All the Right Notes started off slow for me, but at some point I got invested in the lives of Quito and Emmett and how their story would play out. Told in alternating timelines where we see the men currently, as well as back in high school, we learn how Quito and Emmett became friends, what their relationship meant to each other, and how Quito and his father became family to Emmett.

Quito was a child prodigy piano player and he had a great life with his parents. After his mother died, his father supported Quito in all of the ways, but there was still a void as a family without Quito’s mother. Quito’s parents accepted everything about him and were enormously proud of him, but Quito wasn’t comfortable being himself in high school. Emmett had all of the charisma, but his family life wasn’t as fulfilling. Quito couldn’t put together all of the reasons that Emmett spent so much time with them and also Emmett couldn’t be true to his own feelings.

The book is told entirely from Quito’s POV and I really would have liked to have Emmett’s POV as well. Quito has an incredibly hard time seeing his own worth and reading other people and, even at the end of the book, it was difficult to know Emmett well. Also, this book is listed in the first line of the blurb as a rom-com. I did not find that to be an accurate categorization at all. I just didn’t feel it was a comedy and Quito’s life didn’t provide any specific humor, so I still wonder why it’s called a rom-com. Also, there are certain storylines in Quito’s life that take us up to a certain point, but are then never given a full conclusion and that left me with questions at the end.

The ending, while it does have some somber tones, leaves Quito and Emmett with the HEA they have also longed for, although we don’t get to see that much of them as a couple and some things I would have liked to have seen were off page. This is the first book I have read from Dominic Lim and I do look forward to seeing where his stories will go next.

Wow. This book wrecked me and I am thankful for it. Told in a dual timeline from high school to 20 years later, All The Right Notes follows Quito and Emmett’s 2nd chance love story. I adored Quito’s best friend, Ujima, with their bright, spunky personality and his sweet, loving dad.

I may come back and add more to this once I get my mind back together but for now just know that this book is filled with so much love. I highly recommend.

I was really looking forward to reading Dominic Lim’s debut novel - as a former musician myself, and a fan of and loving to support LGBTQ and AAPI authors, this one had so much potential for me. I have to say I was a bit let down in the end, but still give it a 4-star rating - really it’s more like a 3.5 rounded up.

The first half was extremely slow and so drawn out (all background building and soooo much of it), which left me considering DNF, but other reviewers had great things to say so I stuck with it. It does pick up pace in the second half, but it’s still not an overly exciting read, with really not all that much happening as far as a relationship. Not much chemistry, no steam and it does mostly focus on the music and composition and teaching choir - and Quito and his father’s relationship.

The storyline is broken up and told in flashbacks, with chapters alternating between “now,” and “then” (then being high school and eventually college. The flashbacks are used to tell the history of Quito and Emmett, who were unlikely best friends in high school, had some event in college that caused them to not speak again until Now, when Quito’s father is retiring and gets them to reunite for a farewell choir concert.

The secondary character Jee (Ujima/Gerome) is the absolute savior of this book - I would definitely read a sequel featuring them as the main character!

The use of flashbacks to tell a story is probably my least favourite method of storytelling… especially when it’s every other chapter for an entire book (a scene here and there is fine, but a whole book really gets tired ).

All in all, by the end I was glad to have read this one, but would not class it as a romance (more just plain fiction) - there was not much of it throughout and the last half was quite emotional.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest opinion.

Overall, this book was fine. I didn’t particularly love it but I also didn’t hate it. This book skips in time between senior year of high school/first year of college and approximately 20 years later (I think). I thought Quito was an interesting character. He struggled a lot with self doubt and I felt like he made improvements throughout the story. Emmett was a little bit one note as the very sweet love interest. I was hoping we’d get some more emotion out of him at any point. I liked Quito’s bestie Jee, a non-binary drag queen who provided a lot of comic relief. But I didn’t love how all their flirting with others came off in a creepy vibe? Like flirting with the waiter in a restaurant and the waiter flinging a to go box at them to avoid them? It was weird. Quito’s dad was a fun character and I wish what happened as the major kind of plot twist didn’t happen. It really didn’t feel like it was a necessity to the story. There wasn’t enough time to really process anything that happened because of when it happened anyway. I liked the relationship between Quito and Emmett in the high school portion of the flashbacks and in the current timeline. But the college year felt out of place and I didn’t like the reason they stopped talking. Why did neither of them ever try to contact one another again? Like Quito I could maybe understand, but Emmett didn’t make any sense. I’m trying to be vague intentionally to avoid spoilers. Anyway I’m not sure how exactly I feel about this book other than relatively neutral.

The main character of this book is a pianist and composer in New York City that is still striving towards his Broadway dream. When his father asked the main character to put up a charity performance in his hometown, he was also asked to have the male lead be part of the performance. The main character and the male lead hadn't been in touch with each other for years, but when they reunited, the connection between them reignites. The main character must decide how he wants to move forward in his life when the charity performance and the male lead brings chaos to it.

This is the author's debut book featuring a cast of diverse characters and Filipino-American culture. The book has a dual timeline that helps readers know more about the main character and the cast of secondary characters that surrounds him. I really appreciated how the book brings some context of the Filipino-American culture, which also helps with relating to the main character in some way. I enjoyed reading about the diverse characters, especially the main character's nonbinary best friend and father. The romance between the main character and the male lead is a nice touch, though I felt it could have been better with more details in certain areas of the story. There were also some details of the story that I didn't like, but they weren't such a detriment to the story. Overall, it's a nice introduction to the author's writing style and I look forward to reading more books from the author in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

All the Right Notes is a beautiful story about queer love, music, and being true to yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, representation, and themes. The relationship between Quito and his dad was especially lovely, and I adored Ujima, Quito's roommate/best friend. I thought the chemistry between Quito and Emmett was electric and I was really rooting for them from the start.

I did have some minor issues with the writing, particularly the reliance on the miscommunication trope. I think the reasons behind their miscommunication was at least understandable, but could still be a bit frustrating. Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of second chance romance and the magic of music.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been stressed out and overwhelmed the past few days that I started having my reading slump. I didn’t know what to read, so I reached for the first available one on my TBR. This debut by Dominic Lim made me smile and laugh while salivating the Filipino foods and delicacies mentioned throughout the book. I love Quito and Emmett and mostly Jee, Quito’s father. The support, love, slow-burn, second chances in love, the unapologetic queerness, the broadway tunes, the NYC scene, the Filipino-American pride and mostly entertaining banters made this book an absolutely fantastic read! If you love a great entertaining and feel-good book, I truly and highly recommend this one!

This was such a beautiful debut by Dominic Lim. Having been in high school show choir, in the late 90’s, this book brought back A LOT of nostalgia for me. I could picture everything so clearly. This was as much of a love letter to music as it was a romance between Quito and Emmett.

All the Right Notes is written in a dual time frame; current day and 20+ years ago, when Quito and Emmett meet in high school choir. Quito was the accompanist for his dad who is a high school choir teacher. Emmett needed an elective, so he joined the choir. Quito’s dad sees a lot of potential in Emmett and wants Quito to help him with a solo. Present day, Quito plays piano at a piano bar, Broadway Baby, and Emmett is an actor. It alternates back and forth, so we see how their relationship grew from there and then grew apart, while we see them reconnect in present day.

I just loved these characters. Quito is a musical prodigy and Emmett is a high school jock. They are essentially opposites. but I love that they find their connection with music. They also bring out the best in each other.

The side characters are everything. I LOVE Quito’s dad and how much of a meddler he is. I would have loved to have him as a choir teacher. Ujima (Jee) is a CHARACTER. I would love to see them have an HEA in a future book. This book deals with found family and I just love to see that and how accepting people are of each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. This book had me in all my feelings. I laughed, I cried, and would love to read more from Dominic Lim.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Publishing) and NetGalley. I voluntarily read and early copy of this book.

This was a great ownvoices second chance celebrity romance between two former rivals/crushes who are forced to work together on a charity musical event. I loved the close relationship between Quito and his dad, the Filipino queer representation and the way music is woven throughout the story (especially well done in the audiobook edition). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: alcohol and drug usage; the sudden death of family members; homophobic language; non-consensual sex

Dominic Lim’s All the Right Notes is a love letter and an ode to music, immigrant parents, and music teachers wrapped up in this queer Filipino-American slow burn second chance romance. Quito Cruz is a piano player and composer who hopes to one day compose his own musical on Broadway. However, he’s been unable to compose anything new since that last night in college that he saw popular high school jock and crush, Emmett Aoki, who was once Quito’s inspiration but is now one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. Quito’s dad, his hometown high school’s choir teacher, wants Quito to come home to help put on a charity fundraiser and asks him to enlist Emmett to perform. Emmett agrees, and Quito finds that even though the past is not quite how he remembers it, the reprise he’s found himself in holds the same melody of feelings.

Quito and Emmett have undeniable chemistry, no matter how much Quito tries to convince himself otherwise. Their story is written in a dual timeline. (Think The Last Five Years!!) Lim’s imagery and humor scratched a part of my brain in all the right ways and had me smiling to myself and laughing out loud. Quito is a character who is still learning to trust his instincts and feelings, and the people he surrounds himself with are the pillars for all types of love in his life. The world is in desperate need of queer joy, and this story writes queer joy in the form of love from one’s parents and best friend in found family as well as the continually growing and deepening romantic love that Quito and Emmett have for one another and the ensuing consequences from that love. And that joy can also be found in the emotional moments that brought me to TEARS. Suffice to say, I cried a good few times lmao

As a Filipina American lifelong reader, I have read vastly, and in recent years, I have become largely set as a romance reader. Yet so few of those stories feature Fil-Am joy and love. Only in recent years have I found books that address what it means to be part of a Filipinx family in the diaspora, and even fewer of those stories focus on the joy without centering the trauma. Seeing my culture, my values, my language, the funny logic Filipinx folks use to find their nicknames, and the way Filipinx people point with their lips written on the pages of a book—that feels so validating!! We exist!! Reading the sacrifice that immigrant Filipinx parents make for their children to have more opportunities!! We’re seen!! Even reading the dynamic between Quito and his father— the underlying demands from Quito’s father posing as questions because the pressure to fulfill family obligations and unquestioningly respect one’s elders is drilled into at least this (yes, me) child of immigrants. I feel that!! There is something so special and heartwarming about reading books that reflect my family and the families of my fellow Fil-Am friends. Also all the food!! Ang sarap!! The food of my people!! There were times I tried to complete chapters before dinner, and what a mistake that was because my stomach was literally growling. Reading about the very food that my own family makes and loves was healing to my inner child and made me that much more ravenous for not just my mom’s cooking but for more stories that include this on page representation.

Regarding music and choir, the immense respect, passion, and love that Lim has for each sings beautifully throughout the book. I was once one of those middle and high school sopranos sitting on a plastic chair on the risers, and the love and nostalgia had me smiling as I was reading as I remembered my own time singing Handel’s “Hallelujah” as well as drunkenly belting along to classic pop songs at the local dueling piano bar (San Diego’s Shout House, oh how I’ve missed you since moving away) as soon as I hit adulthood.

As a former choir kid, musical theatre lover, and Filipina American reader who is constantly and actively in search of finding reflections of myself in the books I read, I just want to say maraming salamat, Dominic Lim, for bringing this Fil-Am queer joy love story to life. We love reading Asian American queer joy!! I am so excited to read more of Lim’s writing in the future!! Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the ARC!


cw: (major) homophobia, f slur, parental death; (moderate) infidelity, casual transphobia, sexual assault, abandonment, outing; (minor) mentions of emotional abuse, mentions of alcohol abuse, car accident, abandonment, blood, injury, ableist language*

(non plot spoilery quotes from the uncorrected copy included below)

*Please keep in mind that I read an uncorrected advanced copy! But I found ableist language in this book in two forms: the use of the derogatory term “spaz” as well as shame for adults who need to use adult incontinence pads. For the former, Quito is told, “Don’t be a spaz.” The term “spaz” is specifically a derogatory term against folks with cerebral palsy since its root word “spastic” is in reference to the inability for a disabled person to control their movements. Please look into how Lizzo responded to backlash for using this term in 2022! The second use of ableist language is when Quito thinks to himself, “The sight of a packed auditorium can make the idea of adult incontinence pads seem perfectly acceptable.” This implies that anyone who uses this product are unrespectable and implies shame. Whether elderly folks or disabled folks or perhaps people recovering from surgery or pregnancy and have bladder incontinence need adult incontinence pads, saying that the idea of them seeming “perfectly acceptable” is ableist, and no one should be shamed for something that helps them live their lives. Again, I just want to emphasize that these come from an uncorrected advanced copy, so hopefully these can be fixed for the final copy!!

Two decades after they meet in high school, a Filipino-American music geek and a Japanese-American Hollywood heartthrob explore what might have been in an unabashedly tropey romance set against the world of high school chorus and musical theater. Lim hits all the right notes for HEA romance fans, and his Asian-centric love story is long overdue in commercial fiction.

We’re first introduced to the lead character Quito when he’s seventeen and playing the piano for his Bay Area high school’s chorus where his charismatic father is the music teacher. Shy and closeted, Quito is uncomfortably perplexed when a popular jock, Emmett Aito, shows up after school to try out, and then he’s dazzled by the unlikely revelation that Emmett can really sing.

The story alternates from past to present, and we next meet Quito twenty years later as a career-thwarted musician working at a piano bar in New York City. He has overcome his hang-ups about being gay and has a boyfriend, Mark, who genuinely likes him and would love to help Quito realize his dream of composing a musical. Alas, Quito still has Emmett seared into his brain, and it’s the perfect time for their paths to intersect again. Emmett has soared to film celebrity since they were classmates in high school, but he never stopped thinking about Quito.

Somehow, neither one has been able to pick up the phone in twenty years so they need some help for love to blossom. Back in San Francisco, Quito’s dad is retiring and has a special, final performance for his choral group coming up. He emphatically tasks Quito with getting his old pal Emmett to make an appearance. Quito’s best friend Ujima thinks it’s a great idea and happens to have an in at Saturday Night Live where Emmett will be hosting. Thus, Quito and Emmett are reunited to work out unfinished business from their ‘too-early’ teenage dalliance at love.

Rom-com tropes abound. Quito’s widowed and adorably earnest father has always known that Quito and Emmett are soulmates, and he’s coyly determined to get them back together. Emmett is beautiful, possibly straight?, and in any case hopelessly attainable for introverted Quito. Misdirections pop up whenever Quito and Emmett get close to having an honest conversation about their feelings for each other. A sassy sidekick, in the form of transgender Ujima, pushes Quito along to take a chance at love with the guy he left behind. A troubled queer choral student reminds Quito just how important it is to be yourself! All signs point to a dramatic confessional on stage at the high school where the two guys once performed together as teenagers. I’m afraid I could go on and on.

All that is not to say there isn’t some real heart in Lim’s début novel. It comes through in Quito’s relationship with his father, whose passion for music is nicely characterized and links the two together quite movingly. Quito’s experience as a first generation Filipino immigrant in America is also treated with some depth. He longs for a connection to his culture, especially since his mother died, and as a teenager, he feels like he’s invisible at his largely white high school. Lim provides lovely details about the workings of a high school chorus and musical composition, which paint the setting vividly and give his hero Quito some dimension. One finds greater intrigue in these things than Quito and Emmett’s second chances romance, which is just about script-ready for the Hallmark Channel.

A surefire hit for the M/M romance crowd, and an appealing title for readers who found belonging in high school music class, or wish they had.

This was a slow burn love story that felt like a love letter to musical. As a New Yorker, it felt like a warm hug from the city that I love. It was as familiar as it was fresh and new. Loved it.

This is a really, REALLY heartwarming book. I couldn’t get enough of the dialogue, humour, and overall warmth of the story.

All the Right Notes alternates between 2 timelines: THEN and NOW, as Quito recounts his high school crush Emmett Aoki’s entry and re-entry into his life.

At it’s core, this book is a relationship mystery. What happened that forced Emmett away from Quito? Will they end up together in the end? Or… wait… is Emmett straight?

The TENSION in this book kept me turning the pages quickly. I seriously didn’t know what would happen, and wanted to find out urgently. The emotional moments were strong, too: I cried, I laughed, I smiled, and I even physically cringed a few times from second-hand embarrassment. This book gets a 5-star rating from me for the emotional rollercoaster alone.

And let’s not forgot to mention how nice it is to read an LGBTQ+ story that doesn’t entirely revolve around coming out. And… ah yes. The oh-no-there’s-only-one-bed trope even makes an appearance.

Dominic Lim’s first novel debuts June 6, 2023. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC… I loved it!

DNF @ 43% I just don't want to read this anymore.
I'm genuinely curious if the author meant to make his characters as old as they were because they are indistinguishable from their 18-year-old selves at 38 and it drove me nuts.
Quito was insufferable and just absolutely miserable all the time. "Oh, you can't do what I want you to do? Oh, that's fine, my life is awful and I'm a failure. Oh, you can do what I want you to? Well, why would you do that? I suck and life is awful." It's exhausting! And then when he's given opportunities it's just "Oh I can't do that, anyone would be better than me" and then doesn't put in any effort whatsoever other than the "woe is me" pity party and leading people on, but people are falling at his feet and asking him to do something and believing in him.
It might get better later on, but I can't, I just can't.
He was also extremely judgemental, commenting on how everyone looked and their figures and I'm not sure where he got off doing that when he went and lay on a dirty bathroom floor because of nebulous feelings and decided to come up with some gross lie as to why he did that.
I couldn't get behind the writing too, it's so much in Quito's head that I forget what was even going on by the time it circled back to the topic. The writing tries really hard to be prose-like. Please don't give me 3 paragraphs on some flowery description of a smell or how someone looks like a sunset on the French Riviera or some nonsense. It's so jarring.
Ujima also made me uncomfortable for a few reasons. I think they could have been great but they're just a new take on the "gay best friend that's comedic relief" trope. Also, Quito clearly didn't respect them "It took a while to get used to their preferred pronouns of they/them" Those aren't preferred, they are their pronouns". There's also a lot of misgendering and allowing misgendering to happen from him and his boyfriend. But also, Ujima was kind of creepy, everything out of their mouth is a blatant innuendo at people who are clearly uncomfortable with being the recipient of their innuendo. At one point there's a waiter that Quito says won't come close to the table because of Ujima leering.
I tried really hard to keep going but I just don't want to, I should have stopped at the SNL scene because yikes was that cringey.

After being absolutely wrecked by this sweet story of music, grief, and romance, I texted my music teacher bestie to tell her she must also read it so I’m not the only one set emotionally adrift. The publisher calls this a “hilarious and joyous rom com” and OH CONTRAIRE, while there are funny, joyful moments, this is not a rom com! It’s a slow-burn, emotional story about Quito the talented piano accompanist and Emmett the famous movie star, once best friends in high school (or maybe more than friends) who reunite to perform for Quito’s father’s retirement concert. Alternating between Quito’s high school days and the present, Lim’s debut novel is a love letter to music, Broadway, and Filipino food. I loved it. Content notes: homophobic slur, reference to domestic abuse, death of a parent, heart attack, grief.

This was a terrific combination of coming of age story and adult romance. I loved the back and forth of the timelines in the story so you were able to get a true picture of what was going on.

The dual timelines provided us with so much insight into these characters and how close these two were in high school, it really made you wonder how older Quinto and Emmett became estranged. All signs pointed at them being friends (or more) for life. Emmett helped Quinto come out of his shell and Quinto helped Emmett be the person he always wanted to be. Quinto and his dad showed Emmett what a true family was like.

Grown up Quinto does not have the same relationship with music and it’s very sad. Nor does he have a great relationship with his boyfriend. Again, sad. However, his drag queen roommate completely steals the show when they are around. It’s delightful!

Grown up Emmett is a full blown movie star with all the trappings of fame. It was so refreshing to see him drop everything for those that needed him.

I loved the slow progress Quinto and Emmett make toward rekindling their friendship and more. And Quinto’s meddling dad might be my favorite.

All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim is a joyous, beautiful queer romcom that I absolutely adored!

I fell in love with Quito and Emmett. The story is told in two timelines, alternating between high school seniors and 20 years later. What brought them together in high school, music still had that spark all those years later.

I loved the short chapters and the on-fire chemistry between the two characters.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the secondary characters, especially Quito's dad. His dad was so supportive it was so refreshing to see that support. The characters were well developed and fleshed out.

Second chance romance is my favorite trope and this author nails this vibe with a slow burn.

I love the authentic food that the author included in the story.

This is the perfect query rom com that gave me all the feels!

Quito Cruz is a somewhat struggling piano player living in NYC. He's working at a piano bar and though his dream was once to compose, he's never quite been able to find success. His father, who was his high school piano teacher, asks Quito to come home to play in what will be his last concert before his retirement. There's just one catch - he asks Quito to bring Emmett Aoki, his one time friend who he hasn't spoken to in 20 years and who is now a famous actor.

Through dual timelines we see both Quito and Emmett's blossoming friendship in high school to the night that causes them not to speak for 20 years. And in the current timeline, we see them reconnect while helping out Quito's dad.

This book was really hard for me to rate! I struggled in the first half - it was a bit slow and meandering. I do sometimes struggle with dual timelines because I find myself being more interested in one over the other and that definitely happened here. In the first half of the book during the current timeline, Emmett and Quito don't spend a lot of time on page together so I struggled wanting them to reconnect faster.

But the second half of the book really picked up for me! Naturally this was also the time where they started spending more time on page together. I loved Quito's best friend, Ujima, and thought they added a lot to the story - honestly petition for them to have their own book! I also loved Quito's dad and the students at the school. I did love how the dad was trying to be a matchmaker between Quito and Emmett but I do wish he had just been a little more honest.

This is a spoiler free review but dang that ending?? I don't cry for books but I got a little teary.

Read this for:
- Cast of LGBTQIA+ characters
- Dual Timeline
- Second Chance Romance
- Filipino Representation
- Lots of Musical References

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This debut novel from Dominic Lim was what I needed when I picked it up. It had me in tears at the end of reading (no worries my friends, All the Right Notes is still very much a romance novel).

This second chance romance is light angst, where you as the reader are watching Quito and Emmett try to repair a friendship and maybe a relationship that broke back in high school. However, we need to wait for the details of what happened to be unraveled in the flashback chapters. So of course, I kept turning the pages.

But this story is more than that, it's also about the relationship between Quito and his widower father. How the two needed each other after the unexpected death of Quito's mother before the start of high school. That without saying it outright, Quito feels himself to be a disappointment, even though his father doesn't do or say anything to indicate this - just the fact that Quito is having trouble believing in himself and his own talent. Quito's father believes in him, and supports him as much as he can. Eventually, Quito sees himself as worthy and that he is able to do hard things.

All the Right Notes is about missed opportunities, misunderstandings, and misconceptions. It's about finding yourself, it's about taking a stand, and becoming your true self.

As a side note, please be prepared to crave some Filipino food.

The Broadway loving side of me gobbled up this book. The references musically were spot on, and struck me where it needed to.
This book is a beautiful and long slow burn story between 2 men who met as teens, and went different ways after school. When they are unexpectedly thrown back together, things collide in a fun way. I love that we get lots of time with them, and I enjoyed this very much. Can't wait to read more from this author!