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Lillac Town #1
The Melody of You and Me
After dropping out of university and breaking up with her girlfriend of three years, Chris Morrison’s life is now a mind-numbing mess. She doubts that working at the small neighborhood bookstore is going to change that. The rest of her time is spent mostly playing guitar and ignoring the many messages her mother keeps sending her about going back to college.
But one day, an adorable and charming new bookseller waltzes her way into Chris’s life. Josie Navarro is sweet, flirty, and she always has a new book in her hands. The two girls start a fast friendship that, for Chris, holds the promise of something more. But is she reading too much into this or is it possible that Josie feels the same way?
But one day, an adorable and charming new bookseller waltzes her way into Chris’s life. Josie Navarro is sweet, flirty, and she always has a new book in her hands. The two girls start a fast friendship that, for Chris, holds the promise of something more. But is she reading too much into this or is it possible that Josie feels the same way?
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
June 29, 2017
Unfortunately, I really was not a big fan of this book (least-favorite-book-of-the-year "not a fan of"). It does have it's perks, but ultimately, it was a big flop for me, especially seeing so many people on Twitter speak about it.
Positives: The Subject Matter
The Melody of You And Me conquers a lot of subject matter that deserves more light in literature.
-pansexuality
-Filipina lesbian love interest
-female masturbation
-f/f sex
-*not knowing your career path as a young adult* (my favorite aspect of the book to be honest because it's so relevant to so many people around my age)
In my opinion, the inclusion of those aspects were the book's only high points.
Negatives:
To be brutally honest, this is the worst-written book I have ever read. The writing was so unbearable, I had to take a break every few pages to stay engaged enough to finish it (it's 144 pages, it shouldn't have been such a struggle to get through.) I felt like the writing was just so dummed down; Everything was written in such an OBVIOUS way as if I wasn't capable of making interpretations for myself - This novella was spoon fed to me and I cannot stand books written like this. The dialogue was unnatural and stunted, it was virtually all telling and barely showing, and just all around really really cringey. As a personal preference, I also really really dislike books written in third person, present tense. I don't know why, but it's so distracting and impossible for me to like. (Update 6/28: I wasn't aware the author isn't a native-English speaker while reading, so I recognize that it's definitely a potential factor as to why it wasn't for me personally. I can't say for sure that is the exact reason why I didn't enjoy it, but it's absolutely a valid possibility.)
This book definitely felt insta-lovey. Chris and Josie have only known each other for three weeks, have only done as much as dance with each other, and Chris is upset being introduced as Josie's friend (when they are legitimately only friends at this point???) I can understand really liking someone to the point of thinking about them a lot of the time, but Chris's reactions were very excessive.
I also kind of hated the fact that Josie, the love interest, is literally perfect with zero flaws? Sure, her behavior isn't 100% ideal (I'd wager about 96% of the time, she's a well-behaved angel), but there is legitimately nothing wrong with her. She's beautiful. She's smart. She's sexy and seductive. She's flirty and friendly and likeable. She's the best dancer in her class. She has a good relationship with her family. I am always so annoyed when authors create characters that are either ALL bad or ALL good. It's boring and it's under developed. (Update 6/28: removed the word "unrealistic" to this character having no flaws as to not invalidate anyone's personal experiences.)
Another thing that bothered me is that I felt the main characters were not independent from each other? Josie definitely has more of her own life, but throughout the novel, Chris's life if JOSIE. If Josie isn't there, Chris is thinking about her or on her way to see her. I really don't know who Chris is outside of Josie or her past relationship. The only individual thing about her is her music, and even that was disappointing because the one time she plays her guitar, it's for Josie. (Again, she talks about music and listens to it, but based on the actual events of the story, I'd say she only likes it in theory.) I love romance novels but I don't want to love A couple, I want to love two pieces of a couple because of how they fit together, and I can't think of many reasons as to why Chris and Josie are together, or why I would like either of them individually.
Also, there wasn't much of a plot. It's the story of Chris meeting Josie and a little bit of Chris's struggle with finding her future path thrown in there. There wasn't a lot of conflict (if there was, it was either Chris's insecurities or else resolved on the next page) and there wasn't even enough character development for it to make up for the lack of plot (there was a bit of character growth in the end, but I wouldn't consider it all that significant of great to improve the book). There just wasn't any substance, period.
All in all, I really disliked this novella. I think in theory, a lot of the points sounded nice and refreshing to read about, but it missed the mark on almost all aspects. I would only recommend this book to someone who is really looking for books with characters from the LGBTQIAP+ community and willing to try anything to fulfill that desire in reading. Otherwise, I'd give it a hard pass.
(Update 6/29) Obviously, this book wasn't my cup of tea. If you want insight from a reviewer who is represented by this book, I'd recommend checking out Sonja's #ownvoices review! (Thank you Sonja, for sharing it with me :)) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Positives: The Subject Matter
The Melody of You And Me conquers a lot of subject matter that deserves more light in literature.
-pansexuality
-Filipina lesbian love interest
-female masturbation
-f/f sex
-*not knowing your career path as a young adult* (my favorite aspect of the book to be honest because it's so relevant to so many people around my age)
In my opinion, the inclusion of those aspects were the book's only high points.
Negatives:
To be brutally honest, this is the worst-written book I have ever read. The writing was so unbearable, I had to take a break every few pages to stay engaged enough to finish it (it's 144 pages, it shouldn't have been such a struggle to get through.) I felt like the writing was just so dummed down; Everything was written in such an OBVIOUS way as if I wasn't capable of making interpretations for myself - This novella was spoon fed to me and I cannot stand books written like this. The dialogue was unnatural and stunted, it was virtually all telling and barely showing, and just all around really really cringey. As a personal preference, I also really really dislike books written in third person, present tense. I don't know why, but it's so distracting and impossible for me to like. (Update 6/28: I wasn't aware the author isn't a native-English speaker while reading, so I recognize that it's definitely a potential factor as to why it wasn't for me personally. I can't say for sure that is the exact reason why I didn't enjoy it, but it's absolutely a valid possibility.)
This book definitely felt insta-lovey. Chris and Josie have only known each other for three weeks, have only done as much as dance with each other, and Chris is upset being introduced as Josie's friend (when they are legitimately only friends at this point???) I can understand really liking someone to the point of thinking about them a lot of the time, but Chris's reactions were very excessive.
I also kind of hated the fact that Josie, the love interest, is literally perfect with zero flaws? Sure, her behavior isn't 100% ideal (I'd wager about 96% of the time, she's a well-behaved angel), but there is legitimately nothing wrong with her. She's beautiful. She's smart. She's sexy and seductive. She's flirty and friendly and likeable. She's the best dancer in her class. She has a good relationship with her family. I am always so annoyed when authors create characters that are either ALL bad or ALL good. It's boring and it's under developed. (Update 6/28: removed the word "unrealistic" to this character having no flaws as to not invalidate anyone's personal experiences.)
Another thing that bothered me is that I felt the main characters were not independent from each other? Josie definitely has more of her own life, but throughout the novel, Chris's life if JOSIE. If Josie isn't there, Chris is thinking about her or on her way to see her. I really don't know who Chris is outside of Josie or her past relationship. The only individual thing about her is her music, and even that was disappointing because the one time she plays her guitar, it's for Josie. (Again, she talks about music and listens to it, but based on the actual events of the story, I'd say she only likes it in theory.) I love romance novels but I don't want to love A couple, I want to love two pieces of a couple because of how they fit together, and I can't think of many reasons as to why Chris and Josie are together, or why I would like either of them individually.
Also, there wasn't much of a plot. It's the story of Chris meeting Josie and a little bit of Chris's struggle with finding her future path thrown in there. There wasn't a lot of conflict (if there was, it was either Chris's insecurities or else resolved on the next page) and there wasn't even enough character development for it to make up for the lack of plot (there was a bit of character growth in the end, but I wouldn't consider it all that significant of great to improve the book). There just wasn't any substance, period.
All in all, I really disliked this novella. I think in theory, a lot of the points sounded nice and refreshing to read about, but it missed the mark on almost all aspects. I would only recommend this book to someone who is really looking for books with characters from the LGBTQIAP+ community and willing to try anything to fulfill that desire in reading. Otherwise, I'd give it a hard pass.
(Update 6/29) Obviously, this book wasn't my cup of tea. If you want insight from a reviewer who is represented by this book, I'd recommend checking out Sonja's #ownvoices review! (Thank you Sonja, for sharing it with me :)) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 26, 2018
Okay, first and foremost, you all need to know that I ID as pansexual. And my friend, Alexis, who I buddy read this with identifies as pansexual. And this is a story about a pansexual girl falling in love. And if that’s not one of the cutest things you’ve seen this Pride, I don’t have words for you. 💖💛💙
“…when people doubt her sexuality. Or the times when she needs to explain why she just feels more comfortable using pansexual than bisexual”
But real talk, this is honestly a story about a pansexual music-loving girl, falling in love with a Filipina lesbian ballerina, while they both work at a bookstore together. This book even shouts out Melissa de La Cruz, Mina V. Esguerra, and Rin Chupeco! Like, does that not already sound like a masterpiece?
The Melody of You and Me is a sweet, heartwarming, beautiful novella about two girls coming together and discovering who they want to be and who they want to be together. It’s quick, and fast paced, but I was smiling the entire time while reading. And there are a couple really steamy and sexy scenes in this, too!
“When you grow up hearing that you are not tall enough, not skinny enough, not white enough, you always wonder about how the world would be if you didn't need to conform to all these ridiculous standards.”
But this book also has a lot of important things that it discusses! This book talks about masturbation and how we normalize it for boys, but never for girls. This book talks about coming out to your family, and how sometimes it feels like you can’t do it alone, no matter what age you are. This book talks about how society puts so much pressure on kids to go to college straight out of high school, never giving them a chance to breathe and think about the choice they are about to make that will change their very lives forever. This book talks about white privilege and the way white people can react when people of color are in those “white spaces”, especially if they are excelling in those spaces. Like, there is so much good in this book!
“Why do they never let young people stop to think? Why is it unacceptable to take a little time to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life?”
I see a few people saying this book is hard to read, but I didn’t feel that way at all. Do I think this book reads easy and somewhat simplistic? Yes, very much so. But never difficult to read. And obviously other people’s opinions are valid, but I want to also say that M. Hollis is a Brazilian author, who wrote this book in a language that is not her first. Honestly? It blows me away how well written it is.
Overall, I can’t tell you how much this meant to me. I can’t believe that it took me over twenty years of reading to finally read the word “pansexual” in a romance novel. I could write an entire review on how depressing it is to make an entire TBR of LGBTQIAP+ reads for Pride, but to only be able to pick from five mainstream books that have the word “pansexual” even in them. This book honestly feels like it was written for me, and it will forever and always have a piece of my heart. And I will cherish it being in my library forever. And this is the cute, happy, fluffy, validating, love story that I’ve been looking for my whole life!
“She wishes they could stay like this forever. Just the two of them; telling stories and sharing secrets without a care in the world.”
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Buddy read with Alexis at The Sloth Reader! ❤
August 1, 2018
I've seen this novella floating around here and there, and finally decided to take my shot while needing something quick to cheer me up. And I'm eternally grateful for stumbling upon this little gem at exactly the right time.
The Melody of You and Me tells the story of Christine “Chris” Morrison falling in love with her sweet and energetic bookstore coworker, Josalie “Josie” T. Navarro. It's a wonderful tale that includes discussions of:
• the “But what do you want to do with your life” dilemma.
• the aftermaths of emotional abuse in relationships.
• the whiteness of ballet (Josie's passion).
• and a wonderfully budding romance where the two girls hang out and introduce each other to their passions, whether that be gay movies or literature, pizza, fictional crushes, music... this novella has it all.
“She wishes they could stay like this forever.
Just the two of them; telling stories and sharing secrets without a care in the world.”
It also features a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, including black and brown characters, LGBTQIA+ rep, etc. And I can't stop praising the author for making the ensemble devoid of cis men —with the exception of one minor appearance— there are virtually no white or straight people, which, thank you. To quote Radio Silence, “I think everyone’s a bit bored with boy-girl romances anyway,” he said. “I think the world’s had enough of those, to be honest.”
And not only where the two main characters fully developed, we get to see the side characters have a nice story arc throughout. I especially loved their coworker with the pink hair, Lily Ferrari. She's funny as hell and also the mom friend of the group, similar to yours truly.
“Sometimes, Chris forgets that Lily is only nineteen; she often acts like an old lady.”
So you can picture my excitement when I found out that the sequel to this novella is told from Lily's point of view. My day was pretty much made 100% better.
And while I'm on a roll about the positives, this next piece of dialogue of Josie coming out to her sister remains so damn valuable.
“You knew?” Josie sounds incredulous.
“Oh my God. Yeah, of course I knew. You are twenty years old and you have never had a boyfriend,” Jessie exclaims.
Cringing inside, Chris feels the need to interrupt and correct her, but Josie is faster than her.
“That has nothing to do with my sexuality,” she starts. “Some people never date boys or people from other genders but are still attracted to them. There are lesbians who date boys before understanding the roles that heteronormativity tries to force them into.”
My love for this novella grew by a mile after this!!!
I also really appreciated when Chris talked about her studies and why she felt compelled to drop them.
“This conversation takes her back to when she had decided to drop out of school. She spent days crying, thinking that she was about to make the worst possible decision. But then right after she left, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She had never felt more relieved in her life than when she realized she would never need to go back to college.”
She literally described word by word how I felt in a similar situation. I'm still sending so much love and understanding her way.
Plus, I admired it even more when Josie's passion could be felt off the page. She's such an inspiring, uplifting and encouraging character (and partner).
“Ballet is actually my main passion and what drives me in life,” she explains. “The ballet world is still a privileged white one; it is fully of petty behavior. So what I want to do is to open my own school one day. That way I could teach young girls in a different way, a more inclusive way per se.”
“That’s a nice dream to have,” Chris replies.
“When you grow up hearing that you are not tall enough, not skinny enough, not white enough, you always wonder about how the world would be if you didn’t need to conform to all these ridiculous standards. At some point in their lives, everyone has thought like that.”
If you're looking for a swift but important read, please consider picking up this novella!
4/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Melody of You and Me, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with http://Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
The Melody of You and Me tells the story of Christine “Chris” Morrison falling in love with her sweet and energetic bookstore coworker, Josalie “Josie” T. Navarro. It's a wonderful tale that includes discussions of:
• the “But what do you want to do with your life” dilemma.
• the aftermaths of emotional abuse in relationships.
• the whiteness of ballet (Josie's passion).
• and a wonderfully budding romance where the two girls hang out and introduce each other to their passions, whether that be gay movies or literature, pizza, fictional crushes, music... this novella has it all.
“She wishes they could stay like this forever.
Just the two of them; telling stories and sharing secrets without a care in the world.”
It also features a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, including black and brown characters, LGBTQIA+ rep, etc. And I can't stop praising the author for making the ensemble devoid of cis men —with the exception of one minor appearance— there are virtually no white or straight people, which, thank you. To quote Radio Silence, “I think everyone’s a bit bored with boy-girl romances anyway,” he said. “I think the world’s had enough of those, to be honest.”
And not only where the two main characters fully developed, we get to see the side characters have a nice story arc throughout. I especially loved their coworker with the pink hair, Lily Ferrari. She's funny as hell and also the mom friend of the group, similar to yours truly.
“Sometimes, Chris forgets that Lily is only nineteen; she often acts like an old lady.”
So you can picture my excitement when I found out that the sequel to this novella is told from Lily's point of view. My day was pretty much made 100% better.
And while I'm on a roll about the positives, this next piece of dialogue of Josie coming out to her sister remains so damn valuable.
“You knew?” Josie sounds incredulous.
“Oh my God. Yeah, of course I knew. You are twenty years old and you have never had a boyfriend,” Jessie exclaims.
Cringing inside, Chris feels the need to interrupt and correct her, but Josie is faster than her.
“That has nothing to do with my sexuality,” she starts. “Some people never date boys or people from other genders but are still attracted to them. There are lesbians who date boys before understanding the roles that heteronormativity tries to force them into.”
My love for this novella grew by a mile after this!!!
I also really appreciated when Chris talked about her studies and why she felt compelled to drop them.
“This conversation takes her back to when she had decided to drop out of school. She spent days crying, thinking that she was about to make the worst possible decision. But then right after she left, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She had never felt more relieved in her life than when she realized she would never need to go back to college.”
She literally described word by word how I felt in a similar situation. I'm still sending so much love and understanding her way.
Plus, I admired it even more when Josie's passion could be felt off the page. She's such an inspiring, uplifting and encouraging character (and partner).
“Ballet is actually my main passion and what drives me in life,” she explains. “The ballet world is still a privileged white one; it is fully of petty behavior. So what I want to do is to open my own school one day. That way I could teach young girls in a different way, a more inclusive way per se.”
“That’s a nice dream to have,” Chris replies.
“When you grow up hearing that you are not tall enough, not skinny enough, not white enough, you always wonder about how the world would be if you didn’t need to conform to all these ridiculous standards. At some point in their lives, everyone has thought like that.”
If you're looking for a swift but important read, please consider picking up this novella!
4/5 stars
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Melody of You and Me, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with http://Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
June 22, 2017
I really wanted to love this, and I think it had a lot of great elements like openness about masturbation for women, general sex positivity, good supporting cast of queer characters, discussions about college not necessarily being for everyone, and plenty of queer characters of color. The main character was pansexual, the love interest was Filipino and a lesbian. There was a lot of good here in terms of characters and concepts. There was even a whole thing about the ballet world being incredibly white, which is always nice to see called out. But I couldn't get past the writing, which I just felt was really weak.
So much of this book was spent spelling out every possible thing for the reader. And I also thought a lot of the dialogue was really stilted, going from awkward to just plain unbelievable. The writing just made it hard to fall in love with the characters, or to get too deeply involved in the romance which felt so fast it seemed like it passed in a blur. While I appreciate a ton of what this novella was trying to do, the writing just made it a miss for me.
So much of this book was spent spelling out every possible thing for the reader. And I also thought a lot of the dialogue was really stilted, going from awkward to just plain unbelievable. The writing just made it hard to fall in love with the characters, or to get too deeply involved in the romance which felt so fast it seemed like it passed in a blur. While I appreciate a ton of what this novella was trying to do, the writing just made it a miss for me.
January 24, 2021
❝For every lonely girl out there in the world. May you find yourself in the pages of a book.❞
The Melody of You and Me hit me on so many levels. As a pansexual person, I feel seen. I feel validated.
I've been reading books since I was very young, and this is the first time a part of my identity has been represented in a book I've read. This is why representation matters; and the reason why diverse books, especially Own Voices, are important.
What I really liked about the pansexual rep is the fact that Chris doesn't need to explain herself or her sexuality. The scene in which Chris says "I'm pansexual" isn't a big deal. Josie gets her: she doesn't doubt or question Chris' sexuality in any way. I really enjoyed the way in which the author mentioned and incorporated Chris' sexuality into the story.
The romance is kind-of cliché, but then again what love story doesn't have any cliché elements in it? I couldn't help but smile when Chris and Josie gradually grew closer together.
Everything about this novella is wonderful, however, if I had to name a flaw, it would be the writing. The writing is a bit stilted at times, but in general it was alright.
Overall, The Melody of You and Me is a lovely novella. It's quite short, but honestly I wouldn't want it any other way—I think it's the perfect length!
:: pansexual main character & lesbian Filipina love interest
July 10, 2017
This was mega cute. Not my favorite thing that I've ever read, but I'm excited to carry on in the series! I need more F/F new adult in my life.
May 29, 2017
Well, well, well, that was adorable. Not amazingly WOW, but good.
I liked the character of Chris - SHE'S PANSEXUAL *heart eyes*, she embodies the millennials : encouraged to go to uni right after graduating from High School, even though she has no idea what she wants to do with her life, to then decide college isn't for her.
Why is it unacceptable to take a little time to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life ?
Because some people are simply not made to go to college, and it's freaking okay. You don't have to go to college to have a good life.
They never gave her any chance to explain how suffocating she was feeling going to classes.
But you also don't have to be friend with people who hurt you, people who suffocated you, people who gave no shit if you were happy or not. You don't have to be friend with someone just to please them.
Besides, why should she allow someone who consistently used to make her feel bad about herself back into her life ?
Then we have Josie, cute bookworm who sees life as something amazing to experience. And when her sister tells her she already knew she's gay because "you never dated a boy", it takes her something like a second to answer : “There are lesbians who date boys before understanding the roles that heteronormativity tries to force them into.” YOU GO GIRL I'M SO PROUD. She takes shit from no one, and she dares to dream big.
“When you grow up hearing that you are not tall enough, not skinny enough, not white enough, you always wonder about how the world would be if you didn't need to conform to all these ridiculous standards.”
This book is also feminist af and asks our society why girls should be ashamed of their body and its desires ?
"After all, everyone knows that boys can't live without sex so it's more acceptable that they touch themselves. But girls supposedly don't have to think about their libido." "What's wrong with figuring out what your body likes or doesn't like ?" "There isn't anything wrong with masturbation. In fact, she has always been a firm believer that it should be something people talked about more freely."
So YES, I liked this book and I highly recommend it. It's super short so you have absolutely no excuse.
3.75
I liked the character of Chris - SHE'S PANSEXUAL *heart eyes*, she embodies the millennials : encouraged to go to uni right after graduating from High School, even though she has no idea what she wants to do with her life, to then decide college isn't for her.
Why is it unacceptable to take a little time to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life ?
Because some people are simply not made to go to college, and it's freaking okay. You don't have to go to college to have a good life.
They never gave her any chance to explain how suffocating she was feeling going to classes.
But you also don't have to be friend with people who hurt you, people who suffocated you, people who gave no shit if you were happy or not. You don't have to be friend with someone just to please them.
Besides, why should she allow someone who consistently used to make her feel bad about herself back into her life ?
Then we have Josie, cute bookworm who sees life as something amazing to experience. And when her sister tells her she already knew she's gay because "you never dated a boy", it takes her something like a second to answer : “There are lesbians who date boys before understanding the roles that heteronormativity tries to force them into.” YOU GO GIRL I'M SO PROUD. She takes shit from no one, and she dares to dream big.
“When you grow up hearing that you are not tall enough, not skinny enough, not white enough, you always wonder about how the world would be if you didn't need to conform to all these ridiculous standards.”
This book is also feminist af and asks our society why girls should be ashamed of their body and its desires ?
"After all, everyone knows that boys can't live without sex so it's more acceptable that they touch themselves. But girls supposedly don't have to think about their libido." "What's wrong with figuring out what your body likes or doesn't like ?" "There isn't anything wrong with masturbation. In fact, she has always been a firm believer that it should be something people talked about more freely."
So YES, I liked this book and I highly recommend it. It's super short so you have absolutely no excuse.
3.75
January 2, 2018
"She wishes they could stay like this forever. Just the two of them; telling stories and sharing secrets without a care in the world."
I found this book so very cute! This is a novella romance about two girls who work together at a bookstore and the romantic element definitely had all the mushy gooey I-feel-warm-inside feelings that make romances gret
I also think representation and discussion was done so well in this book. The main character Chris is pansexual and the love interest Josie is Filipino and lesbian. The Melody of You and Me focusses on female sex positivity, queer experiences and also the young adult experience of being pressured into finding a partner/career/degree to follow.
I think all the above elements were really well done, and it was so nice to see that all in one short book. I especially liked the part when the lesbian character points out who people have relationships with in the past has little to do with their sexuality now, and also the discussions around university. I also really liked that the characters had hobbies and passions - reading, ballet, music, art, history, all play into these characters and what they're doing in the novella.
But I did have some issues with the characters. I found them a little too basic - and even though it's a novella and I understand there isn't as much length, I still think the characters could have been more fleshed out. I also thought that the romance was so insta-lovey. The three week period ending in "i love you", and one character calling the other her girlfriend with no discussion around it felt ... weird.
I think this would have been better if it didn't go into girlfriend/love territory, and instead had just ended on the two deciding to start properly dating or something? I don't know thats just personal preference.
Writing wise, I didn't seem to have the big issue many others did. I did find some interactions a bit awkward maybe, but overall this was a quick read for me and the writing was a non-issue. For me it just flowed without me noticing anything particular about it, good or bad.
Overall this is a very cute novella, and such a quick easy read which I appreciated. I really enjoyed the Issues aspect of it and thought it's depiction of queer relationships and experiences was well done. It hit some really good, important discussion points that are so important. For me, I was just let down by some of the tropey/cliche elements that came into play. 3.5 stars in total!
Read for SapphicAThon: Under 500 ratings on goodreads
December 4, 2017
I. Loved. This. So. Much. The Melody of You and Me is one of the cutest f/f romances I’ve ever read, plus it’s set in a bookstore, so what’s not to like? And even though the novella is only about 100 pages, I felt very connected to the characters, and was incredibly invested in the romance.
Just in case I haven’t convinced you to read it yet, let me sum up some other reasons why you should read it: the MC is pansexual, there’s a Filipino lesbian love interest, and it’s very sex positive. This is definitely one of those books I will return to when I'm feeling down, because I know reading this will make me feel incredibly happy.
Just in case I haven’t convinced you to read it yet, let me sum up some other reasons why you should read it: the MC is pansexual, there’s a Filipino lesbian love interest, and it’s very sex positive. This is definitely one of those books I will return to when I'm feeling down, because I know reading this will make me feel incredibly happy.
April 20, 2020
Once upon a time, I beta read The Melody of You and Me.
This book would stir your soul with subtle wisdom about life and being pansexual. Of course, there's also cute girls, sex, and romance. It is a giant GAY story. We truly need to see more sapphic bookworms. Support your local girl gang and buy it on Amazon now.
This book would stir your soul with subtle wisdom about life and being pansexual. Of course, there's also cute girls, sex, and romance. It is a giant GAY story. We truly need to see more sapphic bookworms. Support your local girl gang and buy it on Amazon now.
March 2, 2017
⁓ review also posted on my Wordpress! ⁓ spoiler-free review! ⁓
It has probably been over a year since I've read a New Adult novel. I wasn't aware that The Melody of You and Me is New Adult before I picked it up, but it has convinced me that I should pick up the genre more often, because this was a lot of fun!
Like I've said, The Melody of You and Me is definitely New Adult. There are some explicit sex scenes, but that was a good thing. We need to read more about sex-positive women. Furthermore, female masturbation is normalised.
Even though this is only a novella, it discussed some important topics, such as the concept of 'coming out', pansexuality, racism, etc. I very much appreciated this, even though it was only briefly.
Personally, however, I wish the main character Chris explained why she identifies as pan instead of bi. Because I can't decide how to label myself, and I had hoped this book could've helped me with that. Unfortunately, it didn't, but that doesn't mean the representation is any less meaningful.
Anyway, so besides our main character who is pan, the vast majority of the female side characters are also queer. On top of that, Chris' roommate is Cuban-American and Josie is of Filipino descent. And as far as I can remember, there were no male characters in this book, which didn't bother me at all!
It always bothers me when someone comes out and the other person reacts with "Oh, of course I knew", but I couldn't put into words why it irked me so much. And this book finally did!
Because this was a novella, everything developed a bit fast and was predictable, but that's only normal when you have to tell an entire story within 100 pages.
Even though this isn't written by a pansexual author, I am still going to consider this 'pansexual own voices' for Diversity Bingo 2017. The author explains here why this book is still worth reading, even though it isn't own voices!
conclusion: The Melody of You and Me is a very enjoyable and diverse read: almost all the characters are queer and some of the side-characters are people of colour. I definitely want to read more novellas like this one in the future!
It has probably been over a year since I've read a New Adult novel. I wasn't aware that The Melody of You and Me is New Adult before I picked it up, but it has convinced me that I should pick up the genre more often, because this was a lot of fun!
Like I've said, The Melody of You and Me is definitely New Adult. There are some explicit sex scenes, but that was a good thing. We need to read more about sex-positive women. Furthermore, female masturbation is normalised.
Even though this is only a novella, it discussed some important topics, such as the concept of 'coming out', pansexuality, racism, etc. I very much appreciated this, even though it was only briefly.
Personally, however, I wish the main character Chris explained why she identifies as pan instead of bi. Because I can't decide how to label myself, and I had hoped this book could've helped me with that. Unfortunately, it didn't, but that doesn't mean the representation is any less meaningful.
Anyway, so besides our main character who is pan, the vast majority of the female side characters are also queer. On top of that, Chris' roommate is Cuban-American and Josie is of Filipino descent. And as far as I can remember, there were no male characters in this book, which didn't bother me at all!
It always bothers me when someone comes out and the other person reacts with "Oh, of course I knew", but I couldn't put into words why it irked me so much. And this book finally did!
“You knew?” Josie sounds incredulous.
“Oh my God. Yeah, of course I knew. You are twenty years old, and you have never had a boyfriend,” Jessie exclaims.
Cringing inside, Chris feels the need to interrupt and correct her, but Josie is faster than her. “That has nothing to do with my sexuality,” she starts. “Some people never date boys or people from other genders but are still attracted to them. There are lesbians who date boys before understanding the roles that heteronormativity tries to force them into.”
Because this was a novella, everything developed a bit fast and was predictable, but that's only normal when you have to tell an entire story within 100 pages.
Even though this isn't written by a pansexual author, I am still going to consider this 'pansexual own voices' for Diversity Bingo 2017. The author explains here why this book is still worth reading, even though it isn't own voices!
conclusion: The Melody of You and Me is a very enjoyable and diverse read: almost all the characters are queer and some of the side-characters are people of colour. I definitely want to read more novellas like this one in the future!
May 2, 2017
I wrote this novella and I can guarantee it is adorable and gay :)
EDIT: You can buy the ebook on Amazon or read it from free with Kindle Unlimited!
Paperback copies available:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-You-Me-...
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/6597377
BookDepo: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Me...
EDIT: You can buy the ebook on Amazon or read it from free with Kindle Unlimited!
Paperback copies available:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-You-Me-...
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/6597377
BookDepo: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Me...
February 7, 2017
2.5 stars.
This is a pretty adorable new adult book. Chris is in her early 20s and has dropped out of college because half way through, she realised that she didn't know if she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing what she was studying. But she has no idea what she DOES want to do. So she's working in a bookstore until she works it out. She's also pansexual and her girlfriend broke up with her because of the whole I-dunno-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life thing.
Then a girl named Josie starts working at the bookstore. She's Filipino and a lesbian and a ballet dancer. Sparks fly, and the relationship that develops is generally adorable.
So if I was basing this on the story alone, it would be a solid 4 star book.
However. The writing was so awful. Like, really really clunky. The dialogue was stilted and robotic. There are almost no contractions. Most of the sentences are a similar length. Do you see how this is starting to get bland? Now repeat that for one hundred pages.
So yeah. The plot was pretty great, and I would have liked to see it play out over the course of a full length novel. But the writing was terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible.
This is a pretty adorable new adult book. Chris is in her early 20s and has dropped out of college because half way through, she realised that she didn't know if she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing what she was studying. But she has no idea what she DOES want to do. So she's working in a bookstore until she works it out. She's also pansexual and her girlfriend broke up with her because of the whole I-dunno-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life thing.
Then a girl named Josie starts working at the bookstore. She's Filipino and a lesbian and a ballet dancer. Sparks fly, and the relationship that develops is generally adorable.
So if I was basing this on the story alone, it would be a solid 4 star book.
However. The writing was so awful. Like, really really clunky. The dialogue was stilted and robotic. There are almost no contractions. Most of the sentences are a similar length. Do you see how this is starting to get bland? Now repeat that for one hundred pages.
So yeah. The plot was pretty great, and I would have liked to see it play out over the course of a full length novel. But the writing was terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible.
September 16, 2016
GUYS THERE'S MORE FROM LILY'S POV?! WHAT DID WE DO TO BE SO BLESSED?!?!
February 26, 2017
All of the stars!!! I have so many feels right now ❤
December 18, 2017
This was fun and cute and a light read while also touching many different important themes!
*Book 4 read for sapphicathon*
*Book 4 read for sapphicathon*
September 1, 2016
This is the very first ARC I received and reviewed for, and I'm so happy that the author trusts me enough to review both the first draft and the ARC!
If you're into really cute and simple story lines but with very serious issues to be tackled with, then you should definitely read this book. Please take note that this is a lesbian romance themed book, and I was a bit shocked when I first read it because I haven't read any FF books. I definitely need to widen my readings lol. I also loved how the characters are so different from each other, but together, they're totally adorable! And Josie is a Filipino - like me!! I can relate with her sooo much because of the culture and her love for books, and I related to Chris more by being an introvert.
Cuteness overload! It wasn't a disappointment!
If you're into really cute and simple story lines but with very serious issues to be tackled with, then you should definitely read this book. Please take note that this is a lesbian romance themed book, and I was a bit shocked when I first read it because I haven't read any FF books. I definitely need to widen my readings lol. I also loved how the characters are so different from each other, but together, they're totally adorable! And Josie is a Filipino - like me!! I can relate with her sooo much because of the culture and her love for books, and I related to Chris more by being an introvert.
Cuteness overload! It wasn't a disappointment!
March 15, 2017
kiss all the pizza, eat all the girls
This novella is the sweetest thing! Pansexual girl Chris works in the bookstore and her new collegue is lesbian Filipino girl Josie, the romance ensues. I had such a wonderful time reading the novella. It's a debut for M. Hollis, a very strong debut I must add! The writing is good, I like the pacing and the general mood of the story. The novella is absolutely romance driven, but I appreciate the importance of friendship and family to the story, as well. The romance develops naturally, making all the sense in the world and totally adorable.
Happy read for all our sapphic books neads! Highly recommend!
P.S.:this is a lgbt+ NA novella so there are several steamy explicit scenes. (very good-written scenes *wink wink*)
This novella is the sweetest thing! Pansexual girl Chris works in the bookstore and her new collegue is lesbian Filipino girl Josie, the romance ensues. I had such a wonderful time reading the novella. It's a debut for M. Hollis, a very strong debut I must add! The writing is good, I like the pacing and the general mood of the story. The novella is absolutely romance driven, but I appreciate the importance of friendship and family to the story, as well. The romance develops naturally, making all the sense in the world and totally adorable.
Happy read for all our sapphic books neads! Highly recommend!
P.S.:this is a lgbt+ NA novella so there are several steamy explicit scenes. (very good-written scenes *wink wink*)
June 15, 2017
Oh, this is such a cute and sweet NA novella starring a pansexual girl!
I'd heard such great things about this one from a lot of friends, and honestly, I wanted to like it more, but I think it's a book that works for some people and not for others. I would recommend it for wonderful pan rep, which is such a rarity.
I wasn't a fan of the writing style at all, and that really detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I'm glad I read it, for sure. But it isn't a favorite.
I'd heard such great things about this one from a lot of friends, and honestly, I wanted to like it more, but I think it's a book that works for some people and not for others. I would recommend it for wonderful pan rep, which is such a rarity.
I wasn't a fan of the writing style at all, and that really detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Overall, I'm glad I read it, for sure. But it isn't a favorite.
January 2, 2017
// so cute, so precious, so fun
The Melody of You and Me is really just as great as anyone tells you it is. The main characters work at a bookstore and we have pansexual rep + lesbian rep (the mc is pansexual and the love interest is lesbian) AND the love interest is Filipino!!! yaaaas ~ it isn't angsty, it's just fun and cuteness all around to be honest. It's a great novella, it's short but you have such a good time reading it. I recommend everyone to pick it up!!!
The Melody of You and Me is really just as great as anyone tells you it is. The main characters work at a bookstore and we have pansexual rep + lesbian rep (the mc is pansexual and the love interest is lesbian) AND the love interest is Filipino!!! yaaaas ~ it isn't angsty, it's just fun and cuteness all around to be honest. It's a great novella, it's short but you have such a good time reading it. I recommend everyone to pick it up!!!
September 19, 2016
I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW CUTE THIS WAS!!!!!! CUTE GIRLS FALLING IN LOVE!!!! MUSIC!!!! BOOK STORES!!!!
The whole thing resonated a lot with me. I could see myself in every character, connect to every struggle. It had some amazing really important dialogues and it was beautifully diverse.
Full review to come.
The whole thing resonated a lot with me. I could see myself in every character, connect to every struggle. It had some amazing really important dialogues and it was beautifully diverse.
Full review to come.
June 21, 2017
- IMPORTANT
- cute f/f romance
- pansexual mfc
- Filipino love interest
- bookstore setting
- present tense
- choppy sentences
- cute f/f romance
- pansexual mfc
- Filipino love interest
- bookstore setting
- present tense
- choppy sentences
December 21, 2019
The writing wasn't my thing at times, but the romance was
June 16, 2017
this was such a cute wlw with so much important representation!! it was so good seeing a pan mc and being able to see myself in a book. there were so many good discussions on young people being pressured to know what they want to do for the rest of their life. their was f/f sex positivity and sex positivity in general. it's the only NA i've ever considered reading.
i hate criticising writing bc i can't write at all, but it's definitely not perfect. there was some instalove and some tropes/cliches, but pls don't let that or my 3 star rating deter you!!! if i did half ratings this would honestly almost be a 4.
this is such a fun, adorable book that's perfect for a quick read. i especially recommend it if in you're a slump or have been reading a lot of heavy/dense books.
i hate criticising writing bc i can't write at all, but it's definitely not perfect. there was some instalove and some tropes/cliches, but pls don't let that or my 3 star rating deter you!!! if i did half ratings this would honestly almost be a 4.
this is such a fun, adorable book that's perfect for a quick read. i especially recommend it if in you're a slump or have been reading a lot of heavy/dense books.
March 14, 2017
2.5 stars!
Ugh it kills me because I wanted to love this but it just fell so flat for me. Maybe it's because I don't like novellas but I just found everything so rushed and just too insta-love for me.
The writing was just too...choppy for me? The way it was worded and the grammar, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was saying what and to whom. Also it felt like I was being told so much of the story instead being shown it. I honestly feel like the writing could've been so much better if there was more editing and rewriting. But again, that's just me.
I loved the diversity in this book! It's one of the main reasons I wanted to read it in the first place. The heroine is pansexual, her love interest is Filipino and lesbian and her friends and roommate are just as diverse and wonderful. I liked the characters, they weren't bad at all. I would've liked getting to know them more and I wish this was longer because I feel like if it was a full length novel it would leave more space to see their relationship grow naturally and also get to know more about who these characters were and their interest, lives, etc.
Overall it was a cute read but was a bit disappointing and didn't quite live up to my expectations. Still it's a very short read so if you have a few free hours you might want to give this book a chance.
Ugh it kills me because I wanted to love this but it just fell so flat for me. Maybe it's because I don't like novellas but I just found everything so rushed and just too insta-love for me.
The writing was just too...choppy for me? The way it was worded and the grammar, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was saying what and to whom. Also it felt like I was being told so much of the story instead being shown it. I honestly feel like the writing could've been so much better if there was more editing and rewriting. But again, that's just me.
I loved the diversity in this book! It's one of the main reasons I wanted to read it in the first place. The heroine is pansexual, her love interest is Filipino and lesbian and her friends and roommate are just as diverse and wonderful. I liked the characters, they weren't bad at all. I would've liked getting to know them more and I wish this was longer because I feel like if it was a full length novel it would leave more space to see their relationship grow naturally and also get to know more about who these characters were and their interest, lives, etc.
Overall it was a cute read but was a bit disappointing and didn't quite live up to my expectations. Still it's a very short read so if you have a few free hours you might want to give this book a chance.
April 18, 2019
3.5
Short and sweet. Loved the writing and I enjoyed Chris and Josie and their relationship as much as I could in 140 pages.
Short and sweet. Loved the writing and I enjoyed Chris and Josie and their relationship as much as I could in 140 pages.
June 23, 2018
#2 The Paths We Choose ★★★★☆
absolutely adorable but the writing was so clunky
October 19, 2016
I can’t imagine a universe where The Melody of You and Me doesn't get all the 5 cake slices (or as mundane people call it, stars) in the world, just for being absolutely fantastic. This story blew me away, in the best way possible. It’s funny, it’s cute and it explores so many topics that so many people just like to ignore instead of face head on. The Melody of You and Me is about two girls, Chris and Josie, who fall in love over time spent working together in a bookstore. Their story will make your heart swell with love and will have you flailing in your bed, making weird facial expression, from fangirling over how amazingly cute it is. Don’t doubt this for a single second, that’s just the way it is.
As if the love story isn’t enough to make me fall in love with this book, there’s also all the fandom references. Don’t even get me started on the fact that these two girls just randomly mention all of my favorite books, and all the books I want to read. I loved it so much, it made me want to scream a little bit.
However, if we move on to the more serious topics this book tackles then you can really see how important and impactful The Melody of You and Me really is. The truth is that this book really hit me hard. It had me crying because the main character Chris’ story is so damn similar to mine, it’s almost surreal. Chris studied Computer Science at University for two years, for everyone else but herself, until she finally dropped out.
If you’re young and insecure about your life choices, your career and your dreams then this book will speak to you on a spiritual level. The truth is that society forces us to choose our entire lives when we’re so young, without always giving us the right tools and advice to make the right choice. This all while also pushing the idea that the safer option is better than our one true passion. Chris’ story makes me feel less alone, she makes me feel like it is okay to just take a step back and figure out where I want to be and where I want to go. I want everyone to read this story and experience that liberation too. It's okay to be in your 20s and be absolutely unsure about where your life is headed.
I feel like there are so many amazing things to be said about The Melody of You and Me, I could go on all night, and the world be damned if I won’t go on about this book until the end of time to be honest. This book is diverse and inclusive, the majority of characters in The Melody of You and Me are in the LGBT community and the love interest is Filipino. Another thing we see is that Chris and Josie have different sexualities and that the author also raises the topic of how someone’s experiences has nothing to with their sexuality. All of that was handled really well in my eyes.
I’m so incredibly thankful The Melody of You and Me exists and that I got to read it. I love how it shows two girls of two different, but equally valid sexualities, fall in love and I love how it shows us that we can be unsure about our lives, and that dreams can take time, but no matter what we should always do what feels right in our hearts. This cute and short book about a beautiful interracial couple is one you don’t want to miss out on, get it on your radar and read it when it comes out. I have no doubt you’ll love it as much I do.
“Realizing that she is being watched, her eyes rise to meet Chris’s stare. The way the sun coming from the windows reflects on her face, makes her brown eyes shine even brighter, with golden flicks around her iris.
She is stunning.”
As if the love story isn’t enough to make me fall in love with this book, there’s also all the fandom references. Don’t even get me started on the fact that these two girls just randomly mention all of my favorite books, and all the books I want to read. I loved it so much, it made me want to scream a little bit.
“Chris disagree to a great extent; she likes working with the books. Sometimes the right one can change somebody’s life, and she loves being a part of that journey.”
However, if we move on to the more serious topics this book tackles then you can really see how important and impactful The Melody of You and Me really is. The truth is that this book really hit me hard. It had me crying because the main character Chris’ story is so damn similar to mine, it’s almost surreal. Chris studied Computer Science at University for two years, for everyone else but herself, until she finally dropped out.
If you’re young and insecure about your life choices, your career and your dreams then this book will speak to you on a spiritual level. The truth is that society forces us to choose our entire lives when we’re so young, without always giving us the right tools and advice to make the right choice. This all while also pushing the idea that the safer option is better than our one true passion. Chris’ story makes me feel less alone, she makes me feel like it is okay to just take a step back and figure out where I want to be and where I want to go. I want everyone to read this story and experience that liberation too. It's okay to be in your 20s and be absolutely unsure about where your life is headed.
“Why do they never let young people stop to think? Why is it unacceptable to take a little time to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life?”
I feel like there are so many amazing things to be said about The Melody of You and Me, I could go on all night, and the world be damned if I won’t go on about this book until the end of time to be honest. This book is diverse and inclusive, the majority of characters in The Melody of You and Me are in the LGBT community and the love interest is Filipino. Another thing we see is that Chris and Josie have different sexualities and that the author also raises the topic of how someone’s experiences has nothing to with their sexuality. All of that was handled really well in my eyes.
I’m so incredibly thankful The Melody of You and Me exists and that I got to read it. I love how it shows two girls of two different, but equally valid sexualities, fall in love and I love how it shows us that we can be unsure about our lives, and that dreams can take time, but no matter what we should always do what feels right in our hearts. This cute and short book about a beautiful interracial couple is one you don’t want to miss out on, get it on your radar and read it when it comes out. I have no doubt you’ll love it as much I do.
February 16, 2019
A cute, LGBTQ novella. Pretty basic narrative, bit all in all soooo adorable.
June 20, 2017
Full review originally posted on my blog:
Word Wonders
Guys. I’m back on the NA bandwagon and enjoying myself immensely, The Melody of You and Me is one of the reasons why. I. LOVED. IT. As much as the second one in the series -which I read first, silly me- if not more. I promised myself I’d read this soon after the other one and the funny thing is that I started my month with The Paths we Choose and closed it with this one. I also read it at the perfect time, it was my little adorable -and somewhat steamy- escape for a night from the stress that has been my life in april. And I loved it all the more for that.
Since I read the books out of order, I am VERY confused as to what to put in this review (note to self: NEVER DO THAT AGAIN). Anyway, Hollis has a constant writing style that I think I can recognize now that I’ve read both her books, it has something that screams her name which I yet have to identify and it is good, it feels personal and I could feel the main character’s every emotion through it. That being said, it doesn’t mean that her characters’ voices are the same because it’s far from being the case, each one of them has a very different personality.
Chris goes through amazing development and what I loved most about that is that it wasn’t *because* of her newfound relationship with Josie, sure her romance was part of it but not the reason for it. At the beginning, she is lost, unsure of herself, of her life and what she wants to do next and I loved that, because it’s something we all go through at one point or another and the author showed how it is okay to feel that way and to take time to figure out what comes next. Or not at all. She LOVES music but never considered it as a serious career choice because it was such an intimate thing for her. And I sort of get it, even though I don’t play any sort of instrument, music is still a very personal and private part of me.
Josie is SO adorable. She’s so playful and flirty and that was SO GOOD. She made me smile so many times with just how straight forward with her attraction to Chris she is. She’s also a sweet, caring girl and very passionate about her ballet. Listen, I’ve said it times and times before, I love artsy girls, I just do. I liked how coming out was explored through her and how “I’ve always known” although coming from a good place isn’t the right answer because, ya know, a person’s sexuality isn’t written on their forehead.
The romance and I started very rocky just because the initial flirting was a bit rushed and out of the blue for me, so I thought to myself “Please let it be that the rest of it isn’t rushed” and IT WASN’T, the rest of it took the time it needed to develop and feel natural. And like, MUSICIAN MEETS BALLERINA? Can it get any better? No it can’t. Not in my book anyway. They were both passionate about different things but they related to each other in that way. Their relationship is very cute and gentle but also sexy, just saying. I really appreciated how sex positive The Melody of You and Me was (just like the other one). It’s very explicit with sex scenes and also includes masturbation.
The ending gave me the fuzzies because everything wrapped up so very nicely with a happy ending (well no really an ending since we see Chris and Josie in the next book) where everything was resolved including Chris’ relationship with her parents. Now gimme Hope and Karen’s story. Like seriously, I am in desperate need for the third book because the author writes F/F romances soooo freaking well. Read them. Just saying.
Guys. I’m back on the NA bandwagon and enjoying myself immensely, The Melody of You and Me is one of the reasons why. I. LOVED. IT. As much as the second one in the series -which I read first, silly me- if not more. I promised myself I’d read this soon after the other one and the funny thing is that I started my month with The Paths we Choose and closed it with this one. I also read it at the perfect time, it was my little adorable -and somewhat steamy- escape for a night from the stress that has been my life in april. And I loved it all the more for that.
Since I read the books out of order, I am VERY confused as to what to put in this review (note to self: NEVER DO THAT AGAIN). Anyway, Hollis has a constant writing style that I think I can recognize now that I’ve read both her books, it has something that screams her name which I yet have to identify and it is good, it feels personal and I could feel the main character’s every emotion through it. That being said, it doesn’t mean that her characters’ voices are the same because it’s far from being the case, each one of them has a very different personality.
Chris goes through amazing development and what I loved most about that is that it wasn’t *because* of her newfound relationship with Josie, sure her romance was part of it but not the reason for it. At the beginning, she is lost, unsure of herself, of her life and what she wants to do next and I loved that, because it’s something we all go through at one point or another and the author showed how it is okay to feel that way and to take time to figure out what comes next. Or not at all. She LOVES music but never considered it as a serious career choice because it was such an intimate thing for her. And I sort of get it, even though I don’t play any sort of instrument, music is still a very personal and private part of me.
Josie is SO adorable. She’s so playful and flirty and that was SO GOOD. She made me smile so many times with just how straight forward with her attraction to Chris she is. She’s also a sweet, caring girl and very passionate about her ballet. Listen, I’ve said it times and times before, I love artsy girls, I just do. I liked how coming out was explored through her and how “I’ve always known” although coming from a good place isn’t the right answer because, ya know, a person’s sexuality isn’t written on their forehead.
The romance and I started very rocky just because the initial flirting was a bit rushed and out of the blue for me, so I thought to myself “Please let it be that the rest of it isn’t rushed” and IT WASN’T, the rest of it took the time it needed to develop and feel natural. And like, MUSICIAN MEETS BALLERINA? Can it get any better? No it can’t. Not in my book anyway. They were both passionate about different things but they related to each other in that way. Their relationship is very cute and gentle but also sexy, just saying. I really appreciated how sex positive The Melody of You and Me was (just like the other one). It’s very explicit with sex scenes and also includes masturbation.
The ending gave me the fuzzies because everything wrapped up so very nicely with a happy ending (well no really an ending since we see Chris and Josie in the next book) where everything was resolved including Chris’ relationship with her parents. Now gimme Hope and Karen’s story. Like seriously, I am in desperate need for the third book because the author writes F/F romances soooo freaking well. Read them. Just saying.
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