A moving story of life changing decisions that affect an entire family. Well written, with complicated characters.

BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.

This book weaves a poignant narrative of love, loss, and redemption against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans. The story revolves around Opal and Nev, childhood friends whose lives take divergent paths only to converge again decades later. Opal is a talented singer-songwriter grappling with past traumas and seeking solace in music. Nev, a successful music producer, reenters Opal’s life with an offer that could revive her career but also unearths buried secrets.

The Author’s narrative prowess shines in Life and Other Songs, skillfully crafting a tale that resonates with emotional depth and authenticity. The novel delves into themes of identity, resilience, and the enduring power of art to heal and connect. Opal’s journey is compellingly portrayed, navigating the complexities of fame, family dynamics, and personal growth with a deft touch.

Gray’s prose is lyrical, evoking the soulful rhythms of jazz and the vibrant allure of New Orleans. The characters are intricately developed, each grappling with their own demons and desires, making them relatable and engaging. Opal, especially, emerges as a strong yet vulnerable protagonist whose journey of self-discovery unfolds with raw honesty.

The novel’s structure, alternating between past and present, enriches the storytelling, offering poignant insights into the characters’ motivations and relationships. The exploration of race, gender, and the music industry’s challenges adds layers of depth to the narrative, grounding it in a rich cultural context.

Rating – 3.0/5 Stars
Recommendation – Moderate

Life and Other Songs is a compelling debut that captivates from the first page to the last, showcasing Anissa Gray’s talent for crafting nuanced stories that resonate long after the final chord fades. It is a testament to the enduring power of music and the human spirit’s capacity for resilience.

Fans of literary fiction and stories infused with music and cultural vibrancy will find Life and Other Songs a deeply rewarding read. Anissa Gray’s debut is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the transformative power of art, making it a must-read for anyone seeking a novel that speaks to the complexities of the human experience.

🅼🅸🅽🅸 🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆

✨𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 by Anissa Gray ✨

▪️ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: If you’re looking for a family saga—then you will definitely find it here. First off, let me make it plain and clear, I think Oz’s disappearance is very selfish and caused so much turmoil for Deborah, Trinity, and Tommy. When you enter into a family unit, your actions have consequences. Oz’s unchecked childhood trauma and Deborah’s alcoholism wreaks havoc in their marriage as they try to get through this thing called life. It was very hard to connect to these characters. I felt most sympathetic towards Tommy and Deborah though.

▪️ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲: Humans are strangely flawed and complex. 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 asks us to be aware of the choices we make, but also to be prepared for the aftermath as well—good or bad. One choice sets the course for the rest of our lives. Can we live with that? If not, how do you reconcile or forgive yourself? (e.g. therapy, healing)

▪️𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: Why, yes, of course. Thanks to @libby.app and @prhaudio for the free listen. This audiobook has a stellar cast of narrators with Dominic Hoffman, Karen Murray, and Nicole Lewis with previous (and separate) roles respectively in 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙤𝙣𝙜, 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩, and 𝙁𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝘼𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙨. These narrators made it easy to distinguish between Oz, Deborah, and Trinity (and the other supporting voices). It was a smooth listening experience when the settings changed. I love a full cast on audiobooks. This one was great.

▪️𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

▪️𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱: For readers of historical fiction, literary fiction, and adult fiction with topics surrounding family drama (secrets, regrets, & guilt),The Great Migration, 1967 riots in Detroit, Vietnam War, AIDS epidemics, and LGBT rights.

▪️𝗙𝗬𝗜: I would rather swap Trinity’s POV out for Tommy’s b/c her character was flat to me.

Life and Other Love Songs is a family saga that spans the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. I enjoyed bits and oieces, loathed the father Oz and although I finished reading this book I wasn’t that into it. There are powerful messages here so maybe check it out for yourself and see if you enjoy it. It wasn’t my cup of tea.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book and the opportunity to provide feedback.

WHY DO A**HOLES GET REDEEMED??????????? I scoffed multiple times reading this. I did love the time period this was set in.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC

I absolutely love a multigeneration family story and Anissa Gray developed each character so incredibly well that you couldn't help but feel invested in this family. This book was full of quotes I wanted to write down and refer back to, like this one: "I thought about life, the varied lengths of it and the many ways we can spend it." I haven't read Gray's debut, and now I'm excited to have something else of hers to dive into.

I wanted to love LIFE AND OTHER LOVE SONGS, but this book became difficult for me to finish. The timeline was the biggest hurdle. I have read books like this before with no issue, but for some reason, I couldn't connect with the story. I will say that the authors' writing style was good. It was just the flow. I fully acknowledge that this is probably just a me thing and others will no doubt love this book.

I loved putting together this mystery and figuring out what was happening with Oz, Trinity, and Deborah. As the details around Oz's disappearance came together, I was very satisfied.

LIFE AND OTHER LOVE SONGS
By Anissa Gray

Flawed and complex characters
Deep rooted secrets
A family healing from pain of loss

LIFE AND OTHER LOVE SONGS by Anissa Gray is a story of Oz Armstead’s disappearance suddenly one day, and leaving his wife Deborah and daughter Trinity to wonder what happened to him, while the story opens at a funeral with an empty casket. The story is told through past and present timelines from the 60’s through the 80’s in three prominent POV’s as the story is slowly revealed.

The writing is emotional with well developed flawed characters – but through it all, the story offers some hope and a chance to even find yourself in one of the characters. I couldn’t stop turning the pages as I just had to find the reason for Oz’s disappearance. Gray delivers a well written beautiful and equally heartbreaking family saga.

Do we really know the ones we love? It doesn’t seem to be the case in this one. On Ozro’s 37th birthday his daughter and his wife are at home preparing for a birthday to celebrate tradition. When he disappears it seems his family never really knew him at all. This was a sweeping family saga.
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a powerful book, It has historical stories, current fears, it kind of addresses a lot. I feel like I learned a lot as well. However, this book was triggering to me and I was more upset than I think the author may have intended. Great writer, great story teller. Thank you for this copy.

It pains me to say this, but sometimes we have stories we want to tell, but we are not equipped with the creative skill to do so.

The premise is intriguing but the writing is flat, as are the characters. There are ideas with potential in this book, but the execution is non-existent.

I love books that follow characters through years of their lives while weaving historical events into the story. Family dynamics and drama are a big plus. Life and Other Love Songs is that kind of book.

It's Oz's 37 birthday and he leaves his brother after having lunch...and his family never sees him again. It wasn't planned. He left everything behind, even his jacket hanging in his office. Years later, his daughter Trinity begins to dig into his disappearance.

There is a lot of trauma. There are secrets. All against a backdrop of Detroit (and small-town Alabama) from the 1960s to 80s.

My thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The only complaint I have about this beautifully written book, with it's nuanced characters and incredibly intense scenes, is the title. It is lackluster and truthfully doesn't connect with the story. HOWEVER. This book was fantastically written!

This book is told through multiple points of view and spans over several decades. A father and husband disappears on his 37th birthday. What happened to him? The book held my attention and was written well. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Pub date: 4/11/23
Genre: family drama
Quick summary: Trinity and her mother Deborah are devastated when Trinity's dad Ozro disappears - this is the story of their search for him and struggle to come to terms with the loss.

I love family dramas, so this book sounded right up my alley. I had a bit of a hard time following everything that was going on - there are multiple time periods, including when Deborah and Oz met and Trinity setting of on her own path. I had trouble connecting to the characters given the time shifts, and when I did connect with them, the narrative would shift again. This book is also very heavy, and I think it was too sad for me at the time I read it.

I think this is a case of a book hitting me at the wrong time - if you like heavier family dramas, you might enjoy this one more than I did. As many other reviewers have noted, the writing is beautiful.

Thank you to Berkley and @letstalkbookspromo for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me some time to get into because of the different time periods and many different voices, but once I really got into the story it was very interesting. I really wanted to know what happened to Oz and learn more about his past and how that affected them all as a family. It was weird to go back and forth from past and present and each of the three characters, but you can really see how someone's past affects the futures of so many people. Loved this book and will go back to read her other novel as well.

This book was a up and down read. The characters are all over the place. The book begins with a normal story then Orzo Armstead disappears on his 37th birthday. He never comes home from work to the party that Deborah his wife and Trinity his daughter have planned. Several years go by and they have a small burial. Trinity goes off to college and on with life. Deborah tries hard to not start drinking again and then Orzo reappears. Trinity is going to meet him but he dies. Trinity has a child and divorces her husband. Life is just a mess for all of these characters . A great book club discussion book.

When Oz Armstead disappears on his 37th birthday, in the early 1980s, family secrets come to light that impact his close family members. His wife, Deborah, an extremely talented aspiring singer when she met Oz in 1963, is now closeted in their suburban house, an alcoholic with a fractured shambles of a life. Her one chance at reinstating some semblance of her singing career ended in shame and embarrassment. Oz’s daughter, Trinity, has survived a tangle of one-off relationships and is committed to living with the father of her child when she makes a rash decision that changes everything. Oz’s mother, Pearl, suffers silently every day with the tragic reasons they left Alabama and came north to Detroit. After years in denial and a refusal to consider Oz dead, the declaration, seven years after his official death and the subsequent ‘sham’ funeral, is deeply painful to Trinity, but her mother seems particularly eager to move on.

This is a poignant, tragic story of a Black family embattled by thwarted hopes and dreams, coming to terms with Oz’s disappearance and their unwitting part in it. And then there’s Tommy, Oz’s brother, who might hold the key. It is a vivid and emotional tale of one man’s atonement for his own perceived wrongs, and perhaps how he becomes so embroiled in his search for redemption that he fails to see how it impacts those who must live in ignorance. Might that journey have been eased were he to have shared it? Deborah comes to terms with a betrayal which altered her life irrevocably, without a true understanding of why it happened. Seamlessly moving between the 1980s and 1960s and into the early ´90s, Anissa Gray has given us a tender, thoughtful story of life and love.

A beautifully written book on hard topics. It's really a hard to do a review on this one without spoilers.

Deborah was headed for stardom in Detroit. Oz was running from his past in Alabama. When they fall in love, he is looking for redemption and she is looking for support in her career. Can they do that for each other?

Neither are strangers to tragedy. Then Oz disappears into thin air on his 37th birthday leaving Deborah and their daughter, Trinity, to wonder and navigate life without him.

Set in the 1970-1990's, it covers hard themes and you ache and rejoice with the characters. It is not a "happy" book but maybe a necessary one. We all scars. We think we are doing the right thing but hurt the ones we love.

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It was sorrow at its best. These characters were not even close to perfect but you understood their imperfections. It was real life. It would be a fantastic book club book! I love Anissa Gray's writing. I have her other book but it's been on my TBR too long. I think I need to dust it off and read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!