Lost Love on 6th Street by Lolu Sinclair offers an enjoyable, if somewhat uneven, romantic escapade through Austin's lively music scene. The premise—a curious archivist uncovering the story of a mysterious 1993 musician—sounds like the perfect blend of romance, music history, and adventure. However, while there are moments of charm, the novel doesn’t fully hit all the right notes, making it a decent but ultimately underwhelming read.

The protagonist, Eleanor Hayes, is relatable in her awkwardness, and her love for history and archiving gives her a unique edge compared to more typical rom-com heroines. Her curiosity about the mysterious musician adds a fun investigative layer to the story, and her awkward encounters and clumsy charm provide some light humor. However, Eleanor’s character development feels somewhat shallow, and despite the quirky premise, her personality doesn’t quite leap off the page as much as you’d hope for a lead character.

Luke Wyatt, the charming music promoter, is introduced as Eleanor’s guide into Austin’s music world. He knows all the ins and outs of the neon-lit 6th Street, and while sparks do fly between them, his character is a bit too smooth. Luke comes across as the archetypal rom-com love interest, and though his laid-back vibe fits the Austin music scene, there’s little that makes him stand out or adds depth to his role beyond being Eleanor’s romantic interest.

The chemistry between Eleanor and Luke is hit or miss. While there are some cute moments—late-night texting and shared taco truck runs—their banter often feels forced, and their romance progresses without much emotional buildup. Eleanor’s awkwardness and Luke’s over-the-top charm are supposed to create an opposites-attract dynamic, but the connection between them doesn’t feel entirely authentic or particularly steamy, despite the book’s attempts at humor and sexual tension ("steams up Eleanor’s glasses and tightens Luke's trousers").

The mystery surrounding the 1993 musician is the most intriguing aspect of the novel, but it often feels like a subplot rather than the driving force of the story. Sinclair spends a lot of time describing Austin’s music scene, with its dive bars, record shops, and legendary venues, but the actual mystery feels underdeveloped. Readers expecting a more substantial musical history or detective-style narrative may be disappointed, as the clues and discoveries around the mysterious musician feel secondary to the romance.

On the plus side, Sinclair paints a vivid picture of Austin, capturing the city’s vibrant and eclectic energy. The descriptions of 6th Street’s music scene, with its dive bars and vintage shops, bring the setting to life. If you love Austin, the setting will be a nostalgic delight, even if the plot doesn’t fully capitalize on it.

Final Thoughts:
Lost Love on 6th Street is a light, breezy read that’s perfect for fans of music-infused rom-coms, but it falls short in both its romance and its mystery. The chemistry between Eleanor and Luke lacks the depth needed to truly invest in their relationship, and the potentially captivating mystery of the musician from 1993 doesn’t get the attention it deserves. While the Austin setting adds a fun backdrop, the novel overall feels like it misses out on its full potential. A 2.5-star read—enjoyable enough but not particularly memorable.

Cute storyline! I enjoyed the premise of the book, but the characters were a little cringy.

Luke and Eleanor literally run into each other on 6th street and it is love at first site for Luke. I think Eleanor needed a little convincing from her bff/boss. Eleanor is working as a music archivist and is searching for information on a mystery woman she found in a picture. Luke knows more than he lets on but continues to lie so he can hang out with Eleanor. In the end the picture leads to Luke uncovering some of his family secrets.

I would probably give this a 3.5 star rating. It was a good read but will not go in my reread list.

Thank you Netgalley and Lolu Sinclair for the ARC read.

3🌟: This book was honestly not super memorable :/ Let’s start with the positives though: The writing was good and very refreshingly simple as well and with its cute premise it was great! I actually liked the love interests together after everything was resolved and I thought their ending was sweet, I love it when epilogues aren’t rushed and don’t have a huge time jump but also give a cute glimpse into the couple’s future. Also I loved exploring Austin in this book through the mysterious scavenger hunt storyline - it was very much giving small town vibes even though Austin is a huge city lol.

But I’m afraid the cons outweighs the pros: despite how I thought Eleanor and Luke were cute together, the fact that he was lying to her from the start really threw me off their love story and he would think some really icky, not-like-other-girls things that I did not appreciate. Also one of the tropes here is insta-love which I’m not sure many people enjoy either so there’s that. And the start of this book felt very young, it took me a long time to believe that these main characters were in there 30s?! I could not take Luke’s flirting seriously for te first 20% because of this too 😭 Eleanor, wow, I was shocked by how little we learnt about her, by the end of the book she still felt like a stranger to me :/

BUT thank you so much to Lolu Sinclair, NetGalley and Lost Lust for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion :)

Eleanor Hayes expected her temp job at Austin’s music library to be all about sorting dusty files, but everything changed when she stumbled across an old photo of a mysterious musician from 1993. Eleanor was drawn in by her curiosity, the mystery, so she dove headfirst into Austin’s lively music scene, where she quickly crossed paths with Luke Wyatt, a charming music promoter who seemed to know every cool spot in town. As they followed clues from dive bars to record shops, sparks flew, and suddenly the search wasn’t the only thing heating up between them

I ended up loving this book way more than I expected! For a debut, it really impressed me—it was engaging and entertaining from start to finish. Eleanor handled being new to Austin with such heart, and Luke, who was smitten right from the start, was impossible to resist. Their ups and downs felt real, but their connection stayed strong throughout.

The mystery added such a fun layer to the story, keeping me hooked right to the very end!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lost Lust!

The narrative centers around Eleanor Hayes, an archivist employed at a music library. As she sifts through vintage photographs, she discovers a picture of an enigmatic young musician from 1993, sparking her resolve to delve into the woman's life. She encounters Luke Wyatt, a charismatic music promoter possessing extensive knowledge of the city's past and its concealed treasures. Together, they embark on a quest to decipher the identity of the musician. While the storyline is captivating with its unexpected turns, I found the characters to be somewhat unrelatable.
They are both in their thirties but exhibit behavior more akin to that of teenagers. It would have been preferable if they acted more maturely.
Some of the supporting characters could have been given more depth and development. thanks netgalley!

Cute found family book

Eleanor moved to Austin and was captivated by a photo. She bumped into Luke and he was enamored by her. He weaseled his way into helping her located who was in the photo and their history.

Found family
3rd act break
Music
Dogs
Loss of a loved one

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

this was so cute! i loved the characters and their chemistry! the writing was ok and the plot was fun, but I think the characters were the best

Thank you for providing this ARC!

This book has such an interesting premise. The way the main characters are tasked to solve a mystery together is such a fun idea, and it Definitely drew me in.

It was such a fun and easy read, I actually finished this in 2 days! I think this book is quite solid, and the things I dislike are mostly due to personal preferences. Some things I do feel rather confused about is why Eleanor is really curious about the picture she found, and why she wants to know about the woman in it. That part to me seemed quite out of the blue, considering it had no relation to her or her work at the museum.

It was also quite insta-love-y, which I'm not particularly into, but it didn't bother me much. I do wonder why Luke didn't tell Eleanor about what he knew, though. Even once things are revealed, I still didn't understand why, or what the point of it was. I felt the first half of the book was strong and held good promises, but the second half threw me off and made me feel that the characters don't deserve each other.

Eleanor, specifically, got a bit on my nerves with what she did after Luke revealed his secret to her, and then proceeds to also find out secrets about his family that he didn't know about in the span of a few days. That was a lot to take in, and when Luke was all over the place and acted unlike himself, Eleanor got angry and told him he should be... grateful? I was confused, but I was glad to see that Luke was too.

All in all, I think this book has a lot of charm. The setting of the story, the mystery, and the little things that happen in it was absolutely lovely. Jolene was such a fun side character, and adds a funny atmosphere whenever she's around.

This book isn't for me, however, I think a lot of people would actually enjoy this. This is the author's debut novel, and I enjoyed the writing style a lot. Would definitely check more of her future works!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

While Lost Love on Sixth Street by Lola Sinclair has a cute concept of a musician and a photographer teaming up to solve a mystery, unfortunately, this book just wasn't my cup of tea. I found the characters to be a bit one-dimensional and the plot to be predictable. The writing style didn't quite resonate with me either. Despite these drawbacks, I appreciate that it served as a quick read that was able to pull me out of a reading slump. It may appeal to others who enjoy light-hearted mysteries or romance novels, but for me, it fell short of expectations.

I have not completed the book but soo far I'm loving it...gonna complete it in one sitting......the set up of 60's music was damm good

Love Lost on 6th Street is a captivating dual POV romance that immediately grabbed my attention. Eleanor, a photographer and archivist on a temporary assignment at an Austin music museum, has moved from Chicago for a fresh start and new experiences. On her first day, she discovers a mysterious, unlabeled photo that ignites her curiosity and sets her on a quest for answers. Enter Luke, a local music promoter with extensive knowledge of the scene, who eagerly joins her search. Their collaboration sparks an intense insta-love, though Luke’s sometimes obsessive interest in Eleanor could have been portrayed more subtly. The vibrant Austin music scene adds a charming backdrop to their story, which features a mix of engaging characters and colorful personalities. The narrative flows seamlessly between Luke and Eleanor’s perspectives, weaving together elements of soul-searching, unexpected twists, and trust issues that test their relationship. With surprising revelations about Luke’s family and a satisfying conclusion, this beautifully crafted novel offers a refreshing escape from the usual New York and LA settings. Its charming romance and delightful cover make it an appealing choice for readers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this eARC

thank you netgalley for sending me this arc :)

this was definitely not something i have ever read before. it was a romance that followed the lives of eleanor, a photo archivist that recently found a job in austin, texas at a music museum & luke, a austin local who works in the music industry.

the majority of this book was them attempting to track down the woman in a photograph that eleanor found while at work - which ends up being someone Luke already knows & the truth uncovers some facts about his life that he may not have been ready for

I didn’t love or hate this book! I don’t really have anything negative or positive to say.

I thought the plot was very unique in a way. I didn’t totally understand why the photo meant so much to Eleanor and why someone would write a book based on a plot line like this. I liked though, how the story of the woman ended up being very relevant to uncovering Luke’s life and secrets he never realized were true.

The romance is there - not overwhelming or addicting as a reader but it was there. I wouldn’t say there was a lot of chemistry between the two initially but I eventually grew to root for them.

but yeah!! it was average. i could see how people could love this book if any of this resonates with them.

This book offers an engaging story that captivates from start to finish. The plot is well-structured, with intriguing twists that keep the reader hooked. The characters are well-developed, and their motivations are believable and relatable. The author’s writing style is clear and descriptive, making it easy to immerse oneself in the world they’ve created.

As an Austinite. I loved this book. The characters , the Austin places mentioned, the storyline …all of it. This one will live rent free in my head for a while.

This started out cute but I was bored and annoyed around the 50% mark. The book should have been wrapped up sooner. Also Luke just randomly turns into kind of an asshole and I didn't vibe with it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This has an interesting premise, but the plot fell a bit flat for me. I think if the characters were given a bit more depth, this would be great!

This was a roller coaster! The beginning was very cute and enjoyable and I found myself exited to continue! The middle dragged on forever sadly and nothing much happened. The chemistry between Luke and Eleanor was lacking at this point. Then at around 65% it really picked up and I was very invested into this whole family drama situation! However the ending once again fell flat and anti-climatic. The Austin atmosphere was very nice! And the writing was also very engaging. As I said earlier, I didn’t feel much chemistry between the MCs. Eleanor was just kind of there, I couldn’t get a grip on get personality? Was she shy? Was she forward? Was she a feminist? Who knows? Luke was better, though still on the dry side. At times I did find his personality grating and pushy. Too self involved? I wanted more passion, more banter, more something! The whole miscommunication situation was pretty ridiculous in the sense that he could have just kept quiet about it and nobody would have been the wiser? Overall I did enjoy this book but it sadly was not very memorable.

I really enjoyed this story. It was amazing to have Austin Texas' music scene be the backdrop for the story. I love how the main character, Eleanor Hayes, finds her way to Austin and her temporary job in the Reeder Museum of Music. There is a little mystery about a photo she finds in the archives and a dashingly handsome young man, Luke Wyatt, that she literally bumps into when trying to gather any information about the person in the photo. There's is an instant friendship (at least on Luke's part) and they have a blast using his connections to try to find any information about the person in the photo.

There are wonderful characters and some "real characters" in this story. It flowed so well, with alternating chapters being from either Luke or Eleanor's points of view. There is soul searching and some surprises along the way. Trust is broken; can the relationship remain intact? Luke finds some new information about his family that he never knew too. All-in-all this is a beautifully crafted story.

Be warned, there is some occasional foul language and some references to making love, The characters are both in their 30's.

Lost Love on 6th Street is a fun and engaging read, but it didn’t quite live up to my high expectations. The story follows Eleanor as she begins a research journey in Austin, sparked by a mysterious photo she found. With unexpected help from Luke, who doubles as her city guide, the plot unfolds through dual perspectives, allowing us to see both characters’ thoughts as their feelings for each other develop.

I love a good dual POV book so I was so excited to crack this one open, plus the cover is adorable! The writing was generally good, sometimes falling flat but it kept me interested most of the way. However, the miscommunication trope in this book was the last straw. I'm usually not a fan anyway but it was beyond frustrating! Luke’s dishonesty from the start created unnecessary conflict that could have easily been avoided and really distracted from the story.

That said, the first part of the book was really enjoyable, with intriguing mystery. However, the rushed ending and the way the central conflict was handled left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. I had hoped for more depth and a stronger resolution to both the romance and the mystery.

Despite these complaints, I still appreciated Sinclair’s writing style and the unique elements she brought to the story (especially Austin's music and history!). If you’re in the mood for a light romance with a touch of mystery and a vivid sense of place, Lost Love on 6th Street might still be worth your time. I’m curious to see what Sinclair writes next, as I think she has a lot of potential as an author.

I truly enjoyed this book. All of the ups and downs/highs and lows. The story line between Luke and Eleanor kept me engaged all the way until the end. This book it’s romantic and loving while having some predictable parts that just flow. I recommend adding it as a sweet read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own