What do you think?
The Encore
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.
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
Published March 3, 2026
About the author
Juliet Izon
1 book91 followersJuliet 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
July 8, 2025
I wrote this and it’s pretty awesome
May 17, 2026
3.5
This was an easy read that tied in a coming-of-age story with a romance quite well! The story is fun to follow and has some depth to our characters that I enjoyed reading about. The parallels with their past traumas to their current day actions made for a well rounded story, and I always love stories that show families breaking generational cycles - which this one did.
Juliet Izon's writing style is very easily digestible, straightforward and gave the feeling of watching a TV show vs reading a book. The words really just fell away.
I will say, after reading a few musician/band-on-tour type books - not much in the plot felt that new or surprising to me. While there were some added complexities with what this family was going through while on tour, I felt like everything that happened in the plot was what you'd just expect with a synopsis like this.
In the end, parts of this were a bit cheesy, some parts were truly heartfelt - and in the end this was an enjoyable read! Wonderful debut, and looking forward to what Juliet Izon writes next.
This was an easy read that tied in a coming-of-age story with a romance quite well! The story is fun to follow and has some depth to our characters that I enjoyed reading about. The parallels with their past traumas to their current day actions made for a well rounded story, and I always love stories that show families breaking generational cycles - which this one did.
Juliet Izon's writing style is very easily digestible, straightforward and gave the feeling of watching a TV show vs reading a book. The words really just fell away.
I will say, after reading a few musician/band-on-tour type books - not much in the plot felt that new or surprising to me. While there were some added complexities with what this family was going through while on tour, I felt like everything that happened in the plot was what you'd just expect with a synopsis like this.
In the end, parts of this were a bit cheesy, some parts were truly heartfelt - and in the end this was an enjoyable read! Wonderful debut, and looking forward to what Juliet Izon writes next.
November 17, 2025
i was picturing hayley williams the whole time
May 22, 2026
4.5-5⭐️ I am shocked that I have not seen more hype around this absolutely fantastic debut novel. It has been a minute since a book grabbed my attention so quickly and held it so completely.
Juliet Izon is a fantastic storyteller, pulling the reader in immediately with characters that feel so incredibly real. This part love story/part coming of age is rife with family drama and raw emotion centered around heavier themes of grief, addiction, abuse, and self reckoning.
I loved the inclusion of the music industry from both the perspective of rock star and classical composer, and the ways in which their studies and careers both intertwined and diverged. I was even more enthralled with the dynamic between the three main characters and could not turn the pages fast enough desperate to see how everything would conclude.
🎧 The audiobook is incredibly well done. Narrated by Mia Hutchinson Shaw and Carly Larson, each of these characters is brought to life by the narrators who portray them, the emotional component taken up multiple notches. I highly recommend reading this one with your ears if you are an audiobook fan or even better, as an immersive read.
Read if you like:
▪️coming of age stories
▪️the music industry
▪️books with emotional depth
▪️friends to lovers
▪️second chance love stories
▪️flawed, multi-dimensional characters
Thank you Hachette Audio for the advanced copy.
Juliet Izon is a fantastic storyteller, pulling the reader in immediately with characters that feel so incredibly real. This part love story/part coming of age is rife with family drama and raw emotion centered around heavier themes of grief, addiction, abuse, and self reckoning.
I loved the inclusion of the music industry from both the perspective of rock star and classical composer, and the ways in which their studies and careers both intertwined and diverged. I was even more enthralled with the dynamic between the three main characters and could not turn the pages fast enough desperate to see how everything would conclude.
🎧 The audiobook is incredibly well done. Narrated by Mia Hutchinson Shaw and Carly Larson, each of these characters is brought to life by the narrators who portray them, the emotional component taken up multiple notches. I highly recommend reading this one with your ears if you are an audiobook fan or even better, as an immersive read.
Read if you like:
▪️coming of age stories
▪️the music industry
▪️books with emotional depth
▪️friends to lovers
▪️second chance love stories
▪️flawed, multi-dimensional characters
Thank you Hachette Audio for the advanced copy.
April 25, 2026
An amazing debut novel. 🌟 🎶 💃
Two young students Anna and Will meet in a chance encounter and immediately become inseparable. They both are musical geniuses and have big dreams. Anna’s takes her to Ireland to write music and Will ends up going to New York as a composer .
Twenty years later we meet Lottie. She is also a piano virtuoso and is looking for her birth mother. All their worlds collide. The three of them have to reconcile each of their worlds come together. The Encore delivers on second chances and making amends with the past.
This was a bit of Daisy Jones and the Seven, with romance and serendipity. Not extremely corny.
The ending was a bit too tidy for me but nevertheless it kept me up very late. I am excited to see what else this author has in store for us. A very strong debut.
“What we tell ourselves - and what we are told - when were are young is often the hardest skin to shed, it being so close to the bone.”
Two young students Anna and Will meet in a chance encounter and immediately become inseparable. They both are musical geniuses and have big dreams. Anna’s takes her to Ireland to write music and Will ends up going to New York as a composer .
Twenty years later we meet Lottie. She is also a piano virtuoso and is looking for her birth mother. All their worlds collide. The three of them have to reconcile each of their worlds come together. The Encore delivers on second chances and making amends with the past.
This was a bit of Daisy Jones and the Seven, with romance and serendipity. Not extremely corny.
The ending was a bit too tidy for me but nevertheless it kept me up very late. I am excited to see what else this author has in store for us. A very strong debut.
“What we tell ourselves - and what we are told - when were are young is often the hardest skin to shed, it being so close to the bone.”
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
Charlotte (Lottie) Thomas wakes up on her 16th birthday alone but that doesn't mean anyone has forgotten her birthday. Uncle Aidan, her guardian, has made sure that Lottie has a great party and on his return he gives Lottie something she has waited all her life for - the key to finding out who she is. Now Lottie can track down the mother who gave her up at birth and maybe she'll get some answers.
The Encore is Juliet Izon's debut novel and it tells a story of love and music that spans a couple of decades. Anna and Will are both musical virtuosos but Will loves classical and Anna is a rock/folk star. They are best friends. They support each other through Brookfield Academy and know that nothing will harm their friendship. But one night and one error of judgement threatens to cause a rift that may never heal.
A decade and a half later the decisions that Anna made are coming back to haunt her.
I enjoyed most of The Encore. It is engaging, readable story that will keep you turning the pages. Whilst all the characters are likeable, the decisions they sometimes take are questionable.
It was the latter third of the book that I struggled with - but that's merely because I'm not a romantic in any way shape or form. If you like a healthy dose of schmaltz with your reading then this is most definitely the book for you.
I would recommend this novel. It is easy reading along with an engaging story. There are some difficult subjects dealt with but they do not feature largely in what is, on the whole, a love story.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the digital review copy.
Charlotte (Lottie) Thomas wakes up on her 16th birthday alone but that doesn't mean anyone has forgotten her birthday. Uncle Aidan, her guardian, has made sure that Lottie has a great party and on his return he gives Lottie something she has waited all her life for - the key to finding out who she is. Now Lottie can track down the mother who gave her up at birth and maybe she'll get some answers.
The Encore is Juliet Izon's debut novel and it tells a story of love and music that spans a couple of decades. Anna and Will are both musical virtuosos but Will loves classical and Anna is a rock/folk star. They are best friends. They support each other through Brookfield Academy and know that nothing will harm their friendship. But one night and one error of judgement threatens to cause a rift that may never heal.
A decade and a half later the decisions that Anna made are coming back to haunt her.
I enjoyed most of The Encore. It is engaging, readable story that will keep you turning the pages. Whilst all the characters are likeable, the decisions they sometimes take are questionable.
It was the latter third of the book that I struggled with - but that's merely because I'm not a romantic in any way shape or form. If you like a healthy dose of schmaltz with your reading then this is most definitely the book for you.
I would recommend this novel. It is easy reading along with an engaging story. There are some difficult subjects dealt with but they do not feature largely in what is, on the whole, a love story.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the digital review copy.
May 5, 2026
Easily a six star read - which I don't give out very often. I LOVED this book. I posted a video on TT and IG (@PlotTwistsAndChill - follow me ;) ) weeks ago about how I was sitting on the subway reading my book and some guy came up to me and started talking to me and I was feeling very kind that day so I heard him out and he asked me to read his wife's debut novel and was so proud of her so I picked it up and I am SO glad I did.
This book is so well written. It is a duel POV and partially a duel timeline but the back and forth does not make it difficult to follow at all.
The Encore is about a young girl who on her sixteenth birthday is given the gift she has always asked for - her birth mother's name. Now, she has to figure out what she wants to do with it. When she starts to look up her birth mother she discovers that her mother is famous... very famous... and VERY talented. The book follows both Lottie, the daughter, and Anna, her birth mother, while they battle with the past while their paths cross and they are introduced into each other's lives. This book touches on so many different important topics and lessons.
I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!
This book is so well written. It is a duel POV and partially a duel timeline but the back and forth does not make it difficult to follow at all.
The Encore is about a young girl who on her sixteenth birthday is given the gift she has always asked for - her birth mother's name. Now, she has to figure out what she wants to do with it. When she starts to look up her birth mother she discovers that her mother is famous... very famous... and VERY talented. The book follows both Lottie, the daughter, and Anna, her birth mother, while they battle with the past while their paths cross and they are introduced into each other's lives. This book touches on so many different important topics and lessons.
I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!
thoughts
April 28, 2026Discovered this book through a very sweet reel 🥹 this is usually not my thing but I’m excited :)
December 2, 2025
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.
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.
April 8, 2026
I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is a debut novel because it is absolutely stellar.
What I loved most was how deeply rooted the story is in music. From the conservatory setting to the composer, rock star and pianist at the center of everything, music isn’t just a backdrop here. It shapes the characters, their relationships and the choices they make. You can feel how much each of them loves it and that passion gives the entire novel an immersive quality.
Anna’s story broke my heart. The decisions she had to make were so difficult. I found myself aching for both her and Will.
The family dynamics were equally compelling. Lottie’s journey could have easily felt unbelievable, but her maturity and grace made it work beautifully. Watching these three lives reconnect after years of separation was both moving and hopeful.
The Encore is a story about love, family, regret and second chances, all wrapped in a world of music that feels vivid and alive. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to see what Juliet Izon writes next!
What I loved most was how deeply rooted the story is in music. From the conservatory setting to the composer, rock star and pianist at the center of everything, music isn’t just a backdrop here. It shapes the characters, their relationships and the choices they make. You can feel how much each of them loves it and that passion gives the entire novel an immersive quality.
Anna’s story broke my heart. The decisions she had to make were so difficult. I found myself aching for both her and Will.
The family dynamics were equally compelling. Lottie’s journey could have easily felt unbelievable, but her maturity and grace made it work beautifully. Watching these three lives reconnect after years of separation was both moving and hopeful.
The Encore is a story about love, family, regret and second chances, all wrapped in a world of music that feels vivid and alive. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to see what Juliet Izon writes next!
April 13, 2026
Love love love! I could read a 5000 page version of this story. Shout out to Juliet's husband who talked a girl on the subway into reading it who shared it on TikTok so we could all give it the recognition it deserves🙂↕️
March 15, 2026
2.5 Very engaging and readable but I kinda didn’t care about anyone at all? The ending was sweet but kinda hate the trope where a woman doesn’t want a child her whole life and then suddenly meets someone and has a baby. I guess it’s a bit of a different situation in this book but the trope in general invalidates women who don’t want children reducing them to not being able to find the right person idkkkkk maybe I’m too woke. I think I would have liked it more if I knew more about music. Interesting exploration of nature vs nurture but kinda made me feel sick and think about how no one is truly unique and we all are tied to those who came before us (kinda sweet in a way but also like takes away agency) and do we really get to chose our life paths or have they always been set for us? The book definitely tried to tackle that question and say that you can chose your own path but it didn’t really feel like it succeeded in expressing individuality idk I’m just typing words
Also it felt like they didn’t resolve any of their issues and just had a child? Feels wrong
One more thing ….. I don’t like when books are soooo situated in a time (mentions COVID, love is blind, drag race, some other stuff I’m forgetting) but it makes me worry about its longevity and it just takes me out of the world kind of even tho it’s world building ? Idk I just don’t like that
Also it felt like they didn’t resolve any of their issues and just had a child? Feels wrong
One more thing ….. I don’t like when books are soooo situated in a time (mentions COVID, love is blind, drag race, some other stuff I’m forgetting) but it makes me worry about its longevity and it just takes me out of the world kind of even tho it’s world building ? Idk I just don’t like that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2026
The Encore by Juliet Izon (March 3, 2026) Thank you, @unionsqandco @grandcentralpub and @hachetteaudio for the gifted print and audiobook copies of one of my absolute favorites of the year so far! #hachetteaudioinflucencer
It is 2003. Aspiring singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton are college students at the prestigious Brookfield Conservatory in Boston. They spend 4 years as best friends fueling each other’s art and passions. Then, on the eve of graduation, one night changes everything.
Flash forward 20 year and 16yo piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas is living a NYC Gossip Girl life while also trying to deal with the pressures of high school, emotions about the death of her adoptive mother almost a decade ago and living with her famous uncle - all while struggling with the questions about a birth mother who gave her up. But when she discovers the identity of her mother, she could never have imagined she would find herself on a cross country tour bus with a rock and roll icon and the opportunity to understand her birth parents as they all navigate love, loss, secrets and forgiveness during their unexpected journey.
You know those books where you are like - I REALLY NEED YOU TO READ THIS BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! - that’s this book for me. Anna and Will are such deeply engrossing characters in the past and the present. Lottie is a charming, wild yet grounded teen that is navigating the unfathomable. It is a bold, over the top story of excess (fame, addiction, wealth) and quiet tenderness as all of the characters navigate love (friendship, romantic, familial) in so many different ways. This book is about nature vs nurture, addition and therapy, sorrow and forgiveness. I won’t soon forget this one. For my friends who love Colton Gentry’s Third Act - it has similar emotional vibes while also being very different.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Mia Hutchinson Shaw (rapidly becoming a go-to favorite narrator) and Carly Larson (a delightful new-to-me narrator) are pitch perfect narrating Anna and Lottie’s POVs throughout the book.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
It is 2003. Aspiring singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton are college students at the prestigious Brookfield Conservatory in Boston. They spend 4 years as best friends fueling each other’s art and passions. Then, on the eve of graduation, one night changes everything.
Flash forward 20 year and 16yo piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas is living a NYC Gossip Girl life while also trying to deal with the pressures of high school, emotions about the death of her adoptive mother almost a decade ago and living with her famous uncle - all while struggling with the questions about a birth mother who gave her up. But when she discovers the identity of her mother, she could never have imagined she would find herself on a cross country tour bus with a rock and roll icon and the opportunity to understand her birth parents as they all navigate love, loss, secrets and forgiveness during their unexpected journey.
You know those books where you are like - I REALLY NEED YOU TO READ THIS BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT! - that’s this book for me. Anna and Will are such deeply engrossing characters in the past and the present. Lottie is a charming, wild yet grounded teen that is navigating the unfathomable. It is a bold, over the top story of excess (fame, addiction, wealth) and quiet tenderness as all of the characters navigate love (friendship, romantic, familial) in so many different ways. This book is about nature vs nurture, addition and therapy, sorrow and forgiveness. I won’t soon forget this one. For my friends who love Colton Gentry’s Third Act - it has similar emotional vibes while also being very different.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Mia Hutchinson Shaw (rapidly becoming a go-to favorite narrator) and Carly Larson (a delightful new-to-me narrator) are pitch perfect narrating Anna and Lottie’s POVs throughout the book.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 27, 2026
3.75 stars
I picked this one up randomly after finding it at a local bookstore and was really pleasantly surprised by this book. A really interesting exploration of this trio figuring out how to be a family together.
Watch me talk about this book here: https://youtu.be/Y0wJobaw0K8
I picked this one up randomly after finding it at a local bookstore and was really pleasantly surprised by this book. A really interesting exploration of this trio figuring out how to be a family together.
Watch me talk about this book here: https://youtu.be/Y0wJobaw0K8
March 20, 2026
6 STARS!! I received an ARC through The Bookshelf in Thomasville, GA (THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAKE IT!!)
Quick update: there's a playlist. This book is now 10 stars.
"It was so strange to think they'd shared a pulse at one point. How they were still almost strangers to one another, but that Anna had breathed for her. Lottie realized, then, that regardless of any physical distance, there will always be this incomprehensible, inexorable pull they'd exert on the other. Fighting it would be useless."
I don't think I've ever sat with a novel and had to reflect with it as much as I did with this one. It's been awhile since I've read a book with such depth that was so beautifully composed.
Anna and Lottie's journey and relationship development almost reminds me of Across the Stars from the Star Wars franchise (the music appeal is strong for me); a heartbreakingly addicting melody with an incomplete resolution (although the book doesn't have that final piece). Will's role in the novel was the perfect balance to Lottie's need for understanding and Anna's need for stability; he is by far a fantastic example of how to provide and care for others in the right ways.
The conflicts and messaging throughout this book I'm sure resonate with many audiences in many ways, and Izon addresses each one fully, which I assume can be hard to do, especially in a debut novel. As Izon said, the book "ultimately...is about love; and as any musician or music aficionado will tell you, that emotion and how it's translated into song can often feel on in the same."
In response to the letter to the reader: Juliet Izon (if you ever read this), I greatly enjoyed discovering the glittering, electrifying world of The Encore. Thank you.
Quick update: there's a playlist. This book is now 10 stars.
"It was so strange to think they'd shared a pulse at one point. How they were still almost strangers to one another, but that Anna had breathed for her. Lottie realized, then, that regardless of any physical distance, there will always be this incomprehensible, inexorable pull they'd exert on the other. Fighting it would be useless."
I don't think I've ever sat with a novel and had to reflect with it as much as I did with this one. It's been awhile since I've read a book with such depth that was so beautifully composed.
Anna and Lottie's journey and relationship development almost reminds me of Across the Stars from the Star Wars franchise (the music appeal is strong for me); a heartbreakingly addicting melody with an incomplete resolution (although the book doesn't have that final piece). Will's role in the novel was the perfect balance to Lottie's need for understanding and Anna's need for stability; he is by far a fantastic example of how to provide and care for others in the right ways.
The conflicts and messaging throughout this book I'm sure resonate with many audiences in many ways, and Izon addresses each one fully, which I assume can be hard to do, especially in a debut novel. As Izon said, the book "ultimately...is about love; and as any musician or music aficionado will tell you, that emotion and how it's translated into song can often feel on in the same."
In response to the letter to the reader: Juliet Izon (if you ever read this), I greatly enjoyed discovering the glittering, electrifying world of The Encore. Thank you.
March 16, 2026
Ugh. The first half of this book was ok and then the second half lost me. It was full of cliches and the end of the novel was tied up in an unbelievably perfect little bow. I mean…Anna overdosed and then a few months later she gives birth again and is raising a child?? Hello???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2026
I heard about this book because the author’s husband walked up to someone on the subway and suggested it when he saw she was reading. The TikTok-er showed a flash of a flyer and I bought it right away.
I always go into books blind, so I’m not sure how much of this story is shared in the synopsis - but Anna and Will are musicians who are best friends until circumstances pull them apart. They find themselves together years later and have to overcome past hurts and traumas.
It did get a little long and saccharine at the end, but overall I really did enjoy this story! I’m glad I happened upon the random TikTok and took a chance!
I always go into books blind, so I’m not sure how much of this story is shared in the synopsis - but Anna and Will are musicians who are best friends until circumstances pull them apart. They find themselves together years later and have to overcome past hurts and traumas.
It did get a little long and saccharine at the end, but overall I really did enjoy this story! I’m glad I happened upon the random TikTok and took a chance!
September 29, 2026
All. The. Stars. Every single one.
This book was so well written. So perfectly detailed on the three main characters. If you’ve ever climbed out of the despair of trauma, or loved someone with addiction, this is a little bit of a love song to not giving up. It brought me to tears and infused me with joy and hope.
Would absolutely recommend, and I’ll be thanking my coworker who told me about it.
This book was so well written. So perfectly detailed on the three main characters. If you’ve ever climbed out of the despair of trauma, or loved someone with addiction, this is a little bit of a love song to not giving up. It brought me to tears and infused me with joy and hope.
Would absolutely recommend, and I’ll be thanking my coworker who told me about it.
August 3, 2026
Excellent debut (I think). Very well written, good character development. Slow burn, but not strictly a romance.
June 30, 2026
3.5 stars. Readable and nice in its predictability.
August 30, 2026
Woah guess what a serious review for once 😍😍 this book is different than all my five stars I had to really debate it, but it deserved it. The storytelling is so good and I was looking forward to both povs 🙏 Anna and Will are so heartbreaking but at least it got better 😭😭
April 30, 2026
The book cover immediately caught my eye (it’s beautiful and unique ☺️), and with music playing an important role in the story, I knew I had to pick it up.
The premise is definitely intriguing: we follow an adopted daughter, a pianist, as she sets out to find her birth mother, a famous singer, and gradually uncover her roots, and how this discovery shapes the course of her life.
The first half kept me curious, especially with the back-and-forth between past and present, slowly revealing what happened to the characters. However, I found myself less engaged in the second half. At times, it felt like I was reading what was happening rather than truly feeling it.
Some heavier topics felt a bit lightly handled, and a few moments didn’t fully deliver on an emotional level for me, which made parts of the story feel like they unfolded a little too easily.
Overall, this was an interesting read with a compelling premise, even if it didn’t fully connect with me the way I had hoped.
That said, I can still see this being an enjoyable read if you like:
• complicated friendships
• second chances
• music-centered stories
• found family vibes
• a touch of drama
I received a review copy from HBG in exchange for an honest review
The premise is definitely intriguing: we follow an adopted daughter, a pianist, as she sets out to find her birth mother, a famous singer, and gradually uncover her roots, and how this discovery shapes the course of her life.
The first half kept me curious, especially with the back-and-forth between past and present, slowly revealing what happened to the characters. However, I found myself less engaged in the second half. At times, it felt like I was reading what was happening rather than truly feeling it.
Some heavier topics felt a bit lightly handled, and a few moments didn’t fully deliver on an emotional level for me, which made parts of the story feel like they unfolded a little too easily.
Overall, this was an interesting read with a compelling premise, even if it didn’t fully connect with me the way I had hoped.
That said, I can still see this being an enjoyable read if you like:
• complicated friendships
• second chances
• music-centered stories
• found family vibes
• a touch of drama
I received a review copy from HBG in exchange for an honest review
April 28, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ I picked up this book because I saw an instagram video of a lady talking about meeting a random stranger on the subway and him recommending his wife’s debut novel which I thought it was so sweet.
Lottie, the main character, goes in search of her biological mother after she’s emancipated and has revealed to her that her mother lives nearby. It was interesting having the book have sort of a “found family “ trope with her actual family. As she learns more about her parents and herself she starts to understand what nature vs nurture looks like in her life.
Overall it was a good read but fell a little flat to me.
Lottie, the main character, goes in search of her biological mother after she’s emancipated and has revealed to her that her mother lives nearby. It was interesting having the book have sort of a “found family “ trope with her actual family. As she learns more about her parents and herself she starts to understand what nature vs nurture looks like in her life.
Overall it was a good read but fell a little flat to me.
April 18, 2026
Given the proliferation of these messy personal lives of musicians novels we’ve been barraged with of late, it seems like it’s time we start demanding a bit more from them.
For the most part these are all the same, vaguely off-putting in their petty drama and formulaic in how the relationships sort themselves out in the end. Credit to Izon for at least giving us a more unusual setup as far as how the central characters connect to one another.
But the problem is that this setup is so unrealistic that it edges on absurd. There is just no chance that this particular woman in this particular situation chooses to have a baby, and that renders the entire story almost goofily unrealistic.
What comes after makes more sense in terms of how the characters behave, but it’s a house of cards built on a completely non-workable premise that collapses the whole thing.
I liked Lottie, but Will is exactly the sort of mild and bland male character we get too many of in novels like this, and Anna is just a problem in so many ways. On top of the aforementioned absurdly unrealistic decision, she then makes a near endless series of choices which she claims are best for everyone else that are really just best for her. In addition to acting as further proof that this woman never has this kid in the first place, it makes her hard to sympathize with and hard to like, and she’s just not interesting enough to make up for the fact that she isn’t likable.
A bright spot in this is that Izon clearly does really know and love music, and that comes through in the story. This is something most books in this subgenre fail miserably at, and it rescues this book and makes it worth a read despite the flaws in the plot.
Izon is clearly a good writer and I have no doubt she has a good novel in her. This one just teetered atop a premise that couldn’t support the rest of the story.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
For the most part these are all the same, vaguely off-putting in their petty drama and formulaic in how the relationships sort themselves out in the end. Credit to Izon for at least giving us a more unusual setup as far as how the central characters connect to one another.
But the problem is that this setup is so unrealistic that it edges on absurd. There is just no chance that this particular woman in this particular situation chooses to have a baby, and that renders the entire story almost goofily unrealistic.
What comes after makes more sense in terms of how the characters behave, but it’s a house of cards built on a completely non-workable premise that collapses the whole thing.
I liked Lottie, but Will is exactly the sort of mild and bland male character we get too many of in novels like this, and Anna is just a problem in so many ways. On top of the aforementioned absurdly unrealistic decision, she then makes a near endless series of choices which she claims are best for everyone else that are really just best for her. In addition to acting as further proof that this woman never has this kid in the first place, it makes her hard to sympathize with and hard to like, and she’s just not interesting enough to make up for the fact that she isn’t likable.
A bright spot in this is that Izon clearly does really know and love music, and that comes through in the story. This is something most books in this subgenre fail miserably at, and it rescues this book and makes it worth a read despite the flaws in the plot.
Izon is clearly a good writer and I have no doubt she has a good novel in her. This one just teetered atop a premise that couldn’t support the rest of the story.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
March 13, 2026
Closer to 2.5 stars but im feeling generous. Easy airport read. Liked the characters, did not like the ending, felt rushed and trite.
September 10, 2026
I really needed this one.
It starts out as a friends to lovers story, which is already 💞 . Two musical prodigies, best friends and songwriting partners all through college - probably just too busy with the music to notice or act on what was right in front of them until the very end of senior year.
From that relationship comes a pregnancy, and Anna makes a choice that ends up costing her much more than she ever. She doesn’t tell Will she couldn’t go through with the abortion or that she gave the baby up for adoption then cuts him off completely. And then their daughter turns sixteen and comes looking for her.
Watching them all have to face down the choice and made all those years ago, not just the baby but years of distancing herself from the people who were her real family and her real love, and then watching all of them gradually find their way back to each other, was really rewarding. It’s soft in all the right places. This book gets something right about how life only moves forward and how you sometimes don't understand what you were giving up until it is long gone.
I was completely caught up in this one from the very beginning and I really liked it.
It starts out as a friends to lovers story, which is already 💞 . Two musical prodigies, best friends and songwriting partners all through college - probably just too busy with the music to notice or act on what was right in front of them until the very end of senior year.
From that relationship comes a pregnancy, and Anna makes a choice that ends up costing her much more than she ever. She doesn’t tell Will she couldn’t go through with the abortion or that she gave the baby up for adoption then cuts him off completely. And then their daughter turns sixteen and comes looking for her.
Watching them all have to face down the choice and made all those years ago, not just the baby but years of distancing herself from the people who were her real family and her real love, and then watching all of them gradually find their way back to each other, was really rewarding. It’s soft in all the right places. This book gets something right about how life only moves forward and how you sometimes don't understand what you were giving up until it is long gone.
I was completely caught up in this one from the very beginning and I really liked it.
July 11, 2026
I'm not sure how this one crossed my radar, but I'm glad it did. There are times this one is so sad, times it's happy, times you are pissed at the characters, times you have hope they will get their shit together. It's about families, the choices people make and how they can affect a person and how sometimes love isn't enough and sometimes love means letting something go is the better choice for the other person. So much drama, so much going on. It's great when by the end everyone figured things out and they are happy and you can see finally...the timing has worked out for everyone for them to be fully happy and love is abundant.
March 30, 2026
Wow, I am speechless. ENCORE! I’m going to need everyone to pick up this story — whether you love Litfic, rockstar romances, or just a raw and beautiful story that will have you in an absolute trance after the first page, this is for you.
It is currently almost 1am and after being in a reading slump for a month, devouring this book in just a day is a testament to how completely enthralled I was.
I’ll expand on my review once I’m awake and have processed this masterpiece but this is absolutely going into my hall of fame of books.
It is currently almost 1am and after being in a reading slump for a month, devouring this book in just a day is a testament to how completely enthralled I was.
I’ll expand on my review once I’m awake and have processed this masterpiece but this is absolutely going into my hall of fame of books.
June 29, 2026
Loveddd! this story is a mix of coming of age/romance and it felt like everything I wished daisy jones was (did not love that book :/) I was shocked that this was the authors debut novel too. Appreciated how the characters have good depth/background and loved the general flow of the novel - I think this is the perfect summer read and can see this being great on audio
April 17, 2026
4.5/5⭐️
Endearing, fun, and immersive. Little to no separation between musical & romantic bond for the main characters, which was new for me to read, and I liked it! Reminded me of Daisy Jones & The Six but modern. Slightly exaggerated ending and epilogue.
I'm excited to read what follows Izon's lovely debut!!
Endearing, fun, and immersive. Little to no separation between musical & romantic bond for the main characters, which was new for me to read, and I liked it! Reminded me of Daisy Jones & The Six but modern. Slightly exaggerated ending and epilogue.
I'm excited to read what follows Izon's lovely debut!!
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