*I received a free copy of Strings from via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Strings on 12 September 2017 Pages: 210
The Merino Rose. Ted Spencer has a hard enough time believing the celebrated violin really exists. To find it sitting on his coffee table is nothing short of incredible. The stuff of legend, the exquisite Guarnerius has been missing for centuries.
But even though the renowned instrument is a violin lover's dream come true, it holds only heartache for Ted. The value of the Merino Rose may be beyond measure, but he has acquired it at too high a cost.
Ted found his soul mate when he met Olivia de la Vega his senior year in high school. In the school's production of Camelot, Ted was cast as Lancelot, Olivia as Guenevere. They should have spent their lives together but strings got in the way--family ties, career objectives, and the tangled web of fate.
Will the Merino Rose bring the two star-crossed lovers together at last, or will their love always remain the melancholy sound of distant violins?
Strings A Love Story is definitely a love story. Fairly slow paced, and spanning over decades, I enjoyed it very much, which almost surprised me.
The Story:
Most of the action in Strings was shared with the readers through flashbacks that spanned over decades, from when Ted and Olivia were in high school. And while they always appreciated each other, their timing always sucked. When one of them was free, the other was with someone else. It was like fate was playing a complicated game of chess with these characters, always making one of them too early, or too late.
The Characters:
Olivia went to the same school as Ted because her mom worked there, and she often felt out of place. Ted came from an affluent family, but he was very down to earth – even as he became a famous violonist, he kept in touch with some of his friends from school.
The Writing:
Written in first person point of view, from Ted’s perspective, and in past tense, the dialogues, and the way Ted observes Olivia brings her to life as well.
The Feels:
I was a bit frustrated, because the back and forth with the flashbacks, plus the timing that was always wrong were almost a bit too much. The longing was delicious, though.
Three days later, your letter arrived. God damn parents. Why can’t they love their children just a little less?
The energy between us was like a pure, clear note, and it gained in intensity as we stood there transfixed.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Twitter: ailynk
aww would have loved to see some strings being pulled, I guess there’s no harmony in this book?
You are excellent with your puns, Ailyn! *grins*
I didn’t used to like books that span over decades but now I love them so this might be a good book for me. 🙂
I do enjoy books that span over decades. I hope you’ll enjoy Strings, Stephanie!
I tend to get annoyed when flashbacks in books don’t work quite right. I think they have to fit just right or they don’t work too well.
I agree, flashbacks have to work a certain way for me to enjoy them fully as well 🙂
This sounds like such a cute story from the synopsis and for the most part it seems cute and innocent enough. It’s a bit unfortunate about the abrupt timing of the flashbacks and how often they occur, but it sounds like an okay read to me.