Title: In Harmony
Author: Emma Scott
Release Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Tagline: “The root of all madness is an unbearable truth…”

Blurb

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 Pierce 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 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.

*ARC kindly provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review*

Véleményem a könyvről

Emma Scott ez alkalommal a színházak világába kalauzolt el minket egy fájdalmas, de gyönyörű történet során. Csodálatos volt!

Willow egykor egy jó tanuló, vidám lány volt, sok baráttal és ígéretes jövővel, azonban az élete 17. születésnapján örökre megváltozott. Azon napon elveszítette élete egy darabját, és innentől már sötétségben és magányosan telnek a napjai. Amikor Willow apját előléptetik, és ezért a munkája miatt el kell költözniük New Yorkból egy indianai kisvárosba, Harmony-ba, Willow számára lehetőség nyílik egy új kezdetre. Már a legelső napon az új iskolában nemvárt módon barátra lel a kissé rámenős, Angie-ben, aki humorával, vicces pólóival, és hűséges odaadásával később Willow legnagyobb támaszává válik.

Az első angol órán lehetősége nyílik megismerni az iskola hírhedt tanulóját, Isaac Pearce-t, aki bár a város rosszabbik feléről származik, és aki egy lakókocsiban él abuzív, alkoholista apjával, egyvalamiben mégis kiemelkedik:  a színjátszásban. Isaac-nak nincsenek barátai az iskolában, nem is beszél senkivel, és olykor verekedésekbe keveredik, de a színpadon haza érkezik. Ott néhány óra erejéig valaki más bőrébe bújhat, és szabadjára engedheti tehetségét, amely minden porcikájában ott van, és ami város szerte elismert.
Amikor Willow úgy dönt, hogy ő is szerencsét próbál a következő színdarabban, nem is sejti, hogy az életét örökre megváltoztatják majd Shakespeare szavai, a számos színpadon eltöltött óra és két gyönyörű zöldes-szürke, viharos szempár.

Imádtam, ahogy az írónő tökéletes és brilliáns módon képes volt a színdarab és a jelenben történő események szálait gyönyörűen összeszőni, valami igazán különlegeset alkotva. A történet nagyon nehéz és sajnos nagyon aktuális témákat érint, és komoly mondanivalója volt. Nagyon megkedveltem a karaktereket, Willow és Isaac nagyon jó páros voltak.

Talán nem árulok el nagy titkot azzal, hogy nem ez az első könyv, ami hasonló témával foglalkozik, és most először jött el az a pont, amikor csendben megfordult a fejemben, hogy talán túl sokat olvasok… Merthogy minden pozitívum mellett sajnos el kell ismernem, hogy sokkal nagyobbat ütött volna ez a könyv, ha nem olvastam volna több másik történetet, amely ugyanezt a témát dolgozza fel. Mindennek ellenére, úgy érzem, hogy mégis képes valami újat adni ez a történet, és teljes mértékben megállja a helyét társai mellett.

Emma Scott eredetileg színművészet szakon szerzett diplomát, és a könyv megjelenése előtt azt írta, hogy ez a könyv azért különleges számára, mert ezzel a történettel végre “hazalátogat” a színház világába, amit eddig soha nem mert megtenni. Úgy gondolom, hogy az mindig érződik egy könyvön, ha a szerző életének és szívének egy darabkáját önti papírra, és ez most sem volt másképp. Érezhető volt, ahogy az írónő szíve-lelke ott van a történetben, és nagyon különleges volt, az ahogy megmutatta, hogy egy színdarab hogyan képes segíteni egy mélyre hatoló fájdalom feldolgozásában.

Emma Scott lebilincselő stílusával ismét az első oldalaktól magával ragadott, és onnantól kezdve nem volt megállás ebben a csodálatos, könnyfakasztó érzelmi hullámvasútban. Mindenkinek őszintén ajánlom!

My Review

This time Emma Scott took us on a journey to the world of theaters through a beautiful story. Needless to say, the author stole a piece of my heart once again with this book.

Willow used to be a cheerful girl, with lots of friends, good grades and a promising future, but her life changed forever on her 17th birthday. She lost a piece of herself on that day, and from that point her life became dark and lonely. When Willow’s father is promoted and they have to move from New York to a small town in Indiana called Harmony, a new opportunity for a fresh start opens up for Willow. On the very first day at her new school she unexpectedly finds a friend in the somewhat go-ahead Angie, who with her sense of humor, funny t-shirts, and faithful dedication later becomes her greatest support.

In the first English class, she also meets with the notorious student of the school, Isaac Pearce, who although coming from the worse part of the town and living with his abusive, alcoholic father in a trailer, still excels at something: acting on the stage. Isaac has no friends at school, he doesn’t speak with anyone and sometimes he gets into fights but at the stage of the theater he arrives home. There for a few hours he can be someone else and he can let his talent – what is in his every bone – free.
When Willow decides that she tries her luck in the next play, she doesn’t know yet that her life will be changed forever by the words of Shakespeare, the long hours on the stage and two beautiful stormy green eyes.

The story touches some really hard but unfortunately current topics and I loved how the Author was able to perfectly and brilliantly weave together the scenes of play and the events of the book. It was truly unique! I really loved the characters and I think Willow and Isaac was an amazing couple.

Maybe I don’t tell a huge secret that it’s not the first book I read about this subject, but this is the first time that I quietly have to admit to myself that maybe I read too much… It’s simply because besides all the good things I can say about this book I’m also sure that it would have hit me so much harder if I haven’t read several other books with the similar plots. But despite all this I feel like this book still earned a spot next to the other exceptional books with the same topics.

Emma Scott got a degree in Theater Arts and before the book has been released she said that this story is special for her because with this she finally visits the theaters that she never did before in her books. I think that the readers always can feel if the author pours her heart and a piece of her life on the pages and this time it was no different either. I felt a piece of her soul in this story and it was truly unique how she showed us that the theater and acting can help to process even the deepest pain.

My Favorite Quotes From the Book

“To discover that she may have been one light among many, but she had her own fire.”

“You can’t lose me, Isaac,” I said in a broken whisper. “You’re my until. The one that makes everything better.”

“I hear it in every look, every touch. I hear you. The words of your heart.”

“You already are the kind of girl I want.”

“It’s never too late. Those two words are the greatest, most powerful killer of hope mankind has ever invented for itself.”

“This character needs a voice. If you could lend him yours, that would be great.”

“That was the bitch about life: it kept going even if you desperately needed it to slow down and wait a minute while you tried to piece yourself back together.”

5 – ’Act Two, Scene Two.’ – Stars

Purchase links

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2EiRh97

Amazon Universal: myBook.to/InHarmony

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2ruaKOl

In Harmony Excerpt 

“I’m so…not into being with someone right now,” Willow said with a nervous lilt to her words. “Not for a while, anyway.”

I heard a whisper on the breeze, or ever again. A heaviness in her eyes hinted she had lost something and had almost given up trying to find it.

She hasn’t given up, I thought, a fierce admiration welling in me. That’s why she’s doing the play. To find it again.

In that moment, I vowed to try to cut out all the egotistical bullshit and jealousy over Justin. The dance was out of range now anyway. I couldn’t ask her to go even if I wanted to. Which I didn’t. My job was to help her find what she was looking for in Hamlet, however I could. Even as it dented my eagerness to get the hell out of Harmony.

Willow shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted at me. “So what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you like anyone?” she asked, her voice a half tone higher than usual. She laughed. “That’s such a high school thing to ask.”

“No,” I said. “If all goes to plan, I’m leaving Harmony, remember? Stupid to start something now.”

“Sure. Makes sense.”

A silence fell.

“Yeah, so I probably won’t go to the dance,” Willow said. “I’m not good in that kind of situation anymore.”

“What kind of situation?”

She shook her head. “Never mind. I should get back.”

Willow started to scoot down off the block. I held my hand out to her to help. She hesitated for a fraction of a second and then took it. I held my other hand out and she took that too. I steadied her as she hopped down and then we were standing face to face. Close enough I could see her pale blue eyes had lighter shards of blue in them, like a topaz. Close enough to smell the sweetness of her breath—coffee tinged with sugar. Close enough to dance if we wanted.

“Thanks,” Willow said, gazing up at me.

“Sure,” I said.

I still held her hands. She didn’t let go.

“So,” she breathed, still not moving.

“Yeah.”

I glanced down at our hands. I hadn’t touched something this soft and good in ages. The sleeve of her coat bunched up and I spied a black mark on the inside of her forearm, close to her wrist. Willow drew in a breath as I turned her hand over. An X, about the size of a quarter, was stark on her pale skin.

She tugged her hands away. “I really need to get back.”

Every instinct cried out to take her hand again, to ask her what the X meant. To lick my thumb and erase it off her skin. I didn’t know what it meant but the sight of it made my stomach feel heavy.

“Willow—”

“I doodle when I’m bored. I told you that.” Her voice was sharp but her smile wobbled. “Let’s go.”

We walked the short distance back to town wordlessly. Back in front of the theater, Willow shouldered her bag and glanced around. “Thanks for today. I think Martin would be happy with our progress.”

“I do too.”

God, would he, I thought.

“So, I guess I’ll see you Monday?” she said.

“You have a ride home?”

“Oh, uh…” She still wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I was thinking of walking.”

“To Emerson Hills?” I said. “That’s a mile and a half and it’s getting dark soon.”

She raised her brows. “I’m not allowed to walk in the dark?”

“You’re allowed,” I said, “but I don’t want you to.”

Author Bio

Emma Scott writes romances with flawed characters, characters with artistic hearts: builders, poets, and writers of various makes and models. And love always wins. Always. 

Where to Find Emma

Website: www.emmascott.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites
Twitter: @EmmaS_writes
Instagram: @EmmaScottWrites
Amazon: http://bit.ly/EmmaScott