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. Enter and RSVP today!

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 DVDs, fun “Jane” merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

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!

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.

Purchase a copy and learn more at Julie’s website.

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 is a three-time Christy Award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award winner for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I delved into this book, I couldn’t help but think of the modern story “Footloose.” This is almost a historical Christian version of that story (side note–I never did see that movie–I just could not get into it.) And I will say that this alone made the book intriguing and entertaining. Added to this was some well-written mystery that was not resolved until almost the last page. For the most part, this follows the typical historical romance formula, but it has enough uniqueness that I think it will capture the interest of readers.

While there are these definite positives, I do have a couple of issues with the book. This is one book I wish would have ended differently. I sometimes grow weary of the “happily ever after” philosophy. I didn’t care that much for Julia, and I did not find the transformation of her family all that believable. I think Patience would have been a better protagonist, but maybe I identified with her personality more than I did Julia’s.

My biggest complaint is the Christian message. From the outset, the gospel message was practically nonexistent. While the story is clean, the gospel message was awkwardly inserted about two-thirds of the way into the book. I prefer this message to be woven into the framework of the story rather that sticking out like a sore thumb. Furthermore, the Christian message was very watered down and quite confusing. If the reader was not already saved or familiar with the gospel, I don’t think this would speak to him/her.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

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