I stayed up way past my bedtime last night to finish this book. I just couldn’t put it down.
The characters Cooper creates jump off the page at you. They are complex, each dealing with their own issues and struggles, and they are loveable. Melody’s condition of singing when she is anxious or stressed creates some laugh-out-loud moments, a lot of the time involving embarrassing her children, like being wrestled off a train whilst singing her own version of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. But they find a way to deal with it and even use it to their advantage at times, creating comedy moments;
I try to put a mentally unstable expression on my face, then realise after my tribute to Prince, it’s not really necessary.
But there are also some truly heart-wrenching moments, involving Sinéad O’Connor and Kate Bush (I love Kate Bush). You will need a box tissues when reading!
Cooper’s writing style is so descriptive and there are moments of pure beauty, capturing not only the setting but the deep feelings of the character. A balloon-ride scene sticks in my mind:
Above us, the patchwork sky is wakening and as we finally climb into the basket, the sun gas arched its back.One of my favourite things about the book is the relationship between Melody and her children. They argue and get on each other’s nerves but their bond is fiercely strong. They would do anything for each other.
Above all, this book is about family and how precious our loved ones are. Melody, Flynn, Rose and Tom will stay with me for a very long time.

I started this book expecting it to be a typical, quick and easy, chick-lit-cum-rom-com story. I was wrong.

From the start, the characters are endearing and their exploits are laugh out loud funny. Melody's song and dance routine in the supermarket was a wonderful way to start the story and it only got better from there. All of the main characters are interesting, well-rounded and not at all cliched. The storyline has elements which you expect as you read but also takes you off on tangents of possibility which you don't see coming.

Ultimately this is a charming and captivating novel which will make you laugh, give you hope, break your heart and restore your faith in true love. I can't remember the last time I was so moved by a book.

I loved it. This book is chock full of emotion and will make you laugh, cause a lump in your throat and make you cry. You will want to hug your loved ones and you will not want this book to end all the while racing through the pages as the story grips you and doesn’t let go.
There’s a bit of a “sliding doors” vibe, if I hadn’t have done this then that wouldn’t have happened type thing which I liked. And the story moves around geographically as well as emotionally and is character lead with each main character telling us their viewpoint in their own voice. It’s a rollercoaster of emotion which has a darker edge but can be very light hearted, a bit like Marian Keyes. (Ultimate compliment as Marian Keyes is one of my all time favourite authors). Buy it, read it, tell all your friends about it and buy it for them too. You will love it!

such an emotional read, but with some funny sections which lighten the mood of the book.

Very well wrtieen and this draws you in to the story.

A very lovable book.

A powerfully raw and heart wrenching novel. You will be moved and blown away. This book is riddled with songs and melodies but, will fit just fine for even the less musically inclined.

The Songs Of Us will soften your heart and make you smile so much but get quite teary-eyed too. A book about a mother navigating her past, making sense of why her husband left her, whilst also living her present. The Songs Of Us also touches on the topics of mental health, life's struggles and surprises, and the nature of a pure love. Emma Cooper wrote it all so fantastically, the way the songs melded into the story, the seamless shift in character perspective, or into a character's recollections and, the descriptions of feelings in relation to another sensation was so thoughtfully executed. Just... Wow!

Every character will capture a piece of your heart, without a doubt. Especially the ever-singing Melody, but that's granted. But also, her lovely kids who can't help but want to protect their mother from the unknown and protect her happiness. Everyone was so vulnerable but gosh, the kids were so hilarious! Every family's a little bit crazy, you just have to approach life with a dose of humour!

I urge you to add this book to your reading list. You can thank me later. I've already added it to my favourites list! They aren't wrong in comparing this novel's style to Jojo Moyes', but be assured this book is definitely brilliant in its own right.

I received this book through Netgalley.

So, I have just got off a seven-and-a-half hour trans-Atlantic flight where I had planned on watching ‘Darkest Hour’ and grabbing a few hours sleep. Instead, I sat up all night and devoured Emma Cooper’s new novel from cover to cover in one sitting and I don’t regret a single second of lost sleep.

This book is, quite frankly, astonsihing. It manages to be funny and heart-wrenching at the same time, and explores some huge themes of love, loss, personal struggle and family, deeply but without being the least bit heavy-going or preachy.

It starts off with a hilarious scene in a supermarket which launches us straight into the complicated and mad world of the main character or Melody King who, following an unfortunate accident, has the embarrassing habit of launching into song at times of stress and anxiety, which leads to some extremely toe-curling but funny moments. Her two children, Flynn and Rose, both in those awkward teenage years and struggling with complicated issues of their own, tend to find this less amusing. I absolutely love the way Emma has chosen the perfect appropriately inappropriate song for Melody to sing at any given moment.

The book is written in the first person from the points of view of four main characters, Melody, Flynn, Rose and Dev, Melody’s missing husband. Each has a distinct voice, totally fitting their character and the personal stresses they are under and Emma has done this so well that we are right inside each of their individual heads, seeing the situation from four totally different points of view with the tint that their specific outlooks gives to the situation. It is so cleverly and perfectly done that we have a complete emotional insight into the whole perspective of the situation they are in, you can’t help getting sucked right into the drama.

And, oh, how much did I love these characters. Emabattled, troubled, sullen but warm-hearted Flynn. My heart broke for him and I was willing him to conquer his demons and become the amazing person you can see under the surface. Brilliant but confused Rose, fragile but not, having to grow up faster than she perhaps can cope with and trying to take control in dangerous ways. I just wanted to fold her in my arms and take care of her. And Melody. I don’t really know what to say about Melody except she is so perfectly imperfect, so valiant. She has stolen into my heart and taken firm root.

This book is a rollercoaster that takes you to unexpected places emotionally and has left me bruised, battered but ultimately uplifted. It is such a brilliant portrayal of how flawed and struggling people can be, but how love and family will hold us up and help us overcome if we have each other. I know I will go back and re-read this book soon, and I will feel exactly the same way about it again. It made me laugh and cry and I didn’t want it to end, to let go of these characters that took such firm hold of me in such a short space of time. This book is something really special, I might even venture to say, perfect.

Just don’t finish it on a jumbo jet full of hundreds of curious people as it comes in to land whilst wearing non-waterproof mascara.

Thank you for letting me read this. I was an emotional wreck at the end! Amazing story about love and loss and families and I think this book will stay with me for a while. Highly recommend