Unstrung

From Publishers Weekly “In Spinella’s wrenching tale of love and loss, one woman must come to terms with her past and the decisions that have shaped her life. On the surface, Olivia Van Doren has a good life. She is a successful violinist who plays with the New England Symphony, and she and her husband, Rob, a financier, live in a tony Boston brownstone. But Olivia runs afoul of the law when she bashes in Rob’s Porsche after learning that he used her mother’s home as collateral in a business deal gone bad. Olivia’s punishment is community service at Braemore, a rough Boston public school where she works with Theo McAdams, a talented young musician whose father died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Though Olivia claims that she wants to work at Braemore because she can help young musicians and work with Theo, she has another reason for wanting to be there, a reason that she has disclosed to no one. As Olivia’s marriage to Rob remains on shaky ground, a man from her past reappears, and she must make some of the most difficult decisions of her life. Spinella has filled her incredibly emotional novel with multifaceted characters, and nothing is as simple as it seems in this true page-turner.” A Publishers Weekly Spring 2017 Top 10 pick in the Romance category “In Spinella’s wrenching tale of love and loss, one woman must come to terms with her past and the decisions that have shaped her life. Spinella has filled her incredibly emotional novel with multifaceted characters, and nothing is as simple as it seems in this true page-turner.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “Every character is a work in progress, which makes this tale extremely realistic.” — RT Book Reviews “In Unstrung , Laura Spinella orchestrates a brilliant, multi-layered story about family expectations, forgiveness, and whether we can truly love ourselves and others just as we are. With an emotionally explosive opening, Unstrung follows Olivia Van Doren, a gifted concert violinist who sees her gift as a curse, as her life unravels in a shocking series of twists and turns that captivate the reader from page one and doesn’t let go until it crescendos into a symphonic ending that leaves you breathless. As lyrical, dynamic, and riveting as the compositions Olivia performs, Unstrung is an honest and raw exploration of one woman’s journey as she learns to embrace her talents and the goodness life has to offer.” —Kerry Lonsdale, author of the #1 Kindle bestselling novel, Everything We Keep “Laura Spinella weaves a compelling tale of family and friendship, the mistakes we make and the price we pay for them. Filled with dazzling twists and wonderfully flawed characters, Unstrung kept me riveted until the very last page. Spinella’s writing is flawless and her story-telling captivating. A must-read for anyone who has ever looked back and wondered, ‘What if…’” —Lori Nelson Spielman, #1 international bestselling author “A darkly quirky tale in which nothing is quite as it seems, Unstrung is about family legacies, dark secrets, one volatile violinist who sees her gift as a curse, and three men who are about to define her future. It will punch you in the gut and melt your heart.” —Barbara Claypole White, bestselling author of The Perfect Son and Echoes of Family “Laura Spinella is a master at creating multi-layered, engrossing narratives, and Unstrung is no exception. From its emotionally explosive opening scene to its satisfying and surprising conclusion, you will not be able to put this enthralling novel down. The author has outdone herself in creating Olivia Klein, a troubled violinist caught up in a love triangle. This arresting tale will resonate with readers long after the last page.” —Karin Gillespie, author of Love Literary Style ; Georgia Author of the Year “I turned to the first page of Unstrung expecting a story about music. Instead, I discovered a wonderfully written story about reconnecting with who we really are, of finally seeing ourselves stripped of other people’s baggage. Spinella offers a glimpse of characters who are at their most raw, weaving an evocative tale about lies, regret, and long held secrets, reminding us in the end that sometimes the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.” —Barbara Davis, author of Love Alice “Oh. This book. It’s going to hang with me for a long time. Olivia Van Doren is one of the most complex, captivating characters I’ve ever met in a book. She should be unlikable, but because we know the house she grew up in, she isn’t. The author walks a delicate line throughout the entire book, and kept me on the edge of my seat with twists, turns, and the drama vortex that is Liv, and her poor decisions. An absolutely riveting read. I highly recommend it.” —Laura Drake, author of Days Made of Glass “ Unstrung is a wonderful symphonic read with Laura Spinella as conductor, offering a layered look at a very smart woman who dislikes herself. Olivia Klein seeks salvation through anonymous good deeds that eventually land her smack dab in the middle of her own turbulent past. She’s destructive, brilliant, limited by her childhood, and yet seeks the truth even though it will hurt those she loves. The three great loves of her life interweave as Olivia asks the question all of us wonders—just how much are we shaped by our own actions and what we inherit from our parents? A fascinating and complicated storyline, Unstrung acutely observes relationships and grabbed me from the opening page—I loved this book.” —Ellyn Oaksmith, USA Today bestselling author " Unstrung sucked us in from the very first chapter—Spinella weaves a deeply engrossing tale of love and loss, and the complexities that come along with each." —Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of The Year We Turned Forty "In Unstrung , Laura Spinella delivers a fast-paced, original, and deeply emotional story about a violin prodigy struggling to keep her life on track while running from her past and making some disastrous mistakes along the way. With surprising humor and heartfelt romantic themes, this is a story that will have you rooting for these flawed characters as they realize that love, even when it comes later in life, is always worth the wait.” —Holly Robinson, author of Beach Plum Island “I thought Unstrung was a cleverly written story. The author gave the story a suspense approach that made the book hard to put down. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the story. And, I highly recommend this novel. It is the perfect spring/summer read.” — Comfy Cozy Up , 4.5 Stars “I’m always amazed when I read a work of fiction where the author has created a world that comes to life, a living drama before my eyes. Those are the best kinds of reads. That’s what this author has accomplished with Unstrung . A work of fiction that’s come to life, beautifully and sometimes tragically played out, in a world I couldn’t stop ‘watching’.” — The Romance Dish , 4 Stars Laura Spinella is the author of the #1 Kindle bestseller Ghost Gifts , soon to be a trilogy. Book two is coming in 2017! In addition to her latest work, Unstrung , she's penned the award-winning novels Beautiful Disaster and Perfect Timing . She also writes romantic suspense, featuring the Clairmont Series Novels, under the pen name L. J. Wilson. Spinella currently lives in the Boston area with her family, where she can always be found writing her next novel. She loves to hear from readers; visit her at www.lauraspinella.net and www.ljwilson.com. Read more