The Lost Love Song is a bewitching novel about love, second chances and the power of music.
This stunning and moving tale was a hit with our Preview readers.
Read on to see some of the highlights:
Loved the book, from the packaging to the last word. I did not want the book to finish, my heart ached for the characters and their pain. – Lynette, NSW, 5 stars
I have been eagerly anticipating Minnie Darke’s new book, The Lost Love Song, and I am pleased to say the book absolutely exceeded my very high expectations. This beautiful, heartfelt love story begins with a chance meeting between IT worker Arie and internationally renowned pianist Diana. While travelling for work, Diana composes a love song for Arie, expressing the strong feelings she has for him that she finds impossible to put into words. The valuable composition is misplaced and the novel follows the journey of the love song as it is passed from musician to musician throughout the world. I loved reading about Arie and Diana, and I especially enjoyed the interludes throughout the book that briefly recounted the love stories of the musicians who passed the song along. It was a stunningly beautiful story and I highly recommend that you read it. – Amanda, QLD, 5 stars
This is my first novel by Minnie Darke, and i loved it. The story is heartbreaking at times but beautiful. I did struggle a little with the beginning and found myself wondering where the story was going and i felt it meandered a little bit, and i got a little bored, however once i got into the rhythm of the writing and then when tragedy struck, i found myself unable to put the book down. The story told from various views are all linked by the love story that Diana wrote for Arie. The questions as i was reading became endless, how would the song make its way back to Arie, **redacted due to potential spoilers**, would Evie find what she was looking for, what about Bene & Beatrix what would happen to them. I was enamoured with the story and the characters, they were real and the way that grief was portrayed was extremely believable. This book was well written and quite lyrical. **redacted due to potential spoilers** Thanks to Better Reading for an advanced copy of this book – Lisa, TAS, 5 stars
Reading The Lost Love Song is like eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Will be enjoyed by those with a musician’s heart and a poet’s love of all things beautiful. – Kirralee, SA, 5 stars
What an absolutely beautifully written novel. I was enchanted from the first page, the characters were written with passion and they took me along on their journey through love and loss. My hope is that this novel becomes a movie so that I can hear the love song. Absolutely gorgeous – Dianne, SA, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke will find your heartstrings and give them an almighty tug. I found it to be beautifully written and very easy to read. The characters and places were well drawn and easy to imagine. The variety of protagonists ensure that all readers would find someone to identify with. The Lost Love Song deals with different types of love, that of the young, the old, parents, children and friends and although often very sad is ultimately uplifting. “Flowing between them in the music was passionate love, all-or-nothing love, a-little-bit-dizzy-in-the-head love”. It is a story about love, loss, grief, missed opportunities and the need to take chances. Throughout the book the tune of the lost love song weaves in and out of the lives of the characters and even though the style of the music changes its essence remains the same. Written with and of deep love the magic of the music draws in people and brings them together. I too was swept up in the story of the magical music and was left wondering what became of the lives of the various characters. – Janelle, NSW, 5 stars
This was a lovely book to read, I found all the characters engaging and despite crying through half of the story would highly recommend the book. – Leesy, NSW, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song is not the usual kind of book title I would pick of the shelf, but thankfully Better Reading introduced me to this charming & heart-warming story by Minnie Darke. By the end of this novel I simultaneously couldn’t put it down, yet never wanted it to end! The book explores the profound yet unconventional love between Arie and Evie, who are brought together from opposites side of the world unknowingly by a love song. Alongside the main story, are several side tales of different versions of love, who each in their own way, carries the love song back to Arie and Evie. These stories kept me interested in their own right, as well as adding some intrigue of how it would all tie together. The writing itself is easily accessible and has a very pleasant flow to it. I could easily sit for hours consuming this beautiful novel – an adaptation to film would be great to finally hear The Lost Long Song brought to life. – Maddie, SA, 5 stars
The song was written as a loving message, but it was lost before it reached the composer’s lover. Though not completely lost: it took a trip around the world, through different players and diverse instruments and multiple iterations, “jumping around from ear to ear and heart to heart”, and had an impact on everyone who heard it. Darke’s characters are easy to fall in love with in this warm and wonderful story, beautifully told. – Marianne, NSW, 5 stars
I adored this book! The story of a song, its origins and journey through different characters and how they all entwined was divine. Would love to see this adapted into a movie. – Rachel, QLD, 5 stars
You gotta love Better Reading giving me a chance to read a book out of my comfort zone and definitely one I would never take off a bookshelf. I really enjoyed it and would recommend to my book club. I’m not a love story kinda reader but ‘The Lost Love Song’ kept my interest and I needed to finish till the end to find out what happens. I need to Minnie Darke’s read ‘Star-Crossed’ now. ‘The Lost Love Song’ is a well written story that took me on a journey of a love song composed by Diana Clare a world famous classical pianist for her partner. The song manages to capture people’s hearts when they listened to it. The Love Song travels the world and is discover by different characters that it makes an impact on. I really liked the main characters and also the minor ones. Diana was my favourite. Also, I’m double thinking if I will let my teenager go to music camp now lol. If you love to read a beautifully written book about music, love, loss, friendship, family, lives and second chances. Minnie Darke’s ‘The Lost Love Song’ is for you. – Maria, SA, 5 stars
I was profoundly moved by The Lost Love Song. This is simply a beautiful story of love, loss and life. Without spoiling the story, I need to comment on the early heartbreaking scene. I was reading this on a crowded commuter train and it was all I could do not to burst into tears. I’m sure if I was alone I definitely would have. This is so superbly written. It could have been overly dramatic, but something about the simplicity of it made the outcome so much more emotional. Quite simply I loved this story. I think it’s a story most readers will be able to relate to. – Alice NSW, 5 stars
A beautifully written, charming and uplifting book, that really captures the human emotions and romantic nature. A delightful book that follows a lost song on its journey around the world, to its rightful home. The song enforces love, romance and togetherness in all that hear it and it helps to fulfil its destiny and purpose. Arie the main character has faced a lot in his life, the loss of the love of his life a musician Diana. Her song travels around the word into the different lives of people and it touches everyone’s heart. It eventually makes its way back to Australia to Arie and eventually **redacted due to potential spoilers** Evie. A wonderful story one that I could not put down. A must read to all. – Amy, NSW, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song is a story I can imagine being made into a movie. It so effortlessly merges from scene to scene, weaving the narration together to make the whole picture. My first reaction to this book was to be quite miffed with the author for making me feel so deeply. But simultaneously impressed for actually being able to make me feel so deeply. After reading this I want to get my hands on Minnie Darke’s first novel! Her writing is clever, easy to read and entertaining. This book just pulls you in and takes you on a journey. The Lost Love Song was a really beautiful story, I only wish I could hear the song it revolves around! – Belinda, VIC, 5 stars
Beautifully written, this love story had ups and downs and I loved how each character that was introduced linked seamlessly to the plot and they all added another dimension. This book had me crying in the first few chapters and throughout. I could not put this one down – Brielle, NSW, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song was a title that intrigued me. How could a love song be lost? Minnie Darke took me into this world with her story of how one relationship created the love song and how the song wandered the world touching on the many stages of love people go through. She skilfully weaves the threads of each person’s story and their connection to the love song. Each person who hears the love song adds their own flavour and variation to the music. Yet somehow the main characters still recognise the theme when they hear it again. This is a great read and one I couldn’t put down. Thanks to Better Reading Preview for the advance copy of the book. – Sherry NSW, 5 stars
This beautifully written story hooked me from it’s first pages. Emotional from the start but so easy to read and very hard to put down, it took me all over the world following a piece of music found in a black leather book with a red ribbon as a place holder which was left on a piano in Singapore. The music finds her very likeable characters. It helps build a predicable plot, thank goodness and with the addition of beautiful prose and a magical style which made me nearly hear the music, it all came together to make this a truly memorable read and one I highly recommend. – Andrew, ACT, 5 stars
Indeed another beautiful story from Minnie Darke. I love how she always presents multiple characters in different places and making me hooked to the book. I certainly wants to know where and how the love song will end up, but part of me doesn’t want the story to end. – Vivi, NSW, 5 stars
The lost love song is a gorgeous light and witty story. I loved the characters especially Evie. What I also enjoyed was how the story had an ‘interlude’.. it was so cleverly written. I really enjoyed Minnies first novel and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint either. Great summer read! – Katarzyna, VIC, 5 stars
What a beautifully written, utterly charming novel! There’s an unusual combination of gentleness and sophistication to Darke’s prose that encourages one to curl up comfortably, confident that one is in the hands of an excellent storyteller. The plot is imaginative, the characters believable, and I particularly liked the way the song journeys in and out of people’s lives, changing as it is ‘caught’ each time to mirror the characters’ lives. There’s a lot to like about ‘The Lost Love Song’ – enough to make me want to read Darke’s previous work. – Dominique, SA, 5 stars
I loved this book! It had me hooked from the very beginning and after reading less than 50 pages, I was already crying…. This is a bittersweet love story about two people who are trying to find their way in the world. It was beautifully written and I enjoyed following the relationship of Arie and Evie through its ups and downs. The main story is broken up by smaller side stories which carry the love song across the world. I found it a little hard to engage with some of the side stories but loved the way the author pulled it all together in the end. The way the author describes the music is amazing; you can hear the music as you are reading…. This book is heart-wrenching and reminds me of Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes (one of my favourite books!) – Belinda, NSW, 5 stars
An impeccable, beautiful and well-written story. I loved every bit of it and I wanted to listen to the love song too! I can just imagine it in the big screen, it would be amazing. Thank you Better Reading and PRH for the advance copy. – Angelynn, NSW, 5 stars
Beautifully written book loss tragedy family and finding love again loved the character Evie a fun strong young woman this book is going to be a best seller – Deborah, NSW, 5 stars
Thank you for The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke. This is the story of a song and the way it affects and changes lives. Talented pianist Diana Clare is not good with words, so pens a love song for her fiance Arie. In the last stages of it’s composition the song is overheard and manages to travel around the world in different ways. It goes on to affect many people, including Evie Greenlees who has no clear direction in her life. I love how the song alters people and makes them feel. The style of the writing is to seamlessly change between one person to the next. It made me want to know more and see where the song and story would end up. I loved the individual stories and how they were woven together. It made me feel there would be many more moments to come for the song. I will be chasing any more books by Minnie, another favourite to add to my list. – Tara, SA, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song is a beautifully written book that cleverly intertwines a number of unique love stories using a love song that travels around the world. I absolutely adored the characters Arie and Evie **redacted due to potential spoilers**. I can guarantee you will be filled with happiness when reading this book. I absolutely loved the ending! – Kelly, QLD, 5 stars
The Lost Love Song A heartbreaking, hauntingly beautiful story about love. Arie and Diana have been together 7 years and it is, as Arie pleas, time to get married. Diana, a famous classical pianist, is happy as things are. The night before she is about to embark on a world tour Arie again asks for them to set a date and marry. Diana composes a love song to express her feelings for Arie. The exquisite love song travels on a journey of its own to unite and heal broken hearts, lost love and new beginnings. This is such a beautiful story and so well written. I couldn’t put the book down as I had to find out where and how the song ended up but at the same time I didn’t want the story to end. – Karyn, ACT, 5 stars
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