I completely loved this book! The romance between the characters was well developed and was very touching and emotional. I have enjoyed it more than most NA/YA books I have read.
I really recommend it! 4.5/5

In Harmony is a YA novel written by Emma Scott. This is the first book that I have read from this author so far.

This was such a sweet romance novel, I would have read it straight if I didn't have anything else to do! It was heartbreaking and comforting all at the same time.

Willow Holloway has recently moved with her family from New York City to the quiet town of Harmony, Indiana. Along with her expensive wardrobe, shes brought along a dark secret that she has been carrying for some time now that has completely wrecked havoc on her emotional state. She meets Isaac at the school, the town's "bad boy" who lives the polar opposite lifestyle that she does. Isaac is older, quiet, constantly on the rumor mill and also a phenomenal actor that is often cast in all the plays at Harmony Community Theater. Willow can't help but be intrigued by his mystery and dark rumors that surround him and his father. Willow tries out for the next play, opposite of Isaac, and finds solace in acting when she realizes she is able to express her pain through her character.

I really liked the way the story went, both characters were very likable and the story line went at a great pace. I felt so many emotions while reading this book and felt that it was written in a way that I could connect with the characters and sense their raw emotions. Aside from the unfortunate things that happened to both characters, that unfortunately happen to a lot of people in real life, I felt it was a great read with a sweet ending!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

4 <b> Never doubt I love</b> Stars


<img src="http://img.picturequotes.com/2/46/45184/doubt-that-the-stars-are-fire-doubt-that-the-sun-doth-move-doubt-truth-to-be-a-liar-but-never-doubt-quote-1.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="description"/>
<b> Yes. Us dead people, we rest in graveyards </b>
<i> You’re not dead…I won’t let you die</i>
<b> Not all of me, but a part of me is dead and gone and I’ll never get it back. </b>

This story is about Willow who is broken on the inside and Isaac who is desperate to break free.
The two are both so lost in their own worlds and wishing they had a better reality. Their pain is palpable in this book.
You hurt for Willow for her pain, her suffering, her fear and her solitude and you hurt for the physical pain and emotional loss Isaac experiences in the book.
I don’t think both characters have ever been so perfectly display to me before where I could actually connect with our poor Romeo and Juliet .
Surprisingly I don’t quite care for Shakespeare but the plays chosen were exactly the strage needed to show the emotion this book needed to have. I was compoeltly surprised at how well it worked together since much of the book is lines from various plays.
What keeps this book from a 5 star to me is that is a crazy slow burn but whats you get over 50% into it you cant stop absorbing it. It is high on the drama for me and it did wrap up in a perfect little bow.. I did want more pain or something from this book.. but hey I cried like a little baby
<i> Never Doubt I love </i>

Act 2 Scene 2

--End Scene--

So I liked the beginning and middle of this book, but I really didn't like the ending. I think it should have ended earlier. I think it should have ended when Isaac returned and came to her cottage. I liked Willow and Isaac and their relationship. I liked how Harmony was good for Willow and I really liked the friends she made in Harmony, especially Angie. Angie and Isaac and Willow and Benny were very real and three-dimensional

But... SPOILER ALERT: the story shouldn't end with marriage and a baby on the way. Teen/YA stories that start in high school shouldn't end that way and I found it very disappointing, especially since both characters talked about how they wanted to get good educations, etc.

Sadly I postponed reading this book for a few months because the story just felt too heavy for me at the time. And of course this book completely broke me apart and put me back together in the most amazing way. Don't do like I did and put off reading this one because I now realize how much I needed Willow and Isaac in my life. Be prepared to read through tears but do yourself a favor and read this one now.

Willow is forced to a fresh start being forced to move senior year of high school. She welcomes this change because she's been recently bathed in darkness. With new friends, they drag her to the town play. And the moment she sees Isaac on stage something changes in her and give her a glimmer of light. After seeing the play, Willow auditions for the next town play. Where she's cast with Isaac. Here Isaac and Willow find something freeing being on the stage.

It becomes a cathartic process for them. But Isaac and Willow come from opposite sides of the track and things aren't always easy. Both need escaping from their lives but some just escape further than others.

~ Forgiveness is for the giver's peace, not the receiver's~

They both have many demons, but together they are whole.

"You can't lose me, Isaac," I said in a broken whisper. "You're my until. The one that makes it all better."

I quite liked this book. It dealt with issues of sexual abuse, loss, abandonment. It also had hope, friendship and love.

Super sweet story and I loved how we experienced Willow and Isaac's struggles with them. It was well written. Can't wait for more from this author.

4 stars!

You feel that? Yeah, that’s an Emma Scott slow burn. That’s the good stuff. THAT’S the stuff I love to read. The type of stuff that sucks the breath straight out of you and then flings it back into you when you’re not even expecting it. That’s this book.

I’m not typically a person who feels a lot of feelings when I’m reading but with In Harmony I had so many butterflies! They fluttered in my stomach and my chest throughout the WHOLE book. I worried I wouldn’t like it because of the whole theatre and Shakespeare elements but they really freakin WORKED. That took me by a huge surprise. Especially that I devoured it!

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT ANGIE? One of my most favorite things about a good book is the secondary characters. I love when an author makes a story revolve around not just one or two people but the people that surround them and influence and hold their hand and Emma slayed it. And don’t even get me started on Martin. We all need to be wishing we had some Martin in our lives.

“Someday, Willow, you might find yourself cast into darkness too. I hope that day never comes. If it does, it will be scary at first. But you will see your own brilliance. Your own strength. And you will shine.”

Besides completely stealing my breath- Emma did a fantastic job at sucking me into her story. The writing, the settings, and the feelings felt all too real for me and isn’t that what we all hope for as readers?

I loved it. In Harmony was a beautiful story filled with just enough angst and feels to keep me turning pages. Once I started I couldn’t put it down, not even for a second.

I was expecting a very different story from the one I found here, and I'm so glad for the story Emma Scott wrote.
Usually I get annoyed by the protagonists of NA romances, but Willow and Isaac stole my heart. I just really loved them and invested in this amazing love story they create. Emma Scott also brought really complex and and involving characters, turning this story into a great narrative about finding your own voice in a world that will do anything to silence it.
It had a very big impact on me and I wish every NA book would be so sensitive as In Harmony was with its delicate theme.
Emma Scott left the arquetypes very far from her main characters and I couldn't stop rooting for them.
It's the kind of book I would buy a copy for every friend of mine if I could. Really do recomend it.

This is the first book by Emma Scott I have read and I honestly can not wait to pick up another one by her books to read. I honestly couldn't book put this book.

I will start off by giving the warning that there is abuse in this book both physical and sexual in nature, as I know that this can be a sensitive topic for many. However it is in no way gratuitous, it is completely necessary for the story and handled respectfully.

The build up in the story made it almost impossible for me to put the book down and I found my self staying up late into the night just so I could find out what happened next. I laughed out loud in many parts and found myself genuinely caring about the characters Emma had built.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of In Harmony in exchange for an honest review.

So beautiful! This story captured me and I didn’t want to put it down! Emma Scott is always a must read author and I’m so grateful for the ARC! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher!!

"When confronted with yes or no, always choose yes."

Be still my heart... 💔 I've only very recently discovered Emma Scott, this being the second of her titles I've read. Well, I can now confirm, my love of the first was no fluke, she is amazingly talented. She touched me deeply, again. She not only wrote two beautifully broken main characters, but she also filled in the supporting roles to perfection. I laughed, I cried, I hated, I hurt and I loved, not necessarily in that order. I felt all the feels and then I added this title to my 'favorites' shelf.

Willow was already broken when I first met her. She was just a shell of her former self. It was painful to be in her head as she suffered and I wanted so desperately for someone to see her. It's like she was invisible, purposely so. She'd withdrawn into herself and stopped caring about everything. Her parents were so focused on themselves they didn't even notice. While most teenagers who were in their senior year of high school would raise hell and fight tooth and nail when forced to move away so close to graduation, she didn't. Hello. Red flag anyone? Yeah, I wanted to throw my Kindle at her parents, and you will too.

Then I met Isaac, and he'd been broken even longer than Willow. His pain was a way of life at that point. He's just existing. "I didn't live until I was on stage." And that's the only time he used his voice. He was the town's bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He's gorgeous and all the girls want him, but not to keep. They love to gossip about him and his family. He's a loner and doesn't bother trying to socialize. He just saves his pain for the stage and then he's transformed. His talent is undeniable and that just makes him more of a threat to the rich boys who's money can't compete when he's receiving standing ovations.

They are both just trying to survive unnoticed, but that's impossible. Especially when they see each other. They are drawn to each other but resistant to the attraction. When she decides to audition for a part in a play where he will most likely be cast as the lead that doesn't stop her. She's been warned away from him. But that doesn't stop her either. Their connection is intense and their future looks like the tragedy they are rehearsing. They are doomed. But tell that to their hearts. The hearts that they thought were dead but suddenly started beating again.

Willow learned from her grandmother at a very young age that every story has an 'until' and that was a very scary proposition for her. It's hard to hope when your dreams have been taken away. It's easy for others to say "it's never too late" but hard for those that can't see the light. On her first day of school in Harmony, Willow met Angie. She shined a little light into her world, and mine. I adore her. She's funny and sweet and exactly what Willow needs in her life if she'll let her in. I was highly amused by her hilarious graphic tees and I'll be shopping online later to see if I can find some of them.

This story spoke to my heart, touching places I wasn't expecting and soothing me with tears and laughter. Since turning that last page I can't stop replaying it in my mind, over and over like a favorite movie. It would be amazing on screen. I'm really looking forward to whatever the author has planned next. The line forms here...

4.5/5 - Act two, Scene two.

(ONE SPOILER AT THE VERY END OF THE REVIEW)

In Harmony is a gripping NA romance filled with beautiful Shakespeare quotes.

Seventeen-year-old Willow is carrying a secret, heavier than she can bear. It is weighing her down, both physically and mentally. She suffers from PTSD, and embraces the idea of moving to the small town of Harmony in Indiana when he Dad is relocated from New York.

Isaac Pearce, an acting prodigy, does not say much or express emotions outside of the local theater, where he is guaranteed a leading role in all plays due to his exceptional talent. To him, the theater is an escape from his home, where he lives in poverty and suffers physical abuse at the hand of his alcoholic father.

In an attempt to escape her life, and after being pressured by her father to take part in any activities, Willow decides to audition for the role of Ophelia, in Shakespeare's Hamlet. After keeping her emotions hidden for so long, Willow's emotions overflow through her acting, and she gets the part of Ophelia.

This story was so beautiful, and quite intense at times. I found it empowering and very relevant to our times. The author managed to covey both Willow and Isaac's emotions beautifully. I felt the love when they did, and couldn't stop the tears when they were in pain.

I have two minor things that I did not love about this book:
- The book cover is too happy, and takes away from the beauty of the struggles in the book.

(SPOILER!)
- For me, the ending could have been tweaked. I appreciated the happy ending, but it was done in a way that gave fairy-tale, "and they lived happily every after" vibes. I would have preferred it had the Epilogue been written differently.

*NetGalley provided me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.*

Another strong, well built and engaging story of Emma Scott and this time she managed to get all the tension from Hamlet to her work.
Willow holds within herself a deep pain and a moment that has devastated her life and is eager to start again in the small town of Harmony.
Isaac had a life of physical and emotional deprivation and suffering. When faced with the suffering soul of Willow, he realizes that the girl has a scar hidden under her beautiful and angelic face.
Thanks to Hamlet, both managed to release their voices to the world and to get deeply involved.
A beautiful, romantic, harrowing and exciting love story. Every detail was perfectly fitted to bring a unique plot. So So In love !

I just really really really loved this book. The characters were interesting and well-written. Willow had a lot of baggage, and Isaac had quite the reputation. I want more - more from Emma Scott, and more Willow and Isaac.

<b>TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual Assault, homophobia </b>

This book follows Willow who is working through the trauma of rape. Her family moves to a new town and she meets Isaac. Isaac is a quiet “bad boy” who loves theater. They bond after being cast as Ophelia and Hamlet. While this book wasn’t the best book I’ve read in the topic of rape, I did enjoy it. The romance was sweet and well paced.

Side note: Isaac’s dad makes several homophobic comments when talking to Isaac about acting.

Wow. This book. I am so happy that I was able to get a review copy of this novel from the publisher and author. Every once and a while a book comes around that completely knocks me off my feet, and gives me a serious book hangover. That is this book. It follows Willow, a seventeen year old girl who after being raped, moves to small-town Indiana. At the beginning of this novel, Willow is lifeless. She has completely lost herself, and has given up on all dreams she had before “X”. She wasn’t interested in making friends, or getting involved in any school activities, but after going to a community theatre play on a whim with a girl from class, she was entranced by the lead actor Issac. Slowly, Willow started coming back to herself, and it wasn’t until she opened up to Issac and her friend Angie, that she truly started healing. I was rooting for Issac and Willow to fall in love from that first play, and they did. Unfortunately, my heart was ripped out of my chest right along theirs when Willows father forced her to stop seeing Issac, and move to Canada. There is a little bit of a time jump after this, and it shows Willow three years later living on her own in Harmony. She has finally found herself, but is still missing Issac. He is a movie actor in Hollywood now, and they haven’t spoken in three years. Part of me hated this time jump because I felt like there was so much lost in those years, but after finishing the story I understand now that it was integral to the plot and the growth of Willow. Now that she had told her story, she needed to find herself for her, and not worry about someone else’s feelings in the mix. Overall, this was an amazing story, one that needs to be shouted from the rooftops, because I feel it is a true depiction of the aftermath of rape in a woman, and how it’s possible for someone to move forward from it.

This was such an emotional read but it was beautiful. Issac and Willow have so much pain and torment from their past and families but they meet during a play and become friends then more so much more. Then life and Willow's dad tear them apart because he threatens the unthinkable so Willow sacrifices her love for Issac so he will have a chance to do what he needs and wants to do. Three years go by Willow doesn't hear anything from Issac and has no way to contact him and that is the way he wanted it but her love is still there and he may be rich and famous now but he still loves her too. There is so much up and downs, heart ache and love its a rollercoaster ride for sure but the author is brilliant and writes about sensitive issues and love and loss so beautifully. I highly recommend.

Willow and Isaac. Apparently so different. But not really. They both have difficult lives. They both have scars in their souls.
Willow moves to Indiana due to her father's job. She is glad. Even if the change is huge. She used to live in New York. And now she is in a small town. But it's ok. It's far from the tragedy she lived in her old house.
And Isaac, who finds a scape being an actor. A scape from his dirty trailer, his drunk and abusive father. A life with no money.
I loved this book. Seriously, I LOVED it. The characters are all perfect. The way they find peace in a small theatre. And I love the topics Emma Scott talks about in this book.:
How most people stay silent if the tragedy belongs to others. How us, women, have lived in a society ruled by stupid obligations and rules and nobody realised (or said nothing) because it was normal.
How no means no. And if you don't say no but you don't say yes, it's still no.
How society blames the victim instead of the aggressor. And the victim just let it go because she feels it's not worth it. Nobody will believe her...
Sadly,very common nowadays.
Please, read this book. It is one of the best I have read this year. As usual, this writer has fascinated me.

Emma Scott is hands down one of my favorite writers. Her books are so deep and always leaves me with a huge book hangover. In Harmony did just that! I am like a week out from finishing this book and I am still thinking about The characters and hope everyone is doing good...... 😳 I do know this book is fiction but the way Emma writes her characters them become so much more than just names on a page.

In Harmony is a must read and while on amazon grab everything Emma has ever written before.... you will thank me

I both loved and hated this book-but my review was going to be harsher, but my friend, and fellow blogger, told me Emma’s (recently?) deceased daughter’s birthday was coming up right after I was about to write a review and it both saddened and knocked the wind out of me. I have a daughter, too, and I cannot imagine that pain. I won’t be writing a review for this title because I feel it would be tasteless. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.