The story centers on two individuals navigating both emotional and professional struggles, each with a strong bond to their mothers. Out of nowhere, they find themselves psychically linked—hearing the same unfinished song echoing in their minds. The catch? They need to complete the song together to break free from the loop. How brilliant is that idea? I was instantly hooked.

Enter Joni Lark. She left her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, chasing her dream of becoming a music artist—and made a name for herself as a successful songwriter. But when her mother is diagnosed with dementia, her world crumbles. Her creativity vanishes, and she feels totally adrift. While visiting home from L.A., she’s still shaken by a spontaneous kiss she shared with former boy band heartthrob Sebastian McKellen on a theater balcony—an impulsive moment that left her more unsettled than inspired.

Back in Vienna Shores, Joni reconnects with her loved ones and is met with devastating news. That’s when things take a strange turn: she starts hearing a mysterious melody—and a man’s voice. No, she’s not imagining it. The voice belongs to a stranger named Sasha, and somehow, they’re both hearing the same haunting tune. The solution? Write the song together.

When Sasha comes to her town, Joni must face not only their eerie musical bond, but also her own fears, regrets, and the idea that fate might have brought them together for a greater reason. Maybe this isn’t just about finishing a song. Maybe it’s about healing, accepting the unknown, and discovering what she’s really meant for.

I was completely charmed by this story—two souls, seemingly unconnected, brought together by a magical twist of fate. Watching Joni slowly open her heart was deeply satisfying, and Sasha? Total swoon material. I mean, who wouldn’t fall for a guy who tells the woman he loves, “You’re poetry in motion”?

Another sky-high rating from me! This novel is dreamy, heartfelt, emotionally rich, and full of tender, otherworldly charm. I was swept away from beginning to end.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this moving, romantic tale in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much HQ stories & netgalley for the arc of one of my most anticipated reads of this year 🥰 I have just absolutely devoured it in one sitting.

This is for sure my favourite Ashley Poston book so far. I loved it so so much.

This is perfect for any music lovers especially 🎶 it was such a unique and brilliant concept and it was perfectly delivered. The writing (as always) was so, so stunning, I annotated so much.

I loved all of the characters and I was so invested in the story.

As always, I did shed a tear. Ashley’s writing just really tugs on my heartstrings. I loved this so much 💕

This book is quintessential Ashley Poston! Magical Realism woven into a woman’s story dealing with grief and then also having a little romance. I think, definitely as is with her other works, this is a women’s fiction story first with a side plot of romance but the romance was so delicious and Sasha was just the perfect man for Joni. The writing was (as always) perfection, but I really think Ashley Poston has just grown as a writer especially since The Dead Romantics back in 2022. The word choices and sentence structures really worked together to punch you in the gut with how beautifully morose this book is, but alternatively this book has such perfect summer vibe; set in a coastal town with constant beach trips, ice cream dates and bar trips on a boat — “I was a child of beaches and sticky ice cream summers and messy windswept hair.”

I love the talk of grief and how it’s just a “love song in reverse”; the way you could feel the melancholy drip off the words in relation to Joni’s mother and her dementia was just heartbreaking. Also so appreciated the conversations around following your dreams and the kind of person you would be if you didn’t walk certain paths stemming from Joni just feeling so homesick and also heavily burnt out (which is so relatable). Lastly, the music was also so so fun as someone who’s least favourite thing is actually music and songs in books — Ashley Poston did it so well here that it didn’t bother me at all and in fact made me fall in love with it. Can’t wait to see what she does next!