Ana Holguin's Second Chance Duet introduces readers to the art of TV show scoring with Juilliard grads Celia and Oliver. When they met as students, Celia was sure Oliver, with his megastar film-score composer father, thought he was better than everybody else. Thirteen years later, both are now composers--Oliver for a few small films and Celia for commercials but struggling to break into bigger jobs. When a classmate asks them to compose the score for a prestige television drama together, Celia isn't sure she can work with Oliver, but she can't afford not to.
The job has a tight timeline, so Oliver offers up his family's Maine compound and its state-of-the-art recording studio. Though Celia is loath to leave her close-knit family behind in New York City, she resigns herself to spending at least the next two months in a remote cottage with a snobby "nepo baby."
Holguin (Up Close and Personal) slowly builds the tension between the characters. Celia narrates in the first person, with flashbacks to their college days, immersing readers in her world of family group chats, music, and the desire to succeed. As Oliver slowly opens up, readers glimpse his true self alongside Celia. She sees that the quiet, awkward, and excellent musician she knew at school had more depth than she first assumed. Oliver is refreshingly up front with Celia, showing her kindness and courtesy until he finally reveals his crush in an adorable way.
The swoon-worthy way Celia and Oliver's love grows in this warm and comforting romance makes Second Chance Duet perfect for readers who yearn for sweet and charming stories. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller