Crescendo
A gripping love triangle in glamorous 1950s Paris
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jun 2, 2026
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A piano virtuoso and his twin sister become rivals for a new spotlight-the adoration of a mysterious French patron-during the hot Parisian summer of 1957.
"An enthralling literary symphony of ambition, desire, and obsession." -Layne Fargo, bestselling author of The Favorites and They Never Learn
Twins Natasha and Max Kitson have lived their lives on the road, together building Max's career as a world-renowned pianist, famous for bringing even the most stalwart audience members to tears. But when, at age 20, the former prodigy begins making uncharacteristic mistakes, he abruptly cancels his remaining concerts and moves himself and his sister into the home of an enigmatic French patron, never realizing that Henri has been his sister's lover.
In Paris, over the course of one summer, Natasha's long-simmering resentments and Max's deep insecurities drive the siblings apart as each vie for Henri's attentions. But neither twin can have their host entirely to themselves, because while, during the day, Henri woos Natasha with lavish gifts and trips to the ballet, it's Max's music that draws Henri from bed each night.
One part delicious family drama, and one part twisted love triangle, Crescendo is an altogether un-put-downable escape to the concert halls, ballet theaters, and bedrooms of 1950s France.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Healey (The Ophelia Girls) offers a bittersweet tale of a love triangle in 1950s Paris. Maxim Kitson, a 20-year-old London piano prodigy managed by his twin sister, Natasha, is on tour in Brazil, where the pair meet Henri, le Comte de Montaigu, a French banker who is a fan of Max's. Natasha becomes enamored with the charming Henri. Meanwhile, Max feels he needs a break from performing, so when Henri offers to host Max and Natasha at his Paris mansion while Max trains with a piano master, the pair leap at the offer. In Paris, Max and Henri flirt with each other, even as Max falls for a ballet dancer almost twice his age. Eventually, Henri and Natasha's relationship becomes more serious, even as the sexual tension between Henri and Max continues to build. Healey effectively paints the self-absorbed characters' longings with striking clarity, such as Max's wish that Natasha fulfill her desire "to be known, to be seen for herself and not just as a shadow of her brother." Those who enjoy a romance with a caustic edge will take to this searing work.