Rating: 
Summary: A cross between Victoria Holt and early Kallmaker
Review: Divorced and in the process of redefining her life, Anna Reid, an early 30-something woman in a graduate program for Landscape Design, needs a place to live and, at least, a part time job. She finds both when she answers a classified ad for a housekeeper. She's surprised to find that she will be more of an administrative assistant to the enigmatic Graham Yardley. The famed master pianist and composer, Graham has locked herself away at Yardley Manor for more than a decade, since a tragic accident took her sight. She bears her blindness as a kind of penance and uses it to keep anyone from coming too close. Graham is not prepared for the energy of life and love of nature that Anna brings to Yardley. Love's Melody Lost is the story of these two women on their path to love each other. An old fashioned gothic romance of the kind written by the late Victoria Holt, Love's Melody Lost is almost so cliché as to be amusing. -- The beautiful, vibrant, young woman brings life to a fading, historic estate by the sea and sparks the possibility of salvation through love for the mysterious, reclusive, heartbroken estate owner. -- However, Radclyffe gives the cliché a new life. She depicts two interesting and well drawn female leads with unapologeticly lesbian content. Her plot is fast paced with several touching moments. And the romantic encounters, when they finally occur are explicit and, to this reader, powerfully erotic. Radclyffe uses sight and the lack thereof, in an interesting manner. Previously heterosexually experienced, Anna is aware of Graham's physical attractiveness from their first encounter. She describes the appearance of the tall, dark haired, musician with increasing detail as she falls in love with Graham. Yet, the reader is not given a description of Anna until Graham, in a very touching scene, asks the housekeeper, Helen what Anna looks like. There are a few mildly annoying inconsistencies in the story. The setting's time frame and age for both lead characters seems to change. Anna's height also appears to fluctuate. Radclyffe glosses over Anna's coming out process as well as the question of Graham's being out professionally. And finally the angst is almost too much. "Pig-headed" is one of the nicest ways to describe Graham, exceptional talent notwithstanding. Having said this, Love's Melody Lost is a charming gothic lavender romance. Other readers have compared this novel to those of the wonderful romance writer, Karin Kallmaker. This reader feels a comparison to Chris Anne Wolfe's romantic fantasies is more accurate. Or perhaps, specifically, it is more like early Kallmaker novels. Love's Melody Lost provides more than enough promise for this reader to look for other Radclyffe titles and will be curious to see how Radclyffe continues to develop her craft.
Rating:
Summary: Love's Melody Lost, then Regained
Review: I finally got a chance to read this book and happily polished it off in one sitting. The characters, Graham and Anna, are engaging and nicely realized. The plot flows well, and there is angst and obstacles to overcome. I greatly enjoyed the story. The physical volume itself was well produced. I loved the cover. Shady Ladies Press has done a fine job on their books. My only complaint was that the novel was just too short. I wanted to read more! Other recommendations: Radclyffe's SAFE HARBOR is terrific as are Marianne K. Martin's MIRRORS and LOVE IN THE BALANCE (nicely done by Bella Books), LOVE'S JOURNEY by Carrie Carr, FULL CIRCLE by Mary D. Brooks, PRAIRIE FIRE by LJ Maas, and SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE by Karin Kallmaker.
Rating: 
Summary: An acquired taste
Review: I have a guilty fondness for LOVE'S MELODY LOST, although in too many places its narrative is so over the top in earnest melodrama and painful plot cliches that I found myself laughing rather than being moved. Yet it's that very excess which marks this book as a turning point in Radclyffe's long career of writing pulp romances. Her earlier books were, in comparison, more flat, almost timid in their expression of emotion between the characters. Then something broke loose in LML, a florid outburst of passion that was rawly expressed, but definitely not timid. In subsequent books, Radclyffe pulled back to less flamboyant emotional levels, but there was a subtle shift forward rather than a retreat to earlier habits. She emerged a more controlled writer, one with a firm confident hand on the turbulent love life of her characters. They could encounter heartache without the violent violin passages crescendoing in the background. My decided preference is for understatement rather than overstatement, but I recognize that tastes vary in this regard. For readers who love the emotional swells of Romance, you'll adore this book. For readers who are less inclined to appreciate the resoundingly obvious, try Radclyffe's ABOVE ALL, HONOR instead. And finally, for those who, like me, find the journey of the writer as fascinating as the journey of her characters, don't skip this novel. I've read all of Radclyffe's books (many more than once) and this title is a fascinating step in her progress as a writer. She's a delight to read.
Rating: 
Summary: My Favorite Romance!
Review: I'm a devourer of books and an extremely picky one at that. I've read countless lesbian novels, some of them romance, some of them mystery, etc... but as of today, Love's Melody Lost is my favorite of ANY genre. The story flows with the descriptions that just blossom in the pages. Not too much to overload, but enough that you can "feel" the characters and the world Radclyffe has put them in. The characters aren't stereotypes, as in so many other novels today, but each unique. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried when I read this book. Radclyffe drew me into the story so easily, and kept me enthralled without a single break until I finished the tale. That may have happened before, but never have I feel so wonderful afterwards. Thank you Radclyffe, for the gift that is "Love's Melody Lost". Silk
aka Katiepult
Rating:
Summary: Romantic, sensual, and oh so sexy...
Review: Last March, when a new name in lesbian romance hit bookstore shelves, a wide range of readers learned that Radclyffe was something special -- a first-rate storyteller with a gift for creating sexy, strong, contemporary women whose stories are at once heartstoppingly romantic and sexy enough to fry every last one of your circuits. Now with the release of LOVE'S MELODY LOST, it's quite clear that the talent evidenced in SAFE HARBOR was far from a one-off phenomenon. And although both of these stories are unabashedly romantic love stories, Radclyffe manages to keep her stories -- and her characters -- always new, always vibrant, always fascinating. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of LML is the way the story straddles several genres. The story of Graham -- aristocrat, artist, a soul in torment -- and Anna -- strong, independent, rebuilding a life from the earth up -- is lesbian pulp, playing with butch/femme roles; and it's a Gothic novel, full of atmosphere and mystery and a dark brooding wounded hero who would not have been out of place in a Bronte novel, if Bronte had written stories of women who love women. And above all this -- and this truly is what sets Radclyffe's work apart from other fine writers writing lesbian romances today -- LML qualifies thoroughly as erotica. Because it's not just the story of women who fall in love and about the healing properties of soul-binding, life-altering romance. It's about the physical aspects of that relationship -- about women who express their love not only spiritually but physically. And there is no lesbian writer on this planet who combines romance and erotica the way Radclyffe does. She is the best. So read Love's Melody Lost -- it will make you cry, it will make you ache, it will bring your heart ease. If you believe in passion and love and romance -- if you have them or yearn for them -- this is the book for you. You'll want to read it over and over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Brooding Elegance
Review: Love's Melody Lost is simply one of those literary voyages that take us to that other place where emotions dare to be--whether dark or light, terrifying or comforting, we, the helpless but willing readers, feel them and are driven by them. How compelling is Graham that she can pull us so deeply into her dark, withdrawn world, and we want to stay there with her?
And is Anna possibly the light that can make its way through and beyond the broken eyes of the dispirited, yes grumpy, musician?
Maybe we know the answers, maybe we don't. But arriving at them is a trip worth taking. Thank you, Radclyffe, for the ticket. This is a great story.
Rating:
Summary: An experience, as all great novels should be
Review: Love's Melody Lost was the first lesbian romance I ever read and to date, I have yet to find its peer. I found it at a time when, unaware that such love stories existed, I was merely looking for writing that moved me in a way that only eloquence in style, characterization, and plot could. And find it I did. Radclyffe creates a world that is passionate and intense, fantastic yet real, dark yet triumphant. The story is not so much told as painted in words and characters and moods that draw the reader in and bewitch them with breathless wonder. At the story's core is the turbulent relationship between Graham Yardley and Anna Reid. Radclyffe takes the archetypes of dark and light and imbues them with a depth of character that makes this a love story less about the consummation of physical attraction and more about the unique way in which two lost and damaged souls can come together. Of course, as is the Radclyffe hallmark, the love scenes are exquisitely crafted to capture the desire and intensity of two passionate women united. But what is truly unique and wonderful about Love's Melody Lost is the blending of style and form. That Graham is a brooding composer living on a barren clifftop mansion is reflected in the lush drama of the prose. The beauty of the writing makes reading a pleasure on multiple levels: the engaging and page-turning plot, as well as the vivid and lyrical descriptions. It is an experience, as all great novels should be. It comes with my highest recommendation and I encourage everyone to experience it for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: If Jane Eyre drove you to tears
Review: then this tenderhearted modern Gothick tale of lesbian desire should leave you fairly wrung out--and I mean this as a compliment. For those who are familiar with Radclyffe's writing, this is the least "contemporary"-feeling of her novels (not least because the object of the heroine's desire is a preternaturally gifted--and emotionally crippled--old-timey Romantic creative/performing artist whose spiritual complexity is almost inconceivable). If you can deal with her implausibility (and you should, for the pleasure of sharing her would-be lover's angst), you'll find the book very satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Grand and Gothic
Review: This book is really not what I expected at all but for the first time I was glad. The book starts with Anna a divorcee who needed to turn her life around and ended up working for the Yardley Manor . The Manors' master turns out to be a woman of great importance in the music world. But the woman (Graham Yardley) is blind ( without Anna knowing at first)because of a car accident. As the story progress Anna falls for Graham but Graham sees Anna's caring as pity and that thought brings sorrow for the pair.
Rating:
Summary: If you like Victoria Holt you'll Love this book
Review: This is set in today's world but reads like an old fashioned romance. I couldn't put it down. I only wish there was another 100 pages as I wanted to know even more about the 2 main characters. Excellent prose and characterization. The writing is superb.
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