Slow Dancing on Price's Pier: A Novel [Paperback]

Lisa Dale (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 5, 2011

A family learns that time can erase mistakes when the heart remains true- from a refreshing new storyteller.

Fifteen years ago, Garret Sorensen's family, trust, and heart were destroyed when Thea Celik betrayed him and married his brother. Now they are divorcing. Garret's ready to finally mend his relationship with his brother. But being back in Newport, Rhode Island, triggers a lot of memories-all leading back to Thea.

Thea's not ready to let go of the Sorensens-even if it means being around Garret. As they cautiously circle around each other-finding themselves drawn together-they realize following their hearts could cast them adrift.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Dear Reader,

Thanks for checking out Slow Dancing on Price's Pier.

Each chapter begins with a little insight into the history of coffee--it was so much fun to research! Coffee has a dangerous and fascinating life story! 

But aside from the excuse for spending time in coffee bars, I wrote Slow Dancing because I wanted to explore the parallels, similarities, and differences between young love and adult love. 

When teenagers fall, they fall hard--they don't test the water. They just jump in. Adult love can be a little more tricky. Adults hesitate. There are complications.

In this book, we see Thea and Garret fall in love as kids, then we see them fall again as adults. It's like two love stories in one. Complications abound, and I think you'll enjoy seeing how Thea and her family try to work out a seemingly unsolvable problem.  

Does your book group meet at a coffee shop and like a lively debate? Slow Dancing would be a great read for you! 

The reader questions at the end of this book WILL get your book group talking--and I'd love to join the conversation! You can get in touch with me on my site to learn how I can Skype in to your book group (no charge, of course! This is just for fun!). 

Wishing you much happy reading!

Lisa Dale - Stories for the head and heart.

Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, (Berkley, 2011)

It Happened One Night (Grand Central, 2009)

Simple Wishes (Grand Central, 2009)

About the Author

Lisa Dale believes there are few things better than curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. A nominee for Best New American Voices and The Pushcart Prize, Lisa lives in northern New Jersey with her fiancé.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425239950
• ISBN-13: 978-0425239957
• Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 5.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,980,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am nerd who likes smart, romantic stories that are emotional and character-driven! When I'm not writing, I'm reading, knitting, or hanging out with friends.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite a Love Triangle June 21, 2011

By Stephanie Rollins

Format:Paperback

Thea married Jonathan when they were both young, but her heart has always belonged to his brother, Garrett. Jonathan was the safe brother. Garrett was a bit unruly and less predictable. Fifteen years and 1 daughter later, Jonathan ends the marriage by hopping into bed with another woman.

Thea seeks out the person she should be--now that she has her weekends without her daughter, she is free from the covenant of marriage, and now that she has the freedom she gave up so long ago. Thea finds out that she is content with who she is, but there is one problem. She still loves Garrett, and Garrett still loves her. Jonathan and his parents do not give their blessing for this romance. Will Garrett and Thea follow their hearts regardless of his family, Jonathan, and the daughter?

Thea has created quite a love triangle. My normal reaction would be for her to salvage her realtionship with her husband in order to keep from breaking up another family. Lisa Dale pulled at my heartstrings and made me root for Garrett.

The bouncing back and forth between the present and the past annoyed me at first, but I eventually grasped the concept. The newspaper articles about the history and impact of coffee may not have added much to the story, but they were interesting. I enjoyed all the characters. Their personalities and motivations were clearly developed. The plot was excellent. Many other reviewers have deemed this book to be predictable. I disagree. I did not predict the ending correctly. This makes for a great escape!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining family drama April 7, 2011

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Paperback

In Newport, Rhode Island, Coffee shop owner Thea Celik is divorcing her husband Jonathan Sorenson after ten years of marriage and a ten years old daughter Irina. At the same time, lobbyist Garrett Sorenson comes home after fifteen years away due to his then high school girlfriend Thea and his brother betraying him when they married. Their split makes him believe it is time for the Sorenson family to reconcile starting with a divorce party in Providence.

When Garrett and Thea meet, each is stunned as their attraction remains as strong as it did when they were teens. Although she wants to stay away from Garrett, she wants her child to know his paternal family. Garrett wants to know his niece, but distrusts Thea and his feelings towards her.

This is an entertaining family drama starring a strong woman who refuses to rat out her cheating husband to anyone especially his mother Sue who she loves. The competing brothers (and the other males) seem a bit emaciated compared to the female trio of Thea, Sue and Irina, who own the story line. Switching character viewpoints in the present and a decade ago, fans will enjoy drinking coffee and Slow Dancing on Price's Pier.

Harriet Klausner

4.0 out of 5 stars Slow Dancing on Price's Pier July 17, 2011

By Samantha J

Format:Paperback

Thea Celik couldn't help but to fall head over heels for Garret Sorensen when she was in high school. The Sorenson family took her in when her family left the country, and she thought she had it all- a second family, a boyfriend, and a best friend- Garret's brother Jonathan. But when she and Garret break up, Thea is left heartbroken and confused. When Thea finds herself in a tough position, Jonathan steps up and asks Thea to marry him. Still confused and bewildered over Garret, Thea accepts the proposal, splitting the once close Sorenson family. Now, fifteen years later, Thea and Jonathan are divorcing, and Garret is back on the scene. After becoming a successful lobbyist with always a woman to choose from, he and Thea are suddenly thrust back together. Will Thea realize what a mistake she made to let Garret go? And can Garret forgive Thea, and himself, for those choices made so many years ago?

Slow Dancing on Price's Pier is an intricate novel from Lisa Dale full of passion and confusion. I was often swept up in the emotion of the characters, all of the characters. The story often switches from past to present, which took me a second to get used to, but I loved the style once I caught on. The plot will definitely touch your heart, and there were times where I really wasn't sure who I was rooting for. Did I want Thea to be with Jonathan or Garret? Did I want Thea to be with anyone? Readers will learn about Thea's past decisions further along in the story, and she wasn't always extremely likable, but very relatable, which I thought was excellent. Overall, a great story about the complications of love and family, and I would recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Do you believe in second chances? May 18, 2011

By Laurie Emerson

Format:Paperback

At first, I thought this book would be about second chances for first loves but once I began to read it I found it was so much more.

Thea, Garrett and Garrett's brother Jonathan became their own trio of friends until Jonathan and Thea fell in love and were married. This not only caused a rift between friends and brothers, but also between the Sorensen's, Jonathans and Garretts parents. Thea and Jonathan's marriage seemed to be on track until Jonathan cheated on her and their marriage fell apart. Like a lot of failed marriages, Thea may have had to end her marriage but she did not want to end her relationship with her in-laws, especially as she so desperately wanted their daughter Irina to be close to her grandparents.

Garrett is very much in the picture now and allows his brother Jonathan to move in with him, which I admit at first I thought was a bad idea. Things begin to happen though that bring the brothers to a place where they had broken off 15 years before they angrily parted. Although the adults are hurting for different reasons, the person who is having the most difficulty in dealing with the end of the marriage is their daughter Irina. I wanted to reach through the book and comfort her as she was so beautifully created that you could feel her pain through each of her words and action. This review is far too simple for a book whose author has so intricately woven the emotions of a broken family into a cloth of forgiveness and beginnings.

I love the way the author has so perfectly captured the emotions of a family splintered by a divorce, especially the in-laws as they are often caught in the middle.... I love the strength of the women in the book as well as seeing both the strengths and weakeness's of the men, which make them understandable and likeable as well. Most of all I like how acurately the author portrays the hurt and bewilderment of the daughter who does not understand what is happening and is hurting in so many ways. This book was written with so much understanding and warmth of family dynamics. Read more ›