COMING HOME – Elisabeth Rose
Avalon Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-8034-9914-0
October 2008
Contemporary Romance

Sydney, Australia – Present Day

Libby's first night back in Sydney at a small dinner party at her friend's parents' house makes her feel like a Lame Duck. You know, the unaccompanied third at a party, nowhere to go, no friends, and nothing in your life of any interest. That's her; she just flew in to Sydney the night before and is in a deep depression because of the changes this famous cellist's life has taken. Repetitive stress has made playing the cello painful and impossible, and Libby has no other skills, even secretarial, and even if she did, it's impossible because of her hand. Soon after arriving at Bob and Betty Swift's house, she remembers how exhausting they are to be around, and their friends aren't much better, until a man arrives named Charles Hogarth claiming to know her from Vienna. Ah Vienna...she was there as a determined eighteen year old, set on becoming the student of a famous cellist and practicing for all she was worth. Whoops, Charles was the man in the room beneath her where she stayed, forever banging on the ceiling yelling at her to quit practicing. She had to practice if she wanted to get accepted by the famous Heinz Wanhal. Well, that's years under the bridge; now Libby has to figure out how to get a job and support herself with no skills. Then Betty tells an older friend of hers about Libby, and Gloria Bennett calls her to be a live-in companion, and Libby is grateful for a temporary solution to her problem until she can get her life put in order. But guess who Gloria is related to?

Irene Temple and Gerald Hogarth...two people Charles Hogarth has given up on ever forming an attachment to. Irene is a famous soloist and his mother. Shows all over the world were her thing, and a son merely got in the way. Gerald Hogarth is a famous conductor and his father. Leading orchestras never got in the way of raising a young boy. It was either nannies or great aunt Gloria taking care of him as a child. His lack of loving parents has infected every part of his life, and despite his parents' divorce, he hasn't had any contact with them in years. He's made his own way as an architect and moved to Australia, and when great aunt Gloria got too old, asked her to move in with him so he could take care of her. Nothing is too good for the only person who ever cared a fig for him, and if she wants a companion during the day, it's a great idea. Now he won't have to worry about her cooking things or falling down or getting sick with no one around to help her, until he finds out it's Libby. Charles fell in love with Libby at first sight all those years ago in Vienna, but no way is he letting his life get mixed up with that of a musician again. Those hurts run too deep; he's keeping everything platonic between himself and Libby; it's better for his mental health.

Becoming unusual in books lately, COMING HOME is written in the third person to tell the story of Libby and Charles. Despite the details given, I still didn't feel a strong affinity for them. The romance is very gentle and mild, nothing to harm anyone's sensibilities, and yet I felt no real passion between them. COMING HOME has taken a unique situation and presented it to us with the problems that it can cause in someone's life, and the setting in Australia has not been used nearly enough lately.

Charles and Libby both have an attraction to each other, and perhaps living together isn't a good idea. Libby tries tai chi with great aunt Gloria, and its gentle exercise and mind set help calm her down. The only thing Libby needs is a real job, something to rely upon the rest of her life; the doctor she consulted doubts she'll ever play the cello again. The main deterrent to her and Charles getting together is her obvious devotion to music, and her willingness to go back to it if anything can help her hand. Charles saw what single-minded devotion to a music career did to his life, and he never wants it again in his own life, but especially not for any child of his. Can Libby and Charles take the giant step of devotion and trust in their love, and work together to live a life that accommodates both of them, or should they give up without even trying?

Just the right mix of friends and relatives makes COMING HOME interesting. There's Bob and Betty Swift, those overly friendly, great host and hostess who will do anything for you, only their care and help soon drives you crazy. Gloria is Charles's adoring great aunt; without her, Charles's life wouldn't have been worth living when he was a child. And then there's Gloria's new boyfriend Oscar.

COMING HOME is strikingly reminiscent of the old romances of the early 1980's, with a sweet heroine, a strong man with a deeply hidden caring side, and lots of angst between them deciding if they dare give love a chance in their lives. A pleasant, evening's read is in store for you with COMING HOME.

Carolyn Crisher