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Symphony of Salvation

Timber Creek Academy

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Symphony of Salvation

By: Nicky James
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
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About this listen

Music teacher Niles Edwidge gets the shock of his life when Maestro Augustus Castellanos, a world-renowned musician and composer, shows up at Timber Creek Academy. Not only has the maestro been asked to guest teach alongside Niles, but he’s brought his prodigy daughter and enrolled her as a student.

Niles has been waiting for the day the academy decided to replace him. His educational background falls short of the school’s usual demands, but a revered maestro? It doesn’t make sense. Why would such a prominent figure want to teach high school music?

Fearing for his job and envious of the other man’s career, Niles doesn’t give the maestro a warm welcome, but their feud doesn’t last when Niles learns the respectable musician is struggling with a mountain of problems and would prefer to be anywhere but Timber Creek.

As the truth about August’s troubled life surfaces, so too does a secret he has carried for decades. As a self-proclaimed repressed bisexual, August rarely allows himself the freedom to explore his sexuality, but an undeniable attraction to Timber Creek’s music teacher threatens to test his resolve. He can’t afford to fall for Niles. He has a life and responsibilities outside Timber Creek.

The minute his obligations are fulfilled, he’s out the door.
Unless he finds a reason to stay…

©2024 Nicky James (P)2025 Nicky James Contemporary Literature & Fiction Romance Celebrity Student
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The Narration : Nick J Russo gives another flawless performance that flowed along perfectly. He makes it so easy to distinguish between the characters and holds their tone and cadence throughout the entire audiobook which makes it such a delightful listening experience.

The Story : In this case I firmly believe that Nicky James is the Maestro. Her ability to weave words together creates a vivid vibrant picture and for this beautiful romance, the picture comes even more alive with the use of music. Whether it be written musical notes, performed musical notes or random musical notes hummed quietly under one’s breath.
Niles and August are superb, imperfect, flawed and strongly developed characters with plenty of baggage who find themselves bouncing around each other in the music rooms of a private high school. Their story is not an easy one with plenty of uncertainties and doubts both from internal and external factors and the angst that this author is well known for. Niles and August had to overcome a fair few hurdles before they got their well deserved and hard earned HEA. It was a bit of a rollercoaster that gave me plenty of feel’s throughout leaving me relieved, happy and super smiley at the end.

Loved this so much 🥰

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Listener received this title free

This was such a beautiful story between two men who go through a lot of personal development and finding love. Music teacher Niles loves teaching at a privileged private school, although his family thinks very little of his career. When he is told maestro Augustus is going to be guest teaching whilst settling in his daughter, Niles is sure he will lose his job. Niles instantly resents Augustus, however he's attracted to him too. Augustus has won full custody of his daughter who will only use sign language after a cancer ordeal although she can talk. He's very clueless about how to parent and gets very frustrated. But as Niles and Augustus become close , Augustus slowly changes but it's an uphill battle and he needs to make a big decision if he is ready to take a chance of love. The narrator did a great job. I really enjoyed listening to it.

Beautiful story

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Listener received this title free

WOW........ Symphony of Salvation by is Absolutely Brilliant Nick J Russo's narration is superb as always the voice for August is so yummy the way he gives life and love to these guys is amazing Niles & August are two gorgeous and special men dealing with insecurities and doubts both vulnerable their chemistry is amazing and special their journey is truly worth waiting for
Nicky James gives us another engaging, emotional and beautiful story I recommend so much.

Niles and August Brilliant

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I'm blown away by how expertly Nicky James crafted this story to capture the essence of a musician and how expressive Nick J Russo's narration was. From the very first sentences, I felt transported by the eloquent way Niles and August spoke about their passion for all things music. Niles had a bit of a chip on his shoulder for talented musicians who'd had their parents' support to pursue the life on stage that Niles had always wanted but never achieved, and that absolutely influenced his initial perception of August. Yes, August may have had the fame, pedigree, and raw talent that Niles envied, but he was a deeply imperfect person struggling to parent his teenage daughter, and his life wasn't nearly as rosy as it seemed. I really enjoyed listening as Niles and August dismantled their beliefs about the life the other lived and realized that the grass is always greener on the other side. It took some time -- August was so deeply entrenched in his music that he struggled to connect with others in a way that didn't come across as critical or arrogant, and Niles was particularly sensitive about his "mediocre" musical talent after working at a school that constantly reminded him he was the only instructor without a doctorate degree. Niles was definitely doing that thing where he protested and complained about August so much that I knew he wanted to bang the man, but he was so prickly and closed-off any time August came around that I didn't know if he would allow himself to go for it.

I don't know if the two of them would have ever found common ground had it not been for August's daughter, Constance, but her soft spot for Niles was a bridge the two of them needed to let down their guards and try to make peace. Their tentative truce was enough to fan the flames of their mutual attraction to the point that neither of them could ignore it anymore, but an easy relationship wasn't in the cards for August and Niles. August's, in his own words, "repressed bisexuality" was another pulled-back layer that deconstructed the perfectly poised image he presented to the rest of the world and revealed the inner messiness of a man who was lonely but terrified that love wasn't meant for him. I loved seeing August shed all those layers one by one and be vulnerable around Niles, and the more he opened up the more Niles started to share in turn. The two of them fell into a wonderfully intimate relationship, one that lived and breathed music but was also full of delightfully steamy explorations and heart-to-hearts that made me feel incredibly close to both men.

Constance was a huge part of August and Niles's story as well, and through her involvement I saw August grow as a father figure and Niles begin to realize that the life of a teacher was a far better fit for him than any glitzy stage life. The big open question for August and Niles (and Constance) was whether August would stay in a tiny town when his symphony life in Chicago was calling him back, and boy did Nicky James make me stew in angsty half-promises before she delivered the resolution I'd been hoping and waiting for. I have to hand it to her -- Nicky James knows exactly how to build up the tension and make the stakes feel sky-high even when nothing particularly scary is going on, but she can also write the sweetest, swooniest love confessions to make it all worth it in the end. I especially love that music was the main constant throughout this entire story -- it's what brought Niles and August together, what almost ripped them apart, what allowed them to connect with Constance, and it was the vehicle they each used to express the depth of their feelings for each other when words alone wouldn't suffice.

Musicians in love

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As ever I am in awe of Nicky James who goes from strength to strength with every book she writes. Symphony of Salvation is a stunning love story and the second in her Timber Creek duo. Niles, who was a wonderful secondary character in Promises are Forever finds his own love at long last in Maestro Augustus Castellanos. Their love story and hea are hard won but so worth the wait.

Nicky James’s research leaves me quite breathless and I’m sure that to write such a beautiful story with a complicated musical backdrop she must have had at least some classical musical training herself. Having said that, if you search her backlist you will find a varied and extensive catalogue with some pretty impressive back stories, all superbly researched. Whatever, there’s never a dull moment; her stories are addictive and beautiful and I simply could not put Symphony of Salvation down until it was finished.

I went straight into the audio version with the hugely talented Nick Russo’s fabulous performance. He had quite a job on his hands as the story is set in a prestigious private school with a large supporting cast of children and teachers. Niles is feeling rather inferior to have the Maestro thrust upon him as a ‘guest teacher’ by the snobby Head teacher of Timber Creek Academy especially as his own position as head of the music department has always been somewhat precarious. Mr Russo expertly portrays this lack of confidence and the (to begin with), autocratic - apparently confident - Augustus.

All becomes clear though as the two work through their insecurities and deal with Augustus’s teenage daughter. Beautifully portrayed Nick Russo, Your accent for Augustus was swoony and I totally lost myself in these two gorgeous men who fought so hard to be together. If I have one criticism, and it is only one, and doesn’t downgrade the performance, I think, and perhaps it’s an American/Canadian thing (I’m British), that flautist (which was said many times), should be pronounced flawtist not fluteist.

A stunningly beautiful story Nicky James - oh my, that ending! And a fabulous performance by Nick Russo.

Simply stunning

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