The Piano Teacher
Ladies of Roderick Glen, Book 1
Melody + Henry
She longs to escape a dreadful secret from her past, but can she ever run far enough to truly forget?
Melody Creston is left penniless following the death of her father. Desperate to escape the threat of an unwanted and dangerous marriage, she flees to the small village of Roderick Glen in the English countryside to begin life anew as a pianoforte teacher. She is hired to teach the daughter of the Earl of Rockingham and soon falls in love with the quaint village and its quirky residents. Despite her newfound freedom, she is haunted by the secrets of her past, as well as the constant fear that she will be discovered and forced to return to London.
Lord Henry Roderick is the younger son of the Earl of Rockingham and has no desire to obey his father’s wishes and help his brother attend to their family’s estate, Cheswick Park. Carefree and fun-loving, his reputation as a scoundrel often hides the true nature of his heart. Upon meeting Melody, he is instantly captivated by the beautiful piano teacher, and is determined to do whatever it takes to win her heart and become the man she needs.
Melody is intrigued by Henry and encourages him to follow his own path as he searches for his purpose in life. Shy and reserved, she is reluctant to admit her feelings for him, but as they grow closer, he begins to break through the barriers of fear and mistrust that surround her heart. As their love deepens, she becomes increasingly afraid of what will happen when he learns the truth of her turbulent past. Can love forgive a secret hidden in the shadows when it is exposed to the light of day?
Brimming with laughter, love, emotion, and heart, this first book in The Ladies of Roderick Glen series introduces us to the citizens of Roderick Glen as they follow their dreams and discover that one’s heart is always happiest near the friendly faces of home.
What Readers Have to Say
Wow! Just finished reading Kristie Self's wonderful Debut.This book has kept me up at nights and I found myself wanting to know more! I just couldn't get enough of this story and these characters. With each turn of the page, I grew to love each character more and more and I definitely loved the different POV of each and everyone of them. Also, the writing style is amazing and this story just flowed beautifully. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!
- Elizabeth
The first book in The Ladies of Roderick Glen series, The Piano Teacher flows like a beautiful sonata. Like a fine piece of music, this novel moves from a lively introduction of characters and plot, to introspective development, to exciting conclusion.
I love the main character, Melody. Raised in a tumultuous household, she lacks self-confidence, but from the onset, she must rise up and find strength to overcome her circumstances. She learns a lot about herself: she is worthy, she is strong and she is loved. By the end of the novel, she sees herself better and knows that she is fully capable of facing, enduring and overcoming hard circumstances.
The Piano Teacher is a wonderful read. For a first novel, it is an exceptional piece of historic Christan fiction: there is complexity of both main and secondary characters and plots, as well as effortless dialogue that makes it hard to resist.
Finally, I love how the author used something she loves and is passionate about--music--as inspiration for her novel. I can't wait to read more by Kristie Self and more in this series!
- Kate
Really loved this book! It felt like the Crawleys met Cranford, plus more! I loved the characters and the settings and felt there was a little mystery added that was perfect. Great clean romance, I can’t wait to read more from Kristie Self!
- Debbie