by Mary Ellen Dennis
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: Aug 1, 2011
Source: ARC sent by publisher
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Summary from goodreads.com:
Set in the exotic
world of a 19th century circus, Dream Dancer sweeps readers into
deathdefying feats, dangerous rivalries, and a love that has all the
thrills and romance of the greatest show on earth.
Bold,
beautiful star equestrian Calliope Kelley has two passions in life: her
father's circus and daredevil animal tamer Brian O'Connor. When the
circus is destroyed by fire and Brian disappears, Calliope changes her
name and becomes engaged to another man. But then Brian returns and
everything in Calliope's new life goes topsy-turvy...
My Review:
I enjoyed the circus setting very much, it was very refreshing and unique. The author did a great job writing about the circus and it's inhabitants. However the romance in the story was off-putting for me. There were many cringe-worthy moments that made the romantic scenes hard to read.
Brian and Calliope had been separated since she had been a child, but when he returns to the circus, they start making out within the same scene. It seemed unrealistic and at the same time it seemed like Brian was taking advantage of a teenager. There wasn't a lot of development of their relationship besides the physical and what development there was felt awkward.
It was fun to read about the circus acts and performers though. It reminded me just a tiny bit of the travelling show in "Annie Get Your Gun." The author excels at the other areas of the story besides the romance.
Main Characters: 3/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: 2/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Bottom Line: I would recommend this book to readers interested in a unique setting who won't mind skimming over an awkward romance.