Received this novel as a preview copy. I am not sure if I would have picked this up off a bookshelf at a book store. Not sure why, but I wanted to be honest about that.

The first chapter was a fraught with wanting to give the book up versus moving on more. I stopped reading it for a week. I then skipped the second chapter and went to the third. That helped for me.

Dense with characters and situations it was while reading was too much for me. The main character is a musician named Circus. His love life is one for sure. I felt badly for each and everyone one of his relationships. This was what made the difficult decision for me to not really like this book. These were strong women taken by Circus. It made me really sad.

The author’s lyrical and musical writing was beautiful. So there is that.

This was a complicated read and not easy for me, but I did finish it. Complex relationships (some very messy) and a complicated list of characters to follow made this a read that I had to force myself to read and complete.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to read this book. I am always very interested to see what creative authors who have completed writing programs like Ms Wardell have put out as debut novels (I think this is just that?) But I hesitate to say this, this book was too much. This is not a breezy easy read, not because it’s subject matter is hard, just a lot to keep track of. The book will ruffle some readers because the characters are not particularly likeable… but they are in a way because they are so complicated and complicit in their enabling behaviors. This enablement is difficult to read and have empathetic feelings for them because as a reader nothing is more frustrating (at least to me) than not having a single nugget of “something” to hold onto to root for the characters. It serves the story but not the reader.

Would I suggest it? I say maybe. If you are looking for a book dense with characters and lovely lyrical writing that are taken of and that take advantage of one another with the guise of love, than this is for you.

I enjoyed the book, but it was all over the place. It was difficult keeping track of all of his different women. I wanted more of an explanation about what happened to Pia after she left. But, I felt the author told an interesting story.

“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.

I impulsively snagged this novel when I got an email from NetGalley that it was available to "Read Now", and regretted that choice very quickly into reading this one.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found Circus to be so gratingly annoying, I certainly sympathized with the women who crossed his path. The writing was well done, but maybe I was in the wrong place to read and enjoy this novel in the way the author was hoping. All in all, I was left contemplating what the point of the book was and just frustrated.

Thank you to Pantheon and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for my review.

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.

Decent, but flawed story telling. I didn't really engage with this, but enjoyed parts of it. I can see the author's potential, so I hope she keeps writing.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm has a broad group of characters all related to Circus Palmer. Circus is a jazz, trumpet player and a favorite with women. He has a look and attitude that women seem not to be able to resist. He is much idolized by his daughter Koko and her emotionally weak mother, Pia. The story intertwines stories from other women that cross Circus' path.

Quite frankly, Circus is a womanizing ass hat with very little emotion or scruples. I did not find much connection with anyone in this book. I thought this book could use more editing and hopefully this will tighten the book up instead of covering vast number of random people that cross Circus' path. I did read this book as an advanced readers copy.

This was a very interesting view of a man, "Circus Palmer" who was a traveling jazz musician. He bounced from woman to woman without thinking about committing to any if them. This was explaining his bad choices and basically how he was regret getting older without any love connection in life. He never redeemed himself ....Sadly

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!

Circus Palmer is a jazz musician who loves his trumpet as much as he loves women. He's a charmer and has women in every city where he plays. Married once, he has a daughter who he treats like these women as he comes and goes out of her life. As he ages, his life begins to catch up with him and he's forced to deal with the consequences of his behavior. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is beautifully written. While the story focuses on Circus, the author takes the reader on a ride into some of the women's lives, showcasing the impact Circus had on them. It was a little disorienting but as I finished the book, it all came together.

None of the characters in this book were likeable. I found no compassion for any of them. At times I wanted to scream at Circus and tell him to grow up already. He is so sex obcessed and is in no way a good father. I had even less compassion for his daughter and the plot seemed non existent. I sadly would no recommend. Would not have finished if it wasn't a free give away.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

this book was well written. I didn’t care much for most characters but her writing was engaging. It was a quick read for me.

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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon for the eARC.

This book was not a good fit for me. I had trouble connecting or really even caring about the characters. The story didn’t really flow and seemed almost like a bunch of short stories.

This was a tough read for me and I didn't know how to feel about it! Circus Palmer can be described by some as a ladies man and to others, a womanizer. To me he is a womanizer that loves Jazz more than he loves his daughter, Koko or any one thing or person.

In between gigs Circus can be found in between the thighs of his latest conquest. Most are women who are mesmerized by circus and possess a longing or a strong desire to be with Circus. I knew a man like this once and I can say it does damage to a women's spirt and mental wanting and waiting on a man who has no intention of loving you. Second, whose only intention is to get what he can from a woman in the moment. You never know if he will return and if he does he only brings destruction and his pain with him.

This story made me wonder, if the author, Laura Warrell has know this pain. Only a woman cast aside by a man like Circus can tell a story like this. In the end, the author did a phenomenal job with character development, as I loathed Circus. I didn't care about him as a person and I secretly wished him harm. However, I did wish that his daughter had more depth to her. I feel like as readers that we learned nothing about Koko. All I felt was sadness for her and hope that she would find someone better suited to give her the love and guidance she so desperately needs.

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 on relatable character, including that of Koko. 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.

A more-than-usually thoughtful romance that examines the life of a philandering jazz musician and the women that he touches during his life. Circus is a fading-out trumpeter who can't stay still and can't stay committed, with a fifteen-year-old daughter and another surprise baby on the way. Each chapter of the book cycles through Circus' point of view and the women he runs through, including his daughter and her mother. Each character is carefully drawn, strengths and flaws both realistically displayed. I felt myself both moved and disgusted by their life choices - just like real life. Highly recommended for writing that engages and displays emotions in a way that we can all understand.

What a good book. Had me hooked from the first page. Circus is a great character and one I will remember for a good while. The author has a great gift of bringing characters to life. More please. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

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.

Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell is one Literary Fiction novel I'll recommend to anyone I talk to.
It’s compelling, beautiful and very well written
This is an emotional, incredibly and soulful tale which the author tells very well.
The writing is beautiful, and I often found myself caught by the author's turn of phrase that completely captured the scene and the moment.
This would make a great book club selection.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Pantheon,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.