Review: Part of my inability to truly attach to the story came from the stylistic choices of the author.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 29, 2014
Set in Toronto, Lucia steps from the family path for women and seeks to create her own music, rather than becoming a dancer. I truly enjoyed Lucia’s portrayal: her character was solidly voiced and developed with a strong sense of self. Her patois in thought and speech is in keeping with her cultural ties, and while this makes for some interesting gaffes with grammar and spelling, I felt it was natural to her.Marcus is a Londoner, and he has also strayed from his parent’s chosen path of medicine. Instantly drawn to Lucia, his character is far less attractive to me: very undecided and withdrawn until or unless he wants something. He is also caught up in the always right, prideful behavior that is so alpha, but unattractive unless backed up with a true show of emotion.Part of my inability to truly attach to the story or to Marcus came from the stylistic choices of the author. While I am a fan of alternating viewpoints, I believe that they work best when the plot is more focused on the main players in the story, and the secondary characters are serving a purpose that is clearly evident when they appear. The simple fact of a character list that explains who is whom, and to whom they are attached is the clearest depiction of my problem with this books secondary characters: if I can’t place them and instantly see how they are affecting the main storyline, I don’t need to have a list that explains it to me.But, Ngontang Mba manages to bring the music alive in this story, and gives us a heroine that has a solid presence, despite her romantic ups and downs. Her sisters are obviously important to her and the storyline, and they add a nice element to the overall emotional tone.I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review with Tasty Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.