The Encore

by Juliet Izon

In 2003, at the prestigious Brookfield Conservatory in Boston, a chance encounter sparks an inimitable friendship between driven pianist and singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton. Over the next four years, as they strive toward careers as professional musicians, their bond deepens both from shared prodigious skill and the inexplicable sense that they’re kindred souls. But on the precipice of graduation, one night forever alters the trajectory of their lives, destroying their relationship in the process.

Twenty years later in New York, 16-year-old piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas is grappling with the rigors of her elite prep school and the confounding disappearance of the woman who gave her up at birth. When Lottie suddenly discovers the startling truth of her identity, the revelation catalyzes a chain of events that not only reunites Lottie with her birth parents, but forces them together on a careening, cross-country rock and roll tour-bus journey. And it is there, trapped in these tight confines, that the three must finally reconcile with the irrevocable choices made a decade-and-a-half earlier.

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 3, 2026

About the author

Juliet Izon is a New York City and Hudson Valley-based journalist and author. Her work has appeared in national newspapers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and magazines like Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and Architectural Digest. Her first novel, The Encore, will be published by Union Square & Co./Hachette in March 2026.

Reviews

[Juliet Izon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this and it’s pretty awesome

[morgan! · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was picturing hayley williams the whole time

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the first page. It accomplished what a book worth reading should shoot for. Fully flushed out characters, a page turning storyline, and an amazing amount of research effortlessly folded into the story.

Lottie is sixteen years old. Her adoptive mother died and she now lives with her uncle. She is a musical prodigy, independent, incredibly grounded but a bit reticent about taking up too much space in the world.. Her birth mother requested she not be found until she is emancipated at 18 but her uncle, Aidan, has given her those papers early. It will now be up to Lottie whether she wants to find her birth mother.

In the prologue, we see Anna as the Indie rock superstar she has become. When we move into the backstory of the birth parents, Anna and Will meet at an elite boarding school. Both have serious musical aspirations. Anna is a talented singer/songwriter, and Will is a classical composer and conductor. Flash forward to present and complications and insights begin to surface when Lottie finds Anna and Anna then finds Will. Both Lottie and Will decide to go on tour with her.

The story explores nurture versus nature. Lottie shares so many of their personality traits as well as musical talent. What is interesting is how they all grow as they weather unforeseen troubles together. It is also about love, ambition, how old wounds fester until they are healed, and most of all, forgiveness.

While there is a deep dive into both Anna and Lottie’s lives and thinking, we only see Will through their eyes and actions. Since Anna drives the story by the demanding force of her personality, it is interesting how the others change in the wake of her erratic behavior.

There is also quite a lot of detail about life on tour that I found fascinating. I never really thought about the constant demands both on and off the stage. It added context to the story.

The minor characters were sharply defined and added dimension. Those on the tour (particularly Kendall), Maeve, Will’s mother, Betsy, and Aiden. Had to love Aiden.

Kudos to you, Juliet Izon. A wonderful debut novel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Union Square and Co for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ali Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Encore is a debut whose voice soars like a rock star from the first note and never lets go. Read this book now so you can be the person in your book club who gets to say you discovered Juliet Izon 'first'. Her writing will stop you in your tracks.

[permanentlyreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovedd this book! The author had a special talent to tell a story in such a way that is so realistic like a movie to a tv-show but interesting. I’m blessed to have been an ARC reader for this! This book was one going into I thought wouldn’t be for me, as I do not read general fiction commonly. But. This book was absolutely brilliant! With the characters and how you get to figure out their flaws, personalities, and so much more. The imperfect relationships and the way this felt soooo real. The book felt like something real. Something that could happen to anyone. It was so realistic, I could relate to some, learn from some, and just saw really how people are, how we react to situations. The way Anna had reacted to situations made sense because of her background, Will the way he acted made sense, same with Lottie, and so many more characters. Trying not to say too much, but as a fan of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this book reminded me much of that book in the sense both were so realistic and felt real world. This book comes out in March of 2026, definitely go pre-order!

[Joy R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, worth the read, Izon builds a tale that takes the reader deep into the history of a relationship that spans a lifetime. With characters richly crafted, the novel is a classic reminder that good can come in life. Wrapped around a love and talent for the pleasures of music, it’s hard to put down until the last page!

[Maddieeras · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was def entertaining! there was spots and plot points where i had to tilt my head a little, but ngl i was hooked from beginning.

[Andrew Hilmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be on the look out for this one! Absolutely gobbled it up, such a rich story of family, fame, and what it means to love someone

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very solid story! I love the music backdrop, and I especially loved Will, Lottie, and Anna. The story is compelling and heartfelt. My only issue is with Anna’s character. Her past seemed to kind of jump out suddenly part way through the book; I hadn’t really seen any glimpses until then. She also seemed like a pretty normal person, not an out of control musician who drank and did drugs. That aspect seemed to be kind of dropped in to give the story some conflict. It was done well (aside from being thrown in there). I think the book had enough drama going on where it wasn’t totally needed.

I definitely recommend this book! I found myself wanting to read it and see where the story goes!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

[Tiffany Crum · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Encore is such a heartfelt and emotionally rewarding read. I fell for these characters immediately and was fully invested through every high and low. Steeped in regret and redemption, with music and love running through every beat, this story swept me away and left me completely satisfied (and a little misty-eyed). I absolutely devoured it!

[Elizabeth]

I have to think on the rating, but I enjoyed this. I love the mix of plots - the adoption, music, romance! My only issue is that I thought Will and Anna in the past seemed much more platonic than I thought they should. They were much better in the present.

thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novel in one wonderful day, swept away by the characters and their journey. The promise of a music novel is what reeled me in, but the story of an adoption and an accidental family is what hooked me completely. An amazing read for book clubs, rainy days, or evening escapes.

[Hilliary Latham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up an advance copy from a box outside of a book store and read the whole book in a day, I couldn’t put it down. I was playing the music mentioned throughout the book as I was reading only to discover at the end there is an actual playlist- I love this detail.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a somewhat predictable romance with a lot of heart. The story was interesting and I enjoyed the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

[Rebecca Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book from start to finish. I fell in love with these characters almost immediately. Anna and Will’s early connection is electric, built on shared ambition and an almost instinctive understanding of one another, which makes the way their relationship fractures all the more painful. The shifts in timeline work beautifully, especially the way the story alternates between Anna’s past and Lottie’s present day search for where she belongs.

The music element is woven in so naturally. It’s not just background, but part of how these characters communicate, love, and fall apart. I also loved the tour life setting in the later timeline, which forces everyone into close quarters and makes it impossible to keep old wounds buried. It’s in those moments that the themes of regret, forgiveness, and second chances really shine.

Overall, The Encore is a deeply satisfying story about finding your way back to the people you love, and the version of yourself you were always meant to be. If you love emotionally rich, character-driven novels with music at their heart and a strong second-chance romance, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for an advanced copy of this book.