Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Review Tour: Heart Strung (The Invisibles #3) by Rachel Dacus with an excerpt, a giveaway, and my review

HEART STRUNG

by Rachel Dacus

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

BLURB:

A journey across India. A quest for enlightenment. A romance tested by destiny. Songwriter Daniel and his beautiful, free-spirited muse Lara travel to India, following her urge to seek higher consciousness. Daniel’s goal is to make a life in music and to settle down in their new home on the Italian coast. But of course he’d follow her anywhere, and as they wander through sacred temples and bustling streets, he finds purpose in protecting her from the perils and to persuade her to return home. But Lara’s spiritual path beckons her on. When she finally finds the place she knows will change her life, their differences become impossible to ignore. Will their paths diverge, or will they find love is the highest truth?

EXCERPT:

After we leave the restaurant, it dawns on me that Daniel would be happy if we can find a concert of Indian music.

As if the universe pick up on my thought, I hear faint notes of a flute rising through the traffic noise. As we walk, the sound grows louder, and when we turn a corner, there they are, three street musicians with a microphone and an amplifier, playing on the street. A guitarist in a black cap, a woman in red and orange pajama outfit playing flute, and a sweet-voiced man singing. They’re playing for free to a circle of onlookers and any passersby who want to stop and listen. Buskers, they call them in England.

As soon as he sees them, Daniel’s face brightens. He stops with me and smiles, shaking his head once. “I didn’t know they did that here! Street music.”

We stand and listen. The honking horns of taxis mingles with melodies, guitar strumming, and voices. The lead singer’s vocals are tender and soft, ranging from low baritone notes to high. He vaults up and down the scale. A guy sits down on a tin cannister and starts drumming on another, bringing form into the scribble of vocal tones.

Daniel laughs. “They’re singing Kishore Kumar songs. You know, Bollywood.”

Another man joins him at the microphone and the tempo increases, the drummer pushing it and the guitarists strum faster. The melody sounds familiar.

He pokes my arm. “And now they’ve transitioned into Ed Sheeran! “Dancing in the Dark”. Go figure.”

I’m delighted with his delight. Finally, something in India he can relate to! The musicians are so cool. They’re our age and of our culture, which is world, not local. I’m more at home now, too. Knowing that music transcends the boundaries. Even here in India. And that’s why we play it. A universal language.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rachel Dacus is the author of seven novels of women’s fiction, romance, and fantasy. She’s also the author of four poetry collections and has published in Boulevard, Gargoyle, Prairie Schooner, Eclectica and Image: Art, Faith, and Mystery. She enjoys the beauty and culture of the San Francisco Bay Area, where she walks her Silky Terrier and sometimes follows the trails on nearby Mt. Diablo. Read more of her work, her blog, and sign up for her newsletter at her website.

Website: http://www.racheldacus.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelDacusAuthor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/racheldacusauthor.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheldacusauthor/

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GIVEAWAY

Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f5125/

My Review - 4 of 5 stars -

This story had a lot of ups and downs. Lara and Daniel cared for each other, but they had different ideas about the path ahead of them. Daniel was patient for as long as he could. He compromised a lot because he loved Lara. She was a bit scatterbrained but was trying to overcome her past. I had not realized that this was part of a trilogy, but everything was explained satisfactorily in the first couple chapters for me to understand their journey.