Book review: Dancing on Air by Nicole Hurley-Moore and Giveaway

Title: Dancing on Air.
Author: Nicole Hurley-Moore.
Published: November 1, 2013
Publisher: Escape Publishing.

Rating:

The Summary:
Cinderella meets Swan Lake in this Victorian-era set story about a ballet dancer, an aristocrat, and their class-crossing romance…

Lisette yearns for freedom, security and love, but none are offered on the run-down stage of The Imperial Theatre. Instead she has hard work, a tyrannical aunt, and the hope of one day becoming a prima ballerina. Dancing on the stage she catches the attention of two powerful men: Lord Gainsworth and Lord De Vale.

Lord Evander Gainswith never expected to fall in love, let alone with a woman so wholly unacceptable to his family and his peers. The sinister Lord De Vale covets Lisette’s youth and strength, and is willing to pay well for it. Lisette may dance roles in fairy tales and fantasies, but the real world is about to intrude, bringing with it the harsh realities of life for a young girl with dreams of rising above the demimonde.

It took me about two chapters to fall in love with this story. It’s a sweeping love story, one of the first historical-romances that I’ve read, and it just took me away. Lisette is a strong character, who cares about the people around her, and falls head over heels in love with Lord Evander Gainswith. The two start a secret romance, meeting between performances and sneaking away in the middle of the night just to be with each other. It’s a very sweet romance, and their love is so real and true that I was rooting for them the entire time.

The romance while important to the story isn’t the driving force. Rather it’s the ballet, and Lisette’s growing fame within the troupe. She rises quickly through the ranks and becomes the prima ballerina after the head ballerina suffers a terrible accident. There are twists and turns to this story, mystery and intrigue that kept me guessing page after page. The villains in this story are wonderful. They are evil and non-repentant and I just love it.

Overall: if you’re looking for a sweet Victorian romance, look no further than Dancing on Air. It’s a beautiful love story with a great plot and great characters.