VBT# Without Benefits - Nicole Tone

 

Review: Without Benefits - Nicole Tone - June 2016

I've been reading a few novels like this lately and it does get you thinking that no matter how far you try and distance yourself from your past and the way you were, you can never completely wipe and get a clean slate as even the littlest bits and pieces will worm their way into your new created life. Emma was originally from New York and studied Music - she was an amazing pianist and worked wonders with her mentor and best friend Owen. During her time at University, she loved the music and lived for it and then 9/11 happened and nightmares followed. Emma decided she needed to get away from New York and wanted to start a nice clean slate and she moved to Seattle. Emma met a nice guy Connor and is now happily engaged to him , she got a job working for the Seattle Symphony behind the scenes doing fundraisers and worked on becoming the perfect society wife.  Her piano and the music and life she left behind, stayed hidden and gathered dust and she never looked back though throughout the years she had niggles to get back on that horse which in her case was the piano where her and Owen made beautiful melodies. Now ten years later, Emma is moving forward with her life and comes across some relics of her past - music symphonies - some finished and others unfinished.  During this time ,she recieves contact from Quinn- someone she hasn't spoken to in over a decade.  Emma heads to dinner with Quinn , which she doesn't see as a problem since she is now engaged and Connor - her fiance works with his ex-girlfriend everyday and they are currently working together that particular night. Seeing Quinn again flares up alot of memories for Emma from her past - some she wished would stay hidden like those nasty nightmares that haven't arisen in a while.  As she starts to spend more time with Quinn, Emma has to make a decision when her past comes colliding with her present with which life she wants and needs -  Is her perfect life now what she wants with Connor ? or will she discover that her life should have been with Quinn all along which for Emma means confronting the place of her nightmares - New York and starting a new future with him by her side ?
I quite enjoy stories like this as I believe in our lives, that we have one or two soulmates and more than often - the person who was our first true love will be the one you end up with eventually. It is up to you though whether you will be the one opened to that opportunity though and whether if it comes down to choosing between your first love and present guy - who would you choose ?