Author: Emma Scott
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Synopsis via Goodreads: "In Harmony...gives a voice to the voiceless..."
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.
EMMA SCOTT IS BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER EMOTIONAL RELEASE!
ARI: I didn't read the blurb before picking up In Harmony so I had no idea what this book was going to be about but having read Emma Scott's novels before, I knew I was in for an emotional roller coaster of a ride. After reading the dedication, I knew that In Harmony would be much different than Scott's previous books. It would be a story that would stay with me long after I read the last page.
BRITT: Emma Scott is an author that I had finally read for the first time last year, and after reading one of her books I instantly feel in love with her writing and story telling and she shot to the top of my faves list. Having a few books of hers read under my belt I've come to know that no matter what I read from her, I know that the story and characters will subtly come and pack a punch and as usual In Harmony was no different.
ARI: In Harmony is a story about two broken souls finding their voice through art. Emma Scott has taken a story line that I've read numerous times before, put her own creative spin on it and has crafted a story that utterly ruined me! I gotta say that the integration of the play Hamlet throughout this book was pretty damn unique and unexpected. Truthfully, I was never a fan of Hamlet but using it as a backdrop intensified this story. I loved how the play and this story kind of mirrored one another and how Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship was similar to Willow and Isaac's relationship. All these little details just brought more depth to story. As for the romance, it has Emma Scott's signature slow-burn written all over it. This story is about survivors so it's less about swoon-worthy moments and more about healing. I liked the fact that the romance wasn't used as a way to "save" either of these characters, but rather both Willow and Isaac provided each other with the support they needed in order open up and work through their fears. Their relationship felt authentic and I loved it.
BRITT: As I mentioned above Emma Scott knows how to create characters and story-lines that pack a punch in a very subtle way. You start off thinking you're reading a typical romance book but the more you read the more the feels creep onto you. You get so invested and and connected to it all which always makes for such a gripping story. In In Harmony we follow two lonely souls that are just trying to make it through each day. Each day is a day spent trying to survive and stay afloat despite everything going on around them. Willow and Isaac are seemingly the complete opposites on the outside, but on the inside there is so much that they can relate to. Thanks to a local play in town for Hamlet, these two end up having to spend a good amount of time together going over lines, but they unexpectedly get to know one another as well on a deeper level. The way that Scott was able to weave together parts of Hamlet with parts of the story and characters was unlike anything I think I've read before and I loved reading it. It made this read super unique and brought something a bit more to the overall story. The things both Willow and Isaac endured made them both damaged but their tentative friendship helped them both feel the support they may have felt lacking before, and it let them come to terms on ways they could have a better future. Like Ari has mentioned, this isn't a story about how love can "heal" or "save" someone from something but more like how friendship and support can create a framework for something stronger, and show that love can still be possible even if you felt like it never could've been before.
ARI: My heart broke completely for Willow Holloway. After being sexually assaulted, Willow has become a shell of herself and she struggles to cope with the aftermath. It also doesn't help that her parents aren't there for her emotionally. When her father announces that they will be moving due to his job, she uses the opportunity to find herself again and no longer live in the fear. Watching Willow struggle and break down was not easy. There was so much raw emotions on the page and I had to take break so I could cry my eyes out before continuing. But the pain was worth it because to see her build herself back up and find her voice to speak her truth was everything. Even if you haven't been where Willow has been, you will feel her pain, understand it and maybe even relate to it.
BRITT: Willow's story is one that a lot can relate to unfortunately. After being sexually assaulted she's only a shell of her former self now. Gone is the confident girl from NY that was outgoing in her actions. Now she's retreated into herself and keeping her assault hidden is starting to take a bigger and bigger tole on her. And her parents lack of care beyond the superficial isn't helping. When her dad announces they'll be moving to a much smaller town she's beyond ready to pack up and start over away from it all. Her story is truly heartbreaking and one that will make readers feel very emotional. Her story is also one that so many are facing right now. Scott shows the raw truth of how power, male power specifically can make it harder for women to come forward and speak up. So many times you hear people asking why someone who was abused didn't speak sooner, or you hear a survivor of abuse telling their story and saying how they waited so long because the abuser had more power or influence than them. That is really shown in this book and although it is utterly shitty, it's the hard truth that is in our society today. Watching Willow heal and speak her heart out through a simple play is so powerful. The more she found her voice in acting the more she started to find her voice again in her real life. She slowly took her life back after her abuser took it, and she proved that although it may be so damn hard at first, it is possible to have life again.
ARI: When we first met Isaac Pearce, I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He's not a man of many words, but his silence speaks volume. His family fell apart after his mother passed away and in a sense, so did he. He too has to find his voice again and he does so while on stage. That is where he bears his truth. I'll admit, it took me a while to warm up to Isaac, but once I did I realized that Willow isn't the only survivor in this story—Isaac is one too. It was in that moment that a switch flipped and I fell in love with Isaac's character and I just wanted him to find his own happiness.
BRITT: Issac was dealt is own hardships in life, and is still dealing with them when he's introduced in the story. He's slow to open up to anyone and because of his home life he faces a ton of scrutiny from the small town. But when he gets on stage it's all forgotten. Instead of being the bad guy with no money that lives on the wrong side of town he's whoever he wants to be on stage. When he's performing in front of an audience they don't talk about the bruises he would get at the hands of his father, or bring up his mother's death. It was all about his performance in those moments if even for a little bit. He was never expecting to find a friend in Willow or even love for that matter because he was only focused on leaving the town for good and become an actor. Willow comes along and shows him that you can find beauty in anything, whether it be the new girl that's just has lost and damaged as he is, or in the town that once made him want to flee with no looking back.
ARI: In the blurb (which I read went back and read after I finished, lol) it states "In Harmony...gives a voice to the voiceless..." and Emma Scott did just that! Willow's story is a powerful, emotional and impactful read and one that is so relevant considering all that is going on in today's society. I don't think I will ever get tired of praising Emma Scott for all her words and if you do decide to pick this book up, have all the tissues handy because you're gonna need them!
BRITT: In Harmony brought me what I've come to expect from Emma's writing so far. A deeply emotional story-line, with gripping characters that will stay with you even after finishing. The subject matter of this one is so important, especially at this time, because it brings to light something that so many are quick to dismiss. Even though it can be such an ugly situation, this book still shows that there is beauty and strength in falling to your lowest point, getting back up again, and proving that your voice, your soul, and that YOU matter. No matter if you're already an Emma Scott fan or not, without a doubt you will fall in love with this book and remember it long after you've read the last page.
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