Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Dances Long Forgotten

AUTHOR: Ruby Moone

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  145 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 19, 2019

BLURB:

On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.

In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school.  As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.

Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?

REVIEW:

James and Dylan have been dancing around each other for a while.  Dylan is in James employ, so James doesn’t feel like he can have a relationship with him.  But when Dylan makes a move to change their dynamic, he hears music – that seems to come from nowhere.  James hears the music as well and realizes that maybe he has a story to tell.

The story then jumps back in time to James ancestors and in particular Hugo Pell-Charnley.  Hugo has been tormented at school growing up and then he never felt he fit in.  But he’s gone an gotten himself into a heap of trouble and he can only turn to his eldest brother, Simon to get him out of it.  The trouble is he doesn’t want to confess what has caused the trouble for fear Simon and family will turn him out.  His brother can tell something is wrong and Hugo shares the pickle he’s gotten into.  Things are further complicated when the bullies and another victim from his school days also appear at his family home for the holiday balls.  While Hugo is shocked to see Lyndon Cross, they do reconnect and Hugo admits his shame at not helping Lyndon more when they were at school.

Hugo returns to London after the ball when he discovers both his brother an Lyndon have left.  When he seeks out his brother, it seems there are a lot more secrets to be discovered.  It seems that Lyndon, his brother and others know a lot more than Hugo does about a lot of things.  But will these secrets tear everyone apart, or can they get past it to find love?

Back in present time, James has shared all of this with Dylan.  The story of Hugo and the meaning of the waltz music surprises Dylan.  It seems that maybe he doesn’t want to give up after all and maybe James can reach out and take what’s right in front of him.

I really enjoyed this story!  The story takes places during two different time periods, but there is no question who and what time are being discussed.  There are some very surprising secrets and twist that I did not see coming at all – kudos to the author for making this such a mystery!  All of the supporting characters, including all of Hugo’s family and friends, added to the depth of the story and the motivation of his actions.  Lyndon was so lovely and so good for Hugo!  Simon was definitely a sympathetic character in the end and I hope he ended up happy 🙂  I also loved the ending.  Recommended for happy stories in two centuries!

RATING: 

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