An interesting whirling snapshot of a few months in the lives of Morris and Edna, Honey and Emily, and Ghislaine's story as the background to it all... True to life, nothing much good comes out of the story, more like life it leaves you with the sense that this was just an episode (it is a short book)...
This is Angela Carter's first novel, and it is not as allegorical or fantastical or magical realistical (?) as some of her later novels/stories with which I am more familiar. Will look forward to seeing how this stacks up on a re-read. ( )

DESCRIPTION: Jordan Buchanan is thrilled that her brother and best friend are tying the knot. The wedding is a lavish affair–for the marriage of Dylan Buchanan and Kate MacKenna is no ordinary occasion. It represents the joining of two family dynasties. The ceremony and reception proceed without a hitch–until a crasher appears claiming to be a MacKenna guest. The disheveled and eccentric professor of medieval history warns that there’s “bad blood” between the couple’s clans, stemming from an ancient feud that originated in Scotland, and involving the Buchanan theft of a coveted MacKenna treasure.

Jordan has always led a cautious life and has used her intelligence and reason to become a successful businesswoman. So she is intrigued but skeptical of the professor’s claims that the feud has been kept alive by the grave injustices the Buchanans have perpetrated over the centuries. But when Noah Clayborne, a close family friend and a man who has never let a good time or a pretty girl pass him by, accuses Jordan of being trapped in her comfort zone, she determines to prove him wrong and sets out on a spontaneous adventure to the small, dusty town of Serenity, Texas, to judge the professor’s research for herself.

Maneuvering through a close-knit community in which everyone knows everyone else’s business, Jordan never anticipates the danger and intrigue that lie in her path, nor the threat that will shadow her back to Boston, where even in familiar surroundings, her life is at risk.

A powerful thug who rules by fear, a man who harbors a simmering secret, and an unexpected romance that pierces all defenses–beloved author Julie Garwood weaves these dazzling elements into a brilliant novel of romantic suspense. Shadow Dance is a searing tango of passion and peril. ( )

The book is ok. The story is engaging; but there's something flat about it. I think Garwood's strong point is creating characters that can play parts in other novels in the series. ( )

When this book first came out, it was the story we'd all been waiting for. We were first introduced to him in Heartbreaker as Nick Buchanan's partner, and saw him again in Mercy and Killjoy. The super sexy womanizer, FBI Special Agent Noah Clayborne, a descendant of Cole Clayborne from an earlier historical series, finally gets his own story.

Jordan Buchanan is in Serenity, TX doing some research when she finds the body of the professor she's met with in the trunk of her car. Knowing she'd been set up, she calls her brother Nick. Noah answers, and it's a good thing she called before the cops arrive, because not only was she set up, but the sheriff isn't exactly playing by the book. Noah is ordered to stay with Jordan until she gets home, but they have to stay longer because things keep happening.

Not only did I enjoy Jordan and Noah, but also many of the characters in Serenity. If you've read the most recent releases in this contemporary series, you'll find this one has a great deal more humor between our hero and heroine as well as some interesting situations. And of course there is the mystery of who killed the professor and why. The day Noah realizes he loves Jordan is very touching.

Of course, if you haven't read any of the prior books listed above, you will be able to follow what's going on, but won't experience the same impact on Noah's reaction to Jordan.

This is one of my favorites from the author's Contemporary Series. I'll bet I've read this book at least 6 times since it originally came out. ( )

I want to read more of her books ( )