Review: Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany by Cindy Irish

Lyrical Bliss in Tuscany by Cindy Irish, the third book in her Bel Homme Quartet Series, is a powerful and exciting love story embedded in the tale of a rising musical star. With vivid style and sanguine spirit, Irish explores themes such as pleasure, sex, and success, but she also touches on the discipline, self-discovery, and self-awareness that a true artist needs in order to fully express themselves.

While Nico is already a world-acclaimed singer, Gina, a local musician, is only starting to discover the full extent of her potential, and not only in her music. Since the first time they met at a mutual friend’s wedding, Gina and Nico can’t stop thinking about each other. However, while Nico is a star – a handsome Italian man dripping with sensuality and famously skilled with women – Gina has long-held insecurities to deal with and a life she has yet to figure out, though she is strong-headed, beautiful, and charming herself.

Singing means everything to Nico and Gina, but it is vital for them that their ardor doesn’t get in the way of Gina’s career, especially when she is offered the greatest chance of her life by Nico’s renowned producer Teddy. For Gina, this is not only a highway towards stardom – it is also her chance to prove her value to herself and heal from her painful past. In the attempt to put brakes to this overwhelming attraction, Gina and Nico’s bond deepens into something neither of them had ever experienced before. Inviting her to join him on an unforgettable trip to his homeland, Nico embarks on a journey to reconnect Gina to her own Italian roots and give her the grounding she has lacked for so long,

Driven by vibrant and sensuous language, the prose brings the Italian setting to life, with the character backstories and romantic interplay propelling the drama forward, alongside some pretty steamy scenes. The sexual energy between Gina and Nico reaches boiling point several times like the crescendo in a long piece of music, with each encounter – always interrupted or disappointed – working as a prelude to the next. Gina and Nico’s love for music blends with the intoxicating passion that they feel for each other and Irish skillfully intertwines the languages of music and sexuality, so that their experiences in the bedroom cleverly mirror the ones on stage.

Occasionally, the two protagonists can fall into stereotypes – especially Nico’s Italian masculinity, and his way of expressing himself in his Italian asides, which can feel painted with too rough a brush. At the same time, this is a world characterized by strong colors, and a fair degree of melodrama, and in that context these more-obvious notes fit the overall tone of the book. On balance, they are a compelling duo, which is so core to a love story.

Vividly written, funny, and entertaining, this steamy romance feels like a long-cherished fantasy fashioned into a compelling reality, which may feel a bit like a fairy tale, but it’s an immensely satisfying one.