The Sunday Book Review: Play It Again, by Tracy Krauss

Play It Again, by Tracy Krauss

c. November 2011

Genre: romance

Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Company

ISBN: 9781612043920

$16.97

Krauss’s Play It Again is the awaited prequel to And the Beat Goes On. Built around the nightclub music scene of the 1980s, the story recounts how Russ and Deanie meet and get involved with each other.

This story is hard to classify. It’s gritty and real and doesn’t fit into traditional inspirational category due to adult language and theme. Although I was somewhat surprised by those elements, Krauss tells an elegant love story of characters flawed as much as anyone in contemporary times, finding a way to make do the best they know how given the choices they’ve made. While I admit that much of the ‘80s was kind of a blur while I was raising my kids, I found Krauss’ descriptions and conversation right on target.

Russ, an accountant, is on a business holiday and visiting a hotel bar when his eye catches Deanie, a young woman whom he mistakenly believes is the romantic partner of one of the bar’s entertainers. As their story unfolds in real time with confessions of past events, the reader is drawn into their unconventional family and friends. Deanie’s friends will do anything to protect her. And when Russ makes the same mistake that bought him his first failed marriage, we’re not sure whether we want to shake him or get on our knees for him.

Play It Again is for readers who like ultra-edgy stories with an inspirational undercurrent.

♦♦♦♦ Reflections