Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: The Unexpected Waltz
Author: Kim Wright
Published: 2014
Length: 288 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
From the author of the critically acclaimed debut Love in Mid Air comes this moving novel about a middle-aged widow who finds her feet by embracing a new hobby: ballroom dancing.
Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work, building a lovely home, and, as she says, “pretending to be a whole lot more conservative and stupid and nicer than I really am.”
Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So on a whim she signs up for a ballroom dancing class, and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new: Nik, a young Russian dance teacher who sees the artistic potential she left behind; Carolina, a woman in hospice, anxious to experience a whole lifetime in a few months; and Elyse, Kelly’s girlhood best friend who knows all of her past secrets—including the truth about the man who long ago broke Kelly’s heart.
In the vein of Jennifer Weiner’s novels, Unexpected Waltz is a deeply felt story about moving on after loss and finding a new walk—or dance—of life through the power of second chances.
How and when I got it:
This is one of those mysterious books that I don’t remember buying! I know it’s been on my Kindle for a while now, which means at some point I decided I needed it — but I have no memory of actually getting it. Still, I’m glad it’s there!
Why I want to read it:
I love sweet stories about dancing — I’m thinking of movies like Shall We Dance, with great dance numbers and a moving, uplifting plot about personal change, opening up, finding yourself, etc. The description of The Unexpected Waltz makes it sound like a lovely read… and maybe it’ll prompt me to consider ballroom dance lessons, something I’ve always intended to try some day.
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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
- Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
- Add your link in the comments!
- If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
- Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!
This one sounds interesting! So much of the book blogging world features YA and younger heroes (which is no bad thing) that it’s always nice to see books featured which have older protagonists. I look forward to your review when you cross this one off your TBR!
https://jessticulates.com/2018/11/28/shelf-control-10-this-week-in-books-28-11-18/
I agree, it’s nice to see an older woman in a lead character role!
I adore the cover on this one! I think I will pick this book up for myself. I’ve always wanted to take dancing lessons though I was thinking about tango.
https://www.dreamcomereview.com/shelf-control-2-mystic-warrior-by-tracy-laura-hickman/
Someone tried to lead me through a tango once, and it was so hard!!! But it’s such a beautiful dance — I can see it feeling like a huge accomplishment to learn.
Oh I always wanted to try ballroom dance lessons! I know the basics of some but I’d love to really know them.
Also this books sounds quite intriguing. I’ve never heard of it before but I think I’ll add it to my tbr
The only ballroom dance I can do is the waltz, but I’d love to really learn. Maybe I’ll convince my husband to give it a try with me this coming year!
Yes you should! I’ve had a course in school once. It was very basic but so fun.
Maybe this can be a project of mine for 2019!
You don’t see much ballroom dancing fiction out there, but I’m glad to know about this book😊
Ha ha, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a novel about ballroom dancing before!
This book sounds great!! 🙂
I thought so too 🙂 — I’m glad I finally remembered that I have it!
I’ve always wanted to try more from this author. I read Love in Mid Air forever ago and it was one of those books that really stuck with me and I think about it often. This one sounds lovely. I’ve always wanted to try ballroom dancing too. 🙂
Ooh, I’m glad you mentioned another book by this author — I’m not at all familiar with her. I’ll go look up Love in Mid Air!