Etude by Melinda Morgan

blurb:

The cold rain drummed the memory of the horrible crash into my mind—mom dead, my hand ruined. Then a year later, coming out of a coma to realize my full-ride scholarship was gone and I'd never play the piano again. But the worst of it was nobody believed me—the voices, someone holding me in the mangled car, mom being ripped away from me.

So here I am in Anderson, Wyoming, living with Uncle Connor while Dad's on assignment in Europe. School started and I met Jonathan, amazingly handsome Jonathan. He made me feel like life was beginning again—until I discovered that mom's death wasn't an accident, that a supernatural realm was trying to draw me into a coterie hundreds of years old, and that a close friend wanted to destroy me.

Not the easiest way to begin my senior year….

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Chelz' Review:
I am thrilled to be reviewing Etude by Melinda Morgan.  I instantly loved Beth, and had compassion for her challenges.  Being a pianist myself, I enjoyed the sweet way Jonathan got Beth to play again.  Mrs. Morgan unfolded the story beautifully.  There are so many amazing scenes throughout the book that I could not choose just one as my favorite; when Beth and Jonathan play Moonlight Sonata, anytime she is with Carl, and her tutoring of Justin are just a few.  The recital was fabulous!!!!!!!  I had to read it twice just to enjoy it again.  I am so glad there was not drama between Beth and Jonathan.  There is just enough scary to keep me wondering what is really going on without keeping me up at night with nightmares.  Etude is a beautifully written story.  The teaser at the end left me hanging and I am anxiously waiting for Intermezzo to be released.

Jewelz' Review:Beth Arrington is no ordinary young woman. Once an accomplished classical pianist, at 19 she moves to Anderson, Wyoming to live with her uncle and complete her senior year of high school that she missed out on following a tragic car accident. A car accident that had her in a coma for 7 months, damaged her left hand to the point that it is now useless, and left her without a mother. Etude is a very complex book - in fact, one could arguably consider it an "etude" in it's own right. It begins a little slow, with only hints of the complexity that lies underneath the story of a young woman who has recently lost her mother and moved to a new state to finish high school. As Beth gets to know more people in Anderson: Darla, Eric, Jonathan, Grace, more of the intricacies of the situation are revealed. And once questions begin to be answered, things move rapidly and then get even more complex until it comes to a climactic end. Ms. Morgan leaves the reader satisfied, yet desperate for more.I loved getting to know Beth along with her family and friends. Her relationships are dynamic and realistic. Beth is a wonderful, flawed heroine and Jonathan is perfectly imperfect. At times I think he's too good to be true, and then something happens, or is revealed that makes me remember he's not - he has struggles and weaknesses too. Carl is a breath of fresh air, a wonderful friend/cousin to Beth & even a bit of comic relief. Darla brings a much needed element of teenage normalcy to Beth's life and Eric  - he's so much more than what I originally thought. His character developed in ways I wouldn't have imagined. I love the obvious thought and care that went into plotting Etude. There are themes of music, science & spirituality; and these themes intertwine & overlap fluidly without discord and without feeling forced. The "paranormal" realm and mythology are well-constructed and have solid foundations in reality that helps to bring believability to the story and allows the reader to become immersed in the world Ms Morgan has created. I am very much looking forward to the sequel - Intermezzo!
Read an excerpt from Etude here

buy Etude on Amazon here

Eleanor's Secret FREE on Amazon

Eleanor's Secret - the prequel to Intermezzo
blurb:
Two weeks... that's all Jonathan said he needed. For two weeks Grace and Jonathan would hide me from an enemy that until recently I didn't even know existed. It sounded logical, but when has love ever proved to be logical? The catch? Grace's plan involved traveling—and traveling meant taking a trip back in time to Marensburg, Pennsylvania, where Jonathan grew up more than 150 years ago. The idea was scary, but kinda cool.

Grace's plan was simple. While I hide in the past, Jonathan would stay in present-day Andersen where he'd train a special regiment of Lebas to fight against the legion of intruders who (according to Eric) are on their way to destroy me. Why me? And why a whole legion? When I finally discovered the answers to those questions it put everyone's nerves on edge. But Jonathan believed keeping me safe would help him focus, so I was willing to go.But nothing is ever simple. I knew something was wrong when I discovered my mortal body couldn't travel. When I woke up, I was in the body of Eleanor Hastings, Jonathan's first love. I admit that for the first two weeks I didn't mind being Eleanor. Eleanor was beautiful—the absolute embodiment of perfection. More, she had full use of her left hand! But two weeks became three, then four, and eventually months passed with no word from Grace or Jonathan. And where was Eleanor now that I had her body?So, here I am, trapped in 1864 with no way to return to the present. I hope someone, someday, finds this diary. I'm trying not to consider the possibilities of what went wrong, and it's unbearable to accept the only possible explanation that makes any sense—Jonathan and Grace aren't coming because the intruders won. I may never be Beth Arrington again.Oh, Jonathan....


Please note: We received copies from the publisher for our honest reviews