Bloggin' 'bout Books: 08/03/17

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama

- ~~Alaska~~ (1)

- ~~Arizona~~ (2)

- Arkansas

- ~~California~~ (8)

- ~~Colorado~~ (3)

- Connecticut

- ~~Delaware~~ (1)

- ~~Florida~~ (1)

- ~~Georgia~~ (1)

- ~~Hawaii~~ (1)

- Idaho

- ~~Illinois~~ (1)

- ~~Indiana~~ (1)

- ~~Iowa~~ (3)

- Kansas

- ~~Kentucky~~ (1)

- Louisiana

- ~~Maine~~ (4)

- ~~Maryland~~ (1)

- ~~Massachusetts~~ (1)

- ~~Michigan~~ (2)

- ~~Minnesota~~ (2)

- ~~Mississippi~~ (1)

- ~~Missouri~~ (1)

- ~~Montana~~ (1)

- Nebraska

- Nevada

- New Hampshire

- ~~New Jersey~~ (1)

- New Mexico

- ~~New York~~ (8)

- ~~North Carolina~~ (3)

- ~~North Dakota~~ (1)

- ~~Ohio~~ (1)

- ~~Oklahoma~~ (2)

- ~~Oregon~~ (2)

- ~~Pennsylvania~~ (1)

- ~~Rhode Island~~ (1)

- ~~South Carolina~~ (1)

- South Dakota

- ~~Tennessee~~ (1)

- ~~Texas~~ (1)

- ~~Utah~~ (1)

- ~~Vermont~~ (3)

- ~~Virginia~~ (2)

- ~~Washington~~ (3)

- West Virginia

- ~~Wisconsin~~ (1)

- ~~Wyoming~~ (1)

- Washington, D.C.* (1)

International:

- Australia (4)

- Canada (3)

- England (14)

- France (2)

- Greece (1)

- Italy (1)

- Japan (1)

- Norway (1)

- Puerto Rico (1)

- Scotland (2)

- Vietnam (1)

Love at First Note Strikes Just the Right Chord

7:42 AM

(Image from Deseret Book)

Violinist Emma Hill knows that moving back to Asheville, North Carolina, will mean taking a step backward in her flourishing music career. Since the South is not exactly overrun with eligible Mormon bachelors, the 25-year-old's dating life will likely take a hit as well. Family's worth it, though, and Emma's is struggling. The effects of her mother's MS are taking a toll on her parents, while her younger sister—also a talented violinist—is threatening to quit music altogether. Emma wants to be there to help, even if her folks insist they're fine.

http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/p/lds-authors.html

To Emma's surprise, Asheville is not as RM deficient as she thought it would be. In fact, a very good-looking specimen has just moved into the apartment next door. Not only is Elliott Hart hot, but he's also humble and kind. And a musician to boot. With a large YouTube following, the 26-year-old pianist is a minor celebrity—minus the inflated ego. In fact, he could not be more perfect. With all she and Elliott have in common, Emma expects their hearts to fall into perfect harmony.

Except, they don't.

Why is Elliott rebuffing Emma's every (admittedly clumsy) move? How can she convince him she's serious Eternal Companion material and not just another star struck fan? Will the two ever make beautiful music together? Or has Emma struck too many wrong notes with the man she's coming to love most desperately?

I don't read a lot of them, but I do love me a fun, swoony rom com. It has to be done right, though, and Love at First Note by Jenny Proctor definitely struck a chord. Yes, it skims on plot. Still, the novel is light, sweet, and humorous, just as it should be. As a bonus, the characters have depth to them; the story is engaging; and the tone is upbeat. It's a cute, clean romance. Easy to read, easy to love. Which I did. This is the first book I've read by Proctor, but Love at First Note convinced me that it won't be the last.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of LDS romances by Melanie Jacobson and Brittany Larsen)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-copy of Love at First Note from the generous folks at Covenant via those on the Whitney Awards Committee for contest judging purposes. Thank you!

Books Read in 2025 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. Coram House by Bailey Seybolt (Jan)
2. She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke (Jan)
3. My Salty Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Jan)
4. The Echoes by Jess Montgomery (Jan)
5. The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro (Jan)
6. Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal by Raquel V. Reyes (Jan)
7. Murder at Chateau sur Mer by Alyssa Maxwell (Jan)
8. Away by Megan E. Freeman (Jan)
9. Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh [audio] (Jan)
10. A Golden Grave by Erin Lindsey* (Jan)
11. All Over the Map by Lanie Jacobs (Jan)
12. Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith (Jan)
13. Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany [audio] (Jan)
14. The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright (Jan)
15. How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn (Jan)
16. A Dream of Death by Connie Berry (Jan)
17. The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos, RN* (Jan)
18. Red River Road by Anna Downes [audio] (Jan)
19. Janitors School of Garbage by Tyler Whitesides (Feb)
20. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce (Feb)
21. Janitors School of Garbage: Trials of the Trash by Tyler Whitesides (Feb)
22. The Brightwood Code by Monica Hesse [audio] (Feb)
23. A Legacy of Murder by Connie Berry (Feb)
24. The Crash by Freida McFadden (Feb)
25. To Catch a Storm by Mindy Mejia (Feb)
26. Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen (Feb)
27. A World of Hurt by Mindy Mejia (Feb)
28. If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell (Feb)
29. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano [audio] (Feb)
30. Wool by Hugh Howey (Feb)
31. Shift by Hugh Howey (Feb)
32. Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns [audio] (Mar)
33. The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan (Mar)
34. Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright (Mar)
35. Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber (Mar)
36. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Mar)
37. The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden (Mar)
38. The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor [audio] (Mar)
39. You Belong Here by Megan Miranda (Mar)
40. Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell (Mar)
41. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth* [audio] (Mar)
42. Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks With Monks and Amish Farmers helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human by Carlos Whittaker (Mar)
43. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (Mar)
44. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto* (Apr)
45. Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams (Apr)
46. The Wind Called My Name by Mary Louise Sanchez (Apr)
47. What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Apr)
48. The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth [audio] (Apr)
49. That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White (Apr)
50. A Pie to Die For by Gretchen Rue (Apr)
51. The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian (Apr)
52. The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes (Apr)
53. Cold As Hell by Kelley Armstrong* [audio] (Apr)
54. Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry (Apr)
55. The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden (Apr)
56. Petals and Poison by Jess Dylan [audio] (Apr)
57. It Happened on the Lake by Lisa Jackson (Apr)
58. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah* [re-read] (May)
59. Outside by Jennifer L. Holm (May)
60. You Are Here: Connecting Flights by various authors, edited by Ellen Oh (May)
61. The Silver Shooter by Erin Lindsey* (May)
62. The Art of Betrayal by Connie Berry* (May)
63. The Secret Room by Jane Casey* (May)
64. The Sasquatch of Hawthorne Elementary by K.B. Jackson (May)
65. The Sasquatch of Harriman Lake by K.B. Jackson (May)
66. Girl Forgotten by April Henry (May)
67. One Sharp Stitch by Allie Pleiter (May)
68. On Her Own Grounds: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles (May)
69. #FollowMe for Murder by Sarah E. Burr (May)
70. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware [re-read] (May)
71. Where Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Colman (May)
72. Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack (May)
73. The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller [audio] (May)
74. The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware (May)
75. I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang (May)
76. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1 by Beth Brower (May)
77. The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens (Jun)
78. The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan (Jun)
79. Find Her by Ginger Reno (Jun)
80. Same Page by Elly Swartz (Jun)
81. Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman (Jun)
82. A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson (Jun)
83. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren (Jun)
84. Hummus and Homicide by Tina Kashian (Jun)
85. The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict* (Jun)
86. The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore [audio] (Jun)
87. The Town With No Mirrors by Christina Collins (Jun)
88. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross (Jun)
89. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness* [re-read] (Jun)
90. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (Jun)
91. With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (Jun)
92. Murder Past Due by Miranda James (Jun)
93. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (Jun)
94. This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber [audio] (Jun)
95. The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia (Jun)
96. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin (Jun)
97. The Experiment by Rebecca Stead (Jun)
98. The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry (Jun)
99. The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (Jun)
100. Rabbit Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler (Jul)
101. The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (Jul)
102. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness* [re-read] (Jul)
103. The Death of Us by Lori Rader-Day (Jul)
104. You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego (Jul)
105. Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (Jul)
106. A Berry Deadly Welcome by A.R. Winters (Jul)
107. The Beat I Drum by Dusti Bowling (Jul)
108. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton* (Jul)
109. The Women by Kristin Hannah [audio] (Jul)
110. The Ivory City by Emily Bain Murphy (Jul)
111. A Fatal Thaw by Dana Stabenow (Jul)
112. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack (Jul)
113. A Murder Most Fowl by Carmela Dutra (Jul)
114. Loon Cove Summer by Donna Galanti (Jul)
115. Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong* (Jul)

Search This Blog

2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge

My Progress:

2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:

Booklist Queen's 2025 Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2025 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress

2025 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress

2025 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:

2025 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress

Phase Out Your Seriesathon - My Progress

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:

Love at First Note Strikes Just the Right Chord

Reading

Listening

Followin' with Bloglovin'

Followin' with Feedly

Grab my Button!

Blog Design by:

Blog Archive

2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2025 Reading Challenge

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

Books Read in 2025 (asterisks denote favorites)