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A review by booksbarksbabble
The Treble With Men by Piper Sheldon
5.0
Music speaks to me in a big way. I was a total band geek in high school and college, and if I could have ANY job without concern to location or pay (or having enough talent…), I would want to play with a professional orchestra. That’s definitely not what my real life looks like, but when I read the synopsis for The Treble With Men, I was STOKED! These are my people! This book is a play on Phantom of the Opera, but I’m the oddball who has never actually SEEN Phantom of the Opera so…
Everyone thought Kim Dae had been swallowed up by the Iron Wraiths years ago – just another girl pulled down by drugs and alcohol and Jethro Winston. In reality, she cleaned up her life and is currently “hiding in plain sight” as Christine Dae - the 4th chair cellist in the Symphony Orchestra of Knoxville. Devlin, aka the Devil of the Symphony, is the SOOK’s new conductor. Brutal, demanding, always hidden behind a literal mask, and with a reputation that more than precedes him, he’s a bit of a mystery to the orchestra’s members. Kim is content in quietly avoiding the spotlight, so she’s floored when Devlin shows up at her home asking her to work with him one-on-one for his new composition.
Both Devlin and Kim are hiding as a result of their pasts, just in different ways. Devlin knows that Kim is exceptionally talented and holding herself back, he just doesn’t fully understand why. Kim soon realizes that Devlin is more than the difficult, angry persona he presents, but getting him to lose the mask and let the world see the sweet, supportive, passionate man beneath isn’t an easy task. Yes, this story is a romance, but it’s a personal growth story as both Devil and Kim have to learn to forgive past mistakes, move on, and embrace the “now”.
I haven’t picked up my instrument in probably 10 years, but reading Piper Sheldon’s beautifully descriptive writing put me right back on stage. I could see the conductor, hear the instruments warming up, and feel the same butterflies I always felt before a big performance. I won’t give away any specifics, and maybe it’s just my inner musician speaking, but the climactic event near the end gave me literal chills.
I just can’t convey how well written this book was. The individual story lines were as deeply explored as the romantic story line, the characters were complex and captivating, and somehow the music felt as much an integral character in the story as Devil and Kim themselves. I shouldn’t be surprised at the exceptional writing or depth of emotion here after reading My Bare Lady, but as much as I enjoyed that one, this one blows it out of the water. I can’t wait to see what Piper Sheldon turns out next!
Everyone thought Kim Dae had been swallowed up by the Iron Wraiths years ago – just another girl pulled down by drugs and alcohol and Jethro Winston. In reality, she cleaned up her life and is currently “hiding in plain sight” as Christine Dae - the 4th chair cellist in the Symphony Orchestra of Knoxville. Devlin, aka the Devil of the Symphony, is the SOOK’s new conductor. Brutal, demanding, always hidden behind a literal mask, and with a reputation that more than precedes him, he’s a bit of a mystery to the orchestra’s members. Kim is content in quietly avoiding the spotlight, so she’s floored when Devlin shows up at her home asking her to work with him one-on-one for his new composition.
Both Devlin and Kim are hiding as a result of their pasts, just in different ways. Devlin knows that Kim is exceptionally talented and holding herself back, he just doesn’t fully understand why. Kim soon realizes that Devlin is more than the difficult, angry persona he presents, but getting him to lose the mask and let the world see the sweet, supportive, passionate man beneath isn’t an easy task. Yes, this story is a romance, but it’s a personal growth story as both Devil and Kim have to learn to forgive past mistakes, move on, and embrace the “now”.
I haven’t picked up my instrument in probably 10 years, but reading Piper Sheldon’s beautifully descriptive writing put me right back on stage. I could see the conductor, hear the instruments warming up, and feel the same butterflies I always felt before a big performance. I won’t give away any specifics, and maybe it’s just my inner musician speaking, but the climactic event near the end gave me literal chills.
I just can’t convey how well written this book was. The individual story lines were as deeply explored as the romantic story line, the characters were complex and captivating, and somehow the music felt as much an integral character in the story as Devil and Kim themselves. I shouldn’t be surprised at the exceptional writing or depth of emotion here after reading My Bare Lady, but as much as I enjoyed that one, this one blows it out of the water. I can’t wait to see what Piper Sheldon turns out next!