Lament by Lynsey M. Stewart
Release Date 3/22/2019
Purchase or read for free with Kindle Unlimited here.
Bookish Stacy Rating *****
Dear Grief Fairy,
I’ve met a man who encompasses grief. Alexander Blayren, a brooding cellist with a body I crave and a soul I ache to know better. He’s rude and bold, brash and sharp, but I see the lost soul underneath. Crying out. Surviving grief for the sake of his daughter. Just.
Before we met, Alexander didn’t believe you could survive grief. Loss had painted his life black, dimming the bright lights and quietening his music. But I didn’t agree with the man I heard play out his demons through his notes. The man I find myself infatuated by. I found my way through grief, because I had a channel for my pain. When I lost my mother and sister, dance was my therapy. Movement my recovery. Could music be his? Could the haunting melodies be his reprieve? The cry of a bow across the strings his lifeline? Or could his journey to survival begin through me? Through my body, the one he studies as I dance, through my cries of pleasure under his fingertips or his undeniable arousal at my willing restraint...
Grief Fairy, you understand me better than anyone. Please help me to relieve his lament.
Yours
Nat.
I’ve met a man who encompasses grief. Alexander Blayren, a brooding cellist with a body I crave and a soul I ache to know better. He’s rude and bold, brash and sharp, but I see the lost soul underneath. Crying out. Surviving grief for the sake of his daughter. Just.
Before we met, Alexander didn’t believe you could survive grief. Loss had painted his life black, dimming the bright lights and quietening his music. But I didn’t agree with the man I heard play out his demons through his notes. The man I find myself infatuated by. I found my way through grief, because I had a channel for my pain. When I lost my mother and sister, dance was my therapy. Movement my recovery. Could music be his? Could the haunting melodies be his reprieve? The cry of a bow across the strings his lifeline? Or could his journey to survival begin through me? Through my body, the one he studies as I dance, through my cries of pleasure under his fingertips or his undeniable arousal at my willing restraint...
Grief Fairy, you understand me better than anyone. Please help me to relieve his lament.
Yours
Nat.
When I read that blurb, I knew I had to get my hands on this book.
This is my first Lynsey M. Stewart and I'm completely blown away. I now have to go read everything she has written immediately, while kicking myself for not doing so earlier.
Nat is a dancer who has struggled with grief for years. She first sees Alex at a concert where he is playing the cello, and the piece goes straight to her heart. She can't stop thinking about what Alex must be going through to be able to play such sad music from so deep within. When she moves back home, she comes face-to-face with Alex, who is also living in the small town with his young daughter and they both feel an instant connection.
I highlighted so many passages in this book that were just so beautiful, it was like reading poetry. I don't want to give too much away because everyone needs to experience this book in their own way, but I want to share just a few quotes that made my breath hitch.
"Death is the end of a journey you didn't choose to go on in the first place."
"Grief is like trying to paint a sunset when all you have is black paint."
"I'd been dead inside for so long. It was like I was witnessing the first dawn, the astounding peek of vivid pinks and bright purples behind dark clouds."
It really is the story of two people learning to live again while trying to get through their grief the best way they can. It is haunting and raw and real. It is beautiful and healing. And even through all of this, it is funny, heart-warming, and really freakin' hot.
Lament is probably my top read of the year so far and I would give it more than five stars if I could.
Nat is a dancer who has struggled with grief for years. She first sees Alex at a concert where he is playing the cello, and the piece goes straight to her heart. She can't stop thinking about what Alex must be going through to be able to play such sad music from so deep within. When she moves back home, she comes face-to-face with Alex, who is also living in the small town with his young daughter and they both feel an instant connection.
I highlighted so many passages in this book that were just so beautiful, it was like reading poetry. I don't want to give too much away because everyone needs to experience this book in their own way, but I want to share just a few quotes that made my breath hitch.
"Death is the end of a journey you didn't choose to go on in the first place."
"Grief is like trying to paint a sunset when all you have is black paint."
"I'd been dead inside for so long. It was like I was witnessing the first dawn, the astounding peek of vivid pinks and bright purples behind dark clouds."
It really is the story of two people learning to live again while trying to get through their grief the best way they can. It is haunting and raw and real. It is beautiful and healing. And even through all of this, it is funny, heart-warming, and really freakin' hot.
Lament is probably my top read of the year so far and I would give it more than five stars if I could.
"Love is a symptom of loss. But love is also a symptom of life."
