Book Review: Blue Notes by Carrie Lofty

My Rating: 4 stars

Date Read: June 18, 2014

Source: Purchased ebook

Publication Date: May 6, 2014

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genres: New adult, romance, contemporary

Summary (taken from Goodreads): For fans of Jamie McGuire and S.C. Stephens, a sizzling new adult novel featuring the tumultuous relationship between a young piano prodigy and a reluctant billionaire playboy—set against the vibrant backdrop of a New Orleans college campus.

After being bounced from foster family to foster family, Keeley, a talented pianist, is ready to start over as a junior at Tulane. But when she plays a small concert that attracts the attention of Jude, a brooding playboy and heir to an enormous fortune in the wake of his parents’ tragic death, suddenly Keeley’s life is thrown off balance once again.

Jude is the first person to confront her about the pain behind her music, and she struggles with whether or not to let him into her life, or to keep protecting herself from the hurt that relationships have caused her in the past. But Keeley’s about to learn that the melancholy young billionaire who appears to have everything he wants can open her eyes to exactly what she needs…

Review: This book was so easy to read. It was really nice and exactly what I had been looking for. The fast pace is enough to keep things interesting and I was hooked from the first couple pages.

Keeley was such a great character. Some bits, especially at the beginning, felt dramatic and she was definitely self-pitying due to her past. The thing I really enjoyed though, was her development at the end. She was so strong and I was amazed at the things she would face to do what she felt was right.

The romance was great as well, if fairly predictable at points. It was a bit more graphic than I expected, and gave more detail on their love life than I thought it would - then again, I went into this without knowing much. Until I read the first few chapters, I thought it was a YA book.

I enjoyed the friendships in this book. They could have been developed more, but it was refreshing to see them grow so easily. Keeley met two girls at the beginning of the story, and by the end she was calling them her best friends - and that didn't feel forced.

Overall I think this was a nice, lighter read. Although it deals with some heavy subjects, especially involving the characters' pasts, it is fast-paced and very easy to read through.