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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
The Beauty and the Beast trope takes a musical, sexy, turn and Piper Sheldon delivers another fantastic story in the Scorned Woman Series.
There's no doubt that Devlin is more than a little devlish....he's cranky, intolerant, demanding, intriguing, beautiful and misunderstood! And, Christine/Kim is both drawn to him and a little terrified of him. The push and pull creates a puzzling and captivating storyline that you just can't stop reading.
The book is full of surprises and grounded in unique settings. You'll be drawn to the characters and their circumstances. I couldn't wait to find out which mysteries I solved and which ones still surprised me! The story and characters are so appealing that you'll race to the end to ensure that there is an HEA! Add this enchanting story to your TBR today!
An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. This book received a 4.5 overall rating. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: angst, butterflies, character development, hero, heroine, romance, steamy, and supporting characters.
There's no doubt that Devlin is more than a little devlish....he's cranky, intolerant, demanding, intriguing, beautiful and misunderstood! And, Christine/Kim is both drawn to him and a little terrified of him. The push and pull creates a puzzling and captivating storyline that you just can't stop reading.
The book is full of surprises and grounded in unique settings. You'll be drawn to the characters and their circumstances. I couldn't wait to find out which mysteries I solved and which ones still surprised me! The story and characters are so appealing that you'll race to the end to ensure that there is an HEA! Add this enchanting story to your TBR today!
An advance copy of this book was received from the author. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. This book received a 4.5 overall rating. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: angst, butterflies, character development, hero, heroine, romance, steamy, and supporting characters.
I absolutely loved this book! The characters had depth and some issues we all suffer from in some way or another.
This is not at all what I expected, but absolutely loved it.
Kim Dae was once a cellist prodigy. Attended a summer camp for musicians, was on track to perform with large symphonies, and attend prestigious musical schools. Then, everything changed. She moved in with her parents, became Christine Day, and was not at all who she was previously. While she was still performing, she wasn’t happy about it, and was hiding in the shadows as a 4th chair. She was perfectly fine hiding in the background.
Enter Devlin, the masked maestro. He’s been given the job of directing the orchestra and is grumpy, demanding, and temperamental. He’s also hiding from others, including his own family who doesn’t have the full story of why he keeps leaving jobs and taking new ones. He also has secrets, and these are directly tied to his own past, and the one she shares with Kim/Christine.
Both characters struggle with a difficult past, and people trying to exploit them. With Kim/Christine, it’s an incident that she feels she had a hand in creating, a wild streak that includes Jethro, and a tie to a fellow camper / her manager who is trying to make her into something she’s now. For Devlin, he’s hiding his true feelings for Kim/Christine, his reason for selecting her to help him with his composition, and his own past as a pop-star and the one who sent her notes beyond those of a musical type.
This was a really good read, and could be broken down into the character development using several identity development theories. Overall, it’s a well written story.
Kim Dae was once a cellist prodigy. Attended a summer camp for musicians, was on track to perform with large symphonies, and attend prestigious musical schools. Then, everything changed. She moved in with her parents, became Christine Day, and was not at all who she was previously. While she was still performing, she wasn’t happy about it, and was hiding in the shadows as a 4th chair. She was perfectly fine hiding in the background.
Enter Devlin, the masked maestro. He’s been given the job of directing the orchestra and is grumpy, demanding, and temperamental. He’s also hiding from others, including his own family who doesn’t have the full story of why he keeps leaving jobs and taking new ones. He also has secrets, and these are directly tied to his own past, and the one she shares with Kim/Christine.
Both characters struggle with a difficult past, and people trying to exploit them. With Kim/Christine, it’s an incident that she feels she had a hand in creating, a wild streak that includes Jethro, and a tie to a fellow camper / her manager who is trying to make her into something she’s now. For Devlin, he’s hiding his true feelings for Kim/Christine, his reason for selecting her to help him with his composition, and his own past as a pop-star and the one who sent her notes beyond those of a musical type.
This was a really good read, and could be broken down into the character development using several identity development theories. Overall, it’s a well written story.
This was legit terrible.
The Treble With Men is so chaotic and half-baked, with Piper Sheldon trying to do too much and achieving none of it. The author tries to address trauma, build a shared history from music camp, and construct a symphony love triangle. Unfortunately what we end up with is a flighty protag who is irritating as FUCK and insufferable to follow, parents who are disinterested caricatures, a hero with worrying anger management issues, another love interest who is a gaslighting would-be date rapist and emotional abuser, and A STORYLINE THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
The only thing saving this from a 1-star rating is that I genuinely laughed out loud at a few moments early in the book.
If you want to see a heroine wake up to a toxic relationship and the scars it's left, read Beth O'Leary's The Flat Share, because this ain't it.
I'm officially breaking up with the Scorned Women Society spinoffs, because both SWS books have been my least favourites in the Green Valley 'verse.
The Treble With Men is so chaotic and half-baked, with Piper Sheldon trying to do too much and achieving none of it. The author tries to address trauma, build a shared history from music camp, and construct a symphony love triangle. Unfortunately what we end up with is a flighty protag who is irritating as FUCK and insufferable to follow, parents who are disinterested caricatures, a hero with worrying anger management issues, another love interest who is a gaslighting would-be date rapist and emotional abuser, and A STORYLINE THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
The only thing saving this from a 1-star rating is that I genuinely laughed out loud at a few moments early in the book.
If you want to see a heroine wake up to a toxic relationship and the scars it's left, read Beth O'Leary's The Flat Share, because this ain't it.
I'm officially breaking up with the Scorned Women Society spinoffs, because both SWS books have been my least favourites in the Green Valley 'verse.
Note: An ARC was provided by the publisher.
I've read quite a few modern-day takes on the story originally penned by Gaston Leroux over a hundred and ten years ago, and majority of them have made the phantom--or whoever the character with something to hide, whether it be a physical thing or otherwise--the main love interest of the ingenue, aka the heroine. The same goes with Piper Sheldon's story, but her originality is what makes it a standout compared to the rest. I don't want to give what this author's creative touches were, but they enable this novel to stand on its own merits. Yes, it took its inspiration from an already well-known and well-loved tale, but Sheldon, by no means, made a replica. Her story of Christine and Devlin--or, alternatively, Kim and Erik--had me fascinated from the get-go, and at some point while reading it, I'd completely forgotten that this was the author's take on The Phantom of the Opera. I'm also happy to say that The Treble with Men can be read independently of any book in the Green Valley book universe. Five stars. ♥
I've read quite a few modern-day takes on the story originally penned by Gaston Leroux over a hundred and ten years ago, and majority of them have made the phantom--or whoever the character with something to hide, whether it be a physical thing or otherwise--the main love interest of the ingenue, aka the heroine. The same goes with Piper Sheldon's story, but her originality is what makes it a standout compared to the rest. I don't want to give what this author's creative touches were, but they enable this novel to stand on its own merits. Yes, it took its inspiration from an already well-known and well-loved tale, but Sheldon, by no means, made a replica. Her story of Christine and Devlin--or, alternatively, Kim and Erik--had me fascinated from the get-go, and at some point while reading it, I'd completely forgotten that this was the author's take on The Phantom of the Opera. I'm also happy to say that The Treble with Men can be read independently of any book in the Green Valley book universe. Five stars. ♥
I haven’t looked up when this book was published but honestly, bless the pandemic for normalizing gaiters/masks for the purposes of this book. I know it was supposed to be quirky and weird but masks are totally normal now so I just treated it like a funny hat or something in my head.
I love that she saw his
I love that she saw his
How did this get buried on my Kindle??? I found it late yesterday afternoon. I went to bed reading it. I cried when the battery died, determined to read the rest in the morning. I couldn't do it. I got up in the middle of the night, grabbed another Kindle and devoured the rest. I was finally able to sleep knowing that Devlin and Kim got their happily ever after.
I am not sure what I liked more that is was sort of a second chance romance or that it was a reality check for Kim. Devlin and Kim had been at band camp. And this one time, no many times, in band camp Kim received notes, sometimes supportive, sometimes critical. She cherished them all. Everything changed the last day of band camp. She came home a different girl, a self destructive girl. She earned entrance into SWS club as she tumbled down and down.
Knoxville Symphony is Devlin's last chance. The Devil of the Symphony needed to control his temper or loose his job. More important to him, he needed to finish his symphony. To do that he would need Christine Day. In reality he needed Kim Dae who was pretending to be Christine Day. She had lost herself. He needs to her find the old Kim.
Their journey is full of complications just like real life. Their journey is full of interruptions. Their journey has lots of support from some unique people. And then their is the guy that wants to destroy it all.
I am not sure what I liked more that is was sort of a second chance romance or that it was a reality check for Kim. Devlin and Kim had been at band camp. And this one time, no many times, in band camp Kim received notes, sometimes supportive, sometimes critical. She cherished them all. Everything changed the last day of band camp. She came home a different girl, a self destructive girl. She earned entrance into SWS club as she tumbled down and down.
Knoxville Symphony is Devlin's last chance. The Devil of the Symphony needed to control his temper or loose his job. More important to him, he needed to finish his symphony. To do that he would need Christine Day. In reality he needed Kim Dae who was pretending to be Christine Day. She had lost herself. He needs to her find the old Kim.
Their journey is full of complications just like real life. Their journey is full of interruptions. Their journey has lots of support from some unique people. And then their is the guy that wants to destroy it all.
A little bit phantom of the opera, a little bit Say You Still Love Me, a little bit The Player (Staci Hart), a little bit forbidden romance, a little bit of second chance romance, and a whole lotta Green Valley. I know I’m a broken record, but I just love the Green Valley world, and how many different sub stories authors have been able to create from it. One of my favorite things is when I book immerses me in, and makes me obsessed with a world that I had put very little thought into before. Much like Space Junk or Well Met made me super curious about all things NASA and Renaissance Faires, this had me super invested and intrigued in the world of the SOOK orchestra. The chemistry between Devlin and Kim was