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Ballroom to Bride and Groom
TV presenter Polly Anna Adams has spent a lifetime living up to her name. Suddenly single, Polly hides behind her cheery facade and enters a celebrity dance competition. Her partner? None other than gorgeous but wary professional dancer Liam Flynn.Liam has learned the hard way to keep his heart on lockdown, but Polly's joie de vivre puts a spring back in his polished step. As the competition heats up, so does their unstoppable attraction. If only they could convince themselves their hot tango passion is just for the cameras….
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Kate Hardy
931 books263 followersKate Hardy is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for Harlequin Mills & Boon and the Georgina Drake cozy crime series for Storm. Her novel 'Breakfast at Giovanni's' won the RNA Romance Prize in 2008, 'Bound by a Baby' won the RNA RoNA Rose in 2014 and ‘A Will, A Wish, A Wedding’ won the RNA Liberta Books Shorter Fiction award in 2021. She's been shortlisted six more times for the award, as well as for two Romantic Times awards.
She lives in Norwich in the east of England with her husband, two grown-up children, springer spaniels Archie and Dexter, and too many books to count. She's a bit of a nerd who loves cinema, live music, the theatre, ballet, history and cooking, and adores anything Italian. She loves doing research, particularly if it's hands-on and means experimenting with cooking. Reviewers say that her books are full of warmth, heart and charm - and also that you'll learn something new and interesting from them!
Kate also writes bestselling local history books under the name of Pamela Brooks.
She lives in Norwich in the east of England with her husband, two grown-up children, springer spaniels Archie and Dexter, and too many books to count. She's a bit of a nerd who loves cinema, live music, the theatre, ballet, history and cooking, and adores anything Italian. She loves doing research, particularly if it's hands-on and means experimenting with cooking. Reviewers say that her books are full of warmth, heart and charm - and also that you'll learn something new and interesting from them!
Kate also writes bestselling local history books under the name of Pamela Brooks.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 27, 2020
This was nice! Kate Hardy is a good category author for me, and I am almost always going to come away with a positive reading experience. I only regret that my library does not have many more of her books that I haven't read, because in this month of quarantined reading slump, I could use some nice.
February 23, 2014
BALLROOM TO BRIDE AND GROOM by author Kate Hardy is Harlequin Romance and Mills & Boon Cherish release for February 2013.
Polly Anna Adams was officially 'resting' as in out of a job. Her fiancé told her there was no 'kaboom' in their relationship just days before they were supposed to get married. And then left her to pick up the pieces. Cancel all the wedding arrangements. Then her agent walked in and made her go to the audition of a TV celebrity dancing show.
Her dancing instructor was Liam Flynn. And meeting Liam, Polly felt the 'kaboom' but did Liam also felt that? He was trying to get his career off the ground after some set back. Would Liam let what he felt distract him from his career goal?
BALLROOM TO BRIDE AND GROOM takes a reader through the various dancing ways and I loved reading it. The chemistry between Polly and Flynn was scorching hot, while dancing and off the cameras. Author Kate Hardy brought to life a gorgeous hero hurt by past hurts and a strong, spritely heroine who also had baggage in her past. Then how she brings these two characters to their happy ever after is just fabulous to read.
Highly recommended for all lovers of romance.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Polly Anna Adams was officially 'resting' as in out of a job. Her fiancé told her there was no 'kaboom' in their relationship just days before they were supposed to get married. And then left her to pick up the pieces. Cancel all the wedding arrangements. Then her agent walked in and made her go to the audition of a TV celebrity dancing show.
Her dancing instructor was Liam Flynn. And meeting Liam, Polly felt the 'kaboom' but did Liam also felt that? He was trying to get his career off the ground after some set back. Would Liam let what he felt distract him from his career goal?
BALLROOM TO BRIDE AND GROOM takes a reader through the various dancing ways and I loved reading it. The chemistry between Polly and Flynn was scorching hot, while dancing and off the cameras. Author Kate Hardy brought to life a gorgeous hero hurt by past hurts and a strong, spritely heroine who also had baggage in her past. Then how she brings these two characters to their happy ever after is just fabulous to read.
Highly recommended for all lovers of romance.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
August 23, 2016
I'm personally not one to watch reality shows, I much rather prefer to keep my nose on the inside of a good book. But when I read the back-cover copy of this book and noticed it's about celebrity dancing I figured I might need to take a peak at the real thing before reading the book.
So I took a little peek at the shows first before I read this book and what I found was that I really love the heat and passion that goes into the dancing and just how addictive the on screen emotions between the dancers can be.
I was a bit concerned that I would not find the same heat and passion in the book as the on screen is of course more realistic and in a book if the author does not convey that same realism the read falls flat.
Kate Hardy however gave me every single bit of heat, passion and flare I wanted and the added bonus of romance blossoming between the main characters Polly and Liam was perfection!
Polly was a very delightful character, and her always smiling her way through everything got me thinking that smiling is definitely the best way to handle most upsets in life. Smile and your enemies will never know what you are really up to, however when Polly is alone and the smile is no longer needed it also showed me that dealing with everything by smiling and never letting yourself really show another emotion in the presence of others will eventually take their toll and let the whole world think you are a easy come what may person and if they hurt you it won't matter as you smile everything away.
Liam was awesome! I very much admired this character for his courage to get back up and out there again to prove a point and become what no one ever thought he would be. Through this character the author showed that all it takes is determination and hard work and in the end it will pay off.
I'm taking a message of life hits us hard sometimes but if we keep pushing to claw your way back up to the top you might just meet others along the way that will show you the direction you are actually meant to be going.
A very awesome cuddle up with your best bear romance read!
5/5 star review
" The dance heat is on! But will it last behind the on-screen facade?"
So I took a little peek at the shows first before I read this book and what I found was that I really love the heat and passion that goes into the dancing and just how addictive the on screen emotions between the dancers can be.
I was a bit concerned that I would not find the same heat and passion in the book as the on screen is of course more realistic and in a book if the author does not convey that same realism the read falls flat.
Kate Hardy however gave me every single bit of heat, passion and flare I wanted and the added bonus of romance blossoming between the main characters Polly and Liam was perfection!
Polly was a very delightful character, and her always smiling her way through everything got me thinking that smiling is definitely the best way to handle most upsets in life. Smile and your enemies will never know what you are really up to, however when Polly is alone and the smile is no longer needed it also showed me that dealing with everything by smiling and never letting yourself really show another emotion in the presence of others will eventually take their toll and let the whole world think you are a easy come what may person and if they hurt you it won't matter as you smile everything away.
Liam was awesome! I very much admired this character for his courage to get back up and out there again to prove a point and become what no one ever thought he would be. Through this character the author showed that all it takes is determination and hard work and in the end it will pay off.
I'm taking a message of life hits us hard sometimes but if we keep pushing to claw your way back up to the top you might just meet others along the way that will show you the direction you are actually meant to be going.
A very awesome cuddle up with your best bear romance read!
5/5 star review
" The dance heat is on! But will it last behind the on-screen facade?"
November 16, 2017
Wow all that dancing made me want to learn ballroom dancing too!
Both Polly and Liam had to overcome past tragedies and were picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild their respective careers. The dance show idea is very current though I have never watched any of such celebrities dance competitions!
I enjoyed this story very much especially Vienna. Sigh! One part made me teary too...poor little Polly Anna with screwed up parents!
I would have given this 4* if not for the cruelly abrupt ending. Some things were still not settled! I want more!
Both Polly and Liam had to overcome past tragedies and were picking up the pieces and trying to rebuild their respective careers. The dance show idea is very current though I have never watched any of such celebrities dance competitions!
I enjoyed this story very much especially Vienna. Sigh! One part made me teary too...poor little Polly Anna with screwed up parents!
I would have given this 4* if not for the cruelly abrupt ending. Some things were still not settled! I want more!
February 6, 2022
I love this author’s books. She creates engaging characters, fabulous plot lines and her prose delivers everything you want from a perfectly written Romance.
This would have 5 stars if not for the incredibly abrupt ending. Some of the dance practice, scenes with secondary characters could have been cut and a much longer and more satisfying ending/epilogue could have been substituted. So one star off - but otherwise a lovely romance.
This would have 5 stars if not for the incredibly abrupt ending. Some of the dance practice, scenes with secondary characters could have been cut and a much longer and more satisfying ending/epilogue could have been substituted. So one star off - but otherwise a lovely romance.
February 23, 2013
Smile-and-the-world-smiles-with-you Polly Anna Adams loves her job as a children’s TV presenter. Until her fiancé, the show’s producer, cancels their wedding and brings his new girlfriend onto the production team. Polly can’t bear the thought of working with her replacement, so walks out of her job—even though a recession means she’s unlikely to find another one soon.
A door opens when her agent clinches her a spot on Ballroom Glitz (think Dancing with the stars/Strictly come dancing) partnering gorgeous ex-ballroom champion Liam Flyn. Polly fears her natural clumsiness will be her downfall, but convinced the show is a stepping stone to another presenting role, she’s is determined to think positive, try her hardest — and smile her way through.
Liam is equally desperate for her to succeed. A year ago he lost his marriage, his career, his home and his dreams when he was badly injured in a car accident. Experts predicted he’d never dance again, but he’s fought to prove them wrong. His new dream – to land a job as a choreographer on Broadway – is almost within reach, but first he needs to prove himself by taking his celebrity partner all the way to the final of Ballroom Glitz. Cue external conflict when Polly’s lack of co-ordination and clear inability to pick out a rhythm seem certain to jeopardise his plans.
Both Liam and Polly share the same internal conflict – fear of betrayal and abandonment, coupled with a marked reluctance to trust
Due to his ex-wife/professional dance partner leaving him for another man shortly after the accident, Liam has decided he’s better off on his own and needs to hold himself apart emotionally. When he finds himself strongly attracted to seemingly capricious Polly, he hides his normally kind, supportive nature behind a façade of cool professionalism.
But Polly has a strong backbone under all the sweetness and light, and won’t allow him to treat her so brusquely. A clash ensues resulting Liam apologising to her and seeing her in a different light.
Liam quickly realises that Polly’s super-bright smile hides low self esteem and is a brave attempt to fake it until she makes it –in all areas of her life. She sees herself as far too girl-next-door and clumsy to be a glittering ballroom princess and this affects her ability to grasp the steps and techniques Liam needs her to learn.
He fixes that by taking their practice session to a private candle-lit ballroom in Vienna, where he presents her with a beautiful frothy dress, then whirls her round and round the dance floor in a floaty Viennese waltz, kissing her as they spin. The steps come effortlessly and for the first time ever, Polly feels like the fairy ballerina she always wanted to be as a child.
They kiss all the way back to the hotel, and Polly wanting him more than she’d ever wanted anyone in her life, can’t resist his invitation to share his bed.
But by the next morning Polly has managed to convince herself that once Liam goes to new York, there’s no way she’ll fit into his life. To protect herself from the inevitable heartbreak, she makes the decision to push him away now before things get too complicated. Liam’s disappointment at her reaction leads him to retreat into cool detachment and re-affirm his vow to hold himself apart..
The second half of the book sees them attempting to focus on their career plans—plans that will end with them living thousands of miles apart.
Although both Liam and Polly have apparently identical emotional issues, they deal with them in opposite ways-- and it’s these differences that enable them to gradually change each other.
Liam believes he’s the only person he can rely on and he can’t trust anyone else. Although this belief gradually changes during the course of the story, he retains a strong sense of self-belief which enables him to teach Polly to have faith in herself and transform from clumsy tomboy to ‘gorgeous kittenish flirt.’
Due to a traumatic incident in her teenage years, Polly has learned to look on the bright side, hide her true feelings and ignore the difficult stuff. Embedded in this flaw is a great strength – her warm, optimistic nature. And it’s this which causes Liam to eventually see that keeping himself separate and pushing people away won’t bring him happiness.
I found the pacing of this story extremely smooth – due to Kate’s short punchy sentences and very linear character thoughts. (Each and every action was beautifully motivated leaving the reader in no doubt at any time as to why the characters were behaving as they were.)
My only quibble is some of the scenes seemed a touch repetitive (practice sessions, dancing on the show, facing the judges, basic dance tuition) but considering the setting of the story it would have been very difficult to avoid this.
Overall, this is a beautiful romantic story filled with tender emotion, sparkling (and sometimes very novel) dance scenes and an ending that will make you cry.
-- Athena
A door opens when her agent clinches her a spot on Ballroom Glitz (think Dancing with the stars/Strictly come dancing) partnering gorgeous ex-ballroom champion Liam Flyn. Polly fears her natural clumsiness will be her downfall, but convinced the show is a stepping stone to another presenting role, she’s is determined to think positive, try her hardest — and smile her way through.
Liam is equally desperate for her to succeed. A year ago he lost his marriage, his career, his home and his dreams when he was badly injured in a car accident. Experts predicted he’d never dance again, but he’s fought to prove them wrong. His new dream – to land a job as a choreographer on Broadway – is almost within reach, but first he needs to prove himself by taking his celebrity partner all the way to the final of Ballroom Glitz. Cue external conflict when Polly’s lack of co-ordination and clear inability to pick out a rhythm seem certain to jeopardise his plans.
Both Liam and Polly share the same internal conflict – fear of betrayal and abandonment, coupled with a marked reluctance to trust
Due to his ex-wife/professional dance partner leaving him for another man shortly after the accident, Liam has decided he’s better off on his own and needs to hold himself apart emotionally. When he finds himself strongly attracted to seemingly capricious Polly, he hides his normally kind, supportive nature behind a façade of cool professionalism.
But Polly has a strong backbone under all the sweetness and light, and won’t allow him to treat her so brusquely. A clash ensues resulting Liam apologising to her and seeing her in a different light.
Liam quickly realises that Polly’s super-bright smile hides low self esteem and is a brave attempt to fake it until she makes it –in all areas of her life. She sees herself as far too girl-next-door and clumsy to be a glittering ballroom princess and this affects her ability to grasp the steps and techniques Liam needs her to learn.
He fixes that by taking their practice session to a private candle-lit ballroom in Vienna, where he presents her with a beautiful frothy dress, then whirls her round and round the dance floor in a floaty Viennese waltz, kissing her as they spin. The steps come effortlessly and for the first time ever, Polly feels like the fairy ballerina she always wanted to be as a child.
They kiss all the way back to the hotel, and Polly wanting him more than she’d ever wanted anyone in her life, can’t resist his invitation to share his bed.
But by the next morning Polly has managed to convince herself that once Liam goes to new York, there’s no way she’ll fit into his life. To protect herself from the inevitable heartbreak, she makes the decision to push him away now before things get too complicated. Liam’s disappointment at her reaction leads him to retreat into cool detachment and re-affirm his vow to hold himself apart..
The second half of the book sees them attempting to focus on their career plans—plans that will end with them living thousands of miles apart.
Although both Liam and Polly have apparently identical emotional issues, they deal with them in opposite ways-- and it’s these differences that enable them to gradually change each other.
Liam believes he’s the only person he can rely on and he can’t trust anyone else. Although this belief gradually changes during the course of the story, he retains a strong sense of self-belief which enables him to teach Polly to have faith in herself and transform from clumsy tomboy to ‘gorgeous kittenish flirt.’
Due to a traumatic incident in her teenage years, Polly has learned to look on the bright side, hide her true feelings and ignore the difficult stuff. Embedded in this flaw is a great strength – her warm, optimistic nature. And it’s this which causes Liam to eventually see that keeping himself separate and pushing people away won’t bring him happiness.
I found the pacing of this story extremely smooth – due to Kate’s short punchy sentences and very linear character thoughts. (Each and every action was beautifully motivated leaving the reader in no doubt at any time as to why the characters were behaving as they were.)
My only quibble is some of the scenes seemed a touch repetitive (practice sessions, dancing on the show, facing the judges, basic dance tuition) but considering the setting of the story it would have been very difficult to avoid this.
Overall, this is a beautiful romantic story filled with tender emotion, sparkling (and sometimes very novel) dance scenes and an ending that will make you cry.
-- Athena
April 15, 2013
My mother loaned me this short romance novel and it was a very enjoyable read. It was not a sexually explicit read although there is mention of such activity. Both Polly Anna and Liam are well defined characters, each suffering from a world of hurt at the hands of their previous love interests and each has a lot to overcome before they can allow themselves to fall in love again. But the human spirit is strong and getting that second chance is what we all seek when hurt. The story definitely centers around the two of them....other characters contribute to a phone call conversation or to the judging team of Ballroom Glitz. Polly Anna must come face to face with her biggest fear/shame in life and finds it to be a freeing experience with the help of her dance coach. If you like clean romance stories, this is a sweet and fun read!
June 3, 2013
I enjoyed this story a lot. Liam, the hero is one of those dashing romantic characters you just know can't exist in real life - but damn, don't you want him too. The ballroom dancing story was also interesting - probably because it was new and different. And it's clear Kate Hardy has done her research when it comes to ballroom dancing. My only nitpick is that I would have enjoyed Liam's backstory fleshed out a teensy bit more. However, Polly's story is strong and clearly the main focus. She's feisty and likeable. I recommend it.
April 23, 2013
It wasn't just because I'm a fan of ballroom dance reality shows that I loved this book - it was absolutely packed with emotion. At one or two points I even had to dry my eyes with my pyjama sleeve...
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December 29, 2014Category: Home and Family
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews