Audiobook narrated by Clare Corbett

A story about a woman who loses not only her husband but her sense of security when she finds out she’s broke, NIGHT MUSIC was beautifully written and completely captured me. Isabel Delancey finds herself in dire straits when she realizes that her money is running out, and with two children to support, she has to face some harsh realities. For a woman who has lived a sheltered life as a classic violinist while her husband took care of the things in their everyday life, Isabel is thrown for a loop and for a while, is barely able to cope. She upends her children’s lives in the city by moving to an old dilapidated house in the country they inherited, called "The Spanish House." But it doesn’t come without its own issues.

I loved this story so much. It was beautiful to watch Isabel come into her own as a mother and start making sacrifices for her children. It was perfect in the way she found solace in her violin, taking to the roof at night to play out all of her emotions. She developed such grit and determination throughout the story, and though it wasn’t the life she had wanted, she learned to take pride in it. The whole transition from her old life into her new life was such a joy to read. The secondary characters in this book (many of them with occasional points of view,) were wonderful to read. There are the next-door neighbors who are coveting like crazy, and their son, who is getting close to Isabel’s daughter, the man who works for the neighbor with the shady past who is forming a bond with her son, and then the two ‘cousins’ who own the store. There was a small town country feel to this story that was so on point with the gossiping and shadiness among the neighbors and what they knew about each other. A lot of eyebrow-raising was going on among these people, and I, of course, lapped it right up.

This book was a bit slower in pace as it dealt with everyday life, but it was the better for it. There were a lot of life skills Isabel was just learning, and I like that the author took the time to show that. As wonderful as this story was, there was a messiness to it that I appreciated. It was reflective of life, and only parts of it felt exaggerated. I feel like most of us know people like this, and it’s a reminder that you never know what people are going through.

NIGHT MUSIC was a book that really delved into the harshness of life, and I couldn’t get enough of it. This is one of Jojo Moyes's backlist titles finally being released in the United States, but it read as having come from a seasoned writer to me. If you enjoy books about the messiness of life with a light at the end of the tunnel, this one's for you.

Audiobook Narration: Clare Corbett did a fantastic job with Night Music. I thought she captured each character perfectly, and she really understood their motivations. I would listen to more books that she has narrated, and I’d definitely recommend her!