One of the best book that I have read in 2019 so far. Bryant is back in her standard good writing after some mediocre works in my opinion.

Lily Croft suffers from severe anxiety but everything changes for her when she has to take on a project that will force her to work in an office for several weeks at a company across town from where she lives. On her first day while on her lunch break she hears someone playing the piano and something erupts inside her heart for the first time in years. The responsible for these new unsettling emotions is Hope D'Marco. Hope runs a non profit musical organization that teaches poor children how to play instruments.

This story is so sweet and even though the topic of anxiety is not an easy one, Bryant does an excellent job without making the story heavy or depressing. Hope is a great character and she's so respectful of Lily ,she never pushes her to do anything she isn't comfortable with. Their chemistry is palpable and the sex scenes were HOT and intimate. Overall a very good read, now I cannot wait for another Bryant book to come out.


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

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 out of 5 stars

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 Lilly’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 isn’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 [book:Jolt|20702686]. 4.25 stars.

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!

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,

This has to be the sweetest romance book I have ever read. The two characters Lily and Hope just made the book for me. The chemistry between the two had me completely pulled into the story where it was very hard to put down. I loved that even though Lily felt vulnerable she showed so much strength to stay in the relationship with Hope which displayed the strength of the feelings and chemistry between the two. Hope was so perfect and patient throughout the relationship which made it hard not to fall in love with her!

I am not big on re-reads but can say I will be reading this book again very soon as I miss Lily and Hope's story already.

I was absolutely captivated by this book from start to finish. The two leads were adorable and I really connected with them and rooted for them. Lily's social anxiety had been depicted very well. I don't normally enjoy the first person narrative but here it felt right as most of the storyline centred around Lily's inner struggles. Even though the story was told from Lily's point of view Hope's thoughts and feelings still came across and I was able to understand her as a character. This is one of the best books I've read recently - I cannot praise it enough!

I was expecting more from the story like how Lily became like she was, what exactly happened in the past. I was expecting a detailed version to come at some point but I only got the summarized one that I couldn’t sympathize with her much. The story being told solely from her perspective also didn’t help. It would have been nicer to get to know her from Hope’s eyes.
Although nothing much have happened in the story, it’s still a fun read.

This is a strong and compelling book that is very well written. The character development was excellent as sufficient deformation was provided to get to know the characters, all of whom were very likable.. Lily is a woman working as an actuary at home because she's very shy and anxious. In her younger years she was a music prodigy and had a highly successful career as a child until she had a breakdown at which point she changed her name and never did anything connected to Music. By chance one day she meets a woman named Hope who is a music teacher and ran a unique music company for young children giving them a love and appreciation for playing music. Lily would love to have somewhat of a relationship with Hope but her anxiety prevented her from doing so. Hope would like to get to know Lily but again it is the anxiety that Lily has that presents with many challenges.
Will Hope be successful in allowing Lily to develop trust in her and can Lily ever be less anxious?

This powerful book is a wonderful read and i that every person living with anxiety meets a Hope somewhere in their life.

Wow. What a well written book that explores the subject of anxiety and mental health in a compassionate and honest way. It was so easy to connect with Lily, whose point of view it was written from. It’s written in a way that you experience the anxiety with her, which is no easy task. As someone who hasn’t experienced anxiety, I felt the book helped me to understand it, especially the coping mechanisms people use to deal with it.

The chemistry between the main characters was palpable and they were both likeable, because of, not despite their flaws. It’s the first of the author’s books I’ve read and I’ll definitely be reading more.

Kris Bryant writes so beautiful about music, it makes me want to listen to a piano concert every day. Lily Croft a child prodigy never experienced childhood which leads to her breakdown that makes her leave her career. She becomes an accountant and recluse working from home. Until a new assignment forces her to work an office. During lunchtime, she hears Hope DiMarco play the piano and it slowly awakens her love for music again.

Lily struggles with her secret past, and with overcoming her fears with the help of Hope. It's a beautiful story and heartbreaking one at the same time. Hope is someone many people would wish to have as a partner.

'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 loveable. Their chemistry together is incredibly off the charts and their intimate scenes are really well done. The secondary characters, including a very empathic 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

Music and pure love, this book has a combination that really worked for me.

The two protagonists have a personal appeal that has hooked me from the beginning and together they are a beautiful and sweet couple. I think it was because of their candor and generosity, particularly Lily's. She hides a fear caused by her prodigious and precocious talent that conditions all her current life and her decisions. But Hope is able to interest her to the point of trying to overcome those fears even if it is step by step.

I really liked that the point of view of the story was through the frightened and innocent eyes of Lily, which allow us to better understand her actions. I also loved that the author did not introduce many characters or distracting plots, focusing completely on Lily and Hope. I have even liked the way in which she has solved the always feared but apparently necessary part of drama.

I highly recommend reading this book.

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.

WOW! That's how I feel after reading this story. This author really knows how to describe, anxiety, sadness, warmth, love making...not sex......true love making, and of course happiness and fulfillment. I found the first person format, for most of the story, very interesting. You really understand and feel the emotions of the main character. And then enters the 2nd main character and the story explodes into a wealth of warmth and protection. I loved this story. The pace is natural and very exciting. The characters are rich and very likeable. This is the first book by Kris Bryant that I have read. I am now excited to read her other books.

We meet Lily as a child prodigy, get a brief glimpse of her as a concert pianist but the story really begins years later as we see Lily, the adult, living an almost hermit like existence, trapped by her own anxiety. Then one day while walking outside, she hears someone playing the piano and for the first time in forever, she cares to listen.

Lily was everything, so imperfect, so human and vulnerable that when she found Hope, I felt myself look away internally. I could feel the bigness of her struggle to get outside of herself. So powerful but written in such a humorous way that I was laughing with her instead of feeling sad. Hope, who is endlessly warm and loving, is the right person at the right time for Lily and I held my breath for Lily to make that leap.

Because of some untold secrets,
there’s also an interesting tension in the book that usually belongs in a suspense story but in the end, it worked perfectly to bring all the storylines home. Lastly, Clio is everybody’s ornery cat.

My biggest wish is that Kris Bryant books were longer!! I'm a big fan of this author, and once again she's written a great book with wonderfully complex characters. I liked this one in particular because the character of Lily deals with social anxiety. It's nice when the main characters aren't 100% perfect and you see real struggles that people deal with on an everyday basis. It was also nice to see how Hope dealt with it in such a lovely manner. It made me love both characters, and added a bit of drama that didn't feel contrived.

I wanted a little bit more from Lily and Hope's family circle. I think this is where the length of the story is a real disadvantage. I missed not having Lily deal with meeting Hope's big family. I also wondered what happened to Lily's grandparents. Did they pass away? I may have missed that, but I felt it was weird that no one from her family ever even called her. She has some real issues with her parents, but they are totally out of her life? Seemed a bit weird since they were such a strong presence when she was a kid. People usually don't go from being micromanagers to disappearing completely.

With that one criticism being said, per usual I speed through this book. Kris Bryant is still one of the best authors out there, and this book deserves a read.

4 1/2 stars if I could give it.

A very beautiful love story. Superbly written with a sensitive portrayal of mental health issues as well as hot love scenes. Not an easy combination to pull off, but Ms Bryant manages to convey her characters so convincingly the story just effortlessly flows. I really liked the idea of music also being the sounds we are surrounded by, not just notes produced by instruments. Excellent and a real joy to read.

Wow! That is the word that keeps popping into my head every time I think about how to describe what I feel about Listen by Kris Bryant. This is a contemporary romance that starts out as a slow-burn, but once the two main characters finally connect, it quickly becomes a very steamy novel.

The tale is told in the first person from the point of view of Lily Croft, a former child musical prodigy who now works as an actuary, analyzing data, working with numbers, and trying desperately to forget her former life. That is hard to do once she meets Hope D’Marco, the founder of Leading Note, a foundation that helps bring music to needy children. The attraction is fierce between the two from the moment they finally meet, but music is Hope’s life, and music is something Lily wants nothing to do with…she thinks.
I normally don’t like to read stories in first person. To me, the narrative is normally very limiting, since you can only see the story through the eyes of one character. It takes an accomplished author to be able to tell a story successfully within the limitations of first person POV. Thankfully Ms. Bryant is not only accomplished, but is an exceptional author, and she did an outstanding job of describing this tale. This story had to be told through Lily’s eyes. We had to know her thoughts and feelings. We had to hear what she heard and feel what she felt. The story would not have worked if it had been written any other way. This form was perfect. I am in awe at how well this story is written. I haven’t read a book this well done in quite a while. If I could give this book more than five stars. I would. You must read this book. It has my highest recommendation.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

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.