Glissando, A Story of Love, Lust and Jazz, Debbie Burke

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's fiction.

Bah! Women's fiction. Its 2020, men write romance, men read romance. Outdated category.

So, I did see that Ellie was attracted to a married guy, but hoped there were going to be some mitigating circumstances...y'know, wife still, but divorce on the way, wife is a nasty woman, and there are reasons, valid reasons why they don't part. Sadly though Ellie decides before knowing anything about the wife that she wants Vince, and what she wants she gets. Having been in that situation herself and devastated by it, I just could not understand how she could do it to someone else.
The story starts where Ellie is maybe late twenties/ early thirties perhaps, then suddenly it shoots forward to where she's fifty-five, and meets Vince. I found that odd, not really knowing what happened in her life between then and now.
I also found that the writing style, very much an inner light into Ellie's constant thoughts, rather than dialogue based didn't work for me. I'm not a fan of stories told via inner monologues. That's me though, as always you may feel very differently about this book.
I'm not sure whether this is meant to be a stand alone of part of a sereis, certainly the very last line hints at a series, or more to come anyway, but there isn't any easy to find info. I won't be continuing anyway.

Stars: Two, just not one for me.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Story pulls you in. Feels real, tho I'm not sure that's the case. Nice work.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Jazz is the background, backstory, and thematic soundtrack for this unusual and intriguing novel of a Catskills native, product of a non-practising Jewish household, who trains as a paralegal, happily marries a local correctional officer, then finds herself the wronged spouse and determines successfully to form her own life. Until--at age 55, she joins a university-community jazz band, a great artistic outlet and lots of fun. It's also the commencement of her own midlife crisis, as she finds herself stunningly enraptured by an accomplished trumpet player, her age. When it rains, it pours, and soon she is professionally and romantically involved with an attorney through her firm, while remaining starry-eyed over the jazz musician.


What impressed me the most in this character-driven novel is the protagonist's self-awareness, her acceptance of herself at various life stages, her willingness to grow. She is strong in the right sense: a strong, self-aware, independent woman (who loves dogs).


This story does include love, romance, lust, marriage. It's erotic but not Erotica. It's the story of a metaphorical "coming of age" and personal growth that lasts a lifetime.