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Review: A SWAN’S SWEET SONG by J. Arlene Culiner

May 22, 2015 · by The Book Breeze · in Romance Reviews · Leave a comment

A Swan’s Sweet Song by J.Arlene Culiner

Wild Rose Press (2015) Genre: Contemporary Romance

Okay, I’m sort of a sucker for love stories populated with mature characters, but this story really resonated with me.

A SWAN’S SWEET SONG is the story of the unlikely romance between a country music singer and a self-proclaimed loner and playwright. Sherry Valentine and Carston Hewlett meet at a cultural festival where they are the designated hosts. Carston definitely does not want to be at the event anymore than Sherry does. He can’t believe his co-host is a country singer and she can’t believe she’s still playing the part of a country singer when what she really wants is to be an actress. Despite their differences, they find one another attractive and succumb to their attraction for one another.

Then there’s Charlie—Sherry’s best friend and manager who gets the notion that Carston is her ticket to get into acting. She’s used to Charlie bossing her around, but this time she wants nothing more than for him to butt-out.

Just when their romance is heating up, a scandal in the press threatens to keep Sherry and Carston apart. Can they convince themselves to ignore the press and follow their hearts?

Culiner has a knack for intertwining believable older characters, plot, and setting, but her voice is what makes her book stand out among other contemporary romances. Here’s just one example among many: “Good morning, Carston,” Charlie bellowed out as if the two of them had been best buddies since those prehistoric days when hairy mastodons snacked on ferns, club mosses, and other primeval vegetation.

Now there’s a true wordsmith!

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