After finishing design school six months ago, Erin Angelo left her tragic past behind in the States and started a new life in Milan, Italy. Burying the grief, silencing her demons, and living a life without any real attachments has worked well for her so far. But when Erin secures her first real job as a budding clothing designer, her controlled world is shaken to its core by the mysteriously sexy director of the local symphony.

Alek Dostov is a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. He’s successful, hot, the son of a millionaire, and women all over the world flock to see one of his performances. For Alek, Erin represents the ultimate challenge: sexy, smart, and unaffected by his charms…or so she thinks. Just like Erin, Alek avoids attachments that leave him emotionally vulnerable. But unlike Erin, his pursuit of all things pleasurable is ruthless.

Knowing how wary they both are concerning any kind of committed relationship, Alek finds a way to pursue Erin, satisfying the intense attraction between them without sacrificing the freedom they both enjoy. Sometimes the deepest passion brings out the darkest emotions. And Erin finds herself completely unprepared for the forbidden world of the young maestro and his truths and even his secrets, as she struggles to deal with her own.

Music, passion, betrayal and forbidden love spun together in one of the most romantic cities in the world.

"I kind of see how meeting someone new would be like the beginning of an opera song, What's that part called again?" 

Erin Angelo is a young up and coming designer working on a big new venture with  the Milan Opera House. Enter Aleksandr Dostov, The Maestro. He is a hot, sexy man with an American and Russian accent who intrigues and challenges her. He is charismatic and oozes sexuality. But he does not do relationships. Erin is closed off and not looking for any type of romantic entanglements with anyone either due to past issues. The more she runs and pushes away, the more he pursues. But soon he makes her an offer she does not want to refuse.  

He doesn't look like the overly macho kind of Marlon Brando handsome, but he has the type of gaze that penetrates you to the core, reading your secrets when when you think they're well hidden.

Am I obsessed? What is it abut this woman that makes me so crazy? I've never  been owned by anyone before. I've never wanted to be, either. But damn if Erin Angelo isn't raking my heart across a fire burning through my sould. I no longer want to try and avoid this, I couldn't even if I tried.

Erin and Alek were  interesting and had chemistry together. They both had issues from their past that shape their present. They both showed personal growth. They opened up and slowly began to build on their chemistry to find something more real.  Alek was cocky and flirty, but also showed a more vulnerable, loving, protective side. Erin was guarded and closed off at first, but warmed up slowly and began to trust. But sometimes the past comes back and continues to have effects on your present and future. And trust is fragile at best. 

Funny how the past never disappears the way people say it does. No, the past is like a ghost, always returning to haunt you, always picking the moment when you're on top of your game, Ready to make you fall even harder the second time it knocks your ass down, because you have that much more to lose. 

"Dreams are fickle, Erin. Sometimes we miss out on those and can shrug them off. But getting another chance to make something right in life after you've tried, and still done it wrong so many times before, now that kind of thing only happens for a few of us."

The characters were likable. Not only Alek and Erin, but their friends, coworkers,  and Alek's sister Adriana. They all had interesting personalities and relationships that were meaningful. There was even a few people  you loved to hate. They all added interest to the story. There was  humor in their interactions and you could see the genuine affection the characters had for each other. The background of the fashion, music, and ballet worlds all intermingled to add some intensity to the story.

But there was so much going on behind the scenes of this book...Seriously, way too much drama all at once. You've got dangerous people from the past, family issues, past tragedies, secrets, jealousy, and life threatening situations. And you learn about most of the very dramatic past and are hit with several big events in the present all in the last part of the book pretty close together, so it was a little too much all at once. A few of the things just seemed a little over the top. And you've got Russians, Americans, and Italians in the mix making it a melting pot of cultures. All of the surprises, twists, and drama almost took away the core of the relationship and was a bit overwhelming. But all in all, it was unique in a lot of ways and we enjoyed the characters and setting. It was great to be provided alternating points of view so that we could feel the emotions and feelings from both characters. 

KaSonndra Leigh Website/Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter
I live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. I write about people doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Sometimes they fall for each other and make sacrifices for their friends. Oh, and sometimes they love music and nature too. I live with my two sons,a guinea pig, a cat, and two dogs. Now that I have completed my MFA in creative writing, I find that I have a little extra time to play CLUE more often. I live in an L-shaped house dedicated to my grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass.

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