Review: A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua

Inspired by the tale of Cinderella, Lila DiPasqua weaves a steamy historical romance that offers a glass slipper, a dangerous deception, and an impoverished beauty determined to find her handsome prince…and make him pay. 

Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father’s prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own prince charming—the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier. 

That was before the loss of her sister and her family’s fall from grace—a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father’s death, she’s inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine’s eccentric friends—the balance of her father’s acting troupe—she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake—and make away with a fortune. 

Resisting Jules’s skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince…

Available at Amazon, Book Depository, Chapters

I had heard great things about Lila DiPasqua's previous books: short stories based on fairy tales with a definite adult twist. So, when I heard about her latest release, I jumped at the chance to review it. It was also an added bonus to discover that she's a Canadian author; I really enjoy featuring "local" talent on my blog.

With the story being based on Cinderella, you know there will be a rags-to-riches feel about it. This story kind of went in reverse, with Sabine on the verge of losing everything dear to her. While Ms. DiPasqua kept many of the familiar elements of the original story within her version, I really enjoyed the spin she put on things like the glass slipper, the ugly stepsisters, etc. There were times that I almost missed the associations, only to think back and see how skillfully the author had inserted them.

Interview with Tish Cohen, author of "Switch"

A little while ago, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Switch by Tish Cohen (you can read my review here). Ironically, the same week I finished reading the book, I ran into Tish at a book launch for Lesley Livingston...ok, I'll stop with the shameless name dropping now :) I stopped Tish while she was (probably) on her way to the Ladies' room, but she was gracious enough to chat with me for a little while. (I still find it a bit overwhelming how book blogging has started to make me feel a little less fan girlie ...though not by too much :-p )

In the meantime, I had interview questions out there in cyber space about Tish and her latest book. I have the answers here, so without any further preamble, please help me welcome Ms. Cohen today:

(Note: Switch released here in Canada on May 9th but will be releasing next week in other countries).

Jackie - Can you tell the readers a little of what we'll find in the pages of Switch?

Tish - Switch is all about learning to recognize what, in our lives, is good and valuable. Andrea Birch is having a rough time being the only biological daughter of parents who take in many foster children. Because Andrea's parents view her own troubles are seen as minor in comparison to those of her foster siblings, she wishes she could switch lives with a girl she perceives as much luckier.

J - On your website, you tell a poignant tale of the girl that inspired parts on Inside Out Girl.  Where did you find inspiration for the characters in Switch?

T- I read an article in London's Daily Mail about a woman who lived a life much like Andrea's--she grew up with 35 foster siblings. She inspired the character of Andrea.

J -  From The Prince and the Pauper to Freaky Friday, the idea of switching lives seems a recurring theme. Why do you think this notion appeals to so many people? 

Canada Day Blog Hop: Stop 25

Welcome to my stop on the Canada Day Blog Hop! I'm pretty excited to participate in this one, with it being my first ever blog hop as well as my countdown to Canada's birthday (and the long weekend that accompanies it!)

Organized by  KnitPurlStitch and Snowdrop Dreams of Books , we are celebrating our nation by offering giveaways! I'm offering a choice of either of the titles listed below