1. The Dancing Master
    Julie Klassen
    Bethany House / 2013 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$18.00 Retail Price$20.00 Save 10% ($2.00)
    4.2 out of 5 stars for The Dancing Master. View reviews of this product. 64 Reviews
    Availability: In Stock
    Stock No: WW210709
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Displaying items 11-15 of 64
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  1. LeAnne
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Wonderful Book!
    February 19, 2014
    LeAnne
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When Alec Valcourt moves his Mother and Sister from London to Beaworthy England there are more surprises in store than he would have thought. Being a Dancing Master he runs into trouble when he finds out the village matriarch had prohibited dancing years ago. But determined to care for his Mother and Sister he must figure something out. And he finds a unlikely ally Julia, the matriarch's daughter. At first he is wary of her reckless flirtation, but finds her bold way of acting may be to hide her own sorrows and vulnerable soul.

    Julia Midwinter has grown up in a world without dancing or going to London like other girls her age. And is tried of being trapped in the little village of Beaworthy. When she meets the new family who has moved to Beaworthy she is quickly attracted to Alec. But with him not being in the same upper class as her family, and a Dancing Master no less, her Mother would not approve of someone like him.

    But will secrets from his past catch up with him and mess up his future? And what other things may be revealed that have been hidden in Beaworthy history for years.

    The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen is a wonderful book! I love Historical Fiction and this was another great one. It took place back in the early 1800's and sounded very real. It has a great story and had a lot of mystery! I was happily surprised with how much mystery was in the story, I was not expecting so much and really enjoyed it. Julie Klassen did a wonderful job on this book and I would love to read some of her other books as well!

    I received this book free from Bethany House for my honest review. The opinions are my own.
  2. Britt98
    Grand Prairie, TX
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Beautiful Peek Into Regency England
    February 6, 2014
    Britt98
    Grand Prairie, TX
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    The Dancing Master is the first book by Julie Klassen that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed this peek into Regency England. I love historical fiction and this is one of the eras that I especially enjoy reading about.

    The setting is a quaint, little town named Beaworthy. Julia Midwinter and Alec Valcourt are the main characters. Alec has relocated to Beaworthy with his mother and sister after some sort of scandal has obviously forced them out of London. He plans to open a dancing and fencing school in Beaworthy. But therein lies a problem. Dancing is no longer tolerated in this little town.

    Julia could be viewed as a spoiled little rich girl at the beginning of the novel. I suppose this would be accurate, however, I actually still liked Julia, even when she was acting out. I felt so sorry for the hurt she internalized from a father who didn't want anything to do with her. Her acting out and flirting made sense to me when looked upon with the knowledge of this insecurity she carried around with her.

    The author did such a wonderful job of creating deep and interesting characters. I really enjoyed the flashbacks in the book. In these scenes, we have the opportunity to see the past through Julia's mother's eyes as it is happening. It opens little windows into the story and hints at the underlying scandals that rocked their family.

    The Dancing Master is a well-written novel. The romance is sweet and light, yet definitely grows throughout the story. Main characters and side characters are all very interesting. I really enjoyed the way the author was able to unfurl the mysteries one little bit at a time throughout the story, letting me know just enough to keep me wondering and reading on. The descriptions of the dances were beautiful and I felt that I could really see them dancing. After reading this book, I am looking forward to reading more of Julie Klassen's novels.

    I received a complimentary copy of The Dancing Master from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review, which I have given.
  3. Jael Kenney
    Lachute,QC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Deep and Moving
    February 5, 2014
    Jael Kenney
    Lachute,QC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Set in Jane Austen's England, "The Dancing Master" is about much more than reviving a lapsed tradition in an out of the way hamlet. It delves deeply into the struggles of individual characters: their motives and their foibles. It explores the importance of the truth, and highlights the peace that can be found in God's Love and Grace. A moving and well-told tale, this romance deals with so much more than love. The healing that it brings to its characters may very well bring healing to its readers also.

    An excellent plot development and realistic characters give this book its double-edged ability to pierce to the heart of the matter. It is not a quick read, but it is a good one.

    I would like to thank Net Galley (https://www.netgalley.com/) and Bethany House for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
  4. Becky
    SW MI
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Multi-dimensional story of deepest need of hearts
    January 28, 2014
    Becky
    SW MI
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for The Dancing Master -eBook.
    Wonderfully told story of not one, but two dancing masters in the small town of Beauworthy, As the story opens, all gaiety and life has disappeared from the town upon the decree of the town's patroness, Lady Amelia Midwinter. Due to hidden issues from her past, she has forbidden dancing and anyone who violates that order suffers socially and economically. Enter Alec Valcourt and his mother and sister, who have come from London. Alec's one ability and skill lies in being a dancing master along with the fencing skills that accompany that profession.He and his family are ostracized by the townspeople until Lady Amelia takes Alec under her employ, with the hope of keeping him away from his learned profession. Unfortunately for Lady Amelia's plans, this brings Alec in close proximity with her daughter, Julia, who is quite headstrong and flirtatious.

    A couple of songs come to mind as I read this book. One applies to Julia. "Looking for love in all the wrong places." Desperate for a father's love, when she cannot attain that, she will accept male attention wherever she can find it. Will she ever find the true love of the only Father who can satisfy? Then there is the song with the line, "Honesty, is all I ever asked of You." How that apples to Amelia and her relationship with Julia. It also could apply to Alec, to Amelia's sister, and maybe one or two others. What a different course the story would have taken with some characters exhibiting this much needed trait!

    Do we, the readers, see where the story is going? Of course. But the fun is in the reading and seeing how the author gets us there, what scenery we pass. And the "scenery" in this book is fantastic!!

    One last question: to whom does the title of the book REALLY refer? I love it!
  5. LifeofLiterature
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A Very Well-Written Historical Novel
    January 27, 2014
    LifeofLiterature
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    An aptly named novel, The Dancing Master narrates the lives of several individuals influenced by dance and dancing masters. Julia Midwinter, a headstrong young woman seeking answers to her past, finds herself drawn to the handsome London dancing master, Alec Valcourt, who has moved to small, remote Beaworthy in order to escape his own secret history and start over. However, the presiding matriarch of the village and Julia's mother, Lady Amelia, has forbidden any form of dance in the village, a result of her undisclosed and painful past. As Julia and Alec struggle to bring life back to solemn Beaworthy, they both discover the beauty of grace and love in restoring relationships. Ms. Klassen is a wonderful writer and uses fascinating bits of history to make her story come to life; the epigraphs before each chapter are especially creative and significant. The language of her characters and the images of the scenes allow the reader to be transported back to the nineteenth century. Ms. Klassen does not simply insert words unnecessarily, but instead includes meaningful conversations and descriptions that truly contribute to the story. She only reveals the many secrets in the novel at opportune times, leaving the reader eagerly flipping pages to discover more. Her characters have realistic flaws, but through lessons of forgiveness and grace, they learn to grow from their pasts and improve their relationships with each other and with God. Long-admirers of Ms. Klassen who have devotedly followed her from her first exceptional novel, Lady of Milkweed Manor, will not be disappointed with yet another well-written historical gem. This novel and its author are both highly recommended.

    I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying items 11-15 of 64
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