Release Date: 6th December 2017
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Genres: Romance with Intrigue
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When dance teacher Gina Pendleton throws her
cheating boyfriend out of her house, she must find a way of earning extra money
to pay the bills. The obvious answer is to offer dance classes at her home,
even though she knows this will incur the wrath of the owner of the local
well-established dance school.
Her life becomes even more fraught when she is
targeted by vandals and intruders.
After she meets Chris Jackson, it doesn’t take her
long to realise he is the man of her dreams, especially as he’s also a
wonderful dancing partner. But can she trust him when it appears he is hiding
something from her?
Extract
Gina hurled the
Christmas ornament at the wall. It was the
first she and Tony had bought together. The sound of the glass shattering on
impact, and the sight of the coloured shards that were once a snowy village
scene flying through the air to rain down on her oak floor, was surprisingly
satisfying.
She looked around the room for some
other object on which to vent her anger, and her glance reached the twinkling
tree in the corner of the bay window.
“Don’t look so smug,” she muttered.
“You’re next. Christmas is officially over, and you’re going in the loft.”
Without the gentle touch she had used
to decorate the tree three weeks previously, she pulled and tugged at the
ornaments. The sound of banging on the glass at her side made her jump. She
looked around to see Tony, standing by the window nearest to the front door,
holding his key in front of him. He glared at her.
“Let me in. You've put the lock on!”
She shook her head.
The book opens with Gina Pendleton venting her anger on some Christmas decorations after the discovery that her boyfriend has been cheating. While the right thing to do is to throw him out, Gina is now hit with a financial problem. However, spurred on by the memory of her ever resourceful grandmother, Gina decides to teach dance from her own front room. Careful not to step on the toes of the local dance instructor, Gina only offers a specific type of dance. However, things are not plain sailing and soon Gina is left scared when she suspects someone is snooping around her garden and trying to get into her home. Could the local dance teacher hate her so much that she is responsible or is this from someone with a bigger grudge? The threats and incidents are terrifying and Gina is unsure who to trust.
A chance meeting with Chris, a police officer, soon leaves Gina feeling even more confused by her feelings for him. But, Chris is not all he seems either and having already suffered from a broken heart, Gina just knows that Chris is hiding a secret. Can he be trusted or is Gina just getting carried away by him appearing to be her perfect dance partner?
I really enjoyed this book. Awen Thornber slowly builds up the suspense and the scenes were Gina is feeling alone and vulnerable when there are intruders snooping around the book is particularly nicely paced to add the right amount of tension to the story. Gina falls hard for Chris and I can absolutely see why. I fell pretty hard for him myself and his 'secret' totally tore at my heartstrings and I understood him a little better.
Foxtrot in Freshby is also one of those books that has brilliant secondary characters who all add a little something to the story and the author has made this interesting and likeable. I was even drawn to the people I wasn't supposed to like because they were written in such a way as to fully engage me. I love their background stories, even the dance teacher who appears to hate Gina with a passion but has another reason for her underlying bitterness. Everyone in the novel has their own story tell that helps the reader fully understand the reasons for their actions and the type of people they are.
This story weaves (or dances) between romance and intrigue and I loved reading about the dancing. I love to dance. Unfortunately I'm not very good at it but it doesn't stop me trying! Awen Thornber has described the dance scenes beautifully and the story itself changes pace throughout much like the dances. A super read that I'd highly recommend. Lots of twists and turns and plot surprises that had me glued to this book which I read in one sitting. Looking forward to reading more by this very talented author.
ABOUT AWEN THORNBER
Formerly
a textile artist and design consultant for a craft company, Awen Thornber
produced craft projects and articles for magazines, and had a regular craft
column in Northern Life magazine. She is always looking for inspiration to
spark her creative mind and currently devotes her time to writing novels. Born
and bred in Lancashire, Awen also loves walking, painting, ballroom and ballet
dancing.
Twitter: @awenthornber
Instagram: awenthornber
I love Salsa
ReplyDeleteCha cha cha is a fun one.
ReplyDeleteCha cha cha is a pretty fun dance.
ReplyDelete