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Perfect Harmony
Pippa Wyndham is a top cellist―she’d never settle for anything less. Determined to get into the nation’s most prestigious music college, nothing’s going to stand in her way . . . Until her senior year of high school when a new guy from a fancy New York conservatory transfers to her school.
Declan Brogan’s cocky, and he knows how amazing he is at the cello. He has every intention of knocking Pippa out of first chair and showing her who really belongs on top. Forced together when assigned a duet, their personal competition and mutual dislike transform into a teasing friendship.
Torn between her childhood crush and the boy who threatens her dreams, Pippa finds herself at risk of losing her best friend, her future, and the boy who makes her heart melt. Struggling to make things right, Pippa discovers that sometimes the thing you want the most doesn’t always end up being the thing you need.
Declan Brogan’s cocky, and he knows how amazing he is at the cello. He has every intention of knocking Pippa out of first chair and showing her who really belongs on top. Forced together when assigned a duet, their personal competition and mutual dislike transform into a teasing friendship.
Torn between her childhood crush and the boy who threatens her dreams, Pippa finds herself at risk of losing her best friend, her future, and the boy who makes her heart melt. Struggling to make things right, Pippa discovers that sometimes the thing you want the most doesn’t always end up being the thing you need.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
5 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Emily Albright
3 books232 followersEmily Albright is the author of EVERYDAY MAGIC and THE HEIR AND THE SPARE, both available now from Simon Pulse. Her next novel PERFECT HARMONY will release 9.25.2018.
She's a writer, a major bookworm, a lover of romantic movies, a wife, a mother, an owner of one adorable (yet slightly insane) cockapoo, and uses way too many :).
Visit her facebook.
Find her on Twitter.
Or check out her website.
She's a writer, a major bookworm, a lover of romantic movies, a wife, a mother, an owner of one adorable (yet slightly insane) cockapoo, and uses way too many :).
Visit her facebook.
Find her on Twitter.
Or check out her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 17, 2018
If you love music and warmth and sunshine and all things sweet, you’ll love this book, I can guarantee you that!
Pippa Wyndham is a top cellist, first chair at her school. She has her life planned out – get into Goddards – the top music school in the country, graduate and find her way to the New York Philharmonic. She has had a crush on Noah, her twin brother’s best friend, since forever. When he starts noticing her, she thinks her life is perfect.
Enter Declan.
Declan is a cellist, just like Pippa. He moved from New York in his final year and has got on Pippa’s nerves ever since she found out he might be her competition. When their music teacher pairs them together to practice for a duet, falling for Declan is the last thing on her mind. But soon, she is unable to deny her growing feelings towards Declan, her sworn enemy. And there’s a possibility that Declan likes her back.. But she can’t fall for him or her dreams would all come crashing down.
Each chapter begins with a quote on music, which were absolutely amazing and I loved such warm-up reminders of how awesome music is.
First things first, Albright’s writing is amazing. I don’t know what I expected, but this was perfect. Her tone is smooth and straight forward and touching at the right places. It kept me reading, and frankly, even if the plot felt dragged out a bit at places, that’s what kept me reading. I’d certainly check out more of her books.
The focus on music was an enchanting experience. But I wish it focused more on describing the feel of the music rather than just about how Pippa felt. I know it wasn’t songs and there weren’t lyrics, but I wanted more.
I love Pippa and Declan, though not necessarily together. Pippa’s voice was immature at times, but her character growth is undeniable. It had a certain nostalgic feeling in it, which made me reminisce my school days. Few high school books have achieved that level of impact, and this one is certainly one among them. And the way this book tackled the stereotypes of girls always vying for attention from boys is worth a mention.
I wasn’t a fan of Noah, nor of Quinn. She was a selfish friend, and thought about no one else but herself. Philip was barely present, considering he was Pippa’s twin. My favorite character might be Pippa’s mother. She was the best. A great listener, supporting Pippa through thick and thin, with the right advice at the right time – I just loved her!
The romance was one of the best I’ve encountered in YA, but only in the beginning. It wasn’t insta-love by any means, but rather the enemies-to-lovers kinda romance. There is a big love pentagon which was actually executed well. The only thing I felt lacking was the communication between Pippa and Declan. Every single time they are together, they’re either kissing or she’s thinking of kissing him. It didn’t feel right. You can only read so much about fireworks exploding in your stomach each time the love interests look at you.
Overall, this was a great read. If you’re looking for some nostalgic, light read with mild friendship and family dynamics, then this book is for you.
“A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.”
Pippa Wyndham is a top cellist, first chair at her school. She has her life planned out – get into Goddards – the top music school in the country, graduate and find her way to the New York Philharmonic. She has had a crush on Noah, her twin brother’s best friend, since forever. When he starts noticing her, she thinks her life is perfect.
Enter Declan.
Declan is a cellist, just like Pippa. He moved from New York in his final year and has got on Pippa’s nerves ever since she found out he might be her competition. When their music teacher pairs them together to practice for a duet, falling for Declan is the last thing on her mind. But soon, she is unable to deny her growing feelings towards Declan, her sworn enemy. And there’s a possibility that Declan likes her back.. But she can’t fall for him or her dreams would all come crashing down.
Each chapter begins with a quote on music, which were absolutely amazing and I loved such warm-up reminders of how awesome music is.
First things first, Albright’s writing is amazing. I don’t know what I expected, but this was perfect. Her tone is smooth and straight forward and touching at the right places. It kept me reading, and frankly, even if the plot felt dragged out a bit at places, that’s what kept me reading. I’d certainly check out more of her books.
The focus on music was an enchanting experience. But I wish it focused more on describing the feel of the music rather than just about how Pippa felt. I know it wasn’t songs and there weren’t lyrics, but I wanted more.
I love Pippa and Declan, though not necessarily together. Pippa’s voice was immature at times, but her character growth is undeniable. It had a certain nostalgic feeling in it, which made me reminisce my school days. Few high school books have achieved that level of impact, and this one is certainly one among them. And the way this book tackled the stereotypes of girls always vying for attention from boys is worth a mention.
“You know, despite what you may think, having a boyfriend isn’t high on my list of things to do. I get that it’s a common stereotype for girls, but I think if you actually paid attention, you’d find far fewer of us actually care about it as much as you think we do.”
I wasn’t a fan of Noah, nor of Quinn. She was a selfish friend, and thought about no one else but herself. Philip was barely present, considering he was Pippa’s twin. My favorite character might be Pippa’s mother. She was the best. A great listener, supporting Pippa through thick and thin, with the right advice at the right time – I just loved her!
The romance was one of the best I’ve encountered in YA, but only in the beginning. It wasn’t insta-love by any means, but rather the enemies-to-lovers kinda romance. There is a big love pentagon which was actually executed well. The only thing I felt lacking was the communication between Pippa and Declan. Every single time they are together, they’re either kissing or she’s thinking of kissing him. It didn’t feel right. You can only read so much about fireworks exploding in your stomach each time the love interests look at you.
Overall, this was a great read. If you’re looking for some nostalgic, light read with mild friendship and family dynamics, then this book is for you.
My first eARC from netgalley! All opinions are honest and my own.
October 4, 2018
“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
As a musician, myself, I truly appreciate the way Albright interprets and captures the beauty of playing music. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter are also a lovely addition to the atmosphere of the story. With that being said, I unfortunately couldn't sympathize much with the protagonist, Pippa, whose selfishness and insensitive nature dampened my enjoyment of the novel. The love triangles also weren't my cup of tea, since I found each and every character to care only about themselves and their own desires, rather than take anyone else's feelings into consideration. I'm personally not a strong advocate for love triangles, but there are three triangles that overlap one another for the vast majority of story, and I simply couldn't tolerate it.
The music elements are wonderful, but not displayed often enough. I might have already hinted at it above, but my favorite aspect of this novel is undeniably the way Albright illustrates Pippa's passion for music. Bonds with music are a powerful entity, and it's so delightful when stories revolve around the connection individuals have with music, and how that music can bring others together. With that being said, you could imagine my disappointment, when this plot line was shoved to the back seat, and any messages regarding music and its influence are nonexistent. The focus of this story isn't on music, but instead, on romance. Normally, I wouldn't find this fact alone to be problematic, but I had a plethora of issues with the romance to begin with.
Toxic friendship. One of the most vexing relationships in this novel, is the friendship between Pippa and Quinn. Within the first few chapters of the novel, it's established that these two have had falling outs before, because Quinn has a tendency to overreact and refrain from solving the problems at hand. Rather than address this presumably recurring behavior, Pippa and Quinn decide to keep it locked behind closed doors. Sure enough, this vice makes an appearance further on in the story, and both girls spend an unreasonable amount of time trying to figure out what to do to resolve the issue that spurted this undesirable situation. Pippa has a sweet heart, but the methods she undertakes to make amends with Quinn is beyond ludicrous. I honestly can't fathom why she believed it was a grand idea.
What does it mean to love, because it smells awfully superficial. To call the romance in this story merely a love triangle would be grossly oversimplifying the matter. Every character has a crush on more than one person at a time, and is incessantly jealous when their interests show affection or devote attention to their competition. Not only is this horrifically hypocritical, but also repetitive and tedious to read through. Pippa has had a massive crush on her brother's best friend, Noah since they were young. Recently, Noah has taken an interest in her, but she is conflicted because she has developing feelings for her new Cello partner (and competitor), Declan. Rather than choose between the two of them and prevent the chaos that will ensue, she spins a web of deceit to snare both until she can make up her mind. She takes neither one's feelings into account, and gauges her compatibility with them on frivolous details, such as how well they kiss. Pippa should've had the decency to inform them where her heart was at. To complicate matters even more, Quinn has been hopelessly in love with Pippa's brother, Philip, but also believes she has feelings for Declan. The manner in which both girls treat one another is very unpleasant, and it's highly upsetting to see how little regard they have for the well being and mental state of the other girl.
I wish I would've enjoyed this one, but it regretfully didn't live up to my expectations. I admire how the author shows Pippa's love of music, and appreciate how the character's mother offers her sincere advice more than once. Unfortunately, the needless angst and cliche dialogue, in addition to the appalling romance, proved to be quite burdensome. I saw such potential in this story, but it didn't turn out the way I had hoped it would at all.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
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August 13, 2018
My summary of book:
YA, love triangle, cutesy, romance, cringe, cheese, cliche, angst and drama.
This book was not terrible, but definitely not what I expected or wanted.
I'm torn between two and three stars for the rating... I think I'll up it to three because Declan is so sweet? But overall this is maybe closer to two?? I'm not good at making stressful life decisions!!!!!
This is not what I was expecting from this novel.
It's so cheesy and cringe.
I was hoping for a book that was more focussed on music. The title, cover & blurb all made it sound so musical! And whilst they do play music, it was a minor story element I felt.
Also, LOVE TRIANGLE instant turn off. And there were actually like two or three overlapping ones and it was just generally horrible. Now that I've mentioned this love triangle, I'm realising I'm going with two stars.
But aside from the love triangle element, characters were good.
The writing bugged me. Pippa (MC) gets goosebumps every second page. LEGIT!! This is a minor gripe, but when I was reading THIS WAS A MAJOR ISSUE!! It completely disrupted the flow of the writing because it annoyed me so much. Haha, me, a drama queen???? NEVER?!
I mean, I now realise that this was mentioned a little in the blurb, but I was not prepared and I hate love triangles. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I really wanted to love this, but it just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
This book was not terrible, but definitely not what I expected or wanted.
I'm torn between two and three stars for the rating... I think I'll up it to three because Declan is so sweet? But overall this is maybe closer to two?? I'm not good at making stressful life decisions!!!!!
This is not what I was expecting from this novel.
It's so cheesy and cringe.
I was hoping for a book that was more focussed on music. The title, cover & blurb all made it sound so musical! And whilst they do play music, it was a minor story element I felt.
Also, LOVE TRIANGLE instant turn off. And there were actually like two or three overlapping ones and it was just generally horrible. Now that I've mentioned this love triangle, I'm realising I'm going with two stars.
But aside from the love triangle element, characters were good.
The writing bugged me. Pippa (MC) gets goosebumps every second page. LEGIT!! This is a minor gripe, but when I was reading THIS WAS A MAJOR ISSUE!! It completely disrupted the flow of the writing because it annoyed me so much. Haha, me, a drama queen???? NEVER?!
I mean, I now realise that this was mentioned a little in the blurb, but I was not prepared and I hate love triangles. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I really wanted to love this, but it just wasn't for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own.
September 16, 2018
This book was a pretty massive cheese-fest. But that's not exactly a bad thing, I'm not going to lie, when i read any contemporary or romance, it's not because I'm looking for a new favourite, it's because they're fun to read, I read them quickly and I WILL NEVER REACH MY GOODREADS GOAL IF I ONLY READ HIGH-FANTASY.
I actually really enjoyed this, it was full of insta-love and very cliche love triangles, but I'm okay with a good ol' trope every now and again. This book doesn't come with any surprises, from the second Declan walks in, you will more-or-less know exactly what is going to happen in the book, but it was still enjoyable to read.
Writing wise, I thought it was decent, the word 'bestie' was definitely overused, certain parts definitely read like a mum writing about a teenagers life solely based on the stuff you see and hear on Disney Channel and descriptive elements could be done better, but there was nothing I was overly bothered by to be honest
I loved the bits where Pippa was talking about and playing music, I think a lot of authors give their characters little quirks to make them special and then they never bring it up again, so I'm glad that didn't happen in this book.
I will say one thing, I hated Noah and I hated Quinn. Noah a bit less and I kind of felt bad for him because of the way he was treated, but Quinn, what a bitch
You know earlier, when I said this book has a love triangle, I lied. This book has a love pentagonal dodecahedron, I have made a diagram so you don't get too confuzzled:
Okay, so now onto why I don't like Quinnie...
•Quinn went to homecoming with Declan because she couldn't find a date, Declan went with Quinn as a friend and because he didn't ask Pippa on time
•Pippa went with Noah, her crush
•Pippa has decided she doesn't really like Noah
•Quinn knows Pippa probably has a crush on Declan
•Declan likes Pippa
•Quinn likes Pippa's twin, Philip
•Quinn finds out Declan and Pippa are together and gets upset even though she literally danced with him for a couple of hours and that's it, she is convinced they are in love, lol ok
•Quinn ditches Pippa, ignores that she is in tears on an occasion and refuses to talk to her
For more ranting and diagrams to go along with the ranting, check out my blog🧡
I actually really enjoyed this, it was full of insta-love and very cliche love triangles, but I'm okay with a good ol' trope every now and again. This book doesn't come with any surprises, from the second Declan walks in, you will more-or-less know exactly what is going to happen in the book, but it was still enjoyable to read.
Writing wise, I thought it was decent, the word 'bestie' was definitely overused, certain parts definitely read like a mum writing about a teenagers life solely based on the stuff you see and hear on Disney Channel and descriptive elements could be done better, but there was nothing I was overly bothered by to be honest
I loved the bits where Pippa was talking about and playing music, I think a lot of authors give their characters little quirks to make them special and then they never bring it up again, so I'm glad that didn't happen in this book.
I will say one thing, I hated Noah and I hated Quinn. Noah a bit less and I kind of felt bad for him because of the way he was treated, but Quinn, what a bitch
You know earlier, when I said this book has a love triangle, I lied. This book has a love pentagonal dodecahedron, I have made a diagram so you don't get too confuzzled:
Okay, so now onto why I don't like Quinnie...
•Quinn went to homecoming with Declan because she couldn't find a date, Declan went with Quinn as a friend and because he didn't ask Pippa on time
•Pippa went with Noah, her crush
•Pippa has decided she doesn't really like Noah
•Quinn knows Pippa probably has a crush on Declan
•Declan likes Pippa
•Quinn likes Pippa's twin, Philip
•Quinn finds out Declan and Pippa are together and gets upset even though she literally danced with him for a couple of hours and that's it, she is convinced they are in love, lol ok
•Quinn ditches Pippa, ignores that she is in tears on an occasion and refuses to talk to her
For more ranting and diagrams to go along with the ranting, check out my blog🧡
August 20, 2022
After years of dedication to her craft, Pippa was at the top of her game. Selected for the youth orchestra, first chair in her school's orchestra, and right on track for admissions to the best music program in the country. Everything was going according to plan until HE showed up. For the first time in her life, there was another cellist, who played at her level, and she felt her dreams slipping away.
I enjoyed this book so much! My love of romance is well-known, and well, in simplest terms, this was a romance. You may hear people say something about a love triangle, but that was non-existent for me. All I saw was Pippa and Declan. I shipped them from the get-go. They had a little bit of a friendly competition between them, and I think each was somewhat threatened by the other, but once they were assigned their duet, their friendship started to flourish. I mean, they figuratively AND literally made music together. What more could you ask for?
I loved these two together, but I also loved them apart. Pippa was a force to be reckoned with. She was so focused and so driven. I really admire people, who dedicate themselves to something with their heart, body, and soul, and you could tell this was the case with Pippa. She was so lucky to have such an awesome, supportive family too, because that was not necessarily the case with Declan.
Declan had a strained relationship with his father after the divorce, and his mother was often absent due to her career. I know Declan was almost 18, but he still needed his parents' love and support. My heart ached a little for him.
I have to believe that Albright is a music lover, because the passion and adoration Pippa had for music was very authentic. I also thought the scenes, where she was playing, were so well written. I found myself swept up in the melody of it all. And the quotes featured at the beginning of each chapter were such a lovely little extra. I looked forward to them as each chapter began.
I had some small issues with this book. I struggled a little with Pippa's best friend. She was pretty selfish and self-centered, and seemed to have a history of not being a great best friend. However, I think Albright did a decent job addressing that later in the book, and I was able to move past it, because like I said, this was all about the Pippa and Declan for me.
I am well known for being an endings critic, and I am here to say: A+ ending. I smiled, experienced lots of feels, and was just so elated from the ending to this book. It was everything I could have wished for, and there's nothing like going out on a high note.
Make no mistake, the tears I cried were happy tears. This book wrapped its arms around this romance lovers heart, and held tight. It was such a joy to be a part of Pippa's journey, and I found that my only complaint was: I wanted more.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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I enjoyed this book so much! My love of romance is well-known, and well, in simplest terms, this was a romance. You may hear people say something about a love triangle, but that was non-existent for me. All I saw was Pippa and Declan. I shipped them from the get-go. They had a little bit of a friendly competition between them, and I think each was somewhat threatened by the other, but once they were assigned their duet, their friendship started to flourish. I mean, they figuratively AND literally made music together. What more could you ask for?
I loved these two together, but I also loved them apart. Pippa was a force to be reckoned with. She was so focused and so driven. I really admire people, who dedicate themselves to something with their heart, body, and soul, and you could tell this was the case with Pippa. She was so lucky to have such an awesome, supportive family too, because that was not necessarily the case with Declan.
Declan had a strained relationship with his father after the divorce, and his mother was often absent due to her career. I know Declan was almost 18, but he still needed his parents' love and support. My heart ached a little for him.
I have to believe that Albright is a music lover, because the passion and adoration Pippa had for music was very authentic. I also thought the scenes, where she was playing, were so well written. I found myself swept up in the melody of it all. And the quotes featured at the beginning of each chapter were such a lovely little extra. I looked forward to them as each chapter began.
I had some small issues with this book. I struggled a little with Pippa's best friend. She was pretty selfish and self-centered, and seemed to have a history of not being a great best friend. However, I think Albright did a decent job addressing that later in the book, and I was able to move past it, because like I said, this was all about the Pippa and Declan for me.
I am well known for being an endings critic, and I am here to say: A+ ending. I smiled, experienced lots of feels, and was just so elated from the ending to this book. It was everything I could have wished for, and there's nothing like going out on a high note.
Make no mistake, the tears I cried were happy tears. This book wrapped its arms around this romance lovers heart, and held tight. It was such a joy to be a part of Pippa's journey, and I found that my only complaint was: I wanted more.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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September 22, 2018
I've enjoyed the other books I read by this author, and so I looked forward to this one as well. The characters were a bit younger it seemed than the other books. I liked the story, the music competition aspect, and the definitely teen girl characteristics that Pippa and her friends displayed. Even though at times I got a bit annoyed by Pippa refusing to believe that Declan was interested in her, I understood part of it was her age. I also realize that is really how it is sometimes, we don't always think that someone could be interested. I was a little disappointed that she gave up on her crush on Noah so quickly, but it makes sense how she was already starting to feel about Declan, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Pippa's brother being oblivious to her best friend, Quinn, having a crush on him totally made sense though. Boys are definitely not as quick on the uptake sometimes about those kinds of things. Especially at that age. I got so mad at Quinn for being upset about Declan. She totally is the one who first said he liked Pippa, so why would she act that way? And then I was mad at Declan for telling Pippa what he did when he got the news about him mom while they were in NYC. But, when you hear what else he'd been told, it made sense. It made you really dislike Lexi even more than you did just for what she did to come between Pippa and Quinn. This was a sweet YA read, and definitely one I'd recommend.
This review originally posted at Lisa Loves Literature
This review originally posted at Lisa Loves Literature
September 2, 2018
I usually get excited when I read a story that involves music because that's another thing that I love aside from reading. In this book, the MC is Pippa, the top cellist in her school but that might change since there's a newly transferred student named Declan, who's just as talented as her. This was such a cute and fluffy read and if you like reading Kasie West books then you should definitely add this to your TBR!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
"Kindness is essential in this world, especially when there's so little of it left."
"You can't stop the feelings you have for someone. Not when your heart knows the truth."
"But no matter what you've decided, your heart is going to want what it wants. Not your head."
Soundtrack: About You Now by Meadowlark
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
"Kindness is essential in this world, especially when there's so little of it left."
"You can't stop the feelings you have for someone. Not when your heart knows the truth."
"But no matter what you've decided, your heart is going to want what it wants. Not your head."
Soundtrack: About You Now by Meadowlark
July 26, 2018
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view
When I first saw this book on NetGalley, initially it was the synopsis that drew me in, and I hadn't even noticed who the author was, but when I realised this was by Emily Albright, whose debut, The Heir and the Spare, remains one of my favourite books, I knew it was for me. Perfect Harmony follows Pippa, who is preparing for her auditions to get into the top music college in the country, and everything is thrown for a loop when another cellist arrives at her school, and is her competition in anything and everything. Wanting nothing to do with Declan, she finds her music teacher is working against her, and they are having to work together on a duet for their final exam, and for a prestigious competition, that could open more doors for her than she'd ever hoped. However, Declan is cocky, and seems to know just how to push Pippa's buttons, and she finds herself torn between hating him, and falling for him.
I'm going to admit it now, I'm not musical, at all. I mean, when I was in primary school, and we had a 'music week', I was the girl who asked if she could do extra maths or something, rather than play an instrument. That's not to say I don't appreciate how hard musicians work, especially classical musicians, and this book helped me to see just how much work musicians put into being the best, and making themselves proud, if not anyone else. Pippa's life seemed to revolve around her cello, but it was her passion, and it was good to see when she struggled, but also when she simply adored the art and all the hard work paid off.
If you hadn't guessed from the synopsis, this book has the classic 'enemies to lovers' trope, and I adore that trope more than any others, I think. As soon as Pippa and Declan met, you could just see the chemistry and sparks jump off the page, and I was rooting for them from the get go. One problem for them was Pippa's long time crush, and her twin brother's best friend, Noah, who suddenly decided that he'd liked Pippa all along, and wanted to be with her. Yeah, we hate Noah. He'd never seen Pippa as anything other than his friend's sister, and his friend too, until there was some competition there, and he'd known about her crush all along. Whenever Pippa and Noah were together, I just couldn't see anything between them, and wanted nothing more than for him to go away.
That love triangle wasn't the only one, it ended up more like a love square, or even pentagon, at one point, and that's what made me only give the book 4 stars. Pippa's friend Quinn decides she likes Declan, and then Pippa's brother Philip decides he likes Quinn. Honestly, it got a bit too complicated at one point, and if I hadn't been invested in Pippa and Declan's journey, I might've DNFed, but I didn't. That all being said, Pippa and Declan's relationship, once it got past the ups and downs of other prospective beaus, and the drama of being in competition with each other, was really sweet. Declan had a troubled home life, with divorced parents, and an estranged relationship with his father, and we slowly saw him open up to Pippa, and open himself up to working with his dad on rebuilding their relationship after a trip to New York.
All in all, Perfect Harmony was a perfect (pun intended) contemporary book for the summer autumn, especially if you're a fan of the enemy to lovers trope, or even if you aren't. I look forward to more from Emily in the future.
When I first saw this book on NetGalley, initially it was the synopsis that drew me in, and I hadn't even noticed who the author was, but when I realised this was by Emily Albright, whose debut, The Heir and the Spare, remains one of my favourite books, I knew it was for me. Perfect Harmony follows Pippa, who is preparing for her auditions to get into the top music college in the country, and everything is thrown for a loop when another cellist arrives at her school, and is her competition in anything and everything. Wanting nothing to do with Declan, she finds her music teacher is working against her, and they are having to work together on a duet for their final exam, and for a prestigious competition, that could open more doors for her than she'd ever hoped. However, Declan is cocky, and seems to know just how to push Pippa's buttons, and she finds herself torn between hating him, and falling for him.
I'm going to admit it now, I'm not musical, at all. I mean, when I was in primary school, and we had a 'music week', I was the girl who asked if she could do extra maths or something, rather than play an instrument. That's not to say I don't appreciate how hard musicians work, especially classical musicians, and this book helped me to see just how much work musicians put into being the best, and making themselves proud, if not anyone else. Pippa's life seemed to revolve around her cello, but it was her passion, and it was good to see when she struggled, but also when she simply adored the art and all the hard work paid off.
If you hadn't guessed from the synopsis, this book has the classic 'enemies to lovers' trope, and I adore that trope more than any others, I think. As soon as Pippa and Declan met, you could just see the chemistry and sparks jump off the page, and I was rooting for them from the get go. One problem for them was Pippa's long time crush, and her twin brother's best friend, Noah, who suddenly decided that he'd liked Pippa all along, and wanted to be with her. Yeah, we hate Noah. He'd never seen Pippa as anything other than his friend's sister, and his friend too, until there was some competition there, and he'd known about her crush all along. Whenever Pippa and Noah were together, I just couldn't see anything between them, and wanted nothing more than for him to go away.
That love triangle wasn't the only one, it ended up more like a love square, or even pentagon, at one point, and that's what made me only give the book 4 stars. Pippa's friend Quinn decides she likes Declan, and then Pippa's brother Philip decides he likes Quinn. Honestly, it got a bit too complicated at one point, and if I hadn't been invested in Pippa and Declan's journey, I might've DNFed, but I didn't. That all being said, Pippa and Declan's relationship, once it got past the ups and downs of other prospective beaus, and the drama of being in competition with each other, was really sweet. Declan had a troubled home life, with divorced parents, and an estranged relationship with his father, and we slowly saw him open up to Pippa, and open himself up to working with his dad on rebuilding their relationship after a trip to New York.
All in all, Perfect Harmony was a perfect (pun intended) contemporary book for the summer autumn, especially if you're a fan of the enemy to lovers trope, or even if you aren't. I look forward to more from Emily in the future.
July 15, 2018
Well, this story was definitely cute and fluffy! But I felt like it wasn't that original. Still enjoyable though! Perfect if you're looking for a quick read.
September 24, 2018
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Perfect Harmony speaks of two things: cuteness and music.
In fact, it is probably the embodiment of a dream my mom once had for me when I used to play the violin when I was 10-years-old. Maybe I've mentioned this at one point in my blogging career, who knows. She wanted me to be famous (well, actually, she still does) and as a result, I stopped playing after a year because of too much pressure to practice, practice, practice (and 10-year-old me probably didn't care about fame more than actually enjoying the instrument itself).
But I do like the violin when I think about it! It's such a delicate and tiny instrument making pretty music. But I digress - Perfect Harmony reminded me a lot about my orchestra memories.
Soooo What Can We Expect From Perfect Harmony?
Because that's the most important question of them all.
Lots of music!
Pippa is super passionate about playing the cello - it's become a part of who she is as a person, and if someone takes it away from her, it's like they're taking away her soul. Music to Pippa allows her to express her emotions much like words allow writers to express their emotions. There is not a page that goes by without some reference to music in Perfect Harmony.
Cuteness (or rather, a cute and fictional boy)!
Pippa's life seems perfect until she meets her competition in the form of Declan during her senior year, who is just as good at the cello as she is and seems determined to keep her dreams as dreams. Declan is the cutest and sweetest boy ever - omg he did not deserve the harshness of his life. He's a precious cinnamon roll, and I'll keep him forever if Pippa ruins his soul.
Sometimes there were too many love crises.
It was hard to keep track who was attracted to who and who was pissing off who deeper into the story. I'm sorry I get confused so easily.
Friendship! Family! Siblings!
All of these play a huge role in addition to the musical competition and passion. Since a lot of the characters grew up together or watched each other grow, it was fun to see them get through all the obstacles life throws at them and find their path to each other, whatever it may be.
Writing that is meh?
The writing style is why I rated the book lower than I wanted to since I enjoyed the novel. A lot! But it was so hard to look past and see into the book itself because I just didn't like the writing for some reason - maybe it's just me. It is, however, easy and quick to read. It just didn't ring well with my reading preferences.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Perfect Harmony speaks of two things: cuteness and music.
In fact, it is probably the embodiment of a dream my mom once had for me when I used to play the violin when I was 10-years-old. Maybe I've mentioned this at one point in my blogging career, who knows. She wanted me to be famous (well, actually, she still does) and as a result, I stopped playing after a year because of too much pressure to practice, practice, practice (and 10-year-old me probably didn't care about fame more than actually enjoying the instrument itself).
But I do like the violin when I think about it! It's such a delicate and tiny instrument making pretty music. But I digress - Perfect Harmony reminded me a lot about my orchestra memories.
Soooo What Can We Expect From Perfect Harmony?
Because that's the most important question of them all.
Lots of music!
Pippa is super passionate about playing the cello - it's become a part of who she is as a person, and if someone takes it away from her, it's like they're taking away her soul. Music to Pippa allows her to express her emotions much like words allow writers to express their emotions. There is not a page that goes by without some reference to music in Perfect Harmony.
Cuteness (or rather, a cute and fictional boy)!
Pippa's life seems perfect until she meets her competition in the form of Declan during her senior year, who is just as good at the cello as she is and seems determined to keep her dreams as dreams. Declan is the cutest and sweetest boy ever - omg he did not deserve the harshness of his life. He's a precious cinnamon roll, and I'll keep him forever if Pippa ruins his soul.
Sometimes there were too many love crises.
It was hard to keep track who was attracted to who and who was pissing off who deeper into the story. I'm sorry I get confused so easily.
Friendship! Family! Siblings!
All of these play a huge role in addition to the musical competition and passion. Since a lot of the characters grew up together or watched each other grow, it was fun to see them get through all the obstacles life throws at them and find their path to each other, whatever it may be.
Writing that is meh?
The writing style is why I rated the book lower than I wanted to since I enjoyed the novel. A lot! But it was so hard to look past and see into the book itself because I just didn't like the writing for some reason - maybe it's just me. It is, however, easy and quick to read. It just didn't ring well with my reading preferences.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
August 29, 2018
Perfect Harmony is a book that has what I want—a strong and determined heroine and hero who somewhat worships the ground she walks on. Pippa is a top notch cellist that has a plan. That plan involves going to the best school for musicians and no one will take her away from her dreams. That is until Deacon walks in telling her point blank that he’s going to be the one on top.
Pippa is having none of that. This story could come off as a love/hate relationship but it wasn’t. From very early on it’s very clear that Deacon caught the love bug while Pippa didn’t want to admit her feelings at all. Then there’s the whole other plot of Pippa being in love with her brother’s best friend. Who, I might add, didn’t ever make a move until he could clearly see another man honing in on his turf.
There was a part in the book that completely didn’t work for me and then in the end was completely glossed over. It happens at the end of the book and I don’t really want to give anything away. But it involves a break up and to me I thought it was a huge cop out and in the end it wasn’t ever a big of why the breakup happened in the first place. It bothered me a lot. Not enough for me to hate the book because I thought this was so cute and romantic.
Perfect Harmony is a very lighthearted and fun loving novel for fans of music and heroines that go after what they want. I enjoyed it so much!
*Thank you to the author for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 23, 2018
A short and sweet YA romance, we follow Pippa as she navigates getting into college and her love life. It all seems quite manageable, until Declan shows up. This story is quite pure and perfectly safe for your kids to read. However, there is no actual drama and the “problems” that the main character faces are not really that big of a deal. With that said, it should appeal to younger teenagers, although perhaps not those that are the exact age of the characters (17-18 years old). Sometimes, you just want a happy fluff-fest, where things are idealistic and while somewhat predictable, the story leaves you satisfied and uplifted. If that makes you happy, why not? After all, real life is full of enough misery!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 1, 2018
***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***
This was a cute read. A bit too YA for me, but cute. I don’t mind stories set in high school, I often enjoy them, but this one was a hard one for me to relate too because it was VERY immature.
The characters were okay, but they were almost too childish. The main characters weren’t that bad, but the secondary ones were almost unbearable.
In the end, Perfect Harmony is a nice read, it just wasn’t the perfect book for me. I liked it, but it didn't impress me.
This was a cute read. A bit too YA for me, but cute. I don’t mind stories set in high school, I often enjoy them, but this one was a hard one for me to relate too because it was VERY immature.
The characters were okay, but they were almost too childish. The main characters weren’t that bad, but the secondary ones were almost unbearable.
In the end, Perfect Harmony is a nice read, it just wasn’t the perfect book for me. I liked it, but it didn't impress me.
July 14, 2018
This book was amazing! Although the plotline was at sometimes predictable, it is very rare that a romance novel like this focuses on a musical relationship. The music aspect of this novel really helped me connect with the main character and feel what she felt. There are some small grammatic errors in the novel, but overall this book is well-written and will be very popular. The small details that changed in Pippa's personality really showed her growth throughout the book and made her stand out as a character when compared to other novels. This book also inspires to continue working hard even if it gets tough.
October 11, 2018
*sigh* This was so PRECIOUS! I love a good romcom-y book and this absolutely hit the mark. Pippa and Declan are rivals for the first chair in their school orchestra, but they become friends and start to like each other more than Pippa thinks is advisable. There's a lot of waffling on her end and there's a LOT of repetition throughout the book, but the adorableness of the story really outweighed my irritation with reading the same plot point summarized 20 times through her narration. So, so cute. So cute.
July 14, 2018
3.5 Stars
August 6, 2018
This was adorable! Review is now up on the blog and I highly recommend going to NetGalley and downloading this. It's a perfect YA contemporary that has great family dynamics, messages about love and friendship and memorable characters :)
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September 21, 2018
I loved this book so much. I couldn't put it down as I was reading it. I enjoyed the characters, the romance, and everything about this book.
August 18, 2018
I received a free copy for an honest review.
Perfect Harmony is not only a very fitting title for the story, it's also a very accurate phrase to describe my experience reading this book.
The reading experience as just so perfectly harmonizing, because it's so comfortable. It was cute, enjoyable, and a very fun read when you're just...looking for a fun read. It's nice, welcoming, calm, and doesn't give you too much emotional stress. Declan and Pip are adorable, the story-line makes me want to go practice my piano and violin, and the kiss scenes were definitely not disappointing (thank god). Everything about this book is just ADORABLE (awwww).
But there were several scenes that perfectly embodies what a legitimate cliche scene looks like. It is enough for me to notice it, but thankfully, it wasn't bad to the point that it affected my reading experience. Also, the hate - love relationship was reality so keep that in mind you that would be a problem for you.
It followed the pretty standard YA contemporary hate-love formula, which is something I'm not complaining about because this made the story really safe for my already-too-fragile heart. It was heartwarming, soft, entertaining, swoon-worthy, what more can I ask for?
Perfect Harmony is not only a very fitting title for the story, it's also a very accurate phrase to describe my experience reading this book.
The reading experience as just so perfectly harmonizing, because it's so comfortable. It was cute, enjoyable, and a very fun read when you're just...looking for a fun read. It's nice, welcoming, calm, and doesn't give you too much emotional stress. Declan and Pip are adorable, the story-line makes me want to go practice my piano and violin, and the kiss scenes were definitely not disappointing (thank god). Everything about this book is just ADORABLE (awwww).
But there were several scenes that perfectly embodies what a legitimate cliche scene looks like. It is enough for me to notice it, but thankfully, it wasn't bad to the point that it affected my reading experience. Also, the hate - love relationship was reality so keep that in mind you that would be a problem for you.
It followed the pretty standard YA contemporary hate-love formula, which is something I'm not complaining about because this made the story really safe for my already-too-fragile heart. It was heartwarming, soft, entertaining, swoon-worthy, what more can I ask for?
October 17, 2018
I'm reviewing a ton of contemporary romance books lately, which is totally out of character for my usual tastes. Subconsciously, I think I'm trying to get myself amped up for my upcoming wedding, but I digress. Through this foray into the genre, I've found a few duds that are rife with stereotypes that cause my eyes to endlessly roll. I cannot, however, say that about Emily Albright's latest novel, Perfect Harmony. In a sea of lackluster predictable books, I can definitely say that this is a shining, cozy beacon of romance leading us safely back to shore.
It's Pippa Wyndham's senior year and she's determined. Determined to keep her first chair cello spot, determined to attend the top music college in the country, determined to achieve every goal she puts in front of herself. However, new student Declan Brogan has other ideas. After transferring from New York City, Declan's set to make his mark at his new school -- which means uprooting Pippa from her top spot. What will they make from their bitter rivalry: beautiful music or a cacophony of teen angst?
My five star reviews are not given lightly, but this book made me swoon and sigh like no other books have done lately. While the "bitter rivals dance around their feelings for each other" trope is par for the course at this point, the way in which Albright tackled it makes her a maestra. The undercurrent of Pippa and Declan's rivalry still ran through all of their interactions, but readers were still treated to the two being friendly with one another. I mean, they're both supremely talented teen cellists; real recognizes real. More often than not in books of this genre, this type of personality detail is generally overlooked in favor of creating more surface-level drama. However, I respect Albright's inclusion of building an actual reason for whatever tension that existed between them.
On top of that, the majority of the featured characters -- including Pippa's brother Phillip, her best friend Quinn, and her romantic interest Noah -- are all fully fleshed-out characters with their own personalities, desires, and goals. In a good amount of contemporary YA, all of the focus throughout the story is naturally on the two main romantic interests, but readers are very rarely treated to how intricate the world around the romance is. We get to see Quinn struggling with the loss of her father almost ten years on. We see Noah waffling between going to college because his parents want it for him and taking a gap year to find himself. These characters are real and flawed, rather than just emotionless background characters. World building like this is, admittedly, difficult to do, but it's so nice to see someone like Albright take up the helm to make it easier for readers to fall into the situations she's created.
Probably my favorite thing about the entire book is being shown, not told, exactly what playing music does to Pippa. It's not enough to just be told that, yep, she's a good cellist because of reasons. Albright takes readers a step further and actually puts them in the midst of Pippa's thoughts, feelings, and sensations as she's immersing herself in performing. While I can definitely relate to this as a former choir and theatre performer, that's not a shared experience that other readers might be able to empathize with had these pieces were not included in the writing. I felt the chills that ran up and down her spine when she and Declan were in sync with each other. I felt every crescendo of intensity rolling through her body. These scenes were quite impressive and kept me turning page to page.
Every time I keep thinking that I'm ready to ditch the contemporary romance young adult genre to stay strictly in fantasy and paranormal, it's books like Perfect Harmony that keep me coming back. Though the plot and idea itself are rather formulaic, it's the skillful and breezy way in which Emily Albright has honed her craft to create this novel that sets it above the rest. She's turned a fan of me yet; I can't wait to dig my hands into her other books.
It's Pippa Wyndham's senior year and she's determined. Determined to keep her first chair cello spot, determined to attend the top music college in the country, determined to achieve every goal she puts in front of herself. However, new student Declan Brogan has other ideas. After transferring from New York City, Declan's set to make his mark at his new school -- which means uprooting Pippa from her top spot. What will they make from their bitter rivalry: beautiful music or a cacophony of teen angst?
My five star reviews are not given lightly, but this book made me swoon and sigh like no other books have done lately. While the "bitter rivals dance around their feelings for each other" trope is par for the course at this point, the way in which Albright tackled it makes her a maestra. The undercurrent of Pippa and Declan's rivalry still ran through all of their interactions, but readers were still treated to the two being friendly with one another. I mean, they're both supremely talented teen cellists; real recognizes real. More often than not in books of this genre, this type of personality detail is generally overlooked in favor of creating more surface-level drama. However, I respect Albright's inclusion of building an actual reason for whatever tension that existed between them.
On top of that, the majority of the featured characters -- including Pippa's brother Phillip, her best friend Quinn, and her romantic interest Noah -- are all fully fleshed-out characters with their own personalities, desires, and goals. In a good amount of contemporary YA, all of the focus throughout the story is naturally on the two main romantic interests, but readers are very rarely treated to how intricate the world around the romance is. We get to see Quinn struggling with the loss of her father almost ten years on. We see Noah waffling between going to college because his parents want it for him and taking a gap year to find himself. These characters are real and flawed, rather than just emotionless background characters. World building like this is, admittedly, difficult to do, but it's so nice to see someone like Albright take up the helm to make it easier for readers to fall into the situations she's created.
Probably my favorite thing about the entire book is being shown, not told, exactly what playing music does to Pippa. It's not enough to just be told that, yep, she's a good cellist because of reasons. Albright takes readers a step further and actually puts them in the midst of Pippa's thoughts, feelings, and sensations as she's immersing herself in performing. While I can definitely relate to this as a former choir and theatre performer, that's not a shared experience that other readers might be able to empathize with had these pieces were not included in the writing. I felt the chills that ran up and down her spine when she and Declan were in sync with each other. I felt every crescendo of intensity rolling through her body. These scenes were quite impressive and kept me turning page to page.
Every time I keep thinking that I'm ready to ditch the contemporary romance young adult genre to stay strictly in fantasy and paranormal, it's books like Perfect Harmony that keep me coming back. Though the plot and idea itself are rather formulaic, it's the skillful and breezy way in which Emily Albright has honed her craft to create this novel that sets it above the rest. She's turned a fan of me yet; I can't wait to dig my hands into her other books.
August 30, 2018
*Thank you to Amberjack Publishing for providing me with an ARC. Please note that all of my thoughts are my honest opinions and that some parts that I mentioned may have been changed.
3.75 Stars
Perfect Harmony is such a sweet book filled with music and its power to draw people together.
Pippa Wyndham is a senior in high school and her school's top cellist. Her position as the first chair was never threatened because she is absolutely determined to get into the best music college and nothing is going to stop her. Until another senior named Declan waltzes in and declares that he will be talking Pippa's place. When Declan says this, Pippa's reaction (of course) is to immediately get annoyed by what he says and everything he proceeds to do.
Emily Albright's writing is so beautiful! It flows beautifully and even when there were slower parts, I just couldn't put it down! Not only was Pippa's development done well, but I related to so many parts of Pippa's character and her inner thoughts (especially her immediate hatred of Declan once he declared he was going to take her first chair). I have not read any of Albright's writing before, but the way that she writes makes me want to see what else she has written. The story runs smoothly and takes time to include the small details that give locations mentioned frequently a lot more meaning. There were only a few times where I felt as if it was drawn out too much and too much focus was given on the small details.
The story itself was enjoyable to read. Yes, of course, there were the predictable and cringe-worthy parts, but what YA book doesn’t have these parts? I enjoyed how Pippa and Declan were forced to play the duet piece together and watching how they grew and learned about each other. The story never really jumped around too much, except at the end where it skips to the competition, which made for a smooth read. While there was romance, it never really became the central focus which reflects on Pippa's determination to be the best and not get distracted by anything or anyone.
In Perfect Harmony, there is the classic set of characters, the MC, the brother, siblings' best friends, and the new kid. These aren't necessarily bad to have, as long as they don't follow too much of the same path each time or it isn't done annoyingly. I really hate to say it, but the characters fell short for me. There were some moments where I loved the characters but for a lot of the time, they never really satisfactorily interacted with each other. I feel like they were all wrapped up in their problems (so much so that they didn’t see otherwise apparent events or feelings) and were obnoxious at points. When the characters were this way, it took me out of the story.
My favorite part from this book is how many musical references and quotes were induced! Every chapter started with a music quote which was always fun to read such as this quote by Pablo Casals, “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” With the musical references, Albright made sure to define all of the terminologies so that everyone could understand what was being talked about. There were also moments were Pippa would make an offhand comment about pulling her hair back up and then there would be the reason as to why it was dangerous to have loose hair and play the cello.
In summary, Perfect Harmony was a beautifully written book that was full of musical references and had a lovely plot to the book. I love how the music terms bring musicians and non-musicians into Pippa’s competitive world of music. While the characters were a bit off, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and watching the characters grow (especially Pippa). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great contemporary set in high school with music, competition, and a touch of romance.
3.75 Stars
Perfect Harmony is such a sweet book filled with music and its power to draw people together.
Pippa Wyndham is a senior in high school and her school's top cellist. Her position as the first chair was never threatened because she is absolutely determined to get into the best music college and nothing is going to stop her. Until another senior named Declan waltzes in and declares that he will be talking Pippa's place. When Declan says this, Pippa's reaction (of course) is to immediately get annoyed by what he says and everything he proceeds to do.
Emily Albright's writing is so beautiful! It flows beautifully and even when there were slower parts, I just couldn't put it down! Not only was Pippa's development done well, but I related to so many parts of Pippa's character and her inner thoughts (especially her immediate hatred of Declan once he declared he was going to take her first chair). I have not read any of Albright's writing before, but the way that she writes makes me want to see what else she has written. The story runs smoothly and takes time to include the small details that give locations mentioned frequently a lot more meaning. There were only a few times where I felt as if it was drawn out too much and too much focus was given on the small details.
The story itself was enjoyable to read. Yes, of course, there were the predictable and cringe-worthy parts, but what YA book doesn’t have these parts? I enjoyed how Pippa and Declan were forced to play the duet piece together and watching how they grew and learned about each other. The story never really jumped around too much, except at the end where it skips to the competition, which made for a smooth read. While there was romance, it never really became the central focus which reflects on Pippa's determination to be the best and not get distracted by anything or anyone.
In Perfect Harmony, there is the classic set of characters, the MC, the brother, siblings' best friends, and the new kid. These aren't necessarily bad to have, as long as they don't follow too much of the same path each time or it isn't done annoyingly. I really hate to say it, but the characters fell short for me. There were some moments where I loved the characters but for a lot of the time, they never really satisfactorily interacted with each other. I feel like they were all wrapped up in their problems (so much so that they didn’t see otherwise apparent events or feelings) and were obnoxious at points. When the characters were this way, it took me out of the story.
My favorite part from this book is how many musical references and quotes were induced! Every chapter started with a music quote which was always fun to read such as this quote by Pablo Casals, “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” With the musical references, Albright made sure to define all of the terminologies so that everyone could understand what was being talked about. There were also moments were Pippa would make an offhand comment about pulling her hair back up and then there would be the reason as to why it was dangerous to have loose hair and play the cello.
In summary, Perfect Harmony was a beautifully written book that was full of musical references and had a lovely plot to the book. I love how the music terms bring musicians and non-musicians into Pippa’s competitive world of music. While the characters were a bit off, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and watching the characters grow (especially Pippa). I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great contemporary set in high school with music, competition, and a touch of romance.
January 23, 2023
This book was one big, cheesy trope-fest: love triangle(s), enemies to lovers, quirky parents, uptight overachiever vs. leather jacket-wearing bad boy, unrequited love, toxic friendship, etc.
Not all of it was bad, mind you. The characters were cute and, for the most part, likeable, I enjoyed Albright's descriptions of them playing music (together) and she did mostly nail the romance part. On the other hand, it was very repetitive and predictable, and all the teenage highschool angst I've fortunately moved on from decades ago made my head hurt. I had to keep reminding myself that I am not the intended audience for this kind of book., which is why I'm not withdrawing a star for how juvenile it felt at times.
So if you're looking for something light and fun and don't mind a very (very!) YA feel, you might want to check this one out.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2018
I received an ARC through Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.
I really enjoyed this light hearted story from Emily Albright. While the story was rather predictable and the characters were nothing I haven't seen before, it definitely satisfied me after several high fantasy books.
The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites to read in YA romance and this one definitely nailed it in terms of the trope. I also really enjoyed the giant love triangle (more like a pentagon) that was happening in Perfect Harmony. It created an interesting story line as the friendships and relationships wove together.
The music aspect of this story was another thing that really intrigued me. As someone who was in band in high school, it was interesting to be back in that state of mind while reading the story. While I never had dreams of pursuing music in college, it was really interesting to see it play out in the story.
I really enjoyed this light hearted story from Emily Albright. While the story was rather predictable and the characters were nothing I haven't seen before, it definitely satisfied me after several high fantasy books.
The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites to read in YA romance and this one definitely nailed it in terms of the trope. I also really enjoyed the giant love triangle (more like a pentagon) that was happening in Perfect Harmony. It created an interesting story line as the friendships and relationships wove together.
The music aspect of this story was another thing that really intrigued me. As someone who was in band in high school, it was interesting to be back in that state of mind while reading the story. While I never had dreams of pursuing music in college, it was really interesting to see it play out in the story.
September 15, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I seriously enjoyed this book - a lot more than I thought I would! I went into it with average expectations, I knew it was a typical romancey-type book probably filled with cliches which are fine but usually my type of book. This, however, was so much better than I expected. I loved the narrator, Pippa, and her mom (and dad) were the kind of parents we need more of in YA - present, supportive, funny and just lovely! Quinn was someone I didn't like at all, and I do feel like a lot of the issues between Quinn and Pippa could have been avoided with a bit of communication. Declan was super sweet and although Noah , I hated him throughout the story. I'm not a musician, never have been, but I loved hearing about all of Pippa's cello adventures.
I seriously enjoyed this book - a lot more than I thought I would! I went into it with average expectations, I knew it was a typical romancey-type book probably filled with cliches which are fine but usually my type of book. This, however, was so much better than I expected. I loved the narrator, Pippa, and her mom (and dad) were the kind of parents we need more of in YA - present, supportive, funny and just lovely! Quinn was someone I didn't like at all, and I do feel like a lot of the issues between Quinn and Pippa could have been avoided with a bit of communication. Declan was super sweet and although Noah , I hated him throughout the story. I'm not a musician, never have been, but I loved hearing about all of Pippa's cello adventures.
September 8, 2018
Perfect Harmony was a cute, sweet and well-written book.
In it, we follow Pippa. She's a high school student and a talented cellist. She has her whole life figured out until Declan appears out of nowhere and challenges her.
I really enjoyed the romance between the two of them. It's not insta-love and I appreciated that. I really liked the enemies-to-lovers kinda trope here.
While I really enjoyed the book during the first half of it, around 60% I believe, the characters were so annoying and immature. I know it's a YA so some drama was expected but it was just ridiculous. I didn't like Quinn. She was a selfish friend and I wish the "problems" (which really weren't big problems at all) would have been solved more quickly with a bit of communication.
But overall, I really liked it!
In it, we follow Pippa. She's a high school student and a talented cellist. She has her whole life figured out until Declan appears out of nowhere and challenges her.
I really enjoyed the romance between the two of them. It's not insta-love and I appreciated that. I really liked the enemies-to-lovers kinda trope here.
While I really enjoyed the book during the first half of it, around 60% I believe, the characters were so annoying and immature. I know it's a YA so some drama was expected but it was just ridiculous. I didn't like Quinn. She was a selfish friend and I wish the "problems" (which really weren't big problems at all) would have been solved more quickly with a bit of communication.
But overall, I really liked it!
September 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Emily’s stories are filled with sweet moments and inevitable drama. This is my favorite of her books so far.
For Pippa, playing her cello is everything. Her priorities are set and her music goals are on track, until Declan, a transfer student, enters and shakes up her world. Not only does the sexy cello player stir unexpected emotions, but also her long time crush finally notices her. When her best friend’s drama becomes too much, she questions her decisions and has to decide what’s right.
In Emily’s sweet and easy style, the story flows beautifully from first to last page. I thoroughly enjoyed Perfect Harmony and am anxiously awaiting her next book.
For Pippa, playing her cello is everything. Her priorities are set and her music goals are on track, until Declan, a transfer student, enters and shakes up her world. Not only does the sexy cello player stir unexpected emotions, but also her long time crush finally notices her. When her best friend’s drama becomes too much, she questions her decisions and has to decide what’s right.
In Emily’s sweet and easy style, the story flows beautifully from first to last page. I thoroughly enjoyed Perfect Harmony and am anxiously awaiting her next book.
March 22, 2019
Thanks to Amberjack Publishing for the e-ARC. This YA novel following two budding cellists in high school had a lot of potential, but was derailed by the subpar writing and problematic plot choices. First, the main character is obviously in a toxic friendship with one of the characters, and yet keeps returning to it. Then somewhere in the middle of the book, an irrational love square develops, and everything is just needlessly messy. The love story isn't half as redeeming as it should be either--the whole book leaves a lot to be desired. Points for writing about two musicians and of course, the general readability of YA, despite many (many) eye rolls in this case.
May 3, 2019
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This book was so cute and adorable. It was sweet, romantic with a great female lead. I loved the music aspects, and not being musically talented myself, the musical theme was perfect. I loved how it wasn't instant love, it keeps the story line more realistic. I love the enemies to lovers trope, it's my guilty pleasure. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the cute love story line book.
I loved Declan, he was just a character I fell in love with just like I fell in love with Pippa. I mean how great of a name is Pippa! It's so original just like this YA book.
September 25, 2018
Holy cello-playing virtuosos, Batman!
Pippa earned her first chair in her school's orchestra the hard way, by blistered fingers from endless hours of cello practice. But when hottie newcomer Declan challenges her seat, she's in for way more of a fight than she at first realized. From the West Coast, to the concert halls of NYC to deep family secrets, you'll enjoy every moment of this *duet*.
Pippa earned her first chair in her school's orchestra the hard way, by blistered fingers from endless hours of cello practice. But when hottie newcomer Declan challenges her seat, she's in for way more of a fight than she at first realized. From the West Coast, to the concert halls of NYC to deep family secrets, you'll enjoy every moment of this *duet*.
September 20, 2018
When I was in high school, this was the book I wanted. A realistic high-school romance with healthy relationships as the fore, conversation around toxic relationships and interactions, and a focus on classical music. Yup. You heard that right! High school Jackie had dreams of becoming the principal percussionist of a major orchestra. My friends and I spent all our time practicing and gabbing about our favorite music. We wrote transcriptions of our favorite pieces of music and played along solo and in groups. There was nothing like my high school experience reflected in literature. That is, until now.
As with any romance, it's the characters which make the story. Pippa is immature, but this voice felt appropriate for a 17-year-old. Thankfully, Albright gave Pippa the space to grow leaps and bounds throughout the book. As the narrator, we got to unpack and understand how Pippa processes information and comes to know herself. While I was frustrated at time with Pippa, I know younger Jackie could have learned a lot about how to understand my own feelings by reading Perfect Harmony. Pippa's healthy emotional processing techniques are ones I would love to adopt even now!
My favorite character is Pippa's mother. The relationship Pippa and her mother shares is incredibly realistic and shockingly healthy. I envy the relationship Pippa and her mother have. It's obvious they care for and trust each other, but Pippa's mother also wants to give her daughter space to grow and learn. I love that she lets Pippa try to work things out on her own and learn through failure, yet she will also have the tough conversations with Pippa to keep her on track and honest with herself. Beautiful.
Despite some wonderful characters, I struggled with the writing. There is a focus on little details which distracted me from complete immersion in the story. I don't need to hear about how the rosin tickles Pippa's nose or how the pieces of paper crinkle. I appreciate what Albright was trying to do, but I was frustrated by the poor execution.
In the end, this is a book I'd recommend to any high schooler looking for a romance. Or any avid reader who is a passionate musician. It's not a perfect book, but it was a fun experience. I just wish this had been in my hands 20 years ago!
As with any romance, it's the characters which make the story. Pippa is immature, but this voice felt appropriate for a 17-year-old. Thankfully, Albright gave Pippa the space to grow leaps and bounds throughout the book. As the narrator, we got to unpack and understand how Pippa processes information and comes to know herself. While I was frustrated at time with Pippa, I know younger Jackie could have learned a lot about how to understand my own feelings by reading Perfect Harmony. Pippa's healthy emotional processing techniques are ones I would love to adopt even now!
My favorite character is Pippa's mother. The relationship Pippa and her mother shares is incredibly realistic and shockingly healthy. I envy the relationship Pippa and her mother have. It's obvious they care for and trust each other, but Pippa's mother also wants to give her daughter space to grow and learn. I love that she lets Pippa try to work things out on her own and learn through failure, yet she will also have the tough conversations with Pippa to keep her on track and honest with herself. Beautiful.
Despite some wonderful characters, I struggled with the writing. There is a focus on little details which distracted me from complete immersion in the story. I don't need to hear about how the rosin tickles Pippa's nose or how the pieces of paper crinkle. I appreciate what Albright was trying to do, but I was frustrated by the poor execution.
In the end, this is a book I'd recommend to any high schooler looking for a romance. Or any avid reader who is a passionate musician. It's not a perfect book, but it was a fun experience. I just wish this had been in my hands 20 years ago!
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