Book synopsis:
At twenty-seven, Shannon Murphy has just discovered that she has two sisters she never knew. Now, through Shannon's loving persistence, the three of them are moving in together above her dance studio in Bridgeport. Shannon is excited to make a home with her sisters and to grow her budding business. Then she meets her newest client--he has all the right muscles, a perfect smile, and a lot of attitude. Will Shannon be able to keep things professional with this charming stranger?

Dylan Lange has a lot on his mind. He's just been assigned a new partner at his job with the Bridgeport Police, and while he's busy striving to protect and serve his town, he's also trying to keep his baby sister out of harm's way while she heals from her own trauma. And on top of everything else, he's gone and lost a bet with his buddies, forcing him to take dance lessons. But when he walks into the dance studio to meet his instructor, a young and beautiful brunette with a sweet southern drawl is the last person he expected to find.

Get ready to fall in love again as Shelley Shepard Gray takes us back to Bridgeport, Ohio, where nobody gets left behind and a powerful community helps ordinary men and women to find extraordinary strength inside themselves.


My thoughts:
This is my first book by Shelley Sheppard Gray, but I do love reading series set in small towns and it appears that Bridgeport, Ohio, has already got a fair number of fans.
The premise of the book is unusual and moving. Shannon Murphy, an accomplished ballroom dancer from Spartan, West Virginia and an only child of loving parents who made a lot of sacrifices to help her make her dancing dream come true, discovers that not only was she adopted at an early age, but she also has two more sisters. Shannon has a wonderful idea of bringing them all together for a year to live in Bridgeport and share a home together. Traci, a police officer, gets a transfer, while gorgeous Kimber, despite being a New York City girl and a successful model, doesn't mind moving cities, if it means the three sisters can get to know each other better. I really enjoy reading books centred around loving families and these girls' mutual support and understanding was really touching. Not that they didn't have quite a lot to discover about each othe - their common stubbornness to begin with as well as a  shocking lack of cooking skills!

Shannon opens her own professional dance studio, which she is determined to make a success with her hard work and passion. When a local police officer becomes her newest client, she wants to convey her serious attitude to dancing lessons starightaway. Dylan Lange, on the other hand, is a bit sceptical. Dancing lessons are his punishment for having lost a bet, although he is willing to do his best to learn, not only because he finds his instructor exceptionally attractive, but also because he believes in doing things wholeheartedly.

Dylan is a complicated character. On one hand, he is a good man who knows what is right and wrong, and knows that in Shannon he has met somebody special. On the other hand, Dylan tends to be overprotective of his sister Jennifer, who is a survivor of a horrific attack and assault. Even two years after the event, she is still unable to leave the house alone, let alone talk to strangers. Jennifer knows her life will never be the same, but she is working hard to regain her strength and independence.  It is never easy for family members to help and support victims of crimes like this, and it has been quite hard for Dylan to find the right balance. It is difficult to create conflict in a book where almost every character is a good decent person. Dylan makes a hasty judgement and speaks in a very harsh way to both Shannon and Jennifer. While Jennifer's reaction and decision how to proceed seems absolutely right and natural to me, Shannon's appears a bit rushed.

The main characters are well-developed and it is clear that the other sisters are also going to get their stories told in the future. Although I felt really partial to Jennifer, I would love to know more about Traci and Kimber, their past before coming to Bridgeport and their new life. We know that Traci was never adopted and went through the foster care system. She is a tough police officer who is adjusting to working in a small town, which is quite different to what she did in her previous job. Kimber remained a bit of a mystery to me, although I liked her sense of humour and easygoing personality.

One of the features that I liked the most about this feel-good book was a wonderful selection of quotes on dancing and how it relates to real life.  I find it hard to pick one favourite, as all of them are entertaining and thought-provoking.

A sweet and heartwarming story of three sisters who are making their life in a new community, Shall We Dance? is an easy and entertaining read which feels a bit like a Hallmark movie. Grab your hot chocolate, get cozy and enjoy!


Thank you to Edelweiss and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and “rising star in the romance genre” (Entertainment Weekly) comes a dazzling new novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.

Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?
(From the book blurb)


My thoughts:
The fourth book in Jasmine Guillory's series focuses on Maddie's mum Vivian Forest and her meeting a smart and handsome British man.
I like the way throughout the series the author created diverse characters that do not often get enough representation in romance books. This time she concentrates on slightly older protagonists - Vivian is 54 and has been divorced for more than three decades. She has also been working hard as a social worker in a busy hospital, raising her daughter as a single mother and taking care of her sister Jo who has had serious health probems. All this meant that she hasn't had much time for travelling or holidays.
When Maddie Forest  unexpectedly is invited to step in and substitute her mentor on a work trip to the UK which is scheduled around Christmastime, Maddie knows she can spend New Year with her boyfriend Theo, but Christmas...Christmas is for family, Christmas is for her mum. Luckily, Vivian is all in. The job is high profile as it involves the royal family and Ms Forest and Ms Forest get to spend a part of their holiday at a royal residence in the north of England. We do not see much of Maddie in this book as she is way too busy with clothes alterations and fittings, so Vivian has a lot of free time to explore the house and marvel at neverending cultural differences. Vivian's meet cute, Malcolm Hudson has an important job- he is a private secretary of Her Majesty. He has been divorced for six years, and his private life very much centres around his sister and his 19 year old nephew Miles. Malcolm is charmed by Vivian's smile and positive attitude:  'She had such a strong and playful sense of self...She was neither demanding nor bashful; just friendly and inquisitive and smiling'. Christmas holidays and New Year are a special time when unusual things can happen and even the most careful and realistic people decide to give in to romance. Malcolm takes time to get to know Vivian and what is important to her, as much as it is possible in the short time they have together. I love the way Vivian vents her feelings on the subject of surprises and how they are often about what the other person wants, not the person they are surprising, and Malcolm takes it aboard to make sure she feels comfortable with the things he suggests.
The fairy-tale setting and royal guest appearances in the book might make you think that this romance is too far away from real life and difficult to relate to, but it isn't the case. Vivian and Malcolm live thousands of kilometers away, but, ultimately, they will understand that the connection they have is special and worth the risk. You don't have to be based in different countries to experience this feeling: No, we are too different...No, there is no way it will work... He/She is too set in his /her ways. His job/ college/family is too important for him...The logistics would be a nightmare... And another potentially beautiful relationship bites the dust before you've even given it a chance. Yes, our life experiences teach us that we have to be realistic and pragmatic, and avoid risks, and this is how we may end with a job that brings more money, but less joy and happiness, or refuse to apologise to a relative or a friend who might  just have a different point of view, but be as right as we are. Vivian and Malcolm knew from the very beginning the risks, but, still, they decided to give it a try, and they certainly deserve their own happy ever after.
 
This was not a laugh out loud book for me, but Jasmine Guillory's trademark sense of humour is still there, coupled with her beautiful writing style. If you loved her previous books, and the diversity of her characters and settings, you will definitely appreciate this silightly more mature romance. And if  you love tea, scones, cucumber sandwiches and all things British, you will have even more reasons to enjoy this last instalment of Jasmine Guillory's hugely successful Wedding series .

Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.