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A Wistful Symphony
Hardworking and cynical pianist Eric Lowell always had trouble connecting with others—a struggle he blames on his OCD. At eighteen, he finds someone who truly sees Andrew Westcott, a gentle autistic violinist who tiptoes into his heart and makes him experience feelings he’d never known. But after a brief and turbulent romance, Andrew disappears with no explanation.
Ten years later, Eric has almost forgotten his first love. He traded his countryside town for bustling London to pursue his dream of becoming a film composer. Now that Eric juggles a strenuous full-time job and a wavering mental health, he’d say he has more than enough on his plate to go searching for romance.
Everything takes a turn when Andrew tumbles back into Eric's life right after he receives a career-changing job offer. Old feelings crawl back to the surface, and the desire to relive the past burns inside Eric. But how can he surrender to this overwhelming passion when he’s terrified of having his heart broken all over again?
Ten years later, Eric has almost forgotten his first love. He traded his countryside town for bustling London to pursue his dream of becoming a film composer. Now that Eric juggles a strenuous full-time job and a wavering mental health, he’d say he has more than enough on his plate to go searching for romance.
Everything takes a turn when Andrew tumbles back into Eric's life right after he receives a career-changing job offer. Old feelings crawl back to the surface, and the desire to relive the past burns inside Eric. But how can he surrender to this overwhelming passion when he’s terrified of having his heart broken all over again?
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2025
21 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 1, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
A new-to-me author, but the cover was nice, so I figured, why not? Take a chance on Eric and Andrew's story and see it unfolds. It is told in a dual timeline through Eric's point of view. The interesting bit about this was that Andrew is referred to as 'you'. So, it is a different form of storytelling that took awhile to adjust to, but as a creative choice for a debut, I won't say it was bad, just different. 🤷🏻♀️
The timeline shifts between their first meeting as students in Somerset, 2013, and their tumultuous relationship until a tragic fallout, only for their paths to cross perchance ten years later, in London. What follows then is the hopeful desire to reclaim the passion and desire they felt at eighteen, whilst finding a way to bury the hatchet for an unresolved and unexplained break-up amidst their own present-day mental and personal struggles that could either be the defining force that breaks them for good, or the very catalyst to which they find a way to heal their broken pieces together again. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You always give me more than I’m worth. It’s one of my favourite things about you.”
Eric's OCD, and his intrusive thoughts of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy was portrayed with vivid and believable detail. I liked how the author captured A Wistful Symphony through the creative musical composition titles, as well as his longing for capturing his emotions through his music of still wanting Andrew to be a part of his life, for the memories of him still linger so strongly. 🫂 💌 Andrew's own personal guilt-ridden trauma is a wave of hurt that neither side is able to entirely let go of, even after rekindling the flame that still burns brightly between the two.
And that's only the tip of the burden of issues that weigh heavily on their happiness, ones that have lasting consequences, and ones that will forever be a part of them. It's how they learn to fight through those trials and adversities is the challenge that also keeps them apart. The author did not waste any chance for not having them experience the utmost trauma. 😟
Like, I mean, there's angst - and then there's ANGST. Not to say I have a problem with it; it's just that when it becomes so wearisome, it becomes difficult for me to --- not only believe it, but also read it. Like, the hits keep on coming with them - relentlessly that I couldn't take it seriously anymore. I know that's awful to say, because no doubt, there are people struggling and facing these hardships, but the depression, the depressive writing was not hard-hitting. 😔
“Our bonds with our parents are stronger than we care to admit. Even when they hurt us so badly.”
Maybe it's a foreign language barrier, or a first time author bit, but ah, how should I put it? Like, one of the characters confesses something quite severe, something you shouldn't take lightly? But due to the writing tone, the delivery of admission fell flat; lack of description to their confession made it less than impactful. 😕 And if Eric's mother has suffered her own painful trauma, her reaction to her son's involvement with Andrew's own pain felt a bit --- odd.
Some word choices also had me raising an eyebrow or two, and some interactions came out unappealing. It left me feeling --- nothing. And that is sadly what I have to say about it. I can see the pain, the frustration, the bittersweet sadness, the heartbreak and the tragic losses, the shame and aggression, as well as the desire to change and the hopeful forgiveness that lies in the wake of their mistakes.
“Have you ever been so empty you’d give anything just to feel something?”
I see it. But, I didn't feel it. Maybe I am empty inside - I assure you, I'm not (although, one might argue that's what I'd want you to think 🙃... anyway...) - I just wanted to care for them, but I felt distanced even from Eric. He was grieving and hurting so much that it was --- not impossible to keep up - but maybe too much to take note of. And then for it suddenly and abruptly to have the clouds part in an understanding beacon --- The yearning was strong and so fierce on Eric's side, but I never felt that same intensity from Andrew, despite his gentle nurturing state towards Eric's own volatile and deeply expressive nature. 🥺
I'm glad they were able to reconcile and see the light and get the necessary help they needed. I'm happy they understood and respected the boundaries of their relationship, something lost to them when they were young and impressionable and vulnerable to being easily swept away by that desire to have someone to love. Oh well, maybe it's one of those, it's not the book, it's me moments. I seem to be having a lot of those lately. 😔 In any case, I don't mind that I spent time with it, I just wish it left me feeling something to care for...
“Maybe, just maybe, by loving you,
I could learn to love myself
If I could gift my eyes to you, I would
If that makes you see yourself the way I do.”
A new-to-me author, but the cover was nice, so I figured, why not? Take a chance on Eric and Andrew's story and see it unfolds. It is told in a dual timeline through Eric's point of view. The interesting bit about this was that Andrew is referred to as 'you'. So, it is a different form of storytelling that took awhile to adjust to, but as a creative choice for a debut, I won't say it was bad, just different. 🤷🏻♀️
The timeline shifts between their first meeting as students in Somerset, 2013, and their tumultuous relationship until a tragic fallout, only for their paths to cross perchance ten years later, in London. What follows then is the hopeful desire to reclaim the passion and desire they felt at eighteen, whilst finding a way to bury the hatchet for an unresolved and unexplained break-up amidst their own present-day mental and personal struggles that could either be the defining force that breaks them for good, or the very catalyst to which they find a way to heal their broken pieces together again. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You always give me more than I’m worth. It’s one of my favourite things about you.”
Eric's OCD, and his intrusive thoughts of anxiety and feelings of inadequacy was portrayed with vivid and believable detail. I liked how the author captured A Wistful Symphony through the creative musical composition titles, as well as his longing for capturing his emotions through his music of still wanting Andrew to be a part of his life, for the memories of him still linger so strongly. 🫂 💌 Andrew's own personal guilt-ridden trauma is a wave of hurt that neither side is able to entirely let go of, even after rekindling the flame that still burns brightly between the two.
And that's only the tip of the burden of issues that weigh heavily on their happiness, ones that have lasting consequences, and ones that will forever be a part of them. It's how they learn to fight through those trials and adversities is the challenge that also keeps them apart. The author did not waste any chance for not having them experience the utmost trauma. 😟
Like, I mean, there's angst - and then there's ANGST. Not to say I have a problem with it; it's just that when it becomes so wearisome, it becomes difficult for me to --- not only believe it, but also read it. Like, the hits keep on coming with them - relentlessly that I couldn't take it seriously anymore. I know that's awful to say, because no doubt, there are people struggling and facing these hardships, but the depression, the depressive writing was not hard-hitting. 😔
“Our bonds with our parents are stronger than we care to admit. Even when they hurt us so badly.”
Maybe it's a foreign language barrier, or a first time author bit, but ah, how should I put it? Like, one of the characters confesses something quite severe, something you shouldn't take lightly? But due to the writing tone, the delivery of admission fell flat; lack of description to their confession made it less than impactful. 😕 And if Eric's mother has suffered her own painful trauma, her reaction to her son's involvement with Andrew's own pain felt a bit --- odd.
Some word choices also had me raising an eyebrow or two, and some interactions came out unappealing. It left me feeling --- nothing. And that is sadly what I have to say about it. I can see the pain, the frustration, the bittersweet sadness, the heartbreak and the tragic losses, the shame and aggression, as well as the desire to change and the hopeful forgiveness that lies in the wake of their mistakes.
“Have you ever been so empty you’d give anything just to feel something?”
I see it. But, I didn't feel it. Maybe I am empty inside - I assure you, I'm not (although, one might argue that's what I'd want you to think 🙃... anyway...) - I just wanted to care for them, but I felt distanced even from Eric. He was grieving and hurting so much that it was --- not impossible to keep up - but maybe too much to take note of. And then for it suddenly and abruptly to have the clouds part in an understanding beacon --- The yearning was strong and so fierce on Eric's side, but I never felt that same intensity from Andrew, despite his gentle nurturing state towards Eric's own volatile and deeply expressive nature. 🥺
I'm glad they were able to reconcile and see the light and get the necessary help they needed. I'm happy they understood and respected the boundaries of their relationship, something lost to them when they were young and impressionable and vulnerable to being easily swept away by that desire to have someone to love. Oh well, maybe it's one of those, it's not the book, it's me moments. I seem to be having a lot of those lately. 😔 In any case, I don't mind that I spent time with it, I just wish it left me feeling something to care for...
July 24, 2025
This book was so toxic lmao, half of it was them using their mental illnesses as excuses to be cruel. But I can’t seem to get out of my shitty romance era
March 2, 2025
A Wistful Symphony is definitely one of the best, rawest and most heart wrenching things I’ve read in a while. It’d been so long since I’ve read something that made me feel like this, but every sentence, every paragraph is a punch in the stomach. Mandy hurts you and leaves your heart open only to then stitch it back together, with the sweetest conclusion for her boys ever. I cannot say how much I loved following Andrew and Eric’s story, and how much it hurt watching them make mistakes, hurt, then learn and heal. Her writing is at the same time so unique and familiar, it’s full of feelings and they’ll catch up to you if you go in unawares. It’s worth every word. I’m sure I’ll be cheering for these boys and thinking of their story for the longest time.
May 28, 2025
"There's nothing I want more than to open my doors to you. To show you my work. My music. My entire heart and soul. I need you to see it, to look at me the same way you did when I showed you London's skyline."
Oftentimes I find myself wishing there were more books that explore the messy and chaotic side of being human. Rarely do I find one as extraordinary as Mandy C. Rodrigues' debut, which tackles the uncomfortable experience of needing to figure out who you want to be after everything you thought you wanted falls apart. Words keep failing me as I try to put this review together, because there seems to be no way to do this masterpiece justice.
At first glance, this is a book about second chances. Ten years ago, Eric Lowell fell in love with a boy who broke his heart and nearly destroyed his dreams, and it's taken him a decade to undo the chaos that Andrew Westcott unleashed in his world. Despite the deep emotional wounds he sustained back then, Eric refused to give up on his goals as an aspiring composer, and his efforts seem to be paying off at last in the shape of a soundtrack commission from the BBC itself. Everything goes sideways, though, when Andrew barges back into his life, bringing along a downpour of complicated feelings that Eric should know better than to act upon.
When you look beyond the surface, though, this is so much more than a second-chance romance between two young men whose history might or might not get in the way of their feelings. Deep down this is a book about the grief and pain and loss that shape us as we walk through life. But it is also an ode to the million ways we find to endure them, one day at a time, because at the other side lie our dreams and purpose. It is also a love letter to everyone whose struggles left them broken into sharp-edged pieces they had to figure out how to soften. It is also a quiet ballad about the infinite love we are able to give, and it is also a cautionary tale about what happens when we forget to set some of it aside for ourselves.
Despite how intrincate certain topics included in this book are, Rodrigues handles them with grace and compassion. Something I can be really nitpicky about in books is how accurate the depiction of mental illness, neurodiversity and therapy is, because we still live in a society that claims to care about all three while only barely tolerating those of us affected in real life. AWS burns bright in this sense, and is at once unapologetic and compassionate in its depiction of OCD, anxiety, and autism. Rodrigues makes room for an exploration of how each of these impacts a person's life and well-being, while also validating what they might feel as a result. It is alright to be angry about one's mental health. It is also alright to be sad, or scared, or confused. But perhaps the most powerful statement she made is that you are allowed to feel multiple things at once about your unique experience with neurodiversity and mental illness.
Validation abounds in this story about two underdogs whose shared experiences have been shaped by their adverse childhood experiences and complex trauma, and there is a uniquely beautiful brokenness to the careful and tender examination of how the history of who we've been makes us who we've become. Neither excusing nor judging her characters for the choices they made when they did not know or could not do any better, Rodrigues opens up a conversation about what it means to be human in the face of adversity.
This book contains multitudes, and if you look close enough you will see that it is, indeed, a story about love. For it is ultimately a tale of two boys who are ravenous for genuine connection through no fault of their own, and it is also an ode to everyone who has experienced the most hostile things in life and still opened their heart and allowed others in.
Please read this book.
Oftentimes I find myself wishing there were more books that explore the messy and chaotic side of being human. Rarely do I find one as extraordinary as Mandy C. Rodrigues' debut, which tackles the uncomfortable experience of needing to figure out who you want to be after everything you thought you wanted falls apart. Words keep failing me as I try to put this review together, because there seems to be no way to do this masterpiece justice.
At first glance, this is a book about second chances. Ten years ago, Eric Lowell fell in love with a boy who broke his heart and nearly destroyed his dreams, and it's taken him a decade to undo the chaos that Andrew Westcott unleashed in his world. Despite the deep emotional wounds he sustained back then, Eric refused to give up on his goals as an aspiring composer, and his efforts seem to be paying off at last in the shape of a soundtrack commission from the BBC itself. Everything goes sideways, though, when Andrew barges back into his life, bringing along a downpour of complicated feelings that Eric should know better than to act upon.
When you look beyond the surface, though, this is so much more than a second-chance romance between two young men whose history might or might not get in the way of their feelings. Deep down this is a book about the grief and pain and loss that shape us as we walk through life. But it is also an ode to the million ways we find to endure them, one day at a time, because at the other side lie our dreams and purpose. It is also a love letter to everyone whose struggles left them broken into sharp-edged pieces they had to figure out how to soften. It is also a quiet ballad about the infinite love we are able to give, and it is also a cautionary tale about what happens when we forget to set some of it aside for ourselves.
Despite how intrincate certain topics included in this book are, Rodrigues handles them with grace and compassion. Something I can be really nitpicky about in books is how accurate the depiction of mental illness, neurodiversity and therapy is, because we still live in a society that claims to care about all three while only barely tolerating those of us affected in real life. AWS burns bright in this sense, and is at once unapologetic and compassionate in its depiction of OCD, anxiety, and autism. Rodrigues makes room for an exploration of how each of these impacts a person's life and well-being, while also validating what they might feel as a result. It is alright to be angry about one's mental health. It is also alright to be sad, or scared, or confused. But perhaps the most powerful statement she made is that you are allowed to feel multiple things at once about your unique experience with neurodiversity and mental illness.
Validation abounds in this story about two underdogs whose shared experiences have been shaped by their adverse childhood experiences and complex trauma, and there is a uniquely beautiful brokenness to the careful and tender examination of how the history of who we've been makes us who we've become. Neither excusing nor judging her characters for the choices they made when they did not know or could not do any better, Rodrigues opens up a conversation about what it means to be human in the face of adversity.
This book contains multitudes, and if you look close enough you will see that it is, indeed, a story about love. For it is ultimately a tale of two boys who are ravenous for genuine connection through no fault of their own, and it is also an ode to everyone who has experienced the most hostile things in life and still opened their heart and allowed others in.
Please read this book.
May 7, 2025
Some times in life - nowadays a rare thing - a book comes along and touches you so deeply that it changes your brain chemistry. You are marked forever, your view of the world or of yourself changes, even if just a little. A Wistful Symphony did that for me. It created a symphony of neurotransmitters, feelings and sensations in me.
I loved this book so much. From the genius POV to the name of each chapter relating to something musical, I was hooked before I even opened the book. The idea of a book dealing with mental disorders, disability and music feels like a breathe of fresh air. I have my share of mental disorders and am disabled, so the plot caught my attention. The things Eric and Andrew have to deal in the book makes them so real to me, instead of one dimensional characters. I am parts Eric, parts Andrew. I could related.
This book has been written by someone that either deals with some of the conditions mentioned in the book or knows how to make a great research. Mandy touch on hard subjects with so much soul and caring that even when you’re crying, you feel the love she has for this couple and for the reader. I have never read a representation of anxiety (specially intrusive thoughts) so well done, so close to mine.
This book made me think of myself, of moments in my life and in a particular scene, made me realize something about myself I haven’t noticed in years of therapy. These moments are VERY rare for me, when a book touches me so deeply it changes how I see myself and the world.
I had to take a break from reading after finishing this book because the literary hangover hit me hard. Be warned!
Mandy, I can’t wait to read more from you, but A Wistful Symphony is a magnum opus. Be proud!
I loved this book so much. From the genius POV to the name of each chapter relating to something musical, I was hooked before I even opened the book. The idea of a book dealing with mental disorders, disability and music feels like a breathe of fresh air. I have my share of mental disorders and am disabled, so the plot caught my attention. The things Eric and Andrew have to deal in the book makes them so real to me, instead of one dimensional characters. I am parts Eric, parts Andrew. I could related.
This book has been written by someone that either deals with some of the conditions mentioned in the book or knows how to make a great research. Mandy touch on hard subjects with so much soul and caring that even when you’re crying, you feel the love she has for this couple and for the reader. I have never read a representation of anxiety (specially intrusive thoughts) so well done, so close to mine.
This book made me think of myself, of moments in my life and in a particular scene, made me realize something about myself I haven’t noticed in years of therapy. These moments are VERY rare for me, when a book touches me so deeply it changes how I see myself and the world.
I had to take a break from reading after finishing this book because the literary hangover hit me hard. Be warned!
Mandy, I can’t wait to read more from you, but A Wistful Symphony is a magnum opus. Be proud!
June 6, 2025
Mandy C. Rodrigues debuts with a deeply moving exploration of love, growth, and resilience. In A Wistful Symphony, she masterfully portrays two characters with unique struggles, never reducing them to mere labels.
Eric’s battle with OCD and Andrew’s gentle yet enigmatic nature are the main focus of the narrative. Their reunion after ten years apart is as heartwarming as it is gut-wrenching, with the story balancing the weight of past heartbreak against the hope of rekindled love. The emotional depth is complemented by the rich settings, from the quiet and sometimes suffocating countryside of their youth to the frenetic energy of London, where Eric grapples with his dreams and mental health.
With vivid prose and a tender understanding of its characters, this book captures the complexities of love and the courage it takes to open one’s heart again while struggling with self-acceptance. Fans of second-chance romance and stories with authentic neurodiverse representation will find this novel impossible to put down.
Eric’s battle with OCD and Andrew’s gentle yet enigmatic nature are the main focus of the narrative. Their reunion after ten years apart is as heartwarming as it is gut-wrenching, with the story balancing the weight of past heartbreak against the hope of rekindled love. The emotional depth is complemented by the rich settings, from the quiet and sometimes suffocating countryside of their youth to the frenetic energy of London, where Eric grapples with his dreams and mental health.
With vivid prose and a tender understanding of its characters, this book captures the complexities of love and the courage it takes to open one’s heart again while struggling with self-acceptance. Fans of second-chance romance and stories with authentic neurodiverse representation will find this novel impossible to put down.
May 29, 2025
Prepare to be profoundly moved. A Wistful Symphony is more than a book; it's an emotional journey with life's highs and lows so, so real, that it's hard to not feel connected. The author has achieved a beautiful equilibrium, seamlessly blending moments of gentle humor and heartwarming lightness with passages of raw, breathtaking intensity, creating a narrative rhythm that had me utterly captivated.
The romance was portrayed in an authentic and emotional manner, and I was fully immersed in the story. Not just the main characters, but the relationship between all characters is well built, full of humanity, and I felt connected to them like they were my own friends or relatives.
I was transported to a place where I wanted to be, sharing experiences and builting memories with those people.
It's trully a symphony of emotions.
The romance was portrayed in an authentic and emotional manner, and I was fully immersed in the story. Not just the main characters, but the relationship between all characters is well built, full of humanity, and I felt connected to them like they were my own friends or relatives.
I was transported to a place where I wanted to be, sharing experiences and builting memories with those people.
It's trully a symphony of emotions.
June 13, 2025
Oh my... there is a lot going on in this story. Eric and Andrew are really well-written. I think I'm still processing a lot of what went on in the book.
Eric lives with OCD and anxiety and the descriptions in the book felt very authentic. (I live with both myself) I highlighted a couple of descriptions on my kobo that resonated. I'll come back and add them when I find my damn kobo!
Andrew is gentle and caring and drowning in a lack of love and drugs.
This story is a dual timeline. 10 years previously, Eric and Andrew broke each other's hearts for SO many reasons I won't spoil. Now, they have bumped into one another again. But, sometimes there so much water under the bridge that crossing it to each other becomes impossible.
Great story
Eric lives with OCD and anxiety and the descriptions in the book felt very authentic. (I live with both myself) I highlighted a couple of descriptions on my kobo that resonated. I'll come back and add them when I find my damn kobo!
Andrew is gentle and caring and drowning in a lack of love and drugs.
This story is a dual timeline. 10 years previously, Eric and Andrew broke each other's hearts for SO many reasons I won't spoil. Now, they have bumped into one another again. But, sometimes there so much water under the bridge that crossing it to each other becomes impossible.
Great story
July 17, 2025
3.5
It was good, fine, and then he started singing… took a bit to get used to the You-perspective, kinda cute tho
It was good, fine, and then he started singing… took a bit to get used to the You-perspective, kinda cute tho
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December 28, 2025holy toxicity batman
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews