Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Music of My Heart 
SERIES: Elves After Dark
AUTHOR: Morgan Mason
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 120 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 20, 2020
BLURB:
In the North Pole, Nym works as an Observer. It’s his job to watch over the children of the world and report back to Santa on who’s being naughty and who’s being nice. Falling in love with one of his charges, however, would not only be cause for removal from his post, but falling in love with a human child and watching him grow into a beautiful young man, would be cause for banishment. Humans don’t know elves and Santa really exist.
Nym cannot help his amorous feelings for the talented Josiah Patterson, and as Josiah has since turned eighteen and passed out from under Nym’s watch, it’s been months since Nym has observed him. With Josiah away from his close-knit family at college, Nym hastily decides to leave the North Pole for the first time to take Josiah the only Christmas present he might receive that year.
One thing Nym never expected, however, was for Josiah to be able to feel Nym’s emotions.
With a nudge of support from an unexpected ally, is it possible for Nym to find the happiness he so desires with Josiah? Can an old elf and a young human truly be free to love each other?
REVIEW:
Nym is in elf in the Observation department at the North Pole. He’s watched over children for his whole career – confirming the Naughty or Nice lists. But he’s done the unthinkable. He’s fallen in love with one of those he’s watched. Once Josiah has turned 18, he hasn’t seen him, but he’s sure he’s succeeding in his life, but he missed seeing him. He has wanted to know how he has fared and how he’s getting on at his university and with his music. Josiah is so talented and loving and Nym has been very sad at not being able to see him.
Josiah has moved on from his life with his large and impoverished family to music school. He’s gotten a full scholarship and spends all his time practicing and studying because he needs to keep his grades up and also because music is his heart and soul. He’s generally pretty happy with the exception of one very annoying person at his school who thinks he has a right to Josiah. Christian is a pain, but Josiah has gotten pretty adept at avoiding him.
Nym reaches the point where he is desperate to check on Josiah, so he has a friend help make a Christmas gift for Josiah that he decides to deliver. He’s never left the North Pole before, but he is compelled to check in on Josiah. He makes the trip and finds Josiah and he’s incredibly moved by Josiah’s music. So moved, that he feels like even though he loves Josiah, Josiah is meant for bigger things than anything Nym could ever offer. But something strange has happened and Josiah can feel Nym’s love and then anguish while he is playing. Nym doesn’t know this at the time. But he steps in when Josiah needs him. He delivers his beautiful gift and while he’s thrilled to meet and talk with him, he also breaks a cardinal rule of his people and leaves Josiah.
Nym is devastated by what he’s done and he’s falling deeper and deeper into depression. He cannot do anything except his job and he’s not enjoying any part of his life. He expects to be punished for what he does, but when he’s not, he tries to bravely carry on. But when he’s summoned, he discovers that maybe he won’t be punished and that in fact he might be able to have his heart’s desire after all 🙂
Well this might be my favorite story of this whole series. This is such a beautifully moving love story. It’s very gently told and I was invested from the start in Nym and Josiah’s relationship. Nym’s love for Josiah is at the soul level. When he meets him, it’s more than he’d ever hoped for and he realizes the purity and gift of Josiah’s soul is more than he ever dreamed and that he could never just have Josiah to himself – that he needs to share his musical gifts with the world. Josiah is confused but the fact that he can feel Nym’s love and devotion, protective and supportive feelings goes a long way to making him feel safe with Nym. He’s intrigued and surprised that Nym feels both love and sadness because he thinks that his love is doomed. Josiah seems to be an old soul – he just recognizes things that maybe not everyone of his chronological age would. I adored Nym’s friends in the Pole who helped him, the lovely reindeer who transported him and just the whole way the allure and the half-plane were described in this one. I truly loved everything about this story. Completely unconventional but I found the writing to be just beautiful – from Nym’s shy and formal language to Josiah’s obvious 2020 life and vocabulary. They truly just belonged together and were ready to do whatever necessary to make it happen. Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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