Key Change

March 14, 2016
Valentin’s light third Assignment: Romance contemporary (after Help Wanted) makes music out of misunderstandings. Chicago Gazette music critic Sara Cleff bumps into handsome Andrew Benet, the interim music director at St. Matthias’s Church, and they’re quickly in harmony. But the notes go off-key when a forgotten check, missed voice mails, and a fed-up ex-boyfriend leave Sara homeless and Andrew living in what used to be her apartment. Needing a place to stay, Sara agrees to move in with Andrew for six weeks in exchange for being part of his upcoming performance. This enticing premise makes for some sweet moments and surprises as Andrew and Sara try to be good roommates despite the burgeoning attraction between them (which is complicated by Sara’s initial belief that Andrew is gay). Some of Sara’s musings about her past are overly dramatic in the beginning, but her responses become more natural as the story progresses. Valentin efficiently incorporates backstory by interweaving past protagonists into a subplot centered on a wedding. The plot is contrived at times, but the alternating perspectives of Sara and Andrew keep it moving quickly. Occasional awkward sentences detract slightly from the flow.