One and a Half Regrets

In this short and tender romance, a classical violinist and a rock musician tentatively build a romance despite big secrets and wildly different lifestyles. Beth MacGuire has given up her dreams of playing violin to be a waitress at the Seattle pub that she co-owns with her brother. Her priority is caring for her 10-month-old daughter and alcoholic mother. Then her ex-boyfriend, drummer Liam Hensley, breezes into town with his band and is eager to reestablish their relationship. Beth and Liam’s backstory—how Liam broke up their once-close relationship when he signed on with the band and left Seattle, and how Beth became a single mother—is quickly established. Beth’s unwillingness to tell Liam about her child is promptly introduced, but the full details of the other obstacles to their renewed relationship are more slowly revealed. This adds some tension to the plot, but the roadblocks are easily resolved. The narrative flows quickly, with natural dialogue and alternating perspectives that convey Beth and Liam’s tight relationship and make them sympathetic. (BookLife)