by Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley
The Restoration Series, Book 1
Christian Fiction / Contemporary
Available April 2013
Revell Books
352 pages
About the Book
Love’s recovery starts with a single step . . .
After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn Anderson is tired of playing the role of perfect wife. Her husband Jim is a successful businessman who gives her everything she needs-a beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood, the financial freedom to be a stay-at-home mom, an enviable collection of stuff. Everything, that is, except what really matters: love.
After years of trying to connect with Jim, Marilyn has had enough. She longs to experience some measure of happiness before she’s too old to enjoy it. Needing some time to herself to sort things out, Marilyn leaves to start a new job and take dancing lessons-something she has wanted to do for as long as she can remember.
Shocked to find his wife gone, Jim Anderson must sort through the past to save his marriage. With a little help from an unexpected ally, he begins a campaign to win Marilyn back. What he doesn’t anticipate is how his actions will affect everyone around him-starting with himself.
My Thoughts
I was intrigued by the idea of Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley teaming up to write a new fiction series. I've loved the other books I've read by Dan Walsh, and Gary Smalley's series with Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorites of all time. So The Dance (and the whole series) definitely had potential for me.
I thought the story itself was really good. It was definitely hard to read about a couple whose marriage is falling apart and how it affected not only them but also their three kids. The book was so emotional ... just reading the emotions and thoughts of all parties involved and knowing that people that I know face similar situations was hard.
Audrey was my favorite character by far! I loved how her friendship with both Jim and Marilyn had such an impact on their marriage. Her story on its own was inspiring and I enjoyed the "secondary" story.
There were a few aspects of the book that bothered me. While I know the purpose of the book was to use fiction to teach about relationships, at times the book was super "preachy." Those sections took me out of the story and felt like I was reading more of a sermon or something. Also, the ending wrapped up really fast. So much of the story was spent talking about the problems of Jim and Marilyn's marriage and their individual efforts to resolve things and then the book ended without really giving much insight to how they planned to work on their problems together ... as a couple. The ending was sweet, don't get me wrong, but it was a little too "tidy" for me given how the book started.
Overall, though, The Dance was sweet, and I enjoyed this quick read. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the rest of this series or not. However, I'm still a huge fan of both of the authors! [3 stars]
I received a free copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for my fair and honest review.
I was intrigued by the idea of Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley teaming up to write a new fiction series. I've loved the other books I've read by Dan Walsh, and Gary Smalley's series with Karen Kingsbury is one of my favorites of all time. So The Dance (and the whole series) definitely had potential for me.
I thought the story itself was really good. It was definitely hard to read about a couple whose marriage is falling apart and how it affected not only them but also their three kids. The book was so emotional ... just reading the emotions and thoughts of all parties involved and knowing that people that I know face similar situations was hard.
Audrey was my favorite character by far! I loved how her friendship with both Jim and Marilyn had such an impact on their marriage. Her story on its own was inspiring and I enjoyed the "secondary" story.
There were a few aspects of the book that bothered me. While I know the purpose of the book was to use fiction to teach about relationships, at times the book was super "preachy." Those sections took me out of the story and felt like I was reading more of a sermon or something. Also, the ending wrapped up really fast. So much of the story was spent talking about the problems of Jim and Marilyn's marriage and their individual efforts to resolve things and then the book ended without really giving much insight to how they planned to work on their problems together ... as a couple. The ending was sweet, don't get me wrong, but it was a little too "tidy" for me given how the book started.
Overall, though, The Dance was sweet, and I enjoyed this quick read. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the rest of this series or not. However, I'm still a huge fan of both of the authors! [3 stars]
I received a free copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Available March 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
About the Authors
Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of several books, including The Discovery and The Reunion. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel.
Dan Walsh Online
Gary Smalley is one of the country's best known authors and speakers on family relationships. He is the bestselling and award-winning author or coauthor of 16 books, along with several popular films and videos. He has spent over 30 years learning, teaching, and counseling, speaking to over 2 million people in live conferences. Smalley has appeared on national television programs such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Extra, The Today Show, and The Sally Jessy Raphael Show, as well as numerous national radio programs. Gary and his wife, Norma, have been married for 40 years and live in Branson, Missouri. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Gary Smalley Online
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