4.5 stars
​
Solo by Author Lauren E. Rico is a student-teacher romance and enemies-to-lovers story.

"Listen up you James Bond wannabe. You're going to let me out of this car and I will never see you anywhere near me again."

He's the kind of character you love to hate. Drew...number one, class-A pompous extraordinaire. Upon first meeting the professor, it was like he was screaming, "I'm Drew! Look at me! I'm about to muss up your world!" And that he did. Poor Katie. He was her thorn in the flesh, but she was quick-thinking and fast-acting, give us nerve-splitting moments. Gah! I just knew this woman, Drew's student, was going to take the pages by storm.

"If you’re lucky, when the clock strikes midnight on the best day of your life, someone is there to warm you. If you’re lucky, it’s something you see coming. Something you can circle on your calendar and look forward to for days and weeks and months. If you’re lucky, people will remind you it’s coming. And, when that lucky day comes, you will wake up just knowing. I know."

I was literally glued to my Kindle throughout all of Solo, the dialogue grabbing me by my funny bone and playing to my musically-inclined mind . This was smart writing with a well-planned and creative story line that flowed seamlessly. There was depth and layers that allowed emotions to surface, one after the other, especially as the story progressed. It morphed from student-teacher hate to understanding and gentleness, unveiling quite a beautiful transformation. I could feel the rhythm of the characters, their story, and their music, and it was a privilege to experience the melody of life through their eyes.

"When the world splinters, shatters, and rains down around me, I know with absolute certainty that I will only ever be his."

Solo is definitely going on my favorite's list for student- teacher romance. This story was the tootsie roll in the center of the tootsie pop, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, complete with the little leprechaun. It lit up my student-teacher reader meter to the highest level.

Katherine is working her butt off to get her degree and finally be able to start living her life away from her unpopular Senator father and show everyone what she’s really made of. Just one more semester and she’ll be free. Free of the assumptions, jokes, and especially the disdain from Dr. Markham. She just has to stick to the plan, pass her finals and keep her head down.

Drew Markham knows his harsh knee jerk reaction to Katherine isn’t her fault. It’s not even about her. She’s just a constant reminder of the fiancé he loved and lost. His grief and his anger just found an easy outlet with the spoiled Senator’s daughter. But it turns out that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Katherine and Drew never sees it coming.

Two people living totally different lives finally collide when disaster strikes. Trying to avoid at all costs any confrontation with Drew, Katherine, determined but running sick gets stranded while delivering her final project at Drew’s house, right in the middle of a blizzard! With nothing to do but weather the storm together, Drew nurses Katherine back to health. The vulnerability and close quarters finally tears down walls neither had planned breaking down.

This story had elements that I really enjoyed. For one, their love hate relationship was addictive. Katherine wasn’t a pushover, I loved that she stood her ground, that she worked so hard to prove everyone wrong. I shared the satisfaction of knowing she wasn’t any of the things that were assumed of her. I was just as proud of her as she was of herself for putting up with so much BS and still coming out on top. As for Drew, holy cow can this guy dish some attitude. I seriously borderline hated him in the beginning. When we find out the real reason behind his antagonism, I softened towards him. His life wasn’t a walk in the park and I appreciated how he finally allowed himself to apologize and admit he was wrong when it came to Katherine. Their relationship was anything but conventional but they were so in sync that you kind of just go along for the ride. Their friendship and love for each other wasn’t instant, it happened over time, without them even knowing it on a subconscious level. With a teacher/student romance you know you read it waiting for the other shoe to drop and this one was no different.

Which brings me to what I didn’t like . . .

I love me some good old fashion angsty drama and Solo had it in spades. Obstacle after obstacle cropped up and the ending was fast approaching! My nerves were shot because I was sure that with everything that happened there was no way this would be resolved, wrapped up and tied with a HEA. At 96% I was sure this was going to be a series with part two “coming soon”. And I hate series or books broken into parts but I was so invested in Katherine and how Drew could possible make up for his huge mistake that I was willing to overlook it. Color me surprised when the book resolved every huge obstacle and gives a rapid (at warp speed) ending. Don’t get me wrong the ending was cute and emotional but come on! After everything that Drew puts Katherine through, where was the groveling? The begging for forgiveness and proving to her that he was capable of loving her without doubt or lies clouding his declaration? And poor Katherine! I seriously have a soft spot for her and tbh I’m kind of still peeved on her behave. I get she loves him and Drew made a mistake but again I say Come On! Katherine deserved to hold a grudge or at least a small kernel of anger and resentment towards Drew for the emotional (not to mention physical!) turmoil he subjected her to.

Bottom line is the ending was too rushed. I’m a girl who believes in balance and when someone has been wronged or made to suffer so drastically I expect a huge, emotionally charged period of groveling. It sounds cruel but I want them both to suffer equally so that they can have even ground between them. No way did Drew earn back Katherine’s forgiveness that fast and I’m bummed that the author decided to give him such an easy out when Katherine pretty much suffered all the rejection and pain alone. She was practically a saint by the end and it just left me feeling drained and unsatisfied.

The writing was great and I loved the musical aspect of it and I can definitely see myself reading more by this author but this one fizzled out for me with the fast pace at the end.

4.5 stars

A great forbidden love story full of friction, angst, musical passion, and a bit of humour, too.

Katherine Brenner is the daughter of a highly unpopular Senator, who is rumoured to be running for the US presidency. She lives as low-key a life as possible, keeping her private life private, so nobody actually knows the true state of her relationship with her father. She just needs to keep dodging reporters and paparazzi during her final months of her Masters degree. In addition to all that, she also only has a few months left to put up with Dr Drew Markham’s baffling disdain, cutting tongue, and challenging classes – something she’s had to suffer for nearly six years. Determined to avoid any chance of failing, she drives through terrible snowy conditions to deliver her final assignment to his home.

“It’s easy to hate her. Much easier than liking her. I know it’s wrong. I know I’m wrong.”

Drew Markham knows that his dislike of the beautiful and brilliant Miss Brenner is unreasonable but he can’t help himself. It doesn’t help that she often bites back at him, riling him up even further. When he finds her fast asleep in her car, which is half covered in snow, right outside his house, he finds himself in a difficult position. Add in the fact that she appears to be very ill and, suddenly, he finds himself in an uncomfortable, intimate situation, and stuck with her company for a few snowed-in days.

“I think we have some unexpectedly strong feelings for one another.”

This was a fab, enemies-to-lovers read. All the sharpness and friction between Kate and Drew was the flipside of an amazing chemistry. I loved how they opened up to each other; how Kate let down her walls and peeled back layers of herself and made Drew realise just how wrong his misconceptions of her were, as well as the repercussions of his treatment of her. I loved how Drew, in turn, wanted to open up to Kate about his past. They had a fantastic connection once they’d put aside their differences and really started to ‘see’ each other for who they really were. Drew looked past Kate’s resemblance to the woman who broke his heart to the brilliant and gifted person she truly was, and Kate could look past her professor’s mean façade to the wonderful, caring man beneath.

“When the world splinters, shatters, and rains down around me, I know with absolute certainty that I will only ever be his.”

The forbidden aspect of their romance added a certain piquancy to the storyline, whereby they have to hide their feelings and budding romantic relationship for their own well-being, as well as their careers and reputations.

This book is very much about how people and situations aren’t always what they seem. It’s also about forgiveness and moving on. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Solo by Lauren E. Rico is a hate-to-lovers forbidden romance. Graduate student Katherine Brenner is hated by everyone in her graduate program, but especially by her Music Theory professor. He has been on her case since day one. No matter how smart she is, no matter how hard she works, he finds something wrong with her every time.

Dr. Drew Markham lost everything that mattered to him. Now he barely lives. Teaching is all he has left. And Kate Brenner is not worth his time. He is sexy and very cocky. He believes he is right, regardless if he has the full story or not.

I loved Kate. Everyone saw her as weak, but she was truly a strong and determined woman. Life may not have been easy for her, but she made the best of it and worked hard for what she wanted. She did not complain or quit. Instead she was quietly determined to succeed.

When Drew sees Kate, all he sees is the woman that devastated him. He cannot see past that. Or the fact that you should not judge a book by its cover. Everyone believes Kate is a spoiled rich kid that parties every night and does not respects her studies. But worse, that she believes as her father does that the arts are not serious and should not be supported.

What he does not see is the lonely woman that has no one on her side. Or the brilliant woman that values her education and has dreams. The woman that works two jobs so she can graduate. Because of that, all Kate sees is a man that is rude and inconsiderate.

Then everything changes when her car breaks down in front of his house during one of the worst blizzards ever. Now they are stuck together for days. They have no choice but to spend time together. But what will happen when everything they believed to be true turns out to be wrong? Or if they give in and kiss each other?

Both Kate and Drew had so much baggage from their past, that it weighed them down. Drew could be very harsh and cutting to Kate. She would give it right back to him, but in the end, he was the professor. But once they both began to drop their guard with each other, they realized how much they wanted each other, even if it was wrong and forbidden and could cost them everything.

This was a quick read with an interesting story. I loved the strong heroine that fought for what she wanted and the cocky hero who had to be knocked down a peg or two. I loved the back and forth between them and the touch of angst that kept me intrigued.

~ Liz

I just couldn't put this book down till I'd finished it. This is an intense emotional perfect story to read. The characters were written fantastically. I am completely in love with the characters, the writing and the cover. Another fantastic book from this author. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Solo by Lauren E. Rico was amazing!!!

UHH!!! Student/ teacher/professor romances are one of my all time favourite romance tropes! This novel definitely played into my love of this trope!

The characters are incredible! They had such a steamy and forbidden romance between them, that made me want to keep reading. The tension was so hot, you could use a knife to cut through it. It is because of this, my fingers were itching to keep turning the pages on my kindle.

I loved this novel and I can't wait to read more books from Lauren E. Rico in the future!! She is a great author!
4/5 Stars!!!

This book has so many things going for it: forbidden romance, enemies-to-lovers, emotions galore, superb writing. I am always drawn to a forbidden romance, but Solo was about more than just the taboo relationship between a professor and his student. I was quickly pulled into the lives of the characters and felt their emotions right alongside of them. Once again, Lauren E. Rico’s book is set in the world of classical music. Her musical knowledge abounds within the pages of this book, offering up a rich backdrop to an already captivating story.

To the outside world, many would assume that Katherine Brenner has lived a life of leisure, luxury, and privilege – and she has to some degree. As the daughter of a senator, her life has been in the spotlight and under scrutiny for years. While Katherine attempts to fly under the radar and live her own life beyond her father’s shadow, this proves to be an impossible feat. Katherine has lived through her share of disappointment and pain. Her relationship with her father is practically non-existent, she doesn’t have any friends, she is struggling financially, and to top it all off, her professor hates her.

What her peers and professors don’t realize is that Katherine is working two jobs, she is paying her own rent, she eats ramen noodles most days, survives on very little sleep, and she’s lonely. She is certainly not living the lifestyle that one would assume a senator’s daughter would be living. She is a hard-working young woman with goals and self-respect. I couldn’t have loved Katherine more!

Dr. Drew Markham is a tough professor. Most of his students try not to ruffle his feathers, but Katherine seems to rub Dr. Markham the wrong way. It wouldn’t matter if she was never tardy for his class, if she turned in every assignment early or on time, or if she was the most delightful student he had ever encountered, Dr. Markham would despise her simply because she existed – and he didn’t exactly hide his feelings for her.

Tsk…tsk…tsk, Dr. Markham. His behavior was unprofessional, biased, and downright cruel. I will admit that I spent quite a bit of time wanting to shake some sense into him, but as the story progressed, we got to discover a bit more about Dr. Markham and have a better understanding of him. Did it excuse his harsh behavior? Oh. Hell. No.

Let’s be honest, this animosity, sparring, and less than admirable behavior is what makes this trope work so well. I wanted to witness their interactions - good and bad. I wanted to see how their relationship would evolve from professor and student to more. What would spark or ignite such a change, and make them see each other differently?

Lauren E. Rico has written a novel that is brimming with passion, heart, and intriguing characters. Solo is told in alternating chapters from Katherine and Drew’s perspectives. It was so effortless to slip inside the characters’ minds and lose myself in their story. While the alternating chapters helped me to get a better understanding of the characters, it didn’t lessen the amount of times that I wanted to put Drew in a headlock. With that being said, I am also always appreciative of an author who doesn’t take the easy road in a romance novel. I want the author to stress me out, make me worry, fill me with uncertainty with how it will all play out. Lauren E. Rico succeeded at putting me through the emotional wringer and making me feel every emotion in the pit of my stomach.

Solo has all of the elements that make a forbidden romance so enticing, but as I mentioned above, it’s about more than just the taboo relationship. It’s a book about assumptions, family, acceptance, letting go, forgiveness, and allowing yourself to love and be loved. As always, Lauren E. Rico has delivered an exquisite story that was an absolute pleasure to lose myself in.

*4.5 Stars

i'm not sure i have the words to explain how much i loved solo. but i will try, because i have to. this embodies one of my favorite romantic tropes, enemies-to-lovers. i love the sexual tension and the angst and how these stories show how thin a line exists between hate and love.

to start with, drew markham is a total jerk. he's a super brilliant musical theory professor and he's made a ton of assumptions about his top student, katherine brenner. he thinks she's disrespectful and entitled. and he's done his best to make her life miserable every chance he gets and still she never fails to meet his challenges head on. he's so wrong about her in every possible way. mostly he's angry because she reminds him of his dead wife. and also partly because her father is a senator who is intent on eliminating arts programs.

but when katherine gets stuck at his home in the midst of a blizzard while deathly ill, the forced proximity brings down their walls and they discover a sizzling attraction and that they have more in common than they ever realized. they also realize that all those assumptions and preconceptions they had about each other were totally wrong.

but he's a professor and she is his student. and they need to keep this quiet, for both their sakes. it would ruin his career. it would cast doubt on her own academic successes. but with katherine's father possibly seeking the presidency she's got increased press attention, and keeping their attraction a secret is more difficult than they could have ever imagined. things get a little crazy, but in the end they figure out what really matters.

i loved so many things about this—the way music informs the narrative, the depth of emotion that builds between these two characters, just everything about this worked for me.

I have to admit going into this one I was a little leery. I'm not usually a fan of the student/teach stories however I also have to admit I truly enjoyed this one. The story is very well written and the age difference in the characters isn't that big. Katherine is a grad student and Drew is a young professor. Drew is known for being hard and demanding but when it comes to Katherine he really kicks it up a few notches. Katherine has no idea what she has done to make him hate her so much but she's not going to worry about it. She just needs to finish this semester and try to stay under the radar. Everything changes one fateful night when Katherine finds herself in trouble and the only one who can help her is Dr. Drew Markham.

I highly recommend this one.

As the daughter of a senator who will be running for president, Kate struggles to fit in. Her professor Dr. Drew Markham doesn’t help, at all. He is rude and surly, always demanding more from her than his other students. Their animosity has been going on for almost six years and Kate isn’t really sure what she has done to cause him to dislike her so. When circumstances arise that force them to spend time together their secrets are revealed and they make the change from enemies to lovers. Now they just have to keep it on the down low for a few weeks until Kate’s graduation.

This is a pretty typical professor/student romance without much in the way as a surprise. I didn’t like the reason for Drew’s attitude toward Kate. However, I felt the author moved the characters away from that initial obstacle in a believable manner. Their relationship was relatively smooth considering they were hiding it. When the ending arrives and everything is turned on its head the angst definitely kicked in.

This is a well-paced book with angst at the beginning and end, written in dual POV and included some but not much in the way of steam. If you are a fan of classical music or the musical arts, you will definitely enjoy this.

ARC provided for honest review

Will post to Amazon when released.

I really enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and this one had a ton of it. Katherine Brenner is a student in Dr. Drew Markham's class and he hates her and she knows it. So much so that when she goes to his house to leave an assignment and her car wont start she would rather stay in the car in bad weather rather than ask for help.I am not a big fan of student/teacher but this one worked for me since she was a graduate student and he was not much older than her. Kate and Drew where dealing with major issues between her dealings with her Senator father and his coping with the loss of his fiance. I loved the connection between these two. As always with these situations its going to end and be bad but I didn't think it was going to get that bad. My only issue with this book is the resolution to the story. I really loved the conflict. I felt it was true to the story and very realistic but I didn't really care for the conclusion to the story. It was just too rushed to me. After all that we get like a paragraph and all is good. I honestly thought it was going to end in a cliffhanger because I didn't see how everything could get wrapped up in so little pages. That just rubbed be the wrong way and have to ding the rating a little for that. Overall though it was a really great story and I would recommend it to others. 3.5 stars

Katherine Brenner is a graduate student who needs a passing grade in Drew Markhams class. It doesn't matter what Katherine does she can't seem to win when it comes to Professor Markham and his class. All that Katherine wants is to graduate and fulfill her dream of becoming a conductor. It doesn't help that Katherine's father is a senator who wants to cut the funding for the arts. This has not helped make any friends for Katherine. Things take a definite turn when she ends up snowed in at Drew Markhams house when turning in an assignment. Things take a very interesting turn. I absolutely adore Lauren Ricos writing and I can't wait to read more in the future!!

auren introduces the two protagonists Katherine "Kate" Brenner and Dr. Drew Markham by letting the story be told by their perspectives.
Kate is a conducting student while Drew is her professor, good looking but not one of the nice ones, well at least at first.
Kate is popular as her father is a politician, but she is not popular in the "students and teachers like me way" which is mostly thanks to her fathers political actions and his wish to defund the Arts.
She broke with him years ago managing her life on her own, working hard while suffering the cruel comments of her students and her teachers. On top of all of that creepy journalists are trying to pick up dirt on her and especially on her dad.
When a snowstorm comes and Kate needs to deliver her assignement to Dr. Markham. While doing so she gets stuck in front of his door. Which takes a surprising turn in hers and Drews relationship.
But what is in Drews past that makes him hate Kate? Does he really hate her? What obstacles will they face? And will Kate forgive her father?

Lauren tells the stories of two people struggling in their life's and how those too can help each other and find each other. She shows the ups and downs without sugar coating them as they usually would have been in most New Adult books.
And although I struggled a bit with certain parts of Drews character developement, especially his not so smart and professional moments, the story really dragged me into it and I was secretly on the "give me the romance stuff" site.
No need to say that Lauren's descriptions of music are making me feel and hear it which is exceptional.

This is a romantic fast paced read that tells a story beside all that romance but since I struggled a bit with Drew at certain points I give it a 4.25 stars out of 5.

This book just blew me away. It's intense, emotional and the writing could not have been more perfect. The storyline was channeled from the beyond by this author. It's so incredibly different. It's not "just" a story about some taboo relationship between a professor and his student. No, this book was light years beyond that. That never even entered my mind. When you pick up the book and start reading it, you'll know what I mean. And by all means, read this book. If you don't read anything else this year, read this. And don't judge it by the cover.

I'm going to sail past the blurb and jump in, grad student Kate who is a Senators daughter is and has been the target utter disdain by one of her professors for the past 6 years. For reasons unknown to her, he singles her out every single time, humiliates her in front of the class and even goes so far as to threaten to fail her. She needs this class to graduate and graduation is fast approaching. Professor Drew hasn't one nice thing to say about her even in front of other faculty. Kate has an ally in the form of another professor, Russell, who has encouraged her along the way and he gives her the confidence she needs. He knows what she's up against. The backstory here is very important for both Drew and Kate and them together. Drew hates her because she looks like a carbon copy of someone from his past.

Kate despite being a Senators daughter lives like a peasant. An 18 year old car, a tiny one room studio apartment in a bad section of this small town, she works two jobs and attends school full time. She gets no help from her wealthy jerk of a father.Thrown out of the house at 18 and has been fending for herself ever since. No contact from Daddy Dearest. She is harassed by the press and is now a target by one member of the press in particular and things come to a horrendous upheaval. Her father visits the campus on a stumping campaign, he's pushing his bill to do away with funding for the arts.. something his daughter obviously is involved in. She says not a word to anyone or the press. What she went through and a couple of rounds with Professor Nasty had my stomach in a knot. If you read this book and don't feel anything, check your pulse.

When Kate gets sick and loses a day sleeping and realizes it's 4 pm and her paper is due at 5 or she fails the course, she dresses, battles the snowstorm and makes it to his house to leave the paper with a few minutes to spare. She can't move her car because of the ice and so she's stuck. So sick, she falls asleep and he finds her there in her car and brings her inside. When he realizes how sick she really is he takes care of her and during this blizzard these two come to an understanding. She hears his story and he hears hers. A mutual empathy develops. Along with some deeper feelings. They both also know that she needs to graduate, he's up for tenure. They both have much to gain and lose. As Drew begins to see her, he sees what she endures on a daily basis, the harassment from her fellow students. It's horrendous. She's grown used to it, he's livid.

When the bottom drops out and you have to know it will, Drew is a complete and utter bastard. I don't use that word often but wow is it ever fitting here. He makes every mistake possible, doesn't believe Kate at all and wishes her a nice trip to hell. Yeah, that's the kind of man I want a relationship with. Angry and determined to set her up to fail her oral boards he goes back 6 years to comb through the books to try and get her to fail, since he can't fail her. When he's informed her boards have been postponed he gets all snotty to his department head until she informs him that Kate's in the hospital which he blows off as well until he gets the full story. Off he goes to the hospital realizing the error of his ways but not yet fully until he runs up against her absentee Father who has been there with her.
He calls Drew out on his behavior and also points to who is was that actually upended his apple cart.
Kate is seriously ill. When she is alert enough to realize he's there, she tells him to hit the door.
He says there is no way I can possibly say I'm sorry enough. Truer words never spoken. His behavior was reprehensible. While I am still not a fan of her father, I do appreciate what he said to Drew and how he spoke with him about her. His advice on betrayal and a glimpse at his own pain, insignificant as it may be in the bigger picture of this story.

The book could have ended there for me. Yes, I loved the whole book. Forgiveness was on the table for her, because that's who she was. I was a much harsher judge. The emotional pull of this book and the intensity of feeling Lauren brings out in her writing is just incredible. This is a character book, and she nails this with ease and perfection. It's flawlessly written, flows and will keep you involved in the story. This is my first read from this author, it won't be the last. I highly recommend this book.
It will stay with you and so will Kate's words about perception.

Lauren Rico, you rock! I bow to you. Spectacular book!


**arc from NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for a fair review**

Brava Lauren Rico! I really enjoyed the story Rico creates in Solo. The loathsome but hot professor. The poor, broke, talented, completely misunderstood college student. A forbidden romance. The complexities surrounding Katherine and Drew are very well done. We spend much of the book trying to figure out what exactly why Drew is so awful to Katherine and then what happened with the woman Katherine reminds him of. Katherine’s situation is equally complex as the senator’s daughter living in abject poverty while pursuing a master’s degree.

Katherine is so unique. I’m positive I’ve never read a book about a talented pianist who finds her true love is conducting. Or even a book about a woman conductor! She’s also easily sympathized with. She’s hard working, focused and puts and up with too much crap from Drew, her father and other students. She’s dignified and kind to all. How can you not like her?

Drew is kind to some but not Katherine. Why? When she gets sick he takes such good care even while trying to talk himself out of putting them in a position that can be perceived as compromising and is at risk of becoming inappropriate.

Drew’s current, sort of girlfriend and almost in-laws and Katherine’s father all add so much color and a lot of stress to their lives. There’s even a good suspense element.

Solo is written very well and a great read.

reviewed by Jem Stone

I did like the book, however I did have some issues with it. Drew, is Kate's professor, and he treats her like crap, and hates her because, one he is attracted to her, and two because she reminds him of his fiance, who committed suicide years ago, the same year he meet Kate in class, so all of his anger is placed towards her. Kate is a senator's daughter, and that senator is hated, and poor Kate gets the brunt of it. Her classmates are horrible to her, then she is stalked by a jerk of a journalist. Kate ends up in Drew's drive after dropping off her paper, and her car stalls and she has a fever, so he helps her, since there is a bad snow storm. Since they are stuck together, they end up talking about everything, and Drew can't believe he has treated her so badly and that she is not how he perceived her. They work thru their animosity, and act on there attraction, but know they cant let anyone know about it, because there will be serious complications. Drew starts seeing how the students treat Kate, and cant believe it, but he can't act differently toward her, or people will notice. It all comes out, of course, and he is led to believe that it was Kate who did this as revenge,and treats her horribly, and poor Kate is heartbroken. This is where my issue comes in. How could Drew believe this journalist, when he himself knew that the jerk of a journalist had attacked Kate previously, and had hurt twice and she had pressed charges on him. The things Drew said to her, and the way he treated her, he needed to seriously beg for forgiveness, but she gave in to fast, and that is one of the parts that bother me, she should have made him work for it. Kate was a great person, but she let those around her bully her, I felt she needed to stick up for herself more, but regardless, I liked her. Another thing that irked me was that Drew was quick to accept that Kate betrayed him, yet he gave Tessa, the benefit of the doubt, knowing that she was in love with him, and she gets an apology, because he should have told her he was not interested. The woman was horrible.

When I saw this cover, I was instantly drawn to it. Man with glasses, I’m in! Then I read the blurb: forbidden college teacher/student romance and trapped together in a snow storm. Add on top of that the enemies-to-more trope, and it was an instant selection. Solo by Lauren E. Rico was everything I hoped for and so much more.

Katherine Brenner likes to keep a low profile. Any misstep and it reflects back on her senator father even if they don’t have the best relationship to start with. It’s hard to do, however, when her music theory professor singles her out incessantly. What’s his deal?

Dr. Drew Markham doesn’t have the highest opinion of Katherine. He has no intention of changing that opinion when all of a sudden he finds himself trapped with Katherine during a snowstorm. And she’s sick as a dog. That’s before the attraction comes in, and secrets are revealed.

Oh, this read was super cute! It’s so engaging and entertaining. I really enjoyed Katherine. Right in the beginning, the plot and pacing kick into overdrive. Katherine’s got so much on her plate already, and she can’t afford to back down or give in to Dr. Markham’s mysterious treatment of her. I really wanted to slap Dr. Markham upside his head numerous times on her behalf! Oh, did he have a lot to make up for! Though Dr. Markham is gruff and grumpy initially, it’s fun watching him stay on his toes where Katherine is concerned.

The way this story develops just felt very organic and fresh and real to me. After all, there are only so many barriers to keep up when someone sees you and takes care of you at your worst. Rico has a talent for storytelling. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, flipping pages to get them as fast as I could into my eyeballs.

The music portion in Solo was the icing on the cake. I could hear the chords and lilts and notes, and it was magic. There’s so much working behind the scenes, so much pushing the plot forward, that it releases this book into a crescendo. I read the ending at least five times just to savor this delightful book.

Solo brought its "A" game. It was a bucket of emotions--sometimes sad, others angry and frustrating, and then others, amusing and bright. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

5 Musical Note Stars!

*I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review*

4.5 stars!

Full disclaimer: I made a vow awhile back that I was through with New Adult books for good and wasn't going to read them anymore. The characters are typically too juvenile for my taste, however I totally broke that vow after taking one look at the cover for Solo. Wow! So with that confession out of the way, I must admit that although the cover is what drew me in, I completely loved the story inside!

Unlike most books set on a college campus, the characters in Solo were a bit older (she's 24 and he's 30). Drew is an associate professor, working towards tenure. He is broody, abrupt, and can't stand Kate because she reminds him too much of his ex-fiance, who betrayed him in a way that he is still struggling to get past. Kate doesn't know why her professor dislikes her so much, but she is too busy working two jobs and trying to dodge shady reporters who want information about her senator father to care. She only wants to pass his class so she can finish her masters degree and move forward with her ambition to become a professional conductor.

The back and forth animosity and tension between the characters had me turning page after page and it all came to a head during a blizzard when Kate, sick with the flu and a raging fever, attempts to deliver her term paper to Drew's mailbox in time for its deadline or risk failing his class. Her car gets stuck in the snow, and too sick to get out and search for help, she decides to try to ride out the storm inside. Drew finds her unconscious and delirious a few hours later and has no choice but to carry her into his house and take care of her. I loved, LOVED this part of the story! The author took her time building trust between the characters, having them get to know each other and let down their defensive walls, and the chemistry between them sizzled! Over the course of the days they spent snowbound together, they both learn that the other is nothing like either had originally thought and they realize that they are more alike than they could have ever imagined. The only thing standing in their way is the fact that Drew is Kate's teacher. Once the storm ends and they return to reality, they must find a way to finish out the semester without anyone suspecting they mean more to each other. And of course, that is where things get complicated....

Overall, this was a great story. I read the whole thing in one day because I couldn't put it down. I only deducted a half a point from a perfect 5 star rating because I felt like the slow burn that made the book such a page turner gave way to insta-love and the villain in the story was a bit too over the top. However, from my understanding, this is a debut novel and for a first book the author did a great job!

Solo, Lauren E. Rico

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, New Adult. 

Well, I hesitated over reading this one. I read book one of Lauren's music trilogy, and though there were parts I loved, such as the music, there were parts I found really hard to get along with, and haven't yet decided if I'm going to read parts two and three. Eventually I took the plunge with Solo - and I'm So glad I did.

Its a wonderful story, perfectly written as far as my reading tastes go, mixing story, sex, drama and intrigue to make a tale I was gripped by. I've said often I hate when sex becomes the story, here its just right, sensual and erotic but fits within the book so very well. 
I have to say though, that cover is just awful, really tacky and just doesn't do the novel justice IMO. I'm one who rarely looks at covers, just reads the blurb, its only the brilliant or awful ones that catch my eye....
 
I loved Katherine, such a hard worker, so loyal to her father even when he's acted so harshly, when she could make her life easier if she did things another way.
She doesn't though, she's strongly moral, and just keeps her head down, works hard, and struggles through whatever the personal cost.
I so felt for her all the awful things she had to endure. Drew's hassling of her, he really picked on her, her advisor Tessa, wasn't any help, she seemed to dislike Katherine so its no wonder she didn't go to her for help, the other students were horrible to her.
She's so alone, friendless, family less and just has learned the only person she can rely on is herself. Isn't that horrible? When Drew asks her when was the last time someone gave her a present and its years, my heart cracked a bit, such a simple thing, a gift that shows someone cares about you and she'd had nothing from her father, had no freinds with whom she could exchange gifts, just this lonely, solitary life. 

Drew, he was a real piece of work the way he singled her out, the way he picked on her for every imagined infraction. I did wonder how he got away with it, and I guess its only because Katherine avoided anything that might throw controversy on her father that she didn't complain.
Then they get thrown together and he sees a different side to her, sees that he's projected his anger at Cassie onto her. There are some really emotional moments when the penny drops as to just how awful he's been to her over the last five years. We see a different side to him too.

Of course as student and professor anything between them is forbidden and they're risking so much, and they do try to stay on the right side. Still, you know how it is, in the first throes of attraction we tend to think we're being careful when it reality we're anything but.

There's drama here too with the press, in particular one sleazy guy, always sneaking round for a story, trailing her for months, asking everyone about her, trying to find dirt, especially now her father may announce his bid for presidency.
With their actions and they way they don't see just how much they're giving away its not long before it all goes wrong.

When it does,  well - boy - is Drew a first class jerk! 
I kind of understood where he was coming from, understood that he hadn't really let go of the past, and I'd guessed who was behind things and why - well, part of the why ;-)
I loved the way it wasn't all hate on one page all love again on the next. I like my drama dragged out, I like to wallow and poor Katherine really hit the depths. 

I did find the way they fell headlong into romance despite the risks a little bit, teeny bit difficult to take, both had so much to lose, but I put that to one side as it made such a great read for me.
See, I like some realism in my novels, but this wasn't too far off course, people do act in stupid ways when in love ;-) 

Stars:Five, a story I really enjoyed, Lauren's love of music really comes through and gives a solid, realsitic background to the novel even to someone like me who knows little about orchestras, composing, conducting and the world of Classical music. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

There was so much I loved about this book, not least because the subject matter had me so captivated. Not only was it the forbidden relationship that had developed out of an initially antagonistic one that drew me in, but the fact that it was built around and based on a love for classical music that had me turning the pages and losing sleep, bringing me back to a time when it’d played a large role in my life. It felt like a reminder of (or maybe even a stunning tribute to) the power of music and it was easy to be swayed when Lauren E. Rico’s clear investment in her characters and love for the subject shone through so clearly.

Yet ‘Solo’ is also a story of two people trying to rise from the ashes after years of conflict and hostility—I wished the book cover and the suggestive and short blurb reflected this! After getting past my incredulity, the story took over and I gobbled it down hook, line and sinker, loving the complexity already written into this problematic set-up from the very start.

Drew Markham has it out for his graduate student (taking out his anger unconsciously on a woman who resembles his ex) while all Kate is trying to do is to lie low and distance herself from her ‘celebrity’ status as a Senator’s daughter. Serendipity brings a huge snowstorm to their small mountain town however, just as an assignment deadline looms large, and forces this switch that morphs into friendship, tentative attraction and eventually, full-blown affection.

I think the bottom line for me was that both Kate/Drew were sympathetic enough characters that it was easy to cheer for them as a couple. As an aspiring female conductor with enough gumption to get through grad school on her own, Kate gained my admiration early on, although it was harder to warm up to Drew’s volatile nature, especially when he wronged her too many times for my liking. Nonetheless, I liked how natural it felt as Drew and Kate took days to work out their differences—the injection of maturity and the communication really helped—but also how their HEA doesn’t come without consequences as well. The dose of realism that you could see coming miles away was painful to take in, though not unexpected and Rico doesn’t shy away from laying it out. But once Drew/Kate got going however, their rocky road together was far from easy and even as I’d hoped for a more conclusive epilogue, their happiness seemed hard-fought and consequently, deserved as they weathered whole fall-out.