Captivated by Clio: A Modern Muses Story

Dr. Noah Toussaint’s life is crumbling. An expert on Jean Lafitte, his funding has been cut; he has lost his job as a professor at the university; his research has been discredited by a jealous student; and he finds his fiancée in the arms of his TA. Clio Jean-Noel has been pursuing Noah for a week and invites him to go on her expedition in search of Jean Lafitte’s ship. Hesitant at first, he takes her up on her offer, and they drive to New Orleans, where they find clues which take them out to sea to where Jean Lafitte’s ship rests. On the way there, Clio and Noah find they have a mutual attraction. Clio claims she doesn’t do relationships, but Noah knows she is the one for him. Will Noah be able to convince this hardheaded woman to change her mind?

“Captivated by Clio” is a fascinating story of how opposites can attract. Noah is tall, brooding, and handsome, while Clio is a petite, flitting woman who knows her mind. These two are very strong characters and play off one another well. Unfortunately, endless typos, missing words, extra words, and improper word usage all take away from the flow of this otherwise interesting tale. The secondary characters flow together and are rarely discernible from one another. It is also difficult to know who is talking in many of the passages. The scavenger hunt for the clues is too easy as well. Noah and Clio immediately know the answers to the clues, without much scrutinizing.  A delightful plot charms and two simultaneous love stories keep the reader engaged.

Belinda Wilson