Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Title: Virtuosity

Author: Jessica Martinez

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't rust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win that she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she's told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes being on top just means you have a long way to fall...

Why I don't read more contemporary novels is a mystery to me. Every time I pick on up I am captivated and I fall in love with how realistic the story feels. Of course, the very same thing happened when I read Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez. It was an incredible story that captivated me from start to finish.

Her whole life, Carmen has worked toward one goal: wining the prestigious Guarneri competition and the honor that comes with it. All those years of endless violin practices and the calluses that come from hours of playing have to have been for something. But when Jeremy shows up in Carmen's life, she loses focus for the first time. What if Jeremy was better than winning the world's most prestigious violin competition. Carmen knows that she shouldn't be with Jeremy, not only is he a distraction but he's also her biggest competitor. But she can't seem to stay away from him. And it's not like Jeremy seems to mind spending time with her either. Maybe Jeremy will be the one to help Carmen feel again after months of taking anti-anxiety drugs to perform. Because what Carmen wants more than anything is to feel again.

Virtuosity was an absolutely fantastic story. To be honest, if I didn't know any better I wouldn't believe that Jessica Martinez was a debut author. Her story was incredible and there wasn't one moment it didn't feel completely real to me. And not only did it feel real, it was also absolutely captivating. Right from page one I was drawn in and I couldn't wait to find out more about the characters and their stories. More than anything, Virtuosity reminded me of why I love contemporary books so much and made me wonder why I read so little of them. But more than anything, it was simply a truly amazing story.

Carmen was such a relatable character. I honestly felt like I could relate to her on so many levels. The violin playing, the pressure she was under to perform and succeed. She was a character I absolutely loved getting to know. Her fears, her doubts, her passion, everything about her just felt completely real. And more than anything, I could understand why she felt the way about she did about Jeremy. From the moment I met him in the story, I feel a little bit in love with Jeremy. And kept falling more in love with him him the more I found out about him. He was a great character and the perfect balance for Carmen. Though it sometimes seemed like his intentions weren't always the most noble, I could tell that he really cared and would do the right thing when it comes down to it. 

Overall, Virtuosity was an absolutely incredible read. Jessica Martinez is a fantastic new author and she wrote and amazing story in this book. I absolutely cannot wait for more from this brilliant new author.