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Imperfect Harmony cover art

Imperfect Harmony

By: Jay Northcote
Narrated by: Mark Steadman
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Summary

Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful....

John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He's shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he's lost. When his neighbor persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.

Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John's attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.

Despite the 19-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they're going to harmonize in life and love as they do in their music, they'll need to start following the same score.

©2016 Jay Northcote (P)2017 Jay Northcote
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

What listeners say about Imperfect Harmony

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sexy

musically sexy.. it was fun.. the story was amazing.. the narrator wasnt bad either.. not my favorite ive listened to but i enjoyed it.. the characters were fun to hear and become part of their lives with them.

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  • Overall
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IMPERFECT HARMONY is a beautifully realistic story

Two men, separated by almost a generation in years but joined by their grief and love of music.

What I particularly love about Jay Northcote’s writing is his ability to inject every day normality into the lives of the men he writes about. I find it in every book he writes, no matter what their ages or occupations. He tells a story, warts and all, even from the far from perfect first sexual encounter, which lets face it, is more likely than the mind blowing perfection a lot of other authors describe. As these men become more comfortable with each other everything else follows suit including their quite obvious love and desire for one another; an abiding relationship looks likely. However, John has reservations, he’s the senior in the partnership by some nineteen years and this is the gist of where the problems lie.

I believe Jay Northcote is, or was, a choirmaster and that is very clear in the very interesting and knowledgeable language he uses when describing Rhys’s role as choirmaster in his corner of the Cotswold. How John begins his healing journey with the help of his beloved music and the love of an adorable young man is quite beautiful.

IMPERFECT HARMONY is a beautifully realistic story of new love, acceptance and healing between two men who never thought they would ever find love again or even believed they deserved it. I loved the story from the intriguing title to the beautiful cover artwork.

Mark Steadman has a pleasant voice and he annunciates clearly - I had no real problem differentiating between the characters. However, his delivery is jerky which I was very conscious of throughout the book and had the effect of taking me out of the story.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable story

I loved this May/December romance. John and Rhys are both still grieving in their own ways and I enjoyed the slow burn development of their relationship. The choir setting was an interesting aspect of the story and I really enjoyed the way their stories unravelled. Having previously read the book, I was a little disappointed with the narration as I found the tone a bit monotonous at times. However it did not distract too much from this beautiful story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Music Notes and Second Chances

Imperfect Harmony is a beautiful and touching love story between two different men who have both experienced the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. John Fletcher has lost his family and his partner, and now finds himself alone with just their memories. His only real friend is widowed neighbor who takes him out to choir practice – a trip that changes his life. Rhys Callington has made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he’s now finally in a good place. When he meets John, there’s an instant attraction, and their romance blooms. Their path is not all roses – there are anxieties about the age gap, grief about past loves, and the difficulties that occur when people start to move on – but despite all these obstacles, the love John and Rhys share is powerful. The story is made even more beautiful by Jay Northcote’s splendid writing that really brought both John and Rhys to life.

The audiobook was narrated by Mark Steadman who does a wonderful job with the narration. Mark voices each of the characters perfectly and his performance really makes the emotions tangible. I was completely enthralled with the story. The audiobook production was well done and made for a really enjoyable listening experience.

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Listener received this title free

May/December and second chances.

Jay Northcote’s books always tug at my heartstrings, they are often a punch to the gut and are so very emotional and get me deep in the feelings.
This is no exception. Rhys and John both come from grief, from having lost a loved one; but further than the overcoming of grief, they have to face a significant age gap, that brings out all the insecurities in John and prevent him to take the leap and fully commit, as the younger and more daring Rhys has done.
The narrative is so enthralling you really feel the characters’ pain yourself and you become so immersed in their story it’s as though you were the one living it.
Another thing I love about Northcote’s books (I think I have mentioned it in some other review) is how real they are. Take the sex, for example, he’s one of the few authors I know that doesn’t always portray a perfect encounters, instead his characters are “real” and have real-life awkward moments during sex, and I find this absolutely refreshing and grounding.

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