Top Reads 2013: Bronze Medal
Nobody wants to come in third. I get it. But (and I've always got a big but) taking into consideration the amount of books I read in 2013, to make it to the top 3 is indeed an honor. This year, the bronze award goes to...drum roll please...
The Dancing Master
By Julie Klassen
Bethany House
Back Cover Copy:
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’ve long been a fan of Julie Klassen, so I may be a little biased when I say THE DANCING MASTER is a must read. Not that her previous titles are wimpy by any stretch of the imagination, but this one is my all-time favorite thus far (and no, I don’t say that for every book she releases).
What’s so great about this one? The intrigue. I didn’t figure out the twisty-turny plot until towards the end. Every time I was sure that I had, the story would take another turn and prove me wrong. I love that! It’s a rare author, indeed, that can keep me guessing like that.
Hero Alec and heroine Julia are complex and definitely main character material, but the fella who really stole my heart was Johnny Desmond. While secondary in reference to Alec and Julia, he’s the one who will live on a long time in a reader’s heart after the book is shut.
There are many themes played out in the story, but the message of grace shines the most clearly—a truth that can never be taught enough. Don’t worry. You won’t get beat over the head with a Bible in this one, but all the same, your heart will take a bruising from the fresh realization of God’s great love portrayed in the story.
Do yourself a favor and cough up the cash for this one. You won’t be sorry!
By Julie Klassen
Bethany House
Back Cover Copy:
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’ve long been a fan of Julie Klassen, so I may be a little biased when I say THE DANCING MASTER is a must read. Not that her previous titles are wimpy by any stretch of the imagination, but this one is my all-time favorite thus far (and no, I don’t say that for every book she releases).
What’s so great about this one? The intrigue. I didn’t figure out the twisty-turny plot until towards the end. Every time I was sure that I had, the story would take another turn and prove me wrong. I love that! It’s a rare author, indeed, that can keep me guessing like that.
Hero Alec and heroine Julia are complex and definitely main character material, but the fella who really stole my heart was Johnny Desmond. While secondary in reference to Alec and Julia, he’s the one who will live on a long time in a reader’s heart after the book is shut.
There are many themes played out in the story, but the message of grace shines the most clearly—a truth that can never be taught enough. Don’t worry. You won’t get beat over the head with a Bible in this one, but all the same, your heart will take a bruising from the fresh realization of God’s great love portrayed in the story.
Do yourself a favor and cough up the cash for this one. You won’t be sorry!