5+ stars for Venetian Rhapsody by Tonya Penrose with David Bazo #romanticcomedy #music #bookreview
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    • Jun 15, 2023
    • 5 min read

5+ stars for Venetian Rhapsody by Tonya Penrose with David Bazo #romanticcomedy #music #bookreview



Title: Venetian Rhapsody

Author: Tonya Penrose with David Bazo

Genre: Romantic Comedy


Book Blurb:


A romance like no other comes to life in story and music. A totally immersive experience awaits readers and listeners… VENETIAN RHAPSODY imagined by Tonya Penrose and David Bazo.


In a glancing moment, Eduardo and Sofia experience their first chance encounter that alters how they see their world and ignites a grand love. A romance where the barriers of time's constraints fall away…leaving them with an unfolding mystery around their powerful connection. Two encounters a year apart bring plenty of complications, smiles, and undeniable love. A companion album by award-winning composer and musician David Bazo highlights the story's unfolding.


Album Blurb

"In a glancing moment, Eduardo and Sofia experience a chance encounter that alters how they see their world and ignites a grand love. A romance where the barriers of time's constraints fall away…leaving them with an unfolding mystery around their powerful connection. Two encounters a year apart bring plenty of complications, smiles, and undeniable love". "Venetian Rhapsody" is a romance novel written by the the award-winning North American author Tonya Penrose.


A companion album, "Venetian Rhapsody", by awarded composer and musician David Bazo highlights the story's unfolding. The album consists on classical-style pieces, including a 22 minutes grand piano suite, performed and recorded live. All the songs complement the musical scenes from the book, thus broadening the experience of reading the story and listening to the original soundtrack. The genesis for the "Venetian Rhapsody" project unfolded in a surprising way between the author and composer. The music ignited the story, and the story, in turn, infused new music.


David Bazo and Tonya Penrose present an unforgettable immersive experience in words and music.


An amazing novel.


A magical music album.


My Review:


Venetian Rhapsody is a love story that defies time and space. Two strangers bump into each other–literally—in Venice, the City of Love, and discover they have an intimate connection neither can explain.


Sofia Martin is a doctoral student from Boston completing her dissertation before she moves back to the job of her dreams. Eduardo Diaz, a native of Spain, is in the city temporarily teaching at a university. He must return home to take the helm of his family’s olive grove.


Neither had planned to fall in love. But destiny had other plans. And, as we discover in this carefully told tale, we don’t ignore or argue with destiny.


The story is as simple and as complicated as that. The bond they feel is immediate and mutual. Sofia has repeated visions of them in other times and other places that are detailed and so very real. Timeslips. It seems for moments the veils of time and space are parted, and she sees both the past and the future. Eduardo knows of Sofia’s preferences in food and music. And Sofia knows so many things about the man, like what he takes on his sandwiches. How does she know this?


Not only do the coincidences continue throughout the story, but destiny conspires to solicit outside help in the form of friends and one very special stranger. I loved the neighbors who recognized their love and were compelled, for reasons not known by them, to help the young lovers. The pigeon, Mrs. Coo, who follows Sofia, is also a great whimsical sign of true love.


For a week, the couple lives in a surreal and mystical world. Just when it seems they’ll find their eternal happily-ever-after, reality intrudes.


Tonya Penrose has taken the unbelievable and made it believable. She describes her characters with skill, and with no more than a few words has me feeling the passion, frustration, and heartache they experienced. The bewilderment of knowing personal aspects of a stranger’s lives. The passion of awakening to the discovery of a love that had been lost in time and space. The unbearable feeling of losing a soulmate.


The story is expertly told and is complete in itself but wait…there’s more. I read the story while listening to the magical composition of David Bazo, A Love Unveiled. His musical interpretation of the grand love takes the story to another level. Penrose and Bazo combined their talents and placed me squarely in the City of Love. I was there with Sofia and Eduardo, riding along on the water boats, experiencing its sights, sounds, tastes, and fragrances.


If you believe in destiny, kismet, and happily ever after, this well-written story will tug at her heartstrings and reaffirm your faith. If you’re hesitant to believe in the power of timeless love, the inexplicable draw Sofia and Eduardo have for each other will melt the wall of doubt and make you a believer.


I highly recommend this well-written, finely plotted story of Tony Penrose along with the evocative music of David Bazo.


My Rating: 5+ stars


Buy it Now:

Book:





Album:


https://davidbazo.bandcamp.com/album/venetian-rhapsody-original-soundtrack-album




https://music.apple.com/us/artist/david-bazo/1282769291


https://open.spotify.com/artist/5PeGEC4Ux8z3gSEWmZp6ju



https://tidal.com/browse/artist/9109391


https://www.last.fm/music/David+Bazo


https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandid=264649


Author Biography:



A word about the author…


As an author, Tonya’s moved by the effect humor and narratives have on readers. That observation illuminates why her stories often convey messages inviting personal exploration. She is enthusiastic about crafting stories with beguiling characters, adding dashes of snappy humor and engaging dialogue that leaves her fingerprint on each page.


When Tonya relocated to the mountains, she found fresh writing ideas waiting. From her favorite porch chair gazing at a tranquil lake, the nudge to scribe her first novel came calling. From her beach chair, she got the idea for a cozy series, Shell Isle Mysteries. Tonya confesses new respect for a chair’s ability to motivate writers. She chases her writing joy from the mountains to the seashore.


The Shell Isle Mystery Series introduces four novels: Baubles to Die For, Red, White, and Boom, Murder by Numbers, and Teatime Trouble, releases in 2024. The characters of Page and Betsy keep chattering to Tonya, so expect future stories in this collection.


Tonya’s other books include Old Mountain Cassie: The Three Lessons, A Secret Gift, Welcome to Charm, and Venetian Rhapsody. An exciting collaboration with award-winning composer David Bazo offers a fully immersive experience with the book Venetian Rhapsody and the companion soundtrack album found at www.davidbazo.info.


Her fiction and nonfiction stories are published in numerous anthologies, e-magazines, local press, and literary magazines. She’s a member of Poets and Writers. Tonya Penrose is her fiction pen name.



A word about the composer…


David Bazo is a multifaceted musician with a professional background of more than 30 years, more than 100 songs released internationally and more than a hundred live performances behind him, as a soloist and integrating different musical formations.


Producer, arranger and performer of New Age, Pop, Rock and Folk, music for singers, composer of soundtracks for Theater, Film and TV and much more. You can learn more about him at www.davidbazo.info


Social Media Links:


Twitter: @TonyaWrites

Instagram: @TonyaPenroseWrites


https://twitter.com/Davidbazo


Reviewed by: Terry

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