This was one Jilly Cooper that I hadn't read before, so it was good to read it in order with the other Rutshire books. This one follows Abigail Rosen, a young Violinist who is let down by the man she loves - typical Cooper!! She tries to cut her wrists, but only ends up not being able to play her beloved instrument. Instead, she learns to conduct and is persuaded to help turn round the fortunes of a failing orchestra, one full of huge egos, overdrawn bank accounts and raging jealousies. Her friends, Flora Seymour and Marcus Campbell-Black, try to be there for her, but both have their own problems, while all Abigail wants is to play the violin again and get the handsome player Viking.There were so many old favourites littering the cast of this. I like the fact that Marcus has a great story line to himself and the return of the evil Rannaldini always stirs up the story line. The only thing that annoys me is the chelloist on the front cover - why?!?!?!?! As usual, a good happy ending, but with lots of loose ends to be tied up in the next book.
Ummmmmm. It's 80% a dud. I loathe Abigail, the heroine, I find everyone else in the book, including her OTP Viking and her friend Marcus (Rupert's son from first marriage) boring etc etc. Classical music is great to listen to, but makes the most boring novel topic. The 20%? The whole deliciously long sequence with Rupert and Taggie going to adopt in Colombia (Taggie can't have children - for why, see Polo) and actually ending up with two kids because Rupert ends up getting attached to this hideous, mistreated, but super-courageous little boy.
Do You like book Appassionata (1997)?
If you enjoy broad satire, have a bit of a clue about the British class system and are open to novels that lead you on goose trails with hijinks and shenanigans all the way to a neatly and delightful ending, you can't do better than Jilly Cooper. Her books are, to use the English expression, "a lark ", filled with high comedy, pretentious snobs, salt of the earth types, love stories, romps, successes and rightful devastation of the villains in the plot. The plot, however, is always so serpentine that the reader is usually kept guessing until the end. Farcical fun!
—DeB
