Pages: Unknown
Publisher: Entangled
Publication Date: 8th May 2017
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4/5 stars
Review: Set within a university music department, Solo follows a growing, forbidden romance between a postgraduate student and her professor.
There is something about Kate Brenner that rubs Drew Markham up the wrong way. And it is nothing to do with her resemblance to his ex-fiance. Kate is constantly late to class, probably hungover, and yet primed to challenge him at every turn. It's not that she isn't smart: she seems to have an answer for everything, but she's just so...entitled. Well, what else would you expect from a senator's daughter?
Kate Brenner is not what people think she is. Yes, her father is a senator, but he cut her off when she enrolled in a music program against his wishes. She now works two jobs to pay her way, living in a run-down apartment in a bad neighbourhood. Her car is on its last legs, and she is constantly hounded by reporters looking for comment about her father, and harassed and bullied by classmates who assume she supports his hard line politics. If that isn't bad enough, her music theory professor, Dr Markham seems to have it in for her. He's always been harder on her than the other students in her class, but now he's threatening to fail her for being late. It's hardly her fault a stalker/reporter held her captive in his car, but she's not about to tell Dr Markham that.
All this changes when Kate drives to Dr Markham's house during a blizzard, just to get her assignment in on time. Suffering the after-effects of a probable concussion (she couldn't afford the hospital fees), she is dazed, feverish, and slipping in and out of consciousness. Finding her parked outside his house wearing yoga pants and flip-flops in sub-zero temperatures, Drew has no choice but to bring her inside. Cut off from the outside world by the snow, he manages to bring her fever down, and nurse her back to health. Snowed in together, the animosity between Drew and Kate begins to soften, with something much more dangerous taking its place: mutual attraction, and affection.
I loved the slow-burn/forbidden romance at the heart of this novel, and the gorgeous tension between them as they first noticed their attraction. Both Drew and Kate are really well-drawn, complex characters, and I had a lot of sympathy for both of them (though Drew's habit of letting his emotions inform his treatment of his students did raise an eyebrow).
Apart from the romance and drama of the main plot, one of the things that really impressed me about this novel was the way it captured the mildly hostile atmosphere of a small university department; the gossip and the competitiveness, the two-tier environment of the tenured and the non-tenured, and amongst it all, the few good people trying to keep it all hanging together. This is not a main focus of plot, but as something I happen to know a little about, I had a wry smile for the accuracy of the setting!
Another thing I loved, and which I'm sure will have me seeking out more books by Lauren E. Rico, was the insight into the world of classical music, and classical music education. I am not a musician, but the passion with which Kate's conducting, for example, is described was just wonderful, and the way her piano playing formed part of the growing connection between her and Drew (she plays a piece that he composed) was lovely.
Solo is my kind of romance: the academic setting, the forbidden passion, the complex characters, all came together to make a really great read. The only criticism I have is that Drew wasn't the perfect romantic hero for me-- he was a little too led by his emotions, and much too quick to think ill of Kate, even after knowing her better. Even so, I really enjoyed this book, and would absolutely recommend it!
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