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katrinaward's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
valeriabee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I loved the experience of reading this book. I loved that it held multiple (but not too many) stories that would merge and find each other in indirect ways. I love that the love song would travel and influence every listener so deeply that they could not help but share it with their loved ones. I did not like that Diana's love song for Arie would be lost to him forever. That even though he did hear the song and a different version of the song, he will never know everything that it meant to Diana, that it was her resolve to marry him. I dont love that he will never know that Diana was indirectly responsible for bringing Arie and Evie together. I dont love that Diana will never be known as the original composer of this song and the deep, passionate, and comfortable love that inspired it. Music was the best way for Diana to articulate herself, and Arie never got to hear what she had to say -- at least not from her directly. That's what makes the book so sad for me. All that was lost when Diana died. I am glad, however, that Bene finished the song in her manuscript so that wherever it went, it was the full story instead of the incomplete love that Diana had written in it already. I love Arie and Evie, I support their relationship, but the book left me with a sadness in my heart from the very beginning with Diana's death.
It is a beautifully written novel that captured me from the very beginning Diana's death was written so elegantly I kept wanting to know more about the song and about the lives and characters that are connected by it. Much like the song that drives this novel, this story is one you cannot resist sharing with your loved ones.
It is a beautifully written novel that captured me from the very beginning
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
amber_ldsmom's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Death and Sexual content
saramschacht's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Grief
shelbyjo's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Grief
bookstolivewith's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely loved Minnie Darke’s debut Star-Crossed so when I saw her new novel, The Lost Love Song, available on @netgalley , I knew I needed to read it immediately — and it did not disappoint! One of my few five star reads of this entire year, actually!
Synopsis: Diana, a renowned concert pianist, and Arie, an tech specialist, have been in love and engaged for years but are not yet married — much to Arie’s disappointment. While away on her concert tour, Diana writes the perfect love song to give to Arie when she gets home, alongside the fact that she is finally ready to start concretely planning a wedding and a future with him. But tragedy strikes and the love song is lost. Can it make its way around the world and come back to Arie, who needs it now more than ever?
This novel is so bittersweet. That’s the best word for it. There are a lot of really sad, devastating moments here — huge content warnings for death and grief — but the entire novel is a testament to the strength of people’s hearts to continue to move forward even when things are tough.
I would not necessarily categorize The Lost Love Song as a romance novel, even though romance and love obviously play a huge role in the story, because so much of it is love couched in and tempered by grief. I also think because her first novel was more stereotypically rom-com, people might be misled by the title, so consider yourself warned!
It actually reminded me of Turbulence by David Szalay, as both explore themes of the world’s interconnectedness, how much people need each other and how the degrees of separation are fewer than you may think. I think reading it right now, as we all remain socially distanced, struck a particularly resonant chord that the world is really, in many ways, a village of people helping each other along as much as we can.
The Lost Love Song is out on October 13th and Minnie Darke has a fan for life as far as I’m concerned!
Synopsis: Diana, a renowned concert pianist, and Arie, an tech specialist, have been in love and engaged for years but are not yet married — much to Arie’s disappointment. While away on her concert tour, Diana writes the perfect love song to give to Arie when she gets home, alongside the fact that she is finally ready to start concretely planning a wedding and a future with him. But tragedy strikes and the love song is lost. Can it make its way around the world and come back to Arie, who needs it now more than ever?
This novel is so bittersweet. That’s the best word for it. There are a lot of really sad, devastating moments here — huge content warnings for death and grief — but the entire novel is a testament to the strength of people’s hearts to continue to move forward even when things are tough.
I would not necessarily categorize The Lost Love Song as a romance novel, even though romance and love obviously play a huge role in the story, because so much of it is love couched in and tempered by grief. I also think because her first novel was more stereotypically rom-com, people might be misled by the title, so consider yourself warned!
It actually reminded me of Turbulence by David Szalay, as both explore themes of the world’s interconnectedness, how much people need each other and how the degrees of separation are fewer than you may think. I think reading it right now, as we all remain socially distanced, struck a particularly resonant chord that the world is really, in many ways, a village of people helping each other along as much as we can.
The Lost Love Song is out on October 13th and Minnie Darke has a fan for life as far as I’m concerned!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief