This Could Have Been Our Song! A Coulda Woulda Shoulda Ballad

Coulda Woulda Shoulda Song #1

by Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba

Book one:
Love can be such a “coulda, woulda, shoulda” song sometimes…

Lucia Mpobo-Riddell could have been a dancer like the rest of women of her family but instead she chose music. Marcus Grant could have been a doctor like the rest of his family but instead he chose music. She also could have not fallen for Marcus on her birthday but she did. And Marcus, he could have told Lucia the truth about his real reason for being in Toronto that night, but he didn’t. Now they have to deal with big reveals and consequences: Marcus almost stealing her job and being force to work on an album together. Marcus, because he couldn’t swallow his pride, leave Toronto and go home to London. Lucia, because she just couldn’t give up on her first amazing opportunity to produce a whole album. And to complicate the situation further, the band they’re working for is not the easiest one. Mary Gillis, Marcus’ on and off flame, still has a hold on him. Greg McMullen, Lucia’s close friend and former dance partner is back in town and has been in love with her for years. Then there’s Marcus and Lucia, in the middle of their own a professional and personal tug-of- war with each over and the rest of the world. But maybe things could still work out… All things considered, this could have been one heck of a love song!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2013

About the author

“My life journey is like my playlist, amazingly unique but full of contradictions with surprising joys with every song...”
I’m over 30.
I was born in Quebec City, Canada.
I grew up in France and in Gabon.
I speak English & French fluently.
Pizza is my favorite dish.
Black Forest Cake is my favorite dessert.
I met Michael Jackson when I was eleven.
I loathe vodka but love gin, wine and tequila.
I'm obsessed with Robbie Williams and Michael Fassbender.
I call Toronto my home.
I love reading.
I love dancing.
I love watching exciting TV shows.
I love my life... most days.
I'm a major goof.
I can't stand intolerance.
I'm curious, cheeky and oh so opinionated!

Reviews

[DJ Sakata · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was in need of a good editor, many grammatical errors, missing and misspelled words, awkward phrasing... at times it seemed like English was not the first language of the author or editor? I tried hard to like it, nearly gave up on it several times as there are too many characters to keep track of that don't contribute much to the story. The first third of the book was like a non-event, boring... I guess it was her way of character development. I really wanted to like it - but I found it hard to like and feel for characters who are rich, well groomed, over-indulged, multi-talented, naturally beautiful, shallow, can eat all they want and not gain weight, wear designer clothes, drink to excess, and have beautiful men chasing after them... poor things!! And after considerable effort - 310 pages later - the story does not resolve... so you are required to buy the next book to have closure. Although the preview of the next installment of the story did look as if it might - finally - become more interesting. But I am not sure it would be worth it to plow through another 300+ pages for fear it was just a set-up for yet another disappointment. This could have been a much better book with tighter editing.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book.

[Stefanie Kral · Rating 4 out of 5]

✯✯4-5 Singing, Rocking, Dancing Stars✯✯
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"I am forever yours, Luce. No men or new best friends will ever change that" ~Noor
Where do I even start?! This isn't my 1st book by Danielle. And, it's so NOT going be to my last!! This is the 1st book in the 'Coulda Woulda Shoulda' series. It did not disappoint. This book literally has a bit of EVERYTHING in it. Everyone has such strong family values. Family comes first. The characters have all been hurt in the past. Most of them have abandonment issues. A lot of them have trouble trusting outsiders & putting themselves out there. It really was a good story.


The story revolves around Lucia Mpobo-Riddell & her 2 crazy but loving older sisters. Their dad died when they were young & their mother abandoned them. Lucia also called Luce was raised by her sisters. They are both dancers and Luce can also dance her butt off. But, she chose a different career path. She is a top singer, song writer, producer.And, man can she cook!!! Everyone loves her cooking. I was getting hungry reading what she was cooking. LOL. She's a jack of all trades!! Luce is also absolutely stunningly beautiful. This woman has men falling all over her. She is not afraid to speak her mind. After everything she has been through in her life, she's extremely strong. And, she doesn't let anyone push her around.

Luce and her sister go out for her birthday where she locks eyes with Marcus Grant. Sparks fly instantly between the 2 of them. Marcus has an ulterior motives for being there. He wasn't expecting Luce to be as beautiful as she is. He introduces himself as 'Just Marcus'. After a night of drinking, dancing & straight parting it up. Luce asks 'Just Marcus' back to her place. After a night of mind blowing sex. Marcus gives her a beautiful charm bracelet for her birthday & she gives him her card. For 3 days she hears nothing from him.

"Really? Mary, you broke him and I was healing him. His words not mine. So, good luck, Mary. You're going to need it if you really want him back."

Luce walks into work getting ready to start her next project. She's the head songwriter, producer for Beesly & Matt for their next album "Second Coming". Luce walks into the meeting to see Marcus sitting there talking to everybody. Then, she realizes just exactly who he is. She is informed that he's very, very good friends with Matt and that they will be working together on this album. Livid is not even close to how mad Luce is!!

Luce takes the high road. After an argument Luce keeps it as professional as she can. Even though more then 1/2 the time she is just ignoring him. Which I loved!! It was killing Marcus that she wasn't speaking to him. He was falling for her and yet he was still pretty damaged at the same time.

Not only was Luce working hard on the upcoming album. But, the Mpobo-Riddell sister's are planning Noor's wedding. Luce is giving her away. When the sister's get together all I did was laugh my butt off. Between the way they drink their asses off & man do these girls LOVE to shop!! Noor & Luce always have to be careful because Axelle is in charge of what they spend. It's actually funny as hell.

"I'll be loving as you will be, as stubborn as I know you are, as passionate as I'm thankful you are and as supportive and understanding as I've known you to be. You are my best friend and I love you"

Matt, Beesly's husband is making Marcus & Luce life miserable. Every song they write he hates & says no. Until one day he loves them all. They find out he got a acting gig & is leaving town. Beesly is livid because he's going to be near his ex. Let's just say there's very bad blood between the 2 & I'm leaving it at that.

While they're finishing up the album. Enters the hot, sexy dancer Greg. Who's been Luce & her sisters best friend for over a decade. Oh. Did I mention he's been in love with Luce before she ever met him! Marcus gets extremely jealous.

After countless of blood, sweat & hard loving work it's Noor's big day. Now, being that it's the music & dancing world. Everybody knows everybody. Marcus ends up going to Noor's big day for another family member. He brings his older brother Patrick also called Paddy. I LOVED LOVED Patty. He's hysterical & man is he one sexy doctor!! Luce is instantly crushing. Which I love because she loves making Marcus jealous.

Marcus & Luce get all hot and steamy very quick. After the wedding they go to Marcus & Paddy's parents house. They fall in love with Luce and visa verse. Luce sees what it's like to have parents & a loving family. Something she never had. Other then her sisters & other family members. There is still that void that she's missing. When they are getting ready to leave for 2 different places. Marcus is going to start working on Mary's next album. There are major secrets going on with that. Luce is going back home to finish the last minute 'Second Coming' stuff. Luce puts herself out there. She says those 3 words. Gets nothing back!!

Marcus goes to work. Trying to stay away from Mary as much as possible. Luce gets a frantic phone call from Noor on her honeymoon. She's in trouble & needs her sister. Right before she leaves Beesly lets Marcus's secret out. Thinking Luce knew it. I'm not giving that away. But, how many times can he keep lying to her!!

"It's easier for us to stay away, easier not to remember what we lost or are loosing by being the Mpobo-Riddell sisters, the orphaned ones."

After Noor's out of trouble. They go to their cousins fashion show. They run into Mary. Oh karma really is a bitch!! Marcus walks into work the next day & walks right into Luce. Talk about the table being turned around!! Awesome Danielle!! As I was reading it the words BAM BITCH popped in my head!!!

Now, Marcus must win Luce back. All while Greg is back and trying to win her over. Her heart, mind and emotions are all over the place!! She is also trying to move up in her career. While being the sister Noor & Axelle need.

I felt for Luce the whole time. Just when she thought she knew what she wanted, and with who. Something or somebody got in the way. Even Marcus isn't dealing with everything properly. Poor Greg. Can he get the girl he's been waiting for? There were times I'd get confused. But, I literally couldn't put this book down. I can not wait to continue to read about this crazy, sexy, strong, independent group of people. Thanks Danielle!!

"Look at me; I'm myself again. Being with you, it took that from me." She keeps backing away. "I like who I am when I'm with him and that's why I love him so much," she tells me.
"Ten years of blind devotion is better then one year of us?"

[Princess Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed By

As I was sitting among the coral reef, waiting to visit with my father, one of my sisters came up to me and told me she just read a book that I just HAD to read. She recommended “This Could Have Been Our Song” the first book in A Coulda Woulda Shoulda Ballad Series by Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba. I was a little hesitant to read it because I was missing Eric and thought a romance novel would make it worse, but with a few hours to kill I figured… why not? I’m so glad I listened to my sister for once and read this book. It took me a while to get into the story but once I did I was hooked. The story is about a music producer/song writer/musician name Lucia and a music producer/song writer names Marcus. They meet one night and Lucia thinks it is just coincidence but little does she know Marcus had set up their chance encounter. Lucia and Marcus are forced to work together on an album and the sparks and tempers fly. Lucia is such a strong heroine. I love how she is very professional, even when she wants to just scream and throw things she keeps her cool. Marcus is a character that I fell in love with, but I hated how he took and took but never gave. Then comes in Greg, Lucia’s bff who is in love with her. As you can imagine, things get a little mixed up. The secondary characters in this story were awesome, they had me laughing out loud on several occasions. There were some things that had me a little confused throughout the story though. I found that I would be reading a sentence and then a character would say something completely out of the left field. So I would have to re-read the paragraph to try to figure out why they were saying that but there was never a reason. There is a major cliffhanger in this story and at the end of the book she gives you a preview (I think it might be the entire first chapter) of the next book. I will definitely be continuing with this series, especially after the preview. I just have to know how this story is going to play out and even though there were a few things I didn’t care for I still enjoyed it. I give this 3.5 Tiaras

Final Review Rating

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Toronto, Lucia steps from the family path for women and seeks to create her own music, rather than becoming a dancer. I truly enjoyed Lucia’s portrayal: her character was solidly voiced and developed with a strong sense of self. Her patois in thought and speech is in keeping with her cultural ties, and while this makes for some interesting gaffes with grammar and spelling, I felt it was natural to her.

Marcus is a Londoner, and he has also strayed from his parent’s chosen path of medicine. Instantly drawn to Lucia, his character is far less attractive to me: very undecided and withdrawn until or unless he wants something. He is also caught up in the always right, prideful behavior that is so alpha, but unattractive unless backed up with a true show of emotion.

Part of my inability to truly attach to the story or to Marcus came from the stylistic choices of the author. While I am a fan of alternating viewpoints, I believe that they work best when the plot is more focused on the main players in the story, and the secondary characters are serving a purpose that is clearly evident when they appear. The simple fact of a character list that explains who is whom, and to whom they are attached is the clearest depiction of my problem with this books secondary characters: if I can’t place them and instantly see how they are affecting the main storyline, I don’t need to have a list that explains it to me.

But, Ngontang Mba manages to bring the music alive in this story, and gives us a heroine that has a solid presence, despite her romantic ups and downs. Her sisters are obviously important to her and the storyline, and they add a nice element to the overall emotional tone.

I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review with Tasty Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here:

http://www.iheartreading.net/book-tou...

This Could Have Been Our Song! is a book filled with heartbreak, love, family traditions and values, and characters struggling to break free from the destiny their families have in mind for them.

Lucia Mpobo-Riddell chose music over dancing, unlike all the other women in her family. Marcus Grant chose music instead of becoming a doctor like the majority of his family members. Both of them are running away from choices they do not want to make, and both of them long for a future of their own. But with Marcus almost stealing Lucia’s job, and the both of them forced to worked together, which causes tension for just about everyone. When a former dance partner of Lucia, who happens to be one of her best friends, and who has a crush on her, shows up back into town, this adds a new layer to an already complicated situation. But Marcus has girl troubles too, in the form of Mary Gillis, his on and off flame who he still can’t let go. And then there’s Marcus and Lucia, and their undeniable attraction.

Surprisingly complicated for a romance novel, with tons of layers, intriguing family issues, and set in the world of music and dancing. I connected with Lucia from the first page. She’s determined, intelligent, brave, and she knows what she wants – at least, in terms of her career. Marcus was a lot more difficult to understand. I didn’t get the whole on-and-off again thing with Mary. Marcus also has a big ego, which luckily deflated somewhat toward the end of the book. He wouldn’t be my choice, but I understand what some people see in him.

Fluent writing, an interesting spin on known romance tropes, and intriguing characters. Recommended to fans of romance and women’s fiction.

[Nikki Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready for a bit of music, drama, heartbreak, love...and...well, so much more!

Let's start off with Lucia. She's got a strong voice. She may not always know what she wants and how to go about it, but she's got some pizazz that kept me intrigued. Can I spend a day with her? Sounds fun to me. Lucia has expectations given to her, but chooses to follow her own path. Good for you, woman!

Marcus...he's a little harder to read. He also has family expectations that are not working with his own dreams, and he's a bit of a mystery. His attitude sometimes drove me a little nuts, but I guess it's supposed to work that way, it brings on more interest on who he is, what he's doing and why.

The story explores the idea of what could be. Lucia and Marcus have a lot of fireworks, and they aren't always the good kind. Their back and forth banter and comments kept me on my toes. The secondary characters have a lot of their own drama, which at times could be a tad confusing, but it did bring some interesting things along in the book. I haven't had a chance to read book 2 yet, but I'm very interested to see how things play out! '

[Ruth Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I would give this book a 3.5 rating for sure. This is the first book in the series, and often the introduction books can be a bit confusing and tedious. This author is smart. She chose to add a cast of characters at the beginning of the book, and I this was an invaluable resource. She was so detailed that she actually included the nicknames of the characters as well. I would have been completely lost without this, and I wish with all my heart that other authors would follow her example.

The story was sometimes a bit murky for me, but the music kept it rolling along. I am a musician anyway, so this captured my interest from the title alone. To be certain, this story has only whet my appetite for more from this series.

I will caution my readers. There is plenty of profanity, and the bedroom scenes are not overly detailed but implied. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I am in the middle of reading the second book, and all I can say is this is an excellent foundation.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Jordan Hannam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got completely lost in the book and felt so many emotions while doing so, I couldn't cope with the anticipation of not knowing whats going to happen between Marcus and Lucia... The tension and lust between them gave me butterflies! The relationship between her and her sisters was wonderful, I felt like I could have been a part of their friendship group and got so into the characters, I imagined which sister I was most like and what they would say to me in certain situations of my life... It really is a lovely book and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next one!
I definitely feel most could relate to at least one of the emotions in the book. Whether it be going for a bad boy that you know you shouldn't but can't help, or being in love with someone who only see's you as a friend, or completely being rejected, ignored and left to feel slightly worthless...

Well worth the read!

[Allana Kephart · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

Originally posted on Big Girls *Heart* Books

This Could Have Been Our Song! is the first book in the Coulda Woulda Shoulda Song series by Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba. The story is told in the first person from the dual perspectives of Lucia and Marcus, two marvelously complicated individuals with a LOT a LOT of baggage who just so happen to get thrown together in this chick-lit love story.

Overall this is a very good romantic comedy. There are a lot of story lines going on all at once and somehow they all manage to hit a nice climax at the end. Now, I will say I was not all that thrilled by the huge triangle going on--on both sides of the relationship between Lucia and Marcus, which I will admit is something I have not seen before--and, personally, I do not like them. If you enjoy triangles, it's definitely worth the read.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me by author in exchange for a true review so here goes it took me a little while to get into this book but I did get into it and I was enjoying it there seems to be a lot of characters that you have to remember as you have the sisters then the family and the different men for each sister so that took me a while too.the story I really enjoyed but it did seem to go on a bit long and I was getting very annoyed with Marcus and him constantly letting Lucia down and hurting her when it was so obvious how much she loved him.so just when I think I know what's going to happen in the end of this book bang it all changes and I'm Sat in shock thinking Marcus Marcus Marcus.so I did enjoy this book although it was very different to what I have been reading and I thank you Danielle for giving me chance to review it.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a copy free from the author for an honest review.Lucia Mpobo-Riddel came from a family of dancers, she was expected to continue the family tradition but she decided to pursue her dream in music. She meets and falls for another musician on her birthday. His family expected him to attend medical school and become a Doctor. The story follows their adventures in a coulda, shouldna, kind of way.Marcus evades questions about why he was in Toronto that night which brings more complications . At times i wondered if their relationship would last. Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba sets a great pace in this very interesting story. I enjoyed the descriptions of the dancing, music and singing. The book was very well researched and brought things to life for me. I look forward to reading more books By Danielle -Claude Ngontang Mba

[Romance Readers Retreat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just ok for me. This is a romance with a BIG love triangle. The actual story between Luce, Marcus, and Greg is what kept me reading but there were some other negatives that had me putting the book down quiet a bit in frustration. The novel just tended to be a bit wordy which is kind of a pet peeve of mine. There was just a lot of information in the book that I didn't feel was pertinent to the story, which in turn caused me to lose interest on several occasions. Also, there were a million characters in this book and they all had their real names and nick names which I found confusing. I had trouble keeping these side characters straight. I would like to say ,though, that I read in previous reviews that there were tons of grammatical and spelling errors in this book but I didn't see any so its obviously been edited of late. Beware, big cliff hanger at the end.

[Heather York · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm ashamed to say that there was a time when I would not have chosen to read these books because when I was younger I often would pick books by the cover and I'll be honest, the cover would not have pulled me in. I'm happy to say that I haven't done that in many years because I would have missed out on a library size list of great stories and even better authors, this series included. I was surprised to find as much humor in this triangle themed stories as I did. You don't often find humor in a "who does she choose? A or B" story. At times I felt like I was watching William Powell and Myrna Loy trade banter or Bogey and Bacall sexual innuendos that made 1940s Hollywood great. The characters are extremely well written and at times are larger than life that you only find in fiction and other times they could easily be your neighbor next door.

[Brandy Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Overall I would say 4.5 and not a solid five only because I wasn't always sure whose head we were in right away. Still a fantastic story.
I loved Lucia, Marcus was on and off. The man seriously needed to grow a set. I'm hoping we see that resolved in the next book. I can't wait.
This book has a lot of music references, if you love music, it's a definite bonus, but the whole cast revolves around music and dancing.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book and I liked it. The part I really like is that the chapters switch between the point of view of the major characters. I love when books do that, because it gives you some insight into each character. I didn't like or understand Marcus' actions. I guess there's a sequel, so maybe that will answer some questions. I kind of don't think Marcus deserves her after he acted, but we can't help who we love.

[Brandy Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Overall I would say 4.5 and not a solid five only because I wasn't always sure whose head we were in right away. Still a fantastic story.
I loved Lucia, Marcus was on and off. The man seriously needed to grow a set. I'm hoping we see that resolved in the next book. I can't wait.
This book has a lot of music references, if you love music, it's a definite bonus, but the whole cast revolves around music and dancing.

[Shavana BeanieBrain Merrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book for tour review. Love the closeness of the sisters. All the talents mixing and matching up and complimenting each other. Also like the way Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba interspaces the conversations with the other languages then gives the meaning in a footnote. Marcus “just gets lost sometimes” and Greg is the best-friend while Lucia has too many nicknames to count. Really engaging story with twists and fun times thrown in. Thanks for great read.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! This book has the dual pov feature that I really enjoy in books. I also like that it has footnotes where there was words in a foreign language that you can click to go to see the translation, and then by the translation you can click the link again to go back to where you were in the story. Lucia is a great character, I really liked her personality. Not fond of the love triangle. I loved how the book ended with the line. "The End (For now)"

[Dalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author for an honest review. I enjoyed the story, the storyline is good. The story is told in the first person from both the main characters pov's. They both have complicated family issues. The characters are well developed and written. This book is filled with a lot of heartbreak, love, family traditions & Values, and both the characters trying to break free and find their own paths. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Debra Lambert Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! Another great book from Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba-----I read this in one sitting it was that good----This story involves music, dancing and COOKING---oh and love----I really enjoyed how this story was written---a different one for me----switching back and forth between characters. Thank you for allowing me to read and enjoy this story.I can not wait to read the next chapter. :-) <3

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5.0

This behind-the-scenes glimpse into the music industry is fascinating and full of drama.

Read full review in the 2014 April issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel made me wish I could live in Toronto, dance, produce music, play guitar and bake mouth-watering pastries in under an hour while surrounded by the coolest multi-ethnic cast I have ever read about. In other words, Lucia Mpobo-Riddell is my newest hero.

When we meet Lucia- Luce/Lucita/Lulu- she's just embarked on what's going to be a stormy relationship with London-based producer Marcus Grant. Taken together, they're an interesting study in human potential: Lucia lost both of her parents when she was very young, but she's taken her grief and channeled it into all of her creative outlets. Marcus, born with an equal amount of talent but blessed with loving parents, has achieved respect in his chosen profession but is still thisclose to being great. The reader quickly understands that it's Marcus who can't get out of his own way, but like Lucia- and his family and friends- we're rooting for him to do the right thing.

Like Lucia's sisters, I alternated between wanting to punch Marcus, wanting him to make Lucia happy, and wanting him to walk away because he just wasn't good enough and he'd had his chance. Just when those feelings peaked, in walked the equally compelling (and more accomplished) Greg McMullen. He's "all that", and he treats Lucia like gold. But even though I'm squarely on Team Greg, I can understand why Lucia still isn't entirely done with Marcus. (But here's hoping she comes to her senses in the sequel!)

As much as I enjoyed Lucia, Marcus and Greg, I also appreciated the large supporting cast, particularly the close knit family members that are like best friends and the best friends who are so close that they're like family. But not everyone is milk and honey: the sins of Lucia's mother and grandmother loom large over the lives of their family members, and it's heartbreaking how much Lucia and especially her sister Noor still pine for their parents' love. While the tone of the novel is mostly adventurous and fun, these reminders ground the piece.

Plenty of humor here, but the funniest line is "I'm taller, my eyes are green and I too speak fluent Korean." So take that!

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review and this is mine.
When I received this book and started reading it- I could not put it down I had to finish it. I had to find out what was going to happen nest to Lucia and her sisters. The Riddal family are know for there dancing. However- Lucia also has a gift with music. So she has chosen to write music ( compose) At one time she even went on tour with a band played and sang with them. Just like she did with her dancing.
This story is how Marcus comes into her life- she falls for him. But that was before she finds out that he is in town to take over the recording album . Now she feels lied to and she hates him.
I don't want to give to much away because if I do then you won't want to read it. But I will tell you this----
The story just better from here. I will tell you this ... There are two men after Lucia - Paul and Marcus. Hmmm which one ?? Oh yes and her sisters when you take one sister you take one all of them.
You have got to read this Book!! ITS AMAZING AND VERY WELL WRITTEN , AWESOME!!!!

[Danielle-Claude Mba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Tracy Hanson for Readers' Favorite

This Could Have Been Our Song follows Lucia Mpobo-Riddel's life as she pursues her dream in music. She came from a family of dancers and was expected to continue the family tradition. On her birthday, she meets and falls for another musician whose family expected him to attend medical school and become a doctor. This tale follows their adventures in a "shoulda, coulda, woulda" sort of way. Marcus evades questions about why he was in Toronto that night which brings about more complications. I wondered if their relationship would survive.

Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba is a great storyteller and sets a nice pace in this very interesting read. While this plot is complex it is also very realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the descriptions of the music, the dancing and singing. The author researched this subject well and brought fascinating adventures to life, inspiring me to travel to Canada. This Could Have Been Our Song is a great story and I look forward to reading more books by Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba.

[BestChickLit.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucia is a great character. She’s an extremely talented, professional woman who knuckles down and gets on with the job in hand. Her sisters are a feisty pair and I enjoyed their sibling banter immensely as it gave a real depth and weight to the importance of their relationships.

I loved Marcus and how Lucia begins set him on edge as he released what a woman she really is. The initial twist in their relationship made for interesting reading, as did the fact that the author swaps narratives between characters. I really like this style of writing, as I am nosey enough to want to know exactly what is going on in everyone’s heads!

I did find myself getting slightly confused at some points though, there’s a fair amount of characters and action going on so I did have to read back over paragraphs on a few occasions. However, the story moves along nicely and has a natural flow to it that some books lack. Well worth a read.

Reviewed by Charlotte Foreman on behalf of BestChickLit.com

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I am not going to rehash the story. It is based in principle on a love triangle. So if you like triangles then you will love the plot.

The world building being almost trans continental is amazing. I love the transition between Canada, UK etc.

My complaint. The constant change in pov for characters. At times I could not tell male from female until the men started to perv or the woman went shopping. Or I had to page back to the start of the chapter. Also it has a lot of detail in it. Some of this in my opinion did not serve the story in any real way.

That aside. It was a good read. When I got to the point where I had conditioned myself to read the name of each chapter I was far less confused. The author also does a brilliant job in scene setting with music and dance and this is something I truly loved. It added much to the general mood setting etc in the plot line.

WaAr

[Julie C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't care for this book. It just wasn't my kind of story. The author is a wonderful writer, but this series is not for me