Listen

by Kris Bryant

Former child music prodigy Lily Croft spends most days in her home office crunching numbers and analyzing data as an actuary. Once she filled concert halls across the world, until the pressure got too much and forced her retreat. When her boss hands her a temporary assignment, Lily has to leave the safety of working from home to work with people at an office. She keeps her head down and stays focused, but one night on her way to the train station, she hears music wafting from The Leading Note and the life and feelings she suppressed for over a decade bubble up to the surface.

Lily is inexplicably drawn to Hope D’Marco, Leading Note’s gorgeous and brilliant founder. But falling for Hope and re-exploring her passion for music force Lily to face her past. Will she go back into hiding, or have the courage to confront the consequences of her past and present colliding?

Genres: Romance, Music, LGBT, Lesbian, Fiction, Contemporary, Lesbian Romance

223 pages, Paperback

First published February 12, 2019

About the author

Podcast with Tara Scott at queerlyrecommended.com

Multi-award winning author Kris Bryant was born in Tacoma, WA but has lived all over the world and now considers Kansas City her home. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and spends a lot of her time buried in books. She enjoys hiking, photography, spending time with her family, and her dog, Molly (who gets more attention than she does on Facebook).

Her first novel, Jolt, was a Lambda Literary Finalist. Forget Me Not was selected by the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow book list and was a Golden Crown Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Breakthrough won a 2019 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Listen won a 2020 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Temptation won a 2021 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Not Guilty written under Bryant's pen name - Brit Ryder - won a 2022 Goldie for Erotica. Kris can be reached at krisbryantbooks@gmail or ww.krisbryant.net, @krisbryant14.

Jolt - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Whirlwind Romance - ebook, paperback
Just Say Yes (Novella in the wedding series) - ebook only
Taste - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forget Me Not - ebook, paperback
Shameless (written as Brit Ryder) - ebook, audiobook
Girl Next Door Anthology - "Dog Day of Summer" - ebook, paperback
Touch - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Breakthrough - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Against All Odds - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Travel Anthology (short by Brit Ryder) - ebook, paperback
Listen - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Falling - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Tinsel - ebook, audiobook
Temptation - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Lucky - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Home - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Scent - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Not Guilty writing as Brit Ryder - ebook, paperback (audiobook in the works)
Always - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forever - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Stranded Hearts (with Amanda Radley & Emily Smith) - ebook, paperback
Serendipity - ebook, paperback, audiobook

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars. I really enjoyed this romance. This is actually the best book that I have read in 2019 so far. Bryant always writes well so it’s no big surprise that this book really worked for me. I would easily recommend it to lesfic romance fans.

This book is told in first person. I know not everyone loves first, but this book is the perfect example of first done right. The main character Lily suffers from bad anxiety and because this book is in first you really understand what she is going though. You feel what she’s experiencing and it’s very easy to connect to her as a character which is something I always appreciate it. Not only was Lily a great character but the other main Hope is great too. Even not being in Hope’s POV, you feel like you understand her character too.

The romance in this book really shinned. I thought it went at the perfect pace and I felt chemistry since day one of the mains meeting. The sex scenes weren’t just hot and well written, they were also intimate. It was real honest intimacy that lets you see the characters connecting before your eyes.

It is not all smooth sailing. There is some relationship conflict. Luckily, it didn’t feel forced. It was a believable issue the characters had to overcome. Plus Bryant left them enough time in the book to resolve things so that a potential HEA would actually be believable.

This is an easy book for me to recommend. I have been in a rut of reading some rough books so this was a real pleasure. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for another Bryant book to come out.

An ARC was given to me by BSB for a honest review.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Kris Bryant shows us how it's done when writing a fantastic love story between two well thought out and complex characters.

So why should you read this? Let's start with Lily Croft. I truly love this adorable, socially awkward, anxiety ridden woman and her friendly feline Clio. I'm always a fan of strong female characters and Lily certainly fits the bill. Despite her every day struggle with anxiety and general discomfort around other people, this woman is a fighter. Especially now since Hope D’Marco is in her life, she's trying harder than ever to overcome her fears and become a better and happier person.

Speaking of Hope, this woman has become a character crush as well. Kind, generous, sweet, sexy and above all understanding, I can't imagine anyone better suited to gently and carefully deconstruct the walls Lily managed to build around herself. Even when Lily was being withdrawn and sometimes gruff, she never lost her patience and always tried to be aware of Lily's limitations. I should also mention she plays the saxophone. *swoon*

One of the main things I really liked about this book is that it always stayed focused on what was important, namely Hope and Lily. It didn't waste (too much) time on secondary characters and moments where Hope and Lily were not interacting were almost non existent.

The other main thing is that there was not one moment when I felt like small points of contention were made larger than they needed to be. Which unfortunately happened in a lot of books I had been reading recently. Grown women acting like adults instead of soap opera diva's really should be a thing in lesfic by now.

Kris Bryant has make me fall for 4 of her characters so far plus a raccoon and now a cat. What's next? This funny, sweet, sexy and wonderfully written story should not be missed. It ends in a 4,5* rating.

*Why Hope didn't end up playing "Lily Was Here" by Candy Dulfer on the sax is beyond me though.

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Kris Bryant’s work, so when I could get an ARC of her latest novel in the sensory series Listen I jumped on it. I’ve read and enjoyed Taste, missed out on Touch (I was too late to get the ARC so I will buy it at some point) but as they are all standalone you can start with any of them.

Loved the characters Lily Croft and Hope D’Marco, loved their slow burn romance, felt every bit of Lily’s crippling anxiety and wanted to elevate Hope to sainthood. What a lovely woman and she’s got curves too. We should all hope for a girlfriend like that!

As we read along we come to know why Lily reacts the way she does to the world around her. And why she is so clueless when interacting with other people. Her anchor is former stray cat, house mate and confidant Clio. What I liked about the plot was that we know there is a big secret hanging between Lily and Hope and when their romance grows and intensifies, so does the feeling of ‘what will happen when Lily confesses her secret to Hope’. When it finally comes to light it is not in the way you had anticipated and I loved that little twist. I thought it was a very creative way to handle the 80% mark angst moment. At least this felt genuine.

The girls take time exploring their intimate relationship (Lily has some hurdles to overcome) and it progressed very natural. When Lily hears the mermaids singing however you can expect some very erotic and well written sexy times on the couch, the bed and even Hope’s office.

f/f explicit

Themes: child prodigy, piano, severe mental breakdown, socially awkward, virgin, recluse, musical therapy, Hope is the complete curvy dream package, Clio the cat deserves mentioning.

5 stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc. for an honest review.

[Agirlcandream · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen is a slow burn romance which also wins in its depiction of someone dealing with severe social anxiety. Lily Croft is just getting by working mostly from home and keeping her interactions with others to a minimum. Regular sessions with a counselor and the love of a ragged-eared rescue cat help keep her nightmares under control. Her chance meeting with Hope D’Marco at the Leading Note Music Center opens new possibilities for Lily if she is able to overcome her fears and take a chance at love.

Told in first person from Lily’s point of view the reader is fully immersed in the anxiety she deals with every day. There were moments in the book when I felt as anxious as Lily which says a lot about the storytelling skills of Ms Bryant. Simple interactions become monumental tasks. I marveled at Hope’s patience with Lily. I enjoyed watching the early brief and uncomfortable encounters with Hope slowly blossom into moments Lily could handle and enjoy. You know something is going to happen to reverse all the progress Lily makes but you can’t look away.

Music plays a major role in many scenes but so too does the need to listen to your heart. Nicely done.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Tell me what you hear "

Bach's Sonata For Violin and Piano in B Minor,
Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel,
Pink's But We Lost It
Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love
Beyonce's Runnin
Whitney's I Wanna Dance With Somebody
and
Def Leppard's Two Steps Behind


Among some of the powerful musics/songs that accompanied my reading session. Out of the 5 senses, our eyes usually played an important role in typical love tales but in this story, it was the sense of hearing that sealed their fate. Music brought Lily a broken and fighting hard to function and Hope - the name said it all, together. They weren't looking for it, Lily had O idea how to handle /pursue it but instead of designing / putting on a cool superhero + cape (or a sexy ranger uniform) for Hope, Ms.Bryant made both of them to work side by side like ebony and ivory to turn an infatuation into a relationship.

It was quite an incredible journey, Lily and Hope grabbed my heart from their first scene - filled it with music, songs, joy, sadness and hope. Hope was the shelter to Lily's storm and Lily was Hope's dream came true.


Kris Bryant is becoming an author to watch out for, 3 books by her and Breakthrough is one of my most favorite ranger.. I mean lesfic. Recommended 💕

[Corporate Slave · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Kris Bryant! How weird is that huh? Loved her writing style and loved the book!
I really liked Lily, one of the MCs. I’m impressed by how the author made me feel how bad anxiety can get to you! What lily was going through was so REAL and you can really feel the vulnerability of the character..
4.5 rounded up to 5..

[Les Rêveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book floored me. I’ve read it three times since the book appeared on my kindle… I just love it so much. I’m actually sitting here wondering how I'm going to convey my sheer awe but I will try my best. Kris Bryant won Les Rêveur book of the year 2018 and this is a serious contender for 2019.

Lily likes her life. It’s calm, she likes her job and she’s bloody good at it, she loves her cat and even though her life is spent mostly in solitary, it works for her and her abundance of anxieties. Her life sure has changed since she left the fame that her music created behind for the peace she has now. When she hears beautiful music coming from a building on her way home from work, she is enraptured. And that’s when she meets Hope and she’s everything her name suggests! The attraction between them both is clear from the beginning but will Lily’s hang-ups be the making or breaking of them?
Every second of this book blew me away! I resonated with Lily so much in so many ways. She’s an amazing soul and I wanted to be friends with her from the beginning of the book. This story for me was about finding your better half. It was a love story of epic proportion and left me feeling thoroughly satisfied by Lily and Hope’s love.
Hope for me is just everything a woman like Lily needs, she’s passionate about music, she pushes Lily out of her comfort zone but also loves her enough to want to give her space and she understands Lily’s anxieties so she tries to make life ultimately easy for her by supporting her instead of trying to change her. Not to mention she’s gorgeous, sexy and smart as a whip. She’s Lily’s perfect woman and soul mate.
Like most sex scenes written by Kris Bryant, they are sexy and ultimately a massive turn on but I think there was a level of intimacy portrayed in these sex scenes that didn’t take away from them being ultimately hot but added another layer that just showed how deeply Hope and Lily are falling for each other. It was quite beautiful actually!
This book is wonderful and every time I’ve finished it (yes I’ve read it more than once) I’ve been left with butterflies. Five stars ain’t enough but it’s the max I got so 5 Stars!

[Gaby LezReviewBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Listen' is part of the 'Senses' series by this author along with 'Taste' and 'Touch'. It's the story of Lily Croft, a former Classical music's child prodigy who quit music altogether unable to handle the pressure of her career. She now suffers from anxiety and works as an actuary trying to keep to herself. One day she hears beautiful piano music coming from The Leading Note, a music education charity. Slowly she gets drawn to the place and its founder, Hope D'Marco, who is a very talented musician. Will Lilly bring her walls down to accept Hope into her world or will her anxiety prove to be too much?

This novel is written in first person, as it is usual for Ms. Bryant, from the point of view of Lilly. In my opinion, it is the right choice as the reader spends a lot of time in Lilly's headspace and can experience how anxiety affects her. The author, a sufferer of anxiety herself, has poured her heart out in this book. My understanding of this subject has increased exponentially from seeing it as an outsider to an insider perspective. It's curious how Ms. Bryant stresses the role of music in calming her own anxiety and how music is the source of conflict for Lilly.

After a childhood full of pressure to perform as the music prodigy she was, music for Lilly is something to conquer, not a source of pleasure. By contrast, random surrounding noises calm her down. Hope understands this perfectly and prompts her to describe what she can hear in different life situations. That simple mechanism seems to bring about Lilly's musicality without any anxiety. Ms. Bryant describes this soundscape with some exquisite metaphors, it's true what they say that music is everywhere. The whole book is beautifully written and makes the reader's heart to go out with people suffering from anxiety or any sort of mental health issue.

The characters are multilayered and well written in their strengths and weaknesses. Lilly's low self-esteem but, at the same time, her will to go out of her comfort zone, and Hope's insecurities but positive personality, make them so human and lovable. Their chemistry together is incredibly off the charts and their intimate scenes are really well done. The secondary characters, including a very emphatic cat, complete the cast perfectly. For me, as a former musician, the music scenes are realistic and bring out its beauty. It's been a pleasure to read.

Overall, an excellent novel about anxiety, music, love and getting out of one's comfort zone. 5 stars.

ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.com

[Joc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read a book by Bryant that I haven’t liked but I think, so far, this is my outright favourite. Lily Croft was a musical child prodigy but a meltdown in her early teens from the constant pressure has left her highly anxious and reclusive with nightmares about music. A work assignment forces her out of her home office into a different environment where she has to meet and interact with new people. When music wafts out of an open window on her way home she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the music and the musician, Hope D’Marco.

Told from Lily’s point of view in first person, Lily’s anxiety just drips off each page. She thinks through something, then rethinks it and then questions it. Her tension made me tense but fortunately Hope counteracts so much of it. It’s beautiful to read Lily’s awakening as she overcomes even the smallest obstacles.

There is loads of good dialogue but then I am partial to books where the story is driven by conversation. It’s also surprisingly sexy with Lily and Hope having fantastic chemistry. I figured that Lily being a giant bundle of nerves would make it awkward but even the awkwardness worked. Hope and Lily are two characters who are going to hang around in my head for a while and for me, that’s always a good gauge of my enjoyment of a book. Wonderful read.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is told in first person and completely from Lily’s point-of-view, which worked extremely well in this instance. I normally like to get into both leads heads, but the author did such a good job of bringing Hope to life, this story lacked for nothing.

The anxiety Lily suffers from is palpable, and although she has a therapist, there is little on page about her therapy, thank goodness. Seeing her overcome her self-imposed reclusiveness (is that a word?) via other avenues was far more enjoyable.

Some may say Hope seemed too perfect. I didn’t see her as perfect per say, but she was definitely perfect for Lily. As expected, what seems to be pre-required angst reared its ugly head around the 80% mark, but it was brilliantly done. Nothing about it felt forced or convoluted.

This is the first story I’ve read in a long time with a virginal character, and it made a refreshing change both in and out of the bedroom.

This story is a little slow to get going but is definitely worth hanging in there. Oh, and Clio, loved him.

If you suffer from anxiety, know someone who suffers from anxiety, or want an insight to how it may impact on someone’s daily life, I urge you to pick this book up. In fact, I urge all readers who enjoy a good lesbian romance to grab a copy.

Review copy provided by Bold Stokes Books, via Love Bytes, LGBTQ Book Reviews
http://lovebytesreviews.com

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars, rounded up to 4 Stars

I gravitate towards musician romances such as musician based books by Karis Walsh, Julie Blair and Olivia Janae. So I picked this one up.

Lily Croft was a great character. Formally she was Jillian Crest, a former child music prodigy, a pianist performing before large audiences all around the world, a composer and conducting orchestras at 11 yrs old. However the stress and pressure from her parents, she had a breakdown on stage. Its not mentioned but I assume she was emancipated from her parents. Jillian Crest disappeared and became Lily Croft, an actuary who finds numbers comforting and helps her severe anxiety. Lily felt more comfortable working from home, minimizing contact with people. Once her whole life, she now has anxiety attacks when in the same room with a piano. Her anxiety and nightmares are crippling which Bryant writes very well. You can feel Lily's fears and her struggles towards normalcy.

Hope D'Marco is a wonderful character. Lily is first drawn to her music, hearing her practicing piano. Hope is the founder of Leading Note - a non-profit that provides the opportunity for youth to learn music which is dwindling in the public school system. Hope senses and sees Lily's anxieties and she carefully and slowly helps Lily to overcome them. This is definitely a slow burn romance, but the pace was perfect as we watch Lily overcoming her fears as they become closer. But will Lily ever tell Hope about her secret past?

I have to confess I stopped and started this book a few times. However, when I hit 70% I read it straight through. It took me a while to figure out why I was having problems with the book. I realized that I love MCs that are talented musicians - I enjoy living vicariously through them. I played flute as kid and was even First Chair in my High School orchestra. Unfortunately, music doesn't come naturally to me. I had to work very hard. Only here was Lily, at one time one of the most talented, who now avoided music, much less playing, so I was missing that. BTW, I'm also lousy at arithmetic. Mathematics has been linked to music so it wasn't a surprise to me that Lily was a Mathematician. (Great choice by Bryant). I've always said, I wouldn't be a Scientist today, without the invention of calculators. (Yes, I'm that old, but not as old as an abacus).

Oh, I can't leave this review without mentioning the third MC, Lily's alley cat Clio. Clio who showed up on Lily's 8th floor fire escape and never left. Clio, the therapy cat. "Even when I was alone with Clio, it wasn't happiness I felt. It was peace. Clio relaxed my world. Hope gave it excitement. I needed those two to meet."

I recommend meeting these three intriguing characters.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kris Bryant did an outstanding job with this book. Her best work so far! Listen is so sweet and compelling you just cannot help but fall in love with the characters she has created.

Lily Croft is a 27-year-old hermit. She spends the majority of her time in her Chicago apartment with her rescued tomcat. Lily lives for math and she excels at her finance focused career. She does not interact with anyone other than basic conversations. With no friends or family, this amazingly talented woman has shut herself off from the world. Why? Lily is a child music prodigy. Leading symphonies by the time she was 11 years old. With that talent came unspeakable demands and abuse from her parents. Forced to play 24/7, Lily began to have mental health issues including social phobia. Therefore she cut everyone out of her life, including the music that she once loved so much.

Hope De’Marco is also a musician. Hope runs a grant-funded music therapy studio that focuses on children with disabilities and inner-city kids. Lily just happens to be sub-contracted to a company that is right by Hope’s studio. One evening on her way home Lily hears Hope playing and it sparks curiosity in her and draws her to the music. She continues to go by the studio to hear the pianist play again.

Hope and Lily have a charming romance. Its gentle pace has you rooting for Lily’s growth and cheering Hope’s gentleness. What Bryant really excels at with this story is letting the reader feel the emotions of Lily. You feel her anxiety rippling off the page. When she was in a social experience that sparked her anxiety you were right there with her feeling those heart-pounding emotions. You root for Lily’s growth, you are dazzled by Hope’s kindness and you are terrified for that inevitable shoe to drop. A great book that keeps you spellbound to the end. You leave this one with a massive smile on your face. 4.25 stars

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Listen' is a gratifying romance that hits the right notes.

Lily is a former child prodigy that has lived a life of anonymity since a breakdown ended her music career. She is working in finance and risk management. Only she didn't forecast the critical impact of hearing a beautiful melody drifting out of a window one fateful afternoon. There is no backup plan for the woman behind that piano. There is only Hope. And Hope is a beautiful woman in charge of the 'Leading Note.' An organization geared toward helping children learn instruments now that music programs are being cut out of schools

This story is about Lily's attempts to overcome her social anxiety once she has found a reason to be better.

I liked the sweet atmosphere that was present throughout the book. Hope was a sincerely good person that always knew exactly what to say and do to help Lily be comfortable and grow.

There was very little angst, save for the obligatory 80% mark of conflict you would expect in any romance novel. It didn't seem contrived. I really enjoyed how it came about and thought it was a unique and satisfying reveal.

This was very slow developing. About halfway through I thought it was dragging just a little bit. But I liked these characters and wanted to know how things would progress enough to continue on. The sex scenes were pretty steamy, No complaint there. However, I did feel like once it started, it just kept going. There were a few too many, in my opinion. I always have to mention I am prudish when it comes to this kind of thing, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. If it is your thing, you'll be pleased.

Overall, I enjoyed this very much and would recommend it. If you love romance, music, cats, and stories of breaking through and overcoming obstacles, then this is for you.

I received an ARC through Netgalley from Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

[Soulsearching · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
I really liked and enjoyed Breakthrough and Against All Odds by Kris Bryant but I LOVED Listen.
Such a sweet and beautiful story told in the first person from Lily’s point of view, which worked perfectly here as you get to see and feel Lily's struggle with anxiety every day, and you come to know Hope and witness how she interacts with Lily and reacts to her anxiety bit by bit through the book.

The slow pace was well done and was necessary for the story, the chemistry was wonderfully written, and you can feel it from the first meeting between the main characters.
I hoped for a meeting between Lily and Hope's family to see how that would've gone, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

It was a fantastic read, and as I said before, I loved it.

[Guerunche · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY I've read my first Kris Bryant book and it was lovely! This is a beautiful romance about a reclusive, now-adult musical prodigy dealing with acute anxiety and the woman whose love helps her work through it. It's well written, insightful, thoughtful, you root for the characters and it is sexy as hell. I started this earlier today and couldn't put it down. Great way to spend the day. Very excited to have discovered a new author (for me.) I've already purchased several more of Bryant's books and am looking forward to diving in!

[MJSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a highlight for me, so far the books I’ve read in 2019 have been average at best, so I was happy to hit on such a sweet romance. Bryant is a favourite of mine, and luckily this did not disappoint. Here, we have MCs Lily, who is an actuary who suffers from anxiety, and Hope, who runs a music program for children. Lily’s anxiety stems from being a music prodigy when she was young, and through listening to Hope play and becoming involved in Hope’s world, finds her way back to music again.

I loved that Bryant didn’t shy away from how Lily’s anxiety affected her everyday interactions (and even whether she could interact or the ways that she did). I suffer from anxiety too, though to a different extent to Lily and found the way this was handled in the book very realistic. Hope was also a wonderful character, and very understanding (which was made more feasible by the type of work she did).

The interactions between the two are very sweet, I adored all of their dates and how their romance unfolded. When the requisite breakup eventuates, it actually felt authentic rather than contrived (and surprised me because I’d anticipated it perhaps happening the opposite way).

The only flaws were the use of first person, which works better here than it normally would because it’s kind of necessary to spend so much time in Lily’s head, but I still felt like I would have liked to read a more fleshed out version of Hope. I really wish authors who want to write in first person would use both POVs. The other flaw was that the root of Lily’s anxiety and relationship with her family aren’t really explored, we’re given the basic info, but the two leads never discuss it and I’d have preferred a bit more background on what happened, especially with Lily’s family, since the event/anxiety is almost the third character in the book.

All in all though, this was a lovely romance and is probably my second favourite Bryant book after Jolt. 4.25 stars.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kris Bryant is fast becoming my to-go to author. I’ve only just started reading her novels and have enjoyed them all. Listen is no exception !! The plot is not over the top, writing is excellent and nicely paced and the romance is just sweet.

Listen is very much focus on Hope and Lily, 2 incredibly strong characters, and very little on the secondary characters except maybe for Clio. Lily, a former child music prodigy suffering from anxiety, is just happy with her own company (and Clio). And then you have Hope, who is full of life, who slowly brought down the walls that Lily built around her. Story was just so compelling and the twist towards the end when scenes got a little angsty was unexpected. The steamy scenes were just hot, sexy, intimate and sensuous.

When the curtain finally came down, I was missing these 2 ladies... A definite re-read for me :))

P.S. 1st time listened to ‘But We Lost it’ by Pink...wonderful song..... Imagine Hope on the piano playing the same song.... Hmmmm

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kris Bryant is so good at writing contemporary romances I can sink into, and they’re paced so well, I don’t want to put them down. She does a little something different with each book and I thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse into the world of music with this one.

Full review: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/list...

[Sandra★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

''I have touched a lot of beautiful things in my life, but you, Hope D'Marco, are by far the loveliest''

this was so soft, catch me sobbing after finishing it.

I think this is my favorite Kris Bryant book i've read so far, there's just something about novels that involve music that makes my heart go pitter patter. Can't wait to get to her other works, one of my goals this year is to read all the books she's published so far, and I'm slowly but surely getting there yay

4.5★

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys are really in for a treat on this one. Lily Croft is a former child music prodigy who is now an actuary. She spends most of her time living a solitary life because of her anxiety issues. She is forced to out of her "shell" when she has to take on a project that will put her in the office 5 days a week at a company across town from where she lives. One day as she while on her lunch break she hears someone playing a classical piece on a piano and she is drawn in. After some time she finally meets Hope D'Marco and she is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Hope runs a non profit musical organization that teaches lower income children how to play instruments.

This is such a lovely story. The topic of anxiety can be a heavy one, but Bryant does an excellent job shedding light on this topic without it being depressing. It also shows how love can blossom with patience and understanding. Hope's character is special. She never pushes Lily to do anything she isn't comfortable with. Their chemistry is off the charts. I just really enjoyed this one. I love how Bryant introduces Lily to intimacy. She isn't made to be perfect the first time she has sex. I even enjoyed the angst in this one. I was actually surprised during this breakup scene because I didn't see it coming. Again this was just a very good read.

5 stars!

This ARC was provided by Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

[Arn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Probably the most accurate depiction of how it actually is to live with crippling anxiety I've ever read. As someone who has to deal with it daily, I can vouch it's exactly like that.

Beyond that, I loved the characters and I loved the story, and I loved their relationship. It grew naturally and focused on all the things I like in my romance books. The sexy times were enjoyable also.

The 80% conflict I usually dread was handled in a surprising way to me so props for that too. I felt it was handled in an organic way, rather than forced like it usually is.

Overall, a very pleasant read indeed. Kris Bryant's previous book was a 5 star read for me and so is this one. She just writes what I like, big hopes for her next book.

[isa Simonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read, as always with Kris Bryant. This book is part of a series on the senses.
This is not her best book, but nevertheless, remains very good writing as always.
Lily and Hope, have a special relationship, Hope trying to help Lily manage her panic attacks, and out of her comfort zone that she imposed on herself, following her trauma.
The relationship between the two, Lily and Hope is almost one-sided, which made me a bit embarrassed.
The cover, as for the other books in this series, is too simplistic, uninterested and boring.
I highly recommend this book, as well as all Ms Bryant's books.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This intrigued me with its premise. Enough to take a chance, anyway. And I'm glad that I did. Mostly.

Lily probably shouldn't have worked as a character, but I really wanted it to work. So I'm not totally sure that it does, only that I was engaged and willing to go with the story. I sympathized with her anxiety and how constrained it had made her life to this point. It was so heartbreaking to see how a thing that she loved (music) had become a crippling burden that she had learned to avoid. So it was very endearing to see her learn to love it again, even if in a different way than she had when she was younger. And I really liked how Hope was such an important part of her being able to reconnect to that love.

Hope was a bit harder to read as the story is single PoV. I loved how into Lily she was and how supportive. I loved that she didn't push, but that she also wasn't afraid to invite. I particularly liked how she became a safe space for Lily to explore from. Their relationship was sweet and I really liked being along for that ride.

The dark moment caught me completely by surprise. And I don't mean that in a bad way. I'd been expecting something like it because the story was building towards it, but I expected it to be forced because of the central reason. So I was delighted when it actually made sense when it manifest and saw how well Bryant had weaved it into the story. Okay, delighted is the wrong term because it wasn't happy or anything. Surprised into accepting the validity of something I don't typically enjoy? What word would you use for that?

The plot is a little too smooth, the relationship a bit too pat, and the pace a bit leisurely for me to give this a full five stars. But I enjoyed it enough that I'll happily stand by four.

A note about craft: One of the things that Bryant excels at, in this story, is conveying music, the love of music, and the connection the characters make through music. This just worked and it's more than a little of why I was eager to let Lily's character work as written. Very well-done, I think.

A note about Audiobook: The narrator for this audiobook, Brittni Pope, is not doing it any favors. Her delivery is extremely slow-paced. Which is how you get a book that is under 200 pages to be nearly 8½ hours, I suppose. It's slow enough that it changes the emphasis of sentences, sometimes, and that made it pretty strange. I could buy that as a valid interpretation for some of Lily's internal dialogue because that would be a lot like how anxiety would feel, I think. But that'd only work if you had that slow pace only in some circumstances. And definitely not in the spoken dialogue of others (though particularly not for Hope who had an optimistic and take-charge personality).

A note about Steamy: There are maybe a half dozen explicit sex scenes putting this nearly outside my steam tolerance. It was kind of like Bryant feeling a need to illustrate the effect of each new emotional intimacy on their physical relationship. So yeah, it felt excessive and/or gratuitous.

[F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first-person narrative has an almost dream-like quality to it. It’s just beautiful as a story of anxiety, dealing with trauma and finding confidence and love, and in the end, yourself.
First person narratives are exempt - to me - from scientific scrutiny of objective truth, because by their nature they report only the subjective. I was unable to diagnose the problems the narrator might actually have and some of the things don’t quite hang together. As a story it works though.

[Heinerway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really wonderful book. Don't miss it!

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I think this is her best romance.

[Tiffany Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryant is always one of my go to authors. Every book she writes gets better and better. I’m not going to go into too much detail about the storyline. The blurb is pretty well self explanatory but I will say this... The level of fluency this book had... from the slightest detail to the accuracy and realness of the anxiety that Lily suffers from.. was just off the charts. The reality of what Lily was going through coupled with the detail and relatability of her anxiety and fears... it was a winning combination. You honestly feel her emotions and experiences and truly understand what she is going through.

This book is written in first person so you have the whole story told by Lily. There is nothing you can take away from Hope though. She is so understanding, kind and lovable and you don’t feel like you are missing anything. Hope speaks through Lily and you feel just as connected to her. The connection between them is so honest and real. It’s not at all rushed. The sex scenes are perfectly placed and more intimate than “just sex”. There is a little angst and conflict but it’s not over the top. It flows in perfectly with the story and there are more than enough pages left to wrap the story up beautifully. Clio is also a fun addition to this story and I’d love to give him some more catnip. Lol

Listen is not a book to miss. I highly recommend it and I look forward to her next one.

[Aleana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I really enjoy this romance. Kris Bryant is at her best.

Lily struggles with anxiety stemming from her childhood prodigy days. Then one-day leaving from work she hears someone playing the piano and it doesn't scare her away it makes her remember why she loves music.

Hope runs a musical foundation for young people when she meets Lily at a bar she uncharacteristic blurt out that she mess up a part of song she was playing.

The chemistry between them was great I like how Hope help Lily with her anxiety and never made her feel less. The love scenes were hot. I like that it was told from Lily POV and the author does it just right because sometimes it's better if it from one person pov then two because then it's get confusing if it's not written well.

[Heat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. I was up way too late reading this last night, but it was worth the lost sleep. I really enjoyed this. I typically like romances that involve musicians and this definitely fit the bill.

As someone with anxiety I appreciated the way that Lucy's portrayed. I loved Hope...what a sweetheart. Their chemistry was obvious and it was hot.

I was pleasantly surprised that the main conflict didn't go the way that I was expecting it to. I wasn't anticipating it to happen the way that it did.

This is a great book by Bryant.

(A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley)

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. I really enjoyed this one. This was about Lily Croft aka Jillian Crest, a child piano prodigy who had a breakdown and quit piano and became an actuary. She is doing a consulting job and walks past a music school where she hears music. She learns that the music school next door is called Leading Note Music Center, helping children who would not be able to be exposed to music otherwise. It is run by Hope D’Marco, a woman Lily can’t help but be drawn to. She and Hope start to become friends and eventually mode as they spend more time together. Lilly can’t stay away and starts to get more involved with each other, although Lilly is afraid of revealing she is Jillian Cross.

I enjoyed this novel more than I thought. I enjoyed the dynamic between Lilly and Hope. It was a good read to see how their relationship evolved. There is not much negative I would say about this book. Even the drama wasn’t drawn out and made sense for the book. I would definitely recommend this book, and I will probably re read it at some point,