Ashley Poston once again delivers magic, both literal and emotional, in this beautifully lyrical romance. Joni and her mysterious musician share a connection that feels like fate, pulling them together through music, longing, and unfinished melodies. The tension crackles, the emotions hit deep, and the story hums with that signature Poston blend of heartache, humor, and just a touch of the unexplainable. It is haunting, intimate, and absolutely unforgettable.

Oh, how I adore this author and her magical romances. Every new book surprises me and I fall just a little more in love with her prose. This story introduces two characters, both artists in the music industry struggling with their career and life choices who find themselves telepathically connected after a kiss on a balcony.

Joni Lark is a songwriter, living the dream in L.A., with a hit song on the airwaves and a bright future. Only she has a secret, the music and lyrics aren’t speaking to her anymore. Before heading home to Vienna Shores, North Carolina she quickly stops by a friend’s show, only to discover Sebastian McKellen, ex-boy band member, already occupying the balcony. Sebastian doesn’t exactly make the best first impression, but after being put in the spotlight, they share a kiss.

It’s not until Joni arrives back home that she realizes she has begun to hear a melody playing in her head, and the voice of a man, who seems to be just as startled by their connection. As she is reuniting with her best friend, helping out at the Revelry, the music hall owned by her family, and coming to grips with her mother’s dementia, she is also slowly getting to know the man, Sasha, who’s thoughts are always right there. Sasha and Joni decide that the only way to fix this shared affliction is to finish the song they both keep hearing. So, Sasha heads to North Carolina, and Joni is surprised to find that Sasha is actually Sebastian McKellen.

Ashley Poston excels at writing grief books that are wrapped up in magical romances. This book leans heavily on Joni’s heartache over her mother’s failing health and memories, and her own decisions that have kept her away from the family she loves so much. She goes on a journey of self-reflection, about what is important to her and what she wants her future to look like. At the same time, she is getting to know the real Sebastian, who is himself angry and at times unsure. Two things they both have in common though, are their affinity for music and their love for their mothers.

This is one of those romances where you know there are supernatural forces at work bringing these two together. And although I did have inklings early on at just how these two were cosmically connected, I was still choked up at the end when I was proven correct. This is kind of a love letter to music lovers, to creatives who doubt themselves, and to people who go out into the wide world but ultimately come back home to their happy places. The scenes of Joni and Sasha working on their song together while falling in love were beautiful. The softness and deeply felt affection and love between Joni’s family and friends soothed my soul. There were tears, but laughter and sweetness as well.

I don’t even know how this author manages to write such magical, whimsical romances time and time again. This book is deeply romantic, and despite the overall sense of sadness about Joni’s mother’s illness and the progression of her disease, there is also lovely moments between them and an HEA that brings everything together just right.

Final Grade- A

‘Sounds Like Love’ is an enchanting blend of music, magic, and melancholia—a lyrical love story that lingers like a favorite song. Which I’m not surprised given the record of Ashley Poston always masterfully weaving together the best romances that are equal parts magical, emotional, and absolutely heart throbbing.

Joni’s has a creative block going on until an inexplicable connection to a brooding musician who exists both in her mind and, bafflingly, in real life cross paths. The dynamic between them was achingly beautiful with just the right touch of magical realism to make the story feel fresh, but still so uniquely an Ashley Poston story.

Poston’s prose is as evocative as ever. A strong 5 stars, and if possible even above that. Every word in this book is now something marked into my brain forever.

Ashley Poston’s writing is truly unmatched and this book truly shows that. I love how she uses magical realism in her books and still makes it feel like a typical romance (in the best way). I loved the mentions of Iwan and Lemon from TSYL and how she managed to capture the grief of losing someone before you’ve lost them. This is fighting TSYL for my favorite Ashley book 😭

The night before she leaves LA to see her family in the Outer Banks, successful songwriter Joni Lark runs into superficial former boy band sensation, Sebastian Fell. The encounter is strange and annoying to say the least, but their kiss is amazing. Once home Joni starts hearing a male voice in her head, and when the voice follows her to home, she realizes there’s more to him than she imagined. A fun love story with a mystic overtone that’s sure to please everyone. Poston hits the mark writing romance.

I love Ashley poston and her writing, I've read all of her adult works and every time I fall in love more and more.
With sounds like love I don't know if I connected with the characters as much as I have with her other works. I just felt like the characters lacked depth and also the magic realism part of the story was a bit confusing and in my opinion didn't really make sense ?
It could be too that I am just not a huge music person.. I just didn't find myself enjoying the music part of it at all. The FMC was also unbearable and constantly second guessing.

Ashley Poston is without a doubt one of my favorite romance authors of all time. No one can do magical realism like she does. I am constantly amazed and I find fascinating how creative and unique her stories are (like nothing I've read before.)

"Sounds Like Love" combines romance and magic, while exploring the theme of "grieve" (no one is surprised because every other book by her is centered around this theme and we love it.) The first chapters didn't impress me and I found hard to connect with both characters and their careers: Joni's (a songwriter) and Sebastian (a singer).

I am not a fan of the celebrity/musician trope but I was pleasantly surprised when I hit that 50% mark. After that point, the story took another turn and there were twists and emotional moments that made me want to tear up. By the end, I was able to feel in love with Joni and Sebastian undeniably chemistry. I loved the whole idea behind two people being able to communicate to each other through their minds (telepathic connection.) It was adorable seeing how both of them could hear what the other was thinking and feeling. What I took from this story is that no matter how someone looks on the outside and how they act, the reality of it all is that we don't really know what they're going through.

My favorite thing about Ashley's books is that every single one of them would made such a great romcom movie and this was no exception.

Thank you so much Berkeley Romance for the reader advance copy.

Joni is a songwriter in L.A. who had made a name for herself with uplifting, pop hits but she’s got block. Enter Sebastian, bad boy nepo baby who’s hit a bit of a lull in his precious boy band career. These two get into each other’s heads, literally, and have to figure out how to get out.

Wow. I loved this book! The characters are enchanting, messy, and adorable. Their relationship is extremely sweet and I love the backdrop of songwriting, the love of live music, and the pressures that we put on ourselves to create. And we have mixed tapes! Cassettes! Joni’s Outer Banks hometown is a lovely setting - being townies in a vacation town - and the fact that they own the local music joint is perfect. Since we are talking about Ashley Poston here, of course, there is a dollop of magical realism and it is AWESOME. This and Dead Romantics are my two faves now. I adore this novel and highly recommend it!

This book is a beautiful romance but it also is a deeply introspective book about your place in the world, fears, grief, friendship, and family. I loved it so much. I loved the richness of the experience reading this book. This is now my favorite Ashley Poston book.

This was a great read! I am a fan of and have read most of Poston’s work, and this book doesn’t disappoint!
I loved the characters in this story, Joni, Sebastian, Gigi, and Joni’s parents all felt so alive. I really felt like I got to know them throughout the story. Joni and Sebastian’s chemistry was amazing and how they got to know and understand each other as time went on was fun to read. It was refreshing to read a romance where the main couple didn’t immediately have a perfect connection and relationship, but instead the couple really had to work for it. The magical realism with the connection between the two’s minds added an extra spark of magic and uniqueness to the story.
Joni’s mother’s struggle with dementia was heartbreaking. It hit a little too close to home for me, so reading those parts of the book were very emotional. However I felt that Poston did her research and (with personal experience herself with a family member with the disease), that she faithfully portrayed the struggles and impact on the whole family.
As with her other books, Poston once again manages to make the setting of the story feel magical. As I was reading, I felt myself wishing I could visit Venice Shores and catch a show at the Revelry with Joni and Sebastian, hang out with Uncle Rick on The Marge, and see the horses race through town.
My only gripe was that I had just read Dead Romantics before this book, and I felt like the two books were a little too similar. But that could simply be since I read it so recently.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves music, magical realism, and contemporary romances set in a beach town. 4 stars

I really loved Sounds Like Love. I don't know if any of Ashley Poston's books will ever be able to dethroned The Dead Romantics as my favorite, but this has come the closest (Not that there's a huge different between my least favorite and most favorite AP book, they've all been five stars). I loved Joni and Sebastian's relationship, but I was here just as much for all of Joni's other relationships and her journey to figure out what she wanted. There's a lot of change going on in her life that she's unsure of how to navigate. I think I love Ashley Poston the most when there's a lot of family stuff along with the romance and this book has quite a bit of that. I highly recommend this book.

Quick side note: this book deals heavily with grief, I even cried some towards the end. Joni's mother has dementia and it's handled very frankly. Just be aware of that.

Some classic rom-coms have unforgettable lines like, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Well, I have one for Ashley Poston’s books: “I’ll never give them less than five gazillion stars.” Her stories speak directly to my soul! And this book? Pure magic.

The story follows two characters, each grappling with personal and career challenges, and both deeply devoted to their mothers. Inexplicably, they find themselves connected—telepathically. They keep hearing the same unfinished song playing in their heads on repeat. The only way to break the cycle? Finish the song together. Isn’t that a genius concept? I absolutely loved it.

Meet Joni Lark. She left her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, to pursue a music career and became a renowned songwriter. But when she learns of her mother’s dementia diagnosis, everything falls apart. Struck by a creative block, she feels empty and disconnected. Returning home from L.A. for a visit, she’s still reeling from an impulsive kiss with ex-boy band star Sebastian McKellen on a music hall balcony—an encounter that left her more confused than ever.

Back in her hometown, Joni reunites with her family and best friend, only to receive heartbreaking news that shakes her to the core. Then, something strange happens—she starts hearing a melody. And a man’s voice. No, she’s not drunk, and no, she’s not losing her mind. The voice belongs to a mysterious man who calls himself Sasha, and he seems to be the key to breaking her writer’s block. They both hear the same haunting tune, and the only way forward is to write the lyrics together.

When Sasha decides to visit her town, Joni is forced to confront not just the music but also her fears, her past, and the possibility that destiny might have something bigger in store for them. What if this telepathic connection is about more than just a song? What if Joni has to learn to let go, embrace uncertainty, and finally discover what she’s truly been searching for?

I adored this story—two seemingly random (but not so random) people brought together by an inexplicable force, leading them toward something profound. Joni starts off guarded and stubborn, but watching her lower her defenses and open herself up was incredibly rewarding. And Sasha? He deserves all the love. I mean, who wouldn’t fall for a man who tells the love of his life, “You’re poetry in motion”?

Another five-gazillion-star read! This supernatural, emotional, whimsical, and deeply romantic story completely stole my heart.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this heartfelt and inspirational romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

ASHLEY POSTON does it again. This book was so beautifully complicated and layered, between her moms dementia diagnosis, severe writers block and a mysterious voice in her head, Jodi starts to think she’s going crazy, until the voice has a real phone number and happens to be the hot rockstar she’s known of her whole life. I loved this book and all the nostalgia and finding yourself in change that it stirred up. I would highly recommend.

I love the cover! So many complaints on good reads over the cover and I am beyond confused by that. It's beautiful and so is this story. Music is so emotional and helpful to identifying feelings and remembering memories. This story of love and music is so special and unique.

the love between this family was told so honestly and beautifully. i so deeply cared for every single character, and i rooted so hard for sebastian and joni to make it work. what a gorgeous story.

the worst part about this book is that it ended <3

while definitely a romance at its core, i could easily see myself being able to sell this to someone who wouldn't normally find themselves in the romance genre.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with the digital ARC of this book.

Sounds like Love had me grinning with joy! I absolutely loved the magical elements woven into the story—it’s such a unique and charming touch for a romance novel. However, despite the concept, I found it difficult to fully connect with the characters. I felt that the book lacked the emotional intensity that I’ve come to expect from this her other books. Additionally, I struggled to connect with the characters, as they seemed somewhat lost and unsure of themselves, which made it harder for me to believe in the strength of their relationship/bond. Overall, while the premise was captivating, the emotional aspects didn’t quite resonate with me.

I just absolutely loved this book. There is something so special about Ashley Poston’s books and her writing and I was so excited to get an arc of her new release 🥹

I am a sucker for a musician in a book/a celebrity/a famous person of any kind. I just eat it up so I absolutely loved that in this book. I loved learning about Sebastian and the way he feels about being famous and the way Joni was there for him and someone he could trust 🥲

I loved the way they wrote music together and the connection they had. The magical realism was done so well in this book (as always in her books) and was so fun (and bittersweet) to see play out. Ashley Poston’s writing is just incredible as well. It’s so lyrical and there were so many quotes I highlighted. I loved the metaphors with music in this as well.

The family dynamics in this was also just so beautiful and heartfelt and made me want to cry but I just loved it.

Poston does it again and I will read anything she writes!

Another beautiful book from Ashley Poston. A love letter to music and to family. I adored seeing the relationship between Joni and Sasha develop over time. And how I wish the town of Vienna Shores was real!