Dear Grief Fairy,I’ve met a man who encompasses grief. Alexander Blayren, the brooding cellist.The man I crave. He’s rude, bold and brash, but I see what’s underneath. A man crying out. Surviving for the sake of his daughter. Just. Alexander didn’t believe you could survive grief. Loss had painted his life black, dimming the lights and quietening the music. But I didn’t agree.When I lost my … I didn’t agree.
When I lost my family, dance was my therapy. Movement, my recovery.
Could music be his?
Would his notes be a reprieve; the strings, his lifeline?
Or could his journey to survival begin with me?
Through the body he studies as I dance, my cries of pleasure under his fingertips, or his arousal at my willing restraint?
Grief Fairy, you understand me better than anyone. Can I relieve Alexander’s lament?
Yours,
Nat
more
I don’t know what spurred this author to write this beautiful and soul touching story but I am so glad she did. This book has touched me in a way I wasn’t expecting. She tapped into my soul. I’m only at 32% and she has expressed more feeling into this story that I am sure everyone has experienced at sometime in their life. I literally had to stop reading and put these thoughts down so I could express them as succinctly as possible. The thoughts and feelings that are being expressed are so on point and accurate. The dialogue is incredible, so true, so effortless, so real. I feel like I’m witnessing the conversations.
This book has taken this author in a whole other dimension from her previous works. It makes me breathless at times, grasping for air to fill my lungs. The anticipation alone of what is to come is explosive.
There is more than one element to this story. First we have the element of grief and how it is dealt with. Grief is an individual experience everyone handles it in their own way. There is no timeline for each individual. The author does a gripping job of portraying this experience and bringing you into the experience.
This is also a story of reclaiming your life, your ability to cope, move forward and love. Coming to terms with when is it allowed for you? How do you do this? How do you try to manage that you’re moving through life fine when you have responsibilities that you must take the utmost care of but you’re a wreck?
As if all this wasn’t enough we are treated to elements of intrigue good and bad, fascination, surprises, imagines of heavenly music and dance, smiles, tears, romance, heat and most of all beauty. All of this is wrapped up in this one book and it’s exquisite. I even learned about things I didn’t have prior knowledge of before. So I guess I was also educated.
Alexander is swoon worthy, beyond complicated and has more issues than you can imagine.
Nat has had her own traumas she had to deal with and is still dealing with but has been navigating her life to meet her needs.
There are secondary characters you will love, despise and may even sympathize.
This is a book that will stay with you. I read this in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. I will be re-reading this book. It’s definitely one of my best reads of 2019 and will linger in my mind long after today.
This author continues to amaze me with her writing.
Honestly, I don’t know what took me so long to dive into this book. It’s breathtaking. Alex and Nat are two souls, broken by loss, finding their ways through the grief towards each other. While Nat’s character has embraced the woman she has become since tragedy struck, Alex is still wallowing in his loss and is stuck. Watching the two of them navigate the complicated, beautiful road that is love after loss had me emotionally invested in this book from beginning to end.
This book is tragic, and deep, but it’s also stunning and enlightening. There are so many layers to this story, so many emotional twists and turns, and it’s SO well-written…it’s hard to find the words to describe just how fantastic this book is. This is a definite must-read.
Alex, lost his wife to cancer. They had a child, Elise, together and she was only two when she lost her mother.
He doesn’t know how to help her grieve the loss of her mother, anymore then he can grieve the loss of his wife.
He is known for playing the cello, in the symphony. He pours his grief into his compositions.
Natasha, lost her mom and younger sister at the age of 16.
She had been professionally trained by her grandmother to dance.
She has poured her grief into her dancing.
Now that her grandmother had grown old, she has offered for her to take over her dance studio.
By a chance meeting she bumps into Alex, at the airport.
He’s broody and dark, but she had seen him play and had fallen in love with his compositions.
When she meets his daughter, by chance, she noticed the natural dance talent she has and invites her to come to the studio to dance.
As Natasha, helps Alex to learn how to grieve, he helps her too.
A beautiful story of grief, courage and love.
I look forward to checking out more books by this brilliant author.
Beautiful story of over coming grief and finding love…highly recommend this book by one of my favorite authors
Wonderful book, a contemporary book, make sure you have your box of Kleenex. Enjoyed reading it tremendously.
*4-4,5 stars*
Something that everyone experiences differently is what you feel and how you deal with loss, the grief you feel that can leave so many emotional scars but also the memories you shared. This story definitely goes about how people deal with it on a different level, how they cope and sometimes two people can come together in a loss they have experienced. It was definitely an emotional story and one that will leave a footprint on your heart and even the way you think about grief. I think that’s a good thing and it’s not like a book I have read before. The author definitely had a way about it that makes you really feel and think about what she’s trying to portray and get across with the story. In one way or another, you can really relate to a lot of things and that’s what makes a story really heartfelt too…
Nat is still trying to make a name for herself in the dance business but she feels like it’s time for a fresh start and goes back to the one town she thought she’d never go back to. She has lost so much but through dancing, she has learned to cope with so many things. She’ll now be taking over the dance school from her grandmother and when one night she meets a little girl, she’ll feel an instant connection to her. But when she meets the father, things will take another turn.
Alexander is still lost in grieving the death of his wife. Between his career and trying to take care of his daughter, he’s finding it hard to take the next step. Even though he has a supporting system around him, it’s hard to cope with every little thing. When he meets Nat, he’s blindsided and doesn’t know what to do with himself and how to feel. But now his daughter is enrolled in the dance class Nat is teaching, he’s slowly coming out of the dark. But will it be enough for him to finally turn the page and try to move on to be happy again? To make himself feel again?….
An emotional new standalone from Lynsey M. Stewart!
Loss, Life, and Love!
This is a moving story about loss, life, and love. The hero, Alex and heroine, Nat have both experienced immense loss. However, they have taken different paths in dealing with that grief. Each loss, just like each love is unique. Therefore, grieving is different for everyone. This is a tough subject to take on, but Ms. Stewart doesn’t try to convince the reader that there is a right or wrong way to deal with loss. She approaches the subject with empathy, kindness, and lack of judgment.
Alex and Nat are drawn to each other. The pull is intense, but not necessarily welcome. They understand one another. Yet, they are in different points on their journey through grief. Nat has rebuilt her life and is determined to be the best version of herself. Alex is still solidly locked in his anger and heartache. He simply composes music and cares for his daughter. When their paths cross, they are forced to examine the effects that grief has left on them. A friendship is born out of their concern for Alex’s daughter, Eli. It builds as they share their anguish, guilt, and fears. Slowly a spark and then a flame ignites. The passion is searing and transcendent. Love blooms and their trust builds. In an instant that trust is broken and they must decide if love is worth the risk.
The characters are flawed, layered, and raw. Their journey is one of tolerance and tenderness. Lament is hopeful and comforting. An eloquent story about love’s highs and lows. Love is worth every risk and reassurance!
Lynsey takes you on a journey of grief and loss and love with this one. Nat and Alex have both had loss in thier lives and trouble coping with it, but each have thier own way of trying to. Nat maybe a little better than Alex, but can he learn to cope with his loss a little better with her in his life? Will he ever be able to let go? Such an emotional read, but truly enjoyed reading it.
If you decide to read this, beware. It is very intense, and it may consume your thoughts. It is not a “potato chip” type book, where you can just blow straight through it. What it is, however, is one of the most insightful, thought provoking books I have found in this genre. Alex, the grieving cellist (aren’t they ALL moody, but still!), is distracted by and attracted to the new dance teacher of his small daughter.
Much healing, hope, love, and adult situations occur.
Simply a stunning story.
My release day twin! Lynsey M. Stewart has an emotional new standalone. <3
Nat and Alex two broken souls that have lost love ones and are both trying to move past the grief and pain.
This story broke my heart is so many pieces and slowly put it back together again. The pain and anguish these three have suffered is so profound that you will cry with them. This author was able to write these heartbreaking words so you would get pulled in and not want to stop. Can’t wait to read more from this author. An Epic read that will leave you feeling breathless
This is my first Lynsey M. Stewart and I am completely blown away. I have to go read everything she has written immediately, while kicking myself for not doing so earlier.
Nat is a dancer who has struggled with grief for years. She first sees Alex at a concert where he is playing the cello, and the piece goes straight to her heart. She can’t stop thinking about what Alex must be going through to be able to play such sad music from so deep within. When she moves back home, she comes face-to-face with Alex, who is also living in the small town with his young daughter and they both feel an instant connection.
I highlighted so many passages in this book that were just so beautiful, it was like reading poetry. I don’t want to give too much away because everyone needs to experience this book in their own way, but I want to share just a few quotes that made my breath hitch.
“Death is the end of a journey you didn’t choose to go on in the first place.”
“Grief is like trying to paint a sunset when all you have is black paint.”
“I’d been dead inside for so long. It was like I was witnessing the first dawn, the astounding peek of vivid pinks and bright purples behind dark clouds.”
It really is the story of two people learning to live again while trying to get through their grief the best way they can. It is haunting and raw and real. It is beautiful and healing. And even through all of this, it is funny, heart-warming, and really freakin’ hot.
Lament is probably my top read of the year so far and I would give it more than five stars if I could.
“Love is a symptom of loss. But love is also a symptom of life.”
Ladies grab your tissues, this book is beautifully written.
Lament is a journey through the emotions of grief, love, self doubt, self awareness and how to deal with the gamut that grief can put people through.
Beautifully written insight into how two artists manage their emotions which run parallel to each other but are so different. The commonality being they have both experienced death. There is hope that love can grow from grief, which is demonstrated effortlessly by Eli.
A tear jerker with both sad and happy tears.
5 ’s
Lovely, lovely book…
Grief hits us all. The words here, and the themes….they’re poetry in motion. Alex and Nat and the rest of the characters are as vivid as if they were breathing next to me.
I dislike reviews with spoilers, so go forth and read this…
Grief, Love, Longing.. and Hope
Lament is easily one of the best books I’ve come across lately. It is very well written, with a sensitivity and care that the subject needed, with a tenderness that speaks to the loss that each one of us carries somewhere within. And it has a touch of elusive magic, in the words, in the conversations…. and in a mysterious little postbox in the forest, where the grief fairy answers all your questions…
Over all, there is hope, though doesn’t seem to start out that way.
‘How could I possibly play from the heart when it’s heavy and cumbersome like the weight of a stone hanging from a single piece of barbed wire?’
This is the heart of grief, a grief that Alex carries years after the actual loss. He is professionally successful, a hugely talented cellist, has a lovely daughter, and has everything he might possibly need to live a happy life… except the ability to see through his sadness and find the joy of living again.
Then, he meets Nat. She has faced loss too, and while it has had an indelible effect on her life, she hasn’t lost herself to it. When she returns home after ten years to take over her grandmother’s dance school, she has several unresolved emotions to tackle, that stem from her loss. But she also has this indomitable spirit to take on the challenge, to transform her grief into an expression of beauty through her dance.
With these two very different perspectives of loss, Alex and Nat come together in a way that helps them both grow past their limitations. This is the story of how that happens, and it is simply beautiful.
The characters of Nat and Alex are very well etched, and you can feel them sparking off each other anytime they are in the same place. Their interactions and the way they … especially Alex… go all hot and cold, angry, wanting, the push and pull is really well written. When they give in to their attraction, it’s scorching hot! But they are also really funny. For eg.:
‘How can I be your muse?’ I gasped. ‘You hardly know me. You normally shout and growl at me.’
‘I bite too.’
The other main players in this story are equally effective. Nat’s grandma, Alex’s daughter Eli, Nadia (I especially liked how she was written), Maggie the housekeeper, and even Nat’s friends… they all play a role, and have been given the right amount of space to emerge as people you can appreciate, rather than flat characters.
“Love is a symptom of loss. But love is also a symptom of life.”
I like how the story unfolds, and how it is paced. There isn’t a moment when you can actually put down the book, yet you might want to, just to appreciate what is written. There is a love story, and there is the mystery of the grief fairy, and so on, but there are also some excellent discussions on what grief is about, and what love is about, and those parts hit you in the best possible way. The growth they they all go through is evident, but their journeys are all dealt with very sensitively and lovingly. And the romance is absolutely swoon worthy. I don’t want to give any details away because it’s such a joy to read it… but seriously. From love notes to notes of love and a little kink and dance as foreplay… this has the best combination of things I wanted to read.
The best kind of love is often flawed and knotted. Raw and real. A rope tying two people together because it just feels right. Hold onto the rope.
Long story short… read this book! It’s brilliant.
Grief is a horrible thing. It changes you. For better or worse, depends on you.
Nat is a dancer that lost her mom and her little sister when she was 16 years old. Alex is a single dad that lost his wife and the mother of his child. Both are dealing with their grief… in very different ways. They both have to walk through that grief to be ready to love each other.
This is more than a story of grief. It is a story of hope.
Lament is an emotionally charged love story about navigating through life while grief is right by your side. Everyone who experiences loss is affected by grief in some way. Everyone’s journey with grief is different. Nat and Alexander, the book’s main characters, are no different than the average person dealing with life after a significant loss. Grief forces people down paths they might not have taken without it.
I felt so many emotions while reading it, with the biggest take away is hope and love after loss are possible when you’re ready to accept it. This book stayed with me for days after reading it. And will probably be with me for a long time. It is easily one of my top reads of 2019.
*I received an ARC of this book*
This is a beautiful story about the different ways people handle grief and overcome it. I have struggled to write a review that would convey how much this book affected me and how this gorgeous story of love and healing has stayed with me for days after reading it. But there is no way I can do this book justice.
After losing loved ones we don’t only struggle with their loss but also with our guilt of living without them in our lives. Lynsey M. Stewart explores the different emotions the characters go through as they slowly begin to find love, acceptance and healing.
Every so often I come across a book that I can’t get out of my mind and that I know has affected my life It’s been a long time since I’ve found one, but Lament definitely moves to the top of that list. I can’t express how much I think everyone, even if you have not experienced loss, NEEDS to read this book. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.
I am destroyed. I don’t think I have ever felt the pain, love or anguish of the characters in any story like I did in this. When Nat was 16 she was the sole survivor of a car crash that took her mother and younger sister. When she was 17 she left her hometown and never looked back – until now. After many years away, she is heading back to take over the dance studio that her grandmother runs. To Nat, dance is everything. It helps her work through the pain of loss as she loses herself in the music. Alex is a famous cellist who lost his wife to cancer and has the most adorable daughter. A chance meeting between Nat and Elise (Eli) shows Nat that Eli has potential and urges her to come to dance. Nat recognizes the grief that Eli is feeling, she had been there too. There is an instant connection between Alex and Nat, but Alex is not yet over his grief and guilt that he should be happy again.
This is such a beautifully written story, with a gentleness that warms the heart but a slight kink in the intimate moments make you realize you can’t judge a person by their straitlaced appearance. Every book I read by Ms. Stewart just gets better and better and I’m seriously worried about my heart with every future novel. This book is MUST.