by Abby Young and Charlotte (link)
Genre het, romance, drama
Pairings Isaac/Nikki, Taylor/Natalie, Taylor/OFC, Zac/Kate, Zac/OFC
Length 67 chapters and epilogue
Status Completed (with prequel, sequel and unfinished spin-off)
Before I can even begin to read Ten Years And Muses, I have to read not only an introduction but a foreword, too. In those, the primary author explains that the story is a sequel to a story they wrote years ago but didn’t publish online (although Madden, the primary author of this story is now publishing more and more of the original story). Excerpts from that are provided, along with explanations of the bits that were changed in this new story. It’s all a lot to get through before I’ve really even begun reading, but I was warned that it was important to understand.
The excerpts from the first story, Yesterday, are rather unpolished and immature, but I try to keep an open mind anyway. I know anything I wrote at sixteen wouldn’t be worth reading now at all. From the first chapter, I can see that the writing has improved. The idea of time, ten years and two hours, repeats throughout, making a lot of exposition really powerful to read.
I can’t help being reminded of Sex and the City as I read Ten Years and Muses. The characters lead glamorous New York City lives, and the story is rife with drama and super hot sex scenes. The portrayal of Natalie and Kate is less than flattering, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been whispered amongst fans for years. There are plenty of other far more likeable characters to balance things out. Even when the characters go through some pretty insane drama, they all have a great sense of humor that balances things out.
As the story goes along, I keep coming back to that Sex and the City comparison. There’s glamour, drama, romance, exotic locales, steamy sex scenes… everything it takes to make a chick lit fantasy. A story that nails all those girly fantasies can be really enjoyable to read, and that’s where Ten Years And Muses excels. I won’t lie; I’m a little disappointed that my favorite couple didn’t end up together, but I can’t really see the story working out any other way. That’s the mark of a truly good story, I think. Even if the things you want to happen don’t, you still finish the story with a sense that it happened as it should have.
Review by Bethany (website)