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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Music Taste Better with Wine: Love Over Fear, Music Over Silence, and Hope Over Everything by Clara Arcucci is a suspenseful romance that starts when Jiho decides to end his career as an entertainment director on luxurious liners and buys a building in Seoul that he converts into an innovative performance space called Luz. Meanwhile, Lucia, recovering from loss and disillusionment in Naples and Barcelona, follows a lead from Miguel to pursue work in Seoul. Their paths converge at Jiho’s rooftop venue, where a cautious connection forms through their daily routines, but is tested by travel plans, missteps, and danger. An assault on Lucia and Jiho’s injury forces decisive action, and each must decide whether to let their lives drift apart or move their separate itinerant lives toward the stability of a future together.
Music Taste Better with Wine by Clara Arcucci is a really wonderful dive into the unique lives of artists forming bonds in Seoul as music, work, city life, and angst and emotions guide their choices. Lucia’s meetings with Jiho take shape through small routines, shared meals, and quiet evenings at Luz. Arcucci gives each scene a grounded presence, breathing life into Seoul itself, but also in Europe, which are all given supremely atmospheric and textured space. As a woman of Asian descent, I am particularly appreciative of a story with Asian leads. Surprisingly, my favorite character is Miguel, who stands out as a warm anchor whose loyalty and constant input support both artists and give the story a vital human touch. His conversations with Lucia and Jiho add balance and show how friendship supports uncertain moments. The plot moves with calm progression, using atmosphere, gentle humor, and thoughtful pacing to highlight affection, ambition, and the ways two musicians chart a path forward together in a city that greets them with open possibility.
