I am delighted to be on the Blog tour for Lynne Shelby’s Dancing In The Moonlight!
When dancer Nell Avery auditions for Speakeasy, a new West End musical, she is shocked to discover that the choreographer is Finn Harris, a man she never expected to see again.
Ten years ago, Nell and Finn had a casual, no-strings fling. He left London to work abroad. Nell found herself pregnant.
Having made the decision to raise her child alone, Nell didn’t tell Finn that he was the father, a secret easy for her to keep while he was hundreds of miles away. But now Finn is back – and he offers Nell a role in Speakeasy’s cast.
Nell knows if she takes the job she risks Finn finding out her secret, with unimaginable consequences for the life she has made for herself and her daughter, Savannah. But Speakeasy could be Nell’s only chance of dancing on a West End stage – the dream she’s had ever since she first put on a pair of tap shoes. How can she give up her dream?
Nell accepts the role, telling herself that all she has to do is keep away from Finn . . .
My Review
Dancing In The Moonlight by Lynne Shelby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, what a beautiful book!
There’s just something about a story set in the dance world, and here we have a gorgeous story based in the West End with second chances all over the show!
Nell is a talented dancer and a single mother. She has the chance of a lifetime to make one of her dance dreams come true by auditioning for a part in the ensemble of a brand new West End Musical, Speakeasy.
It’s tough auditioning for a part, with most of the others being much fitter, more energetic, and younger, but Nell is determined. Until she casts her eyes on the choreographer, Finn, someone she never thought she would see again after their friendship and fling ten years ago, where she was left a little bit heartbroken and a whole lot pregnant.
I love how this story developed, with Nell’s determination to succeed and her mothering side encouraging the others around her.
Finn is a character you want to cheer for because you know they would make a great couple.
The cast of characters surrounding them is brilliantly fleshed out, including Nell’s nine-year-old daughter, Savannah, a dance enthusiast, and Florence, a young ensemble member Nell takes under her wing. Who knows—maybe a story all about Florence and her fledgling romance would be good!
I also loved the backstory of Lily Dene, who the Nightingale Playhouse in the book is named after.
About the Author
Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, ‘Meet Me In Paris,’ (originally titled French Kissing), won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition. She has done a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor’s chaperone to legal administrator, but now writes full time. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre or exploring a foreign city – Paris, New York, Rome, Copenhagen, Seattle, Reykjavik – writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.
Social Media Links –
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynneShelbyWriter
Instagram: lynneshelbywriter
Bluesky: @lynneshelby.bsky.social
Threads: @lynneshelbywriter
Twitter: @LynneShelby5
But I Smile Anyway... 