The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Book Info

About the book: 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: http://ow.ly/s7Yl1 About the author: 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. Learn more about Julie at:http://julieklassen.com My Take: This book was a little different than most historical fiction romances that I have read in that the perspective of the male is given just as much time as that of the female.  I liked the intrigue that accompanied the story and I agree with a few other reviews that I read this did seem like alittle like Footloose in England.  I did enjoy this comparision as Footloose was the first movie that my husband and I went to see and we had the ballad Almost Paradise in our wedding.  Any way I digress this was a good book.  Not a great book but a good book.   I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enter Today - 1/6 - 1/23!

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

About The Tutor's Daughter: 

Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast-a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions-where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits.

Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems-and secrets-of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her...

When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart? 

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/gI7qC    

Meet Julie:  

  

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 has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Find out more about Julie at http://www.julieklassen.com/. 

My Take:  I like the show Downton Abbey and in many ways this reminds me a bit of that show.  The family has the staff helping them dress and whatnot.  Also there is certain places you can be depending on your station.  Emma has found herself in a kind of limbo.  Not quite on the same level of the family but not a servant either.  All is not what it seems at this particular house in England.  Everyone in the house seems to have a secret of some sort or another.  Emma is determined to find out what the secrets are.  I didn't think that I would like this book at first but I found myself reading just one more page to find out what happens.  this is not really a mystery or a romance but somewhere in between.  I would recommend it if you like either of those genres and I wouldn't be surprised if you too found yourself reading just one more page.  

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. 

Enter Today - 1/14-1/30!

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

Don't miss the perfect blend of Regency-era romance and mystery in The Maid of Fairbourne Hall! Grab a copy and then be sure to enter Julie's Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVP for her Author Chat party on Facebook! Swoon.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• A Julie Klassen Library (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/14/12. Winner will be announced at Julie's Fairbourne Hall Book Chat Party on 3/15. Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a sneak peek of her next book - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a Downton Abbey Prize Pack (Seasons 1 and 2)!

So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for a book chat party.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 15th!