The Treble with Men, the second book in the Scorned Women Society series is just as amazing as My Bare Lady, also by author Piper Sheldon. And would you look at that sparkly cover of bearded awesomeness!? Gah, it’s so beautiful! This book takes place in Green Valley, Tennessee and is part of the Smartypants Romance collection, which is the brain child of the great Penny Reid. One of the beloved Winston brothers, Jethro, makes a cameo in this book. Readers will swoon for Jethro and will be so glad when he shows up at just the right time. You’ll see – trust me on this!
In this beautifully written re-imagining of The Phantom of the Opera, readers will fall in love with an insanely talented cellist named Kim and a broody, secretive musician named Devlin. Both characters have a past that they would like to forget, but oh how beautiful life can be when you decide to embrace the mistakes of the past and learn from them, allowing yourself to love and live fully. Throw away the regret and choose life.
Kim Dae goes by a stage name of Christine Day and lives with her much older, wealthy parents in Green Valley, TN. She spends most of her time practicing her cello and playing in the local symphony orchestra, SOOK. She has a sordid past that started with none other than Jethro Winston, which is how she became a member of the Scorned Women Society. Kim is embarrassed by the time she spent in rehab, so she hides behind the new name and doesn’t allow anyone to get close to her, other than her fellow SWS gals.
Devlin, the “Devil of the Symphony” is the Maestro of SOOK, and he has quite the mysterious past. No one really knows much about him, other than the fact that he wears a mask to cover the lower half of his face. Devlin is moody and gruff, shouting orders at his orchestra and remaining distant from any human contact, other than that of his own family. There is no denying his musical talent, however. Devlin approaches “Christine”, asking her to help him with the cello portion in a new piece his is composing titled Smokey Mountain Suite. They begin spending more and more time together to practice the piece. She is his muse, his “angel of music.” Devlin remembers her from many years ago, but he keeps his true identity a secret from her…at first.
I loved the way Piper mixed in various plot points and character traits from The Phantom of the Opera. This book is an ode to the transformative healing power of music and creativity. It also has some pretty hot romance between two tortured souls, both aching for love and tenderness. Gah, it’s just sooooo good! I could totally read it over again right now, but I’m excited to move on to the next Smartypants Romance release. I can’t wait for the next Scorned Women Society book!
I will leave you with this, readers, in the words of the great bearded man, Jethro Winston, “Just Keep Playing.” Or, “Just Keep Writing,” or “Just Keep Trying,” or “Just Keep Practicing. ” Whatever you need to hear, plug that in, and remember that you are awesome and doing your best is OK!
Thank you to Smartypants Romance for allowing me to review an early copy of this title.
Librarian Laura 
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