#FiveBlushReview ~~ The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon

by Louisa · March 16, 2021

Rating:

THE SONGBOOK OF BENNY LAMENT
by AMY HARMON

Tera’s 5 Blush Review

It’s never easy to sit down and write and Amy Harmon review because I can’t ever do her books justice. I don’t have the talent and skill to even write a review to give this book even an ounce of the credit it deserves. It. Is. Perfect.

I am always excited for a new Amy Harmon book. I think the main reason for that is because I’m not only going to get a well-written, beautifully poetic, amazing character-filled novel, but I’m going to get an entirely unique story. Something I’ve never read before. Sure, her books always fall in a “genre,” but every single one is incredibly unique despite that genre. Ms. Harmon is an author I can always trust, even when she tries something new.

The Songbook of Benny Lament is no exception. I’ve read historical fiction. I’ve read mob stories. But I had not read this story before. I loved the chemistry between Esther and Benny. I loved how each struggled to accept their past despite everyone wanting them to hide it. I love how they both found the strength and courage to be who they were unapologetically during a time where people did not want them to be who they were. I also loved that every chapter was a song title. Although, there is not a “soundtrack” to go with this story, you can hear… you can FEEL all the music in this book. It’s really incredibly written to “feel” music you have never heard before.

I went into this story blind. I saw a cover (is it not beautiful, by the way!?). It showed up in my mailbox, and I did what you do when that happens… I read. And I didn’t stop. Thank you, Amy Harmon, for yet another beautiful story.

Blurb

From the bestselling author of What the Wind Knows and From Sand and Ash comes a powerful love story about a musical duo who put everything on the line to be together.

New York, 1960: For Benny Lament, music is his entire life. With his father’s deep ties to the mob, the Bronx piano man has learned that love and family can get you in trouble. So he keeps to himself, writing songs for other musicians, avoiding the spotlight…until the night his father brings him to see Esther Mine sing.

Esther is a petite powerhouse with a gorgeous voice. And when Benny writes a hit song and performs it with her, their collaboration thrusts the duo onto the national stage…and stirs up old issues and new scrutiny that the mob—and Benny—would rather avoid.

It would be easier to walk away. But the music and the woman are too hard for the piano man to resist. Benny’s songs and Esther’s vocals are an explosive combination, a sound that fans can’t get enough of. But though America might love the music they make together, some people aren’t ready for Benny Lament and Esther Mine on—or off—the stage.

Purchase links:

➜ Kindle: https://amzn.to/38DZGBc
➜ Paperback: https://amzn.to/38yJv8j
➜https://amzn.to/3rO0BX9 Audio:

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Editorial reviews:

“Utter perfection. The diversity. The inclusivity. The representation of an interracial couple in the 60s, but more importantly the struggle of a Black woman trying to make it in a world that doesn’t want any good for her. I have no words except that this is a must read.” —Shanora Williams, New York Times bestselling author

“With a vibrant backdoor view to the New York music scene in the 60s, Harmon constructs authentic, enduring characters that will capture your heart and break it too. Elegantly written, with sensitivity to the racial hurdles of the era, this book is a work of historical fiction that will absolutely not be forgotten.” —EmmyB, host of the Lovely Books podcast

“A truly incredible read. Amy Harmon has a way of writing characters that invoke deep emotion, and Benny and Esther are no exception. A raw, real, and inspiring love story.” —DC Renee, author of Scrubbed

“Wildly beautiful. Amy Harmon blew me away again…Everyone should read this book.” —LJ Evans, IAN award-winning author

“The story is enlightening, heart-breaking, and ultimately inspiring as these two beautiful characters find the soul of what it truly means to be human and love. Powerful writing, enthralling reading!” —TJ Mackay, founder and publisher of InD’tale Magazine

“Amy’s stories are always deeply addictive and transporting, but beyond that, her compassion and insight into the human experience raises her work to another level completely. She is in a class of her own.” —Mia Sheridan, New York Times bestselling author

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

About the author:

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in seventeen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written sixteen novels – the Washington Post bestseller What the Wind Knows, the USA Today bestsellers The Bird and The Sword, The Smallest Part, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as the #1 Amazon bestselling historical From Sand and Ash, Where the Lost Wander, The First Girl Child, The Queen and The Cure, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times bestseller, A Different Blue. Her latest novel, The Songbook of Benny Lament, a historical romance, is now available.