Review: Prelude

Prelude by Shira Anthony and Peter B. Brooke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 World-renowned conductor David Somers never wanted the investment firm he inherited from his domineering grandfather. He only wanted to be a composer. But no matter how he struggles, David can’t translate the music in his head into notes on paper.

When a guest violinist at the Chicago Symphony falls ill, David meets Alex Bishop, a last-minute substitute. Alex’s fame and outrageous tattoos fail to move David. Then Alex puts bow to string, and David hears the brilliance of Alex’s soul.

David has sworn off relationships, believing he will eventually drive away those he loves, or that he'll lose them as he lost his wife and parents. But Alex is outgoing, relaxed, and congenial—everything David is not—and soon makes dents in the armor around David's heart.

Why I marked this audiobook as 'to listen' and ignored all the others is a mystery. I liked how this romance depicted two convincing males. Not overly focused on feelings. No deep, well-worded conversations. And, refreshingly, no sex obsession. For MM romance that's quite unique.
The performance was adequate, with different voices and expressing the author's description. But in parts it felt flat, to me. The stinted, perfectionist David sounded exactly how he was supposed to sound. But Alex could have had more depth and warmth.
The sound quality was all right but I missed the low tones. It sounded quite harsh and unpleasant.

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