Happy Saturday, Spirits! Today, I'm delighted to be a part of Rachel Kovaciny's tour for her latest release, Dancing & Doughnuts!
Book Review
★★★★☆
(3.5 stars)
I was ecstatic when Rachel first announced Dancing & Doughnuts as her 2018 release. Having been a fan of Cloaked (as well as a more recent reader of Five Magic Spindles: the Man on the Buckskin Horse and No Match for a Good Story), I long ago decided that Rachel Kovaciny made her mark on my list of favorite authors. And, although I didn't enjoy Dancing & Doughnuts quite as much as her other tales, it still made for an enjoyable read. 🙂
Jedediah Jones is a drifter. Haunted by memories of his time in the Civil War, he spends his days wandering from town to town, seeking work at one job or another. But when he stumbles into Peabody Crossing with barely a penny to his name, a girl steals his heart -- though not before a mystery that threatens her family with ruin claims her, first.
Maybe Jedediah should stop drifting... or maybe he should flee as far as his mare can carry him.
I very much expected this to be similar to Rachel's other stories, with an unforgettable cast, a clear yet thrilling plot, and a climax to rival all others. Although Dancing & Doughnuts pursued a more relaxed course than that of its predecessors, it certainly -- like Rachel's other works -- placed a new spin on westerns, with a fun little mystery to boot.
Jedediah made for a fascinating narrator, and I was intrigued by the realness of the large cast, but none of them truly stuck with me. And, although I love a good mystery, I felt as if the stakes were too small to retain my interest.
However, I still very much enjoyed this book! The pace and narrator made for a happily laid-back story, (and all the descriptions of the cider and doughnuts the characters consume made my mouth water 😉). Without a doubt, I can't wait to read Rachel's next book! And if you're searching for a fun little mystery, I highly recommend Dancing & Doughnuts!
You may want to know: There are some references to drinking and drunkenness.
NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Dancing & Doughnuts from the author, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
About the Book
Twelve Dancing Princesses... re-imagined.
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?
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Goodreads
About the Author
Website // Facebook // Goodreads // Amazon // Blog // Instagram
Giveaway
Click here to enter!
Tour Schedule
Visit Rachel's blog at Hamlette's Soliloquy to see and take part in the remainder of the tour!
Thanks for reading! ❤
~Serethiel
I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't quite as much to your taste as my earlier stories. It's definitely lighter. I'm thinking right now that this series as a whole will alternate lighter and darker. Up next, I'm going to write a Snow White retelling that will definitely be more serious again. And more thrilling.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually happy you mentioned missing the more serious and exciting tone, because I've been wondering if people will be at all happy that the next book veers away from the frolicsomeness here. Now I know that at least some people will!