Dance

By: Teodora Kostova

Narrated by: Todd Smith

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Two musicals, one theatre.
Two men, one epic love story.

Dancer Fenix Bergman has a dream - to perform on Broadway. But claiming a place on the biggest theatre stage in the world is not easy. When he gets offered a lead role in a new musical based in London’s West End, Fenix quickly accepts, recognizing the huge potential of the show.

Actor Jared Hartley is exactly where he wants to be in life. Starring in a popular West End musical, Jared’s career is at its peak. He doesn’t have time for love, and never even considered something was missing from his life.

Until he meets Fenix.

When Fenix and Jared’s paths cross, the world shimmers to a stop. Neither of them is capable of fighting the intense feelings they quickly develop for each other.

But when Fenix’s star becomes too bright for London, will the dream he’s chased all his life ruin the dream he’s holding in his hands?

©2014 Teodora Kostova (P)2014 Teodora Kostova

Diary of a Bibliophile Review

It’s really nice to read a stand alone novel. It seems all people write anymore are series. I love series books, but there is something satisfying about a book that actually ends without leaving open cliffhangers.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and had good chemistry. The author could have explored the hollowness of fame a little more, since I think this was an important point in the book. I also don’t care for the title. Yes, Fenix is a dancer, but dancing doesn’t have anything to do with the central conflict. Even with these two minor issues, I enjoyed the book, and definitely will be looking for more from this author.

Since I listened to the book in audio, I really should say something about the narrator. He was easy to listen to, and did a great job, but he had some trouble with Fenix’s American accent. Sometimes it slipped into a southern sound, when Fenix was from New York. Other times Fenix sounded a bit British. That said, it wasn’t enough to distract me too much. I would listen to this narrator again.

Overall, I give Dance....

Plot - 4 bookmarks
Character Development - 4 1/2 bookmarks
Love Story - 4 bookmarks (too much time apart)
Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Wilson Bethel (Fenix), Luke Grimes (Jared)

Just your average M/M romance

Just your average M/M romance. Dance is the same as any other except if you like dancers you'll like Dance. Otherwise just listen to any M/M romance since they are almost all the same plot devices, tropes and memes.

Great story!

This is definitely a love at first sight and I do love it. Jared and Fenix are sweet and met to be together. It was great to listen to this story. Todd Smith did a great job with this one. I like how he did the voices of the characters and even thought at times I couldn't really hear Fenix's American accent I still like listening to this story. Todd brought a lot of the emotions that were happening in the story that just pull me into this story. Great listen.

So good!

A brilliant story! Loved the MCs and the plot a lot. The narration was spot on and it was easy to follow all the characters. Great job!

A breath of fresh air.

Where does Dance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'd say in the top ten. The narration breaths new life into a story I've read countless times. made it seem like I was reading it for the first time.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dance?

For me it was when Fenix decides not to wait for the future and tell Jared he still loves him.

What does Todd Smith bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I just liked his voice.

Any additional comments?

I would have liked to see this story at least nominated for the rainbow awards in the category of best cover and best Romance.I was Very happy see there was an audio version of this book and hope MASK will be in audio as well.

Steamy but also Sweet

This book is sexy and graphic, you don't get a full picture of any characters other than the protagonists but that seems to be the point. Joseph's consumes you in them and only them as they are only consumed with each other. I came for erotica and DANCE delivers but i also got an enchanting love story.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Would you listen to Dance again? Why?

I would definitely visit with the group from Dance again and I would also continue on to the other stories in the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jared and Fenix together made one incredible couple.

Which character – as performed by Todd Smith – was your favorite?

Jared's dialogue stayed true to the area he was from. While Fenix had an American speaking voice that was true to his character his inner dialogue had an English accent which was contradictory.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was captivated by the story of Jared and Fenix. The running time of the audio was over eight hours and I enjoyed spending time with them over a few days.

Any additional comments?

Love at first sight. Teodora Kostova believes in it and after you listen to Dance and spend time with Jared and Fenix, you may just believe in it as well. Love and lust at first sight does not always work well in a book, but it absolutely works here and it works oh so well.

Passion & Romance

A great story full of passion and romance with a great storyline and wonderful characters. Fenix and Jared have great chemistry and a strong connection. The odds are stacked against them and they have quite a few hurdles to overcome in order to get their HEA. The narrator did an ok job with this one, I just didn't feel too much emotion from him, it was more reading than performing. I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy of this audiobook.

A passionate story that's as dramatic as its cover

What did you love best about Dance?

I loved the angst between the main characters, Jared and Fenix. The way that their relationship evolved as each man was forced to evaluate his life choices, reconsider his dreams and decide where to focus their time and energy. It gave the characters emotional depth while also allowing me to identify with their imperfections .

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jared and Fenix are almost impossible to evaluate individually, because their story is so interwoven. I was especially drawn to Fenix, because his history is more complex overall, but without the dramatic effect Jared had on his life the story wouldn't be the same.

What about Todd Smith’s performance did you like?

I thought that Todd Smith did an acceptable job narrating this story overall, but his narration during particularly emotional scenes lacked the intensity I would have liked to hear. I was also frustrated by occasional breaks in the character's tone of voice and overall dialect.

Who was the most memorable character of Dance and why?

Oh my goodness, the cover illustrates my favorite scene. It's incredibly powerfully and being able to seeing the cover model's depiction of that moment in my mind's eye while it was being narrated added tremendously to the emotional impact. When you hear it for yourselves you'll know what I mean!!

Any additional comments?

Teodora Kostova is a new author to me, and one that I will definitely be keeping my eye on in the future. The writing is superb and the characters are well developed. I loved, loved, loved this story!!!!

Ended better than started

Mixed bag review in this book. In the end I liked this book, but the fist had was really frustrating, it was literally one sex scrape after another. Don’t get me wrong I like a hot scene, but I really felt these didn’t added to the story other than for it to be sex. There actually was a bit of a lack there f story. The second half was my ch better. Finally some actual story and drama.

The narration was done well and I hope to enjoy more by this narrator.