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Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm
It’s 2013, and Circus Palmer, a forty-year-old Boston-based trumpet player and old-school ladies’ man, lives for his music and refuses to be tied down. Before a gig in Miami, he learns that the woman who is secretly closest to his heart, the free-spirited drummer Maggie, is pregnant by him. Instead of facing the necessary conversation, Circus flees, setting off a chain of interlocking revelations from the various women in his life.
Most notable among them is his teenage daughter, Koko, who idolizes him and is awakening to her own sexuality even as her mentally fragile mother struggles to overcome her long-failed marriage and rejection by Circus. Delivering a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Warrell spins a provocative, soulful, and gripping story of passion and risk, fathers and daughters, wives and single women, and, finally, hope and reconciliation.
Most notable among them is his teenage daughter, Koko, who idolizes him and is awakening to her own sexuality even as her mentally fragile mother struggles to overcome her long-failed marriage and rejection by Circus. Delivering a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Warrell spins a provocative, soulful, and gripping story of passion and risk, fathers and daughters, wives and single women, and, finally, hope and reconciliation.
13 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 20, 2022
256 people are currently reading
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About the author
Laura Warrell
1 book147 followersLaura Warrell is a graduate of the Creative Writing Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has attended residencies at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and the Tin House Writer's Workshop, and has taught Creative Writing and Literature through the Emerging Voices program at PEN America Los Angeles, at Writing Workshops Los Angeles, and at academic institutions in Los Angeles and Boston. She currently writes and teaches in Los Angeles.
Her writing has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, The Rumpus, The Writer, and Post Road Magazine.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is her first novel.
Her writing has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Huffington Post, The Rumpus, The Writer, and Post Road Magazine.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is her first novel.
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July 21, 2022Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire. Laura Warrell writes with an enormous understanding of human nature, a boundless sympathy for life’s complications, and a keen eye for life’s unexpected joys.
March 28, 2024
I look forward to Laura Warrell's next novel.
On page 160, when Angela snatched the cigarette Circus was smoking and tossed it into the sink, I suddenly realized I had been wanting to do that for 150 pages or more.
"...she understood it wasn't the prize she wanted, but the winning."
"The magic's in the silences."
"...find a way to be happy."
On page 160, when Angela snatched the cigarette Circus was smoking and tossed it into the sink, I suddenly realized I had been wanting to do that for 150 pages or more.
"...she understood it wasn't the prize she wanted, but the winning."
"The magic's in the silences."
"...find a way to be happy."
January 28, 2023
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Between Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm and The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino I have now come to the conclusion that books about sleazy womanizers and the women who at some point or other loved them are not for me. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm appealed to me because I find that ensemble-cast books usually make for a kaleidoscopic reading experience. Sadly, most of the voices in this Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm ended up sounding exactly the same. With the exception of Maggie, who is a free spirit and therefore allowed to exist beyond her relationship with Circus were more or less blank slates, who spend their time thinking about Circus or in the case of Koko dodgy boys. If I hadn’t known who the author was, I would have assumed that they were a man, as the women in this story are as cliched as they come. With the exception of Circus, Koko, and her mother, Pia, each character is only given a chapter to shine in. The glimpse we get into their lives however felt far too shallow, and it frustrated me that these women are given no complexities, no real selves. They seem to exist only as a consequence of Circus, and because of this, their personalities suffer. Funnily enough, even if they spend a lot of their page time thinking about Circus, how they met, how things ended, and often yearning to be the one who is able to ‘change’ him…I still found it hard to believe that they were so devoted to him. We are told he is a real charmer, smooth-talking, and a talented trumpet player. But…he just came across as a sleazy guy who is beyond selfish, and manipulative, and a man who discards women as if they were disposable utensils. His lines ranged from corny (but not in an endearing way) to plain gross. Sure, his flaws are very much the driving force linking all of these voices together, but he was so one-note it was hard for me to care about him (doing better etc). It annoyed me that all of these women were reduced to the role they have with him (exes, daughter, lover, etc) and that their narratives had to stress just how hung-up and passive they are.
Koko is the kind of teenage girl we often find in adult fiction. That is to say, she is ‘angsty’, ‘self-centred’, and full of ‘silly’ ideas about love, sex, and life. It frustrated me that her character arc ultimately hinges on her wanting to have sex as if other aspects of her life (friendships, hobbies, etc) weren’t interesting or deserving enough of being explored. Also, at one point we have a scene referring to Koko's 'virgin's blood'...which, anche no.
What I hated the most is how the narrative then decides to go for a very convenient, sadly moralistic, and rushed plot point that results in Circus ‘learning’ his lesson. We are also given a happy ending of sorts which felt really jarring…
The prose often veered into sentimentality, even when attempting to come across as sensual or affecting. We even get a variation of the very much tired ‘someone lets out a breath’ phrase which did nothing to improve my impression of the author’s writing. Sure, here and there we have some observations that come across as insightful or piercing, but these often lead to less effective platitudes on love and sex, women and men. Also, given how many characters we get, it was a bit frustrating to have one woman be bisexual only as a way to turn on Circus...
I wanted more female solidarity, a more nuanced exploration of femininity and masculinity, and a more convincing portrayal of a fraught father-daughter bond. Circus and Koko's interactions often came across as either painfully scripted or as consisting of badly delivered lines.
More than anything, I longed to read about people who are flawed yet complicated individuals, as opposed to the entirely generic and not-at-all-believable characters we get here. The women's voices sounded too much alike, which was weird given that they are of different ages and come from different backgrounds. Circus was a one-note sleaze who did not deserve the convenient redemption arc he got. I swear the stuff he said & did made me either seethe with rage or want to hurl.
If you are interested in Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm I recommend you check out more positive reviews.
Between Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm and The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino I have now come to the conclusion that books about sleazy womanizers and the women who at some point or other loved them are not for me. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm appealed to me because I find that ensemble-cast books usually make for a kaleidoscopic reading experience. Sadly, most of the voices in this Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm ended up sounding exactly the same. With the exception of Maggie, who is a free spirit and therefore allowed to exist beyond her relationship with Circus were more or less blank slates, who spend their time thinking about Circus or in the case of Koko dodgy boys. If I hadn’t known who the author was, I would have assumed that they were a man, as the women in this story are as cliched as they come. With the exception of Circus, Koko, and her mother, Pia, each character is only given a chapter to shine in. The glimpse we get into their lives however felt far too shallow, and it frustrated me that these women are given no complexities, no real selves. They seem to exist only as a consequence of Circus, and because of this, their personalities suffer. Funnily enough, even if they spend a lot of their page time thinking about Circus, how they met, how things ended, and often yearning to be the one who is able to ‘change’ him…I still found it hard to believe that they were so devoted to him. We are told he is a real charmer, smooth-talking, and a talented trumpet player. But…he just came across as a sleazy guy who is beyond selfish, and manipulative, and a man who discards women as if they were disposable utensils. His lines ranged from corny (but not in an endearing way) to plain gross. Sure, his flaws are very much the driving force linking all of these voices together, but he was so one-note it was hard for me to care about him (doing better etc). It annoyed me that all of these women were reduced to the role they have with him (exes, daughter, lover, etc) and that their narratives had to stress just how hung-up and passive they are.
Koko is the kind of teenage girl we often find in adult fiction. That is to say, she is ‘angsty’, ‘self-centred’, and full of ‘silly’ ideas about love, sex, and life. It frustrated me that her character arc ultimately hinges on her wanting to have sex as if other aspects of her life (friendships, hobbies, etc) weren’t interesting or deserving enough of being explored. Also, at one point we have a scene referring to Koko's 'virgin's blood'...which, anche no.
What I hated the most is how the narrative then decides to go for a very convenient, sadly moralistic, and rushed plot point that results in Circus ‘learning’ his lesson. We are also given a happy ending of sorts which felt really jarring…
The prose often veered into sentimentality, even when attempting to come across as sensual or affecting. We even get a variation of the very much tired ‘someone lets out a breath’ phrase which did nothing to improve my impression of the author’s writing. Sure, here and there we have some observations that come across as insightful or piercing, but these often lead to less effective platitudes on love and sex, women and men. Also, given how many characters we get, it was a bit frustrating to have one woman be bisexual only as a way to turn on Circus...
I wanted more female solidarity, a more nuanced exploration of femininity and masculinity, and a more convincing portrayal of a fraught father-daughter bond. Circus and Koko's interactions often came across as either painfully scripted or as consisting of badly delivered lines.
More than anything, I longed to read about people who are flawed yet complicated individuals, as opposed to the entirely generic and not-at-all-believable characters we get here. The women's voices sounded too much alike, which was weird given that they are of different ages and come from different backgrounds. Circus was a one-note sleaze who did not deserve the convenient redemption arc he got. I swear the stuff he said & did made me either seethe with rage or want to hurl.
If you are interested in Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm I recommend you check out more positive reviews.
January 9, 2023
Now an Oprah Magazine Favorite Book Of 2022!
Real Rating: 2.5* of five, rounded up
The Publisher Says: It’s 2013, and Circus Palmer, a forty-year-old Boston-based trumpet player and old-school ladies’ man, lives for his music and refuses to be tied down. Before a gig in Miami, he learns that the woman who is secretly closest to his heart, the free-spirited drummer Maggie, is pregnant by him. Instead of facing the necessary conversation, Circus flees, setting off a chain of interlocking revelations from the various women in his life. Most notable among them is his teenage daughter, Koko, who idolizes him and is awakening to her own sexuality even as her mentally fragile mother struggles to overcome her long-failed marriage and rejection by Circus.
Delivering a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Warrell spins a provocative, soulful, and gripping story of passion and risk, fathers and daughters, wives and single women, and, finally, hope and reconciliation, in answer to the age-old question: how do we find belonging when love is unrequited?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: It depresses me to say this, but this book was...despite truly, deeply impressive writing...
...lovely and fully sensory-universe-planted but, and this is the crux of the matter for me, it's about a man.
A group of women have different relationships with one man.
Ground-breaking stuff, no? Never read anything like it before! Except about half the Western canon. Women circle Circus, whose name suggested to me clownishness that I found ample evidence for. They *keep* circling Circus no matter what. And, folks, if there ever was a man whose actions and inactions invalidated his Manhood Card℠, it's Circus. He never met a responsibility he didn't shirk.
But his Art! is usually the rallying cry I hear. His art my lily-white one. He's a bog-standard self-absorbed arrested adolescent, probably a libertarian and a religious nut although those are my own interpolations, with a good line of patter and some skills in sexual gratification.
He is, bluntly, the kind of person I look down on and the kind of character I am deeply sickened to see recrudescing on best-of lists and getting all sorts of happy talk said about it. He's a serial cheater, an emotional abuser, and an unworthy object of our cultural attention because his brothers are teeming like maggots on a shit-pile, exuding their spurious shine that so many seem to see as attractive when it's actually the slime they secrete to slip out of any kind or sort of commitment that inconveniences, annoys, or bores them.
Yuck.
Real Rating: 2.5* of five, rounded up
The Publisher Says: It’s 2013, and Circus Palmer, a forty-year-old Boston-based trumpet player and old-school ladies’ man, lives for his music and refuses to be tied down. Before a gig in Miami, he learns that the woman who is secretly closest to his heart, the free-spirited drummer Maggie, is pregnant by him. Instead of facing the necessary conversation, Circus flees, setting off a chain of interlocking revelations from the various women in his life. Most notable among them is his teenage daughter, Koko, who idolizes him and is awakening to her own sexuality even as her mentally fragile mother struggles to overcome her long-failed marriage and rejection by Circus.
Delivering a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Warrell spins a provocative, soulful, and gripping story of passion and risk, fathers and daughters, wives and single women, and, finally, hope and reconciliation, in answer to the age-old question: how do we find belonging when love is unrequited?
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: It depresses me to say this, but this book was...despite truly, deeply impressive writing...
The girl may have been the end for him.
That the wind shifted and sent a chill across her freshly cleaned skin so that she sensed her own solitude in a way that no longer frightened her as she walked bare and unhindered toward what was new.
...lovely and fully sensory-universe-planted but, and this is the crux of the matter for me, it's about a man.
A group of women have different relationships with one man.
Ground-breaking stuff, no? Never read anything like it before! Except about half the Western canon. Women circle Circus, whose name suggested to me clownishness that I found ample evidence for. They *keep* circling Circus no matter what. And, folks, if there ever was a man whose actions and inactions invalidated his Manhood Card℠, it's Circus. He never met a responsibility he didn't shirk.
But his Art! is usually the rallying cry I hear. His art my lily-white one. He's a bog-standard self-absorbed arrested adolescent, probably a libertarian and a religious nut although those are my own interpolations, with a good line of patter and some skills in sexual gratification.
He is, bluntly, the kind of person I look down on and the kind of character I am deeply sickened to see recrudescing on best-of lists and getting all sorts of happy talk said about it. He's a serial cheater, an emotional abuser, and an unworthy object of our cultural attention because his brothers are teeming like maggots on a shit-pile, exuding their spurious shine that so many seem to see as attractive when it's actually the slime they secrete to slip out of any kind or sort of commitment that inconveniences, annoys, or bores them.
Yuck.
July 4, 2022
This book is so beautiful I wanna cry. It's the kind of book that wraps you up and tears your heart apart. I loved the dialogue; it was true to life and yet theatrical and would fit right into a Tennessee Williams play. I will be thinking about Josephine's chapter for the rest of my life. The characters were messy and heartfelt and that's my favorite kind of book. I understand how following so many POVs might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they make more and more sense as the story progresses. (And not to be too shady, but this is the kind of book TJR wishes she could write.) I really hope this book gets the love it deserves.
Thanks to the publicity team at PRH for the advanced reader's copy.
Thanks to the publicity team at PRH for the advanced reader's copy.
August 8, 2022
Laura Warrell's debut novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is literary fiction based on a jazz musician.
Synopsis:
Circus Palmer is a forty-year-old trumpet player. He has a reputation as a ladies man and he fully lives up to it. Although Circus refuses to be tied down to just one woman, he does have strong feelings for Maggie, until she tells him she is pregnant. As Circus already has Koko, a daughter from his previous marriage, he leaves Maggie to deal with the "problem". Circus feels the solution is to find comfort in other women's arms, but will this plan work?
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm has some very touching and humorous scenes. It is filled with delightful references to jazz music which are very enjoyable. At times, the book is difficult to follow due to the multiple characters. Additionally, it is challenging to like or feel empathy for Circus, the main protagonist. I liked the book, but did not find parts of it easy to digest due to the subject matter. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is available on September 27th. Congratulations to Laura Wardell on the publication of her debut novel. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Pantheon, for sharing this book with me. I appreciate your kindness. My opinions are my own.
Synopsis:
Circus Palmer is a forty-year-old trumpet player. He has a reputation as a ladies man and he fully lives up to it. Although Circus refuses to be tied down to just one woman, he does have strong feelings for Maggie, until she tells him she is pregnant. As Circus already has Koko, a daughter from his previous marriage, he leaves Maggie to deal with the "problem". Circus feels the solution is to find comfort in other women's arms, but will this plan work?
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm has some very touching and humorous scenes. It is filled with delightful references to jazz music which are very enjoyable. At times, the book is difficult to follow due to the multiple characters. Additionally, it is challenging to like or feel empathy for Circus, the main protagonist. I liked the book, but did not find parts of it easy to digest due to the subject matter. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is available on September 27th. Congratulations to Laura Wardell on the publication of her debut novel. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Pantheon, for sharing this book with me. I appreciate your kindness. My opinions are my own.
September 10, 2024
A novel in stories about the women constellating around one man, a jazz trumpeter named Circus Palmer. Palmer is reaching a moment of catastrophe, his career has reached a plateau, and his womanizing ways are turning on him, beginning when his real love, Maggie, a drummer and long-time colleague and lover, confesses she has become pregnant by him--and he responds by running for the hills.
Author Laura Warrell has a fine eye for detail and her ear is keen, she has such a feel for the sensuous. The writing is virtuosic--especially remarkable when she describes the player's relationship to his music, not an easy thing to do and making me wish there were more chapters on Circus and music less on the random women who have fallen under his spell. Only Maggie is a musician--and that relationship is the most interesting, the most evenly matched--though there is also a talented male music student who is on the rise, throwing more salt into Circus's wounds.
Most of these women suffer from the same malaise--falling under the spell of this unavailable, charming chaser with little idea who and what he really is. Warrell expertly captures the excitement, the draw, both for Circus and for the lover, of lust's rise--but inevitably followed by debilitating and deluded need, at least on the woman's part. The repetition on the various bodies and psyches of new lovers and old, the various stages of disillusionment and obsession, is both fascinating and sobering.
Though Circus is at the center of the book's gravitational system, the main character proves to be his neglected, vulnerable daughter Koko, a teen trying for connection. Her need for the absent father makes perfect sense as the engine of the book-- but as usual in these multigenerational novels, the adults are more interesting. Her damaged mother, Pia, is probably Circus' most obsessed victim, and she becomes more interesting on the back end of the book when she tries to free herself from his hold.
Music infuses every Circus chapter, both the way he plays, and the way he thinks. Here's a girl Circus is picking up: "He decided he liked her voice, off key as it was and snapping. There was a loose tempo inside it, an undercurrent of sound struggling to find pitch. He liked hearing it the way he liked hearing an orchestra warm up."
Author Laura Warrell has a fine eye for detail and her ear is keen, she has such a feel for the sensuous. The writing is virtuosic--especially remarkable when she describes the player's relationship to his music, not an easy thing to do and making me wish there were more chapters on Circus and music less on the random women who have fallen under his spell. Only Maggie is a musician--and that relationship is the most interesting, the most evenly matched--though there is also a talented male music student who is on the rise, throwing more salt into Circus's wounds.
Most of these women suffer from the same malaise--falling under the spell of this unavailable, charming chaser with little idea who and what he really is. Warrell expertly captures the excitement, the draw, both for Circus and for the lover, of lust's rise--but inevitably followed by debilitating and deluded need, at least on the woman's part. The repetition on the various bodies and psyches of new lovers and old, the various stages of disillusionment and obsession, is both fascinating and sobering.
Though Circus is at the center of the book's gravitational system, the main character proves to be his neglected, vulnerable daughter Koko, a teen trying for connection. Her need for the absent father makes perfect sense as the engine of the book-- but as usual in these multigenerational novels, the adults are more interesting. Her damaged mother, Pia, is probably Circus' most obsessed victim, and she becomes more interesting on the back end of the book when she tries to free herself from his hold.
Music infuses every Circus chapter, both the way he plays, and the way he thinks. Here's a girl Circus is picking up: "He decided he liked her voice, off key as it was and snapping. There was a loose tempo inside it, an undercurrent of sound struggling to find pitch. He liked hearing it the way he liked hearing an orchestra warm up."
April 16, 2023
Truly an unforgettable read that explores father-daughter relationship
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell opens with Circus Palmer, a forty-year-old ladies man and trumpet player finding out that one of his long time woman, and the one he loves the most-Maggie, is expecting their child. Circus does what he does best, he left her, not wanting to be tied down. Circus feels betrayed as he currently has a teenage daughter who doesn’t take care of, and for Maggie to “allow” something like this to happen to him again, he just cannot reconcile it.
Koko, is Circus daughter, turning a teenager, she’s got a lot of questions that only Circus can answer but he is not around. We get a look at how she feels about her father and his absence and how that impacts her.
Throughout the book we are introduced to a series of women who tells of their experiences with Circus Palmer. Being a travelling musician means there are so many towns, cities and women he’s met over the years that he’s formed relationships with. Some of these women take it for what it is, others still think he will settle down… with them.
Laura Warrell did a superb job with tell the story of Circus Palmer. I love that he wasn’t a cliché musicians who had a child in every town, not considering how his actions impacts others. There was so much nuance and care to the Circus, the women he’s hurt and his daughter. It is not often you pick up a book and read about a mother who left her child in the care of her “dead beat” ex-husband. I love seeing his character arc.
This is truly a delightful read with so much to explore!
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell opens with Circus Palmer, a forty-year-old ladies man and trumpet player finding out that one of his long time woman, and the one he loves the most-Maggie, is expecting their child. Circus does what he does best, he left her, not wanting to be tied down. Circus feels betrayed as he currently has a teenage daughter who doesn’t take care of, and for Maggie to “allow” something like this to happen to him again, he just cannot reconcile it.
Koko, is Circus daughter, turning a teenager, she’s got a lot of questions that only Circus can answer but he is not around. We get a look at how she feels about her father and his absence and how that impacts her.
Throughout the book we are introduced to a series of women who tells of their experiences with Circus Palmer. Being a travelling musician means there are so many towns, cities and women he’s met over the years that he’s formed relationships with. Some of these women take it for what it is, others still think he will settle down… with them.
Laura Warrell did a superb job with tell the story of Circus Palmer. I love that he wasn’t a cliché musicians who had a child in every town, not considering how his actions impacts others. There was so much nuance and care to the Circus, the women he’s hurt and his daughter. It is not often you pick up a book and read about a mother who left her child in the care of her “dead beat” ex-husband. I love seeing his character arc.
This is truly a delightful read with so much to explore!
April 22, 2022
I was, to begin with, put off by the title. Yet I hoped that I would like this book, but unfortunately, I did not. Moreover, I was so uninterested in the characters. The format of this novel is more like a series of short stories, with some characters returning in later chapters and some not.
There was not one relatable character, including that of Koko, Circus Palmer's teen-age daughter. There was no clear motivation for what anyone did or how they behaved. Why does Pia run away to settle in King of Prussia, PA of all places? No idea. Why does Maggie not accept a proposal of marriage from a successful musician who adores her? Again, no idea. What's worse is that I had so little interest in the book that I could not wait for it to end. Warrell is a good writer and has something to say, I think, but no in this book. And the title? Annoyingly forgettable.
I kept expecting some insight into interracial marriage or bi-racial offspring, but if this was not forthcoming and I did wonder where the author was going with the pairings. Never figured it out.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher (I think) for an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for a eview.
There was not one relatable character, including that of Koko, Circus Palmer's teen-age daughter. There was no clear motivation for what anyone did or how they behaved. Why does Pia run away to settle in King of Prussia, PA of all places? No idea. Why does Maggie not accept a proposal of marriage from a successful musician who adores her? Again, no idea. What's worse is that I had so little interest in the book that I could not wait for it to end. Warrell is a good writer and has something to say, I think, but no in this book. And the title? Annoyingly forgettable.
I kept expecting some insight into interracial marriage or bi-racial offspring, but if this was not forthcoming and I did wonder where the author was going with the pairings. Never figured it out.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher (I think) for an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for a eview.
May 14, 2022
It’s hard to really nail down what this book is about. Is it the dangers of loving a jazz musician? Well, yes a little of that. How about a father-daughter relationship dynamic? Yep, some of that. The life
of a jazz musician that is a constant struggle for relevance?
In a nutshell, the writing is good enough to keep you connected to the novel, but the story is so scattered that at times it seems like short stories with jazzman Circus at center. But the book taken as a whole leaves much to be desired. The story never congeals to the point of a cohesive focused narrative.
Ultimately the story mirrors the central character, Circus. A fading jazz trumpeter who hits the wrong notes in life, and his music suffers because of it.
This jazz novel is off key in a way that challenges its own relevance. Thanks to Netgalley and Pantheon for an advanced DRC. Book will play everywhere September 20, 2022!
of a jazz musician that is a constant struggle for relevance?
In a nutshell, the writing is good enough to keep you connected to the novel, but the story is so scattered that at times it seems like short stories with jazzman Circus at center. But the book taken as a whole leaves much to be desired. The story never congeals to the point of a cohesive focused narrative.
Ultimately the story mirrors the central character, Circus. A fading jazz trumpeter who hits the wrong notes in life, and his music suffers because of it.
This jazz novel is off key in a way that challenges its own relevance. Thanks to Netgalley and Pantheon for an advanced DRC. Book will play everywhere September 20, 2022!
September 11, 2022
The book is a 3-3.5 star, but I loved it like a 5 star.
I was totally enamored with the characters, and the fact that the focus is on the women/girls Circus affected, like Pia, Maggie, Peach, Josephine, and most importantly Koko, rather than centering his feelings the whole time. These women are so imperfect and so knowable that I came to love them like my friends. I even came to love Circus, the scoundrel.
Looking forward to reading more from Laura Warrell as her voice continues to develop. Great work!
I was totally enamored with the characters, and the fact that the focus is on the women/girls Circus affected, like Pia, Maggie, Peach, Josephine, and most importantly Koko, rather than centering his feelings the whole time. These women are so imperfect and so knowable that I came to love them like my friends. I even came to love Circus, the scoundrel.
Looking forward to reading more from Laura Warrell as her voice continues to develop. Great work!
April 18, 2022
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm
By Laura Warrell
This book is a story of missed love opportunities, failed dreams, selfishness, and dysfunctional relationships. It took a long time to come together for me – I had trouble figuring out whose story it was. Ultimately the relationships seemed to sort themselves out, but there were loose ends that never seemed to get tied up.
There were several characters who seemed to play important roles for short periods and others who seemed minor, but were more pivotal to the story in the end. The characters spent a lot of time mistaking sex and obsession for love.
While well written, this book leaves me wondering exactly what point the author was trying to make.
By Laura Warrell
This book is a story of missed love opportunities, failed dreams, selfishness, and dysfunctional relationships. It took a long time to come together for me – I had trouble figuring out whose story it was. Ultimately the relationships seemed to sort themselves out, but there were loose ends that never seemed to get tied up.
There were several characters who seemed to play important roles for short periods and others who seemed minor, but were more pivotal to the story in the end. The characters spent a lot of time mistaking sex and obsession for love.
While well written, this book leaves me wondering exactly what point the author was trying to make.
May 22, 2022
I loved this book. It was not a run of the mill romance. It was real and gritty. There were highs and low and all the in between. The characters were written so well and felt like real true to life characters. I found myself wanting to Google search Circus and Jazz. I think I can truly say there is nothing I did not like about this book. The pacing was great, the story line great all around excellent novel. I got this on NetGalley for a review and I will let many know bout it when it comes out.
September 25, 2022
The first 60-70% of this book felt like it took forever to get through. None of the characters were very likable for most of the novel. It wasn’t until the last 30% where things started to move along, people started growing and changing and their stories started to flesh out.
I could not understand the appeal of Circus throughout this book. Women were OBSESSED with him, and he was just terrible? Like he was the worst, and yet there were so many women we got chapters from in this book who were part of his life, many constantly trying to get his attention and approval. It was hard to read.
I thought Maggie was a great character, but we get so little of her. Koko could be frustrating, I had to keep reminding myself she was a teenager. The story just felt so slow. It was tough to get through.
This one just wasn’t for me, but the writing was strong and the cover is lovely.
3.5⭐️
I could not understand the appeal of Circus throughout this book. Women were OBSESSED with him, and he was just terrible? Like he was the worst, and yet there were so many women we got chapters from in this book who were part of his life, many constantly trying to get his attention and approval. It was hard to read.
I thought Maggie was a great character, but we get so little of her. Koko could be frustrating, I had to keep reminding myself she was a teenager. The story just felt so slow. It was tough to get through.
This one just wasn’t for me, but the writing was strong and the cover is lovely.
3.5⭐️
May 3, 2022
I was hooked from the first page by an author who knows what she’s doing. Warrell’s writing is both grounded and compelling so I was immersed in this world the whole way through. The cast of characters is colorful and full bodied. We know their strengths and weaknesses and Circus Palmer is a memorable protagonist, a spotlight in the book that he ends up sharing with his teenage daughter. There are just enough touches to let us know what it’s like to have one’s life and career not pan out as expected without being didactic.
Thank You to NetGalley and Pantheon for the eARC.
Thank You to NetGalley and Pantheon for the eARC.
January 11, 2025
This one just wasn't for me. I struggled to connect to the short story type storytelling and I didn't connect with any of the characters (or like them). The daughter felt silly and non-developed, as if sex was the only thing that should or could matter. I wish I'd liked this one more.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
March 15, 2023
A finalist for the 2023 PEN Faulkner Award for Fiction, this debut novel centers a mid-life, not-overly-successful jazz trumpeter, Circus Palmer, and the women who are pushing him to grow up. Nice writing, and I thought Warrell did an especially interesting job of showing how Palmer’s absentee fatherhood influenced his teenaged daughter.
January 14, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley, as well as Libro.FM for ARCs and ALCs in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this one. The prose of this debut is absolutely stunning, possibly the best prose I've read in the past year or so.
However, the plot was jumbled and at times read more like a collection of short stories rather than a cohesive work of literary fiction. I'm left trying to figure out if Warrell successfully completed her goal here as I'm not sure what it was to begin with? Redemption arc for Circus? A character study on Circus and the various women in his life?
If it's either of those, I'd say its partially successful, but as it was not cohesive it is hard to decide.
If I was rating this on prose and the most of plot alone, I would probably give it a 3.7-3.75 stars. While it's obvious no one in this story is supposed to be likable, there was a glaring issue with on plot point that readers should not forgive or forget.
These glaring issues are why I'll be rating it 2.75 stars, rounding down to 2.
Worrell's debut held a lot of promise with the amazing prose and the synopsis, but it was not successful in being a cohesive novel. Honestly, this gave, 'women are no more than a man's plaything' energy.
Honestly, I don't know what to make of this one. The prose of this debut is absolutely stunning, possibly the best prose I've read in the past year or so.
However, the plot was jumbled and at times read more like a collection of short stories rather than a cohesive work of literary fiction. I'm left trying to figure out if Warrell successfully completed her goal here as I'm not sure what it was to begin with? Redemption arc for Circus? A character study on Circus and the various women in his life?
If it's either of those, I'd say its partially successful, but as it was not cohesive it is hard to decide.
If I was rating this on prose and the most of plot alone, I would probably give it a 3.7-3.75 stars. While it's obvious no one in this story is supposed to be likable, there was a glaring issue with on plot point that readers should not forgive or forget.
These glaring issues are why I'll be rating it 2.75 stars, rounding down to 2.
Worrell's debut held a lot of promise with the amazing prose and the synopsis, but it was not successful in being a cohesive novel. Honestly, this gave, 'women are no more than a man's plaything' energy.
April 21, 2022
I received uncorrected proofs of this book from a Goodreads giveaway
This book was not my cup of tea. Reading it felt like having to spend all day outside on a cold, gloomy, and gray day while it drizzles the whole time.
I found the main character Circus Palmer to be very unsympathetic (plus sex obsessed) and while many of the women in his life (there were so many I personally found it hard to keep them all straight as I was reading) found ways to take back there own agency after falling in love with Circus and being left behind by him the fact that Circus took away there agency to begin with rubbed me the wrong way.
In addition him finding a happy ending also felt out of touch, I do not think within the story he shows he has repented from all the wrong he did and all the wrong he caused. I know that people can change but Circus's personal change feels less like personal growth and more like pandering to him by giving him a happy ending.
Clearly Circus needs therapy etc and it should not be left up to a women in order to "save" him from himself. Especially a woman he only met once, on an extended subway ride. I think what bugged me with him being saved by a random woman is it implied that all the other women who loved him over the years were somehow wanting.
Circus kept going I need someone to love me while being surrounded by women who loved him and leaving them all, or allowing them to fade into the background. Why did a random women he met for one afternoon years before have the love he needed and could not get from those who stayed with him through thick and thin for so long? I felt bad that any woman was stuck with him in the end no matter how much he thinks he changed.
For some readers who like reading about personal drama again and again and again this book might be a good fit for them, for me I found Circus pretty slimly, the story to be sex obsessed, and over all I found the whole story just depressing, with nothing hopeful or encouraging in it.
This book was not my cup of tea. Reading it felt like having to spend all day outside on a cold, gloomy, and gray day while it drizzles the whole time.
I found the main character Circus Palmer to be very unsympathetic (plus sex obsessed) and while many of the women in his life (there were so many I personally found it hard to keep them all straight as I was reading) found ways to take back there own agency after falling in love with Circus and being left behind by him the fact that Circus took away there agency to begin with rubbed me the wrong way.
In addition him finding a happy ending also felt out of touch, I do not think within the story he shows he has repented from all the wrong he did and all the wrong he caused. I know that people can change but Circus's personal change feels less like personal growth and more like pandering to him by giving him a happy ending.
Clearly Circus needs therapy etc and it should not be left up to a women in order to "save" him from himself. Especially a woman he only met once, on an extended subway ride. I think what bugged me with him being saved by a random woman is it implied that all the other women who loved him over the years were somehow wanting.
Circus kept going I need someone to love me while being surrounded by women who loved him and leaving them all, or allowing them to fade into the background. Why did a random women he met for one afternoon years before have the love he needed and could not get from those who stayed with him through thick and thin for so long? I felt bad that any woman was stuck with him in the end no matter how much he thinks he changed.
For some readers who like reading about personal drama again and again and again this book might be a good fit for them, for me I found Circus pretty slimly, the story to be sex obsessed, and over all I found the whole story just depressing, with nothing hopeful or encouraging in it.
October 2, 2022
Absolutely stunning writing. This debut novel stands out amongst all the books I’ve read this year as unique in writing style and prose. The women Circus loved, lost, lied to, etc. take up a good portion of this plot even including his daughter he is unable to show up for as a father.
Circus is very memorable. Warrell constructed such a complex character. In all rights, he is a asshole. Period. But, there was heart to it. I felt like there was pain, shame, and a inability to change that was beyond his control. These women saw that. Circus is magnetic, beautiful, charming, and absolutely callous. The only thing I can say I wanted more of was the WHY or even the what behind what contributed to Circus’ complicated manhood.
It’s hard to believe that he is this way for shits and giggles because LORDT. He really is………something.
Circus is very memorable. Warrell constructed such a complex character. In all rights, he is a asshole. Period. But, there was heart to it. I felt like there was pain, shame, and a inability to change that was beyond his control. These women saw that. Circus is magnetic, beautiful, charming, and absolutely callous. The only thing I can say I wanted more of was the WHY or even the what behind what contributed to Circus’ complicated manhood.
It’s hard to believe that he is this way for shits and giggles because LORDT. He really is………something.
abandoned
November 11, 2022DNF @ 61%. I was really looking forward to this one but unfortunately, I just wanted Koko and there was too much Circus. I found myself wanting to skim the chapters that didn't have Koko and finally realized I just didn't need to finish it if I wasn't looking forward to reading it. Hope it works better for you!
July 4, 2025
if you could read jazz, this is what it’d feel like. complex unlikable characters but you find something in each person reflected in yourself: confusing love and lust, feeling like it’s too late to find your purpose, facing your own demons. this really worked for me and i don’t think it’s necessarily a happy ending, but as is life.
September 27, 2022
This was an engaging debut. Circus Palmer is a 40-year old trumpet player who has a revolving door of women in his life as he strives to “make it” as a musician. This book is largely about these women and digs a little deeper into their relationship with him from their perspective and the reckoning that most definitely needs to happen.
Within the first chapter, Circus leaves Maggie on the beach after she tells him she is pregnant. I was like oh no sir!! As I kept reading, I saw a pattern of his behavior forming and I became an unwilling spectator to the circus that was Circus’ life. He was such an unsympathetic and incredibly selfish character who had no qualms about how he treated these women. They were supposed to just sit there and take his mess just so he could get what he needed out of the relationship. Then there is the dynamic between Circus and his teenage daughter Koko… lawd.
I was quite frustrated by the main character but I think that speaks highly of the writing and how wonderfully these complex characters were written. A lot of what happens in the story is disappointing and tragic at times but there is a healing, redemptive and human quality that brings things full circle. This story has body and movement… it just felt different, in a good way. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. I kinda love it when that happens… don’t you?
Within the first chapter, Circus leaves Maggie on the beach after she tells him she is pregnant. I was like oh no sir!! As I kept reading, I saw a pattern of his behavior forming and I became an unwilling spectator to the circus that was Circus’ life. He was such an unsympathetic and incredibly selfish character who had no qualms about how he treated these women. They were supposed to just sit there and take his mess just so he could get what he needed out of the relationship. Then there is the dynamic between Circus and his teenage daughter Koko… lawd.
I was quite frustrated by the main character but I think that speaks highly of the writing and how wonderfully these complex characters were written. A lot of what happens in the story is disappointing and tragic at times but there is a healing, redemptive and human quality that brings things full circle. This story has body and movement… it just felt different, in a good way. The more I think about this book, the more I like it. I kinda love it when that happens… don’t you?
July 31, 2023
“You got everything you could want in your world. You want some kid messing it up?”
Circus’s daughter, Koko was what he needed. All the main characters find what they need in Laura Warrell’s debut novel. In the process of the sweet rhythm of life Koko was able to grow into a woman. A wonderful coming of age story for everyone involved.
Now if everyone who picks it up could figure out what they need with the help or hindrance of what life confronts them with.
Circus’s daughter, Koko was what he needed. All the main characters find what they need in Laura Warrell’s debut novel. In the process of the sweet rhythm of life Koko was able to grow into a woman. A wonderful coming of age story for everyone involved.
Now if everyone who picks it up could figure out what they need with the help or hindrance of what life confronts them with.
January 25, 2023
What a ride and a journey to nowhere, atleast for me. The book started dragging on the Coco part and I couldn’t put it together from there. The first part of music was coming along fine but fell flat till the end. I don’t know but I did try to get to this book but it didn’t work.
Read
August 11, 2022Here’s my interview with author Laura Warrell https://themillions.com/2022/08/tk-th...
May 8, 2023
Had to edit my review… the more I look back on this book the less I like it
November 17, 2022
One of my top books of the year.
I loved how this was so deeply character-driven. If you need an active plot, this isn't the book for you, but Ioved the structure of alternating perspectives. At times it almost felt more like a short story collection than a novel. So many sharp insights about relationships, ambition, and family, with piercing prose throughout. Definitely my kind of novel.
I loved how this was so deeply character-driven. If you need an active plot, this isn't the book for you, but Ioved the structure of alternating perspectives. At times it almost felt more like a short story collection than a novel. So many sharp insights about relationships, ambition, and family, with piercing prose throughout. Definitely my kind of novel.
June 17, 2023
This only took me a long time to finish because I was reading 5 other books at the same time. Was that a good decision? Probably not. Am I still going to do it? Well.. yes
September 16, 2022
A sweeping story of various women and the man at the center of their orbit. Told in alternating perspectives, this story is lyrical, generational, and heartbreaking. Circus Palmer, a jazz musician, has always enticed women, and many women, even when they try to distance themselves from him emotionally, find him incredibly hard to resist. Warrell reveals a man who is charismatic and we understand why the women keep waiting for him to commit or, at the very least, be the man they all think him to be. But then, through the women's voices, we slowly understand why expectations will only lead to disappointment.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is an emotional read that reveals the raw nature of loving someone you can never fully know or is emotionally unavailable. I appreciated the alternating points of view and I saw an interview with Warrell where she explained the alternating perspectives were designed to mimic jazz -- each woman gets a solo and a chance to share her story. I think Warrell is successful in creating lyricism and a unique voice for each character.
Highly recommend.
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is an emotional read that reveals the raw nature of loving someone you can never fully know or is emotionally unavailable. I appreciated the alternating points of view and I saw an interview with Warrell where she explained the alternating perspectives were designed to mimic jazz -- each woman gets a solo and a chance to share her story. I think Warrell is successful in creating lyricism and a unique voice for each character.
Highly recommend.
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