Find your inner light and let it shine proudly.

Synopsis

The root of all madness is an unbearable truth…At seventeen, Willow Holloway’s life was torn apart. The happy, driven girl is gone, and she is left wracked by post-traumatic stress her body remembers even if she does not. When her father suddenly uproots the family from their posh penthouse in New York City to the tiny town of Harmony, Indiana, Willow becomes more untethered and lost under the weight of her secret. On a whim, she auditions for a part in the community theater’s production of Hamlet and unexpectedly wins the role of Ophelia—the girl who is undone by madness, and her love of Hamlet…

Isaac Pearce is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ The town bad boy. Girls pine for his attention and guys are in awe of him. That he’s an acting prodigy only adds to his charisma. Isaac utterly disappears into his characters; the stage is the only place he feels safe from his own traumatic home life. He wants nothing more than to escape to Broadway or Hollywood and leave Harmony behind for good.

No one can play Hamlet but Isaac, and when the director pairs him with Willow in acting class, they clash again and again—neither willing to open their hearts to anyone. But clashing leads to breaking, breaking leads to the spilling of terrible secrets, and soon Isaac and Willow find Shakespeare’s words mirroring their lives. When they are cruelly torn apart, neither know how this play will end—with madness and heartache? Or healing, love, and the discovery of who they are truly meant to be.

In Harmony is a standalone YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT love story, and is intended for readers 18 and up. PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as physical abuse, and the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised.

Review

I received an advanced copy of this book but I swear it did not influence my opinion. Honest as always ♥

5 stars

How do I begin this review?

Maybe I can tell you about my wish for once in my busy mom’s life to have a whole empy day just to read? It was painful to set the book aside each time I had to do a chore or listen to my drama queen of a daughter else get a  “Mom! You never listen to me!”.

Or I can begin by telling you how I had watery eyes on the treadmill at my fitness club just in front of the big mirrors and I was sniffling like mad because :”Why doesn’t that damn fitness gear have one pocket for a tiny tissues?!!!!” Well with all the tears that I shed at some point  I would have needed a backpack to carry said tissues.

Maybe I can share with you my secret wish to wear a white slip, long blonde braid and expose my emotions playing Ophelia on stage? Because it seemed so cathartic and liberating for Willow and Isaac. Maybe I could vent my frustration and fear when you discover years after that you avoided one of the worst drama with your teenage son…

I could also tell you that I’ll buy exclusive rights to all Angie’s sassy and crazy T Shirt quotes because I know I will make big money selling them on pajamas, T Shirts, tote bags… Just watch me becoming the next billionaire because dang Emma! Angie was a fabulous friend and she had the best sarcastic humor!

Or simply I could just tell you that Emma Scott has swept me off my feet once more just to catapult me in her deeply moving and dramatic story.

As all this does not give you many pointers about the characters or the story let’s flesh it out briefly.

Hamlet is a tragedy. What happened to Willow was tragic and she is slowly dying inside.
She was snuffed by her dad, Justin and “X”. It’s terrible to be trapped inside your mind. To have no control on your fate. To know that something terrible happened and yet don’t remember. I was owling in desperation.

Isaac had his own tragedy and is trapped  by poverty. He is closed off. It’s his way to cope when hurt. Build a wall and retreat in the safety of loneliness. A distant and tragic James Dean. The town’s renowned bad boy who’s not bad at all but just had a very bad stack of cards.

They both were magnificent on stage. This is a tribute to art. How it can heal you. How it gives you a voice when you can’t find your own.Use others words and tell the story. Tell YOUR story. The one that is killing you slowly.

This a  tragic, moving, beautiful love story.

The cast was perfect lead roles and side charaters. Willow was beat, hurt but filled with quiet dignity. Isaac was supportive, protective and intense. The villain was a true villain lurking in Willow’s mind and making his grand entrance on scene by the end to have the drama unfold.
Special mention to Angie the best friend anyone could wish for.

I did not know how to begin but I want to end this review explaining that my “First Lines Friday” meme was featuring the prologue. I loved the Little Light’s story and I wish you all to never forget to shine even when you are alone in the dark. Find your inner light and let it shine proudly.

Have you read some of Emma Scott’s books?

Thanks for reading!

Sophie