Play for Me

by Celine Keating

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Play for Me by Celine Keating is not a novel I generally read. Now and then, I will read a book that brings me outside my comfort zone and I concluded that this book was going to be one for this year. My choice to read this book arose after reading the blurb, which I found fascinating. I was curious to find out what could inspire a woman to leave her husband of 23 years to pursue what she was convinced was a long-lost dream. My feelings on this book are variedI started out liking it, but by the end, it left me feeling disappointed. The book is about a 49-year-old married woman who is experiencing empty nest syndrome after her only child left for college. Suddenly her life is no longer satisfying. She now has time to reflect on her past choices. She feels she had given up her dreams, which consisted of her passion for music for family. She believes she is living a life of mediocrity and she needed to make changes. To rediscover herself, she got caught up in the world of guitarist John Jackson (JJ) to the point of obsession. Nothing gave her life meaning like JJ and his music did. Therefore, she embarked on a journey that permits her to get more of this soul-stirring music leaving the life she built for 23 years behind.First, I should warn you that there is cheating, so if this is something that will disturb you then it's best you avoid this book.I enjoyed the author’s writing style, which I found delightful and entertaining. The manner in which she portrayed Lilly’s journey of self-discovery and her pursuit of purpose was intense. I found myself glued to the pages as my curiosity levels kept spiking. When I first met Lilly, I was drawn to her, and I was interested in discovering what made her tick. Unfortunately, as the story evolved my like for her morphed into annoyance and by the end of the story, I had no sympathy for her. For the life of me, I cannot believe someone could be so stupid. If it were possible to reach into my kindle, hold her, and shake some sense into her I would have done so. Not only was she stupid, she was selfish. Her journey was one of self-gratification. Not once did she give thought to the effect her actions would have on her family. The only thing that mattered was the fulfilment of her desires through JJ and his music.I liked that she owned up to her mistakes, even though it was after she realised that JJ was not who she perceived him in her mind to be.. It was good she took responsibility for her actions and tried to make amends for the hurt she caused, which would not be an easy task. The ending was not what I expected. The manner in which the story wrapped up leaves readers to make their own interpretation.The story aptly demonstrated the consequences of making poor and selfish choices. It shows how truthful and profound the phrase ‘the grass isn't always greener on the other side’ is. ‘Play for Me’ is a story I will not forget anytime soon and despite it being outside of my norm I found it to be an interesting read