The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen – a Litfuse Book Review
About the Book:
Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.
Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter. Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul–and hidden sorrows of her own.
Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master–a man her mother would never approve of–but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village…and to her mother’s tattered heart?
Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.
My Review: I love Julie’s choice of the Regency period in which to set her novels. Drawing on the customs and traditions of the time period make She bring history to life with all of it’s nuances and rituals.
The Dancing Master took a while to get off the ground for me and that can drag a story out. As with Julie this book contains a bit of intrigue which is always a nice thing. The heroine in this book was not a character we all immediately fall in love with. Her spoiled flirtatious behavior let you know she is an individual to be pitied.
Lover’s of period drama and clean Christian fiction that strays a bit from the norm will enjoy this book.
About the Author:
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane–”Jane Eyre” and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She is a three-time Christy Award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award winner for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Buy the Book: The Dancing Master
More Litfuse Reviews: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jklassen
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
