Dark Notes

Immerse yourself in the intense music of obsession and love and tenderness.

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1. DARK NOTES by Pam Godwin

SYNOPSIS

They call me a slut. Maybe I am. Sometimes I do things I despise. Sometimes men take without asking. But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan. With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take. He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note. When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything. I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music. And my teacher.

BOOK REVIEW

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin was such a satisfying erotic romance with a smidgen of bitter-sweet forbiddenness to it (I absolutely don’t condone a teacher-student relationship but it’s totally fine in the imaginary world of novels because why not). The author did an amazing job writing a captivating story full aspirations, pain, and passion. But there were so many trigger warnings, so beware of that.

It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes. I feel this truth like a fist around my balls as I enter my classroom after lunch and find the forbidden object of my desire waiting for me.

Ivory Westbrook was a financially disadvantageous but highly gifted pianist who attended one of the most elite performing arts schools in hopes to eventually achieve success and finally escape from the abusive environment she was basically forced into. I cannot really cope with the issues of abuse, especially the sexual one, since they hit too close to home. My heart ached so damn much for Ivory and all the things she had to endure in order to survive. I loved her determination to get what she wanted. Her willingness to fight for her future might have been admirable if only it was not that much dependent on one fine dominating male species who stormed into her rather miserable life and turned it upside down.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught. A woman who bends beneath the punishments and seeks acceptance in her humiliation. A woman who bites at the heavy hand, only to melt around the unforgiving grip when it cuts her air.

Emeric Marceaux was your typical intense alpha. He was very arrogant, dominating, and intimidating. He was used to always getting his way. And nothing could stand a chance when there was something he truly wanted, not even when this said something was a very beautiful and talented but forbidden Ivory who fascinated and tempted him so much.

The damaged girl brought out the inner instincts of his possessiveness and protectiveness to the max. Emeric so desperately wanted to be the one to cause her pain but of an entirely different nature than the one she was used to. And at the same time, he wished to care for her, to protect her…

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air. The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard of. Our hypnotic, dark notes. This is so much more than punishment or forbidden pleasure. She could never be a mistake.

The chemistry between Ivory and Emeric was instant and dangerously explosive. All the sex scenes were so sinfully delicious (especially the piano ones). Their conversations were so-so though. I mean I expected more from them…

Aside from the main characters and Emeric’s parents, I hated literally everybody else. So, I’d say this aspect was very imbalanced and thus, quite unbelievable. Other than that, Dark Notes gave exactly what anyone would expect from an erotic romance with elements of BDSM in the genre. Definitely recommend!