The Music Shop

Book 2 of my 2018 Reading Challenge

**I received a copy of this book via a Goodreads Giveaway and would like to thank the author and/or publisher for the opportunity to read and honestly review it**

**I read an advance uncorrected proof so quotes may not be exact in the final publication**

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce

Summary (via Goodreads)
It is 1988. On a dead-end street in a run-down suburb there is a music shop that stands small and brightly lit, jam-packed with records of every kind. Like a beacon, the shop attracts the lonely, the sleepless, and the adrift; Frank, the shop's owner, has a way of connecting his customers with just the piece of music they need. Then, one day, into his shop comes a beautiful young woman, Ilse Brauchmann, who asks Frank to teach her about music. Terrified of real closeness, Frank feels compelled to turn and run, yet he is drawn to this strangely still, mysterious woman with eyes as black as vinyl. But Ilse is not what she seems, and Frank has old wounds that threaten to reopen, as well as a past it seems he will never leave behind. Can a man who is so in tune with other people's needs be so incapable of connecting with the one person who might save him? The journey that these two quirky, wonderful characters make in order to overcome their emotional baggage speaks to the healing power of music--and love--in this poignant, ultimately joyful work of fiction. 

My Opinion
I really like the author's writing style and quirky characters; it makes it very easy to read and fall into the story.  I actually had a dream about these characters last night but they were doing something much different than the actual book (In my dream Ilse was a secret millionaire and Frank sold a painting to solve his own money issues instead of taking it to auction like he was supposed to) which made the reading a little strange today because I kept thinking about it even though it wasn't in line with the plot at all.  Seriously, nothing about those actions are anywhere in the story - I guess maybe I should add a spoiler alert that there's not a random art heist, haha.  And now that I think about it, maybe the art world of "The Object of Beauty" is still on my mind as well.

The author also has a good sense of humor.  I recognized when Kit was learning German but could only talk about being ill because the lesson was hospital-related.  It's the same reason I can say "this is my aunt's pen" in French but nothing that would actually be helpful in conversing.  I also laughed when she said any mistakes in the book are entirely Frank's or Peg's (two of the characters) instead of the standard author disclaimer.

I didn't love the last few parts where things could've been resolved earlier if people just talked to each other but overall this was a smooth read to pass some time.  Now I want to go listen to the music they talked about.

A Few Quotes from the Book
"Real love was not a bolt out of the blue, it was not the playing of violins, it was like anything else, it was a habit of the heart. You got up every day and you put it on, same as your pants, your boots, and you kept treading the constant path."

"Jazz was about the spaces between notes.  It was about what happened when you listened to the thing inside you.  The gaps and the cracks.  Because that was where life really happened: when you were brave enough to free-fall."