- Details
- Published: 31 October 2023 31 October 2023
I chose Anything But Graceful from the books offered to Rosie’s Book Review Team. It is listed as a second chance romance novel, but I would suggest it sits better in the category of women’s fiction as it is about so much more than romance. Grace Fuller is in her early fifties, a Hollywood estate agent who attends ballet classes in her spare time. She loved ballet as a child, but had to stop as her mother could no longer afford the classes. She takes it up again in her twenties, principally as a way to lose some weight, but it soon becomes the most important thing in her life.
At a house viewing one day, she is surprised to encounter Tyler Andrews, who she hasn’t seen since they were in drama classes together over thirty years ago. She loved him back then, but he abandoned her with no explanation, and soon after she gave up on her dreams of working in musical theatre. Tyler introduces her to his agent and she is offered a second chance, but self-doubt clouds her judgement – she still cannot believe she is good enough.
This is a fascinating glimpse into a world I know nothing about. Grace shows great determination and perseverance in continuing to dance, despite the obstacles in her path. She is still attracted to Tyler, but is haunted by the past. The writing here is excellent, the characters well drawn, and the Hollywood setting adds a touch of glamour. I admired Grace and liked that as the main character in this book she was an older woman. I was not so sure about Tyler as his behaviour left a lot of room for doubt. Thank you to DG Driver and Satin Romance for a digital copy to review.