Heartstrings: A Heartwarming Romance Novel

April 23, 2026

Eroica was named after Beethoven’s Third Symphony. And that’s how her life as a musician began. But Heaven had more in store for her than just becoming an accomplished professional pianist.

As Eroica found out at music camp, when she was just a high school student. For there, she met a handsome young cellist who encouraged her to look deeper into her life’s meaning and purpose.

And she had never forgotten him.

Where was he now? Eroica had been searching for him, drawn to him by a feeling that they were meant to be together. But, with every symphony concert that she went to, every music workshop that she attended, every piano accompanying job that she took, she couldn’t find him.

He had to be in the music world, playing his cello, somewhere. Someday she would find him, and all of her romantic girlhood dreams would come true.

But when would that someday be?

Come with Eroica as she learns to navigate the world of accomplished and competitive musicians. All while trying to find the cellist from the music camp from years ago.

(Author’s Note: This book was written from my Christian perspective as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Characters in the story belong to this church. This is a clean, faith-centered romance novel.)

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HEARTSTRINGS

A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE NOVEL

MARILEE BOEKWEG

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“You must know who these flowers are from, Eroia,” stated AnnaMaria.

“But I don’t.” Eroica was bewildered. “I’ve never told anyone that yellow roses are my favorite.”

“You have a secret admirer! This certainly is romantic.”

CHAPTER TEN

Eroica put all her cares aside and worked hard. This was something she knew how to do. She had spent countless hours in practice rooms, metronome clicking, while she perfected every inch of music.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Christmas morning always came earlier than other mornings for Eroica. She had been awake for hours, curtains open, an extra blanket piled on the bed. She could still see a few lingering stars as the sky lightened.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“I’m playing Summer from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, with the orchestra, and I’m so nervous!” said Allisun.

“Oh, you’re not nervous,” Mark laughed good-naturedly. “You love being center stage, Allisun, and you know it.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The rest of the evening was spent in planning Eroica’s wedding, right down to the white peacocks wandering amid the guests, and AnnaMaria’s boys picking at the wedding cake until they knocked the whole thing over.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“I know what it’s like to make promises that are difficult to keep,” said Mark.

Eroica followed him into the recital hall and wondered if he were keeping something important from her. She wasn’t about to ask him, though.

CHAPTER NINE

“You were named after Beethoven’s Third Symphony?” Dr. Wellesford asked while reaching for his violin. “That’s marvelous. Very catchy. It will look wonderful on the programs.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Eroica went to the kitchen to help make heart-shaped pizzas, and the first person she saw was Mark. For the rest of the evening, they seemed to be thrown together. Mark even managed it so they could eat dinner together.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“Everyone has a concerto to work on, to pray about, and sometimes, to perform,” said Mark.

“Do you?” Eroica asked, not quite sure if they had left off talking about music and were now talking about life.

He looked right into her eyes. “Yes.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“Baby Holly sounds like a coloratura to me!” Dr. Hamilton declared.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

But what did Eroica know about love? She went into Dr. Fife’s office for her piano lesson and pulled out her Chopin piece. She knew as much about love as she knew about getting through these difficult measures-not much.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Eroica stood in front of her house and watched him drive away. Once he was out of sight, it was hard to believe that the evening had gone so wrong. She hadn’t even noticed that it was snowing. The snowflakes softened all the corners and rough edges, and bathed the darkness in a sparkling white.

Eroica sat down on her from steps and let the snowflakes fall on her bare head, melt, and run down her face. She, too, felt their softening effect.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Tell me about your date that most likely lasted less than an hour,” Mark began after they were seated in the usual restaurant with the usual burgers, shakes, and fries.

CHAPTER FIVE

Attending orchestra performances had become a ritual for Eroica. She liked to be in the balcony, where she would watch for her cellist, as the musicians meandered onto the stage.

If the music were fast and exciting, then they would be watching fireworks together on Independence Day. If the orchestra were playing something slow and dramatic, then she would imagine they were stranded in the rain, his coat around her shoulders. If the music were lively and happy, then they would be riding horses together in the country.

She had gone to so many concerts, yet her imagination had never failed her.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

If her cellist were there, he was not going to miss her. She donned a red, Spanish-style dress, with lots of ruffles. She looked fabulous, but she worried that she had overdone it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

He took a small, green velvet box out of his pocket and put it on the table in front of her.

Eroica just stared at it, unsure what was happening.

“Go ahead and open it,” he urged.

Inside was a huge, square-cut diamond, planted in a chunk of gold. It was a sophisticated, bold style. An engagement ring that was not at all what Eroica would have chosen for herself.

CHAPTER ONE

Eroica looked up at the glowing spires of the temple and wondered what this year would be like for her. A peaceful feeling swept over her, and she knew that she would not be alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The orchestra conductor asked Eroica if she were ready. She looked at the door that led to the stage and slowly nodded. The audience began to clap, but Eroica couldn’t walk onto the stage. She wasn’t ready!

Then, Eroica saw Mark. He was straight across from her, in the front row of the cello section. And there was that smile and that look on his face. It warmed Eroica’s heart and brought her onto the stage.