A curious, plaful, and ispiring
"romantic" tale for men and women alike
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energy
sensitive
spontaneous
curious
surprise
addictive
funny
sensory emotions
interesting
be moved
real
imagination
Some words used by readers
smile
entertaining
honest
journey
illusion
laugh
reflect
love singing
fantastic
enjoyable
identify ourselves
cool
Some words used by readers
Through Songs of Love
What if it were you?
A success in Spain, with a 4.5-star rating from readers on Amazon.es
Reviews
“There’s a fire starting in my heart.”
Song: Rolling in the Deep
Artist: Adele
Dominique is passionate about music and has many dreams. Luis, the narrator, has a heart full of songs and a desire to rediscover meaning. Their similarities present them to one another. One day, in a moment of inspiration, she decides to send him her cover of a song, which leads to an immediate date. She said yes out of curiosity, but upon looking into his eyes, she was completely sure of what would come next…
“There’s a yearning inside.”
Song: I Want You Now
Artist: Depeche Mode
“What a lovely way to burn.”
Song: Fever
Artist: Elvis Presley / Peggy Lee / Michael Bublé
J. A. Ibáñez proposes a straightforward and light-hearted novel to explore and reflect on modern romance, relationships and love. It combines reality, optimism, spontaneity and sensitivity. Music is the guiding plot of this tale, which is formed of a progression of stories and songs of love which together form a vital soundtrack which could very well be yours...
“But dreams just aren’t enough,
so I’ll be waiting for the real thing.”
Song: Gotta Be Somebody
Artist: Nickelback
A success in Spain, with a 4.5-star rating from readers on Amazon.es
Opinions, reviews and commentaries posted on Amazon.es and
other digital retailers by readers of the original Spanish version
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“Written with energy, clarity and sensitivity. A beautiful journey that encourages you to reflect about couple relationships, love, life…And full of songs that take you very far away”. Maria on Amazon
“Spontaneous, curious and with a very good treatment. The plot theme and its treatment are very good, just like the end. The narration is internal and very interesting in order to get inside the feelings. I want to remark the use of the songs, which enrich highly the story on the emotional and even poetic level. The characters are well-defined and their evolution is clearly visible, which creates a very interesting three-dimensionality. It is actually a characters novel with different ways to think and feel… and it all turns out to be very authentic and honest. It’s a novel with high potential. Don’t let yourself be fooled by its spontaneous, natural and colloquial style without artifices. It’s true that it is a fresh, easy-to-read and very short novel…But, it might deserve a second reading in order to notice those other aspects and to listen to the songs, of course. A very nice surprise. Highly recommendable.” JM on Amazon
“Snooping around relationships. The book is entertaining and easy to read. Some of its stories are really addictive and fun, leaving you wanting more”. Alonso on Amazon
“A wonderful combination of sensory emotions. I seemed fantastic to me how the author has been able to perfectly match the feelings produced by the songs with the experiences reflected in the book. I was reluctant at first but I have to admit that it has achieved everything a first-person book must pursue: the reader empathizes with the protagonist and is able to live his very same feelings throughout the novel. I appreciate that the love encounters are told in a subtle way, despite the torridity of some of them. It’s very easy to read since it’s arranged like a CD track list. In fact, I have finished it right away since it’s so easy to read and catches you from the beginning. It has left me wanting more. I’ll probably reread it to relive moments or find surprises that I overlooked. Completely recommendable.” Drago on Amazon
“A loving and honest novel, with a well-cared eroticism. It is always a pleasure to reach a book without knowing what you’re going to find and finish it with a smile…” Maria B.O. on Amazon
“It actually gets you hooked; you always want to find out more…” Ana on Lulu
“I loved discovering new artists. The story is entertaining and has several reflections. I found it interesting, fun and appropriate”. Ada on Goodreads.
“A different story. I identified myself with the emotional situations. It made me laugh, reflect and be moved at some point. More than recommendable. The book’s soundtrack is spectacular. I hadn’t read a book that involves as many music as this one. Music gives a special touch to the whole story. I appreciate that it features one of the biggest groups (also one of my favourites): Depeche Mode. I actually felt like I have lived every type of love described. And I, of course, want a love like that of the protagonists.” Laura G. on Amazon
“Highly recommendable. I decided to read the book after listening to an author’s interview on Radio Nacional. And it actually doesn’t disappoint you. It’s a very current novel about the new ways to relate and about how some people can change your life. The book dismantles many clichés about the “romantic love” that can hurt our couple relationships so badly. A love away from submission, sacrifice, dependence or sorrow. I love its philosophy about ‘freelove’…a love that has nothing to do with that of the hippies… It’s very entertaining to read, with constant musical references that serve as a plot common thread. The songs become an authentic literary soundtrack. The book shows how tunes and lyrics can shape our personal vision of reality and our emotional attitude towards others. Thanks again to the author for showing me Françoise Hardy’s sweetness and melancholy. I’m a new fan of her songs.” Mgr23 on Amazon.
“It’s a very descriptive and honest story that makes you empathize with the characters. It allows you to get to know different ways to think, interact, relate, feel, etc… which makes the reader reflect.” Maite by email.
“I could see some parts of the story!” Rfin by email.
“A good story about personal relationships where, as in real live, music plays a key role. This “emotional diary” is arranged in tracks, like it was a music CD”. Jr on Amazon.
“I finished it right away because of its easy reading and the fact that it catches you from the first pages. It encourages the reader to keep reading it. Time flied by while reading it” Ana on Amazon.
“I loved that touch of musical eroticism” Estefania on Amazon
“The story of an inner journey through your heart. A necessary story with which it’s easy to identify yourself. After a tough break-up, who hasn’t feel like there is no more way to go, like nothing would be like before, like every illusion has suddenly turned off? This book is about that, about how a person is capable of facing his fears, regaining his illusion and embarking on an inner journey where nothing will be the same. Sometimes drastic changes are for the best. This book has indeed a lot of eroticism but it goes beyond that; it’s above all a story of human relations that talks about the heart nooks” David Andrés on Amazon
“I also loved that it’s direct and very easy to read. I’d love to be that girl :D” Lucia by email
“I got a pleasant impression many times. It’s very good when it’s direct, I really like that. (…) The book is a love singing.” Cotton candy.
“Profound but for everybody. The book is fantastic. You can identify yourself with the characters although you haven’t gone through their experiences. Highly recommendable and written in a way that makes everybody understand and enjoy it”. Samanta on Amazon.
“Very attractive, it pushes you to do things in your real live. It takes me to imagination”. Javiet on web.
“I made Luis my own from the beginning”. Lucia on Amazon
“Interesting. It turns out to be a very entertaining and enjoyable book that gets you to identify with the stories that it tells. Quite recommendable” Jorge Aldana on Amazon
“ A different book, from the point of view of men and written for everybody… because we can all identify ourselves with the protagonist at some point” CQC on Amazon
“Interesting and fresh. If you like books that tell autobiographical and romantic stories, this novel is very interesting; if it catches you, you can read it quickly. Its movies and songs references are from different ages but they are all definitely linked to a single topic: love.” Erika Brotons on Amazon
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In the Press
“This book is about happiness, music, emotions… and most of all, about life!”
RADIO NACIONAL
DE ESPAÑA
“This book is for all audiences. For men, for women; for the young and the old alike.” “We recommend it. It’s really entertaining.”
ONDA MADRID
“Getting to know others is getting to know yourself. You can lose your virginity so many times, and at different ages.”
ONDA CERO
“We recommend it. It’s really interesting and entertaining to read.”
CADENA SER
“The type of passion you are going to discover in this book is something we need.”
CADENA COPE
“The protagonists send each other songs of love and sex, and communicate many things through them, such as…”
COSMOPOLITAN
Author
English Traslator
J. A. Ibáñez
Raquel Boucher
Quotes and extracts from interviews in the Spanish media
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Read the full interviews in spanish here
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La Voz de Galicia
“A deliberately distorted concept appears on the different chapters of With love and sex songs: losing your virginity. « I use it in the personal discovery sense- [the author] explains-. It seemed very suggestive to me to link that idea of dealing with new things, discovering oneself, enjoying from scratch and starting a new life… with the lost of someone’s virginity, taking into account that sex is fundamental part of the story ».
Gente Despierta (RNE)
“The novel is not as much about sex but about emotions. Although there is sex… and bit of eroticism too”
“We aren’t all equal, but we’re all very similar, men and women included”
“[Luis] is delighted to feel like a ‘virgin’ again… He has that curiosity, that mood and many times that madness…”
“Luis tells many anecdotes, some of then are fun and others surprising”
“What happens… isn’t what was actually expected…”
“The concept of “freelove” is a critcism against individualism and consumerism”
Hoy por Hoy (Cadena SER Madrid Sur)
“Each character provides the story with something new, whether it’s a man or a woman”
“The idealization of love and expecting something from your couple, or from outside when you’re looking for one, doesn’t make you happy”
“In love and relationships it’s very important to distinguish between fantasy and myth”.
“[Luis] discovers many songs that a person shows him…and that have a meaning that goes far beyond music and sex…”
“Although it can suggest those reflections that we were talking about… it’s a very direct and close book”
“There are no chapters, there are tracks, like a CD”
Cadena COPE
“Although it has obvious links to that novel, it isn’t an erotic book like Fifty Shades of Grey”
“It’s a romantic novel because it talks about love and relationships”
“Many experts claim that romantic love myths lead us to unhappiness”
“The novel has the shape of an intimate diary and it is said that it gives the sensation of honesty”
“[He] feels like he’s discovering things that he didn’t know that existed, which are making him very happy”
“It seems curious to me that some female readers identify themselves with Luis apart from other characters”.
“There are different people, different characters that also have their own discoveries in the novel”
“By exchanging songs, the characters share feelings that wouldn’t be so clear face to face”
“The female protagonist, who I think is more protagonist than Luis, plays the guitar and recommends songs to him…”
“I recommend that you listen to the full songs and try to read the lyrics”.
“I’ve got a little profound but the book is simple, light, easy-to-read, entertaining, fun, and has adventures…”
“Passion is not just for love but for so many other things”.
Julia en la Onda (Onda Cero)
“The novel presents love and human relationships at present; with different aspects from the romantic myths”.
“[Luis] starts living unusual experiences… That’s the funniest part of the novel”.
“Throughout the novel you don’t really know who is approaching whom”.
“Between [two characters] things arise that surprise and hook them, as much to him as to her”.
“In the book there isn’t only Luis’ character, nor is there only one love relationship.”
“It’s a very entertaining novel for everybody, which can also make you think”.
“It’s our turn to reflect and face life and relationships in a less individualistic way”
Madrid Norte en la Onda (Onda Cero)
“And those women are as protagonists as him, because their points of views about life and love are different”.
“E.L. James plays in the field of erotic fantasy in Fifty Shades of Grey and it seems great to me.”
“The book is written in a very direct and clear way and it’s easy to sneak into the character’s story and live it”.
“After analyzing [the book], I can say that each of the woman that appear in the book also lose their “virginity”.”
“The love and sex songs that appear in the book reflect feelings, yearnings; they are evocations to situations…Many times music can reach where words can’t”
Aqui no hay playa (Onda Madrid)
“Love is a broad term to designate or define different realities”.
“Some time later I found out that there were people who thought that the book title was ‘With love songs”… and then “sex”…”
“With fun anecdotes and stories, you look into how relationships are nowadays”
“You can experiment to make literature by including pop elements”
“No doubt in this book there is that eternal curiosity that I have wanted to give expression to”
“Are people still going to clubs to pick up?”
“One of the most entertaining and fun things in the book are the conversations that they have, those challenges that they throw at one another”
“The girl from the picture in the book appears naked in the book…”
“Different types of relationships appear, some involve Luis and others not!”
“This book no doubt intends to break clichés and go beyond reality”
Onda Mujer
“[Luis] tells a fun story with odd adventures, etc. but he does so from his heart, from his excitement”
“I don’t think men and women are so different when it comes to being romantic, getting excited, falling in love or suffering for love”
“When we think about an emotional diary we think about introspection, about something brainy, very poetic or sad and tormented…But in this case it’s the whole opposite”
“I radically dismiss the idea of soul mates. We don’t need to be completed”
“The protagonist is not a dominant man that ‘controls everything’, but he is linked to Grey in that the book has eroticism, he isn’t prudish either, and he also has a part of fantasy and romanticism…”
“I demand passion in men and women and in couples”
“Domination leads to an insane couple relationship and to unhappiness and worse things…”
“A passionate love arises, which, besides, defines a special way to understand love…”
“There is a way through which the characters communicate very well, that is, through songs”
“A song’s lyrics are poetry, but music in itself is poetry as well”
Radio Libertad
“The book tells a story that starts from a break-up, but there is no sorrow nor does it talk about divorce or separation”
“[Luis] starts feeling like he was losing his virginity”
“We associate feelings with songs, with movie scenes…The book is also about that”
“Including old songs has to do with a series of discoveries of the own character. He hadn’t heard of those songs by Françoise Hardy…”
“The cover girl’s expression is that of both the female protagonist and the male one”
“Apart from telling a fun story full of music and anecdotes, etc. it also makes you think”
“I don’t think it’s easy to identify yourself with one character, but with parts of each of the characters that appear in the novel…”
Recommendations and reviews by experts and the Spanish media
“Aimed at every audience. That is, at men, at women, at young people, at adult people, at the thirtysomethings, etc. We recommend it because it will keep you entertained and you will have a lot of fun with the adventure” (Onda Madrid)
“A relaxed and easy-to-read text, told through music tracks instead of chapters. Each song accompanies experiences, through which Ibañez has kind of wanted to stir people’s consciences.”… “They are actually several characters since all of them share their different points of view about love” (Diario ABC).
“A book about the search for happiness, emotions, music…in short, about life”, “You’ll identify yourself with the characters, whether you’re a man or a woman” (Radio Nacional de España)
“Stories as intense as bizarre”, “[It is] set in an exceptional soundtrack” (Enfemenino.com)
“Getting to know the others means getting to know yourself”, “you can lose your virginity repeated times at different ages”, “a language very devoted to this realism” (Onda Cero)
“A story imbued with a touch of pop and music, series and movies evocations” (Revista Quo)
“It conveys feelings and it’s able to do so through songs as well” (Ondamujer)
“We recommend it. It’s very curious to read” (Cadena SER)
“The author’s intentions aim at tangling pop culture with couple stories” (La Voz de Galicia)
“The protagonists send each other love and sex songs, and through them they say a lot of things…You know, that kind of things that are embarrassing to say out loud; those things that can’t be heard in a bar, not even at the top of your voice…” (Cosmopolitan)
“ We need the kind of passion we can find in this book” (Cadena COPE)
“It has renovated a genre, although you don’t think so. It’s a matter of style, it reaches very directly to many types of reader. His character illustrates the modern male-female’s doubts”. M. Díaz, journalist and culture consultant.
“Women will of course verify that ‘not every man is the same’. Men can be reflected and even be helped. (…) It’s a reflection and I think you will love it. Especially if you are a music lover because the text is filled with lyrics and music recommendations.” Nayara Malnero, sexologist and psychologist.
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An original and amusing modern romance book that reflect on state of love and relationship. How to find love with love songs. For sale in Amazon ebook Kindle and Paperback