Circle Dance by Lynne & Valerie Constantine
Publisher - Bookbaby
Publish Date - 11/7/12
Genre - Contemporary Women's Fiction
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My Rating:
About the Authors
Lynne Constantine is a coffee drinking,
twitter addicted, fiction writer always working on her next book. She is the
co-author of CIRCLE DANCE, a family saga written with her sister, as well as the
author of several short stories. She is the managing partner of a social media
consulting firm & gives talks on the role of social media in publishing. She is a
contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine published by International Thriller
Writers (ITW). She likes to run her plots by Tucker, her golden retriever, who rarely
disagrees with her.
Valerie Constantine was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She has
always loved books and spent too many nights reading by the light of her bedside lamp
until 3 a.m. (Those were the days when she was able to stay up that late.) She
graduated from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare and went on to study at the University Maryland where she received a degree in English Literature. She is a
contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine and has also worked with St. John’s College as
chair of their Meet The Authors Program. She is an active community volunteer working
with a
Washington, D.C. organization that fights human trafficking and also as
president of Assistance League of the Chesapeake, a philanthropic organization that
helps and supports children in need. In her spare time she reads, kayaks and
travels. Valerie lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband
and Zorba, their brilliant King Charles Cavalier.
About the Book:
Young, smart and beautiful with everything figured out – or so they thought. Born into a prosperous Greek American family, sisters Nicole and Theodora have achieved the perfect balance between the old world rich in Greek tradition and the freedom of life in America.
Nicole’s world spins out of control when she falls for a married senator who shares her heritage and her dreams. The decisions she makes will affect the happiness of those closest to her and will define the woman she is to become.
As Theodora struggles to succeed at her marriage, she seeks the wisdom and council of her beloved Greek grandmother who has been happily married for over half a century. Ultimately she must come to terms with the reality of her own life and take responsibility for the role she has played in deceiving herself.
As the dramatic plot unfolds, the two young women must confront deceit and betrayal and their own shortcomings—while they struggle to preserve the values they cherish.
Set in Baltimore, Annapolis and the tiny island of Ikaria, Greece, Circle Dance provides a view into the lives of a dynamic family that has successfully achieved the American dream without abandoning the customs and traditions handed down through their Greek heritage.
Review:
The initial synopsis of the plot of this story was enough to capture my attention and sign up for this tour. But, to be honest, I still wasn't so sure that I was going to enjoy it. Well, after about 10 pages in - I was hooked. The writing style was so smooth and easy, that it drew me in right away. You can't help but love Nicole and Theodora from the first few pages. The two of them are such different characters and I just couldn't wait to see how they were going to come out on the other side of very different struggles.
When I imagine a Greek family, this was exactly how I pictured it. Passionate, close knit and full of life. It really brought this unique heritage to life for me. The bond between this family is one that can never be broken and they really stick together to get through tough times. Nicole and Theodora are incredibly easy to relate to and seem like real people that you might meet at a coffee shop or something.
The plot line was somewhat predictable (there were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming), but that didn't stop me from enjoying every page. I seriously did not want to stop reading and I spent many late nights doing the whole "one more chapter" bit until I just fell asleep holding my Kindle. I wanted so desperately for the "bad guys" to be caught and for resolutions to come to the girls. I couldn't get to the end fast enough!
Pair This With:
Hermes Greek White - For this book, it made me want to go search out a Greek wine. I had never tried one before and I was in the mood for a white wine. This one was light and crisp and went down easy. It has hints of peach and herbs. This would pair well with a mozzarella and tomato salad or seafood.
