A wounded singer’s second act. For four years, superstar singer Sage Hazen shunned the spotlight. After a brutal attack killed his bodyguard and left his voice permanently damaged, he retreated to his Vermont home, unsure he’d ever perform again.Now Sage is preparing for a second act, and there’s just one man he trusts to handle security for a trial-run tour–Antonio Callan, his former … Callan, his former bodyguard’s brother.
A bodyguard’s chance at redemption.
For Antonio, touring backwoods Vermont is the wrong gig at the wrong time. Still, it’s only right to help the wounded kid his brother died protecting.
But after arriving in Vermont, Antonio feels more helpless than heroic–and it’s his heart that’s at greatest risk. Sage has grown up. He’s fiercely independent and distractingly sexy, but it’s his quiet bravery that sings to Antonio’s soul.
Two wounded souls find healing in love’s sweetest song.
The more time they spend in close quarters, the harder it becomes to ignore the sparks flaring between them. Turns out protecting two wounded hearts from love is an impossible job. And harmonizing two very different lives will demand a brand-new take on courage.
Second Song, a 108,000 word gay romance, is the first in the Sugarhouse Blues series and can be read as a stand-alone. Contains angsty-hot pining (and Vermont pines), first-time lovin’, sappy songs (and Vermont maples), and the healing power of loooove.
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This might be the most romantic love story I have ever read. The words are poetry, weaving a tale of healing pain and deep, unconditional love. Feeling and being in love can be easy. It’s the journey of bringing two people together, in finding each other’s happiness, that can be hard. Sage and Antonio have to endure some bumps along the way, but they face it boldly. Both men also have very loving and supportive families and they only add to the emotions and love on each page.
The epilogue is perfect.
Treat yourself to this beautiful love story. It’s good for the soul.
I am not really familiar with Edie Danford’s work yet. Some of her books are on my TBR-list, but this is the first one I’ve read so far. I really enjoyed it and I will definitely be checking out those other books 😉
That said, this story did start out a bit slow, and considering the number of pages, it had me worried for a while. I like a nice slow build as much as the next person, but I am also a bit impatient….am I still making sense ???
Thankfully it picked up a bit towards the end, but I am gonna be honest here and say that I would have enjoyed a bit of a faster pace.
The writing style was a bit different then what I am used to, which was kind of refreshing. I especially liked the romantic epilogue, it made up for a lot of frustration I felt along the way. Talking about frustration…. I am not so sure how I feel about Shiloh.
This was a very emotional story and Sage and Antonio definitely tugged on my heartstrings. They both deserved a second chance at life…a second song ….
If you’re a fan of hurt-comfort stories, then you should definitely give this one a go.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Sigh. I had a major book hangover when I was done reading this novel, and it was a reminder of why I first fell in love with Edie Danford’s writing a couple or so years ago. There’s this lovely lyricism to her writing here and her gift makes it so easy for a reader to picture the setting or the moment so vividly in their head. There is a great deal of angst in the story, but there are also countless lighthearted, witty moments to balance everything out quite nicely. Sage and Antonio share an attraction to each other that’s notable, but it quickly goes beyond that, yet this was a slow burn romance, one that may test the patience of some but I appreciated the direction the story took, choosing instead for both men to truly weigh their feelings for each other before taking the brave step to pursue it. Second Song was a novel about love and family and finding the courage to make life-changing decisions. Five stars.
Written as if this whole story were a song, the story is very beautifully framed and sometimes motivations are slightly obscured in the prose. But what comes through is love, all kinds of love, and that carries the stories, the men, the families that share an incredible connection.
There were quite a few times that I felt like I could skim because it was taking a really long time to say certain things, to do something, or to actually get somewhere. It was a very, very slow-burn romance. At first I felt a little annoyed by that, but I think the time between their real-life connection and their re-connection with romantic intent was necessary. Kind of an ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ thing. But even then things weren’t really emotionally smooth sailing. It wasn’t until nearly the end when Antonio has a forced heart-to-heart with his sister-in-law that he finally jumps in with Sage with both feet and no reservations. I didn’t see the reason for his fear and hesitation before that point and while I think it fit and made sense, it was a bit out of left field and seemed a little forced when I think Antonio just needed to stop making romantic decisions for Sage and for them without Sage.
Except when we get to the epilogue I’m completely won over. It was so sweet and pretty much perfection for the couple and the entire family.
I’m not opposed to a whole lot of family involvement in a story, especially one like this where without them both men’s situation and hearts necessitate their family support. Did it need every interaction with the kids? Probably not, but it made Sage and Antonio a little softer for me and I liked it. It definitely added to the length of the story though as well as depth to all their complications both on their own and together.
This was a long read for me and I enjoyed quite a lot of it. The themes and feels made it worth reading and I wouldn’t be opposed to getting Shiloh’s story because I’m wondering just what kind of person will be the perfect foil to all his glittery, jittery hardness and vulnerability.
Wow! What a beautiful story! And wonderfully written too! Sage and Antonio have been through so much, but that helps bring them together. I especially loved the way the characters families are brought in to the story too. You will not be disappointed reading this book!
It’s time for Sage’s second chance at the life that was taken from him. To that end, he wants to hire the brother of the man who died for him. Will Antonio be willing to come be his security, when it was that same position that ultimately Antonio’s brother Marco died in while protecting Sage? Will Antonio give into their attraction?
Wow, this is a heartwarming, heart-tugging story. I absolutely fell in love with Sage and Antonio as they navigated their new reality. Sage’s new reality as a musician no longer able to sing the beautiful music he writes. Antonio’s new life as a man now taking care of twins, and taking on the young man who was like family to him and his family. I haven’t read any of the other stories in this series, or anything else by this author, but after having fallen for Sage and Antonio, I will be sure to download more!
This book was soooo looooong. And sooooo many words… And each and every single one of them was brilliant!
I can’t even begin to describe all the feels! Amazing story of love, with angst, heartache, healing and meddling families. Great delivery on very non-standard characters that steal your heart away and narration style that makes you dive into the book without a second thought. Loved it! Totally loved it!
4.5 Stars!
Following the traumatic events that rocked Sage and Antonio’s lives forever, each man carried a heavy fog of grief and guilt that they had learned to tolerate as their new reality. Their initial connection may have been formed by their mutual survivor’s guilt, but the love, trust, and forgiveness they found in each other was beautiful to watch as they evolved and healed.
This was not your typical rock star romance. It was a sweet, tender, and moving story that I found refreshing in a genre full of wonton sex and drugs. The lyrical prose and perfect pacing made for a lovely slow burn. Also worth noting, this book was like a love song written for Vermont and the vivid descriptions gave me such a great sense of place. Edie Danford’s writing style was thoughtful and expressive and I’ve happily added her entire backlist to my to-be-read pile.
*ARC received for an honest and unbiased review.*
Dreams can change!
Achieving one’s dream is a remarkable feat, not everyone can do that! You are set apart if you are able to achieve yours. But life can be cruel sometimes, or rather, people can be downright cruel, jealous and selfish sometimes too.
This story begins with a sad premise, that of a tragic event that happened during Sage’s and his band’s tour which resulted in the death of someone very dear to him and something lasting for Sage too.
The way Sage’s thinks gives me life, he sees the beauty in the people and nature that surrounds him. As a singer and composer, he thinks of what he sees as poetry! He thinks in poetry.
Antonio feels deeply for what happened to Sage and Marco, and he feels privileged that Sage reached out to him in this most important undertaking he is embarking on after the tragedy.
The story is beautiful! It is like poetry, especially from Sage’s point of view. I love how positive Antonio tries to be especially when it comes to Sage, but he is always beseiged with what he thinks are his responsibilities. But I love how the story was told. It is slow burn but really sweet, and the characters are endearing!