RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
ALLEGRO COURT (Bendixon Sisters Series Book 1) by Brenda Margriet is a second chance contemporary romance set in British Columbia by a new to me author. The heroine is one of three sisters and I believe this will be the first book of a trilogy. This romance does stand on its own.
Matilda “Mattie” Bendixon has strong family ties and she grew up knowing she would work with her grandfather in the family construction company in Prince George. She loves her job and could not imagine doing anything else. Mattie lost the boy she always loved to his classical musical career, so the business is her life. Lately business has been very slow and Mattie is worried about the company, but her grandfather refuses to admit it is anything other than a slump that will change.
Marcus Temple is a world-class classical cellist living in Vancouver. He has always despised his home town and left as soon as possible. His beloved father, who taught him his love of music, died when he was 15 and his mother barely realized he was there. The only bright spot in his summers’ home was being with Mattie, but even that changed after high school. Now, he has been notified that his mother has had a stroke and he must return home to deal with his mother’s health and face once again the girl whose heart he broke.
Mattie believes she can save Bendixon and Sons. She makes a wager with Marcus to let her company do a rehab of his mother’s house over one month and in that month Marcus must stay in Prince George. While there is a financial incentive, it is really Mattie’s heart that is at risk. Marcus could leave again or he can face the fears and misconceptions of the young boy who lost his father.
Mattie and Marcus are both such wonderful characters. I really did not know how they could come together, but Ms. Margriet does a beautiful job writing realistic feelings and motivations that end with a HEA with both sides changing and growing. The secondary characters are fully fleshed out and the secondary plotline of Mattie’s grandfather and Marcus’ mother coming together is heartwarming. I got just enough information about Mattie’s two sisters to look forward to their stories, too. The sex scenes are explicit, but not overdrawn and I loved that the first one was included in the story (not everyone is always perfect). I can highly recommend this emotional second chance romance and I am looking forward to reading the sisters’ stories.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
