6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic first novel!, August 1, 2008
This review is from: Dance With Deception (Paperback)
I found Tracy's book to be well written with a great plot. The story of Gwen and Sebastian was wonderfully told--the way she fleshed out the characters pulled my right into their story. I cannot WAIT for her next novels to be published so I can see where she goes with the secondary characters from this first book.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Heroine is missing some perspective, April 8, 2009
This review is from: Dance With Deception (Paperback)
Even though Dance with deception is well written and the hero is noble and caring, I cannot give this novel above a two and a half star recommendation. This is almost solely due to the heroine who lacks perspective in so many areas of her life.
Gwen McAlistair is ever the dutiful daughter to her overbearing, mean spirited father. So when he demands that she becomes betrothed to a man she does not like before he succumbs to his illness and dies, she is quick to agree. (btw Gwen's father never says what is ailing him and Gwen never thinks to ask) However Gwen meets an old family friend Sebastian, the Duke of Davenport and rekindles her friendship with him which quickly escalates into a romance.
Sebastian is enchanted with Gwen and even though he has guarded his heart he knows he is falling for the perky upbeat Gwen and she seems to return his feelings. He is therefore surprised to discover she is betrothed. Gwen is most insistent on going through with the wedding even though her fiancé makes her skin crawl, is overbearing and possessive. She just cannot stand to let down dear old daddy. At times she is almost hateful to Sebastian, but it is for his own good she believes. For some reason, Sebastian wants Gwen and he is not above manipulating circumstances and even telling some lies to make it happen.
He manages to open up the McAlistair version of Pandora's Box which has repercussions for the entire family. He is unaware of the consequences of his handiwork mainly because the heroine keeps him in the dark about family secrets. In many ways Gwen's actions were erratic. She is obedient to the point of martyrdom with her father, but is stubborn and at logger heads with both her brother and Sebastian who only want her to follow her heart's desire. A little later she is passive aggressive with Sebastian but becomes confrontational with her father. She also is big into punishing those who have hurt her. She claims to forgive but I didn't believe her due to her actions. There are parts of this novel which have some dark overtones. Some family secrets really should stay secret.
Now surprisingly, I read this novel speedily. The print is large but the story moved along at a good pace with an unexpected plot twist here and there coming from characters other than the leads. This would have been a much more enjoyable novel if the heroine would have been consistent.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Dance with Deception is Delightful!, January 21, 2011
This review is from: Dance With Deception (Paperback)
I loved this book. I would normally not pick up a historic novel by any means on my own, but this was the pick of the month for my book club. Now, I guess I like historic novels. Ms. Goodwin's character description was perfect. The story flowed nicely and the story line was fresh and new to me. Can't wait for more Sebastian or maybe more Tristan! Yum!
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