I was taken back to the 1977 song of the same title by the Marshall Tucker Band—
“heard it in a love song can’t be wrong”

Is this love? Rebound? Loneliness? Layla and Josh need to pause and find out, and that’s what they do in this intriguing, uplifting, and romantic story. Often we need to pause in mid-life and find out what it is we really love to do and who it is we really love. Interspersed with references to other love songs and melodies, this lyrical story will make you examine your own love life, work life and figure out where you might need to change direction. A fun read with real meaning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. This was a sweet story of past mistakes and second chances. I feel it could have tugged a few more emotions, but it also encourages the reader to follow their dreams and be who you want to be.

Tracey Garvis Graves' books always make me smile and Heard It in a Love Song is no exception. Layla and Josh are two lovely, likable people whose first marriages, for very different reasons, went wrong. They're both in the getting it altogether stage and I just rooted for them throughout the book. Layla is a singer and this book is as breezy, creative, and charming as she seems to be as a performer. Josh is an electrician and his work is a metaphor for their relationship...sparking.

5 REALLY BIG STARS!!

There is something so completely satisfying in reading those final words in the final pages of a really REALLY good book. After I close the book and turn it over in my hands, all the scenes from the story flip over in my mind like an old film reel, with particularly well-written scenes jumping out and almost teasing me to go back and read them again. Heard it in a Love Song was allllllll of that for me and more.

At the crux of it, Heard it in a Love Song is a love letter to anyone who has ever married their first love and then realized it wasn’t their endless love. As readers, we experience dual timelines glimpsing the destruction of two separate marriages, and the new love establishing between our main characters, Josh and Layla. Graves does an excellent job with character development and gives us real voices with relatable experiences and challenges.

Josh and Layla are unique and their love story is a slow, gentle, friends-to-lovers journey all while navigating the baggage and insecurities that divorce undoubtedly leaves in its wake. Possibly one of the most refreshing parts for me, was although there was plenty of trepidation between the main characters, there was an absence of unnecessary drama. Yes!

I enjoyed this story and savored it's an unapologetic nod to rock and roll, and navigating new love after a devastating heartbreak.

I had my eye on this book since I loved The Girl He Used to Know, so I was thrilled to win it from Goodreads. I immediately added it to my five-book pile and was excited when it reached the top. And I'm pleased to share that it will be worth your wait when it officially publishes in November.

Heard It in a Love Song was such a sweet and genuine love story with a cozy feel to it. I could practically hear the music being played throughout. I like how Tracey Garvis Graves showed both Layla and Josh's narratives and how she went back and forth between the past and present to paint the full picture. I loved watching Josh and Layla get to know each other, as well as Layla finding herself after her divorce. The music scenes were a lot of fun and I could feel Layla's energy radiating off the stage. I actually wish I could go hear her perform. Sasha seemed like a cute kid and I loved Norton's personality, as well.

All in all, a great story that will keep you warm this winter.

Movie casting ideas (I only cast the present versions of the characters):
Layla: Melissa Benoist
Josh: Dustin Milligan
Liam: John Patrick Amedori
Kimmy: Blake Lively
Brian: Matt Czuchry

Layla used to be in a band until her husband made her quit. Josh married his high school sweetheart soon after high school graduation, but is currently going thru a divorce.

The friends of Layla and Josh want each of them to start dating again, and find someone that makes them happy. What follows is a true and honest romance.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. For me, it is very rare to like ALL of the characters in a book. There’s always that one that just irks me. Not so in this book - I truly loved all of the main characters.

Heard It In A Love Song releases November 2, and you need to bump it up on your wish list.

2.5
This is a great little book about starting over in life.

What I liked:

-I liked Josh and Layla. I thought that they were both sweet and I thought they were a good match.

-I liked that this book really dissected the relationships in the story.

What I didn’t like:

-I normally hate books with flashback timelines and this was no different. I found myself flipping through flashback pages, especially Layla’s.

-It was fade to black. Which is fine, but not my preference.

-I felt like the pacing was a little weird. Some of the scenes with Josh and Layla were long and detailed and then all the sudden big chunks of time or specific events would be glossed over and rushed. I think I just needed MORE. With their relationship.

-The end was very cheesy.

Heard It In A Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is contemporary fiction. Layla is an elementary school music teacher. She is recently separated and getting a divorce. One of her students, Sasha, is walked to class every day by her doting father, Josh. Josh is also recently separated and waiting on his divorce to be final. Layla and Josh strike up a friendship after she is his dog sitter. Life does not go as planned and pretty soon the Ex's start stirring up trouble. Can Layla and Josh stand up to the pressure from outside sources? I recommend this book if you enjoy music, children, dogs, and love stories.

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is a beautiful story of love finding its way through heartache. I have enjoyed this author's previous work, and this latest offering proved to be no exception.

Layla is an elementary school music teacher learning to reconnect with her first passion, music, following a tremultuous marriage. Josh is a recently separated father of a student who attends Layla's school, and seems to recognize in the teacher another heart that is longing to be reawakened.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Layla and Josh, we move through their experiences of marital discord, and find ourselves becoming emotionally invested in their search for happiness. I was particularly fascinated by Layla's evolution through music, and loved all of the original lyrics that were birthed from the deepest recesses of her soul. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Both (relatively) recently coming out of failed marriages, Josh and Layla meet primarily at the parent drop-off of the school where Layla is a music teacher and are forced into closer proximity much in thanks to Josh's daughter Sascha asking Layla to dog-sit for them while away at a wedding. Following Josh and Layla as they navigate their new lives, reflect on how they got to where they were today, and slowly ease into a relationship with each other, Tracey Garvis Graves gives us two heartbreaking stories of love and dreams lost with the promise and potential of everything that Josh and Layla could be together.

I thought this was such a lovely, easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed the snippets of songwriting we got throughout the novel and loved getting to experience both Josh and Layla's perspectives. This was a gem of a book and I am looking forward to recommending it once it's finally released.

I was up until 3am reading, Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves. Friends, mark your calendars because you want this book!!! November 2nd you can get your grabby hands on this fabulous read.

Heard It in a Love Song was exactly what my heart needed; a captivating story with gorgeous characters. When it comes to women’s fiction, Tracey Garvis Graves is my go to favourite because of the strong women she writes and the journeys she takes them on. I’m sure many women will be able to relate to Layla’s story.

If you’re looking for a feel good story with swoon worthy dose of romance, this is the book for you.

I really loved On the Island! So when I saw Heard it in a Love Song on NetGalley, I crossed my fingers big time for it!

This was a story about starting over and getting a second chance at romance.

I really loved this book! I loved Layla so much, she was so relatable. And Josh was a sweetheart.

Things I loved about this book:
-short chapters
-dual narrative
-the music aspect
-Layla was a teacher
-Layla was 35 and divorced (different from other romances that I've read)
-getting a glimpse of Josh and Layla's past


Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves was really good! It follows two recent divorcees, Josh and Layla, who are trying to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. They meet at Layla’s elementary school when Josh brings his daughter in for the first day and their relationship begins after months of “Friends with Potential”. I liked that we get to read both POVs and we can really get insight to what they are both thinking. The book takes place in the present day but it offers snippets of their past. This definitely helped understand them deeper. Josh and Layla had really great chemistry and I was rooting for them the entire book!

This was an excellent book! I loved the characters, and the fact it was a love story,without being a typical romance novel. I look forward to more from this author.

Heard It in a Love Song is a beautiful story of starting over and finding oneself in the midst of everything that life can throw our way. Anyone who enjoys a great romance or a book about starting over will love this book!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love this author. She is one of my favorites. This was like reading about an old friend. Very sweet story. My only wish is that there would be more to the ending. I wanted more!

Thanks for the advanced copy! Really enjoyed this book. The dual timelines added interest. Both of the main characters were easy and fun to root for. Their divorces were different, but every divorcée can find commonalities. Wish there was a soundtrack to go along with this one, especially the original songs!

First off- the cover is perfection. Secondly, I really enjoyed this book- it was a slow burn, real life romance. It's about second chances, finding out who you are and becoming what you need. It's a grown up love story. I loved the back and forth between the past and present- getting to see the main characters' first loves and how they shaped who they are. I loved that it showed that falling out of love doesn't always mean leaving that person behind, and that sometimes you need to figure out who you are before you can find lasting love. I really loved Layla's storyline about her deep rooted love for music, and how that made her into who she is. I appreciate that she figures out the place that music has in her life and doesn't let that change her. The single dad storyline can be so overdone, but I really enjoyed this one- getting to see his side of things as well. A lot of times you don't get to see the male perspective and that was really refreshing. I loved the friends first- let's not jump into anything too soon, romance. Getting to know someone on a deep level before falling for them is sexier than any book where they get right down to it, in my opinion! I can't wait to recommend this one to my friends and it will be going on my Valentine's Recommendations list next year for sure!

I’m so glad I was given an opportunity to read an arc of Tracey’s new book. If you are like me and love her previous works this one will not disappoint!

Heard It in a Love Song is story about self discovery, love, and following your dreams no matter how big or small. Told in duel POVs the book follows Layla who is a music school teacher and Josh who is now a single parent trying to make things work for his daughter. Their paths cross when Layla becomes Josh’s daughter’s music teacher for the new school year, and also a certain lovable dog enters the picture. And so begins Josh and Layla now divorced and single trying to navigate their new normal eventually becoming friends and then more.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story. I liked that the past scenes or flashbacks are interwoven into the chapters and not seperate. So we do get to see Layla’s past in the band and what happens with that and how that affects her life in the present. And everything with Josh and his past.

I loved the slow burn friends to lovers romance that blossoms between the two. It was believable considering what they both have been through. I also loved the side characters Layla’s friends, fellow musician Brian and the girls and those drop off convos they have. And Josh and his brothers.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would 100% recommend it to everyone. Thank you to the publisher and Tracey for an advance copy.

I've enjoyed quite a few of the author's previous works but this one didn't engage me like the others had. It was a decent story, but I feel it was missing the spark On The Island, Heart Shaped Hack and The Girl He Used To Know had.