The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Sophie Dupont assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. In private, she paints the picturesque north Devon coast, popular with artists--including handsome Wesley Overtree, who seems more interested in Sophie than the landscape.

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother Wesley's responsibilities. Near the end of his leave, he is sent to find his brother and bring him home. Upon reaching Devonshire, however, Stephen is stunned to learn that Wesley has sailed for Italy and left his host's daughter in serious trouble.

Stephen feels duty-bound to act, and strangely protective of the young lady, who somehow seems familiar. Wanting to make some recompense for his own past failings as well as his brother's, Stephen proposes to Miss Dupont. He does not offer love, but marriage "in name only" to save her from scandal. If he dies in battle, as he fears, she will at least be a respectable widow.

Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie finds herself torn between her first love and this brooding man she barely knows. Dare she wait for Wesley to return? Or should she elope with the captain and pray she doesn't come to regret it?

My thoughts-

I don't even know where to begin with this story. I loved every single second of every single page, just as I have become accustomed to with each new Julie Klassen novel that comes out. This one is still her usual regency era fare, and it still has a very Jane Austen-esque feel which I love, but this book had the added element of scandal which was new and I quite enjoyed. Life isn't usually cookie cutter clean, even back in the day, so I appreciated a look into what might have happened in a scandalous situation in that time period.  I was immediately sympathetic for Sophie's character and enthralled with Stephen Overtree from their first meeting. He had a little bit of Mr. Darcy's brood going on, but right away we are shown he has a soft and caring heart, regardless of how it seems on the outside. I am glad that there was an opportunity to get to know Stephen as he and Sophie get to know each other before he went off to war. I enjoyed the entire cast of characters that live at or visit Overtree Hall. Klassen does a wonderful job of really making you feel like you understand the characters and the descriptions of the settings are amazing too. I absolutely recommend The Painter's Daughter (and all of Julie Klassen's novels) to anyone who enjoys regency era romances. She is, in my eyes, our current day Jane Austen and for that I am grateful.

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The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen Blog Tour & Book Review + Plus Win a Kindle Fire HDX!

*Disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Litfuse Group in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book:

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul---and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master---a man her mother would never approve of---but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village . . . and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

My thoughts:

I always look forward to a new novel by Julie Klassen. Not only does she write about a time period I find fascinating, she is a master at weaving a great romance between her characters. I was excited about The Dancing Master the second it was announced that it was being written. I follow Ms. Klassen on Facebook and love all of the fun things she posts about, including updates on her books she is writing and even things like a look at the cover models for the book! I was already excited just to HEAR about the impending novel, but all of the other stuff she posts on Facebook build up the anticipation even more, so I was more than willing to participate in this blog tour for The Dancing Master. I would have read it soon anyway!

I was immediately drawn into the story from the very beginning. I knew there would be some intrigue to the plot, some twists and turns and that is exactly how I like my novels. The prologue definitely opened up some questions right away and set up a great beginning for The Dancing Master. Right away, I had a soft spot for Alec and felt awful for him moving somewhere to avoid a family scandal only to find that his chosen profession of dancing master is prohibited. I also knew I was going to love Julia, despite her immaturity. It is appearant she has a good heart, but just quite doesn't know how to act appropriately. I do feel bad for her because her mother is strict and can be harsh and has kept some pretty huge secrets that Julia stumbles upon that answer a lot of questions about not only herself, but about the laws against dancing in their village. Alec also has some secrets of his own that he doesn't want getting out, but he can feel himself quite drawn to Julia, so they may have to come to light in the end. I absolutely love how their attraction to one another and their story unfolds. Ms. Klassen is a master at historical romance and I feel she is at the top of her game here. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I am a huge fan and have been since the very first book I read by her The Apothecary's Daughter. The Dancing Master has by far been the best novel she has ever written. I think that is a wonderful sign that there are still many more great stories in her and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to get lost in a good story. I almost felt transported into these pages. I wanted to be there, I wanted to hang out with these characters and I think you would too. I couldn't sing the praises of The Dancing Master enough. This is an absolute MUST read novel!

About the author:
Julie Klassen loves all things Jane---Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She is a three-time Christy Award winner and a 2010 Midwest Book Award winner for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Learn more about Julie Klassen at: http://julieklassen.com

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/s7Yl1

**********ENTER TO WIN A KINDLE FIRE HDX**********

Best-selling author Julie Klassen will be hosting a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway and a live webcast event (1/23) to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The Dancing Master. Enter and RSVP today!

 
  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 23rd. Winner will be announced at the "All Things Jane (from Austen to Eyre)" Live Webcast Event on January 23rd. Connect with Julie for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Julie will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, Jane Austen DVDs, fun "Jane" merchandise, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Dancing Master and join Julie and friends on the evening of January 23rd for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 23rd!