The author reached out to me via Instagram and asked me if I wanted to review his book and I agreed. I don't think I have ever refused any author who approached me to review their book. You don't refuse an offer of a free book. It's such an honor for me to be noticed and offered a rare opportunity. Sometimes I am surprised how some of these authors find me. This blog has been in existence for 2 years. I started this January of 2016. I don't expect to be able to reach a lot of people. I only wanted to do this because it has been something that I wanted to do for a long time. This is also a medium of expression for me for bottled up thoughts, etc. I am happy that so far, this has been doing good and that in some way, I have helped some authors get their book across to some of the people who happen to read this blog. Thank you everyone and I will continue to write reviews in spite of all the challenges, whether time or other things happening in my personal life. This has been one of the best things I have ever done and it has helped me more than I have helped the authors or anyone else through this blog.
Melody's Key. The picture seems a little eerie actually because of the vintage effect. For me, it somehow hinted of a horror or suspense story, if I were to judge the cover. But then again, as always, don't judge a book by its cover. This is a love story actually which I find to be most enjoyable. Very fun and a feel good story that brightens up your mood, if ever you're in a foul one. If feel like you need a pick me up, this book is for you.
Tegan Lockwood. I think Tegan is such a cute name for a girl which also denotes strength. Though, Freckles is a very cute name too. For me, a girl named Tegan would surely be a girl with a strong personality and conviction. And the heroine of this story is exactly just that. Strong and selfless. She was supposed to go to Columbia for college but she decided to put it off to help her family run the family business to help pay off their debts. If you think about it, Tegan seems like a martyr but not really. I think she just loves her family so much and is just practical. She doesn't think they can afford yet to support her study in the US. Lockwood Manor is in England and it hosts vacationeers during summer. So, flying to New York to study is an expensive expense the Lockwoods could not afford right now. They are up to their necks in their debts.
Tegan's ordinary and boring existence was disturbed when the famous American pop star, Mason Keane, with a widely known reputation for charming the ladies, a party animal and a big spender stayed in the manor incognito. Their first meeting was hilarious. It was in a way a meet cute only to the observer. These two batted heads on. Tegan confirmed her beliefs that Mason Keane was no good and she should just avoid him altogether. But that was not how to be.
How Tegan and Mason's friendship developed was hilarious and cute. Mason proved to Tegan he wasn't what social media purports him to be, yet Tegan still continue to refuse the evidence that were obviously staring her in the face. Their exchanges are often hilarious and full of references to movies, etc. As their relationships progressed, their conversations were filled with innuendos which are still hilarious as they get to know each other more.
Mason probably represents a lot of celebrities that are not exactly what their reputation led to believe. How an artist or an actor is package or marketed to the public is not exactly his real personality. Like Mason, how he ended up a pop star when he hates his own songs. He only sang the songs but he never wrote them. If only he could sing his own compositions.
As this story is written by a musician, it gives the readers a glimpse into the inner workings of the music industry. So, no wonder why some very popular celebrities just couldn't handle the fame and all the things that came with it. Simply because, it's not all glamorous as we are all made to believe. How many celebrities have we heard have overdosed on drugs or have gone out of control? Yes, they may seem like they have expensive and designer things and go to the hottest parties but are they really happy with their lifestyles? Are they exactly doing what they really want to do? Not everyone. And like this story, Mason Keane is one.
Mason is definitely a manicorn. A rare breed of a passionate, a gentleman and thoughtful person. What he did to help the Lockwood's was more than generous. He did everything he can because only the Lockwood's made him feel like he is part of the family and helped him find the clarity that he has been looking for. They saw him as the real Mason Keane, the person, not the pop star. His short stay in the manor put things in perspective and made him feel alive again.
One other aspect of the story that I really enjoyed was the bit about the history of the manor and the love story of one of Tegan's ancestors. It was a really nice touch to the story. It added depth and mystery to the story. It is probably one aspect which made the story different from all the other girl-meets-famous-boy-and-fall-in-love story. It somehow added that quality that will make you take the story seriously and not just stereotype it as another unmemorable romance story to join the rest of the pile. With the Lockwood Manor and estate as the backdrop, somehow added a very good setting for the story where a lot of unexpected things can happen. So, another point for the author for that.
I give this 4/5 skeleton keys. I obviously enjoyed the story. Not just the love story but its entirety. The setting, the historical background and the witty and hilarious dialogs. Not to mention, the supporting characters were given enough exposure to at least give the readers enough details to be able to picture and know the personality of those characters. Tegan's family and friends were an interesting mixture of personalities that contributed to the making this story different from the rest. I would always remember this story not with eerie cover but how it made me forget the worries of the world for a while. And Tegan is definitely one very memorable character with her very unusual name and a feisty personality to match. I would always remember this book as fun, though there were fights, misunderstandings, Tegan's battles and insecurities and all of the Lockwood's struggles. The positivity and the bond of this family eclipsed all the other sad things. What I would always remember were the hilarious episodes and all the teasing. Thank you Dallas Coryell for the opportunity to read this story. It's been a real pleasure.
Tegan's ordinary and boring existence was disturbed when the famous American pop star, Mason Keane, with a widely known reputation for charming the ladies, a party animal and a big spender stayed in the manor incognito. Their first meeting was hilarious. It was in a way a meet cute only to the observer. These two batted heads on. Tegan confirmed her beliefs that Mason Keane was no good and she should just avoid him altogether. But that was not how to be.
How Tegan and Mason's friendship developed was hilarious and cute. Mason proved to Tegan he wasn't what social media purports him to be, yet Tegan still continue to refuse the evidence that were obviously staring her in the face. Their exchanges are often hilarious and full of references to movies, etc. As their relationships progressed, their conversations were filled with innuendos which are still hilarious as they get to know each other more.
Mason probably represents a lot of celebrities that are not exactly what their reputation led to believe. How an artist or an actor is package or marketed to the public is not exactly his real personality. Like Mason, how he ended up a pop star when he hates his own songs. He only sang the songs but he never wrote them. If only he could sing his own compositions.
As this story is written by a musician, it gives the readers a glimpse into the inner workings of the music industry. So, no wonder why some very popular celebrities just couldn't handle the fame and all the things that came with it. Simply because, it's not all glamorous as we are all made to believe. How many celebrities have we heard have overdosed on drugs or have gone out of control? Yes, they may seem like they have expensive and designer things and go to the hottest parties but are they really happy with their lifestyles? Are they exactly doing what they really want to do? Not everyone. And like this story, Mason Keane is one.
Mason is definitely a manicorn. A rare breed of a passionate, a gentleman and thoughtful person. What he did to help the Lockwood's was more than generous. He did everything he can because only the Lockwood's made him feel like he is part of the family and helped him find the clarity that he has been looking for. They saw him as the real Mason Keane, the person, not the pop star. His short stay in the manor put things in perspective and made him feel alive again.
One other aspect of the story that I really enjoyed was the bit about the history of the manor and the love story of one of Tegan's ancestors. It was a really nice touch to the story. It added depth and mystery to the story. It is probably one aspect which made the story different from all the other girl-meets-famous-boy-and-fall-in-love story. It somehow added that quality that will make you take the story seriously and not just stereotype it as another unmemorable romance story to join the rest of the pile. With the Lockwood Manor and estate as the backdrop, somehow added a very good setting for the story where a lot of unexpected things can happen. So, another point for the author for that.
I give this 4/5 skeleton keys. I obviously enjoyed the story. Not just the love story but its entirety. The setting, the historical background and the witty and hilarious dialogs. Not to mention, the supporting characters were given enough exposure to at least give the readers enough details to be able to picture and know the personality of those characters. Tegan's family and friends were an interesting mixture of personalities that contributed to the making this story different from the rest. I would always remember this story not with eerie cover but how it made me forget the worries of the world for a while. And Tegan is definitely one very memorable character with her very unusual name and a feisty personality to match. I would always remember this book as fun, though there were fights, misunderstandings, Tegan's battles and insecurities and all of the Lockwood's struggles. The positivity and the bond of this family eclipsed all the other sad things. What I would always remember were the hilarious episodes and all the teasing. Thank you Dallas Coryell for the opportunity to read this story. It's been a real pleasure.
Therefore I shall call you Lady Freckles McDermot of the Canterbury Gardens, Duchess of the Privy Seal and Holder of the Golden Chalice of Truth...or Freckles.
- Dallas Coryell, Melody's Key -
Dallas Coryell is a musician and author residing deep in the untamed wilds of Michigan, USA, where he desperately attempts to assign meaning to his world through bouts of maniacal creative catharsis and pitifully doomed hopeless romantic fantasies. All of the songs written by the characters in this novel are real and can be viewed on the author’s fledgling YouTube channel. Selfies and other assorted randomness can be found on the author’s Instagram.
