Another cutie from Ashley Poston. Outer banks setting with both mcs in the musical field. It of course had the little magical realism that Ashley’s known for in all of her novels. Does touch on grief and dementia, fairly clean, and a good summer book rec! Thank you Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House audio for my copies!!

I mean, what is there to say about this book other than it is perfect? I read the entire thing in one day because I was completely captured by the story and I could not put it down. This might actually be my favorite Ashley Poston book, and that's saying something.

Thanks so much Berkley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I’m new to Ashley’s books, but every time I read her books, I’m in awe of how good they are!

The way she writes the magical aspect is always so creative and fun, it always keeps me hooked to the point that there’s no way I can put the book down until I figure out how it’s going to be resolved!

Joni being a songwriter that’s experiencing burnout and Sasha being a washed-up pop star was the perfect scenario for this story. I loved that their initial meeting wasn’t the meet cute we would have expected, but it was the start of something neither one could explain.

Poston’s books always have some deeper plot points to them that really tug on your heartstrings, only to be combined with incredible side characters and witty banter to lift you back up. I loved everything about this story and I already want to reread it again!

Ashely Poston books are an auto read for me. She has this delightful way of interweaving "magical realism" elements into her stories that you want t believe are actually possible. I'm always surprised and its never boring. Loved this book!

is a lovely book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Joni is a successful song writer who’s suffering from writer’s block. She goes home, where her parents own an eclectic music venue. Her mom suffers from Alzheimer’s and she wants to spend time with her.
When she starts hearing someone else’s voice in her head, she thinks she’s crazy but finds out it’s Sebastian Fell, a singer with a playboy reputation. Can he help her get over her writer’s block?

From the publisher:

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her? Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination. But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.

✨ Review ✨ Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston; Narrated by Patti Murin

Thanks to Berkley, PRHAudio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Joni, a songwriter, leaves LA to visit her family for the summer in the Outer Banks of NC. Her mom’s dementia is worsening and she wants to have one last good summer there. Her family runs a music performance space, that's seen better days, but is a key part of her and her family's identity.

Once she gets home though, she starts hearing this voice in her head that seems to be an IRL mystery man – how can she get him out? Why is he there? Who is he? I'll leave the rest a mystery because that makes the story so fun, but it's filled with unexpected connection between these characters.

The book is filled with fun music and creative inspiration, but also the characters are working through grief and self-identity / purpose issues, as they grapple with their pasts and futures together.

🎧 I really enjoyed the audio for this one, though I wish some of it came through the MMC's perspective to round it out a little better. The narrator does a fantastic job though of bringing the two characters' inner dialogues to life!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: romance, women's fiction
Setting: Outer Banks, North Carolina
Length: 11 hours 25 minutes
Reminds me of: Abby Jimenez Say You'll Remember Me
Pub Date: Jun 17 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ pop music and creativity
⭕️ former bad boy music stars that maybe aren't so bad
⭕️ summer on the ocean
⭕️ wild horses

What a nice and magical premise! I really enjoyed how they were linked to each other through music. What a fun concept! Anything by Ashley Poston is always a treat!

“Every song is a love song, Jo.”

Joni Lark has made a living as a successful songwriter, carefully curating tunes that break people’s hearts only to put them back together again. But lately, Joni has hit a wall, writer’s block having her feeling out of tune.

So Joni returns to her roots in North Carolina, hoping to regain her old rhythm. Only there she discovers her family music venue, The Revelry, will soon be closing its doors, her mother’s ailing memory making it harder for her parents to keep up.

Then, out of the blue, a voice inside her head tells her to keep pushing, literally. See, Joni can suddenly hear a mystery man’s thoughts and, as she soon discovers, he can hear hers. She fears she must be going insane when said mystery man shows up in her small town, no longer anonymous, and with a musical agenda of his own. Can this musical pair finally get in sync, and more importantly, get out of each other’s heads?

Sounds Like Love is a whimsical love story with a fun premise. Imagining that someone could actually read one’s mind is both intriguing and terrifying. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a stretch as a premise for a love story. After all, there would not be any wondering or miscommunication if you could hear the other person’s thoughts. And so in lay the nit-picky loop hole that kept me from giving myself over to this love story entirely.

Other than this slightly sour note, Sounds Like Love will no doubt hit all the right notes with the right readers.

4.5⭐️

well, i am the least bit shocked when i tell you that ashley poston has done it again. this book was so sweet and i fell in love with her characters and the heart of the story. with this book revolving around music, it was a no-brainer that i was absolutely going to adore this book. just the premise alone got me good 😌

joni is a songwriter who finds herself at an artist's concert that she wrote a song for, except she's not alone up in that balcony. she runs into an old pop-star, sebastian fell. the sparks were flying when the two of them were shown on screen for the "kiss cam." so, they end up kissing. little did they know, that kiss would connect the both of them in the most magical way.

when joni goes back home to escape her hectic life in LA, she finds herself in quite the pickle. her favorite place, the revelry (also owned by her parents), is a music hall and it would be shutting its doors for good soon. she also hears this voice in her head that isn't hers - but she doesn't really know who it could be... or does she? she eventually forms this connection to the voice in her head simply because he also couldn't get the same tune out of his head. eventually, they meet face to face. and sasha is not at all who she expected it to be.

as a music lover, i loved this book so so much! the impeccable chemistry between sasha and joni, it gave me all the butterflies and had me giggling. the push and pull, the tension between them, and the fact that they were somewhat friends to lovers, it just all felt so perfect. i also really loved the family dynamic through joni's eyes. ashley poston always knows how to tug on your heart strings in all her whimsy delight.

thank you berkley romance for the e-ARC!

Joni, a burnt out songwriter, and Sebastian, a former boyband star, form a telepathic connection in Ashley Poston’s latest.

LOVED it! A beautifully written story about all kinds of love with romance, family dynamics and friendship all woven together in the most magical way! I loved the romance between Joni & Sebastian. The meet cute was so good and the telepathic connection such an interesting way for them to get to know each other. Also love the story between Joni and her mom, who suffers from dementia, this part is so touching. The small-town beachside setting with The Revelry, the family’s music venue, and wild horses was so beautiful and perfect for this summer read!

I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

i’m LIVING for the iwan & lemon cameos in this book. it’s like an old friend surprising you with a visit🥹
i always enjoy ashley poston’s magical realism. it doesn’t make any sense & there’s no real rules to it, but it’s whimsical and fun and adds a unique magic to her stories.
i honestly feel like the love story wasn’t the biggest part of the plot in this book. there was a lot about song writing & figuring out your dreams & friendship & family. her mom has dementia & so there was that dynamic as well.
i wasn’t super invested in the romance & didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the two of them. the MMC was not my fav, which was disappointing because he’s a boy bad “bad boy” and so i was picturing zayn malik as i read hahaha. their nicknames for each other were pretty cringe too.
all in all, there were some things i didn’t love, but i still had a good time overall & would recommend it!
🔥SPICE🔥 a couple references & one open door scene on pages 269-271.
🤐LANGUAGE🤐 about 13 uses of the F word. not much swearing other than that.

There is so much I adore about this book, but I must also concede it’s not a perfect read.

I want to start with the downsides – lack of magical realism as compared to previous books. I was expecting more than what readers get.
Second, the slow pacing of the first half of the book. I went through periods of boredom in the first 60% of the book. Then the latter 40% happened and I. was. in. it. I finished the book in one night, because once I reached the latter chapters, I couldn't put the story down.

It was in the latter half of the book that the magic struck me. I felt so much for the mother-daughter relationship depicted in the book and the intersection of pre-emptive grief with feelings of homesickness. The final moment with Joni and her mom left me in I tears – not a common occurrence for this reader.

First half gets 2.5 stars. Second half gets 4.5 stars.

I look forward to Poston’s next book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the ARC.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston is a standalone contemporary romance with a touch of magical realism, as two souls find each other through the melody of a song. With a small-town coastal setting and family, you’ll want to jam to tunes at the Revelry and fall in love.

Ashley Poston delivers unique romances that stay with you and tug at your heartstrings. Sounds Like Love is the perfect romantic read this summer.

I love books with a touch of magical realism, and was curious after reading the synopsis. Sounds Like Love ended up being a sweet, sexy romance about two souls finding their happy and music is at the core of their lives. One is a songwriter, the other a former member of a boy band. When a melody plays in their head and they can hear each other, the two decide to finish the song and hope that stops this madness. Along the way, they might just find something more….

Joni Lark left her small-coastal town and is living the dream in LA. She is a coveted song-writer for top stars, but ever since her mother became ill, she has lost her mojo. She plans on spending the summer in her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina. There she will spend her nights helping her family at The Reverly and her days writing songs. She stops to see one of her artist perform and ends up kissing former boy-band bad boy, Sebastian McKellen.

Joni arrives home and finds a melody is stuck in her head. Just a few notes, but it keeps popping up. Maybe she is more stressed than she thought because now she is hearing a man’s voice and it’s inside her head.

The tale that unfolds was delightful. It had back-and-forth banter, snark, ex-boyfriends, family and best friends. Poston delivered small-town charm and wrapped it in music, chemistry and heartfelt moments.

I adored all the nods to bands, vocalists and the nostalgia of youth. Toss in some major decisions from her parents and a hurricane and you have all the makings of an addictive romantic tale.

If you love music, magical realism, and small-town stories with heart, you’ll adore Sounds Like Love. It’s the perfect romance for your beach tote this summer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (Romance/Magical Realism)

🌶️ 0.5 Spice



✨The Highlights✨

. Forced Proximity

. Small Town Romance 🏡

. Flirty Banter 😉

. OBX Setting

. Musicians 🎤

. Dementia Rep

. Summer Vibes ☀️

. Single POV



*Set in the same universe as The Seven Year Slip with surprise appearances.



🎧 Audio was really well done (I mean it’s Patti Murin so did we ever doubt it) AND you get to hear a glimpse of their song at the end 🥹



✨The Feels✨

I went in cautiously optimistic and came out kicking my feet, giggling, and wondering where flirty brain banter had been all my life. Yes—brain banter (TM). Mental flirtation. Telepathic teasing. And I ATE. IT. UP.



Now, I’ll admit—the premise made me nervous at first. Being inside someone’s head? Sharing mental space? That’s a lot. I’m not even sure I want to be in my own head most days. But the way this was written? It worked. It was funny, tender, and somehow never creepy. It added a fresh, quirky intimacy to the romance that I didn’t know I needed.



Joni was so real—anxious and lovable. I saw myself in her and wanted to give her a pep talk and a snack. And SEBASTIAN. Cocky and shy? How? Who gave him the right. I fell hard.



The whole vibe of this book just worked: the music threads running through it, the lovable side characters, the beachy town with the cozy coffee shop, and that warm, hopeful feeling that sticks with you long after you finish.



Somehow, even with heavy themes, it stayed light on its feet. Heartwarming, original, and full of charm



✨The Spoiler-Free Details✨

A hit songwriter with writer’s block and a grumpy musician discover they share a mysterious telepathic connection—complete with a half-written song stuck in both their heads. When the voice in Joni’s mind turns out to belong to a real (and irritatingly attractive) man, they meet up to figure out how to break their bond.

Book Review for Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston

First Impressions: Dance With Me
What’s Your Type? Bad First Impressions, Former Boy Band Members, Nepobabies, Small Town Life, Saving the Family Business, I Can’t Get You Out of My Head (Literally), Man Buns
Meet Cute: It’s In His Kiss
The Lean: Outta My Dreams, Into My … Bar
Dirty Talk: Love to Love You
We Need to Talk: Supermarket Flowers
Was it Good For You? Living A Teenage Dream

Content Warning: Sounds Like Love features themes of Illness and death of a parent, grief, and small-town struggles.

First Impressions: Dance With Me
While I like the cohesiveness of Poston’s romance covers, and there’s nothing particularly wrong about this one, it just doesn’t excite me. The colors are fun, though.

What’s Your Type?
- Bad First Impressions
- Former Boy Band Members
- Small Town Life
- Saving the Family Business
- I Can’t Get You Out of My Head (Literally)
- Man Buns

Dating Profile
Joni Lark left the small town of Vienna Shores years ago with the dream of becoming a songwriter. She’s since achieved that goal and then some, but she’s recently begun to worry that the well is running dry. And this year, there’s the added stress of her mother’s dementia diagnosis. She decides to turn her normal week-long vacation home into a month+ one, hoping being near the beach and in a town without the pressures of LA will help her find her spark again.

Sebastian Fell is the son of a world-famous rock star and a regular in the tabloids himself for being the “bad boy” in the boy band Renegade. Since wrapping a car around a tree and the band breaking up, he’s kept a pretty low profile, but one that seems to be filled with a whole lot of nepo-baby nonsense (and a severe lack of work ethic). But the world doesn’t know the real Sebastian …

Meet Cute: It’s In His Kiss
Joni attends a concert the night before leaving for home to hear a pop star sing her new hit single—a single that Joni wrote. When she enters the private box from which she plans to watch, she realizes that she’s not alone. And when the pop star points her Kiss Cam at the box, Joni throws caution to the wind and shares a kiss with none other than Sebastian Fell, even though she knows it’s absolutely not a smart idea.

Especially when it leads to them hearing each other’s thoughts.

The Lean: Outta My Dreams, Into My … Bar
Joni has far too many things going on in her life to add a relationship to the mix, particularly one with notorious bad boy Sebastian. But when she starts hearing a man’s voice in her head, a man who asks her to call him Sasha, Joni can’t help but be intrigued by his kind, thoughtful, and funny self (even if she questions her sanity at first). I can’t imagine having someone in my head like that, but I can see the appeal of such a deep connection. Of course, when the two decide to meet in real life, Joni isn’t sure that she can mesh the man in her head with the one standing in front of her. (Spoiler alert: Sasha is Sebastian.) As they work together to write a song, however, both begin to open up to each other, and their connection isn’t just a magical fluke.

Dirty Talk: Love to Love You
Poston’s spicy scenes always rank on the lower end of the Scoville scale, but the chemistry between her leads can be palpable. It might be an unpopular opinion, but sometimes less is more.

Ms. Perky’s Prize for Purplest Prose
I adore Poston’s writing and the emotion she can invoke with her words. It’s never too flowery, even when it could easily veer into that territory. She knows how to tug at the heartstrings, in ways both good and sad, and her small details never fail to disappoint.

We Need to Talk: Supermarket Flowers
Although Sounds Like Love is a rom-com focused on Joni and Sebastian, a large part of the book is also dedicated to Joni’s relationship with her mother and her struggle with her mother’s slow decline. Poston is a deft hand at including real (and real sad) topics in her writing, and Sounds Like Love is not the first of her books to make me cry, but having had a parent who had dementia and ultimately passed away, when I tell you I sobbed.

Was it Good For You? Living A Teenage Dream
I wasn’t fully prepared for this book to hit me like it did, but I’m not mad at it for doing so. Joni and Sebastian are the thing of teenage dreams, and if I can’t grow up to marry Lance Bass or Justin Timberlake—the former for one obvious reason and the latter because we all know he ruined the tour, the fact that I’m happily married notwithstanding—I’ll gladly read about it in books.

Contemporary romance mixed with a touch of magical realism is what I expect from Ashley Poston books and this one definitely delivered.

I enjoyed the characters, music references and plot line and thought the magical realism touch was done very well. Might be a tough read for those who have had loved ones dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

4⭐️
1🔥

Quick Breakdown

Magical Realism
Coming Home
Small Coastal Town
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
Songwriter x Musician
Early Onset Dementia Rep
Slow Burn
Single POV
Open Door - Mild

Thank you @berkleyromance for the eARC & @prhaudio for the gifted ALC #berkleypartner

Songwriter Joni has hit a creative slump ever since she learned of her mother’s early onset dementia diagnosis. But shortly after arriving back in her small home town in the Outer Banks, the hints of a melody become stuck in her head along with the voice of a mystery man hearing the same unfinished song. Despite the voice belonging to the last person she wants it to, a friendship forms as they work together to finish the song in hopes of finally have their minds back.

This was such a unique & beautifully written magical realism romance. The gentle chemistry & inevitable friendship between Joni & Sebastian made their HEA all the more believable, given the short time together. The juxtaposition between that & their original meet cute (disaster) made every moment they grew closer feel that much more special.

It wasn’t only the romance that had me swooning. The complex family dynamics & realistic struggles with a dementia diagnosis stole my heart. Music was intertwined so deeply that this whole book felt lyrical. And idk how, but Ashley’s writing had me feeling like I was in the Outer Banks right along with Joni & Sebastian. There even was a brief cameo from Clementine & Iwan that left me grinning from ear to ear.

The audio is narrated by Patti Murin & her expert performance only added to the charm. The song performed at the end was the perfect way to end the book.

Ashley Poston has done it again. With "Sounds Like Love," she's not just written a book; she's composed a symphony for the soul, a heartfelt melody that resonates long after the final page is turned. This isn't just a 5-star read; it's a constellation of five stars, each one twinkling with humor, heartbreak, hope, and an undeniable, undeniable charm.

From the very first note, I was utterly captivated. Poston's signature wit shines through every line, crafting dialogue that sparkles with intelligence and genuine warmth. The banter is sharp, the observations keen, and the pop culture references land with perfect comedic timing. I found myself chuckling out loud, sometimes even snorting with laughter, at the sheer brilliance of the character interactions.

But "Sounds Like Love" is so much more than just a funny book. It delves deep into the complexities of human connection, exploring themes of grief, self-discovery, and the terrifying yet exhilarating leap of faith required for true love. Poston handles these sensitive topics with such grace and authenticity that you can't help but feel every pang of sorrow and every surge of joy alongside her characters.

And what characters they are! Each one is meticulously crafted, flawed yet lovable, and utterly real. You'll cheer for them, ache for them, and feel a profound sense of camaraderie as they navigate the messy, beautiful landscape of their lives. The romance, when it blooms, is an exquisite slow burn, built on mutual respect, shared vulnerabilities, and a chemistry that practically crackles off the page. It's the kind of love story that makes your heart ache in the best possible way, reminding you of the power of connection and the beauty of finding your person.

Poston's prose is simply stunning. She paints vivid pictures with her words, creating a world that feels both fantastical and deeply grounded. Her descriptions are evocative, her metaphors are insightful, and her ability to weave emotion into every sentence is truly a gift.

In a literary landscape often saturated with noise, "Sounds Like Love" is a clear, resonant chord, a story that reminds us of the power of empathy, the strength of the human spirit, and the enduring magic of love in all its forms. It's a book that will make you laugh, make you cry, and ultimately, leave you with a full heart and a renewed sense of wonder. Do yourself a favor and pick up "Sounds Like Love." It's an absolute triumph.

OMG this was sooooo cute. This might be my favorite of hers yet, while it still had magical realism it felt the least "magic" focused of all of them - like, the most grounded in reality. This was swoony but emotional and I really loved it.

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston was music for my eyes! I loved a Novel Love Story and Ashley captured me again with Sounds Like Love. She always manages to add a little bit of magic into her stories in such fun and unique ways. I can never predict how the main leads will be connected to one another.

And speaking of main leads,Joni and Sasha are my babies! They’re so adorable together!! I love that they had a connection even before they met in person and are able to be so vulnerable around each other 🥹Sasha is so respectful of Joni’s privacy during a really hard time in her life but always finds cute ways to support her ❤️ I think the ending was a little long, but I’m not complaining because it gave me more time with these lovely characters.