I couldn't wait to read Kris Bryant's latest, "Listen," and when I did, let's just say, she gave me a truly wonderful and amazing journey to experience in her brilliantly written story about Lily and Hope, superbly wrapped in the sensual world of MUSIC, with words that turned into music notes, played throughout the story like a sheet music. The language of music (me favourite kind apart from the language of maths) really shone in this remarkable story from the start. For her to create a character who was not only a music prodigy but also an actuary (simply put, a profession that has everything to do with numbers...maths!), delighted me to no end. To say that I was ecstatic about digging me heels into Lily's journey would be an understatement! And Bryant nailed the bloody thing beyond me expectations! To me, "Listen" is her BEST work yet! It's now one of me favourite lesfic stories and defo will be on me 2019 best list!

I was enamoured of Lily's character from the start. Bryant brilliantly portrayed the psychology of her debilitating anxiety, her fears (rational or otherwise), her incredible self-awareness and initiative in dealing with her issues. I loved how Bryant described Lily's abrasiveness with people, a classic trait for someone with an extreme case of anxiety which could lead to uncomfortable awkwardness in communicating and relating to people. Bryant depicted Lily and everything about her with so much heart, it felt very personal to me. From the multitude of her internal struggles (her love-hate relationship with music, her interactions, or lack thereof, with her ad hoc colleagues, her attempts to ward off her anxiety attacks, and the magnetic pull that Hope had on her entire being), voiced out ever-so articulately through Lily's monologue in her mind (and with her best mate, Clio!) right down to her life-altering, life-changing journey that came full circle when she realised that she could never escape her destiny that breathed life into her before - music.

What Lily was missing in her altered life was that. Music. Hope was her answer. Hope who opened her heart and soul again to the amazing gift she had but tossed out - music. Listening again. Hearing again. Listening and hearing the sounds of everything around her like music to her ears again. Bryant captured that aura in the art of listening and hearing, describing the most minute sounds that normally isn't expressed, much like how a blind person would describe and experience it, you know. Listening. It's a powerful sense that we possess, innit? If we only stop, calm our mind and listen. Truly listen to the sounds, be it heard or felt, around us. That's when true music, with its notes depicting life, flowing in and around us like liquid, vibrating like energy, is captured in our mind's ear. Very much like numbers that turn into patterns that illustrate the formulas and codes of everything around us. You know that scene in "Matrix," where Neo finally woke up, realising that he was The One, all he saw was the entire mathematical system that made up the matrix (the universe, essentially!) visually characterised (so brilliantly!) by the infinite rain of numbers, codes, symbols? That's what Bryant's depiction of Lily's gift of listening to the most minute, quasi-invisible thing, did, described so vividly that I immediately equated me visualisation of Bryant's details to Neo's quantum view of the matrix.

Speaking of Hope, I absolutely adored and loved her character!!! I was immediately intrigued as soon as she graced the page of the book. She struck me as someone mysterious, charming, seductive (exclusively toward Lily...awwww!!), someone who was a thinker, someone who was keenly in touch with her senses, her emotional and spiritual state of mind. I simply loved how Bryant described her and her actions, be it verbal or body language, when it came to her interaction with Lily. On the surface, Lily and Hope couldn't be more different but very quickly I realised that they were more or less cut from the same cloth, so to speak! From the angle of music, art, their sensitivity toward sounds, the sense of worth in life and social contributions. Whereas I could detect Hope's utter passion in life and doing what she loved, Lily's passion, however, because of her anxiety disorder, was muted. It was definitely simmering beneath, though. That was where Hope came in. She had this innate ability to draw out Lily's hidden passion, desires, and overall senses.

Me favourite moment was when Hope, seemingly out of the blue, uttered the 8 words that would become a "metronome" to Lily's inner pulse in listening to the rhythm, the sounds, reverberating around her, reactivating her mind's ear that allowed her to openly exercise her gift of listening:

"Close your eyes. Tell me what you hear."

This phrase was repeated by Hope throughout Lily's journey, as I said, like a metronome, internalising a clear sense of timing and tempo like a steady beat as the words soothed and calmed her mind, slowly but surely loosening the knots that her anxiety had created in her inner psyche in her entire life. I could literally hear the regular tick of the metronome, as Lily described the sounds in her mind's ear, hearing its needle swinging back and forth like a pendulum clock, pulsating with a harmonic tempo that was utterly hypnotising. Needless to say, I was mesmerised. It truly calmed me mind, opened me senses, as I went through the journey with Lily through Bryant's spellbinding words.

Let's talk about the romance between Hope and Lily. First off, I absolutely adored how they met! The fact that when Lily first met Hope, it wasn't actually the conventional "meet," per se, which made it all the more alluring and fresh! Yup, it was to do with music. But I won't elaborate here because you have to read how Lily's curiosity got the better of her which led to that moment and her monologue reaction to it. I chuckled a little when I read what she thought because...Christ! I do it, too! I won't bore you with the details. Let's just say, I so related to her at that moment! When Lily finally laid eyes on Hope, the instant spark in her heart ignited as she felt the flutter, much to her surprise. That entire scene was described so realistically well because it was a very public scene and that moment when Lily noticed Hope was like a stolen moment in time.  It was precious. I was wondering if that "stolen moment" that Lily felt was one-sided because Hope's POV was not included at that point. Thankfully, though, Bryant flipped that scene to Hope's POV later on in the story. To me, describing the same scene but with a different perspective levelled their "connection" footing, so to speak, making the scene even more affecting and resonating as I replayed that scene in me mind and inserted Hope's POV into it. Infinitely more enriching! So, thank you, Ms. Bryant!

When Hope and Lily "officially" met for the first time, it was so adorable and amusing! Lily's unfortunate blurt to Hope was hilarious because it was so uncharacteristic of her! And Hope's reaction was simply adorable! That entire scene right there was priceless! What a way to introduce these two souls, eh? And their chemistry? Off the charts! And it only got more sizzling as the build-up of their relationship went deeper at every stage of their development when we saw Lily slowly opening up, becoming less fearful and stepped into situations that would usually make her run for the hills out of sheer anxiety! How Hope interacted with Lily and vice versa was absolutely captivating. She was like Lily's muse! Her innate ability to know just what to say or do to make Lily feel safe, cared about, worthy like they were both meant to be for each other. The art of hearing. As I mentioned earlier, Hope managed to reawaken Lily's gift of hearing by constantly asking Lily to listen with her mind's ear like she knew it would ground Lily especially during times of anxiety. It eventually became their own private language. I applaud Bryant's exceptional skills in turning the art of hearing into words that invoked a deep sense of sensuality and emotional reverberation between Lily and Hope as their intimacy strengthened and intensified in their relationship. It was intoxicating to read their slow-burning journey to love.

Another favourite moment of mine was how Lily finally faced her biggest fear. It's amazing how an unexpected adversity especially when it comes to matters of the heart can really shock you into throwing caution to the wind and facing it head-on, that particular thing that's been your aversion for so long, innit? Hope. Oh, Hope! Her helplessness and sense of urgency played out with such fervour, thanks to Bryant's insightful depiction of Hope's state of mind. The deep connection that Lily had with Hope was seared onto her inner psyche, so acutely palpable was its effect on her, it was heart-wrenching. The entire sequence of events was grounded with such emotional resonance it was utterly memorable for me. Bryant truly understood her characters' mental and emotional states of mind as she manoeuvred both Lily and Hope's behavioural approaches so skilfully that the outcome was profoundly cathartic for me, as a reader, following their amazingly romantic journey of self-discovery, reconciliation and celebration in the music of the soul that was called love. What a beautiful ending to a melodiously sensual love story between two deeply intertwined souls destined to be together, depicted with so much passion and emotional essence described in the art of hearing through feel, touch, taste, sense....
Listen.
And you will hear the essence of love.

This book is an ENTHUSIASTIC MUST-READ! Bryant's writing really shone in this story. I felt every word, every expression, every nuance that Bryant described with absolute conviction and dedication, making the story evermore real and utterly captivating. I, for one, will be revisiting Lily and Hope often, which is why "Listen" is now officially me favourite Bryant book! Yet!

Well done, Ms. Bryant, and thank you for pouring your heart into this superbly written and devotedly told love story depicted by the art of listening to the sounds and music of life, the heart and the soul.

I was given an ARC by BSB via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Listen is a slow burn romance which also wins in its depiction of someone dealing with severe social anxiety. Lily Croft is just getting by working mostly from home and keeping her interactions with others to a minimum. Regular sessions with a counselor and the love of a ragged-eared rescue cat help keep her nightmares under control. Her chance meeting with Hope D’Marco at the Leading Note Music Center opens new possibilities for Lily if she is able to overcome her fears and take a chance at love.

Told in first person from Lily’s point of view the reader is fully immersed in the anxiety she deals with every day. There were moments in the book when I felt as anxious as Lily which says a lot about the storytelling skills of Ms Bryant. Simple interactions become monumental tasks. I marveled at Hope’s patience with Lily. I enjoyed watching the early brief and uncomfortable encounters with Hope slowly blossom into moments Lily could handle and enjoy. You know something is going to happen to reverse all the progress Lily makes but you can’t look away.

Music plays a major role in many scenes but so too does the need to listen to your heart. Nicely done.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

This book was quite interesting for me to read... I usually have problems with books where characters have some kind of panic attacks if not greatly written, but think book had me hooked from the start... Lily is a very interesting character, but even more than her, Hope "bought" me with her attitude and patience. I loved the relationship development, even Lilly's reluctance to get closer to Hope at the beginning was really nicely written.
I really loved this book.

I just finished Listen this morning and should probably take more time to digest it to minimize the risk of gushing. I absolutely love Kris Bryant's books and have been on pins and needles waiting for this third in the sensory series. I'm a lifelong pianist, and although nothing like the prodigy that Lily was, I understand the anxiety that comes with performing, to the extent that hearing beautifully played music makes me cry as well. Not only because of the what-ifs, but also because I appreciate and am in awe of musicians that are born with the God-given talent.

I am a huge fan of first person/present tense and no one does it better than Kris Bryant. I could feel the thoughts and anxiety rolling around in Lily's brain. And as usual, you can depend on hot chemistry and steamy love scenes that are inventive without being crazy.

Set aside five hours because you won't want to put this one down.
Ten stars rounded down to five.

'Listen' is a gratifying romance that hits the right notes.

Lily is a former child prodigy that has lived a life of anonymity since a breakdown ended her music career. She is working in finance and risk management. Only she didn't forecast the critical impact of hearing a beautiful melody drifting out of a window one fateful afternoon. There is no backup plan for the woman behind that piano. There is only Hope. And Hope is a beautiful woman in charge of the 'Leading Note.' An organization geared toward helping children learn instruments now that music programs are being cut out of schools

This story is about Lily's attempts to overcome her social anxiety once she has found a reason to be better.

I liked the sweet atmosphere that was present throughout the book. Hope was a sincerely good person that always knew exactly what to say and do to help Lily be comfortable and grow.

There was very little angst, save for the obligatory 80% mark of conflict you would expect in any romance novel. It didn't seem contrived. I really enjoyed how it came about and thought it was a unique and satisfying reveal.

This was very slow developing. About halfway through I thought it was dragging just a little bit. But I liked these characters and wanted to know how things would progress enough to continue on. The sex scenes were pretty steamy, No complaint there. However, I did feel like once it started, it just kept going. There were a few too many, in my opinion. I always have to mention I am prudish when it comes to this kind of thing, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. If it is your thing, you'll be pleased.

Overall, I enjoyed this very much and would recommend it. If you love romance, music, cats, and stories of breaking through and overcoming obstacles, then this is for you.

I received an ARC through Netgalley from Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I recently read a nonfiction book about anxiety, especially among young girls. It was quite an interesting read, yet disturbing since the rise was very significant over the last few years. Then I started to read Listen. The emotional overload felt by Lily Croft was a classic example of those case studies presented in that book.

Author Kris Bryant wrote a magnificent story of the cause and effect of those suffering from anxiety. Lillian was a child music prodigy. She was homeschooled and her only constant focus was her music. The demands her parents and Lily put on herself were extreme. Until one day, the stress and anxiety became too much and her world-her stage-her music-left her shattered and alone. Years later, working as an actuary, Lily felt safe working with numbers. It offered her limited contact with people. Then by chance she not only heard, but felt music coming from a nearby building, the Leading Note Music Center. The music was played by its founder, Hope D’Marco, who became the catalyst that helped Lily…listen.

I could write about many other aspects of this book that were exceptional, such as the special connection between Lily and Hope, or their witty and emotional dialogue, but to truly appreciate this story…it simply needs to be read.

This novel is an easy, fluffy read. There's hardly any angst, and the narrative moves along in a light and happy vein. This despite the fact that one of the protagonists has an issue with anxiety, which has had huge implications on her life. There have been other authors within the lesbian romance genre who have done a better job of representing people with anxiety. So, if one is looking to gain a better understanding of it from this book, one would be sorely disappointed.
Otherwise the novel is well-written and enjoyable while it lasts.

4.5 rounded up. I was up way too late reading this last night, but it was worth the lost sleep. I really enjoyed this. I typically like romances that involve musicians and this definitely fit the bill.

As someone with anxiety I appreciated the way that Lucy's portrayed. I loved Hope...what a sweetheart. Their chemistry was obvious and it was hot.

I was pleasantly surprised that the main conflict didn't go the way that I was expecting it to. I wasn't anticipating it to happen the way that it did.

This is a great book by Bryant.

(A copy of this book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley)

This is a touching story of past pain and new beginnings. This author does a good job portraying the symptoms suffered by "Lilly". The romance and love were sweet and honest in spite of the secrets between them. I always love the details of a pet in a story. It adds a richness that just elevates an already great book.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lily Croft used to be a prodigy. She lost her love of music through a series of breakdowns years ago and suffers from crippling anxiety. She mostly works from home, but when an assignment takes her to a branch of her company, she has a chance encounter with Hope D’Marco. Hope runs a musical foundation for young people, and Lily finds herself wanting to overcome some of her anxiety to spend more time with Hope. As the two become closer, Lily will have to decide if she is willing to come clean about her past and grow a deeper relationship with Hope.

I require very little from my romances. I want to fall in love with one or more of the characters just a little bit. A meet cute never hurts. I like just enough angst to build dramatic tension but not so much that I get annoyed and start skimming the parts until they make up. A few steamy scenes never hurt anyone, and I want a (more or less) happy ending. That’s it. Let me tell you, this book delivered.

It was exactly what I needed. I read it in under 24 hours, and even though I had some minor issues with some awkward writing, overall, this romance was adorable. Bonus points for a MC with anxiety. I have my own issues with anxiety as I know a lot of us do, and I identified over and over again with Lily and her struggles.

If you’re looking for a little bit of fluffy(ish), light romance in your life, give this one a listen. The characters’ passion for music (and each other) is heartwarming, and I was rooting for them the entire book.

This one is out on February 12. Just in time for Valentine’s Day

You guys are really in for a treat on this one. Lily Croft is a former child music prodigy who is now an actuary. She spends most of her time living a solitary life because of her anxiety issues. She is forced to out of her "shell" when she has to take on a project that will put her in the office 5 days a week at a company across town from where she lives. One day as she while on her lunch break she hears someone playing a classical piece on a piano and she is drawn in. After some times she finally meets Hope D'Marco and she is drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Hope runs a non profit musical organization that teaches lower income children how to play instruments.

This is such a lovely story. The topic of anxiety can be a heavy one, but Bryant does an excellent job shedding light on this topic without it being depressing. It also shows how love can blossom with patience and understanding. Hope's character is special. She never pushes Lily to do anything she isn't comfortable with. There chemistry is off the charts. I just really enjoyed this one. I love how Bryant introduces Lily to intimacy. She isn't made to be perfect the first time she has sex. I even enjoyed the angst in this one. I was actually surprised during this breakup scene because I didn't see it coming. Again this was just a very good read.

5 stars!

This book touched my very soul. I've been reading Kris Bryant's books since she became published.. With each book she's gotten better. But Listen is a whole new level for Ms Bryant. She showed us a side of her she keeps well hidden. The book is about former child music prodigy who as a child had a breakdown. After lots of therapy, she changed her name to Lily Croft, went to college and now is a numbers cruncher. Lily usually works from home but is lent out on assignment. While walking to the train station she hears beautiful piano music coming from The Leading Note which is a place that children who would never play music get a chance. She meets Hope D'Marco the beautiful founder. Hope invites her to the children's concert which Lily had to run out of in a cold sweat. Lily suffers from anxiety around people. I found myself wanting to embrace Lily in a hug, stroke her hair and tell her it will be okay. It's a beautiful love story. Read this jewel, you won't regret it.

Listen is the third release in the Sensory book collection from this author and sets the bar pretty high. All are stand alone novels independent of each other with no connection in plot or characters other than the theme of each novel surrounds a sensory. This author has a knack for writing superb romances, and Lilly and Hope’s journey through crushing anxiety and past ghosts is anything but bland or cliche. It’s the depth of the character development linked to raw human emotion that surpasses anything superficial. Even though I read the words on a two dimensional surface, the characters, the plot, and all my senses burst forth into 3-D vivid technicolor. The triumph that is their love affair exceeded my expectations and the growth that Lily experiences is truly the gold medal that this book deserves. I wish I could give it more stars because it’s just that good. Bravo, Ms.Bryant!