Love's Melody Lost by Radclyffe is a novel about two women ... one who once had everything; and the other who is still searching...

Romance novels are rarely my cup of tea. Often times I find the characters to be one dimensional to the point of boring. In many novels the characters seem to be of single mind, where everything else in life becomes but a vehicle to draw them together, rather than the stuff of which we are all made interesting. Love's Melody Lost does not suffer from this type of love-sickness.

The author, Radclyffe (a nom de plume) has written a love story that entices and enthralls first the reader and then the characters. All of the characters in the story are fleshed out as strong, individual people. The sense of each character was so solidly conveyed that every reaction could be anticipated and understood by the reader.

If I were to find any fault with the storyline, it might be that too many characters were women. Normally this might not stand out so strikingly but for the use of many male-dominated professions, peopled by women. Added to this was the one character scolding -- the token male -- which left a bit of a sour note in my mind .

Anna moved reluctantly away, not wanting to dispel that rare moment of affection. Still, she knew Graham had taken another step toward allowing Anna into her life. Graham had not been willing for anyone to hear more than fragments of a work in progress for years. Anna settled into a nearby chair from which she could watch Graham play. She found herself holding her breath as the melody swelled to fill the air. She would not have believed that there could be such a thing as too much beauty, but the sight and sounds of Graham Yardley overwhelmed her. She closed her eyes and let the golden tones carry her away. When the room stilled, it took her a moment to find her composure. She was trembling, and her voice seemed to have deserted her... Love's Melody Lost

I highly recommend Love's Melody Lost to anyone who enjoys a good romance. And you may want to check out Shady Ladies Press, the publisher's site, for other books by this author.

Until next time...