She longs to escape a dreadful secret from her past, but can she ever run far enough to truly forget?
Melody Creston is left penniless following the death of her father. Desperate to escape the threat of an unwanted and dangerous marriage, she flees to the small village of Roderick Glen in the English countryside to begin life anew as a pianoforte teacher. She is hired to teach the daughter of the Earl of Rockingham and soon falls in love with the quaint village and its quirky residents. Despite her newfound freedom, she is haunted by the secrets of her past, as well as the constant fear that she will be discovered and forced to return to London.
Lord Henry Roderick is the younger son of the Earl of Rockingham and has no desire to obey his father’s wishes and help his brother attend to their family’s estate, Cheswick Park. Carefree and fun-loving, his reputation as a scoundrel often hides the true nature of his heart. Upon meeting Melody, he is instantly captivated by the beautiful piano teacher, and is determined to do whatever it takes to win her heart and become the man she needs.
Melody is intrigued by Henry and encourages him to follow his own path as he searches for his purpose in life. Shy and reserved, she is reluctant to admit her feelings for him, but as they grow closer, he begins to break through the barriers of fear and mistrust that surround her heart. As their love deepens, she becomes increasingly afraid of what will happen when he learns the truth of her turbulent past. Can love forgive a secret hidden in the shadows when it is exposed to the light of day?
Brimming with laughter, love, emotion, and heart, this first book in The Ladies of Roderick Glen series introduces us to the citizens of Roderick Glen as they follow their dreams and discover that one’s heart is always happiest near the friendly faces of home.
My Thoughts:
In The Piano Teacher by Kristie Self, the author’s love of the piano shines brightly. As a fellow piano player, this was my favorite element of the novel, and I was pleased that it threaded from the front cover until the end.
The Piano Teacher had a unique, dialogue-heavy writing style that is uncommon to mainstream Christian Fiction. At 450+ pages long, the omniscient narrator devotes time, attention, and scenes to nearly every character in the book. Such a large cast of characters required careful reading to avoid confusion especially since each chapter was composed of short scenes that jump between different characters. While this mode of writing felt challenging to read at times, it also made the story distinctive.
As for the characters in The Piano Teacher, I enjoyed Melody, the protagonist, and two of her female friends. Henry, Melody’s love interest, irritated me with his immaturity and instant love (obsession) for Melody. Predictably, I despised the villain. Of all the characters, Melody’s personal growth into a strong, healed woman was the most believable.
The Piano Teacher begins The Ladies of Roderick Glen
series by Kristie Self.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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