Review of: Olivia’s Opus by J.L. Goodman
Olivia’s Opus by J.L. Goodman
Olivia’s Opus by J.L. Goodman is a work of romantic art. It’s a sweeping drama that spans two continents and pulls the reader through a wide range of emotions as the main character, Olivia, tries to find the true love that has eluded her through the first twenty-something years of her life.
Olivia is a world-class composer of music for string quartets and full orchestras — but as the book opens in her hometown of Chicago, she has been commissioned to write a cello concerto for renowned cellist Nikolai Rourke. He has a famous reputation as a tough perfectionist and Olivia worries that she cannot write a piece of music worthy of his vast musical talents.
Indeed, her first few encounters with Rourke result in conflict — although there is an undeniable attraction between the two that threatens the musical collaboration that will be necessary if the concerto is to achieve its full potential. For her part, Olivia is scared to death of her involuntary attraction to Rourke. She has been burned before in relationships, and she is wary of succumbing to the cellist’s considerable charms.
Try as she will, she cannot get him out of her mind, even as she works to write the commissioned piece of music:
“This time, the external pressure from the daunting force called Nikolai Rourke was like sand in my gears, as I tried to make the music flow from my head to the paper.”
As the story progresses, she begins to believe that perhaps the pairing can become a reality — that she can get beyond her broken heart from a relationship gone bad in the past. Rourke softens considerably as he courts Olivia tenderly — right up to the point that the two decide they cannot deny their physical attraction any longer. The author demonstrates a deft hand in building, and then igniting, the sexual tension:
“His hands burned a trail down my sides encircling my waist as he pressed the full length of his body against mine in the confines of our booth.”
And that’s just the prelude to the ultimate love scene between Olivia and Nikolai, written in a torrid prose that is guaranteed to heat you up as a reader. Nevertheless, the long-awaited encounter is done in good taste, bordering on — but not quite crossing the line — into erotica.
And so the relationship passes into a period of romantic bliss — until Olivia overhears Nikolai speaking endearments into his cell phone to another woman. With her trust shattered, Olivia flees with a girlfriend to faraway Nepal, where she is kidnapped and held for ransom.
The ending is rich with twists and turns and ultimately delivers a satisfying conclusion to a well-written love story.
I give Olivia’s Opus five solid stars and hope to see more from this talented author.
