As a self-proclaimed huge Julie Klassen fan, I have been waiting with great anticipation for the release of her newest novel The Dancing Master! I’ve read every book by this author, and she has never let me down. And honestly, look at that cover, it’s gorgeous! I couldn’t wait, and I finished the book in under a week.
The Dancing Master, like many literary favorites such as Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, is a romance set in eighteenth century England during the height of the Regency Period. It’s one of my favorite settings to read about, to imagine the high society ladies and gentlemen, dancing at elegant balls and parties. However as many of Julie Klassen’s books often do, the plot of this novel takes quite a different spin than I had anticipated.
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.
The Dancing Master is a story about the devastation brought about by a huge misunderstanding,
which leads to years of festering bitterness and unforgiveness. Only with help from the Lord do hearts and eyes open to the truth and real healing and forgiveness begin.
The Pros:
Ah, the cover. I can’t keep saying enough how beautiful it is. It’s the kind that make you want to judge the book completely by the cover. I could see myself walking through the bookstore and picking this one up, reading the back synopsis, and purchasing it by that alone.
The story is quickly paced, and true to Julie Klassen’s style, mixed with mystery and intrigue. There is a reason that dancing has been banned in this town, and you absolutely want to know why. The hero and heroine of the story are fabulous main characters, as are the secondary characters, especially Johnny Desmond, who could probably have had an entire book of his own, and I would definitely read it to get into his head a little more.
The Cons:
Like I said before, I have read each of this authors books. I enjoy how she writes unique characters who hold your attention throughout. She also has a great talent to spin a plot or character line in a direction you didn’t anticipate. Maybe it’s because of this that I was actually expecting it this time, so I was able to guess, at least in part, some of that twist. I also feel like there are parts of the story that she could’ve driven deeper into, such as that of the secondary characters. At times, they were a bit more enjoyable then our two main characters Alec & Julia.
Overall, it wasn’t my most favorite of Julie Klassen novels (that title still goes to The Maid of Fairbourne Hall). However, it is definitely still a book I recommend.
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