What do you think?
Rate this book
Dancing With Danger
Lily Brookstone, the daughter of a workaholic United States Senator, defies her father's wishes by moving to Los Angeles in pursuit of a dancing career. But the tough town hasn't been easy on her, and after two years she finds herself disowned by her father, dropped by her agent, and recovering from a dance injury. Determined to live her life independently without relying on others, Lily refuses to give up her dream of making it as a dancer and instead works herself ragged at three different jobs to make ends meet. Serving coffee and teaching dance classes to pre-schoolers are ordinary enough day jobs, but Lily dons a disguise when she works the late shift as an exotic dancer at a topless strip club.
Raised to be fiercely independent and hesitant to trust, at first she keeps her ""night job"" a secret from her new beau, Marc Sloane, a tough L.A.P.D. Officer with an uncanny knack for reading people. But her cover is blown when Marc attends a bachelor party at Lily's strip club and recognizes her.
Realizing that she has a chance at true love and knowing that her life is in danger from the threat of her stalker, Lily must not only trust Marc to keep her exotic dancing job a secret, but she must also trust him to protect both her life and her heart.
Raised to be fiercely independent and hesitant to trust, at first she keeps her ""night job"" a secret from her new beau, Marc Sloane, a tough L.A.P.D. Officer with an uncanny knack for reading people. But her cover is blown when Marc attends a bachelor party at Lily's strip club and recognizes her.
Realizing that she has a chance at true love and knowing that her life is in danger from the threat of her stalker, Lily must not only trust Marc to keep her exotic dancing job a secret, but she must also trust him to protect both her life and her heart.
ebook
First published May 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Laura Sheehan
4 books8 followersLaura Sheehan grew up in Las Vegas but currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a thoroughly-spoiled cat, and a handful of fish who keep her thoroughly-spoiled cat entertained. When not working at her day job, she can usually be found in a dance studio, writing at her computer, snuggling with her amazing husband, or eating chocolate. Sometimes she can be found doing more than one of these at a time, although when doing so she has to be careful not to get chocolate on the computer keyboard (or on the amazing husband... although now that she thinks about it, that might not be such a bad thing).
Laura writes romantic suspense, fantasy, and paranormal romance.
Laura writes romantic suspense, fantasy, and paranormal romance.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 16, 2012
The hero and heroine of this gipping romantic suspense novel have a very unusual first encounter. Marcus “Marc” Sloan is a Hollywood police officer, working the late shift with his fellow officer and best friend Pete. They are called to investigate a possible sighting of a robbery suspect in her getaway car. Lillian Brookstone “Lilly” is just trying to get home from her night job. The officers quickly realize their error, and are called away to another sighting. Lilly is left to go home.
Lilly is a professional dancer, recovering from a serious injury . She lost her agent, and several thousand dollars for her medical bills and now works three jobs to try and pay her debts. Lilly is a dance teacher to children, and works shifts in a coffee shop with her best friend Judy by day. At night she transforms to the mysterious Ms. M in a club called Vixens, where she dances topless, but always with a mask.
Marc and Lilly have a chance encounter in the coffee shop, and the spark between them comes to life. She desperately wants to keep her night life a secret, but fate intervenes. Marc is at a bachelor party for Pete at Vixens, and suddenly senses a strong pull of attraction while watching the hypnotic dancing of Ms. M. Their attraction quickly turns to passion, but fate again rears its ugly head. Lilly’s car is vandalized, and they both realize a sickening truth…,she has a stalker with deadly intentions.
Marc is a hot sexy lover and protector. Lilly, so used to having to be alone, reluctantly lets Marc in. The suspense continues to build. I held my breath in spots, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced adventure. The love scenes are just that, love scenes, with some great heat!
Highly recommend this exciting story!
4 1/2 STARS
September 8, 2012
3 ½ stars – I liked it and I would read another book by the author if given the chance.
Marc Sloane is a 25 year old serial dater, who rarely dates someone more than a month. He lives in a condo he is rehabbing himself. Marc is a cop. His partner is Pete, his best friend. He rarely introduces any of his dates to Pete.
Lily Brookstone is a dancer, and that is what she has always wanted to be. She is also the daughter of a United States Senator. Her father does not approve of her career choice, so at the young age of 22, Lily is in LA trying to make a life as a dancer.
Late one night while on patrol Marc and Pete get a call on the radio to be on the look out for a gray sedan, with a woman driving – the driver was a suspect in a crime. They spot a car and driver that meets the description, and pull over the driver. Marc takes the lead in the questioning, and looking into her eyes, he knows she isn’t involved. The name on her license says Lily Broostone. Before he can confirm his gut with evidence of her innocence a call comes over the radio that the suspect is being followed and backup is needed.
The next day Marc drives by a coffee shop and recognizes Lily’s car. On a whim he goes in for a cup of coffee, and finds Lily working behind the counter. They make a date to meet for drinks on Monday. That night Marc is at Pete’s bachelor party at Vixen’s, he is memorized by one of the dancers. Her eyes and lips remind him of Lily. Pete catches Marc staring at “Miss M” and pays for “Miss M” to give Marc a private dance in one of the curtained rooms. Marc is now closer and is convinced “Miss M” is Lily – when Lily realizes Marc has recognized her she runs. At the end of the night Lily gets to her car to find Marc is waiting for her. After an amazing kiss they decide to get in Marc’s jeep and get some ice cream. When they return to her car the windows were shattered, tires slashed, all the lights broken with a threat written in lipstick.
As Lily and Marc try to figure out who the stalker is, they learn about each other along the way. It is quite evident that the author of this book is a dancer. The detail taken in the descriptions of Lily’s dances and her costumes show someone who lived it rather than researched it. Her first dance in the book is actually steamier than any intimate scene between Marc and Lily. The stalker story line is good. I felt there were holes in character backgrounds. I felt like I missed something and at one point wrote the author a message to see if there was a book I should have read first (there isn’t). This happens in about one week which seems too rushed for me. The substory lines can be confusing. A lot of time is given to the relationship of Marc’s parents. Marc and Lily have good chemistry and in the end I do think they are in love and will have a HEA.
Marc Sloane is a 25 year old serial dater, who rarely dates someone more than a month. He lives in a condo he is rehabbing himself. Marc is a cop. His partner is Pete, his best friend. He rarely introduces any of his dates to Pete.
Lily Brookstone is a dancer, and that is what she has always wanted to be. She is also the daughter of a United States Senator. Her father does not approve of her career choice, so at the young age of 22, Lily is in LA trying to make a life as a dancer.
Late one night while on patrol Marc and Pete get a call on the radio to be on the look out for a gray sedan, with a woman driving – the driver was a suspect in a crime. They spot a car and driver that meets the description, and pull over the driver. Marc takes the lead in the questioning, and looking into her eyes, he knows she isn’t involved. The name on her license says Lily Broostone. Before he can confirm his gut with evidence of her innocence a call comes over the radio that the suspect is being followed and backup is needed.
The next day Marc drives by a coffee shop and recognizes Lily’s car. On a whim he goes in for a cup of coffee, and finds Lily working behind the counter. They make a date to meet for drinks on Monday. That night Marc is at Pete’s bachelor party at Vixen’s, he is memorized by one of the dancers. Her eyes and lips remind him of Lily. Pete catches Marc staring at “Miss M” and pays for “Miss M” to give Marc a private dance in one of the curtained rooms. Marc is now closer and is convinced “Miss M” is Lily – when Lily realizes Marc has recognized her she runs. At the end of the night Lily gets to her car to find Marc is waiting for her. After an amazing kiss they decide to get in Marc’s jeep and get some ice cream. When they return to her car the windows were shattered, tires slashed, all the lights broken with a threat written in lipstick.
As Lily and Marc try to figure out who the stalker is, they learn about each other along the way. It is quite evident that the author of this book is a dancer. The detail taken in the descriptions of Lily’s dances and her costumes show someone who lived it rather than researched it. Her first dance in the book is actually steamier than any intimate scene between Marc and Lily. The stalker story line is good. I felt there were holes in character backgrounds. I felt like I missed something and at one point wrote the author a message to see if there was a book I should have read first (there isn’t). This happens in about one week which seems too rushed for me. The substory lines can be confusing. A lot of time is given to the relationship of Marc’s parents. Marc and Lily have good chemistry and in the end I do think they are in love and will have a HEA.
August 9, 2012
Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...
The ability to remain positive and determined despite your world collapsing around you is a trait few possess, but it was the dominant trait of the heroine in Dancing with Danger that drew not only the hero to her, but me as well!
A person would be hard-pressed not to like Lily Brookstone. A passion for dancing has estranged her from her only family - her father and, although she had found some success in dance, an injury left her with few options. She worked three jobs to pay off her debts and make ends meet; one as an exotic dancer.
One fateful night, rookie cop Marcus Sloan and his partner pull over Lily's car and Marc is immediately taken with her. The next day, he happens into a local coffee shop and finds Lily working behind the counter. They hit it off and he asks her out. Before their scheduled date, however, Marc discovers her secret job when out with friends for a bachelor party. He chases her when she flees, and in the process of settling things, Marc discovers a suspicious vehicle hanging around. His fears of a stalker are confirmed when Lily's car is vandalized. While trying to help protect her, the two develop a wonderful connection and soon fall in love.
I loved the simplicity of Ms. Sheehan's story. It was a straight man/woman romance with the lingering mystery of the identity of Lily's stalker, and the writing allowed me to focus almost exclusively on the hero and heroine. Marc was an awesome hero; your typical Alpha-male who stopped at nothing to defend and protect his woman. Lily, while independent, learned to depend and lean on Marc as she opened her heart to him. It was an endearing combination and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall in love, despite it being on a rather hurried schedule. It felt right and natural, and I was rooting for them every step of the way.
Ms. Sheehan also used various points of view to tell her story. While she changed viewpoints often, and sometimes after short periods, I was never confused as to who was speaking and who was witnessing the action. It was a bit unconventional, but she did it very well and I think it adds to the story - particularly the viewpoint of the stalker.
My only negative was towards the end of the book. The final chapter seemed to focus on surrounding characters who, although mentioned earlier, and who had impact on the hero and heroine, weren't part of the larger story and I would have preferred to see more of Marc and Lily and how they were wrapped up. An epilogue set a year later would have been awesome - I still want to know how the two handled their relationship once the danger was passed and they had time to really get to know each other. There were also a few other loose ends (what happened with her new dance agent, etc) that I would have loved to find out as well.
Despite the very minor disappointment, which was really only disappointing because I loved these characters so much and wanted more, the story was a very enjoyable read. I'll definitely look for other titles by Ms. Sheehan and I'd even love to see more of Marc and Lily. If you love a good romance, mixed with the potential danger of an unknown stalker, this is a perfect title to pick up!
The ability to remain positive and determined despite your world collapsing around you is a trait few possess, but it was the dominant trait of the heroine in Dancing with Danger that drew not only the hero to her, but me as well!
A person would be hard-pressed not to like Lily Brookstone. A passion for dancing has estranged her from her only family - her father and, although she had found some success in dance, an injury left her with few options. She worked three jobs to pay off her debts and make ends meet; one as an exotic dancer.
One fateful night, rookie cop Marcus Sloan and his partner pull over Lily's car and Marc is immediately taken with her. The next day, he happens into a local coffee shop and finds Lily working behind the counter. They hit it off and he asks her out. Before their scheduled date, however, Marc discovers her secret job when out with friends for a bachelor party. He chases her when she flees, and in the process of settling things, Marc discovers a suspicious vehicle hanging around. His fears of a stalker are confirmed when Lily's car is vandalized. While trying to help protect her, the two develop a wonderful connection and soon fall in love.
I loved the simplicity of Ms. Sheehan's story. It was a straight man/woman romance with the lingering mystery of the identity of Lily's stalker, and the writing allowed me to focus almost exclusively on the hero and heroine. Marc was an awesome hero; your typical Alpha-male who stopped at nothing to defend and protect his woman. Lily, while independent, learned to depend and lean on Marc as she opened her heart to him. It was an endearing combination and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them fall in love, despite it being on a rather hurried schedule. It felt right and natural, and I was rooting for them every step of the way.
Ms. Sheehan also used various points of view to tell her story. While she changed viewpoints often, and sometimes after short periods, I was never confused as to who was speaking and who was witnessing the action. It was a bit unconventional, but she did it very well and I think it adds to the story - particularly the viewpoint of the stalker.
My only negative was towards the end of the book. The final chapter seemed to focus on surrounding characters who, although mentioned earlier, and who had impact on the hero and heroine, weren't part of the larger story and I would have preferred to see more of Marc and Lily and how they were wrapped up. An epilogue set a year later would have been awesome - I still want to know how the two handled their relationship once the danger was passed and they had time to really get to know each other. There were also a few other loose ends (what happened with her new dance agent, etc) that I would have loved to find out as well.
Despite the very minor disappointment, which was really only disappointing because I loved these characters so much and wanted more, the story was a very enjoyable read. I'll definitely look for other titles by Ms. Sheehan and I'd even love to see more of Marc and Lily. If you love a good romance, mixed with the potential danger of an unknown stalker, this is a perfect title to pick up!
September 4, 2012
Lily Brookstone moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer, something her Senator father staunchly disapproved off. After becoming injured on the job, she was dropped by her agent, disowned by her father, and the medical bills kept piling up. Shelving her dreams for the time being and taking on three jobs to make ends meet became her new routine. By day she's a children's dance teacher and a barista, but by night, she's known as the mysterious Miss M at Vixens, a local strip club. Then she meets Officer Marc Sloane and sparks fly, but before they have a chance to get better acquainted, Marc shows up at the strip club for his partner's bachelor party and recognizes Lily. Their budding relationship is further put to the test when Lily's stalker makes his presence and his displeasure known. Does Marc really care about her or is he just doing his job? Can Marc afford to fall in love with Lily and hope they don't up like his parents?
I loved this story! I love anything that involves dancers or dancing in general. The plot wasn't anything new, but my focus was drawn to the main characters, and once I got started, I couldn't stop. Lily had everything I like in a heroine. She was independent, self-sufficient, driven, caring, honest, and brave when it counted. She never backed down when things got rough, but she accepted help when it was offered. In a way, Lily reminded me of Alex from Flashdance. Lily gets extra brownie points for listening to Marc when he pointed out things she should or shouldn't do for her own safety. So often I get annoyed when the stubborn heroine would do the exact opposite and get into trouble. Not a problem here.
What I liked about the H/h as a couple was that they communicated throughout the story at a realistic and believable pace. The villain's POV is introduced early in the story so we see the potential danger Lily is in but she's oblivious to it. Reading through the villain's mental instability was often chilling and scary; to know there are people out there with such a warped sense of reality that you hope you never find yourself the object of interest.
The ending was what I expected it to be. A reviewer mentioned that all the conflicts were tied up in a neat bow, and I both agree and disagree. Where Marc's parents are concerned, I liked the conclusion because their main problem was one the Marc carried over from his childhood into adulthood, and he drew comparisons between their relationship and his own with Lily. I did feel however that Lily let her father off the hook a little too easily. But in the end, this was a HEA story, and if we are never to hear from this great set of characters again then I think it ended as it should have. Some of my favorite lines from the story involve Marc grumbling about her cat, Sneak :)
If you're looking for a smooth, easy read with some suspense and romance thrown in, then this is the story for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I would read this again when I need to unwind. I'll definitely read more by Ms Sheehan.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2013
Lily is sidelined trained dancer that is subsidizing her finances by secretly working as a stripper temporarily. Marc is the beat cop that takes her in to protect her from a stalker and falls in love in the process.
One of my Goodreads friends recommended this book because of my love of dancers. I have recently been reading a lot of intense Motorcycle Club books and that might be why this seemed boring in comparison. Which might mean the problem lies in me and not this book.
There were a couple of a character issues that bothered me. Lily's whole disguise thing seemed too unrealistic to me, especially when it's stressed that not even the other dancer's know her real face. No one can know her real identity because her father is a Senator. Unfortunately, the manager of the bar has seen her and my brain couldn't shut off an obvious logic jump. I personally believe the manager would have been the first to alert the press because the notoriety would bring a lot of attention to the club. Marc is a regular uniform cop but he is doing all this investigative work. Why wasn't he just made a detective? I also didn't like how the development of their sexual relationship played out; everything moved too fast. I didn't feel enough intensity or emotion to justify the pacing.
This isn't a bad book, but my recent reads have raised the bar on my expectations a bit. Anyone looking for some fun stripper escapism might really like this.
One of my Goodreads friends recommended this book because of my love of dancers. I have recently been reading a lot of intense Motorcycle Club books and that might be why this seemed boring in comparison. Which might mean the problem lies in me and not this book.
There were a couple of a character issues that bothered me. Lily's whole disguise thing seemed too unrealistic to me, especially when it's stressed that not even the other dancer's know her real face. No one can know her real identity because her father is a Senator. Unfortunately, the manager of the bar has seen her and my brain couldn't shut off an obvious logic jump. I personally believe the manager would have been the first to alert the press because the notoriety would bring a lot of attention to the club. Marc is a regular uniform cop but he is doing all this investigative work. Why wasn't he just made a detective? I also didn't like how the development of their sexual relationship played out; everything moved too fast. I didn't feel enough intensity or emotion to justify the pacing.
This isn't a bad book, but my recent reads have raised the bar on my expectations a bit. Anyone looking for some fun stripper escapism might really like this.
June 24, 2012
An amazing debut. Lily is a fiercely independent young woman determined to make a go of a dancing career, which at the moment, after suffering an injury, means a group of hobbled together jobs. Children's dance teacher. Barista. And yes, pole dancer, none of which jobs her conservative politician father would approve.
Her path crosses that of an LAPD rookie officer, and as their romance heats up, so does the angst of her secret admirer turned stalker. His attacks inspire Marc to take Lily (and cat) into his condo - and bed.
I loved that Marc is super-protective of Lily, yet she herself is strong and self-sufficient. Given the circumstances, the speed of their romance was believable, and the sex scenes are very steamy. There's excellent use of humor throughout, as well.
The only detraction was that in the end, I felt there were a few too many loose ends wrapped up neatly for everyone. For example, Marc's parents who have been estranged for years now have a HEA tied up in a bow. It felt a little too pat; simply having them move in that direction would've been enough for me, likewise the reconciliation between Lily and her father. All in all though, a very satisfying book, and the view inside the mind of a dancer and a dancer's life was awesome.
Her path crosses that of an LAPD rookie officer, and as their romance heats up, so does the angst of her secret admirer turned stalker. His attacks inspire Marc to take Lily (and cat) into his condo - and bed.
I loved that Marc is super-protective of Lily, yet she herself is strong and self-sufficient. Given the circumstances, the speed of their romance was believable, and the sex scenes are very steamy. There's excellent use of humor throughout, as well.
The only detraction was that in the end, I felt there were a few too many loose ends wrapped up neatly for everyone. For example, Marc's parents who have been estranged for years now have a HEA tied up in a bow. It felt a little too pat; simply having them move in that direction would've been enough for me, likewise the reconciliation between Lily and her father. All in all though, a very satisfying book, and the view inside the mind of a dancer and a dancer's life was awesome.
September 21, 2012
Rating: 3.5
A review for this novel was written by KAME for Ravishing Romances.
Ravishing Romances' post is here.
How are the sex scenes?
There is an adequate amount in the book, and nothing erotic.
How are the story lines?
The stalker story line is good and the most complete, my favorite part of the book. The sub-story lines confused me. I felt there were holes in character backgrounds and wondered if there was a book I should have read first (there isn’t).
A review for this novel was written by KAME for Ravishing Romances.
Ravishing Romances' post is here.
How are the sex scenes?
There is an adequate amount in the book, and nothing erotic.
How are the story lines?
The stalker story line is good and the most complete, my favorite part of the book. The sub-story lines confused me. I felt there were holes in character backgrounds and wondered if there was a book I should have read first (there isn’t).
August 6, 2016
I wanted to read something different. Something that wasn't a historical or antiquated HP. This sounded unique. A stripper and a cop. A patron of her strip club turned stalker. Some romance, some action and some steam.
Ended up being BORING as hell with a virgin stripper to boot. Yeah. Okay.
Ended up being BORING as hell with a virgin stripper to boot. Yeah. Okay.
June 4, 2012
The characters' voices are surprisingly funny for a romance, and despite the stalker plotline this is a really sweet love story. Recommended!
Read
September 18, 2012Check out my book review on either www.yougottaread.com or www.manicreaders.com
August 13, 2019
This is a new author to me. Lily dissipate her fathers wishes. She moves to LA to pursue her dancing career. One thing leads to another will she get her chance of being a legit dancer.
April 1, 2013
Review Pending.
July 16, 2013
Great debut book! I can't wait to read more from Laura Sheehan!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews