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A review by faithd
Invitation to the Blues by Roan Parrish
5.0
4.5 stars
Okay, so I put this on my TBR for...reasons (I'll explain below)....but I ending up loving it for completely different reasons.
Invitation to the Blues is a story about Jude, a piano prodigy with pretty severe depression and anxiety who's trying to figure out his life after being hospitalized for a suicide attempt and losing his job in the Boston symphony orchestra as a result. The book is completely from Jude's POV and it's one of the best depictions of depression I think I've ever read. I also love that Jude is a bit older than most mmcs (he's 36).
The love interest is Faron, a painter and tattoo artist who looks like a model and is really good at communication and listening and just loving Jude the way he needs to be loved. Their story gave me all the feels. It's low on plot but heavy on romance with a big emphasis on hurt/comfort.
Another thing I loved about Faron and Jude is that they are both artists, and they relate to each other in very artsy ways (I know that sounds super vague but I don't know how else to put it) and it's beautiful.
Also, the author is local in my city (Philly), and the book takes place in Philly, and I am a dork and loved all the Philly references! This was one of the reasons I put this on my TBR, the other reason was because I heard there was a hot masturbation scene...and...there is...and....it's very hot. Speaking of, all of the sex scenes are incredibly hot, but also very well done, building very naturally from the characters wants and needs.
It was almost 5 stars, but I felt like I personally wanted a little more angst and/or conflict (there is some...but not much). But anyways, if you are looking for something that's just more of a feel good read - this is the one. I loved the writing style too!
TW: suicide attempt (off page)
Okay, so I put this on my TBR for...reasons (I'll explain below)....but I ending up loving it for completely different reasons.
Invitation to the Blues is a story about Jude, a piano prodigy with pretty severe depression and anxiety who's trying to figure out his life after being hospitalized for a suicide attempt and losing his job in the Boston symphony orchestra as a result. The book is completely from Jude's POV and it's one of the best depictions of depression I think I've ever read. I also love that Jude is a bit older than most mmcs (he's 36).
The love interest is Faron, a painter and tattoo artist who looks like a model and is really good at communication and listening and just loving Jude the way he needs to be loved. Their story gave me all the feels. It's low on plot but heavy on romance with a big emphasis on hurt/comfort.
Another thing I loved about Faron and Jude is that they are both artists, and they relate to each other in very artsy ways (I know that sounds super vague but I don't know how else to put it) and it's beautiful.
Also, the author is local in my city (Philly), and the book takes place in Philly, and I am a dork and loved all the Philly references! This was one of the reasons I put this on my TBR, the other reason was because I heard there was a hot masturbation scene...and...there is...and....it's very hot. Speaking of, all of the sex scenes are incredibly hot, but also very well done, building very naturally from the characters wants and needs.
It was almost 5 stars, but I felt like I personally wanted a little more angst and/or conflict (there is some...but not much). But anyways, if you are looking for something that's just more of a feel good read - this is the one. I loved the writing style too!
TW: suicide attempt (off page)