The Dancing Master
Bestselling Regency Fiction from Award-Winning Author Julie Klassen
Finding himself the man of the family, and with no other options, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But Alec is stunned to learn the village is controlledby a wealthy widow who has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.
Alec finds an unlikely ally in Miss Julia Midwinter, the widow's daughter. While initially wary of Julia's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and a hidden sorrow of her own.
Julia Midwinter is instantly intrigued by the handsome dancing master--a man of whom her mother would never approve. She cannot fathom why he would leave London--or why he evades questions about his past.
Together, can Alec and Julia bring new life to this quiet village--and to one woman's hardened heart?
Review
This is another wonderful novel by Julie Klassen and I haven't found one yet that hasn't been delightful! She has written another classic, one I am sure you will want to keep and read again. Filled with all the drama and insights of character, love, pride, relationships, forgiveness, faith and more.
Mr. Valcourt, handsome, once successful dancing master with secrets to hide meets spirited and willful Julia Midwinter whose mother strikes fear into every townsperson who dares dance - because of tragedy and loss twenty years in the past that she won't forgive and forget.
I will say that this is a story that lures you in, giving you hints at the mysterious past of several characters and how these secrets affect many in the now. By chapter seven, you should be hooked and have enough hints that you are starting to piece parts of the puzzle together. This only brings the story more to life and lends excitement, as you eagerly anticipate seeing how things will unfold and work out.
This book still contained the mystery and well-thought out plots, like the other Klassen books. It is like Julie Klassen gently pulls a shoe string and reveals just what we need to know when we need to know it. It is never a hurried or rushed pace, but leaves the reader wanting to know more with each page read.
The story is well written with delightful characters. Julia somewhat reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara. She is willful, selfish, spoiled and quiet the flirt. However, there is more to her than that; she is also a loyal, brave young woman, who longs for approval and love. She definitely keeps the story interesting!
For fans of Julie Klassen this is sure to be a delight and for those that have never read one of Julie Klassen's novels, this is a good one to start with. If you like Jane Austen novels, then you should pick this one up!
I received a copy of The Dancing Master from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
The Tutor's Daughter
Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father regain his spirits when his academy fails, agrees to travel with him to the distant Cornwall coast, to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But after they arrive and begin teaching the younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen and danger mounts. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte, only to find the music room empty? Who sneaks into her room at night? Who rips a page from her journal, only to return it with a chilling illustration?
The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember Emma Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. She had been an awkward, studious girl. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.
When the suspicious acts escalate, can the clever tutor's daughter figure out which brother to blame...and which brother to trust with her heart?
The Maid of Fairbourne Hall
Pampered Margaret Macy flees London in disguise to escape pressure to marry a dishonorable man. With no money and nowhere else to go, she takes a position as a housemaid in the home of Nathaniel Upchurch, a suitor she once rejected in hopes of winning his dashing brother. Praying no one will recognize her, Margaret fumbles through the first real work of her life. If she can last until her next birthday, she will gain an inheritance from a spinster aunt--and sweet independence. But can she remain hidden as a servant even when prying eyes visit Fairbourne Hall?
Observing both brothers as an "invisible" servant, Margaret learns she may have misjudged Nathaniel. Is it too late to rekindle his admiration? And when one of the family is nearly killed, Margaret alone discovers who was responsible. Should she come forward, even at the risk of her reputation and perhaps her life? And can she avoid an obvious trap meant to force her from hiding?
On her journey from wellborn lady to servant to uncertain future, Margaret must learn to look past appearances and find the true meaning of "serve one another in love."
The Girl in the Gatehouse
Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret. Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made. When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans. The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?
The Silent Governess
Believing herself guilty of a crime, Olivia Keene flees her home, eventually stumbling upon a grand estate where an elaborate celebration is in progress. But all is not as joyous as it seems. Lord Bradley has just learned a terrible secret, which, if exposed, will change his life forever. When he glimpses a figure on the grounds, he fears a spy or thief has overheard his devastating news. He is stunned to discover the intruder is a scrap of a woman with her throat badly injured. Fearing she will spread his secret, he gives the girl a post and confines her to his estate. As Olivia and Lord Bradley's secrets catch up with them, will their hidden pasts ruin their hope of finding love?
The Apothecary's Daughter
Lillian Haswell, brilliant daughter of the local apothecary, yearns for more adventure and experience than life in her father's shop and their small village provides. She also longs to know the truth behind her mother's disappearance, which villagers whisper about but her father refuses to discuss. Opportunity comes when a distant aunt offers to educate her as a lady in London. Exposed to fashionable society and romance--as well as clues about her mother--Lilly is torn when she is summoned back to her ailing father's bedside. Women are forbidden to work as apothecaries, so to save the family legacy, Lilly will have to make it appear as if her father is still making all the diagnoses and decisions. But the suspicious eyes of a scholarly physician and a competing apothecary are upon her. As they vie for village prominence, three men also vie for Lilly's heart.
Lady of Milkweed Manor
As Charlotte drew closer to the looming grey edifice that was to become her temporary home, she could not help but notice the secretive shuttered windows. Then she noticed the milkweeds....
Even a proper vicar's daughter can make a mistake--and now Charlotte Lamb must pay a high price for her fall. To avoid the prying eyes of all who know her, she hides herself away in London's forbidding "Milkweed Manor," a place of mystery and lore, of old secrets and new birth.
But once there, she comes face to face with a suitor from her past--a man who now hides secrets of his own. Both are determined, with God's help, to protect those they love. But neither can imagine the depth of sacrifice that will be required.
Sprinkled with fascinating details about the lives of women in Regency England, Lady of Milkweed Manor is a moving romantic drama about the redemption of past failings and the beauty of sacrificial love.
