Review: Night Music by Deanna Sletten

Night Music

by Deanna Sletten

Pages: 251

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Charlotte Parsons is devastated over losing her brother in the Vietnam War. Desperate to learn more about the war, she joins a group of college women who send letters to soldiers and befriends Joseph Russo, a young soldier. But a few months after they begin corresponding, his letters stop coming, and Char moves on, still confused as to why so many young lives are being lost so far away from home. 

Two years later, Char begins college in her small Illinois town of Grand Falls. She’s been dating her brother’s long-time best friend, Deke Masterson, who is a senior in college and is deep into the anti-war movement. Char isn’t sure how she feels about the war. Then a stranger comes to town and changes everything. 

Joseph Russo served in the Vietnam War, earning a Purple Heart for his injury as well as a life-long limp. He’s ready to put the war behind him. While in Vietnam, he’d corresponded with a girl from Grand Falls and he enjoyed reading about her idyllic life. When he’s discharged, he moves there to attend college. And when he meets Charlotte in person, he’s taken with her sweetness, intelligence, and beauty. 

The battle lines are drawn as Deke resents Joe’s presence around Char. What started out as a well-deserved escape to a small town for Joe soon turns into a battle of wills between him and the idealistic Deke. And there stands Charlotte, right in the middle.

Kritters Thoughts:  Charlotte Pearsons lost her older brother in the Vietnam War so to help heal she becomes a pen pal with a solder currently in the war.  This soldier is Joseph Russo and after she describes the town that she has grown up in, he decides to move there to find the ideal.

So as can be predicted from the beginning Charlotte and Joseph's lives collide and even in this small town the negativity towards the Vietnam war is strong and their lives are impacted by the protests and uproar.  I was educated by this part - I enjoyed reading a perspective of how a small town was affected by the feelings about the war and how returning soldiers were caught up in the middle of it.  

All in all this book was just a little to sweet and made me feel like I was reading a Hallmark movie pitch.  I just couldn't get into the characters and their story and just needed a little more grit.


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2018 Challenge: 20 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.