This was a gentle romance about two ordinary people finding love after divorce. I liked the two main characters, especially Layla. While the pace was a bit slow for my taste, I would recommend it to readers looking for a leisurely read with a hopeful, heartwarming vibe.

There is something about words that Tracey Garvis Graves writes... I don't know what it is, but you must read her books in one sitting. That's not my suggestion, that's just the spell that she weaves around you.

This was a story about two people meeting and forming a relationship after their marriages fall apart. Their stories are relatable, sweet, sad, uplifting, and there are dogs!

If you are a fan of TGG, and you absolutely should be, read this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of Heard It In a Love Song. I couldn’t have loved this book more. It is a heart warming story of personal growth, relationships and love for yourself. Josh and Layla are both going through the end of their marriages and discovering more about themselves and each other. The book jumps from present day to each of their pasts and intertwines their stories seamlessly. Both characters are likable and the story is sweet while delivering an important message. This book came at such a pivotal time in my life and I think so many people can relate to it, while also just enjoying the sweetness of the story and the characters. This is my favorite book by this author by far!

Im in a book slump, dont you hate that? Every book I pick up, Im just kind of "meh" about it.
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What doesn't look meh is this, Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves. I love the title!
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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?
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This doesn't come out until November, you can enter to win a copy over on @goodreads.
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What are you reading now?
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Thank you Netgalley, Tracey Garvis Graves and St. Martin's Press for this ecopy of Hear it in a Love Song in exchange for my honest review.
My review for Heard it in a Love Song will come out closer to the pub date - November 2021

Heard It in a Love Song was a slow-burn for me, but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was different than other books by Tracey Garvis Graves, but the writing is beautiful.
Layla is a recently divorced music teacher at an elementary school, who loves music and in her younger years was in a band. Josh is going through a divorce and first meets Layla at the school where his daughter is a kindergartner. They get to know each other better when Layla dog sits for him. The characters are vulnerable, well developed, and easy to relate to.
This book gives such a realistic view of divorce and starting over. I loved how their relationship started as a friendship as they both healed from their past relationships. It is slower-paced, and written in a dual timeline with flashbacks for both characters. At times I found myself looking at my own relationship and what I can do to strengthen it as I read about the unraveling of their relationships. Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but was delightful nonetheless. I was expecting another Daisy Jones, but this was more like if Daisy and Hallmark had a baby, and I loved it. Layla and Josh were easy to cheer and hope for. They had depth and were flawed in a way that made them good for each other. It was also nice to read a book that was looking forward to a music career not just looking back on one.

After loving The Girl He Used to Know, I was very excited for Tracey Garvis Graves' newest book! In Heard it in a Love Song we get to know Layla and Josh, who are both trying to move on with their lives after divorce. I really enjoyed getting to know both characters through the alternating view points, but did not necessarily love the alternate timelines, and thought the story would have flowed better without the timeline set in the past. Overall a novel that will make you smile and cry! Not quite as good as The Girl He Used to Know, but definitely worth a read!

The character of Layla was the most rounded out in the story and by the end, I still felt like I didn't really know Josh. I enjoyed the reality of post 30-divorce life such as the fragility of getting into another relationship after and the steps you take to take care of yourself.

I thought the way Kimmy was portrayed was a tad hateful with this being written by a woman. Kimmy became involved in politics (Kerry era) and used her phone as an escape in later years by being overly invested in the internet (and it's never stated, but probably social media). She also didn't feel like having sex with her husband which he didn't really try to fix other than shaming her for it and planning a dumb trip to Florida. Josh was WHINY. I understand his connection with Layla, but never understood why Layla went with her husband Liam in the first place.

Liam was douche vibes from the jump.

I can totally see why someone would find solace in this book and overall, I did enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley For providing me a early E-Arc Copy of this book. Sadly this one wasnt that great in my opinion and I am actually thankful that it was a short read. The story was slow and kinda blah and I didnt feel a connection with the characters Layla and Josh. I just felt like the story didnt really go anywhere and I was glad to be done with the book. I have read other books by Tracey in the past but this one didnt meet my expectations.

I love second chance romance and Layla and Josh didnt disappoint. This book took a little bit to get into but once it took off I finished it in one sitting. It'll be perfect for those of us looking for another chance at love despite sad past experiences, including divorce. A wonderful summer read.

Tracy Garvis Graves is one of my go-to authors! I absolutely love the way she's able to infuse a real-life feel into her fiction.

Unfortunately, Heard It in a Love Song wasn't the huge hit I was expecting. It took quite some time for this story to capture my attention. I wished there had been fewer flashbacks to the characters' past relationships. I felt these moments slowed the flow of the story as the pace was beginning to pick up. But, I didn't want to give up because I was sure eventually the plot would grab me. I'm glad I kept reading because I did come to enjoy the story. It was a cozy read - more contemporary fiction than romance. It was interesting to see how the characters would grow and once I settled into the flashbacks, I was able to see their relevance to the story.

Overall, not my favorite book, but I will be eager to read more by Tracy Garvis Graves in the future!

Another wonderful love story by Tracey Garvis Graves. Layla is teaching music at an elementary school, healing from her divorce, and thinking about her past as a musician and band memeber. Josh is also newly separated and focusing his attention on his sweet daughter. When Layla and Josh meet in the school pick-up line, their love story is filled with compassion, friendship, and song lyrics. A fast and welcomed distraction, I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book.

Such a sweet story of Layla and Josh, and their sweet relationship as they both get a "do-over" in their relationships and their lives. Layla is recently divorced and teaching music in the local elementary school, and Josh, in the midst of a divorce himself, meets her as he takes his young daughter to school each day. They become friends, and begin seeing each regularly. Layla begins to spend more time singing cover songs in a local band, something that she was forced to give up while married. Together, the two characters discover that now is the time to be their authentic selves.

I'm giving this gook 3.5 stars because it's quite predictable. But it's written well, in a back and forth format between the characters, which is so popular with contemporary writers. And the ending is lovely and satisfying.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read Heard It In A Love Song.

This is a story of second chances and rediscovering life and love after a broken heart. It is told in a dual timeline that alternates between the two main characters. At times, it is a cautionary tale of trusting too much and being blindsided by someone you are in a relationship with(watch those bank and credit card statements!). Both the characters and the plot are realistic and heart warming as well. It is a beautifully told modern love story with two main characters that I will long remember! I did receive an ARC from Netgalley, and I am very glad I did. And that old Marshall Tucker song is still going through my mind!

I was eager to read another TGG book so I was excited to get an ARC. I can't say this is my favorite of her books however I enjoyed the read and really became invested in the characters. I would have liked it better if the pace had been a little quicker however I did love all the music references.

Tracey Garvis Graves writes another winner . Layla and Josh are both newly single. They catch each other’s eye at school drop off where Layla is Josh’s daughter’s music teacher. The writing is in alternating timelines, giving us the history of both of their relationships. I loved the writing style of this book and the slow burn of the characters’ own love story!

This story follows the journey of Layla and of Josh - both facing the end of marriages and figuring out how to start ovre and move forward. Layla finds herself drawn back to her love of music and the feelings and adrenaline that it unleashes when she picks up a guitar. Josh juggles his pending divorce at the same time that his young daughter starts school. He gets to know Layla a small bit every morning at school drop-off.

The story line is predictable, but sweet. The story does alternate between present day and then past memories (italic text) where each character is drawn back to their previous relationship and reflects on that initial attraction and the struggles the relationship faced. It took me a bit to get used to that format, but I soon fell into the rhythm.

Heard It in a Love Song was a bit of an unexpected read about two 30 something adults finding themselves. Layla is an elementary music teacher who is on the heels of a divorce that left her without a lot of confidence. Once upon a time she was something of a rock goddess, with a commanding presence on the stage of a cover band in small town Minnesota. How did she transform from that to a 30 something ex-wife teacher, and who will she be now? Josh took a road less traveled as an 18 year old who knew he didn't want to go to college, and got instead got married to his first love. Now as his daughter enters kindergarten, he finds himself separated and trying to figure out what it is like to be on his own for the first time really ever. As their paths cross, they find out more about each other, but more importantly more about themselves.

I found this book to have some romance, a lot of good music references that had me rocking out in my head as I read, but a lot of strong character development as the backstory of both Layla and Josh is slowly revealed through memories. It was a very entertaining, easy read, and sweet book. For it's genre I would give it 5 stars as truly enjoyable. Overall, I'd give it sold 4 stars.

Thank you Tracey Garvis Graves, NetGalley, and St. Martins Press for an ARC of Heard It In a Love Song in exchange for an honest review. I definitely enjoyed this one!

I absolutely loved this book! I could relate in some many ways with the main character Layla. It will stick in your head like the authors other books. You will not regret reading this book! If you’ve never read any by T.G.G, this book is a great start! It flips POV between Layla and Josh. I like books that give you two characters POV. Both are recently divorced & hesitant to start dating. They agree just to be friends and that leads to a beautiful friendship. How relationships should start.