Title: Heard It in a Love Song
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Published On: November 9, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: ebook
Pages: 296
Synopsis:
Layla Hilding is thirty-five and recently divorced. Struggling to break free from the past—her glory days as the lead singer in a band and a ten-year marriage to a man who never put her first—Layla’s newly found independence feels a lot like loneliness.
Then there’s Josh, the single dad whose daughter attends the elementary school where Layla teaches music. Recently separated, he’s still processing the end of his twenty-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He chats with Layla every morning at school and finds himself thinking about her more and more.
Equally cautious and confused about dating in a world that favors apps over meeting organically, Layla and Josh decide to be friends with the potential for something more. Sounds sensible and way too simple—but when two people are on the rebound, is it heartbreak or happiness that’s a love song away?
From the bestselling author of The Girl He Used to Knowcomes a love song of a story about starting over and second chances.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
One of my most-anticipated books of the year, Heard It in a Love Song is the latest book by author Tracey Garvis Graves. While this story is engaging and sweet, it’s not the romance I expected—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I read this one quickly, never growing bored, but wanting just a little more.
“Sometimes it took a while to figure someone out even if that person was yourself.”
Tracey Garvis Graves, Heard It in a Love Song
I’ve read two of Graves’ previous books: the book she may be best known for, On the Island, and The Girl He Used to Know, which I enjoyed much more.
Graves is a wonderful storyteller but I find her writing technique lacking at times. Sometimes I feel like she’s telling me things instead of showing me, and each time I read one of her books, I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly is missing. But I’m always engaged in the story and her characters are well-developed.
Heard It in a Love Song is no different. I immediately connected with the two main characters—Layla and Josh. But this is a slow-moving romance. The reader spends a lot of time in their pasts, as well as the present. Graves has written the story by using things in the characters’ present to trigger memories from the past, slowly revealing what caused the dissolution of their previous marriages. And rehashing old relationships may sound off-putting, but I was surprised by how much I didn’t mind.
This novel is much more cerebral than I expected. It’s less of a romance and more about finding closure and peace after the end of a seminal relationship. There is a love story, but it’s not what’s really at the front and center of this book. It’s a nice one to curl up with when you want a book that’s more contemplative.
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martins Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating:
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About the Author
A Song For A Book
Being a book about a musician, Heard It in a Love Song includes many song references, real and fictional. I was surprised I couldn’t find a playlist that accompanies the book, so of course I had to make one. 😉 I’ve chosen to highlight “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac.
I took my love, I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
‘Til the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin’ ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I’m getting older too…
Have you read Heard It in a Love Song? Or did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I like the book cover waaaay more than the sound of this book unfortunately 😭
Yeah… the cover is amazing! 🙂
I heard this one had a lot of flashbacks? Did they work for you?
The flashbacks were fine but it seemed like A LOT. I was never bored with them, but I did prefer the present timeline more. 🙂
Great review! I adore this cover, which makes me want to read the book, but I’m not feeling entirely sold on the premise. I’m listening to your playlist now though and there are quite a few faves on here 🙂
It makes me so happy to hear you’re enjoying the playlist! The book mentions so many great songs. And I agree, the cover is phenomenal. The book is a good one for a rainy day, and it’s at least a fairly quick read. I’m eager to hear what other bloggers think about it. 🙂
I adore Tracey Garvis Graves and while Heard it in a Love Song is not my favorite from her, I still really enjoyed it. I liked the quiet nature of this one and the focus on Layla’s journey post-divorce. Despite the burgeoning relationship between Layla and Josh, I definitely did not consider this a romance, since it was much less about their relationship and more about Layla’s story.
Describing this as a ‘quiet’ book is a good description. It just didn’t wow me as much as I hoped it would. I think if readers go into it not expecting a big romance, they’ll enjoy it more, for sure. 🙂