What do you think?
The Music of Us
A fun and flirty contemporary YA novel between a cat café barista and a boy band pop star that hits all the right notes! The Music of Us is a laugh-out-loud friends-to-more romance perfect for fans of Kasie West, Beth Reekles, and Lynn Painter.
If life came with a playlist, Lucy's current era would be "stressed girl summer." While her friends are out enjoying the last summer before college, Lucy has her hands full managing her mom's quirky cat café. But with the fancy new coffee shop across the street, how will she attract enough customers to adopt the cats—or even pay the rent?
In a desperate moment, Lucy emails her ex-best friend (and first crush) Jake Moody, who’s now the resident bad boy in the massively popular boy band the Usual Suspects. Lucy hasn’t spoken to him in years—not since he kissed her and left for auditions without a backward glance. Which she’s totally not holding a grudge about, thanks for asking.
To her surprise, Jake is all in on hosting a livestream performance to raise support for the café—and salvage his image after his most recent scandal. As Jake and Lucy work together to corral his bandmates and plan the livestream, she finds her old feelings resurfacing despite her firm intentions to keep her distance. Is it possible the old Jake she knew is still hiding under his new rebellious image?
If life came with a playlist, Lucy's current era would be "stressed girl summer." While her friends are out enjoying the last summer before college, Lucy has her hands full managing her mom's quirky cat café. But with the fancy new coffee shop across the street, how will she attract enough customers to adopt the cats—or even pay the rent?
In a desperate moment, Lucy emails her ex-best friend (and first crush) Jake Moody, who’s now the resident bad boy in the massively popular boy band the Usual Suspects. Lucy hasn’t spoken to him in years—not since he kissed her and left for auditions without a backward glance. Which she’s totally not holding a grudge about, thanks for asking.
To her surprise, Jake is all in on hosting a livestream performance to raise support for the café—and salvage his image after his most recent scandal. As Jake and Lucy work together to corral his bandmates and plan the livestream, she finds her old feelings resurfacing despite her firm intentions to keep her distance. Is it possible the old Jake she knew is still hiding under his new rebellious image?
336 pages, Hardcover
Published June 2, 2026
About the author
Emerald Alexandrea
1 book52 followersEmerald believes in the power of love, music, and happy endings. You’re most likely to find her getting lost in a good book or a great song. She lives in California with her beloved packed bookshelves, vinyl collection, way too many coffee mugs, and the world’s best developmental editor, Midnight, who accepts payment in the form of tuna flakes. She’s currently working on her next novel, and is probably talking about plot points out loud to herself while her cat ignores her. To hear more about her books, cats, and coffee, connect with her insta: emeraldalexandrea
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
September 1, 2026
This was a super cute YA romance about a musician and the daughter of a cat café owner. It follows childhood friends who had lost contact over the years following Jake's success in a boyband. We all love the miscommunication trope... right?
This was such an easy read and the perfect palate cleanser. I think if you’re not a fan of the YA genre in general, this probably wouldn’t be for you. But if you love something easy and sweet, this would be the perfect read.
Extra points for the cats, although could have done with more of their mischief!
I received an advanced copy for free through the publisher (Harper Collins UK), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was such an easy read and the perfect palate cleanser. I think if you’re not a fan of the YA genre in general, this probably wouldn’t be for you. But if you love something easy and sweet, this would be the perfect read.
Extra points for the cats, although could have done with more of their mischief!
I received an advanced copy for free through the publisher (Harper Collins UK), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 9, 2026
The Music of Us by Emerald Alexandrea
3.5m
Blog post:
https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
Y'all, this was a delightful surprise! A clean, YA romance that is great for teens and young adults - and really anyone! Thank you to @librofm and @blinkyabooks for a complimentary ALC to listen to for review. I had a lot of fun with this, it was a breath of fresh air honestly. I am also OBSESSED with this cover!
So if you like boy bands, cats, cafes and sweet romance reads, this is one to pick up! Lucy is helping manage her mom's cat cafe....but the fancy coffee shop across the street is causing them to lose customers and people to adopt their special cats in the cafe. Lucy emails her ex-best friend and first crush Jake, who is in a music boy band with his friends and pretty famous, to help attract more people to the cafe via a livestream performance. But Lucy and Jake haven't talked in years....and their feelings resurface.
I think this was a fun audiobook to listen to. Yes, there was some miscommunication bits, but expected in a YA romance. I love that this was wholesome and appropriate for young readers with no explicit sexual content or language. We need more of these type of reads out there! The cats were SOOO CUTE and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voice and the tones/inflections for each character.
The family bits were great too, seeing her Mama especially was so precious.
Definitely recommend!
I received an ALC of this book from the publisher and libro.fm. All thoughts are my own.
Content: no language, no spice, kisses only, few “omg” statements, no real content warnings I found
3.5m
Blog post:
https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
Y'all, this was a delightful surprise! A clean, YA romance that is great for teens and young adults - and really anyone! Thank you to @librofm and @blinkyabooks for a complimentary ALC to listen to for review. I had a lot of fun with this, it was a breath of fresh air honestly. I am also OBSESSED with this cover!
So if you like boy bands, cats, cafes and sweet romance reads, this is one to pick up! Lucy is helping manage her mom's cat cafe....but the fancy coffee shop across the street is causing them to lose customers and people to adopt their special cats in the cafe. Lucy emails her ex-best friend and first crush Jake, who is in a music boy band with his friends and pretty famous, to help attract more people to the cafe via a livestream performance. But Lucy and Jake haven't talked in years....and their feelings resurface.
I think this was a fun audiobook to listen to. Yes, there was some miscommunication bits, but expected in a YA romance. I love that this was wholesome and appropriate for young readers with no explicit sexual content or language. We need more of these type of reads out there! The cats were SOOO CUTE and the narrator did a fantastic job with the voice and the tones/inflections for each character.
The family bits were great too, seeing her Mama especially was so precious.
Definitely recommend!
I received an ALC of this book from the publisher and libro.fm. All thoughts are my own.
Content: no language, no spice, kisses only, few “omg” statements, no real content warnings I found
June 13, 2026
This was such a cute and fun listen!!! I loved the romantic aspect of it all, cozy setting, perfect for when I’m doing little hobbies like lego or procrastinating packing for my trip 🫡🫡
The audiobook narrator was great, I thought she was a perfect fit for the FMC and I felt more immersed!
The characters were a little bit cliche, but with the authors own little touch, which made them less insufferable than some of the other books I’ve read where it never gets altered. There were so many points in the plot where it was so obvious where it was going (once again with the cliche thing) so I basically predicted the whole entire book. In a romance I’m still always looking for that plot twist and extra depth in the characters, like real vulnerability and I just didn’t really get that from this book. Still a very cute read for passing time though, so no huge complaints!!
Thank you to HCCP & HCF Audio, Emerald Alexandra and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own!
The audiobook narrator was great, I thought she was a perfect fit for the FMC and I felt more immersed!
The characters were a little bit cliche, but with the authors own little touch, which made them less insufferable than some of the other books I’ve read where it never gets altered. There were so many points in the plot where it was so obvious where it was going (once again with the cliche thing) so I basically predicted the whole entire book. In a romance I’m still always looking for that plot twist and extra depth in the characters, like real vulnerability and I just didn’t really get that from this book. Still a very cute read for passing time though, so no huge complaints!!
Thank you to HCCP & HCF Audio, Emerald Alexandra and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own!
May 27, 2026
If anyone is in the mood to revisit the days where they would stay up late on Wattpad reading boy band fan fiction, this one is totally for you!
I did not expect to love a YA second chance romance about a boy band saving their childhood friend’s cat cafe, but as a girl who was a teen during One Direction’s prime time, I stood no chance here. This book was so cute and fun! I wish I could have read this when I was 14, but even now I loved how funny and well written it was. I’m also literally always down for a second chance romance so this book was perfect for me!
Thank you Blink and NetGalley for the eARC!
I did not expect to love a YA second chance romance about a boy band saving their childhood friend’s cat cafe, but as a girl who was a teen during One Direction’s prime time, I stood no chance here. This book was so cute and fun! I wish I could have read this when I was 14, but even now I loved how funny and well written it was. I’m also literally always down for a second chance romance so this book was perfect for me!
Thank you Blink and NetGalley for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Okay, can I start by saying… Emerald, you need to keep writing! I loved this, and I’m absolutely here for romances for Leon, Aspen, and Phillip too.
Finally, a YA romance that feels truly wholesome while still being engaging and age appropriate, which is so rare.
Jake is the “bad boy” rocker who used to be her best friend. Lucy is running her family’s struggling cat café and trying to keep it afloat. They have not spoken in years, but when the café is on the line, she reaches out to Jake, hoping he can help. Neither of them fully understands what happened between them, but when she calls, he shows up. Saving a café is not easy, especially when you have to do it with someone you had a falling out with. If they can work together, it might help save the café, repair their past friendship, and maybe lead to something more?!
Watching Lucy and Jake reconnect and uncover what really went wrong was such a highlight, and I did not expect some of the twists and turns in the story. The side characters were fun, and Lucy and Jake’s chemistry was so sweet. I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved the cat café setting. It made the story even more fun to read.
I definitely need more books by Emerald now.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
Finally, a YA romance that feels truly wholesome while still being engaging and age appropriate, which is so rare.
Jake is the “bad boy” rocker who used to be her best friend. Lucy is running her family’s struggling cat café and trying to keep it afloat. They have not spoken in years, but when the café is on the line, she reaches out to Jake, hoping he can help. Neither of them fully understands what happened between them, but when she calls, he shows up. Saving a café is not easy, especially when you have to do it with someone you had a falling out with. If they can work together, it might help save the café, repair their past friendship, and maybe lead to something more?!
Watching Lucy and Jake reconnect and uncover what really went wrong was such a highlight, and I did not expect some of the twists and turns in the story. The side characters were fun, and Lucy and Jake’s chemistry was so sweet. I was rooting for them the whole time. I loved the cat café setting. It made the story even more fun to read.
I definitely need more books by Emerald now.
I received a complimentary copy. This review reflects my honest opinion.
August 25, 2026
*HEY SIRI!!!*
*No response*
* Tries seventeen more times*
*Siri responds.*
*PLAY LOVE STORY BY TAYLOR SWIFT*
🎵 *Playing love story on Amazon music* 🎵
Now I must say, I very much LOVED this book!
It was so cute. And I loved the characters with all my heart. And there was NOT ONE character that annoyed me! SUCH A PLUS! 🙃
— — - Would You Recommend? - — —
Honestly… to everyone I know! Because it wasn’t outright Taylor Swift so my friends, who aren’t really Swifties, would enjoy it too! I can see why it was perfect for my age group!
— — - Why Five Stars? - — —
- The PLOT was so fun!
- The characters!!
- The. Cat. Cafe. 🐈
(Must I say more?)
— — - What I disliked… - — —
Nothing. It had basically everything I needed for five stars. The good plot, written wonderfully, the funny parts, the GOOD ending, the epilogue! Perfection. *chefs kiss*
— — - Quotes - — —
““Crushes are temporary” I said. “Cats are Forever””
“”I’m caffeinated and fully awake,” he announced, throwing his arms in the air. “Let’s do the screaming thing!””
“ Me: Sorry, I’ve got to start the getaway car rn.
Amber: Lucy????
Amber: There’s a Taylor Swift song where she specifically warns against this. Please listen to her timeless wisdom. “
(There were more but I was very invested and may have not written them down… oops)
— — - Overall - — —
I enjoyed this book. You should read it too! 😊
— — - Happy Readings - — —
- - - - - - ❤️🎸🐈⬛- - - - - -
(Also the Maine coon?! Yesssss…)
- Soph
*No response*
* Tries seventeen more times*
*Siri responds.*
*PLAY LOVE STORY BY TAYLOR SWIFT*
🎵 *Playing love story on Amazon music* 🎵
Now I must say, I very much LOVED this book!
It was so cute. And I loved the characters with all my heart. And there was NOT ONE character that annoyed me! SUCH A PLUS! 🙃
— — - Would You Recommend? - — —
Honestly… to everyone I know! Because it wasn’t outright Taylor Swift so my friends, who aren’t really Swifties, would enjoy it too! I can see why it was perfect for my age group!
— — - Why Five Stars? - — —
- The PLOT was so fun!
- The characters!!
- The. Cat. Cafe. 🐈
(Must I say more?)
— — - What I disliked… - — —
Nothing. It had basically everything I needed for five stars. The good plot, written wonderfully, the funny parts, the GOOD ending, the epilogue! Perfection. *chefs kiss*
— — - Quotes - — —
““Crushes are temporary” I said. “Cats are Forever””
“”I’m caffeinated and fully awake,” he announced, throwing his arms in the air. “Let’s do the screaming thing!””
“ Me: Sorry, I’ve got to start the getaway car rn.
Amber: Lucy????
Amber: There’s a Taylor Swift song where she specifically warns against this. Please listen to her timeless wisdom. “
(There were more but I was very invested and may have not written them down… oops)
— — - Overall - — —
I enjoyed this book. You should read it too! 😊
— — - Happy Readings - — —
- - - - - - ❤️🎸🐈⬛- - - - - -
(Also the Maine coon?! Yesssss…)
- Soph
June 2, 2026
Really cute!!!!
I’m a sucker for a cute friends to lovers YA romance and The Music Of Us did not disappoint. This book was the perfect balance of sweet and silly. I felt like the content was age appropriate for a younger crowd and I will definitely be adding this to my list of book recs for the younger romance readers in my life.
📖🎧I read this in tandem with the e-arc and audio and I highly suggest skipping over the audio on this one. The voice narrator was not a good fit for Lucy. Sarah Beth Goer’s narration was giving much older woman and I feel like she dropped the ball on bringing the lightheartedness to the story and characters. As far as the writing itself goes, it was very well written. The storyline is basic but considering it’s focused for a younger audience I didn’t mind it.
Many thanks to the publishers at Blink for an advanced readers copy of The Music Of Us by Emerald Alexandrea.
I’m a sucker for a cute friends to lovers YA romance and The Music Of Us did not disappoint. This book was the perfect balance of sweet and silly. I felt like the content was age appropriate for a younger crowd and I will definitely be adding this to my list of book recs for the younger romance readers in my life.
📖🎧I read this in tandem with the e-arc and audio and I highly suggest skipping over the audio on this one. The voice narrator was not a good fit for Lucy. Sarah Beth Goer’s narration was giving much older woman and I feel like she dropped the ball on bringing the lightheartedness to the story and characters. As far as the writing itself goes, it was very well written. The storyline is basic but considering it’s focused for a younger audience I didn’t mind it.
Many thanks to the publishers at Blink for an advanced readers copy of The Music Of Us by Emerald Alexandrea.
June 25, 2026
I honestly cannot think of a reason not to give this book 5 stars! ⭐
FIRST OF ALL: FRIENDS TO LOVERS (ESPECIALLY CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS) IS THE BEST TROPE EVER PERIOD GO AHEAD AND FIGHT ME CUZ I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL
and omg the boy band stuff AH SO CUTE AND FUNNNN WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD BOY BAND?? it was heavily giving One Direction 🥰😝
I also LOVED the music, lyric and song references AHHH! now I really wish Usual Suspects existed 🥲
all the characters~ Majestic, engaging, likeable, and spectacular
the plot~ GREAT! so many good moments.
the romance~ so freaking cute and clean and such a good slow burn 👌🔥
++ I still liked this book about a cat cafe even though I don't really like cats
the writing~ excellent! good humor, realistic dialogue, solid pacing/plot, nice description, lovely characters.
Wonderful book!!!! 🙌💕
FIRST OF ALL: FRIENDS TO LOVERS (ESPECIALLY CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS TO LOVERS) IS THE BEST TROPE EVER PERIOD GO AHEAD AND FIGHT ME CUZ I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL
and omg the boy band stuff AH SO CUTE AND FUNNNN WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD BOY BAND?? it was heavily giving One Direction 🥰😝
I also LOVED the music, lyric and song references AHHH! now I really wish Usual Suspects existed 🥲
all the characters~ Majestic, engaging, likeable, and spectacular
the plot~ GREAT! so many good moments.
the romance~ so freaking cute and clean and such a good slow burn 👌🔥
++ I still liked this book about a cat cafe even though I don't really like cats
the writing~ excellent! good humor, realistic dialogue, solid pacing/plot, nice description, lovely characters.
Wonderful book!!!! 🙌💕
August 29, 2026
If you’ve been reading my reviews, you know I LOVE tension. 😏 (#tension>spice)
And this book? It had the kind of teeth clenching, breath holding, toe curling tension that I need, but it was in THE FIRST 50 PAGES ALONE. 🙌
Honestly though, I’ve been in a romance book slump lately and this pulled me out of it. You know, you get sucked into that KU indie romance spiral and they’re all just so corny!! Real ones know 😉😭
While this had a few lines that I cringed from—there’s always at least one— this was a five star read and definitely one I will be recommending. Like, the found family trope?? Or just that agonizing second chance romance??? 🫠
Also though, I loved how Lucy was also focused on family and business problems, not just Jake Moody, though I see why she would be 😉
Tropes and things I loved below!!!
🐈 Things I loved: 🐈⬛
🎶 Found family, ALWAYS
🎶 Angsty second chance romance 🥰
🎶 Cat cafe 🐈⬛🐈☕️
🎶 Boy band trope ❤️
🎶 He wrote a song for her
🎶 Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
🎶 Small town vs spotlight
CW: no language, no spice!
And this book? It had the kind of teeth clenching, breath holding, toe curling tension that I need, but it was in THE FIRST 50 PAGES ALONE. 🙌
Honestly though, I’ve been in a romance book slump lately and this pulled me out of it. You know, you get sucked into that KU indie romance spiral and they’re all just so corny!! Real ones know 😉😭
While this had a few lines that I cringed from—there’s always at least one— this was a five star read and definitely one I will be recommending. Like, the found family trope?? Or just that agonizing second chance romance??? 🫠
Also though, I loved how Lucy was also focused on family and business problems, not just Jake Moody, though I see why she would be 😉
Tropes and things I loved below!!!
🐈 Things I loved: 🐈⬛
🎶 Found family, ALWAYS
🎶 Angsty second chance romance 🥰
🎶 Cat cafe 🐈⬛🐈☕️
🎶 Boy band trope ❤️
🎶 He wrote a song for her
🎶 Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
🎶 Small town vs spotlight
CW: no language, no spice!
September 12, 2026
The Music of Us @emeraldalexandrea
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 kisses only
No Swearing
This was the absolute sweetest YA read! Lucy hasn't spoken to Jake in years. They used to be best friends and then he left after a kiss that has caused her endless confusion and heartache. His music career took off and they never spoke again. Now, she is helping her mom run a struggling cafe and reaches out to Jake as a last ditch effort. She never expected him to even respond but he shows up at her door.
I love Lucy and Jake, I love the camaraderie with the band mates, and I love the sweet little touch of a cat cafe.
This is a YA must!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🫑 kisses only
No Swearing
This was the absolute sweetest YA read! Lucy hasn't spoken to Jake in years. They used to be best friends and then he left after a kiss that has caused her endless confusion and heartache. His music career took off and they never spoke again. Now, she is helping her mom run a struggling cafe and reaches out to Jake as a last ditch effort. She never expected him to even respond but he shows up at her door.
I love Lucy and Jake, I love the camaraderie with the band mates, and I love the sweet little touch of a cat cafe.
This is a YA must!
September 5, 2026
The way this was the cutest book ever ! I normally don’t read much ya romance but this book was literally perfect and exactly what I needed ! I also wasn’t expecting there to be so many emotional / heartfelt quotes that really hit home ! I absolutely loved it and the addition of cats was just the icing on the cake
September 24, 2026
Cute story. The author did a great job of making me wish the band wasn't fictional so I could watch them perform live. A few drinking references (but definitely not in a way that promoted it), no sex, and no profanity. The characters did use God's name in vain quite a bit, however, which was pretty much the only fault I found with the story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I recieved this as an ARC read for an honest review.
The Music of Us is a cute YA friends to lovers story. Jake and Lucy start off as friends in high school and Jake is on his way to becoming a well known musician in a boy band. It's giving One Direction vibes.
Jake becomes a well known pop-star with a group called US; Usual Suspects. Lucy feels forgotten about after many attempts of trying to get hold of him and their friendship falls apart.
During their separation, Lucy's mom gets involved in a car accident and is injured and needs help managing her cat Cafe 🐈 When Lucy realizes the Cafe is experiencing financial hardship she turns to her friend Amber for advice. They come up with a plan to get celebrity endorsement so they can try to save the cat Cafe which is their only source of income.
This is a cute YA Romance story. I really enjoyed the cats personalities and the fellow band members banter once they all get together to perform a live stream performance to help raise funds.
There is a ton of miscommunication and misunderstandings throughout the story and some hidden betrayal by someone you least expect!
It was a cozy read and I devoured it in a day.
The Music of Us is a cute YA friends to lovers story. Jake and Lucy start off as friends in high school and Jake is on his way to becoming a well known musician in a boy band. It's giving One Direction vibes.
Jake becomes a well known pop-star with a group called US; Usual Suspects. Lucy feels forgotten about after many attempts of trying to get hold of him and their friendship falls apart.
During their separation, Lucy's mom gets involved in a car accident and is injured and needs help managing her cat Cafe 🐈 When Lucy realizes the Cafe is experiencing financial hardship she turns to her friend Amber for advice. They come up with a plan to get celebrity endorsement so they can try to save the cat Cafe which is their only source of income.
This is a cute YA Romance story. I really enjoyed the cats personalities and the fellow band members banter once they all get together to perform a live stream performance to help raise funds.
There is a ton of miscommunication and misunderstandings throughout the story and some hidden betrayal by someone you least expect!
It was a cozy read and I devoured it in a day.
June 7, 2026
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https://emmaisabookworm.blogspot.com/...
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0 stars romance - there is romance but nothing inappropriate
0 stars language - I don’t remember there being any
12+
☆⛤♥⭑plot⭑♥⛤☆
Lucy has taken over running her mom’s cat cafe after her mom’s injury and the cafe is struggling. She doesn’t want her mom to know, but she needs to fix the problem. So, she emails her old friend Jake, now part of the popular boy band The Usual Suspects and asks for his possibility to help restore the cafe.
☆⛤♥⭑lucy⭑♥⛤☆
She was so determined and focused on helping the cat cafe! She was very clever and cool, and didn’t get flustered easily, which I loved.
☆⛤♥⭑jake⭑♥⛤☆
I love a good bad boy! He was very sweet, beneath the bad boy exterior and he was just a really great book boyfriend!
☆⛤♥⭑the romance⭑♥⛤☆
I loved how there was no third act breakup and the entire book was just the leadup to the romance, as opposed to a romance and then a third act breakup. It was so sweet and adorable and I just loved the tension and story of them getting together.
☆⛤♥⭑in summary⭑♥⛤☆
If you like cute romances, friends to lovers, second chance romances, bad boys, celebrity boyfriends, or cat cafes, you will love this book!
xoxo
emma
https://emmaisabookworm.blogspot.com/...
Watch me unbox this book!
https://youtube.com/shorts/9QfoHEE6Kj...
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0 stars romance - there is romance but nothing inappropriate
0 stars language - I don’t remember there being any
12+
☆⛤♥⭑plot⭑♥⛤☆
Lucy has taken over running her mom’s cat cafe after her mom’s injury and the cafe is struggling. She doesn’t want her mom to know, but she needs to fix the problem. So, she emails her old friend Jake, now part of the popular boy band The Usual Suspects and asks for his possibility to help restore the cafe.
☆⛤♥⭑lucy⭑♥⛤☆
She was so determined and focused on helping the cat cafe! She was very clever and cool, and didn’t get flustered easily, which I loved.
☆⛤♥⭑jake⭑♥⛤☆
I love a good bad boy! He was very sweet, beneath the bad boy exterior and he was just a really great book boyfriend!
☆⛤♥⭑the romance⭑♥⛤☆
I loved how there was no third act breakup and the entire book was just the leadup to the romance, as opposed to a romance and then a third act breakup. It was so sweet and adorable and I just loved the tension and story of them getting together.
☆⛤♥⭑in summary⭑♥⛤☆
If you like cute romances, friends to lovers, second chance romances, bad boys, celebrity boyfriends, or cat cafes, you will love this book!
xoxo
emma
September 3, 2026
This was an enjoyable audiobook and a fun, heartwarming story. I found myself laughing often, but I did think it was frequently a bit cliché and predictable. If you are looking for a light fun read to uplift your spirit, I would recommend this book for that purpose. I didn’t find anything incredibly compelling or unique about the book though.
I loved the narrator, Sarah Beth Goer, and thought that she did a great job keeping me engaged in the story. The only thing I didn’t love was when lyrics to songs were recited; I thought they fell a little flat.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Listening Copy of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the narrator, Sarah Beth Goer, and thought that she did a great job keeping me engaged in the story. The only thing I didn’t love was when lyrics to songs were recited; I thought they fell a little flat.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Listening Copy of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2026
Thank you to Harper Collins/Harper360YA for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
If life came with a playlist, Lucy's current era would be "stressed girl summer." While her friends are out enjoying the last summer before college, Lucy has her hands full managing her mom's quirky cat café. But with the fancy new coffee shop across the street, how will she attract enough customers to adopt the cats—or even pay the rent? In a desperate moment, Lucy emails her ex-best friend (and first crush) Jake Moody, who’s now the resident bad boy in the massively popular boy band the Usual Suspects. Lucy hasn’t spoken to him in years—not since he kissed her and left for auditions without a backward glance. Which she’s totally not holding a grudge about, thanks for asking. To her surprise, Jake is all in on hosting a livestream performance to raise support for the café—and salvage his image after his most recent scandal. As Jake and Lucy work together to corral his bandmates and plan the livestream, she finds her old feelings resurfacing despite her firm intentions to keep her distance. Is it possible the old Jake she knew is still hiding under his new rebellious image?
Lucy is such a sweet and caring soul. The way she dedicates herself to her mum’s cat cafe is incredibly commendable. But it’s the way she cares for all the cats, treating them like family that utterly melted my heart. She cares so much for them and what her mother has built, that she willingly puts her issues aside to ensure it can continue for as long as possible. I loved her tenacity, her openness and her willingness to do whatever it takes. The way she is emotional but also very much like a cat with a mouse, laser focused on her goal, was fantastic.
Jake is a sweetheart who has been forced to be someone else. His bad boy image is all anyone sees but getting to know him in the cat cafe, in Lucy’s presence, it’s immediately clear that being the “bad boy” appearance is a mask he never wanted. He is soft-souled, wishing to freely express himself through his music. I would have loved chapters from his perspective because just seeing him from Lucy’s had me loving him! His relationship with his bandmates as well was so heartwarming - truly the epitome of found family!
The cover was what first attracted me - the cute cartoon cover with the cats grabbing my attention. Then I saw the blurb and was sold! All I can say is wow. The plot held my attention from the very first page and kept me captive with the banter, the longing and all the cats until the very end. I love that we got to see something fast paced that also felt slow and detailed, fully immersing the reader in the unfolding story. Better yet, were the characters. We have young adults with adult responsibilities and seeing the impact of that. But then we get to see them being young adults together, joking around and supporting one another. It gave such a warm air to the story that just had me so engaged and eager to continue. I loved the “will they, won’t they” aspect for the romance, the past making them cautious but their chemistry heightening the tension between our leads. What really made it for me though was the band’s meddling and encouragement. I couldn’t help but just giggle and practically kick my feet at times with how adorable it all was. The ending was just perfection to such a brilliant story as well. It brought everything together so nicely!
Overall, The Music of Us is a gorgeous YA romance you don’t want to miss!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Harper Collins/Harper360YA for an advanced copy of this book.
If life came with a playlist, Lucy's current era would be "stressed girl summer." While her friends are out enjoying the last summer before college, Lucy has her hands full managing her mom's quirky cat café. But with the fancy new coffee shop across the street, how will she attract enough customers to adopt the cats—or even pay the rent? In a desperate moment, Lucy emails her ex-best friend (and first crush) Jake Moody, who’s now the resident bad boy in the massively popular boy band the Usual Suspects. Lucy hasn’t spoken to him in years—not since he kissed her and left for auditions without a backward glance. Which she’s totally not holding a grudge about, thanks for asking. To her surprise, Jake is all in on hosting a livestream performance to raise support for the café—and salvage his image after his most recent scandal. As Jake and Lucy work together to corral his bandmates and plan the livestream, she finds her old feelings resurfacing despite her firm intentions to keep her distance. Is it possible the old Jake she knew is still hiding under his new rebellious image?
Lucy is such a sweet and caring soul. The way she dedicates herself to her mum’s cat cafe is incredibly commendable. But it’s the way she cares for all the cats, treating them like family that utterly melted my heart. She cares so much for them and what her mother has built, that she willingly puts her issues aside to ensure it can continue for as long as possible. I loved her tenacity, her openness and her willingness to do whatever it takes. The way she is emotional but also very much like a cat with a mouse, laser focused on her goal, was fantastic.
Jake is a sweetheart who has been forced to be someone else. His bad boy image is all anyone sees but getting to know him in the cat cafe, in Lucy’s presence, it’s immediately clear that being the “bad boy” appearance is a mask he never wanted. He is soft-souled, wishing to freely express himself through his music. I would have loved chapters from his perspective because just seeing him from Lucy’s had me loving him! His relationship with his bandmates as well was so heartwarming - truly the epitome of found family!
The cover was what first attracted me - the cute cartoon cover with the cats grabbing my attention. Then I saw the blurb and was sold! All I can say is wow. The plot held my attention from the very first page and kept me captive with the banter, the longing and all the cats until the very end. I love that we got to see something fast paced that also felt slow and detailed, fully immersing the reader in the unfolding story. Better yet, were the characters. We have young adults with adult responsibilities and seeing the impact of that. But then we get to see them being young adults together, joking around and supporting one another. It gave such a warm air to the story that just had me so engaged and eager to continue. I loved the “will they, won’t they” aspect for the romance, the past making them cautious but their chemistry heightening the tension between our leads. What really made it for me though was the band’s meddling and encouragement. I couldn’t help but just giggle and practically kick my feet at times with how adorable it all was. The ending was just perfection to such a brilliant story as well. It brought everything together so nicely!
Overall, The Music of Us is a gorgeous YA romance you don’t want to miss!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Harper Collins/Harper360YA for an advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Girls Life and the Publisher for an early copy in exchange for a review!
The Music Of Us 3/5⭐
Let me just say the MVP of this book was most definitely Leon. We are coffee addicts together!!
Don't forget to follow me on YouTube, where I post all about my favorite clean books! https://www.youtube.com/@ItsRenity
✨Plot✨
Lucy (or Luciena) has taken over her mom's cat cafe temporarily after her mother is too injured to do so herself. Business is slow until Luciana has the idea to invite the most popular boy band ever to perform there for PR. And how is she going to do this, you might ask? Because she was childhood best friends with the lead singer of the boyband until he rocketed into fame and ghosted her right after it seemed like he was confessing to liking her! But then he shows up to help the cafe, and tensions rise!
SOOOO glad this didn't have the typical romance plot where they deny feelings, admit to liking each other, have a huge conflict, they fight, and then happily ever after! It still had a pretty predictable plot, but not like how Lynn Painter's plots are the same things OVER and OVER again.
This review is coming from a dog lover reading a cat lover book so we'll see how this goes.
✨Charecters✨
💚Leon💚 (I feel like green hearts are fitting for his charecter but idk why)
Yes, I am indeed aware he was not a main charecter but what can I say, he was probably my favorite. Who else would show up in a trench coat and go insane due to a lack of coffee every morning? Also, he was hilarious. Love him❤️✨ (ALSO I NEED A SPINOFF FOR LEON STAT)
☕Lucy🐈
The lover of cats. The contactor of the famous Jake. She was fun, but was really blind at times as to what was being said.
🖤Jake❤️
This dude was such a softy. like more than the rest of the band, who were known for being more softy than he is. The whole bad boy thing was such a PR stunt, but hey, it was entertaining! I'm not sure if his songwriting passion was super realistic, though. I write songs, and I don't think about writing them THAT MUCH. But that's his personality, not mine.
✨Romance✨
The romance was just all denial. I kind of realized I don't like second-chance books. I like books when they get to know each other, and their feelings sprout and grow in the book, not when I start a book and the feelings are already a forest. But it was still really cute, and they are perfect for each other! They both try to act tough on the outside, but are such softies.
✨Writing & Art Style✨
The writing style was good, and it flowed well. I enjoyed it, and it kept me interested! I would definitely read the spin-offs (which hopefully there will be!)
✨Would I Recommend It?✨
If you love cats and boybands you've found your soulmate in this book! ENJOY!!!
signing off,
Gwen
The Music Of Us 3/5⭐
Let me just say the MVP of this book was most definitely Leon. We are coffee addicts together!!
Don't forget to follow me on YouTube, where I post all about my favorite clean books! https://www.youtube.com/@ItsRenity
✨Plot✨
Lucy (or Luciena) has taken over her mom's cat cafe temporarily after her mother is too injured to do so herself. Business is slow until Luciana has the idea to invite the most popular boy band ever to perform there for PR. And how is she going to do this, you might ask? Because she was childhood best friends with the lead singer of the boyband until he rocketed into fame and ghosted her right after it seemed like he was confessing to liking her! But then he shows up to help the cafe, and tensions rise!
SOOOO glad this didn't have the typical romance plot where they deny feelings, admit to liking each other, have a huge conflict, they fight, and then happily ever after! It still had a pretty predictable plot, but not like how Lynn Painter's plots are the same things OVER and OVER again.
This review is coming from a dog lover reading a cat lover book so we'll see how this goes.
✨Charecters✨
💚Leon💚 (I feel like green hearts are fitting for his charecter but idk why)
Yes, I am indeed aware he was not a main charecter but what can I say, he was probably my favorite. Who else would show up in a trench coat and go insane due to a lack of coffee every morning? Also, he was hilarious. Love him❤️✨ (ALSO I NEED A SPINOFF FOR LEON STAT)
☕Lucy🐈
The lover of cats. The contactor of the famous Jake. She was fun, but was really blind at times as to what was being said.
🖤Jake❤️
This dude was such a softy. like more than the rest of the band, who were known for being more softy than he is. The whole bad boy thing was such a PR stunt, but hey, it was entertaining! I'm not sure if his songwriting passion was super realistic, though. I write songs, and I don't think about writing them THAT MUCH. But that's his personality, not mine.
✨Romance✨
The romance was just all denial. I kind of realized I don't like second-chance books. I like books when they get to know each other, and their feelings sprout and grow in the book, not when I start a book and the feelings are already a forest. But it was still really cute, and they are perfect for each other! They both try to act tough on the outside, but are such softies.
✨Writing & Art Style✨
The writing style was good, and it flowed well. I enjoyed it, and it kept me interested! I would definitely read the spin-offs (which hopefully there will be!)
✨Would I Recommend It?✨
If you love cats and boybands you've found your soulmate in this book! ENJOY!!!
signing off,
Gwen
June 4, 2026
I am so glad I made time to read this one, as I ended up loving it! It could be because I am a boy band fan (NKOTB Blockhead here!). But also I loved the banter and the fun once we started getting all the “boys” there to help save the cat cafe. I loved the dynamic between the guys, how they interacted with each other, but in the end, they were really brothers/family who would do anything for each other. Honestly whenever I picked it up to read, I couldn’t put it down.
It is YA in that you can tell by how the main character Lucy reacts to things, but that’s okay, it’s what it is supposed to be! And of course it was easy to guess that the reason Jake “stopped” communicating or replying to her texts wasn’t really him, but someone else who kept them apart. That was easy to see if you read any books with this type of plot/trope. It was also very easy to see that of course the songs he’d written were about Lucy, and not some other “girlfriend” that really was just a PR stunt.
Of course Lucy’s worry about her mom needing her keeping her from taking her scholarship to go to college was an added part to making all of the help from Jake and the other Usual Suspects band members so important. But it also led to more connection between her and Jake, when she had the talk with her mom about needing to do what was good for her, and she could then pass that wisdom on to him about whether he should work on a solo album or not.
I loved that the band name: Usual Suspects, was shorted to “US”. It fit so well into the story, as well as even the title of this book if you think about it. If only my favorite boy band name had initials so easily worked like that. A really fun book, and if I was still at the high school level, it would definitely be in my high school library next year!
It is YA in that you can tell by how the main character Lucy reacts to things, but that’s okay, it’s what it is supposed to be! And of course it was easy to guess that the reason Jake “stopped” communicating or replying to her texts wasn’t really him, but someone else who kept them apart. That was easy to see if you read any books with this type of plot/trope. It was also very easy to see that of course the songs he’d written were about Lucy, and not some other “girlfriend” that really was just a PR stunt.
Of course Lucy’s worry about her mom needing her keeping her from taking her scholarship to go to college was an added part to making all of the help from Jake and the other Usual Suspects band members so important. But it also led to more connection between her and Jake, when she had the talk with her mom about needing to do what was good for her, and she could then pass that wisdom on to him about whether he should work on a solo album or not.
I loved that the band name: Usual Suspects, was shorted to “US”. It fit so well into the story, as well as even the title of this book if you think about it. If only my favorite boy band name had initials so easily worked like that. A really fun book, and if I was still at the high school level, it would definitely be in my high school library next year!
July 14, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook!! 👨👨👦👦🎤🎶
This was such a cute read! I loved both the protagonists so so much - and this is one of the few instances that the MMC was my absolute favorite. Jake (his last name being Moody is hilarious!) is the type of dude you have a crush on in high school 100%. Having that sweet boy next door vibe while being a brilliant songwriter and going from that to the "Bad Boy" of the boy band? No wonder Lucy was like, "I don't know this dude anymore"
I have found I am a total SUCKER for second chance romances this year, so this was totally up my alley! Seeing how they found their way back to each other despite both thinking the other kissed and ran.
- The songs in this book MAN! I loved the narrator 10/10 work, although I would have liked this to be dual narration... But when she was saying the song lyrics, she had the most lyrical, melodic tone dude I could hear that FOR DAYS.
- I would LOVE to see a book for each of the boys! This being a series would be AMAZING, and I will be first in line!! The Usual Suspects is one of the most entertaining boy bands HANDS DOWN.
˚∧＿∧ + —̳͟͞͞💗
( •‿• )つ —̳͟͞͞ 💗 —̳͟͞͞💗 +
(つ < —̳͟͞͞💗
｜ _つ + —̳͟͞͞💗 —̳͟͞͞💗 ˚
`し´
This was such a cute read! I loved both the protagonists so so much - and this is one of the few instances that the MMC was my absolute favorite. Jake (his last name being Moody is hilarious!) is the type of dude you have a crush on in high school 100%. Having that sweet boy next door vibe while being a brilliant songwriter and going from that to the "Bad Boy" of the boy band? No wonder Lucy was like, "I don't know this dude anymore"
I have found I am a total SUCKER for second chance romances this year, so this was totally up my alley! Seeing how they found their way back to each other despite both thinking the other kissed and ran.
- The songs in this book MAN! I loved the narrator 10/10 work, although I would have liked this to be dual narration... But when she was saying the song lyrics, she had the most lyrical, melodic tone dude I could hear that FOR DAYS.
- I would LOVE to see a book for each of the boys! This being a series would be AMAZING, and I will be first in line!! The Usual Suspects is one of the most entertaining boy bands HANDS DOWN.
˚∧＿∧ + —̳͟͞͞💗
( •‿• )つ —̳͟͞͞ 💗 —̳͟͞͞💗 +
(つ < —̳͟͞͞💗
｜ _つ + —̳͟͞͞💗 —̳͟͞͞💗 ˚
`し´
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2026
For fans of:
Celebrity romance
Cat café setting
Found family
Summery vibes
This was such a cute and easy audiobook to listen to. I really enjoyed the cozy cat café setting and the found family vibes throughout the story. The romance was sweet, and the audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the FMC to life. She fit the character really well and made the story more immersive.
I will say the story was pretty predictable. I could see most of the big moments coming from a mile away, and I wished the characters had a little more depth and vulnerability. I kept waiting for something to surprise me emotionally, but it never quite got there.
That being said, I still had a good time with it. Sometimes you just want a cute romance that doesn’t require too much emotional energy, and this delivered exactly that.
Celebrity romance
Cat café setting
Found family
Summery vibes
This was such a cute and easy audiobook to listen to. I really enjoyed the cozy cat café setting and the found family vibes throughout the story. The romance was sweet, and the audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the FMC to life. She fit the character really well and made the story more immersive.
I will say the story was pretty predictable. I could see most of the big moments coming from a mile away, and I wished the characters had a little more depth and vulnerability. I kept waiting for something to surprise me emotionally, but it never quite got there.
That being said, I still had a good time with it. Sometimes you just want a cute romance that doesn’t require too much emotional energy, and this delivered exactly that.
September 20, 2026
This book was so fun and such an easy read! I loved the idea of having song lyrics and interviews at the start of the chapters!
Lucy is currently working at her mother’s cat cafe for the summer before college but due to her mother’s hospital bills and the new chain cafe, the Tiny Tiger isn’t doing well financially. With no other options, Lucy contacts her old friend turned famous pop star who ghosted her 4 years ago after they kissed to help bring some attention to the Tiny Tiger. However, old feelings seem to be sprouting again as Lucy and Jake try to save the cafe while also navigating how they left things all those years ago.
I love all the characters, especially the 4 in the band and I hope to read about them all in the future and see their stories too.
4☆
20/09/26
Lucy is currently working at her mother’s cat cafe for the summer before college but due to her mother’s hospital bills and the new chain cafe, the Tiny Tiger isn’t doing well financially. With no other options, Lucy contacts her old friend turned famous pop star who ghosted her 4 years ago after they kissed to help bring some attention to the Tiny Tiger. However, old feelings seem to be sprouting again as Lucy and Jake try to save the cafe while also navigating how they left things all those years ago.
I love all the characters, especially the 4 in the band and I hope to read about them all in the future and see their stories too.
4☆
20/09/26
July 21, 2026
Thank you @NetGalley and @HCCP&HCFAudio for the ALC. I saw this cover and knew that I was going to love this book and I was right. This is a YA contemporary romance that I had to get for my students to read in our Library. Lucy is filling in for her mom at their cat cafe for the summer. Things are not looking good as a new coffee shop has moved in down the street. Lucy is shocked when she sends her ex-best friend Jake, who has become a famous singer in a band, to help her save the Cat Cafe. Such a sweet story, loved it.
July 1, 2026
Libro.fm stays FEEDING me with these audios! You had me at cat cafe. This was such a cute romcom vibes/cozy listen! The narrator did a fantastic job at bringing this story to life! This had all the cheesy predictable feels but I loved every minute of it! 🤣 this was a nice comfort read for sure. It was such a fun refreshing listen!
August 26, 2026
Such a fun, cute and quick read! Who wouldn’t love a romance story involving a cat cafe owner?! While some parts felt like they were dragging- that didn’t ruin the feel of the book or how the pace felt. The story felt well written and easy to relate to often. I would definitely recommend this to other readers!
Read
August 11, 2026The book was good, except…. When I took it off my library’s shelf, I read the description inside. One of the first phases I read was ‘cat cafe’ and that’s all it took. But I was just a few pages into the book when I realized it is YA genre. I’m 71! The cat cafe is The Tiny Tiger, owned by Lucy’s mother. She has had a car accident and is laid up for a few months so Lucy is in charge. Unfortunately the cafe is short on money and customers. Lucy reaches out to her ex-best friend Jake who is now part of the hit boy band, the Usual Suspects.
This book would have been good if I was 15-16. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time skimming over parts! Next time I will investigate closer before checking out a book!
This book would have been good if I was 15-16. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of time skimming over parts! Next time I will investigate closer before checking out a book!
Did Not Finish
August 2, 2026DNF @58%
It's not you, it's me.
There was nothing wrong with this book, the characters were fun and I loved the cat cafe, but at more than half way through I found that I just didn't care enough about the characters or the story to keep reading.
It's not you, it's me.
There was nothing wrong with this book, the characters were fun and I loved the cat cafe, but at more than half way through I found that I just didn't care enough about the characters or the story to keep reading.
September 7, 2026
3.5 / cutteee, would've been a more solid 4 if the miscommunication wasn't the crux of the conflict. very one direction fan fic vibes overall
August 30, 2026
“Crushes are temporary. Cats are forever”
Cat cafes and boy bands. Who could ask for more? Jake and Lucy’s story gave me a combination of Hallmark movie meets my beloved One Direction fan fictions from my teenage years. A nice heartwarming story for when you need just that.
Cat cafes and boy bands. Who could ask for more? Jake and Lucy’s story gave me a combination of Hallmark movie meets my beloved One Direction fan fictions from my teenage years. A nice heartwarming story for when you need just that.
July 21, 2026
Welcome to my book review.
They are doing a spelling test.
The cat's name is Rumplestiltskin.
Her best friend's name is Jake.
Our main character's name is Luciana.
Jake said he'll never forget about her.
She gave him a special coin from the tip jar. He kisses her.
chapter 1 -
4 years later
Jake made it big.
They are doing a spelling test.
The cat's name is Rumplestiltskin.
Her best friend's name is Jake.
Our main character's name is Luciana.
Jake said he'll never forget about her.
She gave him a special coin from the tip jar. He kisses her.
chapter 1 -
4 years later
Jake made it big.
July 16, 2026
4.5 stars. Yay for more clean, sweet, fun YA contemporary romance that delivers! Second chances, music references, cats, and distinctive characters were the elements I loved most in this story.
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