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Perfect Harmony #1
Treble Maker
Length: 11 hours and 37 minutes
Cody Rivers is determined to be a rock star, but couch-surfing between bar shows gets old fast. Joining an a cappella group for a new singing competition show could be his last chance at real fame - unless the college boy from the heart of the country messes it up for him. Lucas Norwood is everything gothy, glittery Cody is not-conservative, clean-cut, and virginal. But when a twist in the show forces them together, even the sweetest songs get steamy as the attraction between them lights up the stage. Lucas wants to take it slow, but Cody's singing a different tune - and this time it may be a love song....
Cody Rivers is determined to be a rock star, but couch-surfing between bar shows gets old fast. Joining an a cappella group for a new singing competition show could be his last chance at real fame - unless the college boy from the heart of the country messes it up for him. Lucas Norwood is everything gothy, glittery Cody is not-conservative, clean-cut, and virginal. But when a twist in the show forces them together, even the sweetest songs get steamy as the attraction between them lights up the stage. Lucas wants to take it slow, but Cody's singing a different tune - and this time it may be a love song....
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 4, 2015
117 people are currently reading
1412 people want to read
About the author
Annabeth Albert
106 books3,732 followersFrequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
June 25, 2015
~4.25~
There is nothing real about television. Every competition "reality" show is staged, every elimination carefully scripted.
Cody knows this and is willing to play the game. He has an incredible voice and moves like Adam Levine, but he's living out of his van and has no prospects on the horizon.
Cody slinks around in his tight pants and eye liner, working the modern Goth look. He's snarky and unabashedly, flamboyantly sexy. When Cody first meets Lucas, he openly smirks at the "farm boy" from Iowa.
Lucas is gay, though, gay and out ... sort of. He's taken a virginity pledge to save himself until marriage. But Lucas doesn't fantasize about the sweet and tender. He yearns for the raunchy and dirty; he yearns for Cody.
Cody and Lucas do the whole hot and cold thing. Neither wants to admit that their relationship is more than just friends getting off. Cody pushes Lucas, but Lucas judges Cody.
Watching Lucas give in to temptation is hot. DAMN HOT! Mutual masturbation turns into something much (MUCH!) steamier.
I loved the dual POV here, as it helped me understand both men. Lucas craves his parents' approval, and Cody, who is used to being lonely and unloved, is scared to trust.
I loved watching them come together, and seeing the connection between them.
The secondary characters in this book are very well sketched. We see all the pettiness and jealousy that can happen during a competition, when people whom you thought were your friends turn their back on you.
I especially liked Ashley, Cody's slightly bitchy friend, and Trevor, Lucas's friend from the same conservative college who crushes on Lucas.
While Lucas's parents are clearly strict and controlling, the predictable family melodrama doesn't happen. The family dynamics are far more subtle than that.
Likewise, the competition, which is central to the plot of the novel, doesn't overwhelm the romance. Indeed, the resolution (who wins?) may surprise you.
While a couple sections dragged a little in the beginning, the last 25 percent was perfection.
These boys are hella sexy and sweet together, and Annabeth Albert's writing is a joy to read.
This is a fun, enemies-to-lovers, coming-into-your-own story with complex MCs, lots of music, and a big-smile-worthy HEA.
I can't wait for Trevor's story in book 2!
"I want to go home," [Lucas] said ... He needed out of this place and out of his own head.
"To Iowa?" ...
"No. To us."
There is nothing real about television. Every competition "reality" show is staged, every elimination carefully scripted.
Cody knows this and is willing to play the game. He has an incredible voice and moves like Adam Levine, but he's living out of his van and has no prospects on the horizon.
Cody slinks around in his tight pants and eye liner, working the modern Goth look. He's snarky and unabashedly, flamboyantly sexy. When Cody first meets Lucas, he openly smirks at the "farm boy" from Iowa.
Lucas is gay, though, gay and out ... sort of. He's taken a virginity pledge to save himself until marriage. But Lucas doesn't fantasize about the sweet and tender. He yearns for the raunchy and dirty; he yearns for Cody.
Cody and Lucas do the whole hot and cold thing. Neither wants to admit that their relationship is more than just friends getting off. Cody pushes Lucas, but Lucas judges Cody.
Watching Lucas give in to temptation is hot. DAMN HOT! Mutual masturbation turns into something much (MUCH!) steamier.
I loved the dual POV here, as it helped me understand both men. Lucas craves his parents' approval, and Cody, who is used to being lonely and unloved, is scared to trust.
I loved watching them come together, and seeing the connection between them.
Words still weren't cooperating, so he did the only thing he could and kissed Lucas. Not the earlier gentle slide of lips but a raw, emotion-driven attack ...
His brain played a soundtrack of every love song he'd ever sang ...
The secondary characters in this book are very well sketched. We see all the pettiness and jealousy that can happen during a competition, when people whom you thought were your friends turn their back on you.
I especially liked Ashley, Cody's slightly bitchy friend, and Trevor, Lucas's friend from the same conservative college who crushes on Lucas.
While Lucas's parents are clearly strict and controlling, the predictable family melodrama doesn't happen. The family dynamics are far more subtle than that.
Likewise, the competition, which is central to the plot of the novel, doesn't overwhelm the romance. Indeed, the resolution (who wins?) may surprise you.
While a couple sections dragged a little in the beginning, the last 25 percent was perfection.
These boys are hella sexy and sweet together, and Annabeth Albert's writing is a joy to read.
This is a fun, enemies-to-lovers, coming-into-your-own story with complex MCs, lots of music, and a big-smile-worthy HEA.
I can't wait for Trevor's story in book 2!
July 5, 2015
I have something to confess: I'm a HUGE a cappella fan.
In fact, my college all-male a cappella group was on the show, The Sing Off, that this book is based on, and I watched intently all season. I became sort of an a cappella groupie, and so I was THRILLED when I saw the plot of this book. I've also been loving everything I've been reading from Annabeth Albert. She is relatively new to the M/M scene, but she has just been owning it recently.
Cody and Lucas were electric together. This book is kinkier than you might expect, albeit a pretty tame level of kinkiness. Kink-lite. Still, I found Lucas's love of being bossed around and toppy topped to be SUPER hot. And you guys know I LOVE me a virgin!! All of their sex scenes were so yummy to read, and I got really into them as a couple.
The plot was nicely done as well. I liked reading about Cody's struggling music career and Lucas's home/school situation. It felt authentic and well executed. All the people in the book, from the more important side characters to those that just made a cameo, were really thought out.
I liked everything about this story, and even though the plot had a few moments where it dragged a little, I give this book super high marks. Sing on, Annabeth Albert!
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
In fact, my college all-male a cappella group was on the show, The Sing Off, that this book is based on, and I watched intently all season. I became sort of an a cappella groupie, and so I was THRILLED when I saw the plot of this book. I've also been loving everything I've been reading from Annabeth Albert. She is relatively new to the M/M scene, but she has just been owning it recently.
Cody and Lucas were electric together. This book is kinkier than you might expect, albeit a pretty tame level of kinkiness. Kink-lite. Still, I found Lucas's love of being bossed around and toppy topped to be SUPER hot. And you guys know I LOVE me a virgin!! All of their sex scenes were so yummy to read, and I got really into them as a couple.
The plot was nicely done as well. I liked reading about Cody's struggling music career and Lucas's home/school situation. It felt authentic and well executed. All the people in the book, from the more important side characters to those that just made a cameo, were really thought out.
I liked everything about this story, and even though the plot had a few moments where it dragged a little, I give this book super high marks. Sing on, Annabeth Albert!
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
June 13, 2015
3.5 Stars!
Rounding down because I skimmed quite a bit of the last half or so.
I thought this one was too long. Too drawn out. Cody and Lucas spend the first half to three quarters of the book going back and forth with each other. Hot and cold.
It started getting old. And I started getting bored.
I started to lose interest in both Cody and Lucas and what happened between them.
I also seem to really dislike at least one of Annabeth Albert's MCs. In this case it was Lucas.
If I were Cody I would have said
a long time ago. Not so sure Lucas was worth the trouble.
I will say once they do get their shit together, their was relatively no drama with Lucas and his family which was a definite plus.
All in all, this one was just okay for me. Not my favorite my Annabeth Albert read.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Rounding down because I skimmed quite a bit of the last half or so.
I thought this one was too long. Too drawn out. Cody and Lucas spend the first half to three quarters of the book going back and forth with each other. Hot and cold.
It started getting old. And I started getting bored.
I started to lose interest in both Cody and Lucas and what happened between them.
I also seem to really dislike at least one of Annabeth Albert's MCs. In this case it was Lucas.
If I were Cody I would have said
a long time ago. Not so sure Lucas was worth the trouble.
I will say once they do get their shit together, their was relatively no drama with Lucas and his family which was a definite plus.
All in all, this one was just okay for me. Not my favorite my Annabeth Albert read.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2015
Boy was I excited for this book after falling in love with previous books I've read from this author. She's got this nack for writing these sweet and steamy romances that are so much fun and endearing. Although I did enjoy this book- I didn't love as much as other books of hers I've read.
What I loved:
*Opposites attract trope
*Love both the main characters
*Steamy
*It had some very fun moments
What I didn't love so much:
These two boys would go from-
to-
After a while the constant back n forth and back n forth-
caused the book to drag a bit. I just wanted them to get together already! I think about 10-15% of this book could've been scrapped and it would've been great- or maybe substitute some of the time Lucas spent fighting his attraction and added more relationship/get to know each other time. I don't know.
That being said- after the 50% mark- this book became what I have come to love and expect from this author. Would I recommend it? Yes. Will I read book 2? Abso-freakin-lutely! 3.5 Stars rounded up because the book got better as it progressed! ♥
***ARC kindly by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review***
February 13, 2018
Oh my gawwwwd! I freakin loved this book!!! It had every single thing I enjoy reading about.
✔️ A hot young gay couple.
✔️ Talented singers.
✔️ New adults forging their brand new lives.
✔️ Learning about each other.
✔️ Discovering themselves.
✔️ Standing up for themselves and each other.
✔️ The sexiest of sex scenes - because - love of course.
Five humongous heart melty stars!
✔️ A hot young gay couple.
✔️ Talented singers.
✔️ New adults forging their brand new lives.
✔️ Learning about each other.
✔️ Discovering themselves.
✔️ Standing up for themselves and each other.
✔️ The sexiest of sex scenes - because - love of course.
Five humongous heart melty stars!
January 24, 2016
This books was a real mix for me, parts that I liked a lot, others that I was not so crazy about. It's a long story about two young men who enter an a cappella competition. Initially competitors, they end up in the same group, with very different expectations, and their interactions alternately blow very hot and very cold. (I might note here, beware of POV section changes between the two MCs with no indicator whatsoever - once I realized the POV would sometimes switch from one paragraph to the next, it became a less-frustrating thing. It's not headhopping, just an all-too-familiar format issue.)
Cody is a guy whose grocery money depends on how well he does with his music career. He has no savings, no home, no back-up plans, and a lot of single-minded determination to make it big. He's out and loud, eyelinered and tight-clothed and in-your-face about it. He lost everything by coming out, and he's never going to hide again. He is willing to barter sex, and schmooze and scheme, and do whatever it takes to make an impression and take a step forward in his music career. Any relationships he has are all about pleasure, or usefulness, nothing more.
Lucas is on the show because his college group is. He's not so much into winning for himself as he is part of something bigger, a brotherhood of singers from his small, conservative college. He's out as gay, but he's bought a precarious acceptance in his college and family by embracing a very circumscribed version of being gay. He, just like the hetero guys he sings with, have taken virginity pledges and made commitments to live a righteous life, saving sex (with either gender) for marriage, and avoiding temptation. But Lucas never bargained on meeting Cody.
I liked many things about Lucas. His integrity, his kinks, his kindness, and his confusion. Cody... not so much. To be sure, his past rejections and precarious situation excuse a lot. But I didn't like the way he assumed that it was impossible for Lucas to really mean what he pledged about no sex before marriage, etc. Cody made no attempt to see if Lucas was serious. He kept tempting and teasing and pushing him and pushing him, until Lucas fell, bit by bit. And that was treated as a good thing.
As the book goes along, you do come to believe that external pressures (rather than personal beliefs) are responsible for Lucas's position of rejecting anything less than a monogamous, permanent relationship. But that wouldn't have to be the case. If we had a book where the girl said she didn't want to have sex before marriage, and the guy kept pushing her a bit further and a bit further... "Oh, it's just touching. How can you know if you really like sex with men unless you try it? Frotting doesn't really count. Oral doesn't quite count. Try it, you'll like it..." Would we be cheering that guy on, or wanting to kick him in the nuts for not respecting her chosen position?
The guys were hot together (and the sex was plentiful, maybe too much so.) The music parts were great - in fact I'd have loved a bit more of that, in place of some of the sex. The second half got better, as Lucas began to take a deeper look at who he was and what he really wanted, when his past assumptions were stripped away. The secondary characters added a lot to the story. The ending was a bit too easy, keeping the guys from having to address a couple of conflicts, but still it was a warm HEA. In the end, I did enjoy the book, but that little bit of disrespect for Lucas's initial position rubbed me wrong, all through the first half.
Cody is a guy whose grocery money depends on how well he does with his music career. He has no savings, no home, no back-up plans, and a lot of single-minded determination to make it big. He's out and loud, eyelinered and tight-clothed and in-your-face about it. He lost everything by coming out, and he's never going to hide again. He is willing to barter sex, and schmooze and scheme, and do whatever it takes to make an impression and take a step forward in his music career. Any relationships he has are all about pleasure, or usefulness, nothing more.
Lucas is on the show because his college group is. He's not so much into winning for himself as he is part of something bigger, a brotherhood of singers from his small, conservative college. He's out as gay, but he's bought a precarious acceptance in his college and family by embracing a very circumscribed version of being gay. He, just like the hetero guys he sings with, have taken virginity pledges and made commitments to live a righteous life, saving sex (with either gender) for marriage, and avoiding temptation. But Lucas never bargained on meeting Cody.
I liked many things about Lucas. His integrity, his kinks, his kindness, and his confusion. Cody... not so much. To be sure, his past rejections and precarious situation excuse a lot. But I didn't like the way he assumed that it was impossible for Lucas to really mean what he pledged about no sex before marriage, etc. Cody made no attempt to see if Lucas was serious. He kept tempting and teasing and pushing him and pushing him, until Lucas fell, bit by bit. And that was treated as a good thing.
As the book goes along, you do come to believe that external pressures (rather than personal beliefs) are responsible for Lucas's position of rejecting anything less than a monogamous, permanent relationship. But that wouldn't have to be the case. If we had a book where the girl said she didn't want to have sex before marriage, and the guy kept pushing her a bit further and a bit further... "Oh, it's just touching. How can you know if you really like sex with men unless you try it? Frotting doesn't really count. Oral doesn't quite count. Try it, you'll like it..." Would we be cheering that guy on, or wanting to kick him in the nuts for not respecting her chosen position?
The guys were hot together (and the sex was plentiful, maybe too much so.) The music parts were great - in fact I'd have loved a bit more of that, in place of some of the sex. The second half got better, as Lucas began to take a deeper look at who he was and what he really wanted, when his past assumptions were stripped away. The secondary characters added a lot to the story. The ending was a bit too easy, keeping the guys from having to address a couple of conflicts, but still it was a warm HEA. In the end, I did enjoy the book, but that little bit of disrespect for Lucas's initial position rubbed me wrong, all through the first half.
July 30, 2019
*** This artfully written tale is amazing ! ***
This is the romance of two young, 20's "a capella" singers competing in a contest show on TV. Lucas, 21, a bass from Iowa, gay, but inhibited
by the contract his folks and school hold him to comply , keeping him restricted, keeping him from being his true self.
Cody, 23, a magnificent singer, left Iowa years ago
(I'm picturing some Adam Lambert rock)
because of the attitudes there. He's becoming famous, he's a tall, slim Goth man with tats and piercings. And for Lucas, Cody is the carrot in front of the horse, teasing the celibate Lucas. Wow, these two are drawn to each other, and each fights it. Although sometimes Cody enjoys baiting Lucas, because he's easy to rile, and it's fun. Lucas has his fantasies, but has never been with a man, not even a kiss! Nope !
As they explore this attraction, they are funny, so sexy and open, but Lucas is very guilt ridden. These characters are well written. We understand each one; ride along with them on their discoveries, throughout the contest, and the interactions with other contestants. And of course, the sexy times. Big time scenes of Lucas's first times are fabulous.
Annabeth Albert is really in tune with her characters, as she keeps the tale moving along.
It's interesting, fun to read, and informative.
It's delightful! I recommend it... ENJOY !
===============================
At the end of this lovely story, check out the playlist she provides that coincides with the story from beginning to end. You will get a better understanding of the type of songs they sing, the meanings, and the fun, too. I checked the videos out, and they are fabulous.
================
This is the romance of two young, 20's "a capella" singers competing in a contest show on TV. Lucas, 21, a bass from Iowa, gay, but inhibited
by the contract his folks and school hold him to comply , keeping him restricted, keeping him from being his true self.
Cody, 23, a magnificent singer, left Iowa years ago
(I'm picturing some Adam Lambert rock)
because of the attitudes there. He's becoming famous, he's a tall, slim Goth man with tats and piercings. And for Lucas, Cody is the carrot in front of the horse, teasing the celibate Lucas. Wow, these two are drawn to each other, and each fights it. Although sometimes Cody enjoys baiting Lucas, because he's easy to rile, and it's fun. Lucas has his fantasies, but has never been with a man, not even a kiss! Nope !
As they explore this attraction, they are funny, so sexy and open, but Lucas is very guilt ridden. These characters are well written. We understand each one; ride along with them on their discoveries, throughout the contest, and the interactions with other contestants. And of course, the sexy times. Big time scenes of Lucas's first times are fabulous.
Annabeth Albert is really in tune with her characters, as she keeps the tale moving along.
It's interesting, fun to read, and informative.
It's delightful! I recommend it... ENJOY !
===============================
At the end of this lovely story, check out the playlist she provides that coincides with the story from beginning to end. You will get a better understanding of the type of songs they sing, the meanings, and the fun, too. I checked the videos out, and they are fabulous.
================
August 15, 2021
What's not to love? Lucas, a tie/sweater vest combo-wearing Iowa boy from an uber conservative college in Austerity, Iowa with a great bass voice, and Cody, a Goth twink with a killer tenor pipes (who basically lives in his van in LA while trying to make it big) meet on the set of "Perfect Harmony," an a cappella singing contest / reality show (think extremely low-budget American Idol).
I loved the complexity of the characters in this story. Cody has come a long way from Des Moines, Iowa and sure, he's ruthlessly focused on his career, but he hasn't had a lot to depend on other than his talent and persistence. On paper, Lucas looks like he's won the lottery for support and encouragement. Attending a conservative college in Iowa (complete with purity pledges), he is gay and out and his liberal Christian parents support his "gay lifestyle" -- as long as that lifestyle means chastity until marriage, no gay bars, no booze, and "controlling" his actions since he can't control his "wiring".
Lucas' problem is he doesn't want a good conservative Iowa gay boy with whom he can lose his virginity within the bonds of holy matrimony ..... he wants Cody -- every tattooed, pale, graceful inch of him.
You. You. You. I want you. In all sorts of terrible, wonderful ways. I want you to hold me down, make me beg for it. I want more of this. I want every kinky, twinky thing you can dream up. Put me at your mercy.
Once Cody and Lucas end up as roommates, the sexual tension ramps up until you could bounce a quarter off of it. And, as the singing competition ramps up, Lucas wonders if Cody is only looking out for himself, while Cody despairs if he can ever crack through Lucas' misconceptions and doubts.
The only complaint I have about the book is that there is an awful lot of wondering, pondering, misunderstanding, questioning, angst around the 2/3rds point of the book, and Cody tends to be way too self-centered, while Lucas isn't willing to examine his worldview.
Toss in some great a cappella singing (you'll want to check out Annabeth Albert's play list at the end of the book), a really awkward meeting with the parents, a Bass Off, a "not-so-perfect" perfect ending, and you'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel Love Me Tenor.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
I loved the complexity of the characters in this story. Cody has come a long way from Des Moines, Iowa and sure, he's ruthlessly focused on his career, but he hasn't had a lot to depend on other than his talent and persistence. On paper, Lucas looks like he's won the lottery for support and encouragement. Attending a conservative college in Iowa (complete with purity pledges), he is gay and out and his liberal Christian parents support his "gay lifestyle" -- as long as that lifestyle means chastity until marriage, no gay bars, no booze, and "controlling" his actions since he can't control his "wiring".
Lucas' problem is he doesn't want a good conservative Iowa gay boy with whom he can lose his virginity within the bonds of holy matrimony ..... he wants Cody -- every tattooed, pale, graceful inch of him.
You. You. You. I want you. In all sorts of terrible, wonderful ways. I want you to hold me down, make me beg for it. I want more of this. I want every kinky, twinky thing you can dream up. Put me at your mercy.
Once Cody and Lucas end up as roommates, the sexual tension ramps up until you could bounce a quarter off of it. And, as the singing competition ramps up, Lucas wonders if Cody is only looking out for himself, while Cody despairs if he can ever crack through Lucas' misconceptions and doubts.
The only complaint I have about the book is that there is an awful lot of wondering, pondering, misunderstanding, questioning, angst around the 2/3rds point of the book, and Cody tends to be way too self-centered, while Lucas isn't willing to examine his worldview.
Toss in some great a cappella singing (you'll want to check out Annabeth Albert's play list at the end of the book), a really awkward meeting with the parents, a Bass Off, a "not-so-perfect" perfect ending, and you'll be eagerly awaiting the sequel Love Me Tenor.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
August 21, 2015
I 've been putting this off because of all the mixed reviews but I ended up loving it!
I'm really not a fan of a capella, and although this story is based on it I didn't get bored, not at all.
I loved:
*The complexity of the characters, they are so diametrically different (or so they think) but they work together so well.
*Piercings. Hell yes, Cody has this Goth look going on and multiple piercings.
*The television music show is realistic. Fake and staged.
*Steam. So very steamy.
*No melodrama, just a guy who starts making his own choices instead of letting others decide how he should live his life.
I'm so looking forward Trevor's story.
Short review is short.
I'm really not a fan of a capella, and although this story is based on it I didn't get bored, not at all.
I loved:
*The complexity of the characters, they are so diametrically different (or so they think) but they work together so well.
*Piercings. Hell yes, Cody has this Goth look going on and multiple piercings.
*The television music show is realistic. Fake and staged.
*Steam. So very steamy.
*No melodrama, just a guy who starts making his own choices instead of letting others decide how he should live his life.
I'm so looking forward Trevor's story.
Short review is short.
August 8, 2017
3.5 Stars
This is a tricky one to rate!
Unfortunately, I am not a fan of many of the themes explored here. All the religious repression that Lucas struggles with throughout the story just brought my mood right down. There was a bit too much judgement and moral superiority going on for my liking. As sweet as Lucas was at times, I just didn’t like what his hot and cold attitude did to poor Cody, who was already struggling with issues of his own and certainly didn’t need the added pressure of feeling shitty about himself from someone he was growing to care about.
Putting aside the whole “I can’t go there, it’s wrong” bullshit, I liked what ultimately developed between Lucas and Cody, particularly during the second half of the story, which I believe was much stronger than the slower, slightly frustrating first half.
As always the writing is fantastic, providing emotional weight and great character depth to what is essentially a new adult story about a singing competition. I will say that I had a small issue with some of the abrupt scene transitions and the sudden POV changes, which isn’t an issue I’ve ever experienced while reading a story by Albert, so it came across as unexpected and surprisingly out of place.
As a huge music lover, I’ll admit that I did love the a cappella reality competition backdrop. It was fresh and fun and it helped balance out the heavier moments throughout the story. And although not technically part of the story itself, I also went a little nuts over Albert’s Treble Maker Playlist that she so graciously supplied at the end of the book. I spent a good hour post-read on YouTube watching all the a cappella groups she mentioned and I may or may not now be slightly obsessed with the Dartmouth Aires - good one, Annabeth!
This may not have been my favourite Albert read to date but I certainly look forward to continuing with this series, even if it’s just to get to Michelin’s story in book three.
This is a tricky one to rate!
Unfortunately, I am not a fan of many of the themes explored here. All the religious repression that Lucas struggles with throughout the story just brought my mood right down. There was a bit too much judgement and moral superiority going on for my liking. As sweet as Lucas was at times, I just didn’t like what his hot and cold attitude did to poor Cody, who was already struggling with issues of his own and certainly didn’t need the added pressure of feeling shitty about himself from someone he was growing to care about.
Putting aside the whole “I can’t go there, it’s wrong” bullshit, I liked what ultimately developed between Lucas and Cody, particularly during the second half of the story, which I believe was much stronger than the slower, slightly frustrating first half.
As always the writing is fantastic, providing emotional weight and great character depth to what is essentially a new adult story about a singing competition. I will say that I had a small issue with some of the abrupt scene transitions and the sudden POV changes, which isn’t an issue I’ve ever experienced while reading a story by Albert, so it came across as unexpected and surprisingly out of place.
As a huge music lover, I’ll admit that I did love the a cappella reality competition backdrop. It was fresh and fun and it helped balance out the heavier moments throughout the story. And although not technically part of the story itself, I also went a little nuts over Albert’s Treble Maker Playlist that she so graciously supplied at the end of the book. I spent a good hour post-read on YouTube watching all the a cappella groups she mentioned and I may or may not now be slightly obsessed with the Dartmouth Aires - good one, Annabeth!
This may not have been my favourite Albert read to date but I certainly look forward to continuing with this series, even if it’s just to get to Michelin’s story in book three.
January 4, 2021
1.5 stars
Dear book, i’m really sorry, it’s not you, it’s me. There is a lot of things that piss me off in books and you had almost all of them.
Little summary: Lucas is a virgin, his family is really religious and he believes in sex after marriage only. Cody is basicly a manwhore. They meet at a singing competition and things happen.
The only reason why I rounded this up to a 2 is because I enjoyed the last 20% of the book way more than the rest. I really liked Lucas standing up for himself and getting what he wants. And I loved the scene when he lost his virginity, that was really nice. But that is pretty much the only things I enjoyed about this entire book.
Also, this book felt so damn long, I started skimming a lot of it because there was so much filler content that I don’t think was really needed for the story.
Now on to the stuff that really annoyed me:
- Lucas is such a doormat, he let his parents decide his entire life and he never made a choice for himself and even when he meets Cody, he lets Cody decide everything and not in an enjoyable way, but more like he didn’t know what he wanted so he went with whatever everyone else says.
- There was so so much slut shaming in this. I can’t even begin to count how many times Cody is portrayed like less and a shitty human because he enjoys sex. I hated this very much.
- I hated how Cody kept asking Lucas for sex when Lucas told him that he was a virgin and why he wants to stay that way.
- There was a big miscommunication at 70% that was really over the top and almost made me put the book down for good. It really didn’t need to be there. If these two talked, none of that would have happened.
- To follow on the miscommunication, when they got back together, I didn’t feel the big switch in their relationship and I didn’t feel like they were good for each other. The getting back together felt really rushed and it wasn’t enough growling for me. I needed more.
- Lucas’s switch from following everything his parents want to taking his own decisions happened in 5 seconds and was not believable at all. It was way too rushed, it made no sense as to why suddently he would change everything about himself. I needed more build up before the change to believe it.
- And lastly, I didn’t feel the connection between them. I never felt like they were good for each other or meant to be. They never felt like they fit together to me. The I love you’s came and I really didn’t feel like they did love each other.
- One last thing, I didn’t hate this part but I was really confused because these two agreed that it was only sex between them and then they were calling each other boyfriend, it was a weird switch that didn’t make much sense.
It was a fun premise, one I was really excited to read about, but it really didn’t do it for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion
Dear book, i’m really sorry, it’s not you, it’s me. There is a lot of things that piss me off in books and you had almost all of them.
Little summary: Lucas is a virgin, his family is really religious and he believes in sex after marriage only. Cody is basicly a manwhore. They meet at a singing competition and things happen.
The only reason why I rounded this up to a 2 is because I enjoyed the last 20% of the book way more than the rest. I really liked Lucas standing up for himself and getting what he wants. And I loved the scene when he lost his virginity, that was really nice. But that is pretty much the only things I enjoyed about this entire book.
Also, this book felt so damn long, I started skimming a lot of it because there was so much filler content that I don’t think was really needed for the story.
Now on to the stuff that really annoyed me:
- Lucas is such a doormat, he let his parents decide his entire life and he never made a choice for himself and even when he meets Cody, he lets Cody decide everything and not in an enjoyable way, but more like he didn’t know what he wanted so he went with whatever everyone else says.
- There was so so much slut shaming in this. I can’t even begin to count how many times Cody is portrayed like less and a shitty human because he enjoys sex. I hated this very much.
- I hated how Cody kept asking Lucas for sex when Lucas told him that he was a virgin and why he wants to stay that way.
- There was a big miscommunication at 70% that was really over the top and almost made me put the book down for good. It really didn’t need to be there. If these two talked, none of that would have happened.
- To follow on the miscommunication, when they got back together, I didn’t feel the big switch in their relationship and I didn’t feel like they were good for each other. The getting back together felt really rushed and it wasn’t enough growling for me. I needed more.
- Lucas’s switch from following everything his parents want to taking his own decisions happened in 5 seconds and was not believable at all. It was way too rushed, it made no sense as to why suddently he would change everything about himself. I needed more build up before the change to believe it.
- And lastly, I didn’t feel the connection between them. I never felt like they were good for each other or meant to be. They never felt like they fit together to me. The I love you’s came and I really didn’t feel like they did love each other.
- One last thing, I didn’t hate this part but I was really confused because these two agreed that it was only sex between them and then they were calling each other boyfriend, it was a weird switch that didn’t make much sense.
It was a fun premise, one I was really excited to read about, but it really didn’t do it for me.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion
August 9, 2017
3.5 Stars
I'll be honest, this wasn’t my favorite Albert story. While she has consistently touched on tough topics that range from drug abuse to disabilities to having HIV, unfortunately, closet cases and religious repression aren’t my favorite tropes.
Cody is a talented singer, and though Perfect Harmony is a TV show pitting singing groups against each other, he’s determined to use the experience to further his own career as much as possible. He’s been on his own for years, having been rejected by his grandmother who was unable to accept his sexuality, and he’s not shy about who he is, nor is he subtle about doing whatever needs to be done to gain advantages when he can. Cody is not going to mess up this opportunity - no one is going to stand in his way to success. That is, until the odd rules of the competition finds his group saddled with an irresistible guy who shuns his advances at every turn.
Lucas is part of an acapella group from a very conservative town and college. Despite that, his college has embraced its LGBTQ students and the entire student body agrees and signs an abstinence purity contract - no sex before marriage. Overall, Lucas is ok with this. He has strong religious beliefs and for the most part, wants to abide by the rules, especially since his family is so supportive and his dad is a prominent professor at said college. However, in his effort to stick by his values, Lucas hides a very important part of who he is, as he suppresses his attraction to avoid temptation. So technically, Lucas isn’t really in the closet, but in essence, he doesn’t want anyone to perceive him as a gay man and avoids bringing any attention to his sexuality. However, Cody is everything he secretly desires, and his will power is dwindling fast.
So yes, there’s a lot of back and forth between these two as both struggle with who they are and what they want out of life. Slowly, Lucas realizes he’s tired of living up to a standard that he didn’t set for himself. Despite being afraid of letting down those he loves, he discovers that it’s ok to be who he is, to express himself truthfully, while not needing to compromise or denounce his core values. Cody in turn, is no saint, but he does see the merit of having personal ideals and being in a monogamous relationship. Together they start to evolve, accepting their own truth.
Have no fear, in and amongst the above emotional roller coaster and the singing competition itself, sparks fly and things progress very hot and heavily. For a story about repression, Albert does not skimp at all on the lovely details. I doubt many will find fault with this story. The writing is top notch as always, but personally, these types of stories don’t give me the joy my greedy self wants.
I'll be honest, this wasn’t my favorite Albert story. While she has consistently touched on tough topics that range from drug abuse to disabilities to having HIV, unfortunately, closet cases and religious repression aren’t my favorite tropes.
Cody is a talented singer, and though Perfect Harmony is a TV show pitting singing groups against each other, he’s determined to use the experience to further his own career as much as possible. He’s been on his own for years, having been rejected by his grandmother who was unable to accept his sexuality, and he’s not shy about who he is, nor is he subtle about doing whatever needs to be done to gain advantages when he can. Cody is not going to mess up this opportunity - no one is going to stand in his way to success. That is, until the odd rules of the competition finds his group saddled with an irresistible guy who shuns his advances at every turn.
Lucas is part of an acapella group from a very conservative town and college. Despite that, his college has embraced its LGBTQ students and the entire student body agrees and signs an abstinence purity contract - no sex before marriage. Overall, Lucas is ok with this. He has strong religious beliefs and for the most part, wants to abide by the rules, especially since his family is so supportive and his dad is a prominent professor at said college. However, in his effort to stick by his values, Lucas hides a very important part of who he is, as he suppresses his attraction to avoid temptation. So technically, Lucas isn’t really in the closet, but in essence, he doesn’t want anyone to perceive him as a gay man and avoids bringing any attention to his sexuality. However, Cody is everything he secretly desires, and his will power is dwindling fast.
So yes, there’s a lot of back and forth between these two as both struggle with who they are and what they want out of life. Slowly, Lucas realizes he’s tired of living up to a standard that he didn’t set for himself. Despite being afraid of letting down those he loves, he discovers that it’s ok to be who he is, to express himself truthfully, while not needing to compromise or denounce his core values. Cody in turn, is no saint, but he does see the merit of having personal ideals and being in a monogamous relationship. Together they start to evolve, accepting their own truth.
Have no fear, in and amongst the above emotional roller coaster and the singing competition itself, sparks fly and things progress very hot and heavily. For a story about repression, Albert does not skimp at all on the lovely details. I doubt many will find fault with this story. The writing is top notch as always, but personally, these types of stories don’t give me the joy my greedy self wants.
July 18, 2015
3.5 stars.
This one is so hard to write. I adore Ms. Albert's writing. And a book with such a strong music theme? I'm in!
Strong writing. Strong emotion. This had all the makings of a successful 4-5 star read for me. But, sadly, it wasn't to be. There were just too many little things I couldn't get past.
These two were so judgmental of each other for most of the book. It really turned me off. And then the quick flip from a celibate-until-marriage stance to getting off with my roommate (before I even call him my boyfriend) was a bit far-fetched for me.
The end was so sweet and well fought for. And I still genuinely liked the book. I will still recommend it to Ms. Albert's fans, and I will continue to read her.
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books through Netgalley.
This one is so hard to write. I adore Ms. Albert's writing. And a book with such a strong music theme? I'm in!
Strong writing. Strong emotion. This had all the makings of a successful 4-5 star read for me. But, sadly, it wasn't to be. There were just too many little things I couldn't get past.
These two were so judgmental of each other for most of the book. It really turned me off. And then the quick flip from a celibate-until-marriage stance to getting off with my roommate (before I even call him my boyfriend) was a bit far-fetched for me.
The end was so sweet and well fought for. And I still genuinely liked the book. I will still recommend it to Ms. Albert's fans, and I will continue to read her.
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books through Netgalley.
March 2, 2016
3.75 Stars
This one started off slowly and was a little boring and the authors abrupt change of POV was difficult to follow, but it picked up steam and drew me in. By the end I adored both Lucas and Cody.
This one started off slowly and was a little boring and the authors abrupt change of POV was difficult to follow, but it picked up steam and drew me in. By the end I adored both Lucas and Cody.
July 10, 2015
2.5 stars
I am going to start with a disclaimer. I love Annabeth Albert's stories ... I enjoy her Portland Heat series and her contribution to this year's Goodreads M/M Romance "Don't Read in the Closet" event, Waiting for Clark, is simply one of my favorites and an almost perfect read. So when I saw that she was releasing a full-length novel, and then the book was available in Netgalley, I didn't think twice. I just requested right away (and was lucky to be approved).
Albert's writing was good and attainable; I had no problems with it it all. Then there was Cody, one of the main narrators. While he sometimes showed a Diva-esque behavior as he thought of himself as the best and lead singer of Embellish, Cody ended up being quite endearing for me. Cody's background struggle with his family, his determination to make it on this business, alongside the judgments and sneer from others because of his Goth/Twink/Rainbow/Man-Whore attitude made Cody much rounded character. Yes, Cody pushes Lucas with his flirt and his arguments, but it brought different dimensions of him, and I'm SUCH a sucker for that complexity.
Unfortunately, this book failed me in other levels. It might also had something to do with expectations, and this one didn't give me what I wanted. Thus, my lack of enjoyment during and after finishing the read. First off, it felt too long. Cody and Lucas going hot and cold for more than 200 pages challenged my patience. Especially when the drama felt childish -- then again, these were 20's years old men, so maybe that was why it was difficult for me to connect? -- Seriously, it felt dragging, and I found myself skimming the 1/3rd of the book or so.
Then, we also had the sex content over the story. Okay, so this MAY be just my issue, all right? I don't see many M/M readers having problem with it. I guess I was expecting the emphasis to be combination of the competitions, how the group was going each week, while having the romance in between. I felt that the competition was pushed WAY back, whereas the parts that related to the competition was actually some of my favorites: like Cody taught Lucas how to dance, how the choreograph the dance, heck, even how they chose the song to sing. Instead this felt like a repetitive sex-lessons for a gay virgin hero, which didn't work for me at all. I couldn't care less for the mutual jerk-off sessions, or the push-and-pull about doing it in the bedroom, etc. I wanted the romance and I didn't get it.
Oh, and everything related to the "conservative way = bad" and "free to do what you want = good" was also not a favorite theme of mine *shrugs*
Bottom line, this is not my favorite from Albert. As always, reading is a personal experience, and I might come to this with different set of perceptions and preferences. I can see this being a favorite for those who love their new adult boys, and their angst. It's simply not mine.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
I am going to start with a disclaimer. I love Annabeth Albert's stories ... I enjoy her Portland Heat series and her contribution to this year's Goodreads M/M Romance "Don't Read in the Closet" event, Waiting for Clark, is simply one of my favorites and an almost perfect read. So when I saw that she was releasing a full-length novel, and then the book was available in Netgalley, I didn't think twice. I just requested right away (and was lucky to be approved).
Albert's writing was good and attainable; I had no problems with it it all. Then there was Cody, one of the main narrators. While he sometimes showed a Diva-esque behavior as he thought of himself as the best and lead singer of Embellish, Cody ended up being quite endearing for me. Cody's background struggle with his family, his determination to make it on this business, alongside the judgments and sneer from others because of his Goth/Twink/Rainbow/Man-Whore attitude made Cody much rounded character. Yes, Cody pushes Lucas with his flirt and his arguments, but it brought different dimensions of him, and I'm SUCH a sucker for that complexity.
Unfortunately, this book failed me in other levels. It might also had something to do with expectations, and this one didn't give me what I wanted. Thus, my lack of enjoyment during and after finishing the read. First off, it felt too long. Cody and Lucas going hot and cold for more than 200 pages challenged my patience. Especially when the drama felt childish -- then again, these were 20's years old men, so maybe that was why it was difficult for me to connect? -- Seriously, it felt dragging, and I found myself skimming the 1/3rd of the book or so.
Then, we also had the sex content over the story. Okay, so this MAY be just my issue, all right? I don't see many M/M readers having problem with it. I guess I was expecting the emphasis to be combination of the competitions, how the group was going each week, while having the romance in between. I felt that the competition was pushed WAY back, whereas the parts that related to the competition was actually some of my favorites: like Cody taught Lucas how to dance, how the choreograph the dance, heck, even how they chose the song to sing. Instead this felt like a repetitive sex-lessons for a gay virgin hero, which didn't work for me at all. I couldn't care less for the mutual jerk-off sessions, or the push-and-pull about doing it in the bedroom, etc. I wanted the romance and I didn't get it.
Oh, and everything related to the "conservative way = bad" and "free to do what you want = good" was also not a favorite theme of mine *shrugs*
Bottom line, this is not my favorite from Albert. As always, reading is a personal experience, and I might come to this with different set of perceptions and preferences. I can see this being a favorite for those who love their new adult boys, and their angst. It's simply not mine.
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
October 14, 2015
This book is so delightfully dirty! I was not expecting that from the cover or blurb, so it was a wonderful surprise. I was rooting for Lucas and Cody from the start, and I really enjoyed the setting of the TV music competition. Lucas's parents were not typical disapproving parents, but they still wanted to control Lucas's sexuality and keep him in a neat, tidy box. That was a compelling struggle for Lucas.
As I mentioned, this book is surprisingly dirty, and I loved seeing Lucas get the chance to explore his kinky side.
Loved this book, and am excited for the second in the series!
As I mentioned, this book is surprisingly dirty, and I loved seeing Lucas get the chance to explore his kinky side.
Loved this book, and am excited for the second in the series!
Want to read
December 17, 2015DNF
Nothing wrong but it bored me and I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I may try down the road when I forgot that I actually attempted to read it once before but I doubt it. I'll be skipping the rest in this series.
Not the usual result when I try this author...but you can't win them all.
Nothing wrong but it bored me and I couldn't get past the first few chapters. I may try down the road when I forgot that I actually attempted to read it once before but I doubt it. I'll be skipping the rest in this series.
Not the usual result when I try this author...but you can't win them all.
April 15, 2019
This book?
It had me staying up until the early hours of the morning so I could finish it. Then when I finished, and because it had such a... profound affect on me, I immediately set about procuring a hard copy for my delectation.
Once a hard copy was procured, I set about finding a super sharp spear.
And once that was found, next on my list was some lighter fluid and a box of matches.
*commences impaling book on my super sharp spear, dousing it in lighter fluid, then setting it alight*
*cackles gleefully while watching it burn*
This book?
My complaints about it are plenty, but the biggest one? Having a MC virtually sexually harassing the other MC throughout nearly the whole book was at the very top. I'm especially angry about this because I'm certain this would have been flagged up as more of an issue if it had happened in a het romance and Lucas (the one on the receiving end) was a Lucy.
Other complains include, but are not limited to:
The horribly judgemental air that permeated the whole fucking thing - i.e. Religion Is Baaaaad.
And Abstinence Is Baaaaad.
And Having A Lot Of Sex Is Baaaaad.
The Sexual Harasser Cody saying he hoped to talk the abstinence-declarer Lucas into oral sex. Because, you know, sex being an entirely consensual thing is so last century, amirite?
The brief attempt at fat-shaming. So what if Lucas likes cookies and has a body that shows he likes cookies? GET OVER YOURSELF, CODY, YOU SEXUALLY HARASSING COCKSNOT.
The POV switches mid-page. SPOILER: Chapter breaks are a thing.
So, this book?
I can honestly say I hated it.
It had me staying up until the early hours of the morning so I could finish it. Then when I finished, and because it had such a... profound affect on me, I immediately set about procuring a hard copy for my delectation.
Once a hard copy was procured, I set about finding a super sharp spear.
And once that was found, next on my list was some lighter fluid and a box of matches.
*commences impaling book on my super sharp spear, dousing it in lighter fluid, then setting it alight*
*cackles gleefully while watching it burn*
This book?
My complaints about it are plenty, but the biggest one? Having a MC virtually sexually harassing the other MC throughout nearly the whole book was at the very top. I'm especially angry about this because I'm certain this would have been flagged up as more of an issue if it had happened in a het romance and Lucas (the one on the receiving end) was a Lucy.
Other complains include, but are not limited to:
The horribly judgemental air that permeated the whole fucking thing - i.e. Religion Is Baaaaad.
And Abstinence Is Baaaaad.
And Having A Lot Of Sex Is Baaaaad.
The Sexual Harasser Cody saying he hoped to talk the abstinence-declarer Lucas into oral sex. Because, you know, sex being an entirely consensual thing is so last century, amirite?
The brief attempt at fat-shaming. So what if Lucas likes cookies and has a body that shows he likes cookies? GET OVER YOURSELF, CODY, YOU SEXUALLY HARASSING COCKSNOT.
The POV switches mid-page. SPOILER: Chapter breaks are a thing.
So, this book?
I can honestly say I hated it.
January 2, 2016
Though this hits a lot of the right notes, it sometimes fell a bit flat in parts, but managed to put itself back into tempo by the end. <--See what I did there? Ah, such fun with puns!
Cody was a bit of a pill for half the novel and Lucas was a bit hard for me to pin down whether I actually liked him or not for most of the story too. In the end they both grew on me and I was rooting for them to get together.
You know what this was like for me? It's like a Taylor Swift song...when I first hear it I don't know whether I like it or not, but every time I hear it after that I like it just a little but more until I can't get it out of my head...
Anyway.
The more I read, the more I liked, and the more time I wanted to spend with Cody and Lucas. It also certainly didn't hurt that Albert's wonderfully HOT sex scenes were in full show!
For those who enjoy steamy finding yourself romantic dramas - this one's for you!
RECOMMENDED!
Copy generously provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave
Cody was a bit of a pill for half the novel and Lucas was a bit hard for me to pin down whether I actually liked him or not for most of the story too. In the end they both grew on me and I was rooting for them to get together.
You know what this was like for me? It's like a Taylor Swift song...when I first hear it I don't know whether I like it or not, but every time I hear it after that I like it just a little but more until I can't get it out of my head...
Anyway.
The more I read, the more I liked, and the more time I wanted to spend with Cody and Lucas. It also certainly didn't hurt that Albert's wonderfully HOT sex scenes were in full show!
For those who enjoy steamy finding yourself romantic dramas - this one's for you!
RECOMMENDED!
Copy generously provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave
June 28, 2015
4.5 Stars for this contemporary M/M New Adult romance.
Cody is a 23 y/o goth/glam singer trying to make it in LA. He's barely coasting with a van nearly his own age stuffed full of his belongings, couch-surfing until he can land some more gigs. His newest gig is the lead vocalist of an acapella singing group on the reality show, Perfect Harmony. He's already figured out the ins-and-outs of surviving this competition, and it might-could involve some private time with one of the assistant directors. And, no matter what, Cody's not going to seduce that clod-hopper of a corn-fed Iowa bass who keeps giving him the eye.
Lucas is a 21 y/o out gay man, but he's a virgin. He's never even shared a kiss with another man. He attends a conservative college and is the poster boy for his father's religious writings; essentially, he's signed on to the school's morality code--that he will save his virginity for marriage. While his parents accept his sexuality, they want for him to find a sweet, kind gay man to spend his life with; Lucas is attracted to men who are not quite sweet and probably not kind. Being part of the competition puts Lucas in direct contact with all sorts of flamboyant persons, and, unfortunately, Cody is exactly Lucas' type.
These two are an odd couple, indeed. Cody's almost horrified at Lucas' lack of experience. He can't bear the crap way Lucas' singing group treats him, however, and he helps Lucas learn the choreography steps he needs. Their interactions are definitely fraught with sexual tension, but they are also filled with misunderstanding, and a bit of prejudice. Lucas really has a lot of trouble accepting himself as gay--as an adult who can and should make his own decisions regarding his sex life. I really loved how Cody called him on this, and also how Lucas didn't simply dismiss it.
I was raised in a very conservative church environment, and knew many people who committed to abstinence/celibacy. Lucas and his friends reminded me so much of them. He's got a lot of expectations to be a moral and upstanding gay man, one who indulges in nothing. I could sense that pressure, from his group, friends and parents. Having Cody, the physical embodiment of many of his desires, so close, and so willing to be more than a dancing coach, was the ultimate temptation.
I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but it simmers with attraction, desire and self-denial. Cody is willing to play into some of Lucas' fantasies, but he is a demanding lover, too--and he wants Lucas to grasp what he is missing by shielding himself from experimentation. All Lucas' friends continue to warn him off Cody--thinking that Cody will corrupt him, but Lucas believes he can't really be corrupted, having long since understood that he has been corrupting himself for years, assuaging his unhealthy desire with raunchy porn. There are many challenges to Lucas' morality code--and his broadening experience is crammed with revelation. I loved how Lucas took charge of himself. He more than desires Cody; over the weeks of intense connection he develops love for him, and is shattered when it seems that Cody is willing to prostitute himself for an advantage in the show. There are some awesome sexytimes in this book, which include voyeurism, a bit of kink and mutual gratification.
Meanwhile, Cody learns a lot about himself, and his own desires. He has always been a lone wolf, but working with his group, and Lucas, gives him a greater goal outside of his own self. It creates a need for community that he has eschewed since he left home the night of his high school graduation. I really enjoyed how vulnerable he made himself, and also how that dovetailed with Lucas embracing his own path--separate from the promises he made as an untried child.
I also dug how Lucas' parents reacted to his newly-asserted independence. They could have been obstructive, but it didn't happen that way. The book doesn't end with the standard "finale" win, and I liked that, too. I was so glad, actually, that these folks got to live out their new dreams because I think I'd have been sad if it all crumbled and only Lucas and Cody remained. I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes of the TV show, and all the strategy involved.
I received an ARC of this book for review via NetGalley.
Cody is a 23 y/o goth/glam singer trying to make it in LA. He's barely coasting with a van nearly his own age stuffed full of his belongings, couch-surfing until he can land some more gigs. His newest gig is the lead vocalist of an acapella singing group on the reality show, Perfect Harmony. He's already figured out the ins-and-outs of surviving this competition, and it might-could involve some private time with one of the assistant directors. And, no matter what, Cody's not going to seduce that clod-hopper of a corn-fed Iowa bass who keeps giving him the eye.
Lucas is a 21 y/o out gay man, but he's a virgin. He's never even shared a kiss with another man. He attends a conservative college and is the poster boy for his father's religious writings; essentially, he's signed on to the school's morality code--that he will save his virginity for marriage. While his parents accept his sexuality, they want for him to find a sweet, kind gay man to spend his life with; Lucas is attracted to men who are not quite sweet and probably not kind. Being part of the competition puts Lucas in direct contact with all sorts of flamboyant persons, and, unfortunately, Cody is exactly Lucas' type.
These two are an odd couple, indeed. Cody's almost horrified at Lucas' lack of experience. He can't bear the crap way Lucas' singing group treats him, however, and he helps Lucas learn the choreography steps he needs. Their interactions are definitely fraught with sexual tension, but they are also filled with misunderstanding, and a bit of prejudice. Lucas really has a lot of trouble accepting himself as gay--as an adult who can and should make his own decisions regarding his sex life. I really loved how Cody called him on this, and also how Lucas didn't simply dismiss it.
I was raised in a very conservative church environment, and knew many people who committed to abstinence/celibacy. Lucas and his friends reminded me so much of them. He's got a lot of expectations to be a moral and upstanding gay man, one who indulges in nothing. I could sense that pressure, from his group, friends and parents. Having Cody, the physical embodiment of many of his desires, so close, and so willing to be more than a dancing coach, was the ultimate temptation.
I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but it simmers with attraction, desire and self-denial. Cody is willing to play into some of Lucas' fantasies, but he is a demanding lover, too--and he wants Lucas to grasp what he is missing by shielding himself from experimentation. All Lucas' friends continue to warn him off Cody--thinking that Cody will corrupt him, but Lucas believes he can't really be corrupted, having long since understood that he has been corrupting himself for years, assuaging his unhealthy desire with raunchy porn. There are many challenges to Lucas' morality code--and his broadening experience is crammed with revelation. I loved how Lucas took charge of himself. He more than desires Cody; over the weeks of intense connection he develops love for him, and is shattered when it seems that Cody is willing to prostitute himself for an advantage in the show. There are some awesome sexytimes in this book, which include voyeurism, a bit of kink and mutual gratification.
Meanwhile, Cody learns a lot about himself, and his own desires. He has always been a lone wolf, but working with his group, and Lucas, gives him a greater goal outside of his own self. It creates a need for community that he has eschewed since he left home the night of his high school graduation. I really enjoyed how vulnerable he made himself, and also how that dovetailed with Lucas embracing his own path--separate from the promises he made as an untried child.
I also dug how Lucas' parents reacted to his newly-asserted independence. They could have been obstructive, but it didn't happen that way. The book doesn't end with the standard "finale" win, and I liked that, too. I was so glad, actually, that these folks got to live out their new dreams because I think I'd have been sad if it all crumbled and only Lucas and Cody remained. I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes of the TV show, and all the strategy involved.
I received an ARC of this book for review via NetGalley.
June 28, 2020
3.5 Stars!
First things First, a HUGE thanks Fabi for lending me this book! You're a STAR!
Second things second(I know no one says that lol!), this book was great and since most of my GR friends have read it, I'm not going to even bother with a long review. I'll just say I loved how realistic this book was and loved Cody and Lucas together.
They struggled, but their HEA/HFN was very well worth it.
First things First, a HUGE thanks Fabi for lending me this book! You're a STAR!
Second things second(I know no one says that lol!), this book was great and since most of my GR friends have read it, I'm not going to even bother with a long review. I'll just say I loved how realistic this book was and loved Cody and Lucas together.
They struggled, but their HEA/HFN was very well worth it.
January 6, 2021
3.5 stars
This book takes place around an a capella singing competition. Cody is a member of Embellish and Lucas a member of M&Ms. The two are complete opposites and yet gravitate towards one another. They both push one another's button and make eachother question their life choices. Although it seems they shouldn't work together they somehow fit perfectly.
I will admit Cody's behavior at the beginning made me a little uncomfortable but as the story progressed things got much better. Overall, a solid read. I really look forward to reading the next.
This book takes place around an a capella singing competition. Cody is a member of Embellish and Lucas a member of M&Ms. The two are complete opposites and yet gravitate towards one another. They both push one another's button and make eachother question their life choices. Although it seems they shouldn't work together they somehow fit perfectly.
I will admit Cody's behavior at the beginning made me a little uncomfortable but as the story progressed things got much better. Overall, a solid read. I really look forward to reading the next.
September 11, 2022
Annabeth Albert has written better...but this is not by any stretch of the imagination, a bad or uninteresting book. I just couldn't work up much appreciation for the background of the story or the characters, although I began to like the two main characters more as the story went on. I was happy to see that Cody and Lucas cared enough about one another to try to work together to strengthen their budding attraction and relationship and that Lucas had the strength of his conviction to stand up to his unreasonably demanding parents. The parents were quiet a pair and it was commendable of Lucus and Cody to face them without completely alienating them. Annabeth Albert's books usually get much higher ratings from me, but I felt that while the story and the characters were good it took a bit too long to get started. I do intend to finish the series with books 2 & 3.
June 15, 2015
3.5 Stars
Review to come...
Review to come...
August 13, 2015
Absofreakinglutely LOVED this book!
July 16, 2015
Let me start by saying I totally loved the cover of this book! Of course, it’s the first thing that made me interested to get a hold of it. Lucky me because Netgalley has it available for request. Anyway, this is my first book by Annabeth Albert and having heard so much about her well-received participation in Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s “Love is an Open Road” event, my expectations prior to reading this was probably way off the charts.
To easily picture Treble Maker, think of NBC’s The Sing-Off and put two cute guys in the limelight who got together because of their intense attraction and well, they always say that opposite attracts right? So that is where Cody Rivers and Lucas Norwood’s characters comes into play.
Cody’s determined to win the a cappella reality show and is using the show as a springboard to finally hit it big. He’ll do everything in his power to win. Lucas however is content to sing his heart out as long as he’s making his parents and school proud and maintaining his “virtue” of being a model gay citizen. As Lucas pointed to Cody, “I’m gay but I don’t act on it.” Okay.
There’s one big problem for me when I am unable to connect with the main characters when I know that I’m halfway through the book. I’ll start asking myself why am I still not tossing this into oblivion and heading to read another book. The main answer to that question is that the author’s writing is not bad. It kept me glued to finish the book. Her style is very easy to grasp but somehow lacks consistency here. It’s also way too long in my opinion for such a clichéd premise, I would’ve thought that it’d be shorter by at least fifty to a hundred pages.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not just about the show right? It’s about Lucas finding his own voice and standing up on his own with Cody being his guide. I loved their monkey-hot sex and the whole kink (probably) stemming from being repressed juxtaposing what Lucas tried to hold firmly when he started “something” with Cody. And that is one of the reasons I didn’t connect well – it felt like the story’s all about Lucas petty drama of being out yet acting like he’s in the closet despite having dual POV all throughout.
The romance was almost nil albeit the hot steamy sex and it pains for me to say that I really didn’t get much enjoyment from reading this story. Let me remind you though, what’s not so great for me may be the best read of your life so do try to check this out for yourself.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Expected publication: August 4th 2015 by Lyrical Press
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review.
To easily picture Treble Maker, think of NBC’s The Sing-Off and put two cute guys in the limelight who got together because of their intense attraction and well, they always say that opposite attracts right? So that is where Cody Rivers and Lucas Norwood’s characters comes into play.
Cody’s determined to win the a cappella reality show and is using the show as a springboard to finally hit it big. He’ll do everything in his power to win. Lucas however is content to sing his heart out as long as he’s making his parents and school proud and maintaining his “virtue” of being a model gay citizen. As Lucas pointed to Cody, “I’m gay but I don’t act on it.” Okay.
There’s one big problem for me when I am unable to connect with the main characters when I know that I’m halfway through the book. I’ll start asking myself why am I still not tossing this into oblivion and heading to read another book. The main answer to that question is that the author’s writing is not bad. It kept me glued to finish the book. Her style is very easy to grasp but somehow lacks consistency here. It’s also way too long in my opinion for such a clichéd premise, I would’ve thought that it’d be shorter by at least fifty to a hundred pages.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not just about the show right? It’s about Lucas finding his own voice and standing up on his own with Cody being his guide. I loved their monkey-hot sex and the whole kink (probably) stemming from being repressed juxtaposing what Lucas tried to hold firmly when he started “something” with Cody. And that is one of the reasons I didn’t connect well – it felt like the story’s all about Lucas petty drama of being out yet acting like he’s in the closet despite having dual POV all throughout.
The romance was almost nil albeit the hot steamy sex and it pains for me to say that I really didn’t get much enjoyment from reading this story. Let me remind you though, what’s not so great for me may be the best read of your life so do try to check this out for yourself.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Expected publication: August 4th 2015 by Lyrical Press
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review.
August 3, 2015
So I am a big fan of singing, of music of reality singing contests… but only in books. The contests that is, I love singing and music in all forms but the reality contests, they only work in books for me because of the possible romance it inspires. So having said that, I really enjoyed the hell out of this book.
Having it told in the dual POV of our sultry goth pseudo diva Cody and Lucas, our reserved boy next door with a side of … well you’ll figure that out when you read this, was perfect. I am a big fan of the dual POV and when you have one of the MC’s questioning their sexuality, for me it’s needed. I loved being in both boys head’s and they had a mutual albeit, naïve dislike of one another to being thrust into each other’s space and heart. Yeah, it went like that and that’s what I loved about this story.
I control my actions. My actions and choices reveal my character…
Oh Lucas. You want so much and yet you hold back SO much because of who your father his and what he has done but it’s not you. It’s just not and thank goodness you are part of this contest and you meet Cody because he lets you see that who you are, is beautiful and quite frankly, sexy in every way possible.
Hell. This was a terrible idea. One doomed to failure and hours of dick-twisting frustration because he’d promised Lucas it wasn’t about sex. And still . . .
Oh Cody, you are one hell of a strong young man with a drive to succeed that markets you for the top of what and whomever you want, but meeting Lucas changes you and the change was beautiful to witness.
This book for me was so much fun. Granted, I am a big dork when it comes to music, singing and dancing even when I have to read or watch it through my fingers, but it hits me in all the good places. I love musicals and there were times in this where I could SEE it as a musical on the screen, I mean Cody dirtying up a 60’s classic and singing it TO Lucas was aca-awesome and do damn sexy and I could see it… so, soooo sexy.
But this was also a very sweet romance between two opposites who couldn’t help but attract one another and show that their lives are better when they are together than apart. The contest, was interesting and the side characters were a great addition that didn’t take away from the story and Lucas and Cody, were just so much damn fun.
***ARC provided by Kensington: Lyrical Shine via NetGalley***
May 30, 2017
Lucas had long ago made his peace with wanting -- want was fine in carefully rationed chunks, as long as he cleared his browser history afterward and went on with his resolve to never turn want into action.
If Glee, Pitch Perfect, The Voice and American Idol came together to have queer babies, one of those babies would be called TREBLE MAKER. Drama, dancing, singing and repressed boys from Iowa are just some of what you'll find in book one of Albert's Perfect Harmony series.
"I want your bass, not your ass."
I really liked the personal evolution between the two lead characters. There was a not-closeted-but-celibate country boy who followed rules, had a code, and was all around repressed by his desires and wants. And the guy who did what he wanted, who he wanted, and sometimes to get what he wanted, and yet both of them found their match and got to meet in the middle. I liked that it wasn't just a one-sided focus and that both Lucas and Cody had their own growing up moments.
Sometimes he felt overwhelmed by possibility -- like he was hearing his voice for the first time instead of just harmonizing with the crowd.
I did find the flow a little off and some conversations that lead to confusions or misunderstandings also confused me but overall I liked the setting, the music, the competition, and the friendships and fun. There were some hot moments, of course, but the tenderness between these two was even better. Diving right into book two.
3 "do I need to leave a trail of candy to get you all the way into the room?" stars
If Glee, Pitch Perfect, The Voice and American Idol came together to have queer babies, one of those babies would be called TREBLE MAKER. Drama, dancing, singing and repressed boys from Iowa are just some of what you'll find in book one of Albert's Perfect Harmony series.
"I want your bass, not your ass."
I really liked the personal evolution between the two lead characters. There was a not-closeted-but-celibate country boy who followed rules, had a code, and was all around repressed by his desires and wants. And the guy who did what he wanted, who he wanted, and sometimes to get what he wanted, and yet both of them found their match and got to meet in the middle. I liked that it wasn't just a one-sided focus and that both Lucas and Cody had their own growing up moments.
Sometimes he felt overwhelmed by possibility -- like he was hearing his voice for the first time instead of just harmonizing with the crowd.
I did find the flow a little off and some conversations that lead to confusions or misunderstandings also confused me but overall I liked the setting, the music, the competition, and the friendships and fun. There were some hot moments, of course, but the tenderness between these two was even better. Diving right into book two.
3 "do I need to leave a trail of candy to get you all the way into the room?" stars
July 2, 2017
I don't like reality tv shows much but I am a bit of a fan of competitive singing shows. and I love a bass voice. So... I was in.
I think that this book could have stood to be longer in order to get the characters fuller arcs and in order for choices to be made more slowly but even though I don't think Lucas would have moved so fast nor do I think Cody would have matured this fast, I really enjoyed the book.
I don't want to give spoilers but Lucas is in an intersting pickle as to how he acts on what he wants. The idea of not seeing a spectrum of choice and behaviors instead of saint or sinner really is shown in Lucas upbringing. And this is a New Adult romance in terms of the pain of wanting to please your family especially when they are supportive but don't yet see you as grown.
Cody has the same basic struggle with seeing the nuance and boy does he have trust issues.
Together, they are a sexy sweet couple that I wish only the best.
I think that this book could have stood to be longer in order to get the characters fuller arcs and in order for choices to be made more slowly but even though I don't think Lucas would have moved so fast nor do I think Cody would have matured this fast, I really enjoyed the book.
I don't want to give spoilers but Lucas is in an intersting pickle as to how he acts on what he wants. The idea of not seeing a spectrum of choice and behaviors instead of saint or sinner really is shown in Lucas upbringing. And this is a New Adult romance in terms of the pain of wanting to please your family especially when they are supportive but don't yet see you as grown.
Cody has the same basic struggle with seeing the nuance and boy does he have trust issues.
Together, they are a sexy sweet couple that I wish only the best.
August 12, 2015
3.5 stars rounded up.
Before reading this book, I was pretty much a stranger to all things a capella. I have to say the experience was well worth it. I’ve only read a short story by this author and after this book I am definitely keeping an eye out for her works.
Cody and Lucas were amazing characters that warmed their way into my heart from the very beginning. Cody is a goth twink with some serious backbone who wants desperately to have his break in the music business. Lucas is a shy country-boy who’s out to his parents only because he’s taken a vow of celibacy until marriage. The two are thrust together in an a capella band and the results are explosive.
See, timid little Lucas has a big secret. He’s kinky to his last little toe but too ashamed and afraid to admit it, even to himself sometimes. His self-flagellation over his desires became a little grating at times, especially because he accepted Cody’s advances and then backtracked every single time for almost half the book. While Cody didn’t appreciate the whiplash effect from Lucas’ changing mind on a daily basis, he couldn’t get away either. They were very visibly drawn to each other and the UST was serious business here. The sexual exploration was slow and methodical and absolutely delicious! Lucas might have been a virgin but he was no stranger to porn and he found himself voicing his subby tendencies quite loudly to Cody. Scorching sex scenes? Hell yes! The boys were on fire!
The book maintained a very NA feel to it throughout, especially because of how much both characters grew in the weeks they participated in the a capella competition. While a lot of page time was devoted to the rehearsals and the performances themselves, there was also a lot of soul searching, failing, and succeeding in finding one’s path. I was really impressed with how much Lucas stood up to his very traditional, religious parents and how fiercely he was loyal to Cody. Cody did a lot of growing as well, especially with his trust and abandonment issues.
All in all, this was a very lovely read with super loveable characters and sizzling hot sex scenes. My rating reflects mainly the second half of the book when things started getting a little smoother in terms of storytelling and character growth. I think too much of the first part of the book was spent in the competition aspects and group dynamics which kept THE focus away from the main characters. The ending provided a very rewarding HEA. I can’t wait for Trevor’s story.
Recommend!
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Before reading this book, I was pretty much a stranger to all things a capella. I have to say the experience was well worth it. I’ve only read a short story by this author and after this book I am definitely keeping an eye out for her works.
Cody and Lucas were amazing characters that warmed their way into my heart from the very beginning. Cody is a goth twink with some serious backbone who wants desperately to have his break in the music business. Lucas is a shy country-boy who’s out to his parents only because he’s taken a vow of celibacy until marriage. The two are thrust together in an a capella band and the results are explosive.
See, timid little Lucas has a big secret. He’s kinky to his last little toe but too ashamed and afraid to admit it, even to himself sometimes. His self-flagellation over his desires became a little grating at times, especially because he accepted Cody’s advances and then backtracked every single time for almost half the book. While Cody didn’t appreciate the whiplash effect from Lucas’ changing mind on a daily basis, he couldn’t get away either. They were very visibly drawn to each other and the UST was serious business here. The sexual exploration was slow and methodical and absolutely delicious! Lucas might have been a virgin but he was no stranger to porn and he found himself voicing his subby tendencies quite loudly to Cody. Scorching sex scenes? Hell yes! The boys were on fire!
The book maintained a very NA feel to it throughout, especially because of how much both characters grew in the weeks they participated in the a capella competition. While a lot of page time was devoted to the rehearsals and the performances themselves, there was also a lot of soul searching, failing, and succeeding in finding one’s path. I was really impressed with how much Lucas stood up to his very traditional, religious parents and how fiercely he was loyal to Cody. Cody did a lot of growing as well, especially with his trust and abandonment issues.
All in all, this was a very lovely read with super loveable characters and sizzling hot sex scenes. My rating reflects mainly the second half of the book when things started getting a little smoother in terms of storytelling and character growth. I think too much of the first part of the book was spent in the competition aspects and group dynamics which kept THE focus away from the main characters. The ending provided a very rewarding HEA. I can’t wait for Trevor’s story.
Recommend!
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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