The Lost Love Song by Minnie Drake follows a song. After tragedy strikes can a love song reach its intended? Can love find a way to move on? I really enjoyed The Lost Love Song, You follow the song on its worldwide journey., and have brief interludes with characters while the song enters their lives. Worth the read.

Happy Pub Day and 3.5/5 stars to Minnie Darke’s The Lost Love Song! Plan on getting the warm and fuzzies and needing a tissue after you’re through with this contemporary romance!

“The love song began its life, not with a fanfare or a crash of cymbals, but instead with a knock at a door.” This novel is well-titled and is all about one all important love song. I must admit, at first I thought that maybe this story was going to be predictable but after you hit around the 100 page mark, things really start to move! The Lost Love Song begins with two characters - Arie (IT wizard) and Diana (famous concert pianist). Together for 7 years, engaged, and waiting on Diana to be ready to take the next step and walk down the aisle.

As Diana embarks on another world tour she spends her time mulling over marrying Arie, she makes up her mind and decides that YES, she’s ready to be his wife and plans to tell him in the only way she knows how, through music. The story takes an interesting turn and a bystander, the only other person to have heard the love song she wrote - stumbles upon the notebook she left behind and her song takes on a life of its own.

I really like how Minnie Darke wrote this novel, she introduced many new characters and storylines and at first, you weren’t quite sure how they all fit together but in the end it all makes sense in a lovely way! This novel was beautifully written, heart warming and heart breaking at the same time, and a really wonderful example of love and loss. You can’t help but feel a little romantic after this one!

This is a lovely book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I wish I could actually hear the song. The story has many characters, most of whom are connected through a song. The song was written by a pianist, Diana, who writes it in a book that gets passed around, and it gets played by young and old musicians on various instruments. The song is a love song and it is about love and loss and hope for connection.

I love love loved this book. It started with Diane and Arie and I kept being surprised by where it was going. It felt lyrical and fluid, which was quite fitting for a story about following a song. I will absolutely be buying a copy of this for my library.

The concept of The Lost Love Song is positively lovely and so is Minnie Darke's writing. However, I found the beginning to be very slow-moving, so it took me longer than I like to actually get into the story. Going into it, I think I expected something different - though I'm not sure exactly what I expected - but that doesn't take away from this novel's loveliness.

My first from this author and although it had a slow start for me, I ended up loving it! There is a huge amount to absorb early on as Darke sets the stage for the inevitable way she'll have worlds collide all due to a lost love song. Introducing us to various characters, with the focus on Arie Johnson, his concert pianist wife Diana, and one Evie Greenslee, we are taken on a journey where the haunting melody of a song found in the pages of a journal starts a chain reaction of love, heartache, and joy. I admit I was lost at first, with the dry writing style forcing me to skim a bit when descriptions seemed to drag on a bit. But then as Arie's tragedy starts enabling tangents to occur with the last notes scribbled by Diana now in the hands of a complete stranger, his life and my reading experience suddenly got a bit brighter and I was beyond curious to see how many lives would intersect just because of a melody left behind.

This is a book you need to experience for yourself to get the full effect of what transpires. All the characters are wonderful. Their paths are all interesting and the love that you can feel as they find success or the person they were meant to be with, maybe right off the bat after first meeting or finding a love they thought was lost forever is quite a sight to behold. I found myself smiling as fate takes this story in her firm fist and gives everyone what they richly deserve. It's quite fascinating that I found myself realizing that everything does indeed happen for a reason and that you can make something better even out of the devastation that may rock your world.

Arie, Evie, Belinda, Beatriz, and all of these wonderful characters made for one great little story, and I'm glad I gave it a go. I'd definitely seek out more from this author and would recommend this book to those who need a bit of hope in their lives especially during these trying times.

4 solid stars!

Thank you Ballantine for the gifted e-copy of this book.

Sigh. I really don't know what to say about this one. I loved the premise, and it had so much potential to be an amazing book, but it. just feel kind of flat for me. A love song that travels the world from person to person, and ends up back where it's meant to be is the workings of an amazing book = but there were SO many characters I started getting confused. And by about 40% it just started to drag. I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened, and I did like the ending.

This one was just meh for me, unfortunately.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was a heartbreaking, magical, poetic and beautiful love story. How one unfinished love song brought many people together was incredible. It really warmed my heart when Evie, said, "It would always be the song that told the short, bittersweet story of the time she fell in love with a man who could almost love her back, but not quite." Did he love her back? Would that one song eventually bring Evie and Arie together again? You'll have to read this exquisitely written book to find out. I rushed through it at first. Then slowed down towards the end because I did not want it to end. I even listened to Spiegel im Spiegel, a song mentioned in the book, while reading that section. I was transfixed by that beautiful piece and pictured Diana playing it in a red dress. I have not read any other books by Minnie Darke but you can bet that I will be reading more of her books. This one is highly recommended by me.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

Diana may be gone, but her love song lives on, and will do anything to work it's magic to bring happiness back into the lives of those it touches, especially that of her beloved Arie.

As a musician (hobby, not professional), I couldn't resist this one. Music and songs, how could I? I loved the idea of a love song making it's way around the world, and could only wonder if it would ever make it's way to the ears of the man it was meant for. This novel ended up being heartbreaking, but beautiful. I just wish I could have heard the love song for myself.

The Plot: A Second Chance at Love

Concert pianist Diana blew into IT tech Arie's world like a force to be reckoned with. He understood her and was caught up in the whirlwind that was her for seven years. On the eve of her departure for her upcoming tour, after discussing marriage yet again, Diana begins to write a song. A love song. As her way of saying, yes, she's ready. But, on a routine flight from Singapore to Paris, tragedy strikes and every soul on board is lost.

Arie is lost. Diana was his life, his world. Two years later, he's still reeling from her loss, still clinging to the past, unable to move forward, unwilling to acknowledge it's possible. Half a world away, struggling poet Evie is in Scotland. After years of traveling the world and never making it anywhere as a poet, a piece of music played by two teenagers on cello and flute tells her it's time to return home.

Both struggling to figure out where to go now, Arie and Evie become unexpected temporary neighbors. There's a spark, but Arie may be too unwilling to let go of the past to move forward and Evie is only willing to settle for a future. But, through it all, Diana's song has been making it's way across the world, on a mission to bring happiness back into Arie's life.

The Lost Love Song is a very sweet story. At its heart, it's about the ties people form and how music has a hand in shaping it. Not only is it about the love between Diana and Arie and Arie and Evie, but also musicians across the world, whether familial or romantic. It's a beautiful story full of hope while also focusing on the process of grief, making it a little bittersweet. One thing I wasn't a fan of was how slowly it went at first. It took forever for Arie and Evie to meet, but it allowed a good breathing space for them to develop on their own, for the reader to get to fully know them, before their stories meshed. Another disappointment was that there wasn't more about the song going around the world. Told in interludes, the reader gets to meet various musicians around the world, their stories, and how the song impacts them, but it chooses to focus on only some of them instead of showing how it touches so many musicians everywhere and is passed along the way.

Similar to Something to Live For, it focuses mostly on the male. In this case, it's mostly Arie's story, though Evie does get to say a fair bit, especially as the story goes on. It doesn't have the light fluffiness typical romance has. Most of the novel feels quite heavy as the characters' grief is ever-looming and the disappointments many of them also carry never really dissipate. But the romance is sweet, meandering as usual but also straightforward with a worthy heroine.

The Characters: A Beautiful Triad

The Lost Love Song is about Arie, Diana, and Evie. There are a number of supporting characters from Arie's well-meaning friends to Diana's mother to the musicians who help move the song around the world. They are the supporting bass clef while Arie, Diana, and Evie are hard at work crafting the melody. They're there to add depth, to help further express the three main characters, to show the effects of Diana's song.

Even though Diana dies early on, she's still a powerful force throughout the novel. A vibrant young woman with a passionate heart, her song carries her legacy, touching hearts and creating and mending relationships around the world. Arie was always her support, her stability, so it was interesting to see how he developed once the life was taken out of him. He's incredibly steadfast and unwavering. Once Evie touches down in his life, he's shaken and unsure, and much of the novel explores the small but mighty shifts in his life. Evie has been hurt, cast aside, and never seems to really get anywhere, but she clings to hope and knows what she wants and is unwilling to settle for anything else. Not quite the force Diana is, she's more grounded while still believing in love.

The Setting: Mostly Australia

Most of The Lost Love Song takes place in Australia. At first, as a Northern Hemisphere inhabitant, it was jarring and difficult when it was summery in January and freezing in the middle of the year. I don't think I ever fully acclimated, especially as the novel also takes the reader to Scotland and Canada, but I did like how it explored the world a bit, mostly in terms of weather. It also helped shape the power of a single song and how universal the feelings it evokes are.

Overall: Bittersweet

The Lost Love Song is a bit of a slow read. There's a lot of grief to process at first, and it never really goes away. But it's still magical in its own way as it shows how music can bring souls together. I loved the idea of the song drawing Arie and Evie together, of both of them recognizing it and having it in common, almost as though it was Diana guiding two worthy souls to happiness. There's a healthy dose of kismet, but is handled so artfully that the story just winds together perfectly, as though everything in it really was meant to be. Once in a while it did seem a little unbelievable, but the characters really do a good job of pulling it together because of how well developed they are. Overall, a very sweet, albeit heavy, read.


Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-the-lost-love-song-by-minnie-darke/

This book is beautiful, heart wrenching, raw and happy, while showcasing first love and second chance at love. This book covered every emotion and I loved it!
Diana, a famous concert pianist and fiancé of Arie, wrote a brilliant love song to show Arie what he meant to her. Tragically Diana was lost to a plane crash but her love song was not. She left her notebook on the piano of a hotel bar and what transpires next is the song floating all over the world in many different talented hands! I loved how everyone was connected in this book without even knowing it and how this song connected everyone.
For musical friends I loved how this book was written and all of the technicalities of composing a song, the right keys and the true love of an instrument and pure musicality. Music is truly its own language and this book proved it.

“Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words it speaks in emotion. “ - Keith Richards

Thank you #ballantine books and #netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is out today!

#quarantine#foffimreading#bookclub#bookblog#bookreviewblog#bookaddict#bookcommunity#goodreads#bookishbounds#oct2020#ballantinebooks#netgalley#minniedrake#thelostlovesong

4 1/2 "For Real" Stars...

The Lost Love Song is a book that resonated with my heart and soul. I know that it's a little fantastical to believe a lost love song can makes its way into the hands of so many people. Not only making its way to them but also impacting each of their lives in a beautiful and significant way. I was easily able to suspend reality and fall into this lovely and somewhat mystical story.

This book starts in tragedy, but evolves into a beautiful exploration of how one event can affect so many other people. Ultimately for me, I loved the fact that this song ends up being the very thing that brings love to the man it was originally intended for. It just takes a very meaningful journey to get there.

I personally love music and feel moved by the words and sounds. Given my personal feelings, this book really spoke to me. Others may not connect in exactly the same way. However, I think it's still easy to appreciate the beauty and power of love and its ability to win out against unlikely odds..

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for this ARC. I voluntarily reviewed it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This novel is a bit hard to describe especially without getting spoiler-y - basically, it is primarily about two characters, Arie and Evie, whose paths eventually cross, but it also takes little stops all over the world with various different characters who you also really get a feel for even if they’re only there for one chapter, much of it tracing the path of the lost love song of the title. The book definitely takes a little while to really coalesce and is a bit too long, but also is a very sweet book with good characters and a nice ending. 3.75 stars.

I absolutely loved Minnie Darke’s debut Star-Crossed so when I saw her new novel, The Lost Love Song, available on @netgalley , I knew I needed to read it immediately — and it did not disappoint! One of my few five star reads of this entire year, actually!

Synopsis: Diana, a renowned concert pianist, and Arie, an tech specialist, have been in love and engaged for years but are not yet married — much to Arie’s disappointment. While away on her concert tour, Diana writes the perfect love song to give to Arie when she gets home, alongside the fact that she is finally ready to start concretely planning a wedding and a future with him. But tragedy strikes and the love song is lost. Can it make its way around the world and come back to Arie, who needs it now more than ever?

This novel is so bittersweet. That’s the best word for it. There are a lot of really sad, devastating moments here — huge content warnings for death and grief — but the entire novel is a testament to the strength of people’s hearts to continue to move forward even when things are tough.

I would not necessarily categorize The Lost Love Song as a romance novel, even though romance and love obviously play a huge role in the story, because so much of it is love couched in and tempered by grief. I also think because her first novel was more stereotypically rom-com, people might be misled by the title, so consider yourself warned!

It actually reminded me of Turbulence by David Szalay, as both explore themes of the world’s interconnectedness, how much people need each other and how the degrees of separation are fewer than you may think. I think reading it right now, as we all remain socially distanced, struck a particularly resonant chord that the world is really, in many ways, a village of people helping each other along as much as we can.

The Lost Love Song is out on October 13th and Minnie Darke has a fan for life as far as I’m concerned!

The Lost Love Song: A Novel by Minnie Darke releases on October 13, 2020. This is a book that I saw getting great early reviews and was intrigued by the story. This story was told over multiple perspectives all centered around when they heard a love song. It was a heartwarming story full of heartbreak and romance. Thank you to Ballantine Books via Netgalley for this review copy.

Oh. MY. Heavens.

This book. This story.

This story is written in a way that it tears out the readers' hearts and then stomps on them but as the story goes along healing comes. What can I even say about this story except that it is beautifully written in a way that makes me believe the author has experienced a sudden loss to be able to so accurately describe so much of that type of loss.

I had never heard of Minnie Drake before and could not tell you if she had written 20 books or if this was her first. But I can tell you after reading The Lost Love Song that I will be one of her faithful followers.

The Lost Love Song will definitely be on my favorite list of 2020 and even of all-time.




Note: This could be a trigger for someone who has had a sudden loss in their life.

This is one of the most difficult ratings I've had to come up with-at least in a long time. Objectively, this is beautifully written. For the right reader this book will be an all-time favorite. But I'm not a big fan of flowery and symbolic writing. I can appreciate it, but would prefer to not read it. Also, I keep saying this classified as a romance and it isn't. There are definitely people falling in love and maybe spoiler: a HEA. But the story isn't centered around any of those romances so it's not a romance novel.

I did enjoy this, but it was also a little heavy for me. I cried multiple times which I totally expected, but it still hit me every time. I just tend to lean more toward lighter books. That is all personal preference.

This is structured in a different way. It isn't particularly complex, but it kind of jumps around between different sets of characters as they are impacted by this love song. This like the writing is something I appreciate from an artistic perspective, but isn't my favorite thing. It prevents me from completely connecting with each of the characters. Maybe you aren't supposed to connect with them, but I want to!

The story does primarily focus on Arie as he recovers from the death of his long-term girlfriend. He is grieving and moving on (for lack of a better term). That was were a lot of the emotion came in for me. His emotion was raw and heartbreaking. It felt so real and I loved how he handled different situations. He had a relationship with his girlfriend's mom that really got to me. And there is a romance involved in this, which I liked, but wasn't as developed as much as I would've wanted. But that also comes down to expectations. If you don't look at it as a romance novel that might be more satisfying.

I may have given this 3 stars-which is a perfectly good rating, but I can definitely see how this would be a new favorite and 5 star read for certain readers.

What a wonderful story of love, loss, tragedy, heartbreak and the incredible healing power of music. This book was my introduction to this author and I am so glad I got the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy of this book to read. It would be a gift at any time, but during the time of a global pandemic a that much more special. Arie, a painfully shy man falls for Diana, a world renown concert pianist. And so begins seven years of a beautiful loves tory that Arie hopes will go on forever. When Diana returns from a tour he is hopeful that she will accept his marriage proposal and unbeknownst to Arie she is ready to say yes. Sadly, that doesn’t happen, but the beautiful love song she wrote for him manages to make its way all around the world and touch people in many ways in its different. If you’re a fan of Love Actually you will adore this book even more! The love stories, the people and the journeys they all travel with Dianas beautiful love song as the backdrop will draw you in immediately and you will not realize that hours have gone by until you check your watch. If this doesn’t make you feel hopeful than I cannot imagine what will. It is a truly wonderful written love story by someone who understands what true love really is. I look forward to reading more by this author.

4-4.5 stars

This was a very emotional and ultimately heartwarming romance. I loved the premise of the book, but I don't think I was quite prepared for how heavy and sad the beginning would leave me. I actually had to step away from the book for a bit to regroup and get my feelings in order. It's not that the book itself is sad, but a tragic event (see CW below) sets in motion a domino effect that touches so many lives.

I really loved the journey that Arie and Evie both took through this novel. Each had to find their way after being lost and decide on their own when and if they would ever be ready to move forward. It was heartbreaking, but also uplifting seeing them stumble and get back up. The author captured the grief and vulnerability so well and I found the writing truly wonderful. The romance itself is closed door, but there was something profoundly moving and tender about it.

The book is broken down into several parts and interludes and features numerous characters. This was both a positive and negative for me. As much as I loved how cleverly the author wove each and every character into the story, there were times that it felt like too much. I could see the number of characters and connections possibly being an issue if I enjoyed this as an audiobook. I think the mini stories detracted somewhat from the main storyline between Arie and Evie and caused the flow of the novel to stall in certain places. The overall effect, however, was very powerful. I especially loved and appreciated the Coda chapter at the end. Overall, The Lost Love Song was a heartwarming novel and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

CW: airplane crash, death of loved one

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

4 Lovely Stars

I kept thinking the title of this one was the “Last Love Song” -- but it really is the story of a lost love song! A love song from world class Australian pianist Diana Clare that makes its way into the hearts of several couples around the world.

I really enjoyed the character of Evie, she’s moved around so many times, writing poetry and struggling to find someone who loves her completely. She finally heads back home to Australia and finds someone amazing, but the timing seems to be off for them.

It’s hard to tell you much more about this book without giving it away and I don’t like when reviewers do that! This one is best savored without knowing much about what will happen. There’s love, there’s grieving, there’s a beautiful wedding that I got completely teary over, there are some beautiful friendships, and poetry! This is my second book this year with Tasmania as a setting, I want to visit there for sure!

Two things I loved the most about The Lost Love Song are the gorgeous cover and the idea of a love song traveling around the world, bringing different people together, and evolving while staying true to its origins. I found the first half of the book slow. I felt removed from the story due to the writing style and didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. It took me days to read the first half of the book. I enjoyed the second half a lot more and finished reading it in one evening.

There are a number of love stories in the book with Arie's being the main storyline. I found his storyline the most interesting. I wanted to skip other character's chapters. Overall, The Lost Love Song was a unique novel that I would recommend, especially to readers who love music.