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Playing the Maestro (Maestro Series #1)
by Aubrie Dionne
Contemporary
Romance
Categories: Musical
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 190 pages
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Blurb
Wolf came to America to get as far away from his past as possible, and to recover some of the swagger he had as one of the world’s best maestros. He never imagined being forced to reassess the entire orchestra’s talent—and potentially fire anyone who doesn’t make his cut. Dating the attractive flutist is out of the question, but as their feelings reach a fever pitch, can they risk both their careers for a chance at love?
Excerpt
Melody Mires plopped into the principal flutist’s seat in
Easthampton’s
illustrious Civic Symphony and buried her head in her hands. “I’m never dating
another self-centered, arrogant, egotistical musician again.”
“Bad date, huh?” Carly ran her cleaning cloth through her
oboe as her reeds soaked in a tiny shot glass on her music stand. Violins
screeched around them while a French horn blatted arpeggios. It wasn’t exactly
the best environment for discussing Melody’s dating habits.
“Let’s just say two hours of listening to a guy talk
about his Stradivarius is less than enticing.”
Carly stuck her reed in her oboe and blew a tentative
note. Ever since the board of directors had turned off the AC to save money,
she’d pulled her pin-straight blond hair in a tight bun and wore shorts and
sandals to rehearsal. “Which one is he, Mel?”
Melody considered letting the conversation drop. What did
it matter? Every one of the musicians she’d dated was the same as her: burned
out from practicing to beat the chair ahead of him, teaching five million
lessons a day to make ends meet, scrambling for gigs two hours away on the weekends,
so involved in a dying art form that he didn’t even know the Bruins were an ice
hockey team.
What she needed was a nonmusician, a gorgeous firefighter
or a clean-cut Gillette commercial model in a business suit. Yes, a lawyer who
worked to defend the innocent would be nice, or a veterinarian for homeless and
sick animals—someone who didn’t think the world revolved around him. But she
didn’t travel in those social circles. She was stuck in the stuffy bubble of
the classical music community.
“So you gonna tell me, or do I have to guess?” Carly set
her oboe across her lap and shuffled through her sheet music.
Melody leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Blake
Templeton.”
Carly gave her a shocked look. “Not Blake?”
“Yup.” She assembled her flute to try and look like she
was warming up, thinking about the disastrous date with the orchestra’s
personnel manager. “Good thing it didn’t work out, or everyone would think I
was dating him just so he’d tenure my position.”
“I’m surprised he’d ask you out, what with his sister and
all…”
Melody rolled her eyes. “Why would a flute prodigy from
Julliard want this little Civic Symphony seat anyway? Seems to me a girl who
played the Mozart G Major concerto in front of the New York Phil at age seven
could get a seat in any orchestra. Age seven. When I was seven, the only thing
I was playing was pretend flute on my toothbrush.”
Carly shrugged as if she’d told her this flute whiz could
tie her own shoes. “You’re better than you think. You could give Blake’s sister
a run for her money any day.”
“Thanks, hon.” Melody twirled her dark curls behind her
head and stuck a pencil in to hold the knot. “Like I said. I swear never…”
The orchestra quieted around them. A man with dark
chestnut hair flowing in waves around his broad shoulders took the conductor’s
podium and tapped his baton on the music stand. Blue eyes that reminded Melody
of the Atlantic Ocean on a sunny day surveyed
the orchestra. He pursed curvy lips framed by a strong-ridged jaw and
gorgeously high cheekbones and gestured to Carly to give the tuning pitch.
Melody was glad the woodwinds sat in the back so he
wouldn’t hear her audible gasp. “Who the hell is that?” She thought she knew
everything happening with the orchestra.
Carly nodded to him and switched on her tuner, clipping a
small mic to the bell of her oboe. She spoke out of the corner of her mouth.
“They just introduced him on the website this morning. Their latest surprise:
Wolfgang Braun, the guest conductor from Berlin.”
Melody stared in disbelief, thinking Chris Helmsworth’s
Thor must have had a better-looking, long-lost cousin in Germany. Since when did conductors
lift weights? She’d never have to force herself to look up for cues again.
Review
“Dionne’s passion for music resonates through this lovely
story. Brava.”--Nikki Logan,
author of How to Get Over Your Ex
About the Author
Aubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over until she could recite
and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next
Generation--favorite character was Data by far--and Indiana Jones. But, her all time
favorite movie was The Last Unicorn.
She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the
end.
Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted
to be "a concert flutist" when she grew up. She majored in flute
performance at the University
of New Hampshire on a
full scholarship, then secured two teaching jobs at a University and a local
community music school. While playing in orchestras and teaching, stories
popped into her head, and she used them to make the music come alive for her
flute students. Her students said they were so good, she had to write them
down! Maybe they were right, who knows? Two careers seems to keep her busy. For
now.
She is represented by Dawn Dowdle and writes sweet and adventurous fantasy,
science fiction, and contemporary romance.
Connect with Aubrie Dionne
This review makes this book sound right up my alley! I don't know what it is about women falling for men they shouldn't be with, maybe it makes me feel better about my vanilla love life, but they're always page turners! I'm definitely checking out Playing the Maestro because I just finished The Publicist (thepublicist.com) which has a similar romantic edge to it. The author is also rumored to be an actual NY book publicist so you get the romance, the humor, the sexual tension AND the industry insider info - which is a major bonus for a book lover like me! I definitely recommend it and I'm heading over to Amazon right now to buy Playing - thanks again Iva for the great rec!
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