by Jenn Marie Thorne
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: March 19th, 2019
NIGHT MUSIC is the story of an unlikely romance set against the backdrop of race, family relations, and music during a summer in New York City. Ruby, the youngest in a family known globally in the classical music scene, has lost the love she once held for the piano and faces a newly uncertain future. The insecurity and jealousy Ruby feels when her father takes young prodigy Oscar under his wing, and into their house, fades into admiration and maybe even love. As Oscar becomes the poster child for a prestigious music school, he must deal with the historically white nature of the industry as unsettling truths come to light. Ruby and Oscar must fight these head on to ensure both her family’s reputation and his future.
This is a delightful rom-com that tackles real issues, fleshed out enough that it's not just a “trashy” romance novel. The prejudice Oscar faces and expectations others have for him are grounded in the unfortunate truth of modern society and aren’t glossed over to further the plot. Rather, race relations and classism make up a large part of the story and feel integral to the novel as a whole. Ruby feels inadequacy and failure, but she is able to push forward to a degree, a rare presentation of such a storyline being told in a realistic and relatable manner. All the characters have personal flaws that are fleshed out, which is not often seen in this genre.
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