Dark Notes

I finished this earlier today and I’m absolutely at a loss for words.Dark Notes is my first read from Pam Godwin and will definitely not be my last🙌🏻The age gap has to be one of my favorite tropes hands down. When this trope comes together with the Student/Teacher trope...IM DOWN!!!! This has to be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Not only did it check off the above but it also had the angst, the sadness, the heartache, the fear and most of all...THE LOOVVVVVE!!!! Gosh the love in this book makes my heart skip a beat! And not only that the writing was SUPERIOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The analogies of music, the words like poetry, the plot was brilliant and I was SOBBING in the first 3 chapters! That makes for a STELLAR read!This is a 10 year age gap with the h being 17. Ivory Westcott...WHAT A WOMAN! At 17 she was bold, hard but soft, fierce yet damaged and a brilliant pianist. She was given a gift and she had every intention of using that gift as well as others, to get her out of Treme Louisiana. She had to do things in order to survive but she was also taken advantage of and was used and discarded as if she didn’t matter. She was hurt beyond repair, so she thought. She had no one but her cat Shubert and her only friend Stogie and she relied on them most of all. Her home life was a mess and her sole focus was all about getting out of the prep school and getting in to Leopold Conservatory in NY and she was determined on getting there at any cost!In comes Mr. Emeric Marceaux....What a man with a past to prove it! He is teaching at LeMoyne because he was forced to resign his post in Shreveport. He meets Ivory and his world spins on its axis. I will not go into too much because you need to read this book!The real story is Ivory. The things she thought she knew were so skewed because of what had happened to her from the time she was 13. She had no idea what love was or what it felt like to be safe....until him♥️She was wise beyond her years but had no clue about some things. Her life was wrought with strife and she was kicked all the time when she was down but she pulled herself up and she moved on with one goal. She was a true heroine and will go down as one of my favorite female characters ever.This book had my heart cracking and my butt clenching! The chemistry is OFF THE HOOK! The words are beyond beautiful, the story had me begging for more! I’m so glad this was recommended to me!Angst⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Cheating NoneSexy Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Epilogue ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Plot⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Holy smokes, why didn't I read this book sooner? This book is so good. It is hands down the best teacher student age gap romance book for me. I love the mixed POV chapters, it really helps get to know the characters better.I love the connection that Emeric and Ivory share. It's healing, erotic, emotional, and forbidden all wrapped up into one amazing book.The spice is a 5/5 for me. I would not change anything about them at ALL. There are some trigger warnings so be sure and check them before reading.

I've been sitting on this book for some time now waiting for the right moment to read it. I knew it was going to be dark and there are themes that were going to be difficult to handle but I have to say that it was addressed appropriately. This book was so much better than I was anticipating. Not that I thought it was going to be terrible but for a while it was extremely hyped and I sometimes don't think it's warranted but I have to say in this case it truly was.The book deals with Ivory's abuse and poverty in a way that is understandable and makes her incredibly sympathetic. I loved how even though all she knows of her life is pain and trauma, she still has hope to come out on the other side of it. She endures it for her dream to get into her ideal music university and become a successful pianist. I liked how sweet she still is and trusting Emeric that he will always be there for her. It would be so easy for someone that has suffered like she has to become bitter and a shell of a person with a probable tragic outcome.Speaking of Emeric, that man is quite possibly one of my all time favorite heroes. He is super commanding and authoritative but he is so sweet, understanding and patient with Ivory. He has presence which just leaps off the page. Quite honestly, he was obsessed with Ivory from the moment he saw her but in the best possible way. He took care of her when she didn't even realize it and would spoil her rotten and she deserved to be spoiled. There's a line in the book in which he says something along the lines that he was waiting for Ivory his whole life and I honestly believe that as much as he does.I also really liked the BDSM aspect of the novel. It's been a while since I've read a book with this theme and I forgot how in good hands, that aspect of a sexual relationship can be a very beautiful thing. I love how Ivory discovered that she is powerful and respected in this kind of relationship and in that she found her self confidence and I feel, a sense of peace.Overall, this was an excellent, excellent read and if it weren't for @kindlequeenandcoffee_ I'd probably still be sitting on this novel. The book is beautifully written and the music aspect just heightens the characterizations of these perfectly imperfect characters. The book just consumes you and it'll be hard to say goodbye to these characters.

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin is a hypnotic and provocative contemporary dark romance that explores healing through a forbidden, student-teacher, age-gap romance. Despite the seemingly simple premise, this story is emotional and unputdownable! I absolutely loved it!“It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes.”Ivory Westbrooke is a 17-year-old pianist, enrolled at Le Moyne, a prestigious high school, with her eyes set on a scholarship to an elite university and, ultimately, a career as a musician. But her day to day circumstances are much different for her than her peers; life has tested her resilience and scarred her heart for years. Her goals are more than just an aspiration, they are an escape plan. Emeric Merceaux is the new teacher at Le Moyne, taking over for Ivory's previous mentor.. which makes him the one that could help make or break her dreams.These two have a ten year age gap, and with Ivory just over the cusp of the age of consent, this romance has the potential to challenge its readers. Personally, I think the dynamic between Emeric and Ivory is developed with such intention and care for its questionable nature... These two characters come to life on the page, and their romance blossoms from simple infatuation to something profound, meaningful and heartwarming.The positivity in this book surrounding a certain word that Amazon doesn't like is everything to me. I absolutely love when an author can successfully explore more deviant behaviours with care, positivity and an emphasis on consent. This is the best representation of BDSM that I've come across, and it only made me fall harder for Emeric and Ivory. It's also one of the hottest romances I've read in awhile. Seriously, if you like BDSM representation in romance ... the intimate scenes are nothing short of delicious.“She’s fantasia in the flesh, unbound to convention, vibrating beneath my hands and begging to be directed.”Emeric landed a spot on my list of top tier book boyfriends. I'm obsessed with his intensity, his passion and his flare for discipline. Ivory intoxicates him and he cannot look away, despite the risk. He becomes obsessive, possessive and invasive in the best way. His unwavering dedication to her and her needs made me swoon over and over.He also plays Metallica and System of a Down on his piano to de-stress. Need I say more?This romance has one of the most satisfying and heartwarming conclusions I've come across in a long time. It's a bit of a journey to get there, but Emeric and Ivory's HEA is so worth it. Their story will live on in my head forever.Of course, Godwin's lyrical prose lends perfectly to this story; it's steeped in musical themes and language, right down to the vibrant New Orleans setting. Every Godwin book I've read so far is like this. Her writer's voice is so adaptable and immersive, and creates a unique aesthetic with each story's theme.I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys forbidden dark romance, the student-teacher trope, BDSM, age-gaps, emotional contemporary romance and stories of healing.

I love it! A never ending love song so passionately written. Dark story with the most beautiful ending. Love the character's. Love the book. Thank you Pam Godwin!

You had me at forbidden, age-gap romance, but I stayed for the beautiful writing. I felt the sensuality in Pam’s writing from the very first page. I adored the way she weaved musical imagery throughout, especially as Ivory and Emeric’s feelings deepened.Ivory is ambitious, but the things she has to do, just to survive, made me instantly invested in her character.Emeric is her charismatic, no-nonsense, domineering music teacher and is instantly drawn to her.This book is everything I had hoped it would be. Sensual, sexy, beautiful and emotional. I loved the passion that I could feel from the page, both towards each other, and for their craft.Their sexual tension was red hot, I was worried the pages would ignite. The spice was deliciously kinky, only elevated by the taboo nature of their relationship.Another 5 star read from one of my favourites authors.

Tropes: forbidden, age gap, BDSM, student - teacher (trigger warnings - abuse and rape), dark romanceREAD THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. Really. If you have Dark Notes on your TBR for ages like me, let it be your next read. You won't regret. Pam Godwin created beautiful book, full of angst, music, pain, love and steam 🥵Emeric and Ivory should never be together. He is a music teacher with dubious past, involved in scandal, she is his student trying to survive after her father death and her family disinterest. They both have their own problems but cannot resist their mutual attraction.Emeric was ... just amazing. He was sexi, kinky and a bit rude to others but he supported Ivory in everything. I loved that Emeric was able to admit his feelings really soon and he deeply cared about Ivory. Emeric wanted her just for himself almost from the beginning and his possesivnes and protectivness was over the top but I loved it 😂😂 Ivory was very strong heroine. Her life was full of tragedy but she didn't give up. She was doing everything to change her life and fullfil her dream. I just wanted to hug her all the time 🥺Despite Emeric being into BDSM, there are not many kinky scenes and they actually don't have sex maybe till 80% of the book. But the sexual TENSION guys... I was obsessed. Couldn't put down my Kindle. And I loved that their relationships actually evolved. Emeric gave Ivory enough time to heal even though he wanted her so much. He also prioritized her dream before his career and was determined to do anything for her ❤️❤️ You just gotta love him.Another thing I adored was Pam's writing. Emeric and Ivory are both pianists so its logical that music is very present in the book. But Pam not only writes about music, she made me feel it through pages. Music, story and both characters were magicaly intertwined. I think it is very unique and makes this book special 😍 Dark notes overcame my expectations, immediately became one of my forever favourites and I reccomend it to everyone 👌❤️ (just check out the trigger warnings, please).

J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé cette histoire, un vrai coup de coeur, happée du début à la fin. Une fois le livre ouvert, je n'ai pas pu le lâcher.Superbe histoire d'amour où se mêle l'amour de la musique. Une histoire à la fois sombre et tendre et érotique et riche en émotions. J'ai souffert pour Ivory et complètement craqué pour Emeric Marceaux ! Le fait que la musique et le côté musical de l'histoire soit si présent à sûrement beaucoup joué aussi. En tout cas j'ai trouvé l'histoire bien écrite, les émotions bien décrites... Je le relirai et lirai d'autre livres de l'auteure.