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Muses of Scandal #2
The Dance of Desire
"Ross will steal your heart with this utterly delightful, romantic friends-to-lovers retelling of Beauty and the Beast."—Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of Queens of London
In 1873 Paris, a marriage of convenience between a ballet dancing beauty and a beastly earl is about to get messy.
Best friends make bad spouses . . . and worse scandals.
When Angela Bartham of the notorious Bartham family is stranded at the altar on her wedding day, she's saved from ruin by her old friend Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union to go their separate ways.
Left without choices, Angela agrees. But Sunny is no longer the sweet but awkward boy she grew up with—and who once loved her. A mysterious trip abroad has transformed him into a surly, secretive beast of a man who can’t seem to stand the sight of her. Nor is Angela the romantic girl who once danced all night under the moon. She’s a heartbroken beauty trapped in a fake marriage that can’t end soon enough.
To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. But what they don’t take into consideration is that emotions aren’t particularly rational . . . especially when there’s only one bed in the gothic feline-laden chateau they’re stuck inside near the Bois de Boulogne. Forced proximity reveals hidden depths, turning their marriage of convenience into a messy affair of the heart. Will Angela and Sunny's dance of desire come to an end, destroying everything they hold dear—including their friendship?
PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR DELPHINE ROSS:
“Charming and sexy . . . Ross’s debut historical romance is definitely a novel that will enchant readers!” — ELIZA KNIGHT, USA Today bestselling author of The Rebel Wears Plaid
"Chock full of compelling characters, charm, and heartfelt emotion.” — HARPER ST. GEORGE, author of The Duchess Takes a Husband
“Delphine Ross conjures . . . the era with a master hand. A fascinating read!” –MIMI MATTHEWS, USA Today bestselling author of The Belle of Belgrave Square
In 1873 Paris, a marriage of convenience between a ballet dancing beauty and a beastly earl is about to get messy.
Best friends make bad spouses . . . and worse scandals.
When Angela Bartham of the notorious Bartham family is stranded at the altar on her wedding day, she's saved from ruin by her old friend Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union to go their separate ways.
Left without choices, Angela agrees. But Sunny is no longer the sweet but awkward boy she grew up with—and who once loved her. A mysterious trip abroad has transformed him into a surly, secretive beast of a man who can’t seem to stand the sight of her. Nor is Angela the romantic girl who once danced all night under the moon. She’s a heartbroken beauty trapped in a fake marriage that can’t end soon enough.
To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. But what they don’t take into consideration is that emotions aren’t particularly rational . . . especially when there’s only one bed in the gothic feline-laden chateau they’re stuck inside near the Bois de Boulogne. Forced proximity reveals hidden depths, turning their marriage of convenience into a messy affair of the heart. Will Angela and Sunny's dance of desire come to an end, destroying everything they hold dear—including their friendship?
PREVIOUS PRAISE FOR DELPHINE ROSS:
“Charming and sexy . . . Ross’s debut historical romance is definitely a novel that will enchant readers!” — ELIZA KNIGHT, USA Today bestselling author of The Rebel Wears Plaid
"Chock full of compelling characters, charm, and heartfelt emotion.” — HARPER ST. GEORGE, author of The Duchess Takes a Husband
“Delphine Ross conjures . . . the era with a master hand. A fascinating read!” –MIMI MATTHEWS, USA Today bestselling author of The Belle of Belgrave Square
300 pages, Paperback
Published February 22, 2024
4 people are currently reading
3151 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
March 24, 2024
This was a charming sequel in the Muses of Scandal series. Angela was such a strong and interesting secondary character in the first book that I was hoping she'd become a main character in the future. In this book, Angela has realized her dream of having a proper marriage, but her wedding is disrupted in a terrible way. Her best friend, Sunny, steps in to marry her on the spot. Unfortunately, Angela turned Sunny's proposal down in the last book and he is consumed by anger and a desire for revenge. The couple moves to Paris to live separate lives in misery.
Except, this is Angela, the sunshine character. While she's devastated by the turn her life has taken, she find small bits of happiness in dance and taking care of animals. Eventually, Sunny thaws and realizes his earlier feelings are still with him. While Angela and Sunny's relationship evolves, he's dealing with a gossip columnist who threatens one of his friends and Angela is worrying about her mother, who is traveling to find her father.
While this book does standalone, it's more satisfying if you've read the first book and understand the full backstory of Angela's family. The pace is pretty fast and it's an entertaining read. I think I devoured this in a day! I'm looking forward to Lyra's book!
Except, this is Angela, the sunshine character. While she's devastated by the turn her life has taken, she find small bits of happiness in dance and taking care of animals. Eventually, Sunny thaws and realizes his earlier feelings are still with him. While Angela and Sunny's relationship evolves, he's dealing with a gossip columnist who threatens one of his friends and Angela is worrying about her mother, who is traveling to find her father.
While this book does standalone, it's more satisfying if you've read the first book and understand the full backstory of Angela's family. The pace is pretty fast and it's an entertaining read. I think I devoured this in a day! I'm looking forward to Lyra's book!
March 10, 2024
The Perfect Avenue for Escape
I adored every moment in this love story set in Victorian times. Early in the novel I was treated to a chaotic wedding that very much rivals a set piece wedding in one of my favorite movies: "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Then we are deep into the tense evolving relationship of our couple. Usually I'm identifying with the woman in a historical romance. In this novel I had tremendous empathy for the male, the Earl of Sunderland. I still wanted to jump in the book and shake him! With witty dialogue, this reminds me of the best of Georgette Heyer. Highly recommended.
I adored every moment in this love story set in Victorian times. Early in the novel I was treated to a chaotic wedding that very much rivals a set piece wedding in one of my favorite movies: "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Then we are deep into the tense evolving relationship of our couple. Usually I'm identifying with the woman in a historical romance. In this novel I had tremendous empathy for the male, the Earl of Sunderland. I still wanted to jump in the book and shake him! With witty dialogue, this reminds me of the best of Georgette Heyer. Highly recommended.
March 9, 2024
apparently per the author's note it's beauty and the beast but also ferdinand?? yes, it was as weird a combo as you're imagining
Once I found out the MMC was called "Sunny" but was supposed to be "beastly" I couldn't resist.
The Dance of Desire is a light-hearted romance with some of my favorite tropes. Friends to enemies to lovers, beauty and the beast inspiration, marriage of convenience, to name a few. The book starts off with a bang, and the pace varies from there. It feels like there's always something bonkers happening, and as entertaining as it was, the characters suffered for it.
TDoD is not a long book, so the constant action draws you away from the characters. Even though they were supposed to be secluded in France, there were hardly any scenes of them getting closer/living in such close quarters. There were lots of time skips, so we moved from action scene to action scene.
Angela (also, who goes from Allegra as a name to Angela as a nickname?) and Sunny (who utterly fails at actually being beastly, btw) were both a little frustrating, because they were supposed to have been great friends but neither seemed to know much about the other. I would have liked to see more of those quiet moments where they become friends again and let them have time to grow.
There are a lot of big moments for the side plots, too, which are kind of unbelievable, but if you enjoy an action-packed, light romance with grand gestures and lots of villainy, (and you don't mind a lot of typos) you'll like this one.
Once I found out the MMC was called "Sunny" but was supposed to be "beastly" I couldn't resist.
The Dance of Desire is a light-hearted romance with some of my favorite tropes. Friends to enemies to lovers, beauty and the beast inspiration, marriage of convenience, to name a few. The book starts off with a bang, and the pace varies from there. It feels like there's always something bonkers happening, and as entertaining as it was, the characters suffered for it.
TDoD is not a long book, so the constant action draws you away from the characters. Even though they were supposed to be secluded in France, there were hardly any scenes of them getting closer/living in such close quarters. There were lots of time skips, so we moved from action scene to action scene.
Angela (also, who goes from Allegra as a name to Angela as a nickname?) and Sunny (who utterly fails at actually being beastly, btw) were both a little frustrating, because they were supposed to have been great friends but neither seemed to know much about the other. I would have liked to see more of those quiet moments where they become friends again and let them have time to grow.
There are a lot of big moments for the side plots, too, which are kind of unbelievable, but if you enjoy an action-packed, light romance with grand gestures and lots of villainy, (and you don't mind a lot of typos) you'll like this one.
April 20, 2024
Book 2 in the Muses of Scandal series kept me rapt in this charming retelling of Beauty and the Beast, played out in the relationship between Angela, a ballerina, and Sunny, a once kind now surly "beast" of a man. Will their marriage of convenience succeed?
March 11, 2024
Sunny was unlikable for the first half of the story with his urge for revenge. It seemed like halfway through the author learned that annulments for non-consummation aren’t a thing and had to write themselves out of a corner. And for a forced proximity/marriage of convenience, I wish we had seen more of a development of their relationship. Too much telling rather than showing and too many subplots prevented me from cheering for Angela and Sunny. It got more chaotic as it went along and I never cared if they got together.
I liked book one better and while this was a miss for me, I’d still give book 3 a try.
I received an arc from NetGalley
I liked book one better and while this was a miss for me, I’d still give book 3 a try.
I received an arc from NetGalley
March 29, 2024
The Dance of Desire is a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, with quirky variations. Angela and Sunny met as children and are fast friends, until Sunny starts having feelings for Angela and doesn't know how to deal with it. By the time they meet again, Sunny has spent a lot of time away from society, and Angela has accepted her lot in life to have a perfectly suitable marriage, the kind that is "normal" in society. But when her most suitable groom proves to be most unsuitable, right at the moment of exchanging the vows.
Sunny, by now a surly Earl of Sunderland, offered the best solution: a marriage of convenience. And even better, one that they will live a year in the outskirts of Paris, secluded from society. What both Angela and Sunny did not count on, of course, was that time away gives them the chance to get to know each other once again, and better. Their invisible servants are matchmaking. And true love has a way of finding the light, no matter how in the dark it's kept. Despite their best intentions and their flimsy safeguards--not sleeping at the same time, so they do not share the bed (ha!), the bonds of marriage gives them a sense of intimacy and partnership, rediscovering their friendship and their life's passions, and facing adversities and adversaries together.
This was such a sweet read, and was a romantic slow-burn before the steam turns up--contrary to what I would usually expect from a Beauty and the Beast retelling. (This is not a complaint, more like a heads up to those, who may, like me, have expected spicier Beauty and the Beast renditions.) The slow simmer worked well to get Angela and Sunny to the closeness they've been building as childhood friends, and to pay off with the passion of a man and woman who've also grown emotionally attached. I loved seeing Angela and Sunny, who are their own persons and each battling their own demons, come together and face the world as a couple--stronger together than apart.
I received an ARC through the author Delphine Ross on #Netgalley. This review is made voluntarily, honestly, and for free.
P.S. My copy had some typos and several instances of using "discrete" to mean "discreet," which happened quite a bit for me to recommend one more copy-editing round to hopefully have happened before the final release. It doesn't take away from the story, but it just might be a little bother to grammar sticklers.
Sunny, by now a surly Earl of Sunderland, offered the best solution: a marriage of convenience. And even better, one that they will live a year in the outskirts of Paris, secluded from society. What both Angela and Sunny did not count on, of course, was that time away gives them the chance to get to know each other once again, and better. Their invisible servants are matchmaking. And true love has a way of finding the light, no matter how in the dark it's kept. Despite their best intentions and their flimsy safeguards--not sleeping at the same time, so they do not share the bed (ha!), the bonds of marriage gives them a sense of intimacy and partnership, rediscovering their friendship and their life's passions, and facing adversities and adversaries together.
This was such a sweet read, and was a romantic slow-burn before the steam turns up--contrary to what I would usually expect from a Beauty and the Beast retelling. (This is not a complaint, more like a heads up to those, who may, like me, have expected spicier Beauty and the Beast renditions.) The slow simmer worked well to get Angela and Sunny to the closeness they've been building as childhood friends, and to pay off with the passion of a man and woman who've also grown emotionally attached. I loved seeing Angela and Sunny, who are their own persons and each battling their own demons, come together and face the world as a couple--stronger together than apart.
I received an ARC through the author Delphine Ross on #Netgalley. This review is made voluntarily, honestly, and for free.
P.S. My copy had some typos and several instances of using "discrete" to mean "discreet," which happened quite a bit for me to recommend one more copy-editing round to hopefully have happened before the final release. It doesn't take away from the story, but it just might be a little bother to grammar sticklers.
March 15, 2024
Sometimes when life gets too hectic, you need a palate cleanser, like an amazing romance. This is that amazing romance. For those who read the The Poetics of Passion, this book picks up the story of Musa's sister, Angela (and you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy/understand this one). In Poetics, Angela refuses the proposal from her childhood friend Sunny, and she plans on marrying another. At the start of this novel, Angela is a bride about to be married. Of course, things don't end up as planned, and she and Sunny, a new earl, are thrown together.
I loved the roller coaster of the story: friends who become enemies; enemies who grow in love. The French setting of this historical romance provides a fascinating background to this story that is a riff on Beauty and the Beast. Ross had enough twists to keep me sucked in, and I loved that the subplot with the woman Sunny was supposed to marry. A lovely romance.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
I loved the roller coaster of the story: friends who become enemies; enemies who grow in love. The French setting of this historical romance provides a fascinating background to this story that is a riff on Beauty and the Beast. Ross had enough twists to keep me sucked in, and I loved that the subplot with the woman Sunny was supposed to marry. A lovely romance.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.
February 27, 2024
Did not live up to its predecessor in my opinion.
I felt quite uncomfortable reading Sunny’s “friend zone” character arc, his love for Angela in the setting of his revenge felt somehow embarrassing and entitled.
I also didn’t enjoy how once Angela fell for him she began deprecating her love for Philippe. I’m all for a slow burn friendship to love but this felt like Angela was punished for not returning his feelings and rewarded once she fell in line.
I also felt like the subplots of Sunny/Helene/Julia and him “defending folks in disguise” felt forced, in an attempt to make me think Sunny is a good person who deserves to be loved because of his selflessness - when all the while he’s treating Angela miserably.
Even in the first book I was thrown off by him proposing to her immediately after his father’s death, so his mentions of grief and trauma processing just didn’t ring true to me - it felt like an add on to his obsession with Angela.
I also feel like book 1, the writing continues to use references repeatedly and sloppily in a tell-don’t-show manner.
I’m hopeful for a better experience with the next book, because I really did enjoy Musa and Seb’s story.
I felt quite uncomfortable reading Sunny’s “friend zone” character arc, his love for Angela in the setting of his revenge felt somehow embarrassing and entitled.
I also didn’t enjoy how once Angela fell for him she began deprecating her love for Philippe. I’m all for a slow burn friendship to love but this felt like Angela was punished for not returning his feelings and rewarded once she fell in line.
I also felt like the subplots of Sunny/Helene/Julia and him “defending folks in disguise” felt forced, in an attempt to make me think Sunny is a good person who deserves to be loved because of his selflessness - when all the while he’s treating Angela miserably.
Even in the first book I was thrown off by him proposing to her immediately after his father’s death, so his mentions of grief and trauma processing just didn’t ring true to me - it felt like an add on to his obsession with Angela.
I also feel like book 1, the writing continues to use references repeatedly and sloppily in a tell-don’t-show manner.
I’m hopeful for a better experience with the next book, because I really did enjoy Musa and Seb’s story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2024
Sunny and Angela have been friends since forever, and he's been in love with her for just about as long. One year ago, Sunny finally proposed to Angela ... and she not only turned him down, she sent him a letter so final that he left the country. Present day, Angela is marrying another man and Sunny is attending the wedding when he gets the chance to step in for the groom. But now that they're married, they're both determined to get it annulled as soon as they can. But since they're stuck together for the next six months, any romance reader can see that these two aren't getting an annulment any time soon...
The beginning of this book is very strong. It's great to see a bumbling character not change, exactly, but to develop their own main character energy. Sunny hasn't gotten fit, lost weight, or become a rake; but he's less trusting of Angela, and as her view of him changes, so does ours. Maybe we're just too immersed in the romance world, but it was frustrating to read the relationship progressing so slowly. There is only one bed in their manor, and yet for months - MONTHS! - they manage to avoid even having a conversation with each other. We just wanted some more progression of the relationship; maybe dinners together? Actually sharing the bed (like, at night)??
That said, like the first book in the series (The Poetics of Passion), the world Ross has created is very intriguing. Her prose flows well, and we were invested in the relationship. We just wouldn't mind more romantic romance!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
The beginning of this book is very strong. It's great to see a bumbling character not change, exactly, but to develop their own main character energy. Sunny hasn't gotten fit, lost weight, or become a rake; but he's less trusting of Angela, and as her view of him changes, so does ours. Maybe we're just too immersed in the romance world, but it was frustrating to read the relationship progressing so slowly. There is only one bed in their manor, and yet for months - MONTHS! - they manage to avoid even having a conversation with each other. We just wanted some more progression of the relationship; maybe dinners together? Actually sharing the bed (like, at night)??
That said, like the first book in the series (The Poetics of Passion), the world Ross has created is very intriguing. Her prose flows well, and we were invested in the relationship. We just wouldn't mind more romantic romance!
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
April 14, 2024
An Enchanting love story of a beauty and a beast forced together in a marriage of convenience that will sweep you off your feet and leave you breathless🔥❤️🔥❤️.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
13 years after their first meeting Angela will break Sunny’s heart and he will not forgive her for it. Until one day, after the wedding when he recovers from a scandal and offers to marry her on one condition, they must annul their marriage in one year.🙈
Escaping from everyone, our Earl takes Angela to a palace in Paris away from the lingering eyes and journalists for no one must know about their marriage and then they can continue their lives where it stopped. Easier said than done right..? 😏😏😏
Because our Earl cannot help but think about her and remember his feelings Angela starts to see a side of Sunny she didn’t let herself think about before.🥰
Will this marriage turn into a real one?
Can Sunny Forgive her?
Will Angela fall in love with him?
Read and find out 😉😉😉
I loved this book so much. I devoured it in 2 days.
All The Beauty and The Beast vibes while even making it better.
Angela’s character was so sweet and her being a ballerina made her more sensual and passionate which I loved about her.
As for Sunny, being an Earl and all the responsibilities that come with it he was having a hard time especially when he views himself as a beast.
There was a lot of depth to the characters which was written beautifully and made me understand them, love them and root for them to the end.
In a nutshell, it was amazing and I highly recommend it BUT even though it can be read as a standalone I encourage you to read the first book “The Poetics Of Passion” so you can enjoy it more. Thank you so much @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #TheDanceOfDesire in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
13 years after their first meeting Angela will break Sunny’s heart and he will not forgive her for it. Until one day, after the wedding when he recovers from a scandal and offers to marry her on one condition, they must annul their marriage in one year.🙈
Escaping from everyone, our Earl takes Angela to a palace in Paris away from the lingering eyes and journalists for no one must know about their marriage and then they can continue their lives where it stopped. Easier said than done right..? 😏😏😏
Because our Earl cannot help but think about her and remember his feelings Angela starts to see a side of Sunny she didn’t let herself think about before.🥰
Will this marriage turn into a real one?
Can Sunny Forgive her?
Will Angela fall in love with him?
Read and find out 😉😉😉
I loved this book so much. I devoured it in 2 days.
All The Beauty and The Beast vibes while even making it better.
Angela’s character was so sweet and her being a ballerina made her more sensual and passionate which I loved about her.
As for Sunny, being an Earl and all the responsibilities that come with it he was having a hard time especially when he views himself as a beast.
There was a lot of depth to the characters which was written beautifully and made me understand them, love them and root for them to the end.
In a nutshell, it was amazing and I highly recommend it BUT even though it can be read as a standalone I encourage you to read the first book “The Poetics Of Passion” so you can enjoy it more. Thank you so much @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #TheDanceOfDesire in exchange for my honest review.
April 29, 2024
5 stars
Very good story. It's the second book in the series but doesn't really require you to have read the first. If you know the pre-raphealites then some of the themes are common to them, Originally Sunny and Angela were childhood friends....think a bit beauty and the beast, Sunny proposes but Angela rejects him. Next time she sees him, his turned up at her wedding and is looking fitter. He has a bad case of unrequited love and she's coming out of a couple of relationships. One good, one disappointing. Sunny marries her to prevent her ruination but because he's still angry about her rejection it's going to be unconsummated and then annulled in a years time. He takes her off to his chateau in Paris. I enjoyed the book and was rooting for their HEA. There'a a contuining story of her parents. The seies in about Muses so Angela is a dancer as Musa her elder sister was a poet...wonder who is next !!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Very good story. It's the second book in the series but doesn't really require you to have read the first. If you know the pre-raphealites then some of the themes are common to them, Originally Sunny and Angela were childhood friends....think a bit beauty and the beast, Sunny proposes but Angela rejects him. Next time she sees him, his turned up at her wedding and is looking fitter. He has a bad case of unrequited love and she's coming out of a couple of relationships. One good, one disappointing. Sunny marries her to prevent her ruination but because he's still angry about her rejection it's going to be unconsummated and then annulled in a years time. He takes her off to his chateau in Paris. I enjoyed the book and was rooting for their HEA. There'a a contuining story of her parents. The seies in about Muses so Angela is a dancer as Musa her elder sister was a poet...wonder who is next !!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2024
THE DANCE OF DESIRE is an absolute delight and hits all the right notes for a unique take on the Beauty and the Beast trope. I really loved The Poetics of Passion, and was curious about Angela and her hidden heartache, so I couldn’t wait to learn more about her and Sunny.
The setting—a solitary chateau at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne—is romantic and has a hint of gothic flair. I especially loved the secret greenhouse and the subtle nods to the original fairytale throughout. While Sunny starts out a bit prickly and well…beastly…we soon find out there’s much more to the story than meets the eye. With patience, honesty, (and kittens!) these childhood friends to enemies to lovers learn to trust one another again and discover a love that has always been there, hiding in plain sight.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series! Ross’s Muses of Scandal are irresistible.
The setting—a solitary chateau at the edge of the Bois de Boulogne—is romantic and has a hint of gothic flair. I especially loved the secret greenhouse and the subtle nods to the original fairytale throughout. While Sunny starts out a bit prickly and well…beastly…we soon find out there’s much more to the story than meets the eye. With patience, honesty, (and kittens!) these childhood friends to enemies to lovers learn to trust one another again and discover a love that has always been there, hiding in plain sight.
I can’t wait for the next book in the series! Ross’s Muses of Scandal are irresistible.
May 29, 2024
This is the second book in this series, and it is a very worthy successor. Anyone who read the first book,' The poetics of passion,' will have met Angela and (in passing) Sunny. This is their story and highly enjoyable it is. I thought that this book was a good deal better than the first, but possibly I liked these characters more. Who knows? Angela and Sunny have been friends since childhood, and through a series of youthful confusion on both their parts, they become estranged. This is a delightful tale along the lines of "Belle et le Bete," which I found to be so sweet. The writing seemed sharper and more focused, a well rounded plot ensured my interest was held all the way through. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of The Dance of Desire. I can't wait for the next one.
May 16, 2024
I was so thrilled to dive into the second book in Delphine Ross's Muses of Scandal series. Ross has crafted an utterly enchanting historical romance with Dance of Desire. This friends-to-lovers retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in 1873 Paris is a heartfelt journey of redemption and rediscovered love. Angela and Sunny's complex relationship, filled with past heartbreaks and simmering tensions, unfolds beautifully against the backdrop of a gothic chateau. Ross’s vivid descriptions and emotional depth bring their story to life, making every moment of their forced proximity and growing intimacy feel real and poignant. With charming characters, an evocative setting, and a perfectly paced romance, Dance of Desire is a delightful read that captures the magic of love's transformative power. This novel is a must-read for anyone who adores a well-crafted historical romance. I can't wait for the next book!
March 29, 2024
4.5 stars. This book was soooo much fun! The first book in the series left me with tentative hope for this author, and book two really delivered for me. Estranged childhood best friends to lovers is one of my absolute favorite tropes. Plus there’s an “only one bed, but we’ll sleep in it at different times” à la The Flatshare. And a break from England is always refreshing in a Victorian-era HR.
Sunny and Angela’s relationship is sweet and tentative. They’re both trying to guard themselves and protect their family/friends, while dealing with a very broken friendship and a marriage of convenience.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!
Sunny and Angela’s relationship is sweet and tentative. They’re both trying to guard themselves and protect their family/friends, while dealing with a very broken friendship and a marriage of convenience.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!
March 3, 2024
“I’m surprised Sunny’s here,” Angela forced out. His presence in the church was an uncomfortable reminder of the romantic love she’d given up on. Soulmate love. The kind of love that doomed lovers in ballets.”
And so begins the cleverly orchestrated forced-proximity set up in this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. A five-star charmer, full of yearning passion, kittens, a gorgeous chateau and a beautifully written slow-burn love story guaranteed to leave you satisfied while still wanting more. A rollicking five-star read. Can’t wait for more books from this talented author.
And so begins the cleverly orchestrated forced-proximity set up in this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. A five-star charmer, full of yearning passion, kittens, a gorgeous chateau and a beautifully written slow-burn love story guaranteed to leave you satisfied while still wanting more. A rollicking five-star read. Can’t wait for more books from this talented author.
March 19, 2024
While billed as a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast combined with Ferdinand the Bull, it read more like a historical romance with a nod to those tales. The male MC is no beast. He's sweet and shy but acts cruel when hurt. His shifting behavior didn't feel quite right to me, especially since he transforms in just six months but then he becomes sweet again.
Despite that, I liked him a lot more than the female MC. As a young girl, she's adventurous, bold, and fun but is a bit stodgy when grown up. She's supposed to be sweetness and light but mostly seems anxious.
An interesting pair to be sure.
There is a bit of an elaborate plot with secret marriages, secret engagements, muckraking journalists, and scandals.
The setting is lovely and the secret passageway a nice addition.
An entertaining read for readers who like a sweet and bumbling hero and his childhood friend. Friends to lovers, some spice.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Despite that, I liked him a lot more than the female MC. As a young girl, she's adventurous, bold, and fun but is a bit stodgy when grown up. She's supposed to be sweetness and light but mostly seems anxious.
An interesting pair to be sure.
There is a bit of an elaborate plot with secret marriages, secret engagements, muckraking journalists, and scandals.
The setting is lovely and the secret passageway a nice addition.
An entertaining read for readers who like a sweet and bumbling hero and his childhood friend. Friends to lovers, some spice.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 14, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook and this is my freely given opinion.
This is book 2 of the Muses of Scandal series and while it probably can be read alone, it would definitely be better to read it after book 1, since this story occurs after book 1, and book 1 sets up the family background and a progressive storyline about the parents that is ongoing.
I was caught from the prologue of this story because it started so very sweetly. The story starts 13 years before the present of the story, in 1859. We are introduced to an awkward, shy young boy named Virgil Sydenham, the Viscount of Sunderland, who ends up locked in the closet of the artist, Neil Bartham, who was commissioned by his father, the Earl, to paint his wife. This did not please his wife, the Countess, who disdains the family for their scandal. As the couple argue, Virgil escapes and hides in the closet, to find himself locked in. He is stuck and alone. But soon he hears the Bartham children playing outside and suddenly finds himself trapped in the closet with one of their daughters, who chooses to hide there for their game of hide and seek. They are stuck together until they are found by their parents. But during this time, Virgil becomes enthralled by Angela, the second eldest Bartham girl, and they become fast friends for years. Angela and her family help the young boy to have a sense of family and confidence that he does not have with his own family and Angela renames him Sunny, and it sounds like they had a sunny, idyllic childhood and friendship together. It was such a lovely beginning...
Everything is lovely and sunshine for the dozen or so years...
Until she rejects his proposal of marriage and breaks his heart.
This goes from being a beautiful friendship and with Sunny obviously loving Angela and worshipping her, to Sunny running away, spiraling down into a dark place and his love and friendship is replaced by hatred for her.
In the mean time, Angela becomes becomes engaged and contracted into what she thinks is a good respectable marriage that will help heal a bit more of her family's scandalous reputation. But that ends up blowing up in her face at the alter, and as a witness to this is the newly returned dark, and brooding Sunny. Deep inside, his feelings for Angela are confused and conflicted, but he still does not wish to see the Bartham family suffer as well, so he steps in and offers a marriage of convenience to Angela. This is a spur of the moment decision that throws all his carefully laid plans into chaos and both their families in the middle of scandal and the gossip rags. Bartham whisks Angela away to France, and plans for them to annul the marriage within a year out of the eyes of the media and London Society.
They live in isolated forced proximity, with seething anger and resentment overlaying his deep attraction and unrequited love on Sunny's part, and Angela full of regret for their lost friendship and love, and forced to face her own past and mistakes, but also facing a Sunny that is new to her. She is also confused and confounded by her feelings for him.
This is a friendship gone terribly awry, with heartbreak on both sides, but they are given a second chance to find each other. Perhaps in suffering their loss of each other to begin with, they are given a chance to grow, and learn and appreciate new depths and nuances in each other.
Very grumpy-sunshine (and that is all within Sunny himself!), and definitely with that Beauty and the Beast vibe in their interactions in Sunny's french hideaway. Lots of emotional highs and lows, and the added complexity of third party to the relationship, and Sunny's own complex family relationships and interference as well.
4.5 stars out of 5
This is book 2 of the Muses of Scandal series and while it probably can be read alone, it would definitely be better to read it after book 1, since this story occurs after book 1, and book 1 sets up the family background and a progressive storyline about the parents that is ongoing.
I was caught from the prologue of this story because it started so very sweetly. The story starts 13 years before the present of the story, in 1859. We are introduced to an awkward, shy young boy named Virgil Sydenham, the Viscount of Sunderland, who ends up locked in the closet of the artist, Neil Bartham, who was commissioned by his father, the Earl, to paint his wife. This did not please his wife, the Countess, who disdains the family for their scandal. As the couple argue, Virgil escapes and hides in the closet, to find himself locked in. He is stuck and alone. But soon he hears the Bartham children playing outside and suddenly finds himself trapped in the closet with one of their daughters, who chooses to hide there for their game of hide and seek. They are stuck together until they are found by their parents. But during this time, Virgil becomes enthralled by Angela, the second eldest Bartham girl, and they become fast friends for years. Angela and her family help the young boy to have a sense of family and confidence that he does not have with his own family and Angela renames him Sunny, and it sounds like they had a sunny, idyllic childhood and friendship together. It was such a lovely beginning...
Everything is lovely and sunshine for the dozen or so years...
Until she rejects his proposal of marriage and breaks his heart.
This goes from being a beautiful friendship and with Sunny obviously loving Angela and worshipping her, to Sunny running away, spiraling down into a dark place and his love and friendship is replaced by hatred for her.
In the mean time, Angela becomes becomes engaged and contracted into what she thinks is a good respectable marriage that will help heal a bit more of her family's scandalous reputation. But that ends up blowing up in her face at the alter, and as a witness to this is the newly returned dark, and brooding Sunny. Deep inside, his feelings for Angela are confused and conflicted, but he still does not wish to see the Bartham family suffer as well, so he steps in and offers a marriage of convenience to Angela. This is a spur of the moment decision that throws all his carefully laid plans into chaos and both their families in the middle of scandal and the gossip rags. Bartham whisks Angela away to France, and plans for them to annul the marriage within a year out of the eyes of the media and London Society.
They live in isolated forced proximity, with seething anger and resentment overlaying his deep attraction and unrequited love on Sunny's part, and Angela full of regret for their lost friendship and love, and forced to face her own past and mistakes, but also facing a Sunny that is new to her. She is also confused and confounded by her feelings for him.
This is a friendship gone terribly awry, with heartbreak on both sides, but they are given a second chance to find each other. Perhaps in suffering their loss of each other to begin with, they are given a chance to grow, and learn and appreciate new depths and nuances in each other.
Very grumpy-sunshine (and that is all within Sunny himself!), and definitely with that Beauty and the Beast vibe in their interactions in Sunny's french hideaway. Lots of emotional highs and lows, and the added complexity of third party to the relationship, and Sunny's own complex family relationships and interference as well.
4.5 stars out of 5
March 6, 2024
If you read The Poetics of Passion, you may recall the glimpses into Angela and Sunny’s relationship. Friends for years, she turned down his marriage proposal in that book, ending with him departing for Europe, their friendship over. Meanwhile, Angela got engaged to someone else… and that’s where The Dance of Desire picks things up. The disastrous wedding that starts the book is quite unexpected, and the way things rapidly turn out is even more surprising. I was certainly hooked right from the beginning!
Angela and Sunny were once friends, but now he sees her as an enemy. And this marriage they now find themselves in is, in his mind, an act of revenge. To escape the gossip, Sunny takes Angela to his French chateau near the Bois de Boulogne of Paris. It’s rather gothic, and only one room has a bed. That paired with Sunny’s rules make it a bit of a prison for Angela. This marriage of convenience, meant only to avoid further scandal for her family, will also be a short one, with plans to quietly annul it after a year. But what will a year of forced proximity do to their friendship… and the feelings of love Sunny still harbors deep down?
I loved getting to know both Angela and Sunny. They each have their own backstories, adding depth to how they’ve interacted up until now. Sunny also has secrets about what’s been going on with a French woman, Hélèn, in recent months. Despite his beastly attitude lately, I had a soft spot for Sunny and for how unworthy he’s felt for most of his life. Angela’s previous rejection only adds to his feelings of inferiority, and I just wanted him to know he’s amazing the way he is!
Another thing I loved is the Beauty and the Beast vibes. That is one of my top three favorite Disney movies, and I always love seeing retellings of it. Here, we have the French setting and the gothic chateau (not quite a castle), and even if Sunny doesn’t quite look like a beast, he’s been acting like one. Here, the staff go mostly unseen, which works with the theme. I enjoyed seeing Angela lose herself in ballet, and I was especially delighted by the basket of kittens that shows up in their home!
The Dance of Desire has some exciting action and a touch of mystery surrounding some of the French characters. But I also loved how tender the relationship between Sunny and Angela is, with former friends learning to get along again, perhaps slowly become even more than just friends.
The Dance of Desire is a charming and heartfelt book with depth, angst, and a bit of thrilling action. It easily combines a few different romance tropes with a lovely fairy tale retelling, ending up with a novel that is at once original and sweetly familiar. I’ve enjoyed the Muses of Scandal series and look forward to continuing it. According to the author’s note at the end of The Dance of Desire, the next book will follow Lyra Bartham, one of the twins, in a “Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale of forbidden love.” Consider me excited to read that as soon as it’s available! And I hope there will be a fourth book for the other twin, Theo, after that.
Special thanks to Muse Publications and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
Angela and Sunny were once friends, but now he sees her as an enemy. And this marriage they now find themselves in is, in his mind, an act of revenge. To escape the gossip, Sunny takes Angela to his French chateau near the Bois de Boulogne of Paris. It’s rather gothic, and only one room has a bed. That paired with Sunny’s rules make it a bit of a prison for Angela. This marriage of convenience, meant only to avoid further scandal for her family, will also be a short one, with plans to quietly annul it after a year. But what will a year of forced proximity do to their friendship… and the feelings of love Sunny still harbors deep down?
I loved getting to know both Angela and Sunny. They each have their own backstories, adding depth to how they’ve interacted up until now. Sunny also has secrets about what’s been going on with a French woman, Hélèn, in recent months. Despite his beastly attitude lately, I had a soft spot for Sunny and for how unworthy he’s felt for most of his life. Angela’s previous rejection only adds to his feelings of inferiority, and I just wanted him to know he’s amazing the way he is!
Another thing I loved is the Beauty and the Beast vibes. That is one of my top three favorite Disney movies, and I always love seeing retellings of it. Here, we have the French setting and the gothic chateau (not quite a castle), and even if Sunny doesn’t quite look like a beast, he’s been acting like one. Here, the staff go mostly unseen, which works with the theme. I enjoyed seeing Angela lose herself in ballet, and I was especially delighted by the basket of kittens that shows up in their home!
The Dance of Desire has some exciting action and a touch of mystery surrounding some of the French characters. But I also loved how tender the relationship between Sunny and Angela is, with former friends learning to get along again, perhaps slowly become even more than just friends.
The Dance of Desire is a charming and heartfelt book with depth, angst, and a bit of thrilling action. It easily combines a few different romance tropes with a lovely fairy tale retelling, ending up with a novel that is at once original and sweetly familiar. I’ve enjoyed the Muses of Scandal series and look forward to continuing it. According to the author’s note at the end of The Dance of Desire, the next book will follow Lyra Bartham, one of the twins, in a “Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale of forbidden love.” Consider me excited to read that as soon as it’s available! And I hope there will be a fourth book for the other twin, Theo, after that.
Special thanks to Muse Publications and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
April 22, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
After being shunned at the aisle, Angela thinks her entire life is going to blow up in scandal. She is saved at the last second by her childhood friend Sunny, who she has not seen in 6 months, since she turned him down. He is completely different from how she remembers him, becoming more uncouth and cruel than she ever believed him capable. To avoid his mother, reporters and the general gossip of London Sunny takes his new wife to Paris, to stay in a property his father owned. The only problem is that there is only one bed, and he can't stand to be in the same room as his new wife. He can't decide if he wants to hate her or desire her, making his actions angry, dominating, and downright rude at times.
Combining the one bed trope and with friends to enemies to lovers, this historical Beauty and the Beast retelling was a delight to read. To my knowledge, it was historically accurate, with the setting throwing me into the characters era. Sunny was a socially anxious bean, completely adorable but hiding behind the facade of a man who cares not for society or peoples opinions. Angela was an angel, a dancer who wanted nothing more than to protect her families reputation. Together, they made an unlikely team against the forces of gossip, blackmail and hurt. The redemption arc between them was swoon worthy and happened slowly, believably. The author included sapphic representation between a couple of the leading secondary characters, which I loved. I want to see more books that approach the subject of LGBTQIA+ in historical fiction as gently and sensitively as the author did here. Whilst there was some confusion surrounding the mian characters and their feelings, most of these were resolved by the end of the book. I loved the character development, especially in Sunny. I love a book that had characters that I can truly relate with and love - this book did exactly that.
There are some mild trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts, sibling death, and amputation. The author covers these subjects sensitively and with a grace that is often missing in books. I would put the age rating of the book as a 17+ as there are some explicitiss sex scenes. They weren't the most explicit I have ever read but are definitely not appropriate for younger viewers. The romance in this book was very slow burn, with the sexual cone=tent only coming at the end of the book. There was a bunch of sizzling tension, and I was on the edge of my seat, gasping at some of the plot twists. Combine that tension with exceptionally good writing, you have a recipe for a perfect book. (There were some grammatical errors, but I did read an uncorrected proof, so I'm hoping that when it is released, they will no longer be a problem.)
This book was an easy four stars for me.
After being shunned at the aisle, Angela thinks her entire life is going to blow up in scandal. She is saved at the last second by her childhood friend Sunny, who she has not seen in 6 months, since she turned him down. He is completely different from how she remembers him, becoming more uncouth and cruel than she ever believed him capable. To avoid his mother, reporters and the general gossip of London Sunny takes his new wife to Paris, to stay in a property his father owned. The only problem is that there is only one bed, and he can't stand to be in the same room as his new wife. He can't decide if he wants to hate her or desire her, making his actions angry, dominating, and downright rude at times.
Combining the one bed trope and with friends to enemies to lovers, this historical Beauty and the Beast retelling was a delight to read. To my knowledge, it was historically accurate, with the setting throwing me into the characters era. Sunny was a socially anxious bean, completely adorable but hiding behind the facade of a man who cares not for society or peoples opinions. Angela was an angel, a dancer who wanted nothing more than to protect her families reputation. Together, they made an unlikely team against the forces of gossip, blackmail and hurt. The redemption arc between them was swoon worthy and happened slowly, believably. The author included sapphic representation between a couple of the leading secondary characters, which I loved. I want to see more books that approach the subject of LGBTQIA+ in historical fiction as gently and sensitively as the author did here. Whilst there was some confusion surrounding the mian characters and their feelings, most of these were resolved by the end of the book. I loved the character development, especially in Sunny. I love a book that had characters that I can truly relate with and love - this book did exactly that.
There are some mild trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts, sibling death, and amputation. The author covers these subjects sensitively and with a grace that is often missing in books. I would put the age rating of the book as a 17+ as there are some explicitiss sex scenes. They weren't the most explicit I have ever read but are definitely not appropriate for younger viewers. The romance in this book was very slow burn, with the sexual cone=tent only coming at the end of the book. There was a bunch of sizzling tension, and I was on the edge of my seat, gasping at some of the plot twists. Combine that tension with exceptionally good writing, you have a recipe for a perfect book. (There were some grammatical errors, but I did read an uncorrected proof, so I'm hoping that when it is released, they will no longer be a problem.)
This book was an easy four stars for me.
July 1, 2024
I bought this book because I found the childhood flashback in the first chapter to be quite moving. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but I assumed it would be fine because these are standalone romances. However, at the end of this book, the author mentioned that she had had the hero propose to the heroine in the previous book only as comic relief at first. This unfortunately made a lot of sense to me. Like a zombie mimicking a human being, this book sadly just felt like a shambling mass of jokes pretending to be a coherent story.
The premise of the novel is that the heroine, Angela Bartham, is about to marry a respectable businessman and secure a stable reputation for the rest of the family. Angela considers it to be very important to marry well, as her family still suffers from the scandal of her mother, Clio, who obtained a divorce to marry Angela's father, Neil Bartham. Additionally, Neil has been missing for 7 years, sparking rumors that he abandoned the family. Sadly, Angela's plans to obtain respectability are foiled when, at the altar, it is revealed that her husband-to-be is a bigamist multiple times over. Honestly, this reveal was my first hint of how contrived and absurd this book was going to be; Angela mentions how her relatives have checked on this guy to make sure he's respectable only for 3 different women to reveal that he married them during the actual wedding procession. I mean, come ON.
In attendance at the wedding is Sunny, the Earl of Sunderham and the hero of this story, who has brought a mysterious French woman with him to prove that he's over Angela. (Obviously, since this is a romance novel, he's not.) When Angela's fiance runs from the nuptials, Sunny takes his place in order to salvage the situation. To prevent the tabloids from making a whole spectacle of the thing, Sunny decides that it's best for them to retreat to the family's Gothic chaleau in the Bois de Bologne near Paris.
For the first part of the book, Sunny gives off deeply pathetic Nice Guy vibes. The motivation we are given for him intercepting Angela's incoming scandal by marrying her is that he wants to get payback for a letter that Angela wrote him after he first offered marriage to her, a letter essentially going "it's not you, it's me" after Angela rejects his suit in order to marry the businessman. The conflict over this letter is what motivates the "tension" of the first quarter, which isn't actually tension so much as Sunny's bullish refusal to try and understand what Angela is going through. I liked Angela much better than Sunny, which is why I'm sad she's stuck with him.
Because I'm based and Angela Carter-pilled, I was excited to have the main characters reside in the chaleau by themselves, assuming the book would use their exploration of the house to develop their characterization. Instead, all that happened was some repeated hamfisted mentions that Sunny's dad bought the chateau after his first son died. We already knew this at the beginning, and the author only manages to do this by clumsily dropping lines like (I'm paraphrasing here) "Why did the chateau only have one bed? ... Angela realized that it was because the previous earl wanted to mourn the death of his son alone." Worst of all is that none of the plot involves Sunny directly working through his second son trauma, but he does have time for a random vigilante subplot.
It's crazy how much of the plot is driven by the side characters rather than the hero and heroine. They pale in contrast to the supporting characters Helene and Luke. Helene is a lesbian swordfighter and former nobility in depreciated circumstances, and Luke is a reporter sent by Angela's sister to help defend her reputation by writing favorable articles about her marriage, and he's the one who uncovers the plots of the nefarious journalist who's the main antagonist. I came out of this book thinking that Luke should have been the hero because he had more meaningful, plot-relevant interactions with Angela over the course of the book. There's a scene where Angela finally gets a tour around Paris, and Luke is the one actually accompanying her. Like, why even write a romance book when the main characters aren't even hanging out with each other half the time?
There's not really any meaningful character work or sense of atmosphere, but I kept reading because everything was just so random. Stuff would happen and I would be like "I guess this is what we're doing." Angela stumbles into a bar where the villainous journalist hangs out and Sunny coincidentally has followed her (because of his aforementioned vigilantism)? At the last minute, Sunny's mom (obsessed with propriety and hating on Angela's family) just waltzes into the picture and randomly decides that, oh, she's actually cool with Angela now? There was a duel and the heroine interrupted it by doing a grand jete between the two fighters? Just a deeply unserious novel.
The premise of the novel is that the heroine, Angela Bartham, is about to marry a respectable businessman and secure a stable reputation for the rest of the family. Angela considers it to be very important to marry well, as her family still suffers from the scandal of her mother, Clio, who obtained a divorce to marry Angela's father, Neil Bartham. Additionally, Neil has been missing for 7 years, sparking rumors that he abandoned the family. Sadly, Angela's plans to obtain respectability are foiled when, at the altar, it is revealed that her husband-to-be is a bigamist multiple times over. Honestly, this reveal was my first hint of how contrived and absurd this book was going to be; Angela mentions how her relatives have checked on this guy to make sure he's respectable only for 3 different women to reveal that he married them during the actual wedding procession. I mean, come ON.
In attendance at the wedding is Sunny, the Earl of Sunderham and the hero of this story, who has brought a mysterious French woman with him to prove that he's over Angela. (Obviously, since this is a romance novel, he's not.) When Angela's fiance runs from the nuptials, Sunny takes his place in order to salvage the situation. To prevent the tabloids from making a whole spectacle of the thing, Sunny decides that it's best for them to retreat to the family's Gothic chaleau in the Bois de Bologne near Paris.
For the first part of the book, Sunny gives off deeply pathetic Nice Guy vibes. The motivation we are given for him intercepting Angela's incoming scandal by marrying her is that he wants to get payback for a letter that Angela wrote him after he first offered marriage to her, a letter essentially going "it's not you, it's me" after Angela rejects his suit in order to marry the businessman. The conflict over this letter is what motivates the "tension" of the first quarter, which isn't actually tension so much as Sunny's bullish refusal to try and understand what Angela is going through. I liked Angela much better than Sunny, which is why I'm sad she's stuck with him.
Because I'm based and Angela Carter-pilled, I was excited to have the main characters reside in the chaleau by themselves, assuming the book would use their exploration of the house to develop their characterization. Instead, all that happened was some repeated hamfisted mentions that Sunny's dad bought the chateau after his first son died. We already knew this at the beginning, and the author only manages to do this by clumsily dropping lines like (I'm paraphrasing here) "Why did the chateau only have one bed? ... Angela realized that it was because the previous earl wanted to mourn the death of his son alone." Worst of all is that none of the plot involves Sunny directly working through his second son trauma, but he does have time for a random vigilante subplot.
It's crazy how much of the plot is driven by the side characters rather than the hero and heroine. They pale in contrast to the supporting characters Helene and Luke. Helene is a lesbian swordfighter and former nobility in depreciated circumstances, and Luke is a reporter sent by Angela's sister to help defend her reputation by writing favorable articles about her marriage, and he's the one who uncovers the plots of the nefarious journalist who's the main antagonist. I came out of this book thinking that Luke should have been the hero because he had more meaningful, plot-relevant interactions with Angela over the course of the book. There's a scene where Angela finally gets a tour around Paris, and Luke is the one actually accompanying her. Like, why even write a romance book when the main characters aren't even hanging out with each other half the time?
There's not really any meaningful character work or sense of atmosphere, but I kept reading because everything was just so random. Stuff would happen and I would be like "I guess this is what we're doing." Angela stumbles into a bar where the villainous journalist hangs out and Sunny coincidentally has followed her (because of his aforementioned vigilantism)? At the last minute, Sunny's mom (obsessed with propriety and hating on Angela's family) just waltzes into the picture and randomly decides that, oh, she's actually cool with Angela now? There was a duel and the heroine interrupted it by doing a grand jete between the two fighters? Just a deeply unserious novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2024
4.5 rounded up!
Ugh, where to start. This is tooth-rottingly dear without being plastic. Chef’s kiss. More, Delphine. More. 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
If you like sweet, soft, full-hearted, cinnamon roll boys who have hidden fire—this is for you.
Sunny won my affection in the prologue (honestly, I was invested in him in book one) as we see his childhood self grapple with insecurities about his bulkier weight/body and his unexpected role as spare-turned-heir to the earldom, but he won my admiration further into the story, when we see him grow and do things like I loved a friends-to-lovers, and I love a sweet, genuinely kind dork turned hero, so there was a lot to enjoy here.
I found Angela’s journey into love to be entirely believable; this is a well-done friends-to-frenemies-to-friends-to-lovers.
Ultimately, it was a cute follow-up to book one. One characterization qualm: That said, I adored Sunny, even when he was being a bit of a toxic butthead. I’m glad he was developed into something more complicated than comedic relief.
Ross does so well writing for this genre. Her characters are rarely one-dimensional, even the lesser antagonists, which leaves her stories feeling more nuanced and lived in. This is not a book that feels like it’s gesturing at plot points; it lives them full-out.
This is lightly inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Ferdinand, but I see more of Ferdinand in it. Additional bonus points for the fluffy, feet-kicking ending. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one!!
Ugh, where to start. This is tooth-rottingly dear without being plastic. Chef’s kiss. More, Delphine. More. 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
If you like sweet, soft, full-hearted, cinnamon roll boys who have hidden fire—this is for you.
Sunny won my affection in the prologue (honestly, I was invested in him in book one) as we see his childhood self grapple with insecurities about his bulkier weight/body and his unexpected role as spare-turned-heir to the earldom, but he won my admiration further into the story, when we see him grow and do things like I loved a friends-to-lovers, and I love a sweet, genuinely kind dork turned hero, so there was a lot to enjoy here.
I found Angela’s journey into love to be entirely believable; this is a well-done friends-to-frenemies-to-friends-to-lovers.
Ultimately, it was a cute follow-up to book one. One characterization qualm: That said, I adored Sunny, even when he was being a bit of a toxic butthead. I’m glad he was developed into something more complicated than comedic relief.
Ross does so well writing for this genre. Her characters are rarely one-dimensional, even the lesser antagonists, which leaves her stories feeling more nuanced and lived in. This is not a book that feels like it’s gesturing at plot points; it lives them full-out.
This is lightly inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Ferdinand, but I see more of Ferdinand in it. Additional bonus points for the fluffy, feet-kicking ending. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one!!
April 15, 2024
What a delight! I find myself just grinning from ear to ear. This was so precious! I received this ARC from booksirens.com and I'm choosing to review. The book has already published so I think everyone who loves a historical romance should go and snatch this up! I plan on reading the first in the series as soon as possible.
This book reminded me very much of Bridgerton. I'm a total sucker for a period piece. This story is one of everlasting friendship which grows into a beautiful love story.
Virgil (Sunny) was a lonely child and never felt accepted by his family or society. Enter a little breath of sunshine in the form of little Angela Bartham. They became friends and grew up together.
Many years later after Angela spurns Sunny's marriage proposal he attends her wedding as Earl to prove that he no longer loves her. All of that backfires when the man she's marrying turns out to be a bigamist. Angela stands stunned as two of his other wives confront him during the ceremony. Sunny, steps in and marries Angela to save her from humiliation and ruin. He convinces himself he did it to seek revenge on the woman who broke his heart and also to save her family from ruin since he still holds them in great affection.
They flee London in an attempt to allow the newspapers to get bored of the story. While at his estate in Paris they agree to have their marriage annulled after a year allowing the scandal to pass. Sunny tries to repair his relationship with the woman he was intended to marry.
But old feelings surface and secrets are slowly revealed. Both Sunny & Angela's eyes are fully opened to the other and they rekindle their friendship. They also have a hard time denying their growing physical attraction toward one another.
It's so sweet. I'm still grinning writing this review. It's so cute. I want more! If you love friends to enemies to friends to lovers then you'll love this tale.
This book reminded me very much of Bridgerton. I'm a total sucker for a period piece. This story is one of everlasting friendship which grows into a beautiful love story.
Virgil (Sunny) was a lonely child and never felt accepted by his family or society. Enter a little breath of sunshine in the form of little Angela Bartham. They became friends and grew up together.
Many years later after Angela spurns Sunny's marriage proposal he attends her wedding as Earl to prove that he no longer loves her. All of that backfires when the man she's marrying turns out to be a bigamist. Angela stands stunned as two of his other wives confront him during the ceremony. Sunny, steps in and marries Angela to save her from humiliation and ruin. He convinces himself he did it to seek revenge on the woman who broke his heart and also to save her family from ruin since he still holds them in great affection.
They flee London in an attempt to allow the newspapers to get bored of the story. While at his estate in Paris they agree to have their marriage annulled after a year allowing the scandal to pass. Sunny tries to repair his relationship with the woman he was intended to marry.
But old feelings surface and secrets are slowly revealed. Both Sunny & Angela's eyes are fully opened to the other and they rekindle their friendship. They also have a hard time denying their growing physical attraction toward one another.
It's so sweet. I'm still grinning writing this review. It's so cute. I want more! If you love friends to enemies to friends to lovers then you'll love this tale.
March 5, 2024
The Dance of Desire is a historical romance, featuring Angela Bartham, daughter of a notorious couple who created a scandal when they ran away together, and the Earl of Sunderland, who is a childhood friend that Angela christened Sunny. The story starts promisingly enough as Angela is about to marry respectably to try to elevate her family from where they've fallen since her parents' disgrace. The tension is created from Sunny's appearance at the wedding, as he has been in parts unknown since Angela turned down his marriage proposal. This is somewhat a beauty and the beast story, as Angela is considered a diamond, whereas Sunny has always felt like an awkward, ungainly second son. Angela's rejection--she's nursing a hidden lost love, and she has never considered Sunny romantically--solidify Sunny's feelings. He comes back cynical and cold. When Angela's betrothed turns out to be completely objectionable and she's left standing at the altar, Sunny steps in and marries her, telling himself that it's for revenge, even though it's clear he still loves her.
Oh, this book was close. I did really enjoy quite a bit of it. The writing is talented, and my attention didn't wander (Lorraine Heath and the ilk, I'm looking at you). But there were so many quibbles (if Angela was avoiding scandal, how did she not do any research on her obviously scandalous fiance?!). a subplot with Sunny's planned French fiancee (didn't do anything for me), and the fact that Sunny's coldness and distance was so contrived (there's only one bedroom in the home that they escape to, so Sunny sleeps in it during the day, and Angela at night? What?).
Four stars for almost getting there.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
Oh, this book was close. I did really enjoy quite a bit of it. The writing is talented, and my attention didn't wander (Lorraine Heath and the ilk, I'm looking at you). But there were so many quibbles (if Angela was avoiding scandal, how did she not do any research on her obviously scandalous fiance?!). a subplot with Sunny's planned French fiancee (didn't do anything for me), and the fact that Sunny's coldness and distance was so contrived (there's only one bedroom in the home that they escape to, so Sunny sleeps in it during the day, and Angela at night? What?).
Four stars for almost getting there.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
April 5, 2024
Genre: historical romance
Paris, 1873
Angela Bartham broke Sunny’s - the Earl of Sunderland’s - heart when she declined his marriage proposal. But as she prepares to marry someone else to help clear her family’s name from scandal, something goes terribly awry at the wedding… and she finds herself suddenly in a marriage of convenience with Sunny himself. But he’s changed in the months since she rejected him, and their relationship is nothing like the friendship they once had.
This had a really strong setup, kind of faded in the middle, and then ended stronger. There are a lot of sweet moments, but I also felt like there were a lot of threads that convoluted the romance. Also, she was trapped Beauty and the Beast style in a castle in France in this marriage of convenience with her childhood best friend, but stubbornness on both their parts kept them from communicating via anything but notes for a third of the book. There is Another Woman and Another Man plot line, both of which contribute to conflict, resolution, and growth of the overall story arc, but take away from the relationship development on page between Angela and Sunny.
There’s a lot to enjoy about Ross’s writing style, and this series has a lot of fun moments, but this wasn’t as strong for me as the first book. I still recommend picking this up, especially if you like childhood friends to enemies to lovers and locked-in-a-castle close proximity scenarios! It’s an overall pleasant romance, and despite the stakes stays fairly low angst.
Thank you to Muse Publications for an eARC of The Dance of Desire. It’s out now!
Paris, 1873
Angela Bartham broke Sunny’s - the Earl of Sunderland’s - heart when she declined his marriage proposal. But as she prepares to marry someone else to help clear her family’s name from scandal, something goes terribly awry at the wedding… and she finds herself suddenly in a marriage of convenience with Sunny himself. But he’s changed in the months since she rejected him, and their relationship is nothing like the friendship they once had.
This had a really strong setup, kind of faded in the middle, and then ended stronger. There are a lot of sweet moments, but I also felt like there were a lot of threads that convoluted the romance. Also, she was trapped Beauty and the Beast style in a castle in France in this marriage of convenience with her childhood best friend, but stubbornness on both their parts kept them from communicating via anything but notes for a third of the book. There is Another Woman and Another Man plot line, both of which contribute to conflict, resolution, and growth of the overall story arc, but take away from the relationship development on page between Angela and Sunny.
There’s a lot to enjoy about Ross’s writing style, and this series has a lot of fun moments, but this wasn’t as strong for me as the first book. I still recommend picking this up, especially if you like childhood friends to enemies to lovers and locked-in-a-castle close proximity scenarios! It’s an overall pleasant romance, and despite the stakes stays fairly low angst.
Thank you to Muse Publications for an eARC of The Dance of Desire. It’s out now!
March 7, 2024
When Angela Bartham is left stranded at the altar on her wedding day, Sunny, the Earl of Sunderland offers a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Angela agrees, knowing that with her family’s scandalous background, that she has no other option. Yet Sunny, who was once her dearest friend, now obviously loathes her. He proposes that they will quietly annul their unconsummated marriage and he does his best to make it clear that he cannot stand the sight of her. To avoid the chattering crowds, Angela and Sunny flee London to spend their year of marriage in Paris. Yet in the gothic feline-laden chateau, they’re forced to share the same bed, even if at different times of the day, and communicate through notes left on the pillowcase. However, their dance of desire soon seems likely to destroy everything, including their friendship.
Whilst Sunny feels that he is the beast to Angela’s Beauty, she never imagines him as such. To her, she is the friend who she longs to be with. Her sadness and reluctance to wed Sunny, is heartfelt and yet, the reasons gradually revealed as she begins to realise that she is in love with Sunny. I so loved reading from both Sunny and Angela’s perspective and marvelled at their ability to hide their true feelings. This is a five-star read, that comprised not only a beautiful love story but also had some engaging secondary characters such as Hélèn. I look forward to reading more about the Bartham family.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Whilst Sunny feels that he is the beast to Angela’s Beauty, she never imagines him as such. To her, she is the friend who she longs to be with. Her sadness and reluctance to wed Sunny, is heartfelt and yet, the reasons gradually revealed as she begins to realise that she is in love with Sunny. I so loved reading from both Sunny and Angela’s perspective and marvelled at their ability to hide their true feelings. This is a five-star read, that comprised not only a beautiful love story but also had some engaging secondary characters such as Hélèn. I look forward to reading more about the Bartham family.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 16, 2024
The Dance of Desire is the second book in the Muses of Scandal series by Delphine Ross. I recommend reading them as a series as you are introduced to the main characters from this book in the first one. You get a bit more of the background of what Angela did to Sunny...don't get me wrong, you get the overview here too but if you don't read book one, you're missing out on Musa's story and I think I enjoyed that one slightly more.
Angela and Sunny, The Earl of Sunderland, go way back but when she turned down his proposal last year (for reasons), a trip abroad has turned him into someone she almost didn't recognize attending her wedding. But Angela is determined to have an uneventful life married to someone she can get by with but when everything goes wrong...while she is standing at the altar on her wedding day, Sunny is the one who offers to save her. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union to go their separate ways.
Heartbroken and trapped in a fake marriage with a man who can't stand the sight of her AND stuck in France far away from her family, Angela doesn't know what to do with herself. As they try to navigate their feelings for one another while also trying to figure out how to survive a full year of living in a one-bedroom chateau, they come to an agreement of sorts and start to become better with one another. That said, there are some secrets floating around that will eventually come to light and if they aren't honest with each other, may mean the difference in their happily ever after.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was a great continuation of the series and I liked getting to see the rest of the Bartham crew again as well as get more of Angela's story this time around. If you're looking for a new historical romance, consider picking this one up! I'll be looking forward to more from Ross in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Angela and Sunny, The Earl of Sunderland, go way back but when she turned down his proposal last year (for reasons), a trip abroad has turned him into someone she almost didn't recognize attending her wedding. But Angela is determined to have an uneventful life married to someone she can get by with but when everything goes wrong...while she is standing at the altar on her wedding day, Sunny is the one who offers to save her. He offers a startlingly generous proposition: a marriage of convenience that will last exactly one year. Long enough for society to stop gossiping. Long enough for the press to lose interest. Then they’ll quietly annul their unconsummated union to go their separate ways.
Heartbroken and trapped in a fake marriage with a man who can't stand the sight of her AND stuck in France far away from her family, Angela doesn't know what to do with herself. As they try to navigate their feelings for one another while also trying to figure out how to survive a full year of living in a one-bedroom chateau, they come to an agreement of sorts and start to become better with one another. That said, there are some secrets floating around that will eventually come to light and if they aren't honest with each other, may mean the difference in their happily ever after.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It was a great continuation of the series and I liked getting to see the rest of the Bartham crew again as well as get more of Angela's story this time around. If you're looking for a new historical romance, consider picking this one up! I'll be looking forward to more from Ross in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2024
Since I am new to the works of author, Delphine Ross, I was eager to see what type of book she writes. The Dance of Desire had a intriguing blurb so I set aside some time to give it a fair reading. All I can say is that I loved it. Friends to Enemies to Friends to Lovers trope all in one story line! Fast moving but heartfelt emotion tucked into all the action. Beautiful writing that was quirky in its own way.
Sunny, at first came off as a petulant child with his impetuous plan for revenge. Angela is emotionally shut off to everything but the need to save her family's name and give her siblings a chance for success in London's society. Thrown together in a secluded chateau outside of Paris, they frustrate, charm and challenge each other as they make the best of their situations.
The supporting characters were interesting and played a integral part of Sunny and Angela's journey. There were twists and turns that kept me reading on balanced with witty exchanges. Heartbreaking accusations lead soul bearing conversations that touched my heart. I was tearing up as I celebrated each step they took in finding their way to each other.
The Dance of Desire is, in my opinion, romantic and enchanting. I am planning to read book #1 in the Muses of Scandal series and know that I will continue to read other books by Delphine Ross.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens and am leaving this voluntary review based solely on my reading experience.
Sunny, at first came off as a petulant child with his impetuous plan for revenge. Angela is emotionally shut off to everything but the need to save her family's name and give her siblings a chance for success in London's society. Thrown together in a secluded chateau outside of Paris, they frustrate, charm and challenge each other as they make the best of their situations.
The supporting characters were interesting and played a integral part of Sunny and Angela's journey. There were twists and turns that kept me reading on balanced with witty exchanges. Heartbreaking accusations lead soul bearing conversations that touched my heart. I was tearing up as I celebrated each step they took in finding their way to each other.
The Dance of Desire is, in my opinion, romantic and enchanting. I am planning to read book #1 in the Muses of Scandal series and know that I will continue to read other books by Delphine Ross.
I received an advance review copy from BookSirens and am leaving this voluntary review based solely on my reading experience.
August 30, 2024
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I read the first book in the series a while back and couldn't quite remember the tone. However, this book opens with a huge dumping of tea from butthurt 'beasts' to possible bigamy to running from the press like Mia in Princess Diaries. I was having a blast! Then we travel to France with Sunny and Angela to his house in the forest that is basically void of most furniture and all but one employee, and I remembered that this was a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling. Like yes Sunny is beastly at times, but it is kind of funny because as soon as he says something mean we see him struggling not to immediately apologize. I do like that he apologizes, a lot, for his actions. Angela is also really fun but complex in her own way as she has secrets she's never really told her former best friend. There is also an interesting side plot with a woman that Sunny was planning to wed that also led to more madcap antics. There's so much drama in this book. I also liked how slowly Sunny and Angela's romance progressed and that they kind of crafted a little family with the abandoned kittens they found. I had a really fun time reading this book. It was just what I needed; so although there were points that were ridiculous and the pacing was a little off at times, it feels like a 5 star read to me.
*Thank you to Muse Publications and NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts are my own :) *
*Thank you to Muse Publications and NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts are my own :) *
April 29, 2024
A great book . Terrific both our main characters . Angela and Virgil met when they were kids and even though her parents scandaous marriage they became best friends she even called him Sunny because of his red hair . Sunny always felt ungly because of his weight , his red hair . His parents always saw him as the spare and loved his older brother the heir of the Earldom . The only person who liked him for who he was was Angela but when he proposed to her she declined . Now few months later she is getting married with another man and he is invited at the wedding when the groom turn out to be bigamist . Sunny who wants to gets his revenge marries her so she will no create more scandal for her family . He offers to stay married for one year and then to have an annulment but they must stay away from gossip and scandal so they travel at his chateau in Paris . While he wants to hate her he still loves her but he also has promised to a very good friend of his that he will marry her . Angela starts to understant that the feelings she had for her first love wasn't what she feels about Sunny now that they are married and have shared some passionate kisses . Will they be able to be a happy married couple ?
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .
I received this book from netgalley and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .
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