Blog Tour : ARC Review + Giveaway - The Dance by Alison G. Bailey
Photographer: Abigail Marie, Non Pa'Reil Photography
Cover Design: Murphy Hopkins, Indie Solutions
The Dance is the story of what happens after the happily ever.
Bryson Walker stumbled heart first into the steady rhythm of her life, never questioning whether other possibilities existed. She had been Will’s girl since their junior year in high school, followed him to college, and married him soon after graduation.
In every respect, they were a loving and successful couple, until a series of missteps shattered all of Bryson’s truths. Maybe their life was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. A performance that was never based in reality.
Hart was barely an acquaintance. He and Bryson shared one brief moment during senior prom, full of friction and heat that ignited a spark. But that night Bryson walked away and Hart let her go.
Years later, twisted fate brings Bryson and Hart together again, causing her to wonder if this is her second chance at once in a lifetime.
the Dance
Prologue
I stood in front of the glass wall, mesmerized. The fake sunlight shimmered down through the water, bouncing off the yellow, green, and pink coral. The blue glow of the tank gave the dimly lit nook a mystical dreamy feel.
The prom committee had pulled off an epic feat this year. Instead of having the dance in our gross school gym it was being held at the new state-of- the-art aquarium downtown. Once the student committee agreed, Megan Sims, head cheerleader and overly developed youth, was given the task of presenting the new location idea to the faculty advisor, Mr. Hall. During the meeting, as Megan waxed poetic about riding the waves of hope out into the ocean of the future, she hoisted her massive boobs up to meet Mr. Hall’s sightline. Three seconds into Megan’s spiel the dude was so titnotized that he would have offered up his first born in order to pay the rental fee.
At first, I had my doubts about spending my final prom at the aquarium. The fishy décor didn’t exactly scream romance, but I had to admit, it was pretty cool. The dance was in Ballroom A, which opened up onto a huge deck facing the Charleston harbor. Inside three giant purple octopus chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, casting cool shadows on the walls covered in varying shades of blue. Big white coral sculptures were at the four corners of the room. Tables draped in white linen with candles and seashell centerpieces outlined the room, leaving a huge space in the middle for dancing.
**Received ARC in exchange for an honest review**
"Bryson, from our very first moment you stole my breath and I've been trying to catch it ever since."
I kind of went blind into this book. I forgot what I read in the blurb and the only think I did remember was the sentence: "The Dance is the story of what happens after the happily ever." I think this sentence explains perfectly what the book is about. I had no idea which direction the author would take. This book is about Bryson and Will who have been dating for a very long time, since the beginning of their junior year in high school. They lived together during college and graduate school. So it was kind of an obvious step to get married after graduation. Pretty early into the book and their marriage I started seeing all the cracks in Bryson and Will's relationship/marriage.
"You are something else" "In a good way right?" "in a perfect way".
After a heartbreaking incident the wall between Will and Bryson becomes higher and thicker. I just couldn't stand Will. He was so indifferent to Bryson's feelings and started acting all distant towards her when she needed him the most. She had to put up with a lot from him. She finally started seeing Will's real face. Then Hart comes into the picture. I love him so much, and I especially adore how Bryson and Hart first met. It made perfect sense with the title of this book. Hart was everything Will wasn't. He was so sweet, considerate and supportive. I loved how Bryson bloomed under his loving care.
"Men think with their dicks. But it's the lack of character in the man that allows himself to be led by it."
There was a plot twist at the end that was heartbreaking and had me crying a couple of times but we also saw how Will redeemed himself. I didn't think that could happen but at the end of the book I felt bad for him. There were a couple of obstacles in Bryson and Hart's relationship but I think they handled those the best way they could.
I enjoyed this book a lot and the characters all added extra layers to the story. The writing was great and I wouldn't change anything about this book, hoowever I would've loved one or two extra chapters to see the relationship grow more. I love Alison's books, she always comes up with very intriguing and interesting storylines that have you on the edge of your seat. I cried, I laughed, was jealous, got angry and sad. I experienced a lot of emotions while I read this book!
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I was born and raised in Charleston, SC. I attended Winthrop University and graduated with a major in Theater. While at school I began writing one-act plays, which I later produced. My debut novel, Present Perfect, landed on Amazon’s Best Seller List and appeared on many “Best Reads of 2013” Book Blogs. The novel won Best Book at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention Awards. My second novel, Past Imperfect, was published in February of 2014 and appeared on several best books of 2014 lists as well. Presently Perfect, the third and final book in The “Perfect” series was released in Dec 2014 to rave reviews. In March 2015 all the love, swoon, heat, and angst were combined into the Perfect Series Box Set. My fourth novel, Stop!, released in June 2015, becoming a bestseller in YA/Teen category.
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