A mature take on discovering yourself, your sexuality and your path in life. I enjoyed the portrayal of multiple support systems and parent-children relationships.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read This Song Is (Not) For You early. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I had trouble connecting with the characters and the writing style unlike previous books I’ve read from her.

The story is about Ramona, Sam, and later Tom, who are in a band trying to find their sound. When Tom joins, things click for them musically—and a bit more. I thought the premise had potential, but the way the book was structured made it hard to get into and I didn’t get to connect with the characters.

This was a quick, easy read, but for me, it didn’t quite live up to the hype.

hmm after giving this some thought, i am not quite sure what i think about it yet. i requested this as i thoroughly enjoyed if only he had been with me and its sequel but found this book to not be along a similar vein. the solid writing is still there, i believe this may just be a bit too YA for me!

Ramona falls for Sam instantly but they are too afraid of ruining their friendship and their band. She also falls for Tom, another band member, when she she meets him...

A romantic and angsty novel. The relationship is complicated and messy... I love how complicated it is... I love the self-growth message in the story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I had read Laura Nowlin's other novels so I was ecstatic to read this one. This novel is about three high school students who are in a band, who navigate their feelings for each other through a love triangle (kind-of?) trope and end up in a poly relationship.

This book was pretty easy to read because the words just flowed like honey. I finished this book pretty quickly, which was nice. This novel was pretty relaxing to read, so don't expect anything too outrageous.

This song is (Not) For You was definitely unexpected but surprising in a new and exciting way. I love and adore Laura’s writing because I first fell in love with her work in If he had been with me, and If only I had told her. So when I saw this I was also quite intrigued.

This book follows Ramona and Sam. From the moment she met him she fell, but she always prioritised and respected their friendship. To her, he was too important and she couldn’t risk loosing him, not knowing he may feel the exact same way. One day they meet Tom, the missing piece of their band… but also he may also be a part that was missing in Ramona’s life too? So much so that she’s falling for him whilst still very much in love with Sam. Can she love both and not cause a conflict in the band?

Ramona was quirky and quite charismatic. Tom was quite inspiring and driven. Sam was just downright likeable and gentle. Quite a mix in characteristics but when together they complement each other well. The alternative POV’s was quite good to allow an insight on each characters internal monologue and what they were feeling, as they all have different and unique traits.

Laura always writes so poetically and metaphorically, and I enjoy dissecting and applying those parts of the book to my life; or even just seeing beyond what she’s written and the underlying message. I can appreciate a book that focuses on the importance of figuring out yourself and your identity. In experimenting and experiencing new things. I also didn’t expect this book to pan out the way it did, so this was quite a twist for me.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This [Book} was unfortunately not for me. This was my first Laura Nowlin novel, and I fear it might be my last. I didn't connect well with the characters and writing style which disappointed me because I've heard such great things about her previous books.

Book:
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU by Laura Nowlin
Thank you SourcebooksFire and Netgalley for the earc (Dec 31)

Review:
3⭐
THIS SONG IS (NOT) FOR YOU follows Ramona and Sam, and eventually Tom. Ramona and Sam are in a band, but they feel somethings missing. When they bring Tom in, they've found their sound and something more.
This book was okay. That's really the only way to describe it. I felt like the pov were short, and it was kind of hard to keep track of the three since almost every page was a new chapter/pov. Looking past that, Nowlin has written a coming-of-age story were three people realize what they want to do when they grow up and who they want be. I think if this book was longer, the characters could have developed in a way that didn't seem so rushed. Other than that, this book was a quick and easy read---perfect for fans of Nowlin's work.

This Song is ( Not ) For You by new to me author L. Nowlin, published by Sourcebooks, is ya novel. A best friends to maybe lovers story, well written, beautifully told.
Blurb: Bandmate, best friend or boyfriend? For Ramona, one choice could mean losing them all.
Ramona and Sam are best friends. She fell for him the moment they met, but their friendship is just too important for her to mess up. Sam loves Ramona, but he would never expect her to feel the same way--she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Together, they have a band, and put all of their feelings for each other into music.
Then Ramona and Sam meet Tom. He's their band's missing piece, and before Ramona knows it, she's falling for him. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either.

This is a short, quick read...and that's about the best I can say about it. I work with this age students ev,eryday, and for the most part, these characters are the most exaggerated versions of the most stereotyped modern-day students you can imagine. The beginning never really tied into the actual story (I kept waiting for the end to loop back to it, but it didn't) and the whole thing just felt...trite.