Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty
Short Summary:
Eight years ago, composer Arie De Voss claimed his late mentor’s final symphony as his own and became an icon. But fame has a price: fear of discovery now poisons his attempts to compose a redemptive masterpiece. Until a new muse appears, intoxicating and inspiring him…
Mathilda Heidel renounced her own musical gift to marry, seeking a quiet life to escape the shame surrounding her birth. Sudden widowhood finds her tempted by song once more. An unexpected introduction to her idol, Arie De Voss, renews Mathilda’s passion for the violin–and ignites a passion for the man himself.
My Review:
My mother always taught me that if I can’t say something nice, I shouldn’t say anything at all. So, I’d like to take this moment to encourage her, if she’s reading this, to head over to Facebook or somewhere else more pleasant where I will be nice and kind and promise to listen to her.
I wanted to say nice things about this book. I wanted to praise it, to talk about its pretty cover and I wanted to read a fascinating book that revolves around two musicians. What I got was a two-dimensional love story centering around one composer and .. a completely unrealistic character.
I think a large portion of the problem is that, as a music student in the past and a pianist for 25+ years, I just knew too much about the musical part of this book. I knew that it would be fairly improbable for a woman to, after one years worth of learning, possess the physical virtuoso skills that the violin requires. Now – sure, there might be a rare exception (and the author bases that exception on Mozart’s talent.. however even Mozart spent years learning to play the piano due to the physical impairments of his size as he was growing). When I read a book.. I want it to be believable, even if it’s fantasy or sci-fi, I want to BELIEVE that these things can happen. This.. was a deal-breaker for me.
As for the characters of Mathilda and Arie.. they fell flat. Arie was a bit of a pansy and Mathilde seemed to have a whole lot of bark but no bite when it came to doing what she felt was right. Everything seemed so wishy-washy I had a really hard time wanting to see their love flourish.
I hate to be fully negative, so I will say this – the romantic scenes are beautifully written and, if you are into romance, this will probably be a book that will you have swooning and crying out for more. Just.. don’t read too much into the musical aspect of it and you will have a very good time.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
