Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

BUY LINK: Dark Notes

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Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Michelle
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review



“Blindsided. That’s the best explanation for the stern volume of my voice and tightness in my usually-composed expression. I wasn’t prepared for this . Not for a tall, voluptuous , sexy-beyond-all-reason woman to walk into my classroom. My first thought? ”

Pam Godwin has hit every sinful note in this seductive, forbidden, bewitching and utterly addicting romance. Ms. Godwin has composed a story that was layered with intrigue, steam, passion and erotic BDSM undertones in her newest release, Dark Notes.



Right off the opening pages, I was consumed and mesmerized by Ms. Godwin’s lyrical and poetic prose. She not only hypnotize me to feel for her characters but she held me hostage. Though this book was layered with erotic undertones, Ms. Godwin does an excellent job balancing this. She draws her readers to feel, listen and understand the strong magnetic pull as to why lines were crossed and blurred.

“Ivory. That conjures an image of paleness with hard, worn edges like piano keys or teeth. Doesn’t fit her at all. She’s a dark portrait of soft curves and chestnut hair with deep golden skin that seems to absorb shadows in the room I hadn’t noticed until now. ”

Ivory Westbrook is a pianist prodigy. She is gifted, smart, beautiful, and talented. She is a survivor and strong-willed. Her musical talent has landed her in a prestigious performing art high school and her goal is to further that dream to play by getting accepted to a well known performing arts college in New York. Ivory has made it her mission. This is her dream.



“He seems untouchable. Maybe his fists are as brutal as his beauty. Just looking at him feels like I’m inhaling a lungful of fire.”

While Ivory is gifted musically, her home life is a mess. After her father passed away, her mother and elder brother went on a downward spiral. They both treat her like she is nobody, worthless slut and blames Ivory that they have no money because her father sold his piano bar so Ivory could attend this prestigious high school. They blame Ivory for everything. Though Ivory could easily walk away from them, she doesn’t. A part of her cares and loves for them. And so Ivory does what she needs to do in order to survive. She sells her body to willing high school boys in exchange to put food on the table, keep the house that they are living in and pay all the necessary bills in order to survive. To give her body so freely was not her first choice, since Ivory’s innocence was stolen from her at a young age of 13 at the hands of her brother’s best friend who was nine years her senior. What Ivory lacked in money, she was rich in talent.

“I wouldn’t need words, just her awareness of my body, my intent, and my confidence to give her what she craves. She may not know it but she needs clearly-defined boundaries, discipline, and a man she can trust to push her beyond her comfort zone. She may not yet recognize me as that man, but she will.”

On her first day of senior year, Ivory knows what everyone thinks of her. She is a slut. A nobody. Worthless. But luckily for Ivory, she has at least one friend in school that she can count on but mostly Ivory keeps to herself. She knows that in order to pursue her dreams, she needs to work hard. So when Ivory meets her new teacher, Emeric Marceaux, she feels an instant gravitational pull to him.

When Emeric first meets Ivory, he is enchanted by her beauty, smart mouth, and feisty personality. He is drawn to her. She was like a siren, calling him forth. Emeric is well aware, that he can’t have her. She’s far too young and his student. It’s forbidden and frown upon. But Emeric soon finds himself consumed by her and his need to protect her from the family and boys who takes advantages of her.

“She’s made for me, to be instructed and punished and enjoyed. I want inside her with such agonizing intensity my body quakes. I want in her mouth, her cunt, and her soul. I want to rip her apart with my shaft, piece her back together, and do it all over again. Fuck, I need this girl. And I can’t have her.”

Like a moth to a flame, Emeric and Ivory are enraptured with one another. For the first time in a very long time, Ivory wants what Emeric is willing to offer. He is her teacher, master, and soon becomes her lover. Lines were crossed. The teacher/student relationship gets blurred when they both enter a secret relationship. And soon Ivory discovers Emeric’s sexual needs, wants, and desires. His need to own her body, mind, and soul.



As Emeric and Ivory continue their secret sexual relationships, they are aware that they must take caution of their love affair. While Emeric could lose his job, he doesn’t want Ivory to lose her opportunity in pursuing her dreams in attending that prestigious performing arts university. And so Emeric take precautionary measures to ensure that all his tracks are taken care of. But what happens when their secret is exposed? How far will Emeric go to protect Ivory? Will everything Ivory wanted and dreamed of be destroyed? Can their love prevail?

Dark Notes had everything that I hoped for and so much more in a student/teacher romance trope. This book had incorporated so much depth, vulnerability, raw emotions, sensuality, and dark erotic layers that it spotlighted what it truly meant to love. The story of Ivory and Emeric captures every essence of truth, loyalty, sacrifice and undying love. I loved that Pam Godwin didn’t make this your standard forbidden trope, but she made readers understand the motivation of Ivory and Emeric. They are far from perfect but together their love was perfect. It was real. There were no lies and misgivings. It’s honest. Imperfect. Sensual. Seductive. It was LOVE.

“That’s when I hear it. 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. Our hypnotic, dark notes.”

This book hit every high note. The love of Emeric and Ivory is a beautiful melody that will resound to every romance book aficionado. This book was indeed like a well composed masterpiece. It started off with a melody that will entice and seduce readers then slowly Pam Godwin masterfully bewitches readers to feel the music, the story, the love that is blooming between her characters and of course, she ends her masterpiece with a dramatic flare that will make readers want to reread this book again. So if you are looking for a story that paints a beautiful literary tale of love, sensuality and seduction then I highly recommend you to read this book. Pam did an amazing job in capturing a beautiful love story with her poetic prose.



Pam Godwin

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