Hachette Australia
Hachette Australia
Hachette Australia
If Bridget Jones and Nina Proudman had a sister she would be Zoe Wylde.
Zoe Wylde is a woman at a crossroad. Five years ago, she fled her successful career as a concert harpist in London to return to her Bondi home. She still plays, but now her audience is on the way out ... literally. It's complicated and complication is something Zoe understands well. Her best friend is chasing a new love, her brother's chasing too much love and her father has been married far too many times. Compared to them she thought she was doing okay. She's met the guy she is sure is the ONE. He wooed her and has been sleeping with her for almost five years. It would all be perfect ... if he wasn't married.
Zoe is learning that hearts, like harps, are capable of beautiful music if treated the right way and can be tricky to manoeuvre. She's over the old tune. But does Zoe have the courage to rewrite the song of her own life?
THE SONG OF US is a soulful story of family, love and the notes that define our lives by the author of THE SECRET RECIPE FOR SECOND CHANCES.
NOT many chick lit writers can match the gripping brilliance of the likes of Sophie Kinsella and Jojo Moyes. But this is the perfect mix of romance and comedy to make [JD Barrett's] second novel un-putdownable. - Manly Daily
Tender and funny, this is a delightful read. - Bookstr
April Book Club feature: With witty prose and lovable characters, this soulful tale will warm your heart. - Popsugar
The Song Of Us by J.D. Barrett: I absolutely adored this book. Zoe is a harpist who spends her days playing for the dying. After losing a client Zoe decides its time for her to start living. Filled with love, happiness and truly tender moments, This is definitely a book that I am going to read many many times in the future. I don't have a bad word to say about J.D. Barrett's The Song Of Us. This book is a must read, I promise It will stay with you long after the final page. - Gems Book Nook
J.D. Barrett's second novel is a delightful and very moreish rom-com, one that pretty much hits the intended sweet spot between Offspring and Bridget Jones. - The Weekly Review
An enjoyable, light-hearted novel about love of all kinds, love lost and love found, of family love, the love of friends and love that takes years to come back to us. - The Book Muse
I really enjoyed the writing, and once I picked the book up, it was just "one more chapter" and losing myself in the book for another hour. - BJs Book Blog
The Song of Us is the second novel by Australian TV writer, editor and author, J.D.Barrett. It’s New Year’s Day, and Zoe Wylde makes herself a promise: she will “not let another year, month, week or day slip by without knowing if Ross is going to be truly with me, or not”. Ross is Zoe’s man. Except he’s not. Ross lives with his long-term partner and their son. He professes to love Zoe, but there’s always a good reason he can’t leave Jeanie and Joshua right now. Zoe lives in the family home with her older brother, Tom, who is tragically still in love with Zoe’s (rampantly lesbian) best friend, Lexie, has been since he met her when he was ten. Lexie’s always on the lookout for “the one”, the woman she will marry, and makes no secret of her opinion of Ross, always highly critical that he manages to enjoy the best of both worlds. Tom and Zoe’s dad, Lou is not often in the picture: when he does arrive with his greedy girlfriend, Dreadful Tina, it’s to drop a bombshell into their lives. Zoe is a world-class harpist, but since suffering a panic attack while playing with the London Symphony Orchestra, she plays for a much smaller audience: Zoe works at a palliative care facility as a music thanatologist. Zoe plays her harp for the dying and their loved ones. Her repertoire is both classical and modern; sometimes she does requests; sometimes she composes music especially for her patients, always trying to bring comfort to their final hours. A remark by Zoe’s former orchestra colleague, crazy Gigi, and the wishes of two of her patients give her the impetus she needs to bring change into her life: soon she is wearing stunning designer outfits in inspirational places, auditioning in London and looking for an elderly long-lost love. Barrett’s touching tale is about love and families and friendship and caring. Lives and loves end, new ones start, and our sweet protagonist finally learns to stand up for herself. There is plenty of humour and a cast of quirky characters. Zoe’s narrative is interspersed with letters that tell the story of an enduring love between ballet dancer June and artist Clem, that began just before the outbreak of World War Two and withstood a seventy-five-year separation. Barrett touches on death and dying, on extra-marital affairs, on guilt and on grief. Tender and funny, this is a delightful read. With thanks to Bookstr and Hachette Australia for this copy to read and review.
Marianne Vincent
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett reveals her take away message
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett on her inspiration
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett on screen adaptation news!
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | How fashion weaves into the story
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | What her favourite instrument is
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | Where she finds the inspiration for her stories
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | Writing books for television vs books
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | The relevance of music and harp in the book
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | The new book
J.D. Barrett's Tunes to Write (or Read) To
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett reveals her take away message
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett on her inspiration
The Upside of Over | J.D. Barrett on screen adaptation news!
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | How fashion weaves into the story
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | What her favourite instrument is
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | Where she finds the inspiration for her stories
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | Writing books for television vs books
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | The relevance of music and harp in the book
THE SONG OF US by J.D. Barrett | The new book
J.D. Barrett is an Australian television writer and script editor. She has worked on the writing teams for Love My Way, East of Everything, Bed of Roses, Wonderland, Love Child and The Secret Daughter. The Secret Recipe for Second Chances was her bestselling debut novel. The Song of Us was her second book and The Upside of Over is her third work of fiction. J.D. lives between Sydney, Byron Bay and Los Angeles.