I've yet to read a book by Tracey Garvis Graves that hasn't drawn me into the story and kept my attention. "Heard It in a Love Song" is no exception! This story focuses on the lives of Layla Hilding and Josh Summers who are both at a crossroad in their individual lives. Layla is a divorced woman who is trying to find a way to be true to herself after losing so much of her identity in her marriage. She is currently a music teacher and although she loves her job teaching young children, she is ready to start rediscovering her own joy of singing and playing the guitar. Josh who married very young is in the midst of a divorce from his wife who seems to have outgrown their relationship. Josh's daughter is in Layla's class. This isn't a romance filled with unrealistic angst. It's more the story of two people who are drawn to each other trying to forge a new relationship that has the potential to be "more" while discovering who they are individually and what their priorities in life are. This was an enjoyable read!

3.5 STARS
This is a mature romance and a more simple take on romance than the usual.
Layla and Josh are both leaving previous relationships and finding their footing.
I like that the characters were relatable, they were taking a practical approach to their relationship.
I like that there weren’t outrageous misunderstandings or obstacles.
In some ways it made the story refreshing and I do have to admit it didn’t excite me. A real double edge sword here.
I like the musical references, I like the characters. It wasn’t exciting, it was kind of a “life story “
If you want relatable, realistic characters and a low drama romance, this is definitely the book for you.

I LOVED Tracy's book, Not The Girl He Used To Know so I was so excited to read her newest book!! This one did not disappoint! Our main character is dealing with a divorce and finding out what she really wants in life! Layla who is recently divorced starts to take a look at her life and starts taking things back that her husband slowly took away. Layla used to play in a band and turns a room in her basement into a make shift studio and starts to play again. Josh is separated from is wife of 20+ years and meets Layla while dropping his daughter off at school. The two form a friendship that slowly develops into more. Their journey's were so great to read about! Not only as friends and then a couple but also individually as they both have things in their life that they need to work through. I really love her writing style and can't wait to read more from her! Highly recommend checking this one out!! Thank you St. Martins Press for my gifted copy for review!

Josh is struggling through his divorce. Layla has just recently divorced. Neither one is looking for love. But, as you can guess, these two have a connection.

Josh has a beautiful daughter and Layla is her music teacher. So they see each other every day. This opens up some doors for both of them. But, can they make rebound love work..you must read this to find out!

The characters, as usual, are fabulous. They are each struggling but they stay sane. That is important! Trust me! These two are perfect together. Throw in the cute dog and the sweet little girl and you have a good read!

I also loved the narrator, Andi Arndt. I have heard her narrate on several books and she does a great pace and wonderful inflection.

I absolutely love this author. However, this book is not my favorite, but it is still a good read. Her books just usually have a different twist. This one is just a normal romance, nothing wrong with that. I still enjoyed it, especially with all the music references. Brought back a ton of memories.

Need a good romance which will make you smile…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review

Meh. Not for me I guess - found it boring and forgettable. I was forcing myself to read and not enjoying it - I finally threw in the towel and didn't finish.

Layla Hilding was once the lead singer in a prominent local band. But now, she’s a divorced thirty-five-year-old music teacher, embracing her newfound independence. Through her job at the elementary school, Layla meets Josh, the newly single father of one of her students. Layla and Josh bond over the similarity of their situations, and the struggles of being newly divorced. They decide to become friends with the potential for something more. But will their emotional trauma and insecurities threaten their second chance at love?

Heard it in a Love Song is told in the third person in alternating perspectives between Layla and Josh. It is told in the present and a series of flashbacks to Josh and Layla’s respective marriages through the years. It focuses on life after divorce and re-discovering passions later in life.

This is a very slow-burn, slowly-paced novel. I loved getting to know the two main characters and learning about their previous marriages and what went wrong. This is more of a contemporary fiction novel than a romance novel. There is romance, but it is not so much the central focus of the novel. I loved getting to know both Layla and Josh. I was fascinated by the flashbacks to their previous marriages.

Music is a huge part of this book. The author mentions at the beginning that the book was largely inspired by the song “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac and that fits with the overall vibe of the story. I highly recommend Heart in a Love Song to fans of Tracey Garvis Graves' previous books, as well as lovers of contemporary fiction!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

Honestly, this book is exactly what I needed. It has been a stressful few weeks and this book was just FUN! It sucked me in and I read it very quickly.

Layla Hilding is a 35 year old music teacher, recently divorced and missing her days as a lead singer in a band. She finds herself in a friendship with Josh, a dad of one of her students, who is also recently separated. Will their friendship turn into more? Will it end with heartbreak or happiness?

The dynamics between the characters was fun. The story line was enjoyable - switching between present day and flashbacks to their prior marriages. A great, light read!

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy!

Oh, boy. This was my first book by Tracey Garvis Graves and if I wasn't directed otherwise by fellow readers, it would probably be my last. This book was 300+ pages of what felt like absolutely nothing. I couldn't connect to the characters, I didn't feel anything for them, other than pure annoyance. Layla was simply annoying, constantly whining and playing the 'poor me' card. There was also way, way too much backstory for both the main characters stories, to fill in blanks we really didn't need filled in. I'm really not sure why I finished this book, but I guess I was holding out hope that something interesting would happen. I realize romance novels are always extremely predictable, which I usually love, but this one was eye-roll predictable and didn't feel genuine at all.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Heard It In a Love Song, by Tracey Garvis Graves, didn’t grab me immediately, for whatever reason. I just didn’t connect to the story and characters, but once I got into the rhythm of the story, I became more invested and found it quite meaningful.

Layla and Josh both ended their relationships and are not only struggling to recover, but are on a transportive journey of healing and introspection. They ultimately are drawn back toward one another and we get insights into their individual stories from both perspectives. This story features friendship, moving on from unhealthy relationships and being true to yourself.

Heard it in a Love Song is a reflective, positive, inspiring story that gives you something to think about and leaves you feeling better than you began.

I loved a well-executed friends to lovers romance and this is a good one. Layla and Josh are both coming out of painful relationship breakups, so when they meet, neither is emotionally ready to take on a new relationship. Josh was with his ex for 20 years. They met in high school, grew into responsible adulthood together and weathered a lot of storms, but somehow drifted apart anyway, They have a 5 yr old daughter and are fully committed to co-parenting her, but both of them recognize that the spark in their marriage is gone.

Layla met her ex in her early 20's when she was scratching out a living as a singer in a local band, enjoying life, and hoping to make it big but not really looking for anything more. Somehow she drifted into marriage and 10 yrs later finds herself working as an elementary school music teacher, having given up everything that gave her joy in order to meet her irresponsible, narcissistic ex's emotional needs. Now that she's left him, she is slowly starting to reclaim her passion and joy in music and wants to regain control of her own life.

They meet in the morning drop-off line at Layla's school, start casually chatting, and over the course of the next year, their friendship grows. When a romantic relationship between them sparks, it's no surprise as they've become so close and supportive of each other and both have always felt an attraction. This isn't a romance filled with fireworks and passion, but rather the inevitability of true love.

In addition to the well-executed friendship and romance, I loved watching Layla regain her joy and her creative spark through music. It's a good reminder that it's never too late to get back to go back to something that fulfills you. The only thing about the book that I didn't enjoy was the flashbacks to Josh and Layla's previous relationships that were woven in throughout the book. Although I usually don’t mind a few initially at the start of a book, after that they tend to throw me out of the story. In this case, I found Josh's flashbacks to be more interesting and engaging than Layla's, maybe because I was so wrapped up in Layla's present day journey and resented being pulled back into her past. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable, satisfying friends to lovers romance

Graves delivers another good one! The story of two people recovering from relationships, while trying to find themselves and happiness once again is told in a unique way. The characters are relatable and fresh, the story line is honest and vulnerable, and will have you cheering them on. I liked this story so much I read it in a day, I was invested and couldn’t put it down!

With the dual points of view and scenes from the past and the present, this was an intriguing story of the thoughts and passions of youth and how that changes as we grow older.

Layla’s passion was singing and was fortunate to be in a band although struggling to make ends meet. She meets a man who seems to be supportive of her career and knows how to get her attention and they eventually marry. The views into the past show a self-centered husband and one who has to constantly spend money, change jobs and eventually downplays Layla’s career and no longer supported her aspirations. I know from experience that sometimes it’s easier to let your partner take over just to limit confrontations.

As a music teacher, Layle meets Josh as he drops his daughter at school. They have an initial interest in each other which eventually leads to friendship with the potential for something more. She learns that Josh is going through a divorce and the author writes realistically about failed relationships and divorce.

I loved several things about the book – the great music covers that Layla’s band performed and again later in the story. I could understand her need to be alone to heal from her marriage and divorce but being alone isn’t the same as being lonely.

Even though there were some romantic parts to the story with Layla and Josh, I didn’t quite feel a big connection between the two. The story seemed more of thinking about the past and forging a better future with the appropriate self-growth and pursuing dreams.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work. I look forward to ready more from Ms. Garvis Graves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I wanted to love this book. It was one I was SO looking forward to in 2021, but sadly, it just did not work for me. I think it’s a combination of where I am in my life and this book not being paced well. I’m a newlywed, this book is about life after divorce. And that is GREAT, because I think those are important stories to tell. We all deserve to see ourselves represented in love stories. I don’t need to relate to every character or story I read because what would be the point of using books to learn? But I do need to feel compelled to pick up a story and I just never wanted to reach for this book.

Synopsis:

“Love doesn’t always wait until you’re ready.Layla Hilding is thirty-five and recently divorced. Struggling to break free from the past—her glory days as the lead singer in a band and a ten-year marriage to a man who never put her first—Layla’s newly found independence feels a lot like loneliness.Then there's Josh, the single dad whose daughter attends the elementary school where Layla teaches music. Recently separated, he's still processing the end of his twenty-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He chats with Layla every morning at school and finds himself thinking about her more and more.Equally cautious and confused about dating in a world that favors apps over meeting organically, Layla and Josh decide to be friends with the potential for something more. Sounds sensible and way too simple—but when two people are on the rebound, is it heartbreak or happiness that’s a love song away?” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Characters—I really liked Josh and Layla! I was invested in them when I was reading about them, but sadly the time jumps just felt so choppy that once I was invested in a scene, we’d be taken away and I had to try again.

What Didn’t Work:

The Pacing—Slow, slow slow. It could be right book, wrong time, but I am a reader who is so dependent on the pacing pulling me in in the first 25-50 pages and this was not it.

The Lack of Plot—When I was reading, I kinda felt like nothing was happening…ever. And now I LOVE a good character driven story, but this didn’t even feel like that. It almost felt like it had a Sally Rooney quality (spoiler alert, I am not an SR fan) of being like a mundane look at everyday life.

The Time Jumps—TGG usually rocks me with the dual timelines and time jumps but I just did not care about the scenes taking place in the past.

Content Warnings:

All are moderate to mild: chronic illness, drug use, suicidal thoughts, animal death, death of a parent, sexual violence, gaslighting, toxic relationship,

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 2.9/5

3.5 Stars!
Layla Hilding is a newly single woman living in Rochester, Minnesota who is recently divorced and learning to put herself first. She's thirty five and finally beginning to feel like herself again after years of putting her hopes and dreams aside. For so long she'd loved fiercely in a way where nothing else mattered, but she was unhappy. The former lead singer of a popular band was suddenly at a crossroads personally and professionally. Now she's trying to leave the past behind and embrace her new career as an elementary school music teacher. She's enjoying her freedom and building the future she wanted. While doing her soul searching she unexpected meets a man named Josh Summers who makes her feel the first flutters of interest for a man again. She loves her independence, but also can't deny she enjoys his company. They have a lot in common and can relate to one another since they are at similar stages in life. Both are in their late 30's, and navigating divorce and starting over. As a connection grows strong feelings develop. Friends turn into more, but their timing is off and it's complicated. Is it just fun and romance, or will their journey lead to true happiness?

Heard It In A Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is a heartwarming, single dad, slow burn, friends to lovers romance about self discovery, second chances at love and fresh starts. It's about the different seasons of our lives and how we change over time, and that love finds us when we least expect it.

I struggled with reading this book and with how to rate it; it’s not that I didn’t like it because I did, but it being classified as a romance is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, two people met and eventually fell in love but honestly that was a very small part of this story. Both main characters have recent failed relationships, one ended less than amiably and the other civil mainly because of their child. Through flashbacks told from both of the main characters, we see how their relationships began and how they unraveled. No holds barred and it’s easy to see that in addition to their past partner’s mistakes, they made mistakes as well. This was a story of self discovery; of reclaiming a part of yourself you’d lost, of moving forward, and being vulnerable with another person again. I liked this book quite a bit, but between the flashbacks which were numerous (and really not something I love) and how little time this couple actually spent as a couple, I just can’t call this a romance and for that I was a bit disappointed.
Layla is an elementary school music teacher who was once in a local band that had a huge following but never quite broke into the big time. She’s now divorced and reclaiming the part of her life she let go during her marriage, the performing part, the part that made her feel whole. She’s also realized that one of her kindergarten student’s dad has caught her eye even though she’s not sure she’s ready for a relationship.
Josh has been separated from his wife for awhile and he’s waiting on the paperwork from her to finalize their divorce, they live in separate homes and share custody of their daughter Sasha. On the advice of his brother he tried some dating apps and that just didn’t work for him, but he also realizes that his daughter’s music teacher is not only kind to his kid, but caring when she agrees to dog sit his dog when he and his daughter go out of town.
Layla and Josh for a friendship based on their need for companionship and they share a lot about their lives and grow closer and closer. I liked them together I think they complemented each other nicely. Josh was in awe of Layla’s talent, and it was easy to see that Layla appreciated how open Josh was about everything in his life past and present. I would have liked more time with them once they were a couple and an epilogue would have gone a long way to making me love this book, but I did enjoy it.
While not a typical romance, Heard It In a Love Song was a look at rediscovering yourself, moving forward, and learning to trust and love again.

Every time I picked up this book to read, I’d start singing the song by the Marshall Tucker Band with the same title and it would be stuck in my head the entire day. Not that that’s a bad thing as I loved that song back in the day and now. This book was a fun and captivating read about giving love a second chance. It had two timelines, past and present, that was easy to follow and well done. Enjoyed Layla and Josh’s stories and how their relationship developed. The cover is amazing! Another wonderful read by Tracey Garvis Graves.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

LOVED THIS!

This was a refreshingly feel-so-real story of two people trying to move on, trying to find themselves, and attempting to start over.

The way this story was told made me FEEL. The author easily pulled me in and took me on an emotional journey of hope and pain and healing and love and second chances. I experienced everything right along with Layla and Josh.

I felt like I knew these characters. Like I’d known them for years. I got angry with them, sympathized with them, understood them, and rooted for their happiness all the way. The gradual growth and eventual strength of their relationship was a beautiful thing to read.

Their pasts weren’t always fun and happy and all things good. Sometimes it was messy and complicated. But it was real life. Each character was so relatable. The story so believable. I could see a little of myself in Layla and I’m sure other readers will too.

The music incorporated throughout this book was absolutely delightful and entertaining and made me so happily content. Music is a big part of my life, so this story often spoke to my soul. I was right there singing and rocking out with Layla.

Loved this story, adored the characters so much, and I definitely appreciated the realness. I could easily see this made into a movie.

And can we all take a moment to appreciate that cover? So very cool!

Shoutout to Norton - he kinda stole my heart.

Loved this story of Layla and Josh, both looking for something but not sure what. Over time they realize, that despite past experiences they just might have something special.

Well. It breaks my heart to write this review, but I just didn’t love it. The Girl He Used to Know is one of my all time faves and I had seriously high hopes here… apparently too high.
As a divorced woman myself, some of the topics really hit home for me - trust, money, name changes. Layla and Josh’s romance was tentative and I thought very realistic for the situation. There were unfortunately too many randomly timed flashbacks to really get invested in the current love story or their personalities. Oddly, for such an emotional topic, I didn’t find myself with any emotions about the story.
My recommendation would be - don’t go into this looking for a sweeping romance. It’s more about the journey of growth for both of them. And if you’ve been through a divorce or bad break up, this one will likely hit different than if you haven’t.

So, sadly I think I’m favorite thing about this book is the cover (isn’t it beautiful?!)

For me, what lacked the most in this book was emotion. The characters were all interesting and likeable enough - but every scene felt very flat. Even things that were supposed to have tension or falling in love, it just didn’t come across that well on the page.

I did like the flashback scenes and how that gave us more info on Layla and Josh, but they also felt like they were just thrown in there and it didn’t flow well.

Overall it was a fine story, but I don’t see myself recommending it.