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Gay Romance #10
Spring Sonata
A quickie on Hampstead Heath. An invitation to play chamber music in the Dordogne. These two pole-star events will between them set the course of young theatre manager Robbie’s future life. More than one grand passion lies in store for him during his next twenty-five years. Chris, Jeremy and Luke will all spend time with him in the countryside and elegant houses of southern France. But with whom will he find himself lying out under the stars when the beautiful music stops? Originally published as Gay Spring Sonata, 2014.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2014
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Anthony McDonald
68 books106 followersAnthony McDonald studied history at Durham University. He worked very briefly as a musical instrument maker and as a farm labourer before moving into the theatre, where he has worked in almost every capacity except those of Director and Electrician.
His first novel, Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet, was published in 2001 and his second, Adam, in 2003.
Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet became the first book in a Seville trilogy that also comprises Along The Stars and Woodcock Flight.
Other books include the sequel to Adam, - Blue Sky Adam - and the stand-alone adventure story, Getting Orlando.
Ivor's Ghosts, a psychological thriller, was published in April 2014.
The Dog In The Chapel, and Ralph: Diary of a Gay Teen, both appeared in 2014. Anthony is the also the author of the Gay Romance series, which comprises ten short novels.
Anthony McDonald's short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic
He has also written the scripts for several Words and Music events, based around the lives and works of composers including Schubert and Brahms, which have been performed in Britain and in Portugal.
His travel writing has appeared in the Independent newspaper.
After several years of living and teaching English in France McDonald is now based based in rural East Sussex.
His first novel, Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet, was published in 2001 and his second, Adam, in 2003.
Orange Bitter, Orange Sweet became the first book in a Seville trilogy that also comprises Along The Stars and Woodcock Flight.
Other books include the sequel to Adam, - Blue Sky Adam - and the stand-alone adventure story, Getting Orlando.
Ivor's Ghosts, a psychological thriller, was published in April 2014.
The Dog In The Chapel, and Ralph: Diary of a Gay Teen, both appeared in 2014. Anthony is the also the author of the Gay Romance series, which comprises ten short novels.
Anthony McDonald's short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies on both sides of the Atlantic
He has also written the scripts for several Words and Music events, based around the lives and works of composers including Schubert and Brahms, which have been performed in Britain and in Portugal.
His travel writing has appeared in the Independent newspaper.
After several years of living and teaching English in France McDonald is now based based in rural East Sussex.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 22, 2021
Music is the medium of love for most people.
Talent or skill to be able to read, understand and interpret the complex music of the great music creators is rare and requires extensive practice and analysis by better musicians and instructors. Professional performers and musicians are similar, but widely vary in experience and talent.
This is a book that plays with your heartstrings and bangs on the piano keys while connecting the notes of music and life and death. Circumstances and coincidence combine to catch compatible conscientious characters as they create life changing connections with each other thru music, food, and drink. Young love can last a lifetime.
Talent or skill to be able to read, understand and interpret the complex music of the great music creators is rare and requires extensive practice and analysis by better musicians and instructors. Professional performers and musicians are similar, but widely vary in experience and talent.
This is a book that plays with your heartstrings and bangs on the piano keys while connecting the notes of music and life and death. Circumstances and coincidence combine to catch compatible conscientious characters as they create life changing connections with each other thru music, food, and drink. Young love can last a lifetime.
August 19, 2014
In this delightful story, Anthony McDonald plays to all his strengths with his personal knowledge of the theatre and music, not forgetting his Euro-trotting that leads effortlessly and geographically to descriptions of landscape, fauna and foliage: in this case South and West Hampstead, London, and the Dordogne region of France.
At 23, Robbie is not experienced in the ways of the gay world when the story starts in 1981, and isn’t out to his parents. He works at the barely disguised Hampstead Theatre opposite the (in)famous Swiss Cottage pub, which gives its name to a district of North London, and which is simply called The Swiss Pub in the book. It is there he falls for the slightly older Chris and to Robbie it feels at last like the real thing. On the rebound, he acquiesces to the entreaties of handsome thirty-something music professor Luke—who lives opposite Robbie’s parents’ suburban home—to play piano in support of some students who are paying for a two-week retreat at Luke’s house in France. Robbie’s piano skills are modest, but Luke brings out the best in him. Is there a chemistry there? But Luke, it transpires is enamored of violinist Elfrieda.
Robbie’s never been to France and seeing the Dordogne through his eyes unleashes a series of lyrical scenes, and during which time he falls heavily for cellist Jeremy. This time it feels right, for the 18-year-old is obviously head over heels for Robbie. So it seems, but from this point on, Robbie’s life changes in tumultuous ways he could never have imagined.
It would be unfair to its predecessors, and uncritical, to say that the tenth (and according to the author the last … for the time being) in the Gay Romance series is the best, but in Spring Sonata McDonald has pulled together all the threads from the previous stories that made them so damn readable. There is the signature light touch, the irresistible waft of (French) cooking so that you can taste it, the vibrancy and color of the settings, the pathos, laughter, tears (yours, dear reader), and above all the love between the characters, both major and minor. I would place this as a real crossover work, one that will find a readership in the M/M Romance camp and among gay men who want genuine romance from a man’s perspective.
At 23, Robbie is not experienced in the ways of the gay world when the story starts in 1981, and isn’t out to his parents. He works at the barely disguised Hampstead Theatre opposite the (in)famous Swiss Cottage pub, which gives its name to a district of North London, and which is simply called The Swiss Pub in the book. It is there he falls for the slightly older Chris and to Robbie it feels at last like the real thing. On the rebound, he acquiesces to the entreaties of handsome thirty-something music professor Luke—who lives opposite Robbie’s parents’ suburban home—to play piano in support of some students who are paying for a two-week retreat at Luke’s house in France. Robbie’s piano skills are modest, but Luke brings out the best in him. Is there a chemistry there? But Luke, it transpires is enamored of violinist Elfrieda.
Robbie’s never been to France and seeing the Dordogne through his eyes unleashes a series of lyrical scenes, and during which time he falls heavily for cellist Jeremy. This time it feels right, for the 18-year-old is obviously head over heels for Robbie. So it seems, but from this point on, Robbie’s life changes in tumultuous ways he could never have imagined.
It would be unfair to its predecessors, and uncritical, to say that the tenth (and according to the author the last … for the time being) in the Gay Romance series is the best, but in Spring Sonata McDonald has pulled together all the threads from the previous stories that made them so damn readable. There is the signature light touch, the irresistible waft of (French) cooking so that you can taste it, the vibrancy and color of the settings, the pathos, laughter, tears (yours, dear reader), and above all the love between the characters, both major and minor. I would place this as a real crossover work, one that will find a readership in the M/M Romance camp and among gay men who want genuine romance from a man’s perspective.
March 7, 2019
The Dordogne River snakes through lives that are like it's fish
This is an exceptional novel. I like how the author takes you where you feel you want to go and then goes on a different track. A much more beautiful track than you thought possible. I recommend this with six stars.
This is an exceptional novel. I like how the author takes you where you feel you want to go and then goes on a different track. A much more beautiful track than you thought possible. I recommend this with six stars.
July 5, 2024
'Spring Sonata' (Gay Romance #10)
by Anthony McDonald
This is one of my "keeper" books; I re-read it every so often and it's permanently on my shelves.
McDonald is a favorite author of mine, hooking me into his storylines with his lush use of words evoking images of his characters and the landscapes they exist in, both outer & inner.
The way he paints people's lives, like landscapes of the soul, captures my imagination, my emotions, so that I'm alternating between laughing with delight and sobbing with heartbreak, within the Catherine Wheel* of his storylines!
One of my fave books by him; I loved these characters!
*(Catherine Wheels are fireworks that spin & whirl around, sparking up the evening sky; both beautiful & dangerous, if you get too close they will burn you with their flaming brillance!)
Ooh, I almost forgot to mention all the amazing French food that wends it's way throughout the storyline...yeah, and now I'm drooling on my keyboard!
Well done, you!
by Anthony McDonald
This is one of my "keeper" books; I re-read it every so often and it's permanently on my shelves.
McDonald is a favorite author of mine, hooking me into his storylines with his lush use of words evoking images of his characters and the landscapes they exist in, both outer & inner.
The way he paints people's lives, like landscapes of the soul, captures my imagination, my emotions, so that I'm alternating between laughing with delight and sobbing with heartbreak, within the Catherine Wheel* of his storylines!
One of my fave books by him; I loved these characters!
*(Catherine Wheels are fireworks that spin & whirl around, sparking up the evening sky; both beautiful & dangerous, if you get too close they will burn you with their flaming brillance!)
Ooh, I almost forgot to mention all the amazing French food that wends it's way throughout the storyline...yeah, and now I'm drooling on my keyboard!
Well done, you!
July 17, 2014
Another wonderful read from Anthony McDonald's "Gay Romance Series."
"My unschooled heart hadn’t grown clever or wise. The heart doesn’t do that. It lives forever in a state of hope."
"My unschooled heart hadn’t grown clever or wise. The heart doesn’t do that. It lives forever in a state of hope."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews