Love songs are simply love stories. Some of them offer the joys of new love; some offer the heartache of love lost. And some provide the hope of second chances. Heard It In A Love Song is such an appropriate title for this book because, in a nutshell, it's a love song and all that a love song offers.

I love all the second chances explored in this book!

First, the main characters, Layla and Josh, explore the mistakes of past marriages as they slowly kindle a new relationship with each other - a second chance of romance. I like how the relationship builds over time - no instant love, but a more realistic path that involves the emotional weariness that comes with a romance that involves exes, children, and all that history.

But, the second chance I enjoy the most is Layla’s rediscovery of her passion for music. She quit playing in her local band to become an elementary music teacher. She loves this job but lost part of herself when she stopped performing. As Layla moves forward from her failed marriage, she discovers exactly who she is and what she wants and how to become comfortable with the messy parts of life as she learns to ride the wave of life.

If you are a fan of music, you’ll enjoy all the music references woven throughout this story. TGG created original lyrics for Layla and Brian (Layla’s new band duo). I wish I could have read these lyrical words rather than listen because I would read and reread - absolutely beautiful poetry!

At times, the flashbacks to both Layla and Josh’s previous marriages confused me since there's no clear divide between present and past in the audio. However, I thought Andi Arndt's narration embodied Layla - her highs and lows, wants and frustrations.

I recommend this (audio)book to anyone who loves a love song - in all its happiness to heartache.

As with other TGG books, the writing in this book is incredible. Even though this book is a romance, I would call it more of a book about two people healing from their previous marriage and growing into themselves.

This book is dual timeline and dual POV, focusing on both Layla and Josh’s first marriages (in the past) and how they meet (present).
Listening to the audio version, I sometimes had a hard time figuring out which time period I was in because the timeline changed often and quickly.

I loved that this is a story where our MCs communicate very clearly. I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope. The narration by Andi Arndt was fantastic.

I would recommend if you enjoy:
-friends to lovers
-love after divorce
-stories around music
-dual timeline/dual POV
-single dad trope
-dogs
-slow burn

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This was great! This is the second time that I have picked up a book written by Tracey Garvis Graves and I have been very impressed with her work so far. When I found out that Andi Arndt narrated this book, I knew that this would be a book that I would want to listen to. I just loved the characters and appreciated all of the music references. This was an enjoyable read from beginning to end.

This was a wonderful story of moving on. Layla works as the music teacher at the local elementary school and is recently divorced. Josh has just separated from his wife and is just trying to figure out how to take care of his daughter and move forward with his life. Josh and Layla meet through the elementary school and develop a friendship that has a lot of potential. Layla and Josh were great characters and I liked seeing them together. They are both recently leaving a marriage and I liked learning how things went wrong for them in their prior relationships. They both seemed determined to take things slow and not hurt each other.

I really enjoyed Layla’s journey back into music. When she was younger she was part of a pretty successful local band and had big dreams but responsibility got in the way. It was great to see her pick up a guitar again and do something that she was passionate about. I really liked all of the music references and could really imagine her up on the stage in front of a crowd.

Andi Arndt is one of my favorite narrators and she did an amazing job with this book. I loved the voices that she used for each of the characters and really felt like she brought them to life. This book was really a joy to listen to because of the wonderful narration.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought it was a wonderful story about learning to move on with enough romance to keep things interesting. I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

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 differently and more personally than if you haven’t.

The narrator, Andi Arndt, was incredible as always and really kept my attention throughout the book!

Tracey Garvis Graves is such an amazing writer. I loved The Girl He Used to Know and couldn’t wait to read 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙸𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐. It totally lived up to my expectations. This is a beautiful story about personal growth. The experiences of the characters were so real and I felt the whole storyline was incredibly realistic. I would definitely recommend picking this one up.

Also, I loved the rants about school drop off and pick up. Yes!!!!! 🙌🙌 so funny and relatable

I very much enjoyed reading Heard It in a Love Song. Author, Tracey Garvis Graves, brings readers a beautifully written story about a woman who started out as an electric guitar playing singer, named Layla. Of course, the name Layla alone was enough to bring to mind the hard rocking electric guitar of Eric Clapton in the initial version of the song Layla. The Layla in this story, takes us through her relationship and marriage struggles as she looks back over the years.

It was so refreshing to have a story like this one told with kindness and understanding. Layla is a good person who just had not met the right partner yet. I enjoyed how the story weaved through Layla's life and relationships. Layla has her head on straight and she has learned how to embrace what is good and leave what is not right for her.

Just a really great story!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this ALC of Heard It in a Love Song!
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I've been dying to read something by Tracey Garvis Graves forever. I have a copy of The Girl He Used to Know on my shelf, but I just haven't gotten to it :(! So when this book popped up, I jumped at the chance to listen!
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I feel a bit let down. Heard It in a Love Song isn't bad by any means, but it is VERY slow and has way too much (imo) background information on our main characters. Perhaps it's just me and I expected the story to purely be about the shipped couple, Layla and Josh, but we dive deep into both Layla's and Josh's background pretty much the entire book. I just felt like it was TOO MUCH.
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The story started to pick up around the 60% mark, but that just honestly felt like too long of a wait. I enjoyed the back half, but not enough to want to finish it quickly.

Heard It In A Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is a charming story about starting over and finding love again. Layla is a recently divorced music teacher in her mid-thirties. Her dream of becoming a famous musician was derailed during her relationship with her ex-husband. When we meet her, she is processing her marriage and rebuilding her life. We soon meet Josh, a newly single father to 5 year old daughter. He works as an independent electrician and is processing the ending of his twenty-year relationship to his high school sweetheart. They become friendly at the school drop-off line and develop a friendship. Through the novel, the timeline jumps back and forth and we learn about their personal histories. The story casually drew me in and I was endeared to the likeable protagonists, Layla and Josh. The plot moves a little slowly, but is a quick read/listen. Andi Arndt wonderfully narrates the audiobook. The audiobook could be a little hard to follow because of the time jumps, but I really enjoyed the story overall.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio for this ebook and audiobook ARC.

4.5 stars! Wow, this was not what I expected, but was just what I needed.
Layla and Josh both were coming out of long term marriages and navigating life on their own. We see lots of flashbacks of their previous marriages, the good times and the bad times. It's easy to brush things under the rug when you are in a relationship and say "oh it will get better", but often it just festers.
Layla gave up her dreams by being with Liam, now that she is free, she is able to get back out there and do what she loves, on her own terms. Josh got married too young, before Kimmy and he had the chance to really see what the world was about. They knew their marriage was declining but didn't know how to fix it when neither of them wanted the same things. Now that Josh is older, he is able to see what he wants and make choices for himself.
Layla and Josh start off as friends, just someone to hang out with when they are lonely, and slowly develop into more. It's beautiful to see because while they don't heal each other, just the thought of having someone out there, who is rooting for them and can grab coffee with you when you're down, really makes a difference.
I think that this story is so well done, I've been where they are, I got my second chance and things aren't always sunshine, but learning from past mistakes has made things so much better. I loved this journey.
Thank you to Tracey Garvis Graves, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an early ebook. As always, Andi Arndt did a great job narrating.

I was a big fan of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, so when I heard that she had a new book coming out, I knew that I had to read it. I’d describe her latest, Heard It in a Love Song as a character study of two recently divorced individuals. Layla and Josh are both starting over, and trying to navigate their worlds as two newly single people. The author tells each of their stories in a unique format that includes flashbacks from their respective failed marriages. This was a great way for the reader to witness what went wrong in their previous relationships.

THINGS THAT MADE ME SMILE:

* It’s set in Minnesota! I’m always a big sucker for the great north! Brrrr!
* Josh is an electrician. Both my dad and my older brother are electricians, so there was a connection for me there. Also, it’s not a profession you see a lot of in novels.
* The drop off lane scenes at the school. The descriptions and grievances were spot on! Absolutely hilarious!
* The set list of Layla’s band! It included songs from Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, and Sarah McLachlan. Some of my favorites back in the day.

If you’re in the mood for a slower-paced novel with strong, dynamic characters, and a little bit of romance, this one is definitely for you. Heard It in a Love Song releases on November 2nd, so grab your copy then. It receives 4/5 stars from me!

Recently divorced music teacher meets newly separated electrician. As they get to know each other, we learn about their failed marriages and their hopes and dreams. Is the time right for starting over and second chances?

So many fictional romances are awkwardly rushed. The slow pace of this story is naturally refreshing. It worked for me. I listened to the audio version, and Andi Arndt’s narration is solid. I recommend reading or listening to this one.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“As women when we start hiding our truths from other people, especially the people who should be aware of it the most, that’s when we give them the power to diminish it.”

I loooved @traceygarvisgraves’ The Girl He Used to Know earlier this year, then I saw this stunning cover on @netgalley and was distracted by it for a second until I realized it was authored by her! So it’s safe to say I was thrilled to get approved for the ALC!

Layla, a former lead singer in a band, is recently divorced and trying to find her way through life’s changes. Josh, the single dad whose daughter attends the elementary school where Layla is the music teacher, is separated and still processing the end of his marriage to his high school sweetheart. Their friends are pushing online dating and getting back out there, but they’d prefer to do it more organically, so they decide to become “friends with potential”. While this is technically a romance, my favorite part of it was watching Layla and Josh as individuals learning to find themselves again, growing on their own and then together, and following their passions. It felt very real and was an honest look at life after divorce.

I’ve rated it 4⭐️s - I really liked it!! It was heartfelt, and had smart, relatable characters that you couldn’t help but to root for. Some parts were a little slow for me and since I listened to it some of the changing timelines were confusing, but overall this is an excellent read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC, you can get your copy on November 2nd!

Heard It in a Love Song by Tracey Garvis Graves is the kind of romance I can appreciate! It provides carefully developed characters with quality depth in relationships that makes the narrative believable and even relatable. It wasn't over-saturated with sex like far too many romances are these days but rather it gave actual care and attention to the relationships themselves. I love this whole story!!

As a music lover and a Tracey Garvis Graves lover, I had high expectations for this book and it lived up to them. Layla and Josh are both recovering from their divorces and find their way to a friendship through their common experiences. The book jumps back and forth in time to reveal what happened with their failed marriages and how they are healing in the present day.

The characters are the best part of this book. I love how everything in this book felt honest and real to me. The way the relationship developed between Layla and Josh felt natural, and while the storyline itself was not surprising or keeping me on the edge of my seat, the character development kept me engaged. My favorite books are ones where I find myself thinking about the characters long after I finish the book. I will continue to think about all of these characters for a while.

Overall, I would say this book is 4.5 stars. If you're looking for a fast paced plot, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a book where you sink into the story and want to be living it with the characters, please read this book.

Layla is navigating the new world of dating after her divorce from her narccissistic ex, while josh is navigating the upcoming divorce from his high school sweetheart. As the stories unfold you see two people deciding how to live their new lives and how they are navigating life. The feelings that bloom between them are beautiful and pure leading them to their new future.

This was a bEAUTIFULLY written story of a women finding herself and being comfortable within her own skin. I loved how she grew and developed as a person and a character.

The audio was very good. This story was okay, but not my fave of hers. I wanted more & wanted to feel more - while I loved Layla's growth, I am not sure I needed to read this story. It's a sweet story but I don't think I'd go out of my way to recommend.

This book was simply beautiful. It brings together two lonely souls who are both trying to find their way through heartbreak. They each are suffering through the breakup of a marriage. It looks different for each of them and therefore, their journey might be different as well. They find comfort in one another - - but will they end up together. That is the real question. Or will their time together just be a bridge to get each of them to the "other side" of life after divorce.

Layla was married for ten years to a man who never seemed to value or understand her. When she was finally slapped in the face with the reality of his lack of commitment, she left him and filed for divorce. She's been gradually finding her way back to rediscovering herself since then.

Josh was married for twenty years to his high school sweetheart. They never really took time to decide if they were still in love. They just kept moving ahead to the next thing. Life was always move on to the next thing -- find a new job, have a baby, go to school. Then one day, his wife decides maybe she missed out on some things in life and she wants a divorce. Josh was left figuring out how to share custody with their daughter, being single after twenty years and not knowing who he really was.

The thing about this book that I really enjoyed was that has an easy flow. There's no big "wow moment." It's a slow and casual unfolding of the story. It's real and a little heartbreaking. I found it to be a beautiful and honest account of two lonely people connecting and trying to find their way in a new relationship after both being broken.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I always find Andi Arndt to be a talented narrator. Her narration lended itself to this book and made it an even more enjoyable experience. Plus, this book is one that is easily enjoyed as an audio. 5 stars.

A delightful novel about finding yourself. I think the cover is a,title misleading (seems a little 70s) but the book itself was very sweet. Finding love after divorce can be hard. And. meeting people in real,life seems impossible. (so many apps!)
Leila slowly finds herself again after a disastrous 1st. marriage through her friends, music and a new relationship. It was so nice to read such a simple story that was also very character driven. I’ll definitely be reading more novels by Tracey Garvis Graves!

I switched from reading and listening this one and I have to say I definitely preferred the audiobook. It flowed a lot better on audio thanks to the great narration. While I did like the characters, I felt the story was lacking for me. The ending was so underwhelming and that made me sad because I absolutely loved this author’s previous book. The highlight of this one was definitely seeing Layla and Josh’s friendship unfold.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet story of former rock star/current music teacher Layla and electrician Josh, father to one of Layla’s students. Layla is recently divorced and Josh is in the process of divorcing his high school sweetheart when they meet in the school drop off line. The story goes back and forth between Layla and Josh, telling their current story while providing flashbacks to each of their marriages. While I enjoyed this format, I found myself skimming the flashbacks to return to the current story. This is a quick, enjoyable read, but probably one that won’t stick with me for long.

The narrator of the audiobook version was wonderful.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.