I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. While we didn't get to know too much about Hope, Lily's character was well developed and watching her grow and blossom was definitely satisfying. And the chemistry between the two was great.

All in all, I really liked the author's style and storytelling.

My only issue is that there were several words and phrases that were repeated way too often. I'm fully aware that most people don't have a problem with this and many won't even notice. But I do and my brain gets hung up on them so I get pulled out of the story. Still, I had a lovely time hanging out with Lily and recommend Listen to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance with a touch of angst and lots of music. ( )

Lily is a former music prodigy who didn't have a great time at the end of her childhood spanning career and got as far as she could away from music in adulthood, becoming an actuary.

She meets Hope first, ironically, through Hope's music, Claire de Lune, specifically. Hope is the founder and force for The Leading Note, an organization that gives free music lessons and music therapy sessions to kids in the city of Chicago.

The problem with them meeting is that while Lily falls easily for Hope, it's much harder for her to reestablish her relationship with music.

I liked how the relationship between the two women was approached. It was very nuanced and the ebb and flow felt very real.

But, my favorite part of the book was definitely the music. A lot of the classical stuff I knew and could hear in my head when it was mentioned. (I do really really wish that I knew what Lily's composition was supposed to sound like).

It was a fun read, and I even wish we'd had more time with the two women and their lives post novel.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Bold Strokes Books. ( )

Listen by Kris Bryant

This book drew me to it for a few reasons:
* Loved the cover
* Music has been a big part of my life in the past
* The anxiety issue is part and parcel of one of my loved ones’ lives

Words I wrote down while reading this book:
* Sweet-ish
* Music
* Change
* Identity
* Structure
* Love
* New Adult?

Lily Croft was someone else earlier in her life. She had a pivotal moment around age fourteen that hugely impacted her leading her away from the concert stage to being an actuary working with numbers. She is pretty much a nervous Nelly and recluse who likes order and doesn’t like change. We never really heard much about the formative years of her life – not in detail – and we don’t hear much about her life from age 14 to 27 either - when the story begins. Personally, I might have enjoyed a few memories about those years although I didn’t need them to understand what happened and why the drastic changes took place.

The blurb about the book is fairly descriptive about the story line and what will happen. Lily and Hope will meet through music, they will get to know and fall for one another, there will be a situation that seems them apart for a space of time and eventually they end up back together again.

If you are looking for a sweet fairly predictable well written story then this book might be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars ( )