This is an author that has always humanized her female characters. For a romance book, I like reading about characters that aren't perfect, that are struggling in life with real problems, and are still trying to get it right. The heroine in this book, Tess, exemplified all these things. As always with this author, I found this a compelling read.

I did struggle with Tess's personality when her opinions trumped everyone else's. She seemed to know best in every situation. I had a hard time swallowing that. This character seemed more opinionated and belligerent than I liked. At times I really didn't like her. I also hated that in the end all the other characters decided she was right all along. Sorry but life isn't that way and I hated how a good story was wrapped up in a pretty bow. It had so much going for it and just made it a harlequin read that is a bit to sweet for me.

Saying that, I still enjoyed the book. There were several things that I learned along the way about midwives and street art. All in all a good read.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips weaves magic on paper once again with her latest standalone novel Dance Away with Me. Tess is a broken, grieving woman trying to put the pieces of her heart back together after the loss of her husband. Ian is an artist trying to survive his unpredictable, self-destructive muse he can't escape. A tragedy brings these two together in the middle of a tiny town in the mountains of Tennessee where both of them fail to hide from their problems. This story has all of Phillips' trademark themes: an unreasonably giving heroine, a selfish hero in desperate need of some personal growth, a small-minded community who has it out for the heroine, and side characters so nuanced and hilarious they could easily carry their own narrative in their own book. The dialog is snappy and funny, the tragedy is heartbreaking, and the closure is satisfying. Four big stars for this book I couldn't put down.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

SEP books are ALWAYS worth the wait. I never know what to expect, but I know that I won't be disappointed. Dance Away With Me was no exception. There is just so much amazing story packed into 300 short pages. Tess and Ian's story will break your heart on one page and then you'll be laughing on the next. Don't hesitate to pick up Dance Away With Me. You won't regret it.

Dance Away with Me may be Phillips best book yet. This standalone retains her trademark laugh-out-loud moments while offering characters with deeper emotions, darker pasts, cultural struggles and triumphs in a well-depicted setting. This title will appeal to a broader audience than romance readers. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thirty-five and widowed, nurse/midwife Tess Hartsong just can’t cope with the grief of her husband’s death and moves to a small cabin on Runaway Mountain Tennessee in hopes of healing. There she meets an enigmatic street artist and his free-spirit, pregnant wife Bianca living in a nearby old schoolhouse. But the relationship between the couple is very strange and headstrong Tess has to get involved. When Bianca goes into premature labor and curiously makes Tess promise to take care of the baby if anything happens, Tess begins to wonder what the couple is hiding.

Although this is not your typical SEP romance, it is a great story with much more depth and feelings.

Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - A Review

(First, take note of the spelling of Ava Winchester’s name in Chapter Nine. It’s spelled both Ava and Eva.)

Tess and Ian; where do I even begin? You know, I’m going to use a quote here from another book because it reminds me of them: “I do not know why you two are circling each other like stars...when only a few strides and a handful of stairs divide you.” This was the entire book for Tess and Ian. They circled each other endlessly, ignoring all of the ways they needed each other in favor of focusing on the few reasons they thought they were bad for each other.

Outside of the central love story that is the hallmark of any great SEP novel, this book hit on some important topics of conversation. Female sexual and reproductive health, miscarriages, and labor and delivery complications.

SEP is one of my favorite authors for a reason: she creates characters that are infinitely fallible, often times damaged so deeply that you wonder how they’ll ever find a way to heal. But they do, they always do. It’s sort of a guiding force for the way I live my own life. I think of all of the characters SEP has created and all of the horrible things she puts them through and remind myself that if they can survive all of those things, surely I can survive this season of life I’m in.

All in all, I loved this book. The tortured artist who is emotionally distant and completely blocked in terms of where his career is headed next. The widowed midwife trying to run from her problems and also figure out where her life is going to take her. Two fantastically complex characters surrounded by a full host of minor acquaintances who soon become family. Yet again, SEP has show why she is one of the best of the best in the romance genre.

Oh my goodness. It’s been some time since I have read a book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and after reading this I have to wonder why it’s been so long! Tess is running from her life due to grief over her husband’s untimely death. She is a midwife but is not a practicing one. Enter Ian North, a famous artist looking to determine what he should do with his life. His art is no longer satisfying as it had been in the past. Then we also meet a pregnant Bianca, who Tess thinks is married to Ian. Talk about twists in the story. Eventually we find that isn’t the case and Tess and Ian become the parents of Bianca’s child. Did I also say that where they are living is a small town that has certain ideas about what their kids should and shouldn’t do? Ah yes. And Tess being a midwife feels that the kids should have knowledge of birth control, which opens a whole new can of problems for her and some of the townspeople. What’s going to happen? Will Tess get her act together and start practicing being a midwife again? Will Ian discover what’s (or who) has been right in front of him the whole time? Read to find out.
Thanks to netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of this title for an honest opinion.

Tess lost her husband 2 years ago and is still struggling with grief. Noah is an artist who has been struggling with where to go with his art. There was not as much humor in the story as their usually is with Phillips book. The story is about grief, healing and starting over. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

If you like a Man Who Steps Up, this might be a book for you. It takes awhile but Ian North eventually falls in line. Tess Hartsong is emotionally brittle. Her husband died young and, two years later, she is still working through her grief (because grief really, really sucks.) But she decides that a rural area is going to be the place to heal. Also healing? 2 am dance parties. But her neighbor isn't into that. At least the male half isn't. But he ends up as a single father and Tess steps in. Well, "steps" might be a soft word for it. She is sort of barreling her way through life, undirected and decides to take on an orphan as well as teaching all of the teens in an abstinence only town all about prophylactics.
I have to admit, I was hoping for another Natural Born Charmer or Breathing Room. Both start with female characters on a journey (okay, it's a common plot device,) and we get to see them move through the book. And it took me several days to figure out why this book didn't quite hit that button for me and I finally figured out that the amount of resolution nowhere nears the amount of angst. Tess is so bottled up for most of the book, then sort of nuts, but then, poof!, she's all good. In both of the other books I mentioned, we get to see more healing and getting to see that depth of character is part of what makes those books so good. Also missing in this book? Relationship development. At least between Tess and Ian. It all felt so surface and SEP is usually so good at creating the kind of relationship that I sigh over.

Three stars
This book comes out June 9th
ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I am a huge SEP fan to begin with and this book did NOT disappoint. SEP has a way with creating characters that are easy to love, easy to hate and redeemable. This story had so much to love and every page, every chapter made me happier. The small town vibe was relatable and the secondary characters were enjoyable. I was so excited to read this book and now so sad that it's over. Great job!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been a principal player in the romance genre for many years. Her novels deliver thoughtful characters, emotional plot lines, and engaging prose. Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is another masterpiece to add to her collection. This story of heartbreak, grief, healing, and love is not to be missed. Readers will fall in love with Tess and Ian as they find their way out of the heaviness of grief and into the light of happiness.

I usually can't put down a book by Phillips. This book changes that. I didn't like either of the characters very much and I guessed what was going to happen. I didn't get very far and maybe I'll go back and try to read it again, but currently I've found books that grab me faster and have much more likable characters.

This was a sweet and heartfelt story about the power of new beginnings and the beauty that can be found in the seemingly darkest situations. I'm a suck for a good "starting over" story, so I enjoyed this one set in the mountains of Tennessee. It did get pretty sad at times but there were quirky characters and steamy scenes to balance it out. The dialogue and the pacing of the romance sporadically felt silly but the story kept me reading, rooting for a happy ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dance Away with Me had the trademark humor and romance that I've enjoyed in the past from Susan Elizabeth Phillips, but also dealt with more serious issues such as grief, teen sexuality, and the mother-child bond. The author balanced these nicely, and she also described the quirky townspeople well. I'd like to visit the coffee shop in the story!

This is a beautiful story of two people trying to overcome the hardships they have been dealt in life and the new trials they meet together. The reader meets the unusual and wonderful characters that live in a mountain town that in the backwoods TN. The author does a wonderful job of helping the reader visualize all these characters. It's like you are standing at the counter working right alongside, Tess. The reader is routing for all the characters in the this book. From the teenagers trying to figure out who they are to the main characters trying to help them or not. This book will keep you up reading all night.

SEP has long been a favorite romance author of mine. I have read and re-read her backlist and enjoyed every single one! *Dance Away With Me* was great. I can't wait to see patrons and fans clamoring for this book and then delving into her other stories. Truly satisfying.

Dance Away with Me
A Novel
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow
Romance | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 09 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 09 Jun 2020

I have not read another book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I found myself really caring for the characters. I read this book in one setting. Great book about the grief process.
Thanks to Net Galley and HC publishers for a great read and ARC

Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Philips is a lovely novel, a bit different than the author's other works. Grief, poverty, teenage pregnancy, death, and life-ruining rumors are all dealt with by the main character. They are all handled fairly and deftly by the author, although this novel seems a bit more grown-up than her other, more whimsical novels.

I have been a fan of SEP since the mid-9os and she is often my go-to for re-reading whether it's from my bookshelves or eReader.. Reading each book of hers is liking catching up with an old friend hearing about wonderful family dynamics, living amongst the crazy small town characters not shy in offering their options/advice the witty dialogues & banter between the main characters and the evolution of relationships as you grow older. This book will delight SEPPIES in making them remember the love and joy of prior books - Nobody's Baby But Mine (the women dancing outdoors, finding themselves again while taking a break from marriage), Kiss An Angel (the hero's tough childhood), and the passion of an artist (This Heart of Mine). Ms. Phillips continues to offer an enjoyable read with each book she writes.

It has been a number of years since I've read a Susan Elizabeth Phillips book, but Dance Away With Me reminds me of why I absolutely love her. She is a master at creating characters that while not perfect, make you feel deeply for them. Her dialogue is top-notch. While this book isn't as humorous as some of her other books, it is pitch-perfect for two people who are dealing with loss and change. I read this book in a single morning and found it very difficult to put down.