Ensnared In Her Symphony by Jolie Dvorak is an age-gap, ice queen romance that shows control is an illusion once the heart is opened to more enticing possibilities.
Maestro Virve Vintinen is the principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. She rules her orchestra with an iron fist and can make entire sections cry with a well-placed raised eyebrow. Sure, she’s tough, but what do you expect from someone who is regarded as one of the finest conductors in the world and must be in control at all times. On the podium and in the bedroom. Thanks to her ex-wife’s very public blasting of her character, Virve’s career and reputation are in question. What she needs is to find a lucrative distraction from her ex-wife’s slander and show the world she’s still the true maestro. A car accident involving a long-time friend and fellow conductor gives Virve access to the distraction she desires, but she may have just met her match.
Sabina Harper is the acting concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra. Up until now, she’s been content to play in the back and stay out of the limelight thanks to an old rivalry that shook her confidence and her decision making. When the news of her conductor being injured in a car accident hits the stage, and who will be replacing him for their European tour, suddenly Sabina is no longer hesitant to leave her sick niece and family to tour with the orchestra. Now she hopes to make a good enough impression on Maestro Vintenin to play with her in the bedroom as well as on the stage.
Though their start is rocky, the attraction is instant, and a deal is made. For three weeks they’ll give in to their desires for one another and play beautiful music together. Once the tour concludes, they’ll go their separate ways. But three weeks is a long time, and with Sabina looking so delectable in front of Virve every night, it’s hard to ignore the sudden stirring in her soul she thought she’d thrown out with her ex-wife. Soon old secrets come to light, making Virve and Sabina face the harsh truth of their pasts and what it may mean for their future.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
What I really liked about this story is Dvorak’s choice to make Sabina an experienced submissive. It’s very refreshing to have Sabina already discover her preference in this role and jump right into it when she and Virve start their relationship. They’re able to focus on their developing relationship as equals familiar with this lifestyle and be able to see the depth of feelings for each other that extends out to the music they perform onstage. That’s the real beauty to this story that I didn’t expect. In Dvorak’s character decisions and descriptions of the concert halls and the musical pieces played/conducted, you can see their love for their professions and for each other intertwine as they perform their best for each other on and off stage. It was so exceptionally done, I almost believed I could hear them performing the music along with the words as I read them.
Cons And Heads Up
This is very nitpicky, but some of the names were so exotic that it took a little time for my brain to see them and say them without stumbling. If this is ever done for audiobook, I’d love to know exactly how they’re pronounced.
The Conclusion
This story was such a pleasant surprise and a great look at a dominant/submissive relationship where both women are on equal footing on what is expected of them and how far they can push the other to increase their pleasure. Dvorak’s attention to detail in regards to Sabina and Virve’s relationship, as well as their professions, shows the care and love she has for them, and I cannot wait to see what else she gives us in the future.
Excerpt from Ensnared In Her Symphony by Jolie Dvorak
The concertmaster’s chair sat empty for a further fifteen minutes.
And then she walked in.
Actually, she stumbled.
She’d leaned on the door in the back corner and the thing had snapped back on her with a harsh bang.
Virve heard everything. She waved the orchestra silent.
The woman walking in stopped dead when the music stilled. She had her phone to her ear and her instrument in its travel-case on her back. Her eyes widened as she clocked Virve on the podium and she whispered in her phone.
Virve placed her baton carefully on her score, sat back on her stool, folded her arms and waited.
Her acting concertmaster scurried form the back corner of the room, skirting her way behind the two harp players and her own section to her place at Virve’s side. When she got there, everything got worse.
She whispered another “sorry” to the players closest to her and attempted to slip her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. Somehow, she missed and it clattered to the floor with a noise that seemed twice as loud as it should have been.
“Oh, shit.” She gave a tiny disparaging giggle at her own ineptitude then seemed to realise she’d sworn in front of everyone. “Sorry,” she winced.
It was the fifth sorry she’d uttered since she’d entered the room. It would have been endearing if it wasn’t so infuriating.
Virve was just about to eviscerate the woman with a stinging reprimand for interrupting her rehearsal and causing a spectacle when the woman finally met her eyes.
And it was Virve’s turn to stop in her tracks.
The woman was gorgeous.
And Virve recognised her.
Her acting concertmaster was the first face in her ex-wife’s scrapbook.
Sabina Harper.
The photo in the scrapbook was ten years old. Sabina Harper had been pretty then.
Now, she was stunning.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number:979-8387368721
Publisher: Indie Author
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