I love this book so much but listening on audio is an even better experience! The fact that the songs are actually sung in the audiobook is just chef's kiss. This is such a sweet story, Emmet and Quito are the cutest. And Quito's dad and Ujima are the best. This is a fun story told in two timelines (highschool/college and now) I wasn't a fan of the Mark storyline, but everything else was just fabulous.

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5

Overall this book is very cute. However I never felt super drawn or excited about the character.
I think this book is a great example of a romance that would've benefited from a dual POV. The flashbacks were done well, the relationship was believable and overall sweet, but I found myself caring about literally everyone else but the MC.

This was a sweet, heartwarming story. It just felt a bit forced and cheesy at times. It had a lot of potential for some deep emotional beats, but to me it fell a bit short.

Absolutely adored this romance all about second chances. Loved the musical side to it, and the characters were so well-drawn and vivid. A must-read for rom lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: homophobia, slurs, parental death (on page), cheating, sexual assault (on page), family tensions, abusive relationship (non-MCs) briefly mentioned, car accident, ableist language, bi/pan erasure

There was a lot I enjoyed about this book. Just the lyricism and clear passion for music and musicals. Someone who is trying to find himself in this world. It continues to be a joy to see queer and diverse romance take its much needed space on all of our shelves. Also a shoutout to both the author and publisher for including a CW at the beginning of the book.

But I struggled with the binary nature of how sexuality was presented in this book. Quito believed that Emmett was either straight or gay, and could not contemplate that he was in fact bi/pan and there was nothing to indicate otherwise. While I don't think this was the intent of the author it was something in a book that truly wanted to celebrate queer and diverse stories was something I struggled with.

Steam: 2

✨ Review ✨ All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim

A delight of a dual-timeline queer romance!

In the past -- Quito, a genius piano player already as a high schooler, develops a friendship with hot-shot athlete Emmett after he joins choir and Quito's dad, the choir director, tasks them to work together on a song.

In the present -- Quito's playing at a piano bar in NYC, and his dad asks him to get Emmett (now a famous actor!) to attend his retirement concert back at the high school the boys attended.

It brings big West Coast + East Coast energy across the two timelines as we watch their stories play out. There's tons of Filipino food, immigrant family love, friendship, and heartbreak that moves through these pages. I laughed and cried as the story progressed, and there was something so comforting and lovely about it all.

Special props to Ujima, Quito's NYC drag queen roommate who's honestly the star of the show (and the whole premise of Onederland was A++) and Mr. Cruz, Quito's dad who's just so darn lovable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: m/m romance
Setting: NYC and small-town West Coast
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ music - Broadway, piano bars, high school choir, talent shows -- this has it all!
⭕️ Filipino-American family love, joy, food, sadness, etc. etc.
⭕️ really sweet queer romances

Thanks to Forever Publishing and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

I don't know if I can find the words to adequately express how much I enjoyed this book!! It was the perfect marriage of 3 things I love: books, musical theater, and rom-coms! Quito and Emmett have my heart and I loved having the chance to see their story evolve from their first meeting to where they are at book's end. The supporting characters of Mr. Cruz and Ujima, both loving and guiding our MC's throughout the story, while also being distinct and delightful characters in their own right. The book is organized in alternating "now" and "then" chapters until the last quarter of the book, which occurs in the present. I was on the fence about this organizational style at first, but came to really appreciate how it kept us rooted in the present while slowly revealing important information from the past that helped to frame what was currently happening and gave us a chance to get more acquainted with who our characters were. Thank you Dominic Lim for this gorgeous story!!

Read if you enjoy:
* Diverse representation
* Music and/or Musical Theater
* HEA's

Trigger Warnings: sudden loss of parent, homophobia
Huge thanks to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I cannot wait to add a physical copy to my shelf!

"All the Right Notes" was a truly special story that captured the tension of first love and coming out and the specific, special details between Quito and Emmett that really capture their love through time. I loved Jee as a constant supportive friend and thoughtfully crafted character in their own right. As someone who is not particularly musical myself, I was in awe of the way that Lim described the connection that Quito had to music and how it grew with him as he grew up. The retirement concert was very sweet and made a sad ending very meaningful.

All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim
This book! Swoon! Sigh! Love!

I got an email about this book from the publisher. It was already published, but they were looking for additional reviewers on NetGalley. The email was something along the lines of Hi, you liked a book in a similar genre, want to try this one? Sure I thought, why not. I'm so glad I did!

Things I am here for:
LGBTQIA2S+ representation
Asian and Pacific Islander representation
Music!
The way that Quito processes music is so beautiful
The bond that Quito and Emmett have, for decades
Emmett finding his authentic self
Ujima, all of Ujima. The genuine lovely reactions they get from people: Security Tariq, Nurse Brian, Milton. Swoon!
Quito's explanation about using they/them pronouns for Ujima and how it's easy. ❤️
Filipino food. So delicious.

I highlighted so many wonderful lines in this book. This one is delightful and shows the fun inside Quito's mind.
"I take a sip of my virgin mojito. It’s smooth, sweet, and latently assertive— the lime tang kicks in at the end. Can a drink be passive-aggressive? If so, I’m in the right place for it."

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Holy wow, she did it. @librariankristyn recommended the first choral romance I have ever deeply loved. Thank you Kristyn for the recommendation and @netgalley for the digital ARC!

Ok folx, things I loved:

🎹 ALL OF THE MUSIC CONTENT HOLDS UP!! You don't understand, every singing or musical storyline almost always leaves me exasperated with its inaccuracies. This one? Dominic Lim with his ACTUAL FOR REAL MUSICAL AND CHORAL EXPERIENCE AND DEGREES simply knocked it out of the park, in everything from his choices of choral repertoire, to the complete and utter lack of cringey musical expressions throughout. I especially loved the dynamic he so lovingly describes between an excellent accompanist and their soloist / choir. There is such magic held in the give and take between the two musical lines.
🎹 The relationship built between Quito and Emmett is constructed with such care and thought that I truly bought into their love story throughout. Any and all struggled and miscommunication felt real and well placed, rather than having a 3rd act breakup just to have one. I loved seeing Quito slowly grow into himself and Emmett day after day make little changes to help himself be happy in the life that he is building for himself.
🎹 Ujima is simply the best supporting character an MC could ever have. If I do not get a book with their love story, I will throw a toddler sized temper tantrum. Their support of the MC and the complete confidence they carry on top of those heels is such an important pillar in this storyline.
🎹 Quito and his father's relationship was so incredibly heartwarming. His father's undying support while still pushing Quito little by little to be the best he can be, without any toxicity, was such a pleasure to read.
🎹 This writing slows you down and forces you to love on every single well formed thought, sentence, paragraph, and page. There is magic in Lim's style of prose.

Things I didn't enjoy:

🤮 Mark. We do not stan Mark. But you're not supposed to, so the true answer? Nothing.

This was a beautiful love letter to the relationship between a father and son wrapped in a second chance romance. I loved the sweet chemistry between Quinto and Emmett and looking back at their history in high school, which takes up a lot of their story. Quinto's friend, Jee, offers a splash of humor in the book, which is otherwise filled with a more somber tone. I loved the Filipino-American background of Quinto's family and how much it shines in the book and that it didn't become a background note.

This is Dominic Lim's debut novel and I can't wait to read what he writes in the future.

Content Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, outing, cheating, sexual assault, death, death of parent, toxic relationships, sexual content [not graphic but not fade to black either...kind of in the middle?], anxiety, and bullying.

***I received access to an E-Arc through the Forever Influencer program, all thoughts are my own***

OMG, how to start talking about this beautiful book. I loved that we got to see Emmett and Quito from their very first meeting to their reunion as adults.

As someone who lived in the East Bay for...almost 10 years? I loved all the bay references, when it started and they mentioned Martinez I was like, "WHAT! I LIVED THERE!" haha

I also loved all the little Filipino references, especially the lip pointing...if you know...you know haha

This was an absolutely beautiful story about love, family, found family, and acceptance. There are some tear-jerking moments, like my vision was obscured until I could get a tissue 😅

Anyways, this book came out the 6th and I highly recommend reading it 💜

This was wonderful! I absolutely loved every page. The characters were so fleshed out, so real, and I loved them, especially Quito and his roommate, Jee. You will love following Quito's story as he reunites with his high school crush and best friend, Emmett. They plan a choir concert in honor of Quito's dad, who is retiring after many years as choir director of their high school. I laughed, smiled, and cried. Loved this one and hope it's a big hit this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC in exchange for a review.

I think this was a relatively solid debut. There were many aspects that I enjoyed, like the appreciation for music, the Filipino representation, and the development of Quito's relationship with his dad. I also liked Ujima as a character and thought the writing style flowed well in many portions of the book.

However, I do have a couple criticisms. First, I found the romance to be the least convincing aspect of this novel, despite that being what initially drew me to the book. Second, while I liked that the story fluctuated between two timelines, I found the older version of Quito to be a bit immature and judgmental (if I recall correctly, there were a couple instances of bodyshaming and using ableist language). I think it may have made sense to make the characters in the "Now" parts of the story a good few years younger. Lastly, while I adored Ujima, I have some issues with their representation as a nonbinary reader myself. They are misgendered at least once on-page and are treated almost as a caricature, and I wished for a lot more for this character.

Overall, I do think this novel has some strong elements, and I think seeing QPOC joy in literature is so incredibly valuable. While I do have some issues with the representation and the protagonist's language in this story, I feel that Lim has potential as a writer and hope to pick up one of his future works.

4 stars (rounded up)

All The Right Notes hit a lot of the right notes for me. The two main characters are Quito, a Filipino-American and Emmett, whose father is Japanese and whose mother is white. I enjoyed the diversity of these characters. There’s also a ton of music in this story, so that’s another plus for me. Quito and Emmett have a super-slow burn of a love story. So slow that they haven’t talked to each other since an incident in college almost 20 years ago.

My main frustration was with how the story was told, with every other chapter labeled THEN and NOW, because I really wanted to know what had happened to ruin their friendship/relationship.

Although I never participated in a high school choir, I loved those scenes in this book. I also loved how much Filipino culture and food were highlighted.

Quito and Emmett got to know each other in their senior year of high school in the San Francisco Bay area, via the choir. They go to different colleges and lose touch with each other. Quito is a gifted pianist and composer and winds up at Oberlin. After college, he moves to NY and works odd musical jobs.
Emmett becomes a movie star. The story of how they get back together is lovely and revolves around their love for music as well as their mutual love for Quito’s father, who was the HS choir director. I thought the trajectory of how coming out as gay affects a celebrity was very interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

With a balance of heavy and light themes, All the Right Notes still manages to be a quick read. I found Quito's struggle with self-confidence to be incredibly relatable. I didn't struggle with the back and forth timelines which is always a plus and I think I fell in love with Quito's dad just a little bit. The supporting cast is wonderful, the second chance-ish romance was sweet and as any book with rich food descriptions, I needed a snack when it was done.

If you love queer joy, Broadway and found family, I highly recommend All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim. If this is what his first book is like, I can't wait for the next one. Thanks to Forever for an early copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Quito is a composer who is stuck in many aspects of his life. Creatively, romantically, professionally. Then he finds out his father is retiring from his career as a high school music teacher, and asks Quito to come home for a farewell concert. Quito must face the past, including his best friend from high school, Emmett, who is now a Hollywood superstar.

All the Right Notes is a sweet queer love story interwoven with complex family relationships, and the theme of being true to yourself. As with many second chance romances, there is a rift between the characters, the cause of which is unknown to the reader for most of the book. I will say, without giving spoilers, that I did not like the reason given for their falling out.

I liked the representation in this book! Two Asian American main characters, and I love how Quito connected to his heritage, especially through the food he and his father cooked. I also liked that music was an important theme in the book, and how it continually brought Emmett and Quito together.

🎶BOOK REVIEW🎶

All the Right Notes - Dominic Lim
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“Quito Cruz might be a genius piano player and composer in New York City now but it doesn’t mean that he’s any closer to his Broadway dream. Although Quito knows what the problem is. Or rather who. Because ever since that night in college—with pretty-boy jock Emmett Aoki—his inspiration has been completely MIA . . .

Now Quito’s dad wants him to put on a charity performance in his hometown. And there’s one hella big string attached: convince Emmett—now one of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities—to perform.

It’s all shaping up to be the biggest musical fiasco of Quito’s life. Especially when Emmett agrees to attend, and Quito realizes that undeniable vibe between them is stronger than ever. Because there’s nothing simple about falling for a movie star . . . even when he’s pitch-perfect.”

I’m a little behind on reviews after a mini vacation with my BFF. But let me tell you, this book was such a joy to read! I loved Quito in all his full-of-self-doubt, imperfect beauty. As a former band geek, the music and musical references made my heart so happy!

This one is definitely a slow burn - with timelines alternating between the past (high school/college) and the present. It was refreshing to see Emmett, who was the popular jock turned heartthrob celebrity, come to terms with how keeping secrets has kept him unhappy. Quito’s dad - who was the high school choir teacher - is an integral, emotional part of the story. I loved seeing their family dynamic and reading about all the amazing Filipino food! The way he took in Emmett was so heartwarming!

Found family is a big part of this story. I LOVED Ujima’s character and her friendship with Quito. Also his friends/coworkers at the piano bar. You see numerous occasions where they step up and support one another and it was beautiful!

Recommend if you like:
- Queer romance
- Second chance romance
- Filipino representation
- Found family
- Musical 🎶 references

Thanks to @readforeverpub for my physical copy and @netgalley for my e-copy!

🎶 Were you in choir or band when you were younger? What’s your next read?

#pridemonth #lgbtq #lgbtqreads #netgalley

I loved the representation in this book, it was so wonderful to see. The Filipino-American culture was present throughout and these characters are so special. I really loved Mr. Cruz, he was such an amazing father and he truly embraced his passion of being a music teacher and being such a mentor for his students. He was my favorite part of the novel. The musical aspects were fun and I enjoyed the choir class aspects because it felt like a safe place for students to be themselves.

Unfortunately, there were aspects about this book that I didn’t love. Quinto’s character was complicated and really had some needed moments of self-reflection towards the end. He was pretty judgmental towards others and his self-doubt was hard to connect with in this novel. Emmett was fine, but his lack of communication and disappearing acts were pretty jarring to the flow of the story. The time jump was significant so I think the bouncing back and forth between timelines made it hard to connect with the story.

I’m sad that this story wasn’t a favorite of mine because I was really looking forward to it. I hope others find enjoyment while reading it. Thank you Forever Pub for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Quito and Emmett were best friends in high school, but drifted apart after one incident in college. Quito went on to live in New York trying to break into Broadway, while Emmett became a famous musician. They haven’t spoken in years, but when Quito’s dad, their former high school choir director, wants their help in putting on his retirement charity performance, they can’t say no. Of course when they are reunited the feelings Quito had for Emmett are still there, making the whole situation even more complicated.

This book was beautiful and hit me in all the feels. First, what a beautiful love letter to teachers. The impact Mr Cruz had on his students was so incredible, and the way he was described had my teacher heart feeling all the things. Then there was Quito and his dad. Their relationship and the bond they shared was so beautiful.
This book took me on an emotional journey and had me crying but also warmed my heart and even had some moments of humor. I liked that the chapters alternated between then and now, giving the reader a bit of insight into their past and what happened when Quito and Emmett were teenagers. This book also has incredible music, all the Broadway references, delicious sounding food, and a cast of incredible side characters - there was so much to love about it!

Thanks to Forever Publishing for the advance copy.