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melfierro's review
4.0
Quirky novel about quirky people who are all connected in one way or another through the Stratton family. Enjoyable listen.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Musical Chairs is a really funny and delightful book, and it's a perfect lightweight summer read.
Bridget Stratton has her summer all planned out. She's spending it at her house in the country, her new boyfriend will be joining her, and she and her best friend and musical partner Will are working on adding a new member to their classic music trio, and she's expecting a delightful summer. But then her boyfriend dumps her, the new member of the trio turns out to be a raging prima donna, her adult children both return home, and her elderly father makes a surprising announcement. Now her perfect summer has blown up in her face.
This book is a perfect beach read (even if you're not going anywhere near the beach this summer because of the coronavirus). It's a really interesting look at the world of classical music. Bridget's father is a very famous composer, and although Bridget is a talented cellist, she's always lived a bit in his shadow. Most musicians don't make much money, but Bridget has a lot of family money, so her career in music hasn't caused her any financial hardship. On the other hand, Will, who doesn't have anything to fall back on, is always strapped for cash, and he's about to lose his cheap Greenwich Village apartment (the Holy Grail of NYC real estate) because the building is being sold.
I loved the relationship between Bridget and Will. They've been best friends since college, and their relationship is completely platonic. Will has stood in as a father figure to Bridget's children (she is a single mother), and she does her best to help him out financially (she's very sensitive to the disparity in their financial situations). Their friendship is really well done, and it's a nice balance to the romantic tribulations in the book.
This book is perfect summer escapism, and it was just what I needed during my quarantine time.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
Bridget Stratton has her summer all planned out. She's spending it at her house in the country, her new boyfriend will be joining her, and she and her best friend and musical partner Will are working on adding a new member to their classic music trio, and she's expecting a delightful summer. But then her boyfriend dumps her, the new member of the trio turns out to be a raging prima donna, her adult children both return home, and her elderly father makes a surprising announcement. Now her perfect summer has blown up in her face.
This book is a perfect beach read (even if you're not going anywhere near the beach this summer because of the coronavirus). It's a really interesting look at the world of classical music. Bridget's father is a very famous composer, and although Bridget is a talented cellist, she's always lived a bit in his shadow. Most musicians don't make much money, but Bridget has a lot of family money, so her career in music hasn't caused her any financial hardship. On the other hand, Will, who doesn't have anything to fall back on, is always strapped for cash, and he's about to lose his cheap Greenwich Village apartment (the Holy Grail of NYC real estate) because the building is being sold.
I loved the relationship between Bridget and Will. They've been best friends since college, and their relationship is completely platonic. Will has stood in as a father figure to Bridget's children (she is a single mother), and she does her best to help him out financially (she's very sensitive to the disparity in their financial situations). Their friendship is really well done, and it's a nice balance to the romantic tribulations in the book.
This book is perfect summer escapism, and it was just what I needed during my quarantine time.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
taniareadsstuff's review against another edition
1.0
DNF’d. I literally couldn’t make it to 10% it was so dry, far too many characters and I just couldn’t even pretend I cared.
amlibera's review
4.0
I enjoyed Amy Poeppel's earlier two books but this one seems to me to be richer and more complex than either of them. It's still exists in a cozy universe where most of the people are white and even the poor characters have enormous privilege but it reminds me of Trollope or Cheryl Mendelsohn - a comedy of manners set in a specific world - I enjoyed this read.
breannasaurus's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
neudorfl's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this one! It was exactly what I needed to read after a slew of 'meh' books. It was uplifting, witty, and I loved the assortment of characters.
hishandmaiden's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
agador_spartacus's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
saracook's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25