From Publishers Weekly
A devastatingly handsome concert pianist and connoisseur of love, Misha Levin agonizes for several hundred pages of this predictable novel trying to choose between two gorgeous women. Davis (Till the End of Time) keeps her intricate plot moving, but the love triangle is so stereotypical it distances drama. Russian-Jewish babe-magnet Misha has been transplanted to New York via Israel. He's a phenomenal success as a musician and is blessed, moreover, with incomparable sexual prowess, insatiable desires and a body that defines masculine perfection. His only problem is that he owns the hearts of two dazzling women, both of whom will do whatever it takes to get him. Elegant, intelligent, blond angel Vera Bunim, daughter of his ultra-wealthy benefactors, is Misha's first sweetheart, but he dumps her to sow his wild oats when he meets dark-haired Florida-born seductress Serena Gibbons. But Serena is an ambitious photographer who won't give up her career to raise a family. On the rebound, dejected Misha marries Vera and fathers a son, Nicky. Despite Vera's total devotion to Misha and his career, when Misha and Serena meet again eight years after they parted, the erstwhile lovers can't resist a fiery affair. Meanwhile, villains close in. Misha's agent, Manny Cygelman, has a diabolical deal with Brighton Beach goons; if he can't persuade Misha to tour Russia, the pianist's hands will get broken. And Vera's old boyfriend, crazy-with-jealousy Simon Hampton, wants to kill Misha. Misha's unbelievably noble parents, Sonia and Dmitri, hover nearby, ready to rise or recede as their wunderkind demands. Serena's agent, Coral Randolphe, has her own agenda: she's a stick-thin, ghostly pale lesbian in Manolo Blahnik heels. The vivace-paced story swings by Vienna, London and Kyoto, while brand-names often substitute for description and locales are as one-dimensional as the characters. Readers may notice that Misha's craft is virtually ignored throughout. It seems he's a musician only to whip up clich?d fantasies about his "great hands" that expertly play women like instruments. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
More music, this time from a concert pianist (complacently married) who reignites an old affair. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
For almost his entire life, pianist Misha Levin has been a star. He has been pampered by his parents, and adored by millions, and his superior musical talents have made him a legend in the classical music world and helped his family escape communist Russia for Israel. Impressed by his genius, the Bunims, a wealthy Russian Jewish family living in New York, pay for the Levins to move to the U.S. Misha soon falls in love with Vera, the Bunims' daughter, and their relationship simmers as a tender friendship. Then, after choosing a new agent, another Russian transplant named Manny, Misha's career soars. With bookings in the best concert halls all over the world, and lucrative recording contracts, Micha has complete confidence in Manny, but Vera is not so trusting of him--or Misha, once his former lover, Serena, comes back into his life. Gould does a wonderful job creating suspense, building a rich, layered history among her characters, and making her novel almost impossible to put down. Alexandra Shrake


From Kirkus Reviews
Once again, Gould (Till the End of Time, 1998, etc.) brokers soapy transactions among the very rich and gorgeous. Misha Levin, a six-foot-four-inch piano virtuoso with long black hair and a following like a rock stars, runs into an old flame in Vienna, where hes come to play a charity concert for the extraordinarily well-heeled. His ex-lover, Serena Gibbons, a superstar photographer with supermodel looks and long black hair as well, has also come to Vienna, in her case to shoot a group of European heads of state. Although Misha is married to stunningly beautiful, if blond-haired, Vera Bunim, the daughter of billionaire Russian migrs, he and Serena rekindle an affair at Austrias best hotels while eating lots of rich food and pastries. What broke up the two buff bodies in the first place was Serenas inability to commit and her refusal to compromise her successful career. Serena, who was sexually molested by all the male members of her family, has had a tough emotional row to hoe. As has Mishas family. They suffered many hardships in Russia, before immigrating to Manhattan, yet they have always been very loving and supportive of their gifted son. Still, while the faithful Vera waits for Misha to give up his philanderinghis mother tells her that Misha has always had trouble keeping his zipper upthe dark-haired beauties go at it like rabbits. In favor of the new romance is Mishas Russian-American agent, whos afraid the clearheaded Vera will twig to the fact that some pretty silly, pretty hairy Russian-American gangsters from Brighton Beach have been sponsoring Mishas career from the beginning. Slowly Misha realizes that Vera, with whom he shares a child and a love of antiques and good food, is still the one for him. Serena, conveniently, will have a fateful encounter with a land mine. Even with the dropping of some upscale labels you wont find in Jackie Collins, a fairly lackluster kitchen-sinker. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Bestselling author Judith Gould turns in her best performance yet in Rhapsody. Misha Levin is one of the world's most accomplished classical pianists, a dashingly handsome man who has achieved all he's ever wanted except one thing: true love. Eight years ago, Serena Gibbons walked out of his life, leaving him wounded and devastated. He went on to marry the ever-loyal Vera Bunim, who stood by him while his career soared. But Misha never forgot Serena. Then, on a street in Vienna--just hours before his most important concert ever--he sees Serena for the first time in eight years and their passion is once again ignited. Their lives will forever be changed.

"Well-written. A beautiful setting . . . strong-willed, independent characters. A great book in which to lose oneself."--Booklist (on Till the End of Time)


About the Author
Judith Gould is the New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, including Sins, Love-Makers, Dazzle, Never Too Rich, Texas Born, Forever, Too Damn Rich, Second Love, and Till the End of Time. She lives in New York's historic Hudson River Valley, and is currently at work on her next novel of romantic suspense.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

From love's intimate betrayals to its illicit pleasures...from the first kiss to the last embrace, Rhapsody captures the haunting refrains of passion as only Judith Gould can play them.

Praise for New York Times bestselling author Judith Gould and her sensational novels:

"A romp! A smash success." -New York Daily News

"Mouthwatering...Just the thing to chase the blues away."-Chicago Tribune

"A wedding of Judith Krantz and Sidney Sheldon. Judith Gould is a master!"-Kirkus Reviews

"Judith Gould's narrative is chock-full of resourceful women. The plot whisks from scandal to scheme, piling on the suspense."-Publishers Weekly

"All the right components: romance, a beautiful setting, deceit, and strong-willed, independent characters."-Booklist

"The perfect beach read."-Library Journal

"Superb...fantastic reading...put this one at the top of your must-read list."-Rendezvous

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A devastatingly handsome concert pianist and connoisseur of love, Misha Levin agonizes for several hundred pages of this predictable novel trying to choose between two gorgeous women. Davis (Till the End of Time) keeps her intricate plot moving, but the love triangle is so stereotypical it distances drama. Russian-Jewish babe-magnet Misha has been transplanted to New York via Israel. He's a phenomenal success as a musician and is blessed, moreover, with incomparable sexual prowess, insatiable desires and a body that defines masculine perfection. His only problem is that he owns the hearts of two dazzling women, both of whom will do whatever it takes to get him. Elegant, intelligent, blond angel Vera Bunim, daughter of his ultra-wealthy benefactors, is Misha's first sweetheart, but he dumps her to sow his wild oats when he meets dark-haired Florida-born seductress Serena Gibbons. But Serena is an ambitious photographer who won't give up her career to raise a family. On the rebound, dejected Misha marries Vera and fathers a son, Nicky. Despite Vera's total devotion to Misha and his career, when Misha and Serena meet again eight years after they parted, the erstwhile lovers can't resist a fiery affair. Meanwhile, villains close in. Misha's agent, Manny Cygelman, has a diabolical deal with Brighton Beach goons; if he can't persuade Misha to tour Russia, the pianist's hands will get broken. And Vera's old boyfriend, crazy-with-jealousy Simon Hampton, wants to kill Misha. Misha's unbelievably noble parents, Sonia and Dmitri, hover nearby, ready to rise or recede as their wunderkind demands. Serena's agent, Coral Randolphe, has her own agenda: she's a stick-thin, ghostly pale lesbian in Manolo Blahnik heels. The vivace-paced story swings by Vienna, London and Kyoto, while brand-names often substitute for description and locales are as one-dimensional as the characters. Readers may notice that Misha's craft is virtually ignored throughout. It seems he's a musician only to whip up clich d fantasies about his "great hands" that expertly play women like instruments. (Nov.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

More music, this time from a concert pianist (complacently married) who reignites an old affair. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Once again, Gould (Till the End of Time, 1998, etc.) brokers soapy transactions among the very rich and gorgeous. Misha Levin, a six-foot-four-inch piano virtuoso with long black hair and a following like a rock star's, runs into an old flame in Vienna, where he's come to play a charity concert for the extraordinarily well-heeled. His ex-lover, Serena Gibbons, a superstar photographer with supermodel looks and long black hair as well, has also come to Vienna, in her case to shoot a group of European heads of state. Although Misha is married to stunningly beautiful, if blond-haired, Vera Bunim, the daughter of billionaire Russian émigrés, he and Serena rekindle an affair at Austria's best hotels while eating lots of rich food and pastries. What broke up the two buff bodies in the first place was Serena's inability to commit and her refusal to compromise her successful career. Serena, who was sexually molested by all the male members of her family, has had a tough emotional row to hoe. As has Misha's family. They suffered many hardships in Russia, before immigrating to Manhattan, yet they have always been very loving and supportive of their gifted son. Still, while the faithful Vera waits for Misha to give up his philandering—his mother tells her that Misha has always had trouble keeping his zipper up—the dark-haired beauties go at it like rabbits. In favor of the new romance is Misha's Russian-American agent, who's afraid the clearheaded Vera will twig to the fact that some pretty silly, pretty hairy Russian-American gangsters from Brighton Beach have been sponsoring Misha's career from the beginning. Slowly Misha realizes that Vera, with whom he shares a childand a love of antiques and good food, is still the one for him. Serena, conveniently, will have a fateful encounter with a land mine. Even with the dropping of some upscale labels you won't find in Jackie Collins, a fairly lackluster kitchen-sinker.