Blog Tour: The Dancing Master



The Dancing MasterThe Dancing Master
by Julie Klassen
Christian Historical Romance

December 2013 by Bethany House Publishers


Summary

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 have enjoyed all of this authors books. I love the historical England settings and the imperfect characters and interesting plots. At least one of the main characters, if not both, are always in some sort of predicament or are dealing with an unfavorable circumstance. This is also the case in The Dancing Master

Alec Valcourt has basically lost his profession and a way to support his mother and daughter. He is a dancing and fencing master and dancing is not allowed where they have been taken in by his uncle. It's quite a quandary as to what to do. His uncle does suggest a job working in the clay factory, but Alec has never done manual labor as a commoner would. He is well educated and spoken, handsome, and was brought up among society in London.

Julia Midwinter is entitled and rich. I do have to say that she wasn't my favorite character as there were some points that she acted immaturely. Some of that has to do with her wanting to escape from her small rural town and sometimes being manipulative and flirting shamelessly. However, Alec gives her pause and makes her think more about who she is and her actions. She wars with her mother who has her own stifling expectations. She eventually finds though that some things she took for granted aren't exactly what she thought them to be.

I really enjoyed reading about these two characters, their families, and those surrounding them. The town was quaint, but interesting with it's quirks, superstitions, and wrestling champions who got away with practically murder. There was a little more of a Christian aspect to this one versus Klassen's last couple of books. There is some suspense or a mystery that deeply affects Julia. Klassen doesn't let it overtake the story, but slowly builds it up and gives pieces of information as the story progresses. I liked that she doesn't just gloss over the situation and she doesn't let everything turn out unrealistically perfect. There was some heartache, but the individuals involved were stronger for it. 

The friendship between Alec and Julia survives through their difficulties. I definitely liked that the romance was sweet and developed over a period of time. There was also some very serious moments between the two of them as well as some humorous and romantic ones. It was very well done!

If you enjoy Christian Historical Romance, then I would definitely recommend reading The Dancing Master!

Content: Clean

Source: I want to thank LitFuse Publicity Group and Bethany House Publishers for my free review copy, which did not affect my opinion in any way.


About the Author

JKlassen
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. Three of her books, The Silent Governess, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won Christian Retailing’s BEST Award, and has been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, and the Minnesota Book Awards. The Dancing Master is her seventh book.

Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Readers can keep up with Klassen via her website: julieklassen.com and Facebook (Author Julie Klassen).


Giveaway and Webcast

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. Filled with mystery and romance,The Dancing Master brings to life the social graces of ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.

dancingmaster-400

One winner will receive:
  • A Kindle Fire HDX
  • The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the “All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)” Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen and Jane Eyre DVDs, fun “Jane” merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

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!)
 


DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY BY SIGNING UP FOR A REMINDER. TELL YOUR FRIENDS VIA FACEBOOK OR TWITTER AND INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 23RD!


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