I feel bad - I love the writing, the characterization, and all the music and theatre stuff, but at 30% the angst has gone over what I can handle at the moment 😭 Something drove these two guys apart twenty years ago and Lim is so good at drawing that tension out I can't stand it. If you love high angst, performing, and drag queen roommates pick this up! Giving it four stars because that's where the book was heading for me.

An ode to the transformative power of music and the music educators who shape our lives, All the Right Notes by (tag Dominic) is a sparkling debut romance that I just adored!
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Piano prodigy Quito Cruz is struggling. I mean, he’s mostly fine–but he’s unhappily settling in his life, falling short of his real dream of composing music of his own. Problem is that he never quite got over what happened years ago with Emmett Aoki, a (gorgeous) friend from his youth that’s since become a huge movie star. When Quito’s dad, Mr. Cruz, asks Quito to come home for his retirement concert, Mr. Cruz adds a special request (read: demand) in as well. Quito’s tasked with bringing Emmett back to California for this big musical finale. Which would be fine, except for the fact that Quito and Emmett haven’t spoken in almost 20 years. Oop.
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With the help of his bestie Ujima, Quito manages to reconnect with Emmett. But obviously things aren’t simple when there are years of unresolved feelings simmering between Emmett and Quito!! Told in dual timeline between past and present, we get to see this second chance romance unfold in the awkward, uncertain teenage years, and again in the complicated stage of adulthood. I love books written this way. I also know how hard it is to craft two narratives that intertwine and hit the right beats, but Dominic does this so well! He builds the tension of the past while layering in the stresses and realities of growing older, giving readers a hell of a slow burn that shows us how much Quito and Emmett mean to each other.
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There’s so much I loved in this book: the Filipino culture woven throughout, the cast of characters (Ujima and Mr. Cruz!!), the musicality... I could go on and on! Full of queer love, family, joy, music, and more, All the Right Notes will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh again.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I need everyone to read this, to feel their heart expand, to laugh and cry like I did. Dominic's debut novel feels like magic, because that's what love should feel like. This is a beautifully written queer, second chance love story (with Filipino and Japanese representation!), filled with a genuine love of music. You'll want to sit in the Cruz's kitchen before the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read All The Right Notes in exchange for my honest review.

“But the most important thing anyone can ever do is to truly see themselves and to love what they see.”

By all accounts, this is the type of book that I normally love. I was really excited to get to it, and I’ve seen good reviews for it. Unfortunately, this fell a bit flat for me.

Quito Cruz is a piano player and composer in New York, but he is still haunted by Emmett Aoki. They were close in high school but lost touch,. Now Emmett is a famous actor and Quito has seen him everywhere. When Quito’s dad asks him to get Emmett to come to their former high school for a benefit concert, it seems like a tall order. But S they reconnect, there’s clearly unfinished business and unresolved feelings.

Quito is such a sweet character, and I loved getting the dual timelines. I thought the juxtaposition with his high school experienced and the present was portrayed really well. We got a lot of insight into his relationship with Emmett and how that affected him into adulthood. There is a lot of discourse on coming out and sexuality, which I think was written incredibly well. Jee is the perfect friend, and their journey on the side was intriguing and lovely. It’s also great to see the friendship between Quito and Jee.

I just didn’t feel the chemistry as deeply between them. I love tension and charged moments, and I didn’t get that here. They were certainly lovable, but it didn’t get my heart racing like other romances I’ve read lately. I think this suffers from trying to have too many plot lines, some of which we never dive deep enough into for me to get truly invested. There were parts that I think could be cut in favor of developing present-day Quito and Emmett to really open their chemistry. I don’t think the plot line involving Mark as Quito’s boyfriend in the beginning is necessary because it doesn’t add anything the the overall story,

However, I would read an entire book about Jee. They were a phenomenal side character and I would love more about their journey.

I have to say, it took me a few chapters to get into his one. It felt like I'd walked into the middle of a conversation and it took me a few chapters to figure out what was happening and get all of the characters straight and remember who was in the present and who was in the flashbacks.

Once I figured it out though this was a very enjoyable story. Being someone who grew up as a band and theater kid I really enjoyed the music aspects of this story. I've only read a few books that had that story line and this one was really good. It was also a goo, unique story that didn't feel like yet another book doing the same thing as every other book - the characters were diverse, had complicated lives = past and present, had needs and dreams, but were ultimately able to make decisions to get them right where they needed to be.

✨ PRINCEMAN ARC REVIEW ✨

📝 Quito is a talented pianist who plays at the piano bar in NYC. But, he has even bigger dreams, and hopes to someday compose music for a Broadway Musical. The only problem...he hasn't been able to write any original music since his muse disappeared out of his life almost 20 years ago. Emmett is one of Hollywood's hottest celebrities. While he loves living life in the spotlight, he can't help but feel like a part of him, or person, is missing. Fate intervenes when Mr. Cruz, Quito's dad, insists that his son and favorite student return home to San Francisco in order to perform one last concert before his retirement. Can Quito and Emmett rekindle those feelings from all those years ago?

What I 🤍:
🎶 Musical Themes
💕 INCREDIBLE Characters
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQIA+ Representation
✊🏽 BIPOC Representation
✍️ Author's Note (Reading Group Guide)

I am not even joking when I say, I think I just finished my FAVORITE READ of 2023. Not only does this story pull you in right away with the duel (then & now) timeline, but also with the pacing. I immediately fell in love with Quito, shy, yet musically gifted, and Emmett, a man who appears 'perfect' to the entire world, but feels lost from the secrets he's been hiding. Also the side characters are A++++. Mr. Cruz, Quito's dad is the perfect representation of a loving, Filipino father. And, Ujima is the epitome of what being a confident transgender person who inspires others should look like. I NEED Ujima in my life!

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Passion: 🔥🔥 (Two Fade to Black Scenes)
Read If ➡️: You love music or musicals
Read 📅: Anytime, but PERFECT for 🏳️‍🌈 month!
CW ⚠️: Death of Parent, Alcoholism, Divorce

While everyone can enjoy this story, it really felt like a love story to all queer BIPOC readers. It's gives voice to marginalized voices that often don't have HEAs written about them. Rather than focusing on "coming out" it instead leaves the reader feeling uplifted and loved. But be prepared, while you will laugh and smile, there are moments that will make you cry. This all goes to the talented author, Lim, who is able to instill these feelings within his readers.

🙏 Thank you so much to Dominic Lim, Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book. I absolutely loved it, and will forever recommend it to everyone I know.

All the Right Notes is out June 6. My review will be posted shortly to my Instagram account (@LifeWithPrinceMan).

Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this debut book. A book told in past and present showing the relationship between Quito and Emmitt. I love Mr. Cruz and what an amazing teacher he is. I wished I had such an inspiration teacher in high school. I enjoyed the book but wished the reveal of their rub was earlier and we could see Emmitt and Quito present relationship develop more. Overall, a heartwarming story.

(4.5/5.0) All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim was a charming second chance, queer love story with supporting characters that added big time heart to the story. Second chance love is my absolute favorite trope and when you add in a supportive parent plus a wise and witty BFF, well I am all in.

In this story we meet Filipino American musician Quito as an adult living in NYC, and we get to see flashbacks to his high school years. His dad was the choir director and his crush from back then, Emmett, is now a big-time movie star. They’ve been out of touch since college, but the sparks are still there when they reunite.

I’d recommend this for anyone who enjoys a non-spicy romance with a slow build to the plot, and plenty of supporting storyline around the primary relationship. The relationship between Quito and his dad, as well as with his BFF Ujima, are just as central to the story as his relationship with Emmett giving it a mild coming-of-age energy. I love a character-driven story, so this worked for me, and I fell in love with all of them.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for this complimentary copy - I appreciate you and really enjoyed reading it!

Content warnings: parent death, grief, outing, infidelity

All The Right Notes is a strong debut by Dominic Lim full of diverse characters challenging stereotypes and inclusive environments full of support.

This story follows Francisco (Quito) Cruz - a piano playing superstar and an aspiring composer who’s been trying to make it in New York City, playing backup for Broadway shows and entertaining crowds at Broadway Baby for sing alongs. Music is in his blood; his parents met and fell in love through music and it was a part of Quito’s daily life growing up, including helping his dad conduct and accompany the high school choir while he was there. Through the choir, he meets Emmett Aoki, an intelligent jock with an unexpectedly great singing voice. All The Right Notes takes us on a journey through Quito and Emmett’s friendship, fall out and rekindling of their relationship years later.

Quito’s dad is the instigator of so much in this story and continued to figure out ways to bring Quito and Emmett together even when they were sure they wouldn’t want to talk with each other again. His illness throws them together and makes them confess that things were so much more than just friendship now and over the years. Quito and Emmett are opposites in so many ways but they feel like home to each other, even after years of being apart with Quito struggling to make it and Emmett thriving in Hollywood as an actor. Music is what brought them together in the beginning and it’s what continues to bring them together time and time again, something Quito’s dad passed along to them over time.

I’m personally not a fan of dual timelines - going back and forth between the past and the present - so that was a little frustrating at points and I think things flowed so much better when we weren’t going back and forth. I also could have done without the Mark storyline; it felt a little too forced, made things awkward and never really had a satisfying resolution even after things went bad.

Really looking forward to reading whatever Dominic Lim publishes next!

A debut novel told from the POV of Quito, a first generation Filipino. He is also a musical/piano protege. His father is the beloved choir director at his high school and Quito is the accompanist. The story alternates chapters between Then - high school and Now which is roughly twenty years later. The format isn’t original and I’ve other books this year done similarly. But twenty years is a big gap for a sort of second chance romance.

In the Then storyline, big man on campus basketball star Emmett Aoki joins choir. Quito spends time with him getting him ready for a solo performance. In the Now story Emmett is a successful action movie star, hosting Saturday Night Live etc. Quito is living in NYC and has never fulfilled his musical dreams. He makes a living playing piano in a Broadway centric bar and occasionally subbing in on Broadway productions. His father tells Quito know he is retiring and as a final farewell he wants Quito to come home and help put on a fundraising choir show. He also wants Quito to ask Emmett to perform as well.

I was slightly more drawn to the YA storyline only because I didn’t really care about Quito as an adult. When he is younger I can appreciate his insecurities and attraction to Emmett. Home life is hard for Emmett and he loves being with Quito and his father. But we never get his POV or feelings. As an adult he has been married and I wasn’t clear if he ever stepped out of the closet over the years.

I get the dad is supposed to be this larger than life inspiration to his students but I found him happy but very manipulative. There is a point where Quito learns his boyfriend is cheating on him. And before he deals with it he cheats back. In my mind he isn’t free yet and they are both cheaters. He loses any sympathy from me for the situation. There is juvenile humor but nothing that made me laugh out loud. I love musicals and enjoyed all the tossed in musical references.

From the reviews others are connecting more to the character and story. It stays in the PG-13 range for heat so although it isn’t marketed toward older teens in my mind it is appropriate for YA and up.

3.5 stars.
I enjoyed this queer second chance romance by Dominic Lim. The rich language and Filipino food descriptions had me drooling at parts. I absolutely loved Mr. Cruz as a meddling father, and it read as a love note to immigrant parents.

The story follows Quito, a Filipino pianist, and Emmett, a Japanese and white movie star, as they reconnect after a college fallout 20 years later. Told in alternating chapters from their meeting in high school and reconnect in modern day, I was particularly impressed with how Lim pulled off alternating flashback chapters that actually worked.

However, I do wish that what drove Quito and Emmett apart was revealed earlier and that they had discussed and processed it more together. It didn't really make sense to me that they didn't talk for 20 years. The miscommunication trope was heavy in this book, which isn't my favorite, but I think the shame and self-doubt driving the lack of communication made it more believable.

Thanks to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I really wanted to love this book, but I can't because of the central problem in the story. The main problem is miscommunication that has to do with consent, and I just can't justify that as a plot device. Consent is to be taken seriously, and it wasn't in this book. The fact that Quito and Emmett didn't talk for twenty years because of it just doesn't make any sense to me. Why wouldn't one of them reach out during that time? Also, if Emmett had been talking to Quito's dad for all of this time, why didn't he bring it up with him? I'm so confused by the characters' motivations. I don't know why either of them was happy to see the other, if they believe that there was a lack of consent. Why would you be happy to see someone who did that to you? I'm so confused!

I don't think that anyone in this story was a fully realized character, and because of this, I couldn't connect to or root for anyone.

The back and forth timeline between then and now was very jarring, and it was difficult to follow. I did cry during the book, but even then, I didn't feel like the characters had time to process their grief. It just happened, and then, everyone seemed to move on.

Overall, I love musicals, choirs, and Broadway. I wanted to feel connected to all of those things and a second chance romance, but it just didn't happen for me in this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC of this book.

This book crumpled me up in a ball then threw me in the recycling, and I loved it. You get the musical content, both of Broadway and of compositions, and major Glee vibes (back when it was good). Told in alternating timelines, we watch Quito and Emmett tiptoe towards love in such a beautifully real way. I also loved so many of the side characters - Jee and Quito's dad are so fleshed out and vibrant characters. The book flew by, though it totally blindsided me near the end. Such a stunning debut, Dominic Lim!

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

I was captivated by this story from the beginning. I enjoyed the dual timelines, the importance of music to the story, and the inclusion of Filipino food (which was described in a way that always made me hungry for it even though I’ve never tried it). Quito was a lovable and sweet narrator who I was rooting for throughout the book. There are a lot of themes explored here such as race and sexual orientation. The book ended up being more emotional than I originally thought, but it added a lot of depth and reality to the story. Emmett was also a sweetheart and I loved getting to see their friendship develop as kids. Of course, Quito’s best friend, Jee, was someone who I wanted to be my best friend. The characters were developed with care and they felt very real. This was a great debut and I look forward to reading more from Dominic Lim in the future!

CW: death of a parent, grief, homophobia, infidelity, transphobia

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙, 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚. 𝙄 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩.“

All the Right Notes” is Dominic’s debut novel about Quito and Emmett. This is a sweet second chance MM romance written in a single POV from Quito’s perspective.

Quito and Emmett’s story is a 20ish year in the making and begins back in senior year of high school when Emmett joins choir directed by Quito’s dad. Quito grew up surrounded by music and learned to play the piano at an early age. He’s always been drawn to Emmett, but has kept his distance because of Emmett’s popularity. When Quito is asked to help Emmett with his upcoming solo, their relationship blossoms. However, they end up having a falling out during their freshman year of college. Several years later, Quito’s dad is retiring and hopes to reunite the pair to perform at his final concert. The sparks are still there between them, but will they be able to overcome past mistakes to finally get their happy ever after?

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t completely consumed by this book. This is a light, comfort read that I would say this is more YA than NA. I preferred reading the past more than the present as I felt like there wasn’t much story in the present. The reason for the main characters falling out didn’t leave much of an impression, and most of the story was predictable. I did like reading how Quito and Emmett’s friendship came to be, their connection to music, and how close they were to Quito’s dad, but I wish we would’ve gotten Emmett’s side of things. Overall, it was an okay read, but I didn’t feel much of a connection to the story or characters.

OKAY for like the fifth time ever, i am totally swept away by my hated trope, the second chance romance! I was really moved by the characters and their growth and the risks that they were taking. Also, just a side note, this is the second book i have read in as many months with an SNL filming afterparty in it and it makes me wish i were young enough to want to like go to underground bars in NYC at 3 am on saturday nights, but i genuinely almost never stay up to even watch it so that seems unlikely. Anyway! This book has well-built relationships, characters, and histories. The way it was written, with time jumps back and forth (think: *This Is Us*), sometimes pulls me out of the story, but it didn't this time! I really enjoyed this.

This was really sweet! It was the perfect distraction I needed from studying. I’m typically a huge fan of dual timelines, and this was no exception. I do wish we could have seen a bit more from the past timeline as I feel it would’ve enhanced the longing in the present, but overall, this was a really solid debut!

What a surprise! Dominic Lim delivers a tender, engrossing, and satisfying read. I could not help but be enamoured by the musical plot line intertwined into the story here and it just made Emmett and Quito's relationship a fun one to follow along with.

When someone told me that a book was coming out that had gay, Asian Glee vibes I knew I needed to read it. I mean I was the kind of teenager who had Glee watch parties and spent most of my free time either in the choir room or in the school theater. It should also come as absolutely no shock to anybody that I loved this book.

Quito Cruz has been working as a pianist off Broadway for years, when one day his dad calls him to ask him to come back home to perform at the high school for his final concert before graduation. But there’s a little bit of a problem here, because Mr. Cruz wants Quito to bring his former friend turned movie star Emmett Aoki back to join him for the concert. The two haven’t spoken since college and it may take a little bit of divine intervention to make this work.

There were so many things I adored about this book, especially the characters. There are so many just lovable personalities but if I had to pick a favorite it would have to be Ujima. Ujima is Quito’s non-binary roommate/platonic soulmate (you can’t tell me they aren’t). They provide this really great comic relief in some of the more tense moments, are always dressed to the nines no matter what the occasion, and are ultimately just such a good friend. While I loved all of the characters -except Mark, mark gave me bad vibes from the beginning- Ujima has my heart.

I also really appreciated the way the author tells Emmett and Quito’s story by alternating between chapters set in the present and flashbacks to their high school days. This really let us see the initial relationship begin to form and see that the chemistry between them has always been there.

I’m also going to give fair warning that the miscommunication trope is used here and at one point it keeps Quito and Emmett apart for almost 20 years- seriously one simple conversation could have cleared the air between them but it’s fine. I do think ultimately it ends up working for them because they needed that time apart to really be able to come back together stronger.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy of this book.

We love a pianist and musician. As someone who grew up surrounded by music, All the Right Notes was the perfect romance read for me. I deeply enjoyed being back not only in the world of high school music, but also of downtown bars and musicals. Lim brings such a joy to All the Right Notes in the ways in which music is such a core theme of the book. The ways music can transcend words and make us believe in something bigger than ourselves. Feelings we can't quite voice yet, but that are moved by music.

All the Right Notes is very much a book about a life shaped by music. But it's also shaped by the memories we have to our parents. How we can sometimes ignore their calls, but the slightest panic in their voice leaves us running.