If you like really sweet historical romances, then this is a book for you! Enjoy an excerpt and then get my thoughts on this story. Then follow the tour for even more and let the author know what you think along the way. Download your own copy and enter to win a $25 gift card in the giveaway!
After a family crisis, Katie Hathaway must return home to help out in the family's ice cream shop. She leaves behind her dream job of teaching ballroom dance to spend her summer scooping ice cream and mixing milkshakes.
Chaz Hollander, Katie's high school crush, has also returned to town to work in his family's business. After Katie treats him to a blueberry swirl sundae, he invites her to the town's upcoming dance. The only problem is he has two left feet.
When Katie starts giving Chaz dance lessons, their chemistry ignites, and the postponement of her dream doesn't seem as ominous. But financial woes and a suspicious business deal cast a shadow on their budding relationship.
Read an excerpt:
She’d thought she left this small town behind, yet here she was on the Fourth of July, standing on a patch of grass she’d walked over at least a hundred times while growing up. But this time, she was an observer, a silent owl using a tree for cover, taking it all in.
“Would you mind sharing your space with me?” Chaz’s intimate whisper rained through her veins, as his breath tickled the sensitive spot below her ear.
She peeked over her shoulder, and he was so close her blood effervesced. “I suppose I could. This is a very special spot that I reserved weeks ago.”
“I’d be honored if you’d consider it.” His magnificent smile sealed the deal.
“Consider it shared.”
Buy Links for The Blueberry Swirl Waltz
**My thoughts**
Maria Imbalzano dishes up a super sweet historical romance in Blueberry Swirl Waltz. Katie had her own dreams and is forced to put her life on hold because she has to come home to help out at the family ice cream shop after her mom breaks her arm. I feel for her, because it's so hard when you have to make such sacrifices for your parents. Plus her mom just doesn't seem to have much faith in Katie's dreams.
Her life gets complicated when Chaz reappears in her life. He was crush-worthy back in high school and not much has changed. He's very suave but I do keep a side eye at home because he can be almost too charming, until he is able to prove himself as worthy. Don't worry, it's nothing too sinister. But he definitely shakes up her world in many ways.
Katie is the one who grows the most over this story. She is able to reach deep within herself to rediscover that independence and creativity and persevere through the crazy curveballs being thrown her direction. Her success is definitely the cherry on top of her new life.
You definitely fall back in time as you read this book. I could almost picture it being my parents having these interactions. It really is super sweet. I read it quickly in one evening.
Thank you to the Goddess Fish for fulfilling my review request for this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In addition to writing fiction, Maria is on the Friends of Thomas Edison State University Foundation Committee and is still involved with Dress for Success Central Jersey, having been a founding Board member. She also serves on the finance committee for The Present Day Club. She has received the distinguished Family of Edison Award for her work with The Thomas Edison State University Foundation, the Iron Mike Professional Achievement Award from Trenton Catholic Academy and was inducted into the Italian American National Hall of Fame.
Her novel, “Unchained Memories,” won the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Award and the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award. “Sworn to Forget,” the first of the four-book Sworn Sisters Series was a finalist for the illustrious RONE award as well as the Book Buyers Best Award.
Visit Maria at www.mariaimbalzano.com
Maria Imbalzano will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy sweet historical romances.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary: I loved writing this novella because the setting is my grandmother's confectionery and ice cream shop from the 50s in Roebling, NJ. I based the heroine on my mother's job as a ballroom dance teacher back then. I interviewed her about the shop and her teaching days on my blog. I loved having her input.
DeleteI appreciate getting to hear about a new book. Thanks so much for taking time to share.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading about it. This was a labor of love, bringing in my grandmother's ice cream and confectionery shop and my mom's previous job as a ballroom dance teacher.
DeleteWhere do you do most of your writing?
ReplyDeleteI have an office at home. It was my husband's for about a day before I took it over. (I tend to take over every available spot in our house). It overlooks our back yard and is very quiet and perfect to write in.
DeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you like it. I loved writing it because of the connections to my grandmother and mother (see my comment below.)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting and reviewing The Blueberry Swirl Waltz. I loved writing this novella. The setting is my grandmother's ice cream and confectionery shop in Roebling in the 50's and the heroine is based on my mother's job as a ballroom dance teacher. Do any of you like to waltz, jitterbug, cha cha or samba?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review!
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria: Thank you for stopping by. Maria
ReplyDeleteDo you have any ideas for your next book?
ReplyDelete