Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction published by St. Martin’s Press 9 Nov 21
Tracey Garvis Graves is one of those authors whom I patiently wait for each release of her books. When one is finally available, I just open it up and start reading – no checking out the blurb, no reading reviews to see how others like it, just dig right in. So far I’ve never been disappointed in any of her works. Did her characters and storyline draw me in and keep hold this time with Heard It in a Love Song?
Sort of. While I really like Layla and Josh, and most especially Josh’s daughter Sasha, I don’t get the same feeling for these folks as I have with her other books – The Girl He Used to Know being at the top of the list. Yes, maybe it’s not all that fair to be comparing book to book, character to character, but when you don’t forget those things for a long time after reading, it’s difficult not to compare.
Layla is divorced after ten years of marriage, having given up her dreams in music for her ex. He’s the selfish sort, keeps secrets, and just an all-around jerk. So she’s better off alone, teaching music to youngsters, and slowly getting back to her musical roots. Josh is also divorced after nearly twenty years of marriage. His was a young, passionate love, marrying when neither of them really knew what end was up and what it would take to sustain a healthy relationship. Now he’s on his own, doing what he wants when he wants and with whom, as well as everything else that goes with newfound freedom.
They meet during back-to-school night and see one another each morning when Josh escorts Sasha to school, when Layla is on early drop-off with other teachers/friends. As they navigate first a friendship and then a more intimate relationship, we are also given flashbacks into their pasts, how it all began and how it all fell apart for each of them. The growth for both characters is well done and we get to know them as well as they get to know one another. I enjoyed Layla’s return to her music. She’s very talented and could have hit the big time if things had gone differently. The gigs she picks up with a friend in the present are fun, and they bring enlightenment to Layla just when she needs it.
Readers are able to relate with both of these characters and all they’ve gone through to get to a good place in their respective lives. Finding love again – a deeper, more meaningful love – is what most are looking for. Second chances don’t always work out, but you root for these two as they learn and develop. I like when characters talk to one another instead of making assumptions and drawing incorrect conclusions, and Ms. Garvis Graves is a master at that. I’m not sure what it is exactly what keeps me from enjoying this story as much as those from before. Don’t get me wrong, this is a terrific read. It’s just not as emotional and heart-wrenching as the others. But still well worth the dollars and the time to spend a few days with folks who are just like us.
Grade: B+
Summary:
Love doesn’t always wait until you’re ready.
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?
No excerpt available.
