The Nostalgia of The Keyboardless Piano

The title sounds a bit long and confusing in English. In Romanian sounds much more bohemian and lovely. In English I would rather call it Love in the sound of music. It is another book signed by Quantum Publishers, written by Madalina Alexandru.

So, well the book is a love story, of course. It is about the story of Ethan Reed and Charlotte Brown.

He is a spoiled rich guy, leading a business in which he buys broke companies and sells them to pieces. Typical american company. In his free time he enjoys playing the piano and the violin. He is the typical Casanova who likes to conquer women’s hearts and then abandon them with no remorce. In other words, he is a one night stand guy. His charm, wealth, intelligence and talent make him a narcissist who only thinks of himself and who treats the other one with the specific superiority of the rich guy who is used to always getting what he needs. But things are about to change somehow.

She is a girl whose passion for piano has emerged ever since she was five. Her parents are famous pianists who spent their entire life in the company of music. She cannot see anything else but her piano. She thinks that she is strong, and she doesn’t believe in love. She tries to prove this to everybody around, including herself, but is it really true? She signs up for a piano competition where she sees her chance to affirm herself and finally entering the spotlight.

Now about the competition, it is the moment that changed the life of both. Ethan is sure that he will win it this time again as he did the previous year. He looks around him and feels disgust towards the entire public, which he finds empty and with no emotions, rather than the simulated ones. He plays his song with boredom towards the other but with passion towards the play, and waits anxious for the finals.

But something caught his attention. He sees her, so beautiful with her red hair and her fancy dress and thinks about talking to her after the show. Maybe he will offer her a nigh…or two. But the show results will make him change his mind. Surprising enough for him, she gets first place, while him the second. He is confused. He doesn’t understand how could that girl whom he never heard about could steal his show. How could he be on the second place? Ethan proves to be a person who doesn’t know how to loose. His selfishness can’t accept the fact that he couldn’t win the competition. That moment, he swears to him that he will make her suffer for the fact that stole his rightful place. He swears he will take her to bed and then leave her like nothing. And here starts the fun. She rejects him, he tries harder. She tries to resist, he tries other methods. But Charlotte seems to be different. She is not like other women. She doesn’t fall easily, and she throws acid replies which disconcert him and leave him speechless. He doesn’t even realize when he falls in love with her. He transforms from the hunter into the haunted. Although his goal is still to make her pay, he fights his feelings, denies them and rejects them like they are burning him. He tries not to think about, but he can’t help it.

She on the other hand, provokes him to make her fall in love. She thinks love cannot exist, but he will prove her other. She tries to resist her feelings, but she can’t help it. She gets crazy every time she is next to him and doesn’t want to admit she loves him. They reject each other with music, she with her piano and he with his violin. But in the end they end up in each other arms.

But what they don’t know is that each one has a secret. A big secret which can be the end for their peaceful life. Their relationship starts to fall apart. Even if they need each other like water, they understand that they only make each other suffer. They end up fighting for something they didn’t even want to have, but that they just can’t let go.

I loved the story, not because it is a love story, not even because of the characters, even if they are so well contoured,  but the plot. It is a twisted story with a beautiful intrigue. Music is my passion so I cannot help but find myself in it, at least a small part of myself, as a person who plays the violin, although not at the level they are doing it. I understand their struggle with music, as I know how hard it is to play a musical instrument. It needs years of work and continuous practice. It needs patience and dedication. And they have it all. They fight for what they love, no matter if it is music or persons. They are lovely when they try to reject each other but the only thing they get is to be even closer. They live in totally different worlds, not socially, but spiritually. She has a loving family, dedicated to their daughter, while his parents are cold and calculated, and are not touched even when he ends up shot in the hospital. This aspect probably has influenced drastically their behavior. He tries to be harsh, with no feelings. In other words, a monster. But his true soul gets revealed from time to time, especially when she tries to take it out. She is a kind girl who tries to be nice to everybody. But after she saw the envy and hostile looks from the other competitors when she won, she decides to wear a mask. A mask of an indifferent woman who doesn’t care about anybody. But she can’t keep this mask for long while he’s around.

Their relationship is somehow toxic, but they love it. They hurt each other, but they forgive. They just want to love each other. How will they get out alive from this? It is a race against time from which they could die, not physically, but spiritually.

© picnicontheshelf, August 27, 2018