One More Time

 

The ‘love of your life’. Apparently, you only have one. And it’s never the person your friends think of, or the lover your family has met, but someone you cradle secretly in your heart, in your head, in the dead of night.

When Isabelle Ryan began a relationship with Italian musical director Rico Parisi while on holiday in Sicily, her Dublin colleagues believed nothing would come of it.  They were wrong.   

It was the start of a passionate connection that would see the couple grace the ornate opera houses of Europe for many years as they snatched moments together from busy parallel lives. 

But sometimes, love isn’t enough to fulfil life’s ambitions. Rico desires a permanent post with Isabelle by his side to share the ups and downs of artistic life over dinner at home. 

Home is also very much on Isabelle’s mind, but where exactly that home will be, she has yet to decide. 

Will their passion defeat the challenges of distance and separation? Or will one – or both – find an easier route to happiness? 

Readers are saying

Carrie on Amazon

I liked the way the author chose to tell the tale – fresh and stylish. Her style lends to a very easy read. I enjoyed ‘guessing’ and filling in what might have happened in the time-gaps between chapters.’ 

A.W .Percival wrote in the UK:

‘Set against a backdrop of  . . . international opera houses this remains a novel primarily about people. No background operatic knowledge is required as the author fills in any blanks.

Known as a world that wears its heart on its sleeve – which it does throughout this exciting rollercoaster: I was gripped from cover to cover.

 A Gerontology clinician on Amazon said:

‘The scenes with Isabelle and her deteriorating father, Dinny, were really well drawn and brought a tear or two to my eye.  A beautifully-written love story spanning many years.’

Amazon customer

‘A story full of drama, twists and turns, with beautifully written touching family interludes, particularly between Isabelle and her ageing father. A very enjoyable and thought provoking read.’

Maybelle found it

‘A witty and well-characterised romance contrasting the glamour of international opera with the love of family and the burden of responsibility. Brilliant and seductive. . .’ 

Anne, Amazon customer…

How I loved this book, Isabelle is back!  I had loved her in Sweet Lemons and One More Time is obviously following the story afterwards. She seems to have got feistier as she got older!

Majella Diva identified…

‘The portrayal of the struggles of an artist living out of a suitcase reminded me of my own past life in the business. Some of the house-sharing scenes made me howl with laughter.

The thing that … shone . . . was the beautiful writing and the crisp and clever dialogue. . .  I truly believed these characters were real people. Loved every second of this book. Brava Fidelma Kelly!’

Amazon reader:

A slow -burner that kept me wondering till the end how the characters complicated lives would work out. One More Time visits lots of different cities over the course of the novel. Enjoyed that.