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 thoughts:
I always look forward to a new novel by Julie Klassen. Not only does she write about a time period I find fascinating, she is a master at weaving a great romance between her characters. I was excited about The Dancing Master the second it was announced that it was being written. I follow Ms. Klassen on Facebook and love all of the fun things she posts about, including updates on her books she is writing and even things like a look at the cover models for the book! I was already excited just to HEAR about the impending novel, but all of the other stuff she posts on Facebook build up the anticipation even more, so I was more than willing to participate in this blog tour for The Dancing Master. I would have read it soon anyway!
I was immediately drawn into the story from the very beginning. I knew there would be some intrigue to the plot, some twists and turns and that is exactly how I like my novels. The prologue definitely opened up some questions right away and set up a great beginning for The Dancing Master. Right away, I had a soft spot for Alec and felt awful for him moving somewhere to avoid a family scandal only to find that his chosen profession of dancing master is prohibited. I also knew I was going to love Julia, despite her immaturity. It is appearant she has a good heart, but just quite doesn't know how to act appropriately. I do feel bad for her because her mother is strict and can be harsh and has kept some pretty huge secrets that Julia stumbles upon that answer a lot of questions about not only herself, but about the laws against dancing in their village. Alec also has some secrets of his own that he doesn't want getting out, but he can feel himself quite drawn to Julia, so they may have to come to light in the end. I absolutely love how their attraction to one another and their story unfolds. Ms. Klassen is a master at historical romance and I feel she is at the top of her game here. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I am a huge fan and have been since the very first book I read by her The Apothecary's Daughter. The Dancing Master has by far been the best novel she has ever written. I think that is a wonderful sign that there are still many more great stories in her and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to get lost in a good story. I almost felt transported into these pages. I wanted to be there, I wanted to hang out with these characters and I think you would too. I couldn't sing the praises of The Dancing Master enough. This is an absolute MUST read novel!
I was immediately drawn into the story from the very beginning. I knew there would be some intrigue to the plot, some twists and turns and that is exactly how I like my novels. The prologue definitely opened up some questions right away and set up a great beginning for The Dancing Master. Right away, I had a soft spot for Alec and felt awful for him moving somewhere to avoid a family scandal only to find that his chosen profession of dancing master is prohibited. I also knew I was going to love Julia, despite her immaturity. It is appearant she has a good heart, but just quite doesn't know how to act appropriately. I do feel bad for her because her mother is strict and can be harsh and has kept some pretty huge secrets that Julia stumbles upon that answer a lot of questions about not only herself, but about the laws against dancing in their village. Alec also has some secrets of his own that he doesn't want getting out, but he can feel himself quite drawn to Julia, so they may have to come to light in the end. I absolutely love how their attraction to one another and their story unfolds. Ms. Klassen is a master at historical romance and I feel she is at the top of her game here. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I am a huge fan and have been since the very first book I read by her The Apothecary's Daughter. The Dancing Master has by far been the best novel she has ever written. I think that is a wonderful sign that there are still many more great stories in her and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to get lost in a good story. I almost felt transported into these pages. I wanted to be there, I wanted to hang out with these characters and I think you would too. I couldn't sing the praises of The Dancing Master enough. This is an absolute MUST read novel!
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.
Connect with Julie Klassen on Facebook
Connect with Julie Klassen on Twitter
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.
Connect with Julie Klassen on Facebook
Connect with Julie Klassen on Twitter
Connect with Julie Klassen on Goodreads
Learn more about Julie Klassen at: http://julieklassen.com
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/s7Yl1
Learn more about Julie Klassen at: http://julieklassen.com
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/s7Yl1
**********ENTER TO WIN A KINDLE FIRE HDX**********
Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen
So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)
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