Oh dear.
How do I rate this book? It's effective, I'll give it that. But it's also a super toxic relationship, and it pulls out some cheap narrative tricks to get the reader to root for this couple.
Sigh.
The first Mary Burchell book I read, Under the Stars of Paris, also had a fairly alpha love interest, but, for me, he didn't cross any unforgivable lines. And the sequel to that one actually featured a pretty nice guy. So far, so good.
Then I tried this first book in the Warrender series. And, oof, it's too much. Too much bullying, too much arrogance. So I'm giving it 3 stars in deference to the author's ability to weave a tight and very lively plot, because obviously it kept me reading, but... I don't really recommend it. ( )

A Song Begins is a 3.5-stars for me. Yes, 1965, Harlequin clean romance, and I had a hard time to get to the book at first. The book got better and enjoyed it. It is a clean romance, because of the time it is based.
It is a slow burn love story between a music conductor and the opera student that Oscar decided that Anthea will be his prodigy.
The family relationship and the friendship that Anthea builds with Neil and Vicky are develope well through the story.
Also, Anthea's teachers are there to build her character and teach her to be a better artist.
Oscar is a harsh and challenging character, especially with Anthea, but he does it because of his love for her.
I don't know if I will continue with the series. The other books are part of the Kindle Unlimited, so hopefully, if I am in the mood to read the second book. ( )

Warrender series ( )

An unknown benefactor pays for singer-heroine Anthea Benton's training under the famous conductor, hero Oscar Warrender. (Anthea had met Oscar once and didn't like him. She thinks he was the cause of her losing a singing competition). But the more time she spends with Oscar, the more she admires his talent and she begins to fall for him.

I really liked Anthea, it was great seeing her realizing her dream of becoming a famous singer coming true. She was sweet, kind, but determined to make it and gracious to the people who were trying to help her. I also liked Oscar. He wasn't easy to like, he was arrogant and acted very high-handed at times, but there was still something about him! I liked the British setting and the glimpses behind the scenes of the music world.

A classy vintage read by Mary Burchell. ( )

Mary Burchell's first Warrender novel: Anthea gets a chance to study under the great operatic conductor, Oscar Warrender, but wonders if she will be tough enough to work for such an exacting taskmaster. As all of Ida Cook's ("Mary Burchell's") operatic novels, the details of training and performance ring true, making this a fun read for anyone who is a musician or knows one. The details are authentic for a simple reason: the author was not only a life-long opera fan, but also a personal friend of most of the great opera performers of the 20th century. ( )