A very sweet closed-door second-chance romance between high school sweethearts. The combo of the country music star single dad hero and small-town hijiinks make this a very cozy read.

I really wanted to love this one. I’ve heard such amazing things about it from friends, but unfortunately it fell a little flat.

I’m absolute trash for the dual timelines, but I felt like things in the past timeline were rushed. I would’ve liked to have seen Sandy and Hank’s story as teenagers drawn out more than it was.

I also didn’t feel connected at all to Sandy, I think she could’ve left her hometown at any time. If she wanted out that badly, she would’ve done any and everything to make it happen. So her jealousy of Hank and him getting out and living his dreams was a bit exhausting to me.

The bright spot for me was Baileyville! I loved this cutesy little town. I come from a small town in Michigan, so it made me all warm and fuzzy thinking about what my life here is like.

in conclusion

All said, this is a 3.5 star read for me. I finished it, but I didn’t love it.

A beautiful, sweet romance. A perfect second chance, small town romance. I liked Sandy and Hank and how sweet they are. There isn’t a ton of drama so it’s a nice smooth read which is great. A small town cast that is close knit can be hard to perfect but it’s wonderful here.

This was such a cute book! I love Kerry Winfrey’s writing style and I always think her characters are so funny. The story was sweet and entertaining and I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy rom-coms.

The cover is so beautifully done and this second-chance romance was definitely one to read. I'll be reading more buy Winfrey for sure.

This was my first book by Winfrey, and while I am not usually a fan of second chance romances, I actually quite enjoyed this one. It was fun and pretty well written. I enjoyed the small town vibe and single dad trope. Overall it was pretty good!

This was such a fun read! I can't wait for more by this author. I would absolutely recommend! If you are looking for a book to get you back into reading. This is it!

This was a very heartwarming read, high school sweethearts torn apart and brought back together isn't my favorite trope but this one was definitely worth a read! This felt like a really genuine, realistic story and it was easy to get swept away with Sandy and Hank's love story. The small town setting and quirky side characters, added a lot of character to the story.

Winfrey shines with her latest "feel-good" romance. JUST ANOTHER LOVE SONG is the perfect mix of heart and humor.

Hello

Apologies for the late notice, but I have decided not to review this title.

While I am certain it's obvious by now, I wanted to also clear this off NetGalley, so it's not showing as open for either of us.

I look forward to continuing to work with you in 2023 and beyond.

Laura

Just Another Love Song is about two high school sweethearts named Sandy & Hank. This book lacks the diversity, but it is a fun read. Good for those who liked You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle!

Fifteen years after Sally's high school sweetheart Hank left town, the alt-country singer is back in town with his son in tow. Sally is happy with the life she's built - she runs a successful greenhouse, but she can't help but wonder what might have been.

I normally hate second chance romances where it feels like the female main character never moved on and the male main character did. However, Kerry Winfrey makes a bad (to me) trope into a sweet romance. I really enjoyed Sandy and Hank's second chance romance.

Just Another Love Song had a lot going for it—second chance romance, small town setting, single dad, etc. And I liked the storyline and the romance was swoony. My only wish was I felt a little more connected to the characters, everything seemed kind of surface level and I would've liked a little more heart in the story. I do enjoy the author's books and they make the perfect beach day read. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

First off, I really love the cover. It's what drew me to first select this book for review. The second part that hooked me was the small town, second chance romance trope that is my absolute favorite in contemporary romances. Unfortunately, that didn't help me fall in love with the story.

The story started off okay and I can understand the awkwardness of running into your first love/high school sweetheart in the local grocery store and then run out like your shoes were on fire. Next few alternating chapters we're treated to flashbacks to 15+ years ago to how Sandy and Hank got together and fell in love. Coming back to the present, Sandy doesn't want to see him, she'd be better off if he left town and never came back, despite the fact his parents still live there. Then we find out that SHE is the one that broke up with HIM. And so that was a red flag to me. But I kept on reading.

I did keep reading because the story is well-written, fun and funny. Sandy seemed like she was a strong heroine and I wondered how she'd get her second chance romance going on. Well turns out, it won't be until almost the very end of the book. After about 10-15 chapters in, I really began to dislike Sandy. She is self-deprecating, uses humor to mask her feelings and she was so wishy-washy throughout the entire book. She kept saying she was happy and loved her life but then she kept talking about leaving. And when Hank shows her he never stopped loving her and wants her to go on the road with him when he tours (which is what they were both dreaming about since they were in high school) she doesn't want to go. She doesn't think she's good enough, she's happy in her town, she doesn't want to get her heart broken again but SHE was the one that did the heartbreaking in the FIRST place! UGH!!!!!

Now Hank, he is a dream hero. He is well-loved by everyone he meets. He's kind, sticks up for people who are bullied, is encouraging, loving, honest, heartfelt, and damn near perfect... and Sandy throws it all away, more than once. Not to mention the fact that Hank loves ALL Sandy's flaws and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He has written countless songs about her and their love, and she is STILL so wishy-washy. When they do get together closer to the end, the whole town gossips and razes her about her boyfriend and Sandy keeps denying to everyone that Hank is not her boyfriend and she is not in love with him, DESPITE the FACT that she confessed she never stopped loving him. I swear I never wanted to shake a character so much in my life!

I think this story would have worked for me if Sandy wasn't so hardcore self-deprecating and in denial. There was not a balance to the characters. Hank was an amazing, romantic, loving, caring guy who tried so hard to win back Sandy and Sandy spent the majority of her time fighting her feelings and denying them to everyone she talks to. The characters are too far apart. And then they get smooshed together in the end and are living their Happily Ever After. It didn't fit to me. Didn't make sense to me and Sandy's character made me angrier and angrier the longer I read the story. She is not easily relatable and I think her character is overcomplicated.

The reason I kept reading because this was a very well-written story that kept me engaged and at times, entertained. There were definitely some fun and sweet moments but Sandy's behavior kept taking me out of the story. Normally, I DNF books like this but I kept reading because I wanted to know if Sandy would pull her head out of her backside and realize what an idiot she's been and finally claim her happiness with Hank. It took just a little bit too long and that's another reason why I couldn't enjoy the book.

Sandy's constant angst and the angst between her and Hank is what mostly prevented me from enjoying the story. I definitely believe this book has an audience, it just wasn't for me.

Fluffy and Frustrating!!! Second chance romance!! Would love to see this as a movie! Super cute romcom! Sandy and Hank were adorable. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.

Really cute and funny. This is a second chance romance with high school sweethearts. The MC was a little too insecure at times, feeling less than others. Very happy ending!

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

This copy was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

I loved the synopsis of this book and had big hopes but it just kind of fell flat. Its a solid 3.5, I couldn't put it down but I just didn't love it by the end. The relationship didn't feel entirely believable. It annoyed me that her unhappiness was rooted in the sole fact that she dumped him at the end of high school and it was the 'biggest mistake' she made 15 years ago. She constantly minimized the life she built that I would say is worth being proud of. I think that feeling of being stuck in a hometown is what kept me reading and hoping for a lesson with meaning to be shed upon me (as someone who has felt stuck in their hometown because I didn't go away to school- commuted to university and started career locally) but none was bestowed on me.

For my romance readers- no spice in this book. all fade to black.

This was the exact book I needed! It was the perfect escape! I love a second chance romance story!
Sandy & Hank are high school sweethearts and always imagined they would end up together. They broke up after Hank went off to college and Sandy stayed back home in their small town. Feeling like she was holding him back Sandy ended things even though it broke both of their hearts. Years later Hank became a famous country singer, and the songs that made first made him famous were about Sandy. Sandy was devastated when she heard he got married and has a son. Now Hank is back in their old hometown divorced and helping with the local festival, and Sandy and him are partnered to collect donations. Their old chemistry is still there, but Sandy is the one holding back, she knows he’s not moving back and he is on the road performing she doesn’t know if she can handle her heart broken again. But the most important lesson is before you can be happy with someone else you also need to be happy with the person you are, and be able to open your heart to new possibilities! This was a great book and I loved the chemistry and the friendships!

I loved this! It was such a good second chance with all the small town charm I love. I liked that the main character was a famous singer (I kind of wish this was played up a little more). The relationship felt realistic and was so charming. Loved it!