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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.
“Crescendo is the psychologically gripping story of two siblings, the music that moves them, and the love they so desperately seek. The writing is sexy and layered - I fell under Healey's spell from the very first chapter until its moving and bittersweet end.” -Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics, The House Girl, and Community Board
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.
"A heady and intoxicating tale of rivalry and obsession, talent and envy, desire and destruction – Crescendo set me ablaze." -Kat Dunn, author of Hungerstone
Product details
| Published | Jun 02 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 9781639735556 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Dimensions | 235 x 156 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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A bittersweet tale of a love triangle in 1950s Paris . . . Those who enjoy a romance with a caustic edge will take to this searing work.
Publishers Weekly
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Healey depicts the decadence of late 1950s Paris in cinematic prose . . . Recommend to fans of evocative, atmospheric historical fiction like Yael van der Wouden's The Safekeep.
Booklist
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This novel, setting long-lasting familial love and jealousy against a love transcending the merely sexual, is richly nuanced throughout . . . An absorbing novel, emotionally poignant, that rises to a dramatic crescendo.
Historical Novels Review
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A duel of wills and wiles that ratchets up the volatile mix of emotions in its two main characters until it reaches a breaking point . . . The battle between the twins escalates during the sparkling nights at the Paris Opera, languid lunches in Paris, and sun-soaked days in the South of France that serve as cinematic backdrops to their genteel savagery . . . Brava to Healey for her unflinching insights into the lives of musicians and dancers.
Saturday's Air Mail
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Crescendo is the psychologically gripping story of two siblings, the music that moves them, and the love they so desperately seek. The writing is sexy and layered - I fell under Healey's spell from the very first chapter until its moving and bittersweet end.
Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST ROMANTICS, THE HOUSE GIRL, and COMMUNITY BOARD
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Crescendo is a riveting study in pressure-artistic, romantic, and familial-set within the rarefied world of 1950s French concert halls and ballet. Jane Healey renders ambition and rivalry with remarkable psychological acuity, illuminating the quiet compromises and irreversible choices that shape a life devoted to genius.
Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of THE SECRETS WE KEPT
























