BURGUNDY WINTERS IN EUROPE

In this novel, a young rock star loses a close friend to drugs and suffers so much guilt that he struggles to move forward romantically and professionally.

Jace Tanner seems to have it all: fame, fortune, and a great group of friends. It’s the early 2000s, and Jace’s band, Soft Division, is at the top of the charts. Despite everything they have going for them, the four band mates can’t seem to lay off drugs. When one of the members dies from an overdose, Jace blames himself. He is overwhelmed with sorrow, and his sister, Pearl, convinces him to enter a rehab facility in Minnesota. After many months searching his soul in rehab, he agrees to accompany Pearl on a 15-day tour of Europe as part of a fresh start. While traveling in France, Jace meets Yasmine Belmont and is instantly smitten. Despite their mutual attraction, the couple seem to have one miscommunication after another. Eventually, Jace convinces Yasmine to complete a portion of the European tour with him. Unfortunately, as the two grow closer, it seems their collective demons may prevent them from ever forming a successful relationship. Meanwhile, Pearl continues trying to convince Jace to resume his music career, but he feels too haunted by his past. Told alternately from Jace’s and Yasmine’s perspectives, the book is chock-full of intriguing information about the European cities they visit. Because Yasmine works as a tour guide, Patil is able to weave lengthy descriptions of historical sites into the dialogue. Although these lectures are initially additive, their increased frequency as the novel continues encumbers the narrative and begins to feel overly didactic. The introduction of supernatural themes about halfway through the story is also unduly abrupt, especially in light of the characters’ speedy willingness to accept the existence of paranormal occurrences. The use of language is sometimes clumsy, with mismatched tenses (“She comes up to hug me and then gives her mum a look I didn’t understand”) or redundant phrasing (“I hand her the drink in my hand”). Even so, the relationship between Yasmine and Jace is endearing, and the exploration of addiction and anxieties is sufficiently complex to engender thought-provoking questions.

A choppy but sweet paranormal romance about unexpected change, second chances, and true forgiveness.