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.

Such a lovely debut celebrating all things music (specifically choir) and queer love, told in dueling timelines - senior year of high school and 20 year later. Full of heart, I was bawling with all the feels at the end! (Check the TWs)

Quito, Filipino-American pianist, living in NYC seems to be stuck and uninspired. His father guilts him into returning home to San Francisco to help with his retirement concert. But that’s not all - he needs to reconnect with former friend and crush, Emmett - who’s now a big Hollywood actor - but they haven’t talked since a college falling out.

Readers are shown how these two unlikely became friends, feelings blossomed, and what caused them to stop talking.

Can these two reunite for his dad’s final show?

It’s well written, with short chapters that kept me up late, saying “One more chapter” until it was finished!
The love of music abounds through the pages!

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 by Dominic Lim (2023) ★★★★✬ 4.5/5
OUT NOW!
🎵 Second Chance Romance
🎵 Slow Burn
🎵 Opposites Attract / Unlikely Friends to Lovers
🎵 Diverse MCs
🎵 Showtunes!!
🎵 Lovely cast of side charters, including hilarious they/them best friend.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for a chance to review this story in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! If you enjoy swoony, slow burn, second-chance romances then you should give this one a chance!

This story features Quito Cruz, a talented pianist who is struggling to feel inspired and compose his own music, and Emmett Aoki, a famous movie star who disappeared from Quito’s life twenty years before.

Big fan of the alternating timelines. I also adored the side characters and was sobbing when the dad died. This book will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and crave a delicious homecooked meal.

Thanks to Forever and Dominic Lim for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 384 / Genre: Romance

Quito Cruz is a gifted but struggling pianist and songwriter trying to make it in NYC. Now his father calls with a favor. And when you’ve got a father who’s always been there for you and supported you no matter what, you do whatever it takes to make him happy—including tracking down your ex-best friend and childhood crush, who’s now a super hot and famous movie star, and persuading him to make a guest appearance at your father’s retirement concert at your old high school.

With all the high school flashbacks, this is very much a coming-of-age and coming-out story that fast forwards to the present and turns into a very modern love story. I loved the characters, the mouth-watering descriptions of homemade Filipino food, and the interesting explanations of how a musician views playing and writing music.

Thank you @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. I loved it!

Book Blurb: With soul-baring solos, heartfelt duets, and a big, showstopping finale—this hilarious and joyous novel will make your heart sing.

📖: All The Right Notes
✍️: Dominic Lim
🎭: LGBTQIA+, Romance, Multicultural Interest, Queer Romance
📣: Anyone who loves love! Grumpy/sunshine, second chance, if you love Glee or Broadway you will love this book!
⭐️: 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼/5

My Quick Bite 💭: Dominic Lim knocks it out of the park in this Romcom queer romance book! I could feel every note and was cheering I swear through the whole book. It brought me back to my Show Choir and Theatre days and it was the best book I have read in so long. I also can’t leave this review without mentioning how much my mouth watered and how hungry this book made me with all the Filipino foods and Hispanic foods peppered throughout!!! I need some authentic Filipino food in my life ASAP! If I could give this more stars I would. This book is A STAR!

2.5 rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Things I liked are the Filipino representation and descriptions of food, Mr. Cruz in general, and the passion for music that leaps off the pages. There were also elements of Quito, the main character, that I could relate to like his imposter syndrome and self-esteem issues. Quito's best friend, Ujima, is fun and full of innuendo, but I would have loved to see their character developed more. Some of the writing is really beautiful especially in the later chapters.

The book does take elements of Quito's self-doubt very far and doesn't really let up until the very end. Because the reader is in Quito's POV the entire time, it can get a little exhausting.

I really wanted to love this book. It was just okay to me though. Part of this is because Quito and his friends are supposed to be around 38 but the conversations read quite a bit younger. I think this would have worked better if only 10 years had passed and not 20. The alternating timelines also made this quite obvious as the characters don't seem to have changed. The timeline structure means that conflicts that should have been addressed and dealt with earlier are held off until that part of the background gets told, which made the miscommunication trope even worse.

Quito is also one of the most randomly judgmental characters I've met and that's just not for me. He also judges a teenage girl's body and dress at one point, which comes off a little weird as he's a grown man.

The love interest, Emmett, is fine but not appealing to me personally because I don't have interest in the "they're so hot and everyone loves them" characters. He seems sweet when with Quito but isn't too memorable.

I wanted the relationships and friendships to connect a bit more. I think this book just wasn't to my taste. As much as this book is a lighter romance, please note that parental death is a theme.

ALL THE RIGHT NOTES is a fantastic and enthralling romance read. Quito Cruz is a talented piano player who has never forgotten about his former best friend, Emmett. Emmett is now a famous movie star, but they were once just high schoolers together. In alternating sections, the story tells the reader about what happened back then that led to their distance as well as what is happening now, when his father is planning on retiring and has asked for him to come and help with the high school choir concert. His father has also asked him to get Emmett on board - something he's not sure how to do until his roommate Jee has a way to get them into the SNL audience when Emmett is hosting.

As they spend time together in the present, the old feelings that were there in the past begin to resurface. With a bit of second chance romance and powerful themes of family and past mistakes, this is an emotional and evocative read.

It's been a while since a book kept me up late, but I found this one absolutely unputdownable and ended up reading it in only one sitting. The alternating timelines were really compelling, as the reader views their history alongside the present. Beyond the main relationship of Emmett and Quito, the relationships they have with Quito's father were particularly powerful. Quito's father is a force in and of himself, having been a high school choir teacher for 30 years with a generous and persuasive personality. He ends up being quite the driver for the story, in both timelines. Other family relationships provided other examples of the ways in which our family defines us and shapes our reactions.

Emmett and Quito were both compelling characters, and I loved the way their relationship slowly grew with messages around consent and the people who have irrevocably changed our lives. The story is told entirely from Quito's perfective, but this worked well to dive deep into his emotions, worries, and hang-ups. I found the writing to be really consuming, in both the past and present, really pulling the reader into Quito's life. He was an endearing character, and it was impossible not to cheer for him and Emmett to be together.

This was not a simple rom-com, and I definitely cried with some of the scenes towards the end (recommend having tissues handy). This was a deep and emotionally evocative read that, while ultimately uplifting, definitely takes the reader through the ups and downs of life in a consuming story.

ALL THE RIGHT NOTES is an emotional and enthralling romance read that I highly recommend for an unputdownable and evocative experience. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

If there’s one thing that grinds my gears, it’s when authors set their books in the art world, music world, theatre world, etc. because they think it sounds fun or interesting, but they don’t actually know a lot about those worlds. I’m so happy that wasn’t the case here. This is definitely a delightful romance novel, but it’s underpinned by Lim’s very obvious love of music. The care that the author takes in writing how the two main characters feel about each other is mirrored in the loving way he writes about the musical elements in the novel, and it lends a rich undercurrent to the sweetness of the love story.

The good: Quito is very relatable, and his flaws are balanced by his qualities. He never comes off one-note or too overwrought. His relationship with his parents is really gorgeous but still hits on those conflicts that all teenagers have with their parents growing up. I have to think it was intentional, but I like the tiny hints that Lim leaves regarding Quito’s not drinking – it felt like an obvious nod to what happened to his mother without having a big, dramatic “I don’t drink because of a drunk driving accident” monologue.

The not as good: Ujima’s character was, at times, a little bit of a walking stereotype, and it took me out of the story. I did love the diversity of the novel, but it felt like their character could have been a little more three-dimensional given how much time we spend with them throughout the book.
I appreciated the conversation surrounding consent and drinking, as well, but I thought it could be a little less on the nose/sound less like an after school special. In general, there were a few spots where I felt like the dialogue was a touch unnatural.

Overall: A super solid debut novel that was very sweet and seemed to be as much a love story as a love letter from the author to music

Gorgeous. Stunning. Show stopping. Heartbreaking. Healing. Amazing amazing amazing. This debut by Dominic Lim will be living in my heart forever. The dual timeline created the perfect amount of mystery and intrigue for this second chance romance. The relationship between Quito and his father is dynamic and complex and heartbreaking. Ujima’s subplot was also wonderfully crafted and so healing. Quito and Emmett have this tangible chemistry that morphs with their stages of life, taking on new form yet staying the same at the core. This is a story for the ages. I cannot wait for more from Dominic Lim.

Wow, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one but man, I loved it! I usually don’t like to read a synopsis going into a book and like to let the book speak for itself. I loved this. The pacing was great, the layout of the book was easy to follow and the characters were so loveable. The book was laid out in Then and Now chapters marking present tense and back to high school/college. I loved this style because it gave a lot more depth and context to the book. Each Then and Now chapters seemed to fold into each other with relevant information to set up the next. This helped tremendously with the flow of this novel.
I fell in love with Quito’s dad in how he always seemed to set up the perfect scenario or he just always “knew” everything. Quito and Emmett were great characters and I felt that they were developed greatly. Love me some Ujima!!!! As a musician and music major myself, I loved the musical elements in this and felt that they were very well done. It felt fairly realistic and brought in a lot of real musical elements.
This is a closed door romance. Loved how the author used musical terms to insinuate what was happening during sexy times. That was a great touch that gave me a chuckle. As an avid smut reader (hmmmm) I fell in love with this book even though it wasn’t graphically described. Their relationship definitely spoke for itself. The slow burn over a High School to Adult timeline was well done.
Ya’ll I loved this book so much. My inner musician was so happy reading this story and how well done the music part of the story line was done. The camaraderie between a band or choir is something that can’t be explained. This book made me cry. Such a great read for anyone, especially if you have a musical background.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a copy of this book.
My opinions are all my own. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Forever for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I missed reading this book before last week’s pub day, but I’m honestly glad I read the majority of it this weekend, because the Tony Awards Sunday night were be the best follow-up to this book!
Quito has been an accompanist from the time he was in seventh grade, when he got special permission to spend one period a day at the high school accompanying his father’s choir rehearsals. In high school he worked intimately on music with Emmett, who has since become a movie star and model. The story is told in alternating timelines between the present, mostly in NYC, and twenty years earlier when they were in high school in the Bay Area.
I grew up in a really tiny town in Northwest NJ (the book contains a dig at Jersey ppl that I didn’t take personally!), and my high school choir was one of the key experiences that made me who I am today. I don’t know if I can put into words how much love, support, and joy I got out of singing and participating in musicals. Our director had the ability to make everyone feel welcome - and I truly loved performing and getting to know many people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise interacted with. Reading this book reminded me of the joys of choir in the late 90s (the same time the main characters are in high school). I loved this trip down memory lane!
If you are a music and/or musical fan (or you’ve ever sung in a choir), I think you’ll really enjoy this book. And I should mention that you will get HUNGRY reading this because of the epic Filipino food descriptions. The romance is so sweet - I just loved Quito and Emmett. The queer, AAPI, and NB representation are all fantastic.
All the Right Notes is available everywhere now - please check it out!!

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This book... I don't know what to say to make it justice. It's heartbreaking, joyful and full of music that warms my heart ❤️

I love Quito with his quiet presence and his love for music. His best friend Ujima, a lovely colorful character, are with Quito when he sees Emmett again after all those years.
Emmett who disappeared from Quitos life without a word… but are now back. To stay?

The authors way of describing Quitos angst and unrequited love was heartbreaking and tugged on my heartstrings. Quitos relationship with his father are sooo beautiful… that’s just parental love all the way through ❤️❤️❤️

I can’t recommend this fantastic novel enough!

The following review was posted on my blog on Thursday, June 1st, 5 days before publication. It has already been posted on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram soon. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





Genre: Romance, LGBTQIA
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Displays homophobia, transphobia, outing, and sexual assault. Describes cheating and death of a parent.

“All the Right Notes” follows Quito Cruz, a piano player and composer, as he follows his father’s wish to put on a magical performance for a charity event in his small hometown. In doing so Quito gets back in touch with his past—a past that goes by the name of Emmet Aoki, a past that really hurt Quito and might’ve even stole his inspiration. But the thing is that only with Emmet, a now famous star, will Quito be able to put on the performance this event deserves, and so he must overlook said past and present chemistry to work this through. Here’s hopin’ Quito will come out of this unscathed.

So, I ended up hearing about this book thanks to “Behind the Scenes” author Karelia Stetz-Waters and God was it a worthy recommendation. Told through two different timelines, the then and the now, Dominic Lim has brought to life a heartwarming queer story for all Broadway and musical lovers. How is this even a debut novel? This is insane.

I want to make clear that even if you don’t know much about music and choir and Broadway, you can still most definitely enjoy this book—but obviously if you’re a musical fan, don’t hesitate at grabbing this book. Additionally, I would highly recommend this read if you’re a fan of that double timeline writing and of some nostalgic, second-chance romance.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by Forever in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

3.5 rounded up. The slow-burn second-chance romance in this book is beautiful. Quito finding himself as a human was beautiful. Emmett's honest awkwardness was beautiful. But despite all of this, something fell flat for me keeping this from being a perfect romance. (I also felt the use of the word "spaz" to be entirely unnecessary.) Nonetheless, Dominic Lim hit (almost) All the Right Notes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.