I'm thrilled to be participating in the blog tour for Dancing and Doughnuts by Rachel Kovaciny! This is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses set in the Wild West. Read on to catch my review of the story and learn about a fun giveaway you can enter... (And if you want to follow more of tour, check out the schedule HERE!)
About the Book
Twelve Dancing Princesses… reimagined.
Fifty dollars just for asking a few questions? Jedediah Jones figures it must be his lucky day. What dancing and doughnuts have to do with anything, he neither knows nor cares. He’s only interested in earning that money so he can finally eat something other than the apples he's been living off for days. Once his stomach and his pockets are filled again, he plans to move on.
But answering the advertisement plunges him into a forest of painted trees, twelve pretty sisters, trouble, and more trouble. And, yes, doughnuts.
So many doughnuts.
Can Jedediah Jones solve the mystery and earn that fifty dollars when the whole town has failed? Or will the twelve sisters lose their family's business no matter what he does?
Available Now!
My Rating
Spring/Summer
My Review
A fairy-tale retelling with a Wild West setting and a sweet atmosphere with just a dash of gentle suspense? I'll eat that right up, please and thank you!
Dancing and Doughnuts is a quick story told from the perspective of a wandering man looking to make a few bucks before moving on. The strangest opportunity presents itself in the form of a "help wanted" ad, and our hero soon finds himself in a classy dance hall with unique refreshments, interesting characters, and a mystery no one seems able to solve.
The mystery keeps the plot waltzing along at a nice pace, but what really made me fall in love with this story is its cleverness and voice. I absolutely love the way the author takes elements from The Twelve Dancing Princesses and makes them fit a historical setting in a way that feels both natural and enchanting. The descriptions of the dance hall and the events held there are especially delightful!
As for the voice, the main character, Jedediah, is a really likable guy, and his first-person narration adds to the charm of the unfolding story. The tale feels compelling but light, like an airy doughnut with a sweet aftertaste that makes for a filling and fond breakfast. Dancing and Doughnuts isn't overly deep, nor is its mystery dark and dangerous. This is simply a fun, sweet little read. (And as a bonus, two tasty-sounding recipes are included at the end!)
*With thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.*
About the Author
Born only a few miles from where Jesse James robbed his first train, Rachel Kovaciny has loved the Old West all her life. She now lives in Virginia with her husband and their three homeschooled children. In her free time, Rachel writes for the magazines Femnista and Prairie Times, reads, bakes, blogs, watches movies, and daydreams.
Her book Cloaked was a 2018 Peacemaker Awards finalist for Best Western YA/Children's Fiction.
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Giveaway!
One winner will receive an autographed copy of Dancing and Doughnuts, a copy of Log Cabin Cooking, and a Once Upon a Western tote bag that measures 15" x 18" x 6" with 22" handles. You can enter in a variety of ways, including by visiting different tour stops each day! Rachel will draw one winner for the giveaway on Sunday, September 9 and notify them via the email address they provide to the Rafflecopter widget. Open worldwide.
2 comments:
Glad you enjoyed it! Trust me, I got quite hungry while writing this book :-) I figured readers might too, so that's why I included some recipes at the back!
Rachel,
I enjoyed it very much! And I can certainly understand getting hungry during the writing process. ;) That was a great idea to include the recipes!
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book and participate in the blog tour!
~Amber
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