WV Stitcher: The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen ~ TLC Blog Tour with review

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (January 7, 2014)

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?

Learn more about The Dancing Master HERE.

My take on this book:

The Dancing Master is a book that I really struggled to like, but I just couldn't connect with it. I felt like the beginning really just sort of drug along, and I really couldn't connect with the main characters at all.Julia was a character that seemed shallow, and while she did grow a bit thru the story I just couldn't like her. Halfway thru the book started to pick up only to lag once again, and that's just how this one went for me. There were instances that it seemed to gain momentum only to go flat once again.The subject of the story intrigued me, after all imagine a dancing master going to a village that has doesn't allow dancing, I couldn't help but wonder why. That wasn't enough to hold my attention though. Another thing that bothered me was the "telling" of the story, sometimes I couldn't figure out the difference between daydreams and memories. Overall, an ok read that I just couldn't connect with, but I would say fans of regency novels should give this one a look it might just be what they are looking for. Rating 2.5/5

About Julie Klassen

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 has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Connect with Julie: Website —Facebook