Title: Dance With Me
Author: Billie Bierer
Publisher: Telemachus Press
ISBN: 978-0-9849833-8-4
Pages: 414, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Romance
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Dance with Me by Billie Bierer is a rollicking and romantic fun summer novel. The novel is the best of Western chick lit. Bierer’s book combines magic, romance, and humor to spin a captivating tale.The novel begins with Charlie (Charlotte) Rossi inheriting a horse, Run for the Roses, from her uncle Mike Lambini. Mike’s vengeful and dim-witted nephew Tony wants the horse not only because it’s profitable, but because it possesses magical powers. Charlie hopes for a new start in her life with the horse, so she relocates with Roses from New York City to Cave Creek, Arizona. Soon after arriving in the Wild West, she meets a colorful cast of characters that teach her about how to survive in the Arizona desert. While dealing with the heat, Charlie creates her own by falling into a love triangle with a caring veterinarian Wade and mysterious cowboy Jeff. Along the way, she learns a lot about horses, friendship, family, and love.
Dance with Me is a novel that combines magic, mysticism, and romance in an inventive way. To keep the novel from being too sentimental, the book is peppered with sharp humor, from Charlie’s dry wit to Tony’s slapstick pratfalls while following Charlie and Roses cross-country. Charlie is a strong protagonist that combines New York cynicism with a Western sense of adventure. Characters like Bluebird and Coyote Joe are a welcome contrast to the one-dimensional Native American characters found in other Western novels. They offer wisdom and comic relief, but also show their pride in their heritage. The most compelling character, however, may be Roses, the driving force that guides Charlie’s actions and softens her heart throughout the novel.
Dance with Me would be the perfect novel for adult readers who want a bit of adventure with their romance novels. This novel would be also ideal for readers who love their four-legged friends and want to read about the healing power of animals, like in The Horse Whisperer. Bierer raises Arabian horses, so her knowledge and love of the animal shines throughout the book. Dance with Me is a great example of a book that transcends genres because it mixes the adventure of a Western with the softness of a romance novel. The book also effortlessly captures the beauty of the West with the detailed descriptions of the desert and the breathtaking Western scenery. The novel is a great addition to any summer reading list and would make a great beach read.
