This was both very fun and emotionally rich! I liked how their relationship didn't fix Joni's problem of being burnt out, but offered her a way of thinking differently. The moment when she finishes the song! Heartbreaking and also freeing!

Absolutely loved it! Ashely Posten is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I love how her books have a tiny fantasy twist to them. The telepathic link on this one was very interesting. Definitely a must read.

4.5

isnt it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me ✨

i have to say that after not liking her last book very much i was a little nervous but still excited to dive into this one, after liking seven year slip & the dead romantics so much i realllly wanted to love another book of hers and im so excited that this was what i hoped it would be 💓

im usually not the biggest fan of books that revolve around music but this one was SO much fun, i absolutely love ashley postons brand of magic. her stories are so unique and i love the way they always come full circle, i mean all of the connections in life that led joni and sasha together?! 😭

i was so pleasantly surprised by how much i ended up loving sasha, when we first meet him hes an absolute prick and i was extremely worried that he would remain that way for a huge chunk of the book but thankfully i was proven wrong very quickly, this man is so beautifully romantic 😭

this is one of those books where i don’t wanna get TOO into a bunch of details that i loved because i think that the magic of this book should be experienced blind, just know youre in for a treat 🤭

Ashley Poston does magical realism so lyrically and beautifully, and Sounds Like Love hits all the right notes! Songwriter Joni Lark has writer’s block and no way to get over it, so she returns home to find inspiration. And then she hears it—a melody in her head she can’t shake, and the voice of musician Sebastian Fell in her head. When he shows up in her town, these two finish the song in their heads, but will they lose their hearts in the process? This is a slow burn with great banter and an emotionally gripping story of family, love, and dreams. For me, it was a slow start that had me questioning if I really enjoy magical realism—I feel like the last few I’ve read just haven’t totally worked for me in the subgenre—but by the second half, this was feeling like a five star. I just wish the whole book felt like the second half did. I loved Joni; she feels very real. She’s flawed and looking for her inspiration while also dealing with her mom’s dementia and the changes in her family and life. She feels at times a little selfish, but never in a way that didn’t make sense; she has a lot on her plate and she’s doing her best. And Sebastian! I wish there had been his POV too because I just adored him. He’s cocky and vulnerable, and their conversations stuck in each other’s head were raw and sweet and honest. I loved their connection. I loved the love of music in these pages, and the story is striking. It’s a really lovely, magical read!

4.5 out of 5 stars

I just continue to fall more and more in love with Ashley Poston and her stories with every book she writes. This book is a love letter, a love song, to so many types of love. Ashley Poston is an automatic read for me.

SOUNDS LIKE LOVE by Ashley Poston has all of the typical elements of an Ashley Poston novel – 1st person narration, magical realism, slow-burn romance, troubles with communication. However, this latest novel is NOT a typical Ashley Poston novel. It is more personal, more intimate; and it is this essence of the writing that makes the story a compelling read.

Joni Lark is a successful song writer. However, she is in the throes of an existential crisis – she has lost her zest for song writing. Part of the issue is that despite all of the glitz and glamor of Los Angeles that many dreamers chase after, she has lost that euphoric feeling she experiences when she writes a truly wonderful song. She is also homesick. So a trip back home is exactly what the doctor (and the author) prescribes. When she returns home, she realizes that life has happened and things are not as rosy as she thought they were – her parents are giving up their music venue. Why? Because mom is suffering from dementia that is steadily growing worse, and dad needs to be on hand to take care of mom full time. Also, why has not her best friend told Joni about the fact that Joni’s brother has proposed? Oh yeah, and why does she keep hearing someone else’s thoughts in her head? And what is that tune she and the mystery person, whose thoughts she is privy to, keep hearing?

Plotwise, there is a lot happening in Poston’s latest, and some of it can be a bit distracting. I read the book in spurts, mostly because life kept getting in the way of my reading. I’d read 20 or 30 pages, then put it down. Then a few days later, I’d pick it back up again, read 20 or 30 pages, and then put it back down again.

However, something happened by the time I reached the halfway mark – I could not stop, and I refused to allow anything to intrude on my time with Poston. I realized – Oh! Poston is not writing a romance; she is writing about relationships and dreams. The romance might be the hook, but this is a book about mothers and fathers and daughters and best friends (and yes, lovers) and Life with a capital L. And all of the good and all of the bad that happens when someone is busy living their Life. AND all of the songs that are the soundtrack to that Life.

I recently had a wonderful conversation with Sarah Hogle. We both mentioned that romance novels, especially those published over the last few years – read THE FOLKLORE OF FOREVER, HAPPY PLACE, WHAT’S IN A KISS just to name a few – are less about the romance and more about the relationships between the characters. Poston, Hogle, Emily Henry, and Lauren Kate are taking romance in a new direction, and I find that very exciting — romances, with a lower case r, that are actually love stories about family and friendship.

I am excited to read what Poston produces next, whether it is shelved in romance or (quite possibly) the fiction section. I know that it will be brilliant.

Really enjoyed this one! I love the magical elements Ashley Poston always brings to her story and I really enjoyed Jo and Sebastian's characters. I loved the little beach town setting and now I want to move to Vienna Shores.

Sounds Like Love featured the usual Ashley Poston magical elements and it was a love story with a happy ending, but it felt like something was missing.

Joni and Sebastian's characters didn't feel fully flushed out; their connection, the supporting characters, the conflict, it all felt incomplete.

I think the issue may be that I keep chasing the high that was The Seven Year Slip and keep ending up with mixed results

2.5 stars, I think I finally have to admit that Ashley Poston’s romances don’t really do it for me. I loved her fantasy, Among the Beasts & Briars, and though I’ve tried every single one of her contemporary romances, I’ve found each of them to be lacking. I’m not sure if it’s the magical realism of it all, the writing style, or the characters, but I can’t never fully invest like I want to.

This one started out good! I was intrigued by Joni and Sebastian’s first meeting and the whole mind-reading thing. But the mind-reading aspect quickly got out of hand; I felt confused about how it worked, and it seemed like there were contradictions. It was a bit hard to navigate between Joni’s thoughts and what Sebastian was or wasn’t hearing. It was a distraction, to be honest. It was also difficult to really see a growth in their feelings for each other because their thoughts were all over the place. It just didn’t really work for me. Also, this is a nitpicky thing but I hated the way the chapter titles were formatted?? Why the parentheses?

I will say that the ending really packed an emotional punch! The storyline with Joni’s mom and Ami was super interesting, and I liked the messages about grief and loss. This’ll be my last Poston book for awhile; disappointed that I can’t seem to get into her books!

While Sounds Like Love is a (not too) sweet romance, the romance is most of all a front for a lovely examination of the process of finding one’s hopes and dreams and understanding love and loss. It went down easy, providing a satisfying story amidst the home truths. Recommended!

3.5 ★ thank you to Berkley Romance for the ARC! I enjoyed this one but it definitely was not my favorite from Ashley Poston. I loved the musical setting and titles to the chapters, Joni’s relationship to her family, the setting of the book, IwanClem cameo, and the magic, I always love the magic! However, didn’t love the third act breakup situation and did not feel super attached to the relationship in this one and don’t think I’ll think much about it after unfortunately.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this e-arc!

Ashley Poston cuts deep with Sounds Like Love!!! Mommy trauma club members rejoice, this one is for us!

Successful songwriter Joni Lark is in a professional slump when she returns to her hometown for the summer to recoup. But not before she meets bad boy, ex boy band member Sebastian Fell who is then promptly in her head (literally).

Poston injects her usual whimsy and adds a shining burst of summer into Sounds Like Love. I was apprehensive going into this one because A Novel Love Story fell very flat for me last year (this broke my heart). But rest assured Ashley is back on her bullshit with this one!

I felt hard for Joni as she navigates her mom’s dementia and I think Poston handled the topic with care. Her characters felt in depth again to me and I love that they were in each other’s heads. This one is also for those who question their career aspirations and what it costs you to be successful.

I will say I had some minor qualms - their romantic relationship felt a bit choppy and the timeline fast (reading each others thoughts might do that to a person though idk). I think there was maybe just a little too much going on at times.

I still loved it and thought it was the right mix of tenderness (yenno it’s my fav), emotional impact, and tension - Sebastian is sexy you guys, you’ll want to meet him! And per usual Ashley lets us glimpse her universe she’s building (literally gave me GOOSEBUMPS).

Out June 17!!! Another summer romance to add to your TBR.

4.25 ⭐️

The amazing vibes from The Dead Romantics are baccckkkkk! I loved Sounds Like Love. ❤️

Imagine if you started hearing someone else in your head. Like, actually hearing their thoughts. Would you want to know who it was? What if you kept hearing the same song and couldn't figure out what it was? Songwriter Joni finds herself in this exact situation and while she tries to ignore it, she realizes that's not going to make it go away.

Enter small town vibes, magical realism, and the Ashley Poston we all fell in love with after reading Dead Romantics.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy to enjoy.

What a beautiful, sweet, heartbreaking read. The words. The description of emotions. The lovely lovely words. It was so wonderful to combine my two favorite things - words and music - into one gorgeous story. I ached right along with Bird and Sasha and practically felt the depth of their confusion and connection and sadness and yearning and joy. It was just a really beautiful book. I loved it. So much. 💜💜💜📚

I love everything about this sort of fantastical world Ashley Poston has created for these books, and considering Seven Year Slip was what got me into romance books in the first place, they hold a special place in my heart. This one is no different.

The relationship was beautiful and the song in their heads was too. But my favorite aspects were the familial ones. Losing someone too soon, grieving the life you wish you had, having homesickness constantly flowing through your veins was all done so well and had me connecting to Joni more than I thought I would.

4/5 ✨ Thank you Netgalley and penguin for the ARC!!!

Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance!

Songwriter Joni has writer’s block and hasn’t been able to write another song since her last hit. She meets Sebastian, a has-been musician with a famous father, and they don’t exactly hit it off. However, when she returns to her hometown and finds things aren’t as she expected, she discovers a melody in her head along with an unfamiliar voice. When she discovers who the voice belongs to and how they can work together to create the song of both of their dreams, it’s like it was meant to be.

I absolutely, positively adore Ashley Poston’s writing. Her books are written for my heart and good for my soul and make me feel like she gets me. She writes so beautifully and captures the human experience of grief, flawed characters, and love better than anyone else. I loved this take on magical realism with the two characters being able to hear one another’s thoughts. Joni’s story with her mother really resonated and was captured so sensitively. I loved the chapter titles as a kind of playlist to go along with the book and the musical theme throughout. It really was just a wonderful book that I wanted to savor but was over far too soon. I’d recommend this book to all of the music lovers, those who are recovering from a loss in their life (and able to handle a sensitively written book that addresses grief), and those who enjoy a romance with a touch of magical realism.

One of my favorite things about Ashley Poston novels is the magical realism element. She creates charming and romantic stories and gives them a touch of magic.

Enter Joni, a successful song writer who has lost all inspiration after her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Enter Sebastian, a famous "bad boy" who used to be in a band as a teenager, and is the son of the music legend, Roman Fell.

In an effort to find inspiration, Joni leaves LA to stay with her family in her childhood home, but she brings along a random tune and a man's voice in her head. Is she finally cracking from the pressure of not writing a new song in a year? Why can she have conversations with a man in her head? What is going on?!

Y'all, buckle up and get ready for some forced mental proximity, a haunting melody that won't leave the main characters alone, beautiful family relationships, a celebrity that isn't actually as he seems, and some toe curling yearning and romance. Get ready to fall in love with Joni and Sebastian! I absolutely adored them, their mind banter, and how vulnerable and endearing they were to each other because of their ability to know each other's thoughts. I found myself giggling, tearing up, and kicking my feet, so overall a successful read!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashley Poston, the author that you are! As an avid romance reader, I always love when something completely new comes up out of nowhere. Ashley Poston hits it out of the park every time for me! In this book, we follow Joni Lark, a songwriter who has been suffering from writer's block. Honestly, I don't want to give too much away, but it was as interesting a premise as A Novel Love Story but a bit more believable than being stuck in your favorite author's book series. Man, I'm looking forward to buying it in June!

Ashley Postons writing is truly magical and captivating. However, this has to be my least favorite of hers so far. The book was still a very cute romance but the family conflict was too similar to Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez which comes out at a similar time. It was also difficult to relate to the characters like you really want to in a women’s fiction/romance. Overall, very cute but not my favorites. Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

I loved Sounds Like Love! The characters were multilayered, their family relationships were believable, and the telepathic connection and the couple of twists at the end all came together to make it an engrossing story. Also? It was an excellent exploration of the many possible paths to success for those with creative dreams.

I'm sure this book will be very successful, but I'll certainly do my small part by recommending it widely.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.