What if the past is a foreign country? BUDAPEST Laura McLove–lover of music and dance alike–encounters Zoltán, a handsome Hungarian dancer, and returns to Budapest to find him and for closure on some strange events that occurred nearly twenty years ago. Arriving downtown on Franz Liszt Square, Laura enrols an old friend in her search around Budapest bars and nightclubs, all the while telling the … around Budapest bars and nightclubs, all the while telling the story of the winter she lived there on the square, when she found herself the fall-girl at the centre of a peculiar musical instrument heist.
But Zoltán remains elusive and she finds herself reminiscing over everything and everyone that might have been, but wasn’t. When she retells the final betrayal from all those years ago, she realises it is either now–or never.
Will she ever find Zoltán? And if the past for Laura is indeed a foreign country, can she cross the threshold of the dance floor once more–alone?
Buy THE BUDAPEST ARTISTS’ CLUB today and find out!
This light-hearted and contemporary second-chance romance takes us into the world of Budapest musicians and dancers and is focussed on the imaginary Budapest Artists’ Club. Our story takes us from London to Pest, into the Buda Hills then down to Lake Balaton and back again. It features a charismatic Gypsy violin player, a chain-smoking Hungarian academic, a Jewish instrument-maker, a powdery-blue Trabant as well as a range of characters unique to this great city, with musings about love, wine, music and the great composers along the way. Come along down to The Budapest Artists’ Club and read this delightful tale for yourself.
If you love music, if you love dance, if you love humor, download a copy of THE BUDAPEST ARTISTS’ CLUB today.
The Budapest Artists’ Club is a love poem to the stunning and magnificent city of Budapest.
The Budapest Artists’ Club features Laura McLove, who also features in The Naked Sommelier, and Hollywood Balaton, but is a stand-alone novel, the second in the series.
Other books by Claire Doyle
The Naked Sommelier (Laura McLove novel 1)
Hollywood Balaton (Laura McLove novel 3)
Hungarian Folk Dancing For Beginners – a Kindle Single
more
For all music lovers. The book is another gem from this author. It follows the exploits of Laura, in search of Zoltan her unforgettable dance teacher. However, Laura is now middle-aged, flitting around Hungary and Budapest, living the free, careless, un-tethered life of what would be better suited to a college student than a mature woman. Nevertheless, what no one will tell you is that age actually creeps up on you very gradually and it is the expectation of others that one must meet, rather than a feeling of real change in one’s life. Laura’s love of and exuberance about music is what drives her and as readers, we get a very instructional, informative picture of musical styles, the moods they evoke and the instruments that help achieve it. I am a great lover of music and a confirmed fan of anything Budapest related, therefore I enjoyed this book, which is anything but a run-of-the-mill romance story. I would happily recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Laura McLove Series: I read these books out of order and many months apart but I found each interesting. The stories are well written with multiple storylines, interesting characters and various locations. All are intriguing and multifaceted.
The stories follow Laura from age 46 to 49 through different situations, different countries and different romantic interests. Ms. Doyle’s writing style is interesting and includes multiple facets to her storytelling. The romances aren’t heavily detailed since there’s more to the stories. The past is mixed in with the present and each location is an actual character bringing a depth and historical interest to the readings.
My reviews for two of these books were dropped by Amazon for some reason. I either bought the books, received them from the author or Bookfunnel or Booksprout.
The Naked Sommelier #1 – when they meet, she’s in college at the age 46 after losing her mother; he’s late twenties and French. There is more to Laura’s journey as they explore the vineyards in the US and their future. Wine plays a large part and there’s plenty of knowledge shared.. 4*
The Budapest Artists’ Club #2 – While location is an always important character, Budapest is a large part of the story. The music and dancing of Hungary also weighs in heavily. The love and descriptions and memories that are shared by Laura makes the book hard to put down. This is my favorite of the three. I fell in love with Budapest just from the descriptions of everyday life. I read Hungarian Folk Dancing For Beginners before I read this book and I think it is an introduction to the early relationship making her decision to return to BP understandable; read it too long ago to be sure. 4*
Hollywood Balaton #3 – Lake Balaton and the characters of Füred make this an interesting read. Again, while the love interest is an important part of the story, the location is an important character, too. It is so easy to get lost in the beauty of this area. The veterinarian and the monk are enjoyable characters, my favorites. Laura finally finds what she needs as her journey find closure in this wonderful place. 4*
Hungarian Folk Dancing For Beginners – This is my first read by this author. A perfect read for a quick break or just to relax. An interesting story set in Budapest concerning a man, a woman, dancing, music and a mother. Well written, entertaining and a peek into a cultural ritual performed on Friday nights. This book was purchased on 10 May 2018. 4*