Loved this one! Highly recommend. I recommended this to my book club. We will be discussing it in February, and I cannot wait to hear their opinions,

As Layla and John both try to bring clarity to how and why their marriages feel apart they form a friendship as they speak to one another. In a world where people find love on the internet, Layla and John go the traditional route of friendship before anything.

This is another great book from tracey Garvis Graves and I will read anything she writes as I gravitate to her books with her wonderful writing and storytelling.

5 stars

This is my first book by Tracey Garvis Graves, and it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved this book!

This is a story of two people recently divorced and working to come to terms with the end or break free from their past. What really captured me what that each or the characters were starting over and learning who they really are or should be. Both marriages ended differently and both needed to heal and move on differently. Yet, recovering together can help take some of that burden so you can discover what your life could be. I think this is why I love second chance love stories so much.

I also had the luxury of listening along with the egalley thanks to @macmillionaudio for granting me the audiobook as well.

4.5 stars – Rounding to 5 for Goodreads.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a beautifully written story of two people processing the loss of their marriage and what moving forward looks like. Layla was certainly the type of heroine that many will be able to relate to. The problems within her marriage were those that are shared among many others. Her journey to rise up and find out who she truly is, and what she wants, was filled with growing pains as she struggled with every step forward. I found her to be extremely likeable. Josh was in a situation that had me wondering how it was all going to work out. There is definitely a sense that anything could happen between him and his wife. This author does not allow him to take the easy way out nor was he created in a way that’s commonly found among romance heroes. Yes, I liked him, but I was constantly on edge regarding how this was all going to turn out. The main bulk of this story consists of back-flashes that reveal the relationship Layla and Josh had with their spouses. It highlights all the good, the bad and the ugly before moving this couple into the here and now and their own build up into a new relationship. There isn’t a lot of time spent on this development but it was written in a way that it felt organic when they finally took a serious step forward. Definitely a book that’s light on romance and heavy on emotion.

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.

Layla Hilding is a 35 year old divorced woman who is a music teacher at the local elementary school. She is trying to find herself and get back to playing and singing, the one thing she loved growing up, and the thing she gave up when she married ten years earlier. Josh is a single dad whose daughter attends the school where Layla teaches music. He is recently separated, after twenty years of marriage, and he is still processing all the changes. When he drops his daughter off at school each day, he chats with Layla and they become friends. Both are hesitant to start a relationship, but they are attracted to one another. When two people are on the rebound, is it heartbreak or happiness that’s a love song away?

This is the first book I have read by Tracey Garvis Graves, but I will be checking out her backlist. I really enjoyed this low-key, slow burn romance, but it is more than just a romance. I enjoyed getting to know Layla, Josh, Sasha and their dog, Norton. This isn’t a story with a lot of angst, although there is a bit, but a story of finding your way when your life changes, drastically. I loved that Layla and Josh were mature characters (emotionally not age wise). They were not into the dating scene, the apps, the drama, but quietly went about their lives getting to know each other and figuring out the next steps. I loved how supportive he was towards Layla's musical dreams, very different from her ex. Josh's family was somewhat disappointed in his choice of career, but he was not going to be bullied into doing something he didn't want to do. He was great at his job and made a great living for himself and Sasha when she was with him. The story is told from both POVs with some past memories, but I was able to follow along with no problems. I was hooked on their lives and seeing what was next for them. A beautifully written story with deep meanings and decisions, but it wasn't a heavy read. I enjoyed reading about their journey to self fulfillment and building a relationship together. If you enjoy a book that will make you think while you read about lives that are undergoing change, then pick this one up. I had trouble deciding what genre this fits. I agree that there are elements of Women's Fiction and Romance, but it is also about life, relationships and self-discover. I did a read/listen with this book. I loved Andi Arndt's narration. She does a beautiful job of performing this lyrical story. I found I enjoyed both formats, but did gravitate to the ebook as it enabled me to read a bit quicker than the audiobook. I recommend both formats depending on your preference.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of this book.

Heard It in a Love Song is a cute, although often slow-moving, romance that's perfect for a cozy day or night of reading under a blanket. In this story, Layla and Josh are both newly separated and are not interested in romance. Layla is a musician and a music teacher. Josh is a self-employed contractor/handyman. Josh's daughter attends the school where Layla teaches. With the help of Josh's daughter and his dog, the two end up connecting more and more frequently. I gave this one 4 stars despite the fact that there were way too many back-stories for my liking. The cuteness swayed me in the end!

I've read a few other books by Tracey Garvis Graves and loved all of the emotional rides they put me on. However, with this one I couldn't get into it and couldn't find myself caring for the characters. Something was missing for me to be drawn into the romance of this book and for this one to be a real winner for me.

A fantastic audiobook, well narrated and it was so fantastic to be given a love story about adults who have already been through relationships.

I listened to the audio version of this book, and liked the narrator. I felt like the author’s voice really came through. Layla gave up her dreams of being a rock star when she married Liam. Josh married young and he and his wife grew apart. Both marriages ended in divorce and Josh and Layla were both starting over and figuring out what they wanted in life going forward. Neither was looking, but they found each other.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narration of this book, but overall, the plot felt a little discombobulated at times and I didn't connect with it nearly the way I would have liked to.

I really liked getting to know this book's the two characters — Layla and Josh. Layla is a music teacher and former performer out of a bad marriage and Josh is the soon-to-be divorced father of Sasha, one of Layla’s students. The two seem to have some chemistry and the book flashes back a lot through each of their marriages. It’s a really sweet book but I wish more had happened. It was really just a story on two people fresh out of complicated marriages and not expecting to find anything real.

The audio narrator was good! Really fast listen.

Heard it in a Love Song is a story about starting over and dinging love again. While I found some aspects of the plot interesting, the characters felt somewhat one dimensional. They didn't feel like real people which made it hard to fully invest in their storylines and development. The narration was well done and I did enjoy the backstories but I wanted more depth from a story that spoke so much about emotion and feeling. Overall the book just wasn't anything special.

Layla and Josh are both newly divorced and trying to find their way. Layla’s marriage had been bumpy from the beginning and her new independence is both freeing and lonely. Josh had been married to his high school sweetheart for the last twenty years and they both just grew out of it.

Layla agrees to dog-sit Josh’s dog, after his daughter volunteers her during class one day, and the sparks began to fly between the two of them.

The simplicity of this book, the writing, and all the music references are what made this book so great to me. The writing wasn’t over the top and romance between the main characters was perfect. I didn’t feel like anything was over done or confusing at all. I love love loved all the music references: Alanis, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, etc. Loved it.

I actually listened to the audiobook, which if you know me (you probably don’t) you would know that I am VERY picky when it comes to audiobooks. I can not listen to an audiobook if it’s not read by a dull narrator, I just can’t do it.

The narrator for this book was great. She has a pretty voice and read each chapter fluently. Each chapter was announced before she began reading and noted which character the chapter was about. I definitely wouldn’t mind listening to more audiobooks read by this particular narrator. (Andi Arndt)

Thank You, NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced audiobook of Heard It In A Love Song. This was a wonderful book of second chances, starting over and love.

Layla is a recently divorced elementary school music teacher and Josh is a in the middle of a divorce and the father of one of Layla's students. As they both navigate the world of online dating and dating after divorce they start a friendship that turns into more.

I liked the dual perspective of Layla and Josh as it bounced from present to the start of both of their former relationships. I liked hearing about their pasts and how it was influencing their now, but I felt like the book focused too much on the past. I wanted more about them and their friendship/relationship.

I enjoyed the audiobook! The narrator Andi Arndt was a new one for me and I'm looking forward to listening to more of her books. This was just over 8 hours for a 300 page book.

I wanted a little bit more out of this book. I enjoyed it, but it was missing something for me.

I loved the story of Josh and Layla. As a woman of a certain age I could certainly relate to their stories, but I feel they could relate to a lot of people. Such a sweet story!

I loved Tracey’s other book, The Girl He Used to Know, and I had such high hopes for this one. I was disappointed in this one. I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it. It’s was set in dual timelines with Josh and Layla. They will easily be unforgettable characters. I don’t want to give away too much, because I do know there are mixed reviews. A lot do love the book. I will continue to read her writing.

Every time I see a new book is coming out by Tracey Garvis Graves, I just get excited. And then on top of that, this has one of my favorite covers of the year! I couldn’t wait to start reading it. Ms. Garvis Graves certainly delivered a book that I couldn’t put down.

Told in dual timelines, we get to meet our main characters Josh and Layla. Both currently divorced. Layla used to be an aspiring rock star in a band waiting for their big break. Now she teaches music instead. Josh married his high school sweetheart and built a life for his family, improvising along the way. Now, he’s a single father sharing custody of his daughter. Both are maybe ready to look for love again. But is it the right time and have they learned from their past mistakes?

I really liked both characters a lot and I enjoyed seeing their journey’s in the past and now. From where they came from to where they are. I especially wanted Layla to go for her dreams and I think this was handled in a great way in the end too.

There’s something a bit more subdued and less flashy about this story and it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of it. I read this in one sitting. While I still consider this a women’s fiction novel, it does have a substantial thread of romance that will keep romance fans happy. This one is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Sarah Jio.

Heard It in a Love Song is a wonderful story of a woman coming into her own. I really enjoyed the characters and the slow burn romance. I related to Layla so much. Anytime Andi Arndt is involved, you can be assured that the audiobook will be first rate. Thanks Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

A delightful character driven story that readers are going to want to come back to again and again. The emotions are real, situation is relatable, and dialogue felt authentic. Heard It In a Love Song is the perfect gift book because it will resonated with so many different people on different levels.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars 14+ rating

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Part contemporary, part romantic, part domestic fiction, it had the best of all of those!
I felt like I really knew the main character and I liked her. It is told from different perspectives, which worked well for the story.
This was my first novel by the author, but I will be reading more! I highly recommend!