Happy Friday, and happy October! It has been almost chilly the last few days – perfect weather to stay in and read 🙂 Today I’m linking up with Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and sharing from A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano.

Covent Garden, London, 1833

“He was so very blue. That was all my scattered mind could gather as he sailed past the window of Craven Street Theatre.”

A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano

The Basics

Title: A Midnight Dance

Author: Joanna Davidson Politano

Publication Date: September 7, 2021

Genre: Historical Romance

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover:

At their core, all theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most–and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater.

After a chance encounter with one of the ballet company’s handsome dancers late one night, Ella is swept off her elegantly pointed toes. The dance they share and the promise he makes to her feel like a new beginning. Yet as she faces mounting challenges in the ever-shrinking ballet company, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the ghostly ballerina.

Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own disastrous end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the unyielding grip of the past?

My Review

Joanna Davidson Politano’s evocative, lyrical writing style brings ballet in Victorian London to life in A Midnight Dance! Ella is an orphaned ballet prodigy looking for answers about her past and her identity. Jack, the unlikely hero, brings color and spontaneity to her rigid, perfectionist life. I love the way he helped her break out of her shell, and her faith helped bring him growth and stability. The mystery of her past raised the tension and kept the story moving. There was a twist at the end that I probably should have seen coming, but the surprise was delightful and ended the book on a high note for me! I recommend this book for fans of historical romance, especially readers who enjoy Elizabeth Camden and Roseanna M. White.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.