protected me since I was eight years old, the neglected girl he took off the
street and raised as his own. Laszlo can feel what music needs instinctively.
He can tell what I need.
the night of my eighteenth birthday and he still hasn’t forgiven me for what I
did. I’m not asking him to love me, touch me, take me to bed. What I want goes
deeper than that and I have to say this out loud because it’s one thing that
music won’t be able to tell him.
Laszlo can give me. I want to be his protégé again. And this time, I’m going to
be so good for him.
Yes, maestro.
Yes, sir.
Yes, daddy.
“Tell her you’re sorry. For everything. Even the things she doesn’t know about.”
First of all, if are not familiar with Brianna Hale, you MUST read one of her books! I love them ALL. But this one might be my favorite. From the exotic settings to the classical music to the behind-the-scenes workings of a professional orchestra, this story just wowed me!
Brianna Hale really knows how to establish a connection between her main characters. Laszlo is a brilliant, difficult and renowned conductor who takes an interest in Isabeau when she is very young girl. He sees that she has enormous potential but her father is a drug addict and she is living in abject poverty. He takes her under his wing and provides the best musical education possible. She blossoms under his tutelage.
“I’m mesmerized by the sound she’s making and I want to grab passers-by and make them listen until they understand what they’re witnessing. Raw, natural talent. A child’s simplistic style, yes, and she seems to have developed a few bad habits in the way she holds her bow, but these things are easily corrected. As she grows she could get much, much better. She could be world class.”
As Isabeau matures into a brilliant musician and a beautiful young woman, things change between her and Laszlo. They both need each other but Laszlo pushes her away, maybe permanently. But Isabeau is not complete without her maestro and she comes back to see Laszlo for the first time in years.
“My heart bangs like a timpani drum against my ribs hearing his name. Laszlo Valmary, conductor and musical director of the Royal London Symphony Orchestra and my former guardian and mentor. I’ve come straight from the train, luggage and all, to face the man I haven’t spoken to in three years. Now that I’m in London again I feel him on every street I walk down, in every strain of music I hear, in the very air I breathe.”
This book is so romantic!!! Yes, it is also very kinky but it is so beautifully written and the story flows so well that you will become enraptured by these characters and the gorgeous and exotic settings. I finished this book on a long plane ride and I can still hear the characters’ words in my head!! Now that’s a great book.
“There are so many things I want to say to Laszlo. Most importantly that I’m sorry, but also that the happiest time of my life was when I was his protégé. That my musical career has stalled and I don’t know what to do about it. That when I play the music doesn’t even sound like me anymore. That I need him in ways he doesn’t understand and I’m only just beginning to.”
This book is SO erotic that I can’t even begin to quote most of the scenes between Laszlo and Isabeau. He is so dominant but he is afraid to show his true side to his beautiful protégé. Isabeau is perfect for him but must show him that she is ready for his world.
“I’m not asking him to love me, touch me, take me to bed. What I want goes deeper than that. I have to speak it aloud for him because this is one thing that music won’t be able to tell him. I want what only a man like Laszlo can give me. I want to be his protégé again.”
If you are looking for an adult, erotic romance that is beautifully written with memorable characters, then you will love ‘The Protégé’. I really lost myself in this book and did not want it to end. And Laszlo, OMG!! What a powerful main character!
“Being a conductor is all about power and command and I have to rein myself in all the time from going on a massive power trip. I don’t like to rein myself in with you. I want to push you down onto your knees before me. I want to say the filthiest things to you… Make you feel more vulnerable than you’ve ever been in your life. Strip you bare until there’s nothing left for you but me and the power I have over you.”
As you can tell, I adore Brianna Hale’s writing and highly recommend this very sexy, very mature and erotic story. It is pure romance. Happy reading!
“Something in me matches something in you. When I hold you in my arms I feel everything that you are, and this is how I cherish you. You make me feel free.”
alpha male with a super-protective and caring streak, and when she’s not
writing about them she can usually be found with a book, a cocktail, planning
her next trip to a beautiful location or attending the theatre. She believes
that pink and empowerment aren’t mutually exclusive, and everyday adventures
are possible. Brianna lives in London.