The Music Box by Alyssa Drake
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A victim of obligation, Gabrielle spends her days slogging away in a dead-end job, fending off the unwanted advances of her manager. At night, she spoon-feeds memories to her mother, a resident at an assisted-living facility, which specializes in dementia. The only high-point in her life is Luciano, the grandson of another patient. When his grandmother passes away, Luciano bequeaths Gabrielle an antique music box, which plays a hauntingly familiar tune, her mother's favorite song. However, the music box hides a dark secret, one which could rip apart the budding relationship. Once the truth is revealed, Gabrielle must decide what she is willing to sacrifice for love. This paranormal romance story is intended for readers 18 and older.
Universal Link | The Romance Reviews
4 out of 5 (very good)
The Music Box is a fairytale with an urban setting. It deals with sensitive subjects, such as dementia and work harassment. Gabrielle is spending her evenings with her mother in a care home, whilst during the day she is doing a job she doesn't like, with a boss who is abhorrent. The only bright spot on her horizon is Luciano, the grandson of another patient.
There is a lot of information in this book, packed within a few short pages, so you can imagine the pacing is quite fast. That being said though, the whole story is here. Yes, I would like to see it more 'fleshed out' in places, but the basics are here. Enough for me to enjoy the story and want to read more about these characters.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this short story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Best-selling, award winning, author Alyssa Drake has been creating stories since she could hold a pen, preferring to construct her own bedtime tales instead of reading the titles in her bookshelves. Enraptured with many different types of genres, Alyssa currently writes Historical romance, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy romance, Contemporary romance, and Romantic Suspense stories. She thoroughly enjoys strong heroines and often laughs aloud when imagining conversations between her characters. Alyssa graduated from the University of the Pacific, with a B.S. in business and a concentration in French literature. Currently she resides in Northern California with her blended family, where she works full-time at a chocolate factory. She believes everyone is motivated by love of someone or something. One of her favorite diversions is fabricating stories about strangers surrounding her on public transportation. Alyssa can often be found madly scribbling notes on a train or daydreaming out the window as the scenery whips past.
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