best. That said, Sounds Like Love is a fun, feel-good read with just enough heart (and magic) to keep you turning the pages!

Ohhh dear, oh dear. I may be dead inside, but this is just so nauseating. The singing, my GOD. A saccharine and trite D-movie mixed with a vague attempt at magical realism. There are just too many outlandish tropes thrown in here to the point where the unbelievable becomes more unbelievable even within the realm of its own believability. I really did not enjoy this.

Joni Lark is a songwriter with burnout. After her mom’s early dementia diagnosis, she doesn’t feel like she can create anymore. Meeting Sebastian Fell didn’t help either; he was rude to her even if he was a good kisser. But Joni and Sebastian are forced together when they are literally in each other’s heads. It starts with a melody that maybe they have to finish to be rid of each other, but when it’s over, will they want it to be? Another work of magical realism by Ashley Poston, Sounds Like Love is about the magic of music and family and what it means to truly feel home. Readers will fall in love with the town of Vienna Shores and with the diverse cast of characters.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really should read the book synopsis more because I was so pleasantly surprised to find this was a celebrity romance! My favorite trope. Of course, why would I read an Ashley Poston synopsis anyway - her books are must reads for me and it doesn't matter what she writes... it will be good!

This was really cute from the get-go. I thought the magical realism element of hearing someone in your head was really clever, especially how it paired well with songwriting. There was such a good balance of heavy family circumstances and the romance elements mixing in. There was a lot of love and hope in this story.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the early #gifted reading copy and listening copy of this AMAZING book!

I am a HUGE magical realism girly and look forward to getting my hands on Poston’s book so much! I think this may be my favorite of hers!

I don’t want to really give anything away but if you are a fan of musical lyrics, have a soft spot in your heart for small towns and believe in telepathic connections, grab this one IMMEDIATELY.

I highlighted much of this book but two of my favorite quotes are

“We are made up of memories, anyway. Of ourselves, of other people. 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.”

“Grief is just a love song in reverse.”

If you can, here's another one I highly recommend on audio. Patti Murin narrates and she is phenomenal!

4.5 stars

There is truly no other author that makes me feel, think, laugh, or cry as much as Ashley Poston does. This book feels like the most comforting hug, like a subconscious release of all the built up emotions you didn't realize you held back.

Ashley Poston's books have aspects of magical realism, yes, but the real magic is the way she is able to make you reflect on your own life and see the potential for everything it could be. While her books are summarized as romance, I more so love her beautifully written insight on living, healing, and learning. And this book exceeded my expectations by encompassing all this and more.

This book was a love letter to art, to the genuine and deep connections that only humans can make. As someone who has always turned to music as a safe space for every emotion, I cannot even begin to comprehend how Ashley Poston was able to summarize the feeling of it so perfectly. Her writing always lends a spotlight to the everyday joys that bring us together, in ways we sometimes aren't even able to recognize at first. With music at its core, this book demonstrates that we are what we love, and that your true passions will never fail to guide you to what is meant for you.

"I wasn't sure what kind of song this would be, but I hoped it would be the kind that made memories. The kind that made love a conversation, made romance a work of art. Painted stories of late-night confessions and midmorning heartbreaks, falling in love through joyrides and banana-lemon margaritas and secrets whispered against skin. And the kind that, when you were lost in the world, brought you home."

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Instagram post coming soon!

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this! I love Ashley Poston’s writing and the creative way she incorporates magical realism into her stories. The way she did it for this story was super interesting, and I honestly wished there had been even more magical realism! As with all of her books, this one was funny, romantic, relatable, and deeply emotional. I love how she can write a fun magical realism romance while simultaneously deal with heavier topics so well. I enjoyed the characters, loved the family dynamics, and thought the setting was fun. The music aspect just wasn’t my favorite which made it hard for me to stay engaged, and I didn’t feel much of a connection between the two main characters the way I have with her other book couples. The story started to drag just a bit after the halfway mark for me, but overall I enjoyed it and will read anything this author writes. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you for the free book @penguinrandomhouse and @berkleyromance! #penguinrandomhousepartner #berkleyIG #BerkleyBookstagram. Thank you for the free audiobook, @prhaudio

Nobody really does magical realism like Ashley Poston! I swear her creativity is just 👌

In Dead Romantics, she gave us a ghost storyline. In Seven Year Slip, she gave us a time travel in a magical apartment. In A Novel Love Story, she gave us a fictional small town that came to life, and for Sounds like Love, she gave us magical realism + musical romance!

Plus her writing is just honestly so whimsical and I just love her use of words and how it makes me feel!

This book comes out today, friends! Here’s what it’s about:
Our female lead is a hit songwriter. However, when she found out about her mom’s illness, she underwent a creative block and is having a hard time creating a new song.
Our male lead is the son of a very popular singer and had been living under his dad’s shadow for almost all his life.
The two met at a concert.
They somehow ended up hearing each other’s thoughts from thousands of miles away.
Both of them keep hearing this earworm that they decided to work together and create a song hoping that it’ll make them get out of each other’s head also.

This is definitely for the music lovers, for those torn between living far away to chase their dreams or staying at home, and for those who love a coastal town setting!!!

I can’t wait for her next book next year! I wonder what it’s going to be about then!

And because this book is one of the three books I brought with me on vacation, we are doing this background today. It is a poolside restaurant where we had our last dinner date in Aruba. 💗

Shoutout to my friend @sarahs_shelves_sc who made me realize they actually have a sound clip of the song from the book here on instagram! How cool is that?! 😂

💭 What are you guys reading today??
☕️ I started In The Company of Witches and I’m really loving it!

This was such a delight! I love how Poston weaves magical realism into all her novels. Joni Lark is a songwriter in Los Angeles dealing with writer's block. And then out of nowhere, to top it off, she somehow has the voice/thoughts of someone else trapped in her head. She then goes home for a break to check on her family, particularly her mom with early-onset dementia. I loved the small beach town setting, the characters, especially Joni's BFF, Gigi, and Joni's mom, Wynn. While not always my favorite, I really did enjoy the slow burn between Joni and Sasha, the man behind the voice stuck in her head. They decide to meet in person to try and figure out what could be causing the anomaly, and while may be closer to enemies at first, grow to really care about each other. Anyways, it was lovely and you should read it!

Ashley Poston has become an author that I enjoy reading ever since I first opened "Seven Year Slip". I really enjoyed reading this new book by her and I'm really grateful to have been offered the chance to! This book, while it's not my favorite by her, was still really good and I enjoyed the premise and all the emotional aspects of it. I also love that, like all of Poston's books, it had that magical realism to it. However, it did feel as though the story could have been a bit longer with all of the side plots that were happening.

Didn't think it was possible to like a book more than The Seven Year Slip but here we are. Sounds Like Love was an enchanting love letter to music, highlighting how lyrics and melodies bring people together. And in this case, literally bring people together, given that the FMC and MMC telepathically connected over the same ear worm.

What I love so much about Ashley Poston's work is her poetic writing and figurative language. Her books are cozy in that summer beach read type of way and evoke such strong emotions. The way she adds in seemingly offbeat yet descriptive details that capture feelings and moments is everything. I also think Sounds Like Love, out of all four of her books, had the best integration of the magical realism element.

Sebastian and Joni's connection was beautiful, and I loved the little invisible strings that tied them together. They had excellent chemistry, and the ex-boyband member x songwriter trope? Iconic. I loved everything about the musical elements, references, concert vibes, etc. And the incorporation of their parents and how music played a starring role in each character's life was heartwarming. I also loved the mother daughter relationship and emotional subplot which came with that. Easily one of my favorite romances of the year, and by far her most summery book!

Thanks to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the free published copy and e-ARC and to @prhaudio for the review copy of this audiobook!

This is one of the best books I’ve read all year. It’s a five star read that I wish I could give 10 stars. It makes me want to go back and downgrade all my previous five stars to four because none of them are as good as this one is. It’s summertime nostalgia wrapped in music. With ice cream and salty air and tunes on the juke box. The sweetness that is a Carolina beach town. And the way music can unite and transcend. There’s a lot of emotion too. I was SOBBING through the ending. The dementia storyline hit home because my grandmother has dementia. Ashley’s words regarding the disease were beautiful and heartrending at the same time.

Joni is a songwriter who is stuck. She can’t think of any more songs. Her mom has early onset dementia. Her family’s historic music venue at the beach is closing. And on top of all that, she’s hearing voices in her head. Actually one voice. And it’s someone she doesn’t even like! But she’s also hearing music. And so is he. And when they reluctantly decide to collaborate they realize maybe they have more in common than they thought.

Patti Murin’s excellent narration brought the story to life and even includes singing! Listening to this one is immersive.

The romance. The nostalgia. The setting. The subplots. The characters. The music. I loved everything about this book and I will accept no criticism. There’s even a Seven Year Slip cameo! Pick it up today!

i mean cmon, ashley poston deserves nothing less than 5 stars!! she does it every time.

big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!

💌 “My grams used to tell me that love is rare. The real kind." Gigi pulled her arm through Mitch's, her face thoughtful and adoring. "It's not given, it's not stolen—love is borrowed, she always said. It's borrowed, and how lucky we are to be afraid of losing it."

💌 “If you spend your entire life comparing everything to the best thing you ever made, then you aren’t gonna find joy in any of it. You’ll just be unhappy that they aren’t like the original thing, you know?”

💌 “We were all made of up memories, anyway. Of ourselves, of other people. 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.”

i absolutely loved this book! as someone whose whole life is also full of music and love songs and songs attached to certain memories — this was perfect. also clementine and iwan mention?? YES.