Sounds Like Love'

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! - A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they'll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip and A Novel Love Story.

As featured in The New York Times - People - USA Today - NPR - ELLE - Marie Claire - E! News - Katie Couric Media - Woman's World - theSkimm - Brit + Co - Yahoo! Life - She Reads - and more!

Joni Lark has a secret. She's one of the most coveted songwriters in LA, and yet she can't write. There's an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family's music venue, will spark inspiration. But when Joni gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is hiding something, her mother's memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can Joni write when her world is leaving her behind? From the publisher

Penguin Random House/Berkley | June 17, 2025 | 384 pages | ISBN:9780593641026

1. Joni believes that a good song can fix almost anything. Do you have a song that you gravitate toward, and why?

2. There is a lot of discussion of burnout in Sounds Like Love. Have you ever experienced burnout yourself, and if you have, how did you overcome it?

3. A little of Joni's burnout comes from the realization that she must follow up her career-making song with something that is just as good, and she's afraid nothing will ever top it. Have you ever criticized an artist for not following up their career-making work with something better? What does better look like?

4. Homesickness is another thread throughout Sounds Like Love that weighs heavily on Joni. Do you think that she never should have left her hometown if she would regret it in the end? Why?

5. Sebastian finds himself in the shadow of a man he does not like. How does he come to accept that, and how does he branch out and become his own person?

6. If for one day you could be telepathically linked to anyone in the world, who would it be?

7. Joni's mother is in the early stages of dementia. The disease is nicknamed "the long goodbye" because of how cruel and slow it is. How does Joni learn about her mom's diagnosis, and how does she adapt to her mother's new needs?

8. Sebastian wants Joni to call him Sasha even after they meet. Why? And why doesn't she at the beginning?

9. Georgia is the opposite of Joni in a lot of ways, though their friendship only began to break down when Joni began to keep secrets from her best friend. To you, what makes a healthy friendship?

10. There is a wide array of music mentioned in Sounds Like Love. What do you think makes a song memorable? Alternatively, what's the worst song you've ever heard?

Book Club Talking Points:
"Sounds Like Love" by Ashley Poston is an excellent choice for book clubs thanks to its blend of heartfelt romance, emotional healing, and themes of self-discovery. The novel's relatable protagonist and journey through heartbreak and renewal invite meaningful conversations about resilience, personal growth, and the different ways we find hope after loss. Its uplifting tone and universal themes ensure every reader will find something to connect with and discuss.

"Sounds Like Love gives new meaning to what it means to make a 'connection' with someone. The whimsy and what-ifs of Ashley Poston's novels have made her a must-buy for me!"-Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

"Ashley Poston charms once again with Sounds Like Love. Deeply romantic and delightfully whimsical, every page had me humming along. This story will be on repeat in my head for a while." -B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First Time Caller

"I didn't think it was possible to love Ashley Poston's books any more than I already did, but Sounds Like Love is my new favorite. Romantic, deeply thoughtful, and exquisitely written, this one absolutely wrecked me."-Annabel Monaghan, USA Today bestselling author of Summer Romance

"This musical story reads like a ballad."-NPR

"This read is fun and lighthearted, and I have a feeling it's one I'll be recommending for a long time."-PureWow

"Knowing Ashley Poston and her writing, she'll have you swooning by chapter 2."-Culturess

"[A] wonderfully evocative summer romance, imbued with all the effervescent feelings of long, hot days in a beachy tourist town. Pack this one, and maybe a nostalgic playlist, in your beach bag for a vacation this summer. You won't regret it."-BookReporter

"If you're a sucker for a big-city-girl-returns-to-save-the-family-business story with a magical, musical twist, Ashley Poston's latest should be your summer read . . . It's funny, romantic, a little mystical."-The Nod Mag

"This moving romance will delight Poston's fans and should earn her plenty of new ones."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Poston (A Novel Love Story) explores grief and regret while inspiring hope in love with poetic banter and the comfort of a close-knit, eccentric, and humorous family . . . Poston writes another lyrical and magical tale set in a cozy beach town that will make readers want to savor reading it while sitting on the sand themselves. Hand to those who also enjoy B.K. Borison and Tarah DeWitt."-Library Journal

"Poston is comfortingly adept at creating complex characters who are kind, and surrounding them with realistic friends and family, while making the world of music writing, a small coastal town, and its music venue feel real."-Booklist