An opportunity to review a book pre-publication can be a wonderful experience or feel like trudging through waist high mud.  I have experienced both.  "Strings: A Love Story" was an honor to review and I thank the publisher for allowing me to be part of the process.  

One can state that they prefer to read a specific genre of book or a particular author.  I would likely be correct to assume that is how a larger percentage of general readership will choose which publication to attach their attention to.  I was completely unprepared for how engrossed, enamoured and greedy I would be when I began reading Megan Edwards' novel.  

I will admit that music has always been a great part of my personal life and knowing about classical music allowed this novel to fit me like a favorite pair of well worn jeans with a cashmere sweater.  The dichotomy of casual denim and expensive yarn is exactly how I felt during the day and a half that it took me to read and take notes on this novel.  

There is much more than music on the pages.  It is truly a love story.  However, without the music, Ted would lose the depth of his character.  Love or dislike or know nothing of classical music, to understand Ted one needs to only know that for a musician, his instrument and notes, song and sound are what sustain him.  It is food, shelter and life's riches.  It is there during times of great happiness, damning sadness and every emotion in between.  It is an expression of love, a love so consuming that it can be either a fire that burns bright or singes ones fingertips.  

Olivia is Ted's muse.  They meet as teens and they spend their lives intersecting at all the wrong times.  But between them is always the question of "what if".  This novel calls into question ones belief in soul mates.  It makes one wonder if we can find our destiny if only to see it taken from us by powers beyond our control. It ponders the order of ones life and how one takes back control.  

From teenagers to midlife, we follow Olivia and Ted on their individual journeys.  This is really Ted's story, and we learn about Olivia through their interactions.  From parental interference, love affairs and marriages, physical distances apart, careers that don't mesh because of time or place and emotional breaks; Olivia and Ted experience them all and more.  

For all who have wondered "what if", this book is for you.  The characters are relatable, there are some very unexpected turns in the story telling and there is a rawness that compels one to keep reading.

For every unfinished life story, that is the unfinished symphony that Ted and Olivia live and love through.

I did not finish this book. 
And the reason why is because 50 pages into the book and I still can't get into the story or liking the characters. I suspect the nature of the writing that sounded so John Green-y and Nicholas Sparks-kind of put me off. I've never been good with long love stories, especially ones that are told by the guy pov. 
If you are into that kind of book, then this book might be great for you.