Home Is a Song

Joni Lark, a successful but burnt-out songwriter in Los Angeles, is adrift. Her biggest hit, "If You Stayed," has made her famous, but she feels empty, disconnected from the joy that once fueled her music. She's homesick for Vienna Shores, North Carolina, where her family runs the Revelry, a storied music hall. Each summer, she returns home, but this year, her mother's early-onset dementia and the Revelry's uncertain future cast a shadow over her homecoming. Joni's sense of self is tangled in her music, her family, and the ache of what she's left behind.

The Balcony Encounter

At a concert in LA, Joni attends as a favor to her friend Willa Grey, a pop star who made Joni's song a hit. In a private balcony, she meets Sebastian Fell, former boy band bad boy and son of rock legend Roman Fell. Their banter is sharp, flirtatious, and laced with mutual skepticism. When the crowd's "kiss cam" lands on them, they share a charged, unexpected kiss that sparks something neither can name. The moment is electric, but both retreat behind old defenses, dismissing it as a fluke.

Kiss Cam Chaos

The kiss with Sebastian is more than a publicity stunt—it leaves Joni rattled. She's used to being invisible, the woman behind the music, not the one in the spotlight. Sebastian, too, is haunted by the encounter, but both are quick to armor themselves with sarcasm and distance. Joni flees the concert, determined to forget the moment, but the memory—and a strange, persistent melody—follows her home.

Burnout and Baggage

Joni's return to Vienna Shores is bittersweet. She's welcomed by her best friend Gigi and her family, but the Revelry is struggling, and her mother's illness is progressing. Joni's creative well is dry; she hasn't written anything new in months. The pressure to produce, the weight of her mother's decline, and the looming closure of the Revelry threaten to overwhelm her. She feels like she's failing at everything that matters.

Return to Vienna Shores

Back in her hometown, Joni is surrounded by reminders of her past—her brother Mitch, Gigi (who is now dating Mitch), and the ghosts of old loves, especially Van, the boy she once thought she'd marry. The town is changing, friends are moving away, and the Revelry's days are numbered. Joni is forced to confront what she's lost by leaving, and what she might lose if she stays.

The Revelry's Last Summer

Joni's parents announce that this will be the Revelry's final summer. The news devastates her and her brother, but her parents are resolute—they want to retire and spend what good time remains together. The music hall, once the heart of the community, is fading. Joni is torn between honoring her parents' wishes and her own longing to preserve the place that made her.

Ghost in My Head

After a night of drinking and heartbreak, Joni begins to hear a voice in her head. At first, she thinks she's losing her mind, but soon realizes the voice belongs to Sebastian. Somehow, they are telepathically linked, able to hear each other's thoughts and even feel each other's emotions. The connection is intimate, intrusive, and impossible to ignore. They try to break it, but nothing works.

Telepathic Tangle

As days pass, Joni and Sebastian's telepathic bond deepens. They share secrets, fears, and creative frustrations. The melody that haunted them both is revealed to be the same—an unfinished song neither can place. Their connection becomes a lifeline: Joni's creative block begins to loosen, and Sebastian, long estranged from music and his father's shadow, finds himself inspired again. But the intimacy also exposes their vulnerabilities and old wounds.

Old Loves, New Fears

Joni's ex, Van, reappears, stirring up unresolved feelings. Gigi and Mitch's relationship faces its own crossroads. Joni is caught between the comfort of the past and the terrifying possibility of something new with Sebastian. The telepathic link makes it impossible to hide from her own desires—or from Sebastian's. Both are afraid: of being seen, of being hurt, of not being enough.

Writing Blocked Hearts

The mysterious melody in their heads becomes the key to their connection. They realize that to break the telepathic bond, they must finish the song together. But writing it means confronting their deepest fears: Joni's terror of losing her mother and her creative voice, Sebastian's struggle with his father's legacy and his own worth. The process is messy, intimate, and healing. As they write, their bond shifts from supernatural to something achingly real.

Family, Friendship, and Regret

Joni's relationships with her family and Gigi are tested. She and Gigi fight and reconcile, learning to be honest about their dreams and disappointments. Joni's mother shares stories of her own lost dreams and regrets, teaching Joni that life is made of choices, not all of them perfect. The Revelry's impending closure becomes a symbol of change, loss, and the courage to start anew.

The Song That Won't Leave

As the song nears completion, Joni and Sebastian's connection begins to fade. They fear what will happen when it's gone—will their feelings survive without the magic? A hurricane approaches Vienna Shores, forcing everyone to shelter at the Revelry. In the eye of the storm, Joni and Sebastian perform their finished song for her mother and the community, honoring the past and embracing the uncertain future.

Hurricane Warnings

The hurricane mirrors the emotional turmoil inside the Revelry. As the storm rages, Joni and Sebastian are forced to confront what they truly want. The song, now complete, severs their telepathic link. The loss is painful, but it also frees them to choose each other without supernatural interference. In the aftermath, Joni must decide whether to return to LA or stay and fight for the Revelry.

The Eye of the Storm

In the calm at the storm's center, Joni's mother recognizes Sebastian as the son of her old friend Ami, revealing a hidden connection between their families. The unfinished song that haunted Joni and Sebastian was one their mothers began decades ago. The past and present entwine, offering healing and a sense of belonging neither expected.

Sounds Like Love

With the storm passed, Joni chooses to stay in Vienna Shores and take over the Revelry, honoring her family's legacy and her own dreams. Sebastian, too, decides to stay, finding purpose in producing music and building a life with Joni. Their love is no longer magical, but real—rooted in choice, vulnerability, and the music they make together.

Letting Go, Holding On

Joni's mother's decline continues, and eventually she passes away. The loss is profound, but Joni finds comfort in the music, the Revelry, and the community she's rebuilt. She learns that grief is a love song in reverse, and that the people we love never truly leave us—they live on in the songs, the stories, and the places we keep alive.

The Long Goodbye

Time passes. Joni and Sebastian's partnership—romantic and creative—flourishes. Gigi finds her own path as a performer. The Revelry becomes a haven for new music and old memories. Joni pins a photo of her mother and Ami on the wall, a testament to the enduring power of love, music, and chosen family. The story ends with Joni at peace, knowing that wherever she goes, the people and songs she loves are always with her.

Vienna Waits for You

In the final chapter, Joni stands in the Revelry, barefoot and content, watching her best friend Gigi perform onstage. The music, the love, and the memories swirl around her. She has found her place—not in LA, not in the past, but here, in Vienna Shores, where the songs sound like love and home is always waiting.

Characters

Joni Lark

Joni is a thirtysomething songwriter whose career has peaked with a hit song, but who now finds herself creatively blocked and emotionally adrift. Her identity is split between her LA success and her deep roots in Vienna Shores, North Carolina. Joni is fiercely loyal, self-critical, and haunted by the fear of losing her mother to dementia. Her journey is one of reconciling ambition with belonging, learning to let go of regret, and rediscovering joy in music, love, and home. Her relationships—with her family, her best friend Gigi, her ex Van, and especially Sebastian—force her to confront her vulnerabilities and ultimately choose a life that feels true.

Sebastian Fell (Sasha)

Sebastian is the son of rock legend Roman Fell and a former boy band star whose public persona masks deep insecurity and loneliness. Estranged from his father and haunted by the loss of his mother, Sebastian has spent years running from his past and his own creative potential. The telepathic link with Joni exposes his softer, more thoughtful side, allowing him to heal old wounds and rediscover his love for music. His arc is about stepping out of his father's shadow, embracing vulnerability, and choosing a life—and a love—that is real, not performative.

Wynona Lark (Joni's Mother)

Wynona is the heart of the Lark family and the Revelry. Once a backup singer with dreams of stardom, she chose love and stability over fame. Her early-onset dementia is a source of grief and urgency for the family, but she remains witty, dramatic, and full of life. Her relationship with Joni is central—she is both inspiration and cautionary tale, teaching Joni to cherish the present and forgive the past.

Hank Lark (Joni's Father)

Hank is a loving, eccentric father who runs the Revelry with humor and resilience. He copes with his wife's illness through stories, rituals, and a refusal to dwell on the negative. His relationship with Joni is understated but deep, providing her with a model of enduring love and quiet strength.

Georgia "Gigi" Simmons

Gigi is Joni's lifelong friend, a vibrant, talented singer who runs a singing telegram business and is in a long-term relationship with Joni's brother, Mitch. Gigi is the voice of honesty and support, but also struggles with her own dreams and the fear of being left behind. Her friendship with Joni is tested by secrets and distance, but ultimately proves unbreakable.

Mitchell Lark

Mitch is Joni's older brother, bartender at the Revelry, and Gigi's partner. He is reliable, grounded, and content with small-town life, but resists taking over the family business. His arc is about supporting those he loves while forging his own path.

Van Erickson

Van is Joni's high school sweetheart, now returned to Vienna Shores. His reappearance forces Joni to confront old wounds and the difference between nostalgia and true love. He represents the road not taken and the comfort of the familiar.

Ami McKellen

Ami is Sebastian's mother and Wynona's old friend and bandmate. Though deceased, her presence lingers in the unfinished song that binds Joni and Sebastian. Her choices and regrets echo through both families, offering lessons about ambition, love, and forgiveness.

Uncle Rick

Uncle Rick is a family friend who runs the Marge, a floating margarita bar. He dispenses wisdom, humor, and support, embodying the spirit of found family and the importance of savoring life's pleasures.

Willa Grey

Willa is the singer who made Joni's song a hit. She is a friend, a symbol of Joni's success, and a reminder of the costs and rewards of chasing dreams.

Plot Devices

Telepathic Connection

The supernatural bond between Joni and Sebastian is the novel's central device, forcing them into radical vulnerability. It strips away pretense, accelerates trust, and makes avoidance impossible. The connection is both a blessing and a curse, mirroring the risks and rewards of true intimacy. Its resolution—requiring them to finish a song together—serves as both literal and symbolic healing.

The Unfinished Song

The persistent, half-remembered song in Joni and Sebastian's heads is a thread that ties past and present, mothers and children, regret and hope. Completing the song is the key to breaking their magical bond, but also to healing generational wounds and forging a new future. The song's origin as a collaboration between their mothers adds depth and resonance.

The Revelry

The family music hall is more than a backdrop—it is the heart of the story, a repository of memory, community, and identity. Its threatened closure raises stakes, symbolizes change, and forces characters to confront what they value most. The Revelry's survival becomes a metaphor for holding on to what matters while letting go of what must change.

Hurricane as Climax

The hurricane that strikes Vienna Shores is both literal and figurative, forcing characters together, stripping away illusions, and catalyzing decisions. In the eye of the storm, truths are revealed, old wounds are healed, and the future is claimed.

Music as Memory and Healing

Throughout the novel, music is the means by which characters express, process, and preserve their feelings. Songs are love letters, apologies, and farewells. The act of making music—alone and together—is the path to self-acceptance, forgiveness, and connection.

Analysis

Sounds Like Love is a luminous meditation on creativity, grief, and the courage to choose one's own happiness. Ashley Poston uses the magical device of a telepathic link not just for romantic whimsy, but as a profound metaphor for the risks and rewards of true intimacy—being seen, known, and loved for who you are beneath all defenses. The novel explores the tension between ambition and belonging, the ache of homesickness, and the bittersweet reality that dreams change as we do. Through Joni's journey, Poston argues that success is hollow without connection, and that the truest songs—the ones that heal, endure, and sound like love—are born from vulnerability, community, and the willingness to let go of regret. The story is a love letter to music, to chosen family, and to the places and people that shape us, reminding us that wherever we go, the best parts of home and love are always with us.

Last updated: June 24, 2025