The Architect of Song (Haunted Hearts Legacy, #1)

by A. G. Howard

For most of her life, Juliet Emerline has subsisted - isolated by deafness - making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she's at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name "Hawk" on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton's secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches ... or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton's interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it's too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book New Adult gothic saga following the generations of one family as - haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts - they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

• ISBN10: 099768741X
• ISBN13: 9780997687415
• Publish Date: 15 August 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Golden Orb Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 438
• Language: English

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

~*Full review on The Bent Bookworm!*~

This book totally surprised me. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, though I was hoping I would. So I was delighted when this was my initial reaction:

Yep. This was one giant dark truffle of deliciousness. I started it one day, and about two chapters in decided I wanted to just sit down and devour it all in one go, so I waited for a weekend day and did just that.

First of all, don’t go into this book expecting something it’s not. This is a gothic historical romance. Period. It doesn’t try to have the next greatest plot twist. In fact it has some of the traditional YA tropes (it’s a NA, btw) that usually drive me to distraction or leave me throwing the book across the room. However, popular plot devices are popular for a reason. They resonate with a large percentage of the human population on some intrinsic level. That doesn’t mean we don’t get tired of them, particularly if you read a lot. What seems new and exciting to someone who reads 2 books a year may seem bland and unoriginal to someone who reads 200. Authors CAN, however, come up with new twists on the tried and true tropes of literature and A.G. Howard has done just that. ANYWAY. Climbing off my soapbox now.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD…but nothing too horrible, I promise, and I hid them.

As soon as the book starts, we’re thrown into a very melancholy, VERY Victorian atmosphere. I almost put it down, honestly. I wasn’t in the mood for another book where the heroine simpers and flutters and nearly passes out when the hero gets within 6 inches of her. But I was intrigued…and let’s just say, while yes, the time period is Victorian, the romantic intensity is SO NOT.

^My mental image of the main guy.

There are a few scenes that left me literally fanning myself. Not just because, um, hot bearded guy, either. The history between Juliet and Hawk is just so sweet and it gives so much more intensity to every scene between the two of them. It’s amazing, and heartbreaking, sweet, and at the same time simply smouldering.

The characters in this book are amazing. I was attached to them ALL. I hated A.G. Howard about halfway through for making me care about them ALL, because I wanted to be able to choose. Yes, there is a love triangle in this book (that was the spoiler). Maybe I should have guessed that from the blurb, but since it said ghost…you know…how can you…well. All I can say is well done, well done indeed. I was several chapters in before I was sure that was what was happening, and by that point I was so intrigued and invested that I couldn’t stop reading!

A.G. Howard writes IN COLOR. I swear I could see the colors, the fabrics, the clothes she described just spilling out of the pages. It was amazing. This is the first of her books I’ve read, so I’m not sure if she just always writes that way or if it was a feature of this particular book, but I loved it. I’m not a “clothes person,” but damn if I didn’t want to reach out and touch some of the dresses Juliet was wearing.

The plot is…well, gothic. Semi-tragic. There were SO MANY layers and so many half-truths that about 3/4 of the way through I just wanted to SCREAM because I was just as confused as poor Juliet, whom everyone seems to think needs “protecting” in the form of an elaborately built scheme to keep her “safe.” Geez Louise, people. Our young heroine is deaf, yes, but copes remarkably well and is no shrinking violet, even if she sometimes acts the part. There’s the love triangle. At first I was skeptical, and then I was sympathetic, and then I was panicked, because these two guys…well, they get ALL the hearts. AT FIRST. Then one starts to be controlling, manipulative, and demanding and my little gun-shy heart ran away screaming…but I still felt so sorry for him and wanted him to have a happy ending.

Now, the problems. First, as soon as a guy comes into her life, Juliet loses all focus on everything else, even when at first she had a relatively big goal regarding her estate. She just tosses it all aside for TWU RUV.

I’m sure we’ve all been there, but I hate it when that’s one of the first things to occur in a book. Especially in cases like this, where, as a true Victorian female, Juliet has been sheltered and taught that women shouldn’t have sexual desires like men, and then she just falls into the arms of the first man that waltzes across her path (it takes 149 pages). Le sigh. But ok, it’s a romance. Forgiven…ish.

Then there are a few times when the dialogue sounds like it was supposed to be description. Because honestly, who describes their hair color as “My hair is the warm glimmer of golden coins beneath the sun,” instead of just “My hair is blonde (golden, yellow, fill-in-the-blank-with-one-word)?” Ugh. It was just overkill for me…the flowery descriptions were great, but in dialogue it was just a bit too much.

My hat is off to A.G. Howard for not giving her book the traditional happily-ever-after ending. Oh, there’s plenty to be happy about, don’t get me wrong! But it’s definitely bittersweet, and by being so it’s much more realistic and makes me even more excited for the next one!

Overall, 4 out of 5 stars. I love Juliet and *bleep*. They’re giant dark chocolate truffles and I want to eat them.

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[lizarodz]

Quite the Novel Idea https://quitethenovelidea.com https://quitethenovelidea.com/liza-reviews-the-architect-of-song-by-a-g-howard/The Architect of Song is my first book by Howard and it won't be the last. Besides this being a historical romance - which I adore - what attracted me more about was the gorgeous cover. I'm a very visual person and a sucker for pretty covers :)

" Then I blinked, and the music was gone. Like a slice of winter wind the reality of Mama's absence from my life sucked the breath out of my lungs. I bunched my knees to my chest and sobbed, willing, the pain away."

You can get the basic premise of the blurb. Juliet is left deaf by a childhood disease, a fact that is wildly known as in those times it was perceived as an undesirable trait. After her mother's death a viscount appears that wants to buy her home. At the same time, Juliet finds (steals more like it) a flower that brings forth a handsome ghost. The story is a Gothic ghost mystery and I loved it!

Juliet has been sheltered and cherished by her mother and uncle all of her life. She has made the assumption that she needs to live her life in seclusion, making hats and being taken care of. She has an uncanny ability to read lips which is at times unrealistic, I guess this is where her ghost came in handy. By the end of the story, she grew up as a character to not jump into conclusions and trust others.

On to the romance! There is a love triangle, but not really. I mean, can we call it that if one of the 'points' in the triangle is a ghost? The main characters have been through a lot, especially Chaine, who had a childhood full of horrors. My heart broke for him.

"She provided light in the midst of an inconceivably evil darkness. It burned her image into his... and altered his future. I could never have imagined a woman worthy of such reverence. Yet I've found you to be captivating and courageous, worthy of all that and more. Not despite your deafness, but because of it. If that makes me a fool. I will probably wear the title."

The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns, every time I thought I knew were things were headed Howard provided another masterful twist. There is also a lot of confusion created by both the viscount and Juliet's uncle keeping so many secrets from her! Men think they know better and just create a dang mess! The writing is fluid, enthralling, interesting and lyrical in nature. I really enjoy the epilogue as it tied all the loose ends quite nicely.

Overall, The Architect of Song was a beautifully written tale of the power that hope has to change a life. I'm a little surprised that this is the first in a new series since this book has the most fulfilling ending. I guess I just have to wait August of next year and read The Hummingbird Heart, right?This review was originally posted on Quite the Novel Idea

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

Initial reaction:



A.G. Howard is hands down one of my top 5 favorite authors and her books are on my auto buy list! I adored her Splintered series SO much that I would basically read her grocery list. When I saw that A.G. was going to be releasing the first book in a new adult series, I knew I had to have it!! I will admit... I had no idea what this book was even about when I requested a copy. I saw the cover, saw the author, and dived right in!

As it turns out, this is an incredible story about Juliet, a deaf girl whose mother has recently died. After stumbling into a friendship with a ghost who also happens to be the only person she can hear, Juliet finds herself embarking on a mission to help him find out more about his life and death. To gain information, she has to journey to a resort run by Lord Thornton, an unsavory fellow who has been after her estate for reasons unknown. Once there, she finds herself unsure of what to believe or who to trust, but remains determined to uncover the truth.

I loved Juliet! Despite the fact that she is forced to go to Lord Thornton's estate and essentially audition for the part of his wife, Juliet always maintains her independence and never becomes a weak character in any way. Not only does she play a huge part in the uncovering of the mystery surrounding Hawk, she actually fights against the system in several ways. The most entertaining of these is her refusal to wear the uncomfortable clothes forced upon her by the society of the time. I found it hilarious to see her repeatedly try to get away with not wearing the incredible uncomfortable dresses people kept trying to put her in, but I did like that she offered reasonable solutions to the issue. I also really liked that she was open to exploring relationships and her sexuality, albeit not in an overly risqué way. What I mean to say is I loved that A.G. Howard was able to give us a strong female protagonist while staying true to the time period.

Of course, there are two love interests, as implied by the synopsis. I ended up loving Hawk and Lord Thornton in different ways. There were times when I really didn't like either of them, but it all came together perfectly. I can't say much about either of these men without spoiling the book, but suffice it to say there were many swoons to be had. I was a little worried when I realized that there would be a love triangle in this story, but if anyone knows how to write a satisfying love triangle, it's A.G. Howard! Although this is a new adult romance and there is some sexual content, there are no sexually explicit scenes. Something to keep in mind if you're not a fan of the overly steamy!

The setting was also fantastic and really goes hand in hand with the cover. Most of this story takes place between a graveyard, a really unique luxury resort, and an old mine. All of it fit right into a story of a ghost stuck between worlds and a shady nobleman with a questionable past. I definitely felt like I could picture my surroundings the whole way through and it really added to the reading experience!

Speaking of reading experience... Sometimes new adult romance has a tendency to focus too much on the romance, while the plot slides to the back burner, but that is not the case here! I wasn't sure what the story would be going in and much of it stays shrouded in mystery until late in the book. I love big twists and The Architect of Song has them! I was totally shocked more than once reading this. There is also a very satisfying conclusion at the end of this book. Although it is the first in a series, they are loosely connected enough that there's no cliffhanger to leave you in agony for the next year!

I honestly don't think A.G. Howard can write a book I won't like. I went into The Architect of Song not knowing what it was all about, but with very high expectations. Sometimes high expectations are a recipe for disaster, but in this case I was not disappointed! I blew through this in a couple days and, even though there wasn't a cliffhanger ending, I already can't wait to get the next one!