In this charming historical fiction novel, readers travel to early twentieth century England where ballerina Clementine is working day and night, despite her mother’s anger about her choice of profession, to become a dancer for the Vic-Wells Ballet. However, her mother is much more invested in Clementine’s older sister Grace’s future and her marriage to the new and handsome American next door, Augustus Draper. Clementine, trying to get out from her mother’s influence, thinks herself in love with Draper, but this only strains her relationship with her sister Grace, her best friend and dance partner Rudi, and her ballet teacher. As the novel progresses and Clementine gets closer to her freedom and to living her dream, she has to choose between dance and love. Horrox’s characters are the heart of the story, and Clementine is a realistic, flawed, likable narrator. The competitive world of dance is a great backdrop for the story and for Clementine’s character arc, and Horrox has really brought the world of early twentieth century ballet to life. The character development is also phenomenally handled, and the platonic and romantic relationships between the characters are complex and realistic, extending beyond the scope of this excellent romantic historical fiction novel.

The cover on Dancer’s Promise is gorgeous.
I felt sorry for both Grace and Clementine for the first part of the book. Clementine was the unwanted child and the mother was just ghastly to her.
I loved the gumption of both girls as they spread their wings and followed their own life paths.
One of the best scenes was when Clem confronted her mother about all the pent up feelings.
Clem realized she was dancing for all the wrong reasons and was dancing toward someone special.
Set against the backdrop of the 1930s, it’s a rich tale of family, determination, and dance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. It has such an absorbing storyline, I felt transported back in time as I read about the close bond Clementine had with Grace. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this mesmerising story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sisters Grace and Clementine are having to look after themselves after their family has fallen apart. With both girls wanting different things from life but both also wanting to restore their family and the life they had what will they do and how will the bond between them hold up if they both follow different paths?

This is a great story about sisters, about holding strong and being strong for yourself and each other. This is a wonderfully written historical fiction and one I enjoyed. It is a bit long and a little bit slow so it isn't a book that held my attention as much as others of the same genre. But it is a good story and an interesting read. 3 1/2 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Embla Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Historical fiction at its best I loved the two sisters their differences one loving dance and one loving books but always emotionally connected.Olivia Horrox is an author to follow.#netgalley #the DancersPromise

I really enjoyed reading this book and I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for supplying me with a copy.

I love historical fiction and this one was beautifully written and really touching. The sisterly bond just drags you in an you become immersed in the story and feel like you are in that moment.

A beautiful read!

1940's England two sisters, one a ballet dancer who wants to perform on stage, the other only wants a good marriage. That was the focus of the entire book. Not as interesting as it could have been. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about two sisters living in 1940's London ,one who loves ballet and one who loves books .I found this book really difficult as it is just about the sisters trying to realise who they are actually in love with .This took the whole book ,I thought it would be exciting but it was not .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

I enjoyed this book as it was so interesting. The characters were so believable and charming. A new author for me and I hope to read more of hers in 5he future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Grace and Clementine Harrington are left to their own devices, after their father tragically dies of influenza and their mother takes to her bed. Grace is the eldest and she works at The London Library and Clementine is a talented ballet dancer and she’s been taking lessons at Madame Lebedev’s School of Ballet since she was a young girl.

Both young ladies are tired of just scraping by and the house is getting rather rundown and shabby, their mother has sold off everything of value, Grace sees no other option but for her to find a rich husband and Clementine wants to earn a scholarship to a prestigious ballet school and dreams of touring the world as a ballerina and making her fortune.

August Draper, an American moves into the house next door, he’s single and works as the Assistant Director at the Botanic Gardens and Grace sets her sights on the eligible bachelor. Clementine has always lived in her sister’s shadow, her mother is very nasty to her, a bully and has made her feel like an ugly duckling.

The question is will Grace succumb to the pressure her mother is putting on her, or does she love someone else, will she stand up for herself and go against her mother's wishes? Clementine has her own problems, she’s almost eighteen, her mother wants her to get a job, ending her dreams of being a ballerina and if Grace marries she will be tapped.

I received a copy of The Dancer’s Promise by Olivia Horrox from Embla Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The interesting narrative is set in the mid 1930’s in England and it looks at the relationship between the sisters, despite Grace being her mother’s favourite, the sisters are close and Clem wants her sister to be happy and marry for love.

I really like how the story focuses on Clementine wanting to be a ballerina, the lessons she takes at the dance school, the chemistry between her and Rudolf Lebedev the son of her teacher and they dance beautifully together, the dedication it takes and how competitive it is, and the hours and hours of practice.

A novel about deciding whether to follow your dreams or running from them, not knowing what path to take in life and don't ignore what you feel in your heart. Four stars from me and I'm keen to read the author's previous book Beautiful Little Fools.

In the wake of their father's financial downfall and their mother's withdrawal from the world, sisters Grace and Clementine find themselves left to navigate life in a decaying London mansion that once symbolized family prosperity.

Faced with the challenge of rebuilding their fortunes and restoring the family name, the sisters make a solemn pact to achieve this shared aspiration. Clementine envisions herself as a dazzling star on stage, a renowned ballerina touring the world to earn both fame and fortune. Determined not to entrust her destiny to a man, she resolves to seize control of her fate.

On the other hand, Grace sees the path to security in a prosperous marriage. Their newly arrived American neighbour, possessing wealth, charm, and good looks, appears to be the ideal match.

However, when Clementine unexpectedly falls in love, the equilibrium of both sisters' lives is disrupted. The unexpected romance challenges the promises they made, forcing each sister to confront the question of whether they are willing to break their vow for the chance at true love. The choices they face will shape their destinies and redefine the meaning of their promises.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I found this book quite a slow read, certainly not a page turner. I did not really like the characters, perhaps because I found the plot quite shallow and predictable. If you like ballet it is worth a read but apart from that not my favorite.

I don’t know, there was just something about this book that didn’t float my boat unfortunately. I know that there were reasons why things happened the way they did for Grace and Clementine, but it felt like it was just a book about silly girls making silly decisions. My favourite part was the end when Clementine actually did what she should have done right from the beginning and I’m very happy that earlier on Grace also made the right decision for her. Unfortunately this wasn’t the book for me. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really felt for the characters in this story, it was a beautifully done historical fictional novel. I really felt for the sisters and it was a well written story. Olivia Horrox has a great way of making you connect with the characters and I’m glad I was able to read this.

From the moment I saw the cover of this book, I knew I wanted to read the story of sisters Grace and Clementine. In a story set in London, the two girls are determined to make their family the success it once was, One by finding fame and fortune and being a starr on the stage, the other, wants a good marriage that will see her get the security she craves. Expect when one of them falls in love, can these girls keep that promise of restoring their family name?

Coming in January 2024 is this gorgeous book by Olivia Horrox which tells the story of sisterhood. If you love Lucinda Riley, you'll love this book.

"The Dancer's Promise" is the story of two sisters, one obsessed with ballet and the the other with books, supporting each other in pre-war London. Their father is dead and their mother has decided she is an invalid. Money is short and their home is crumbling around them as there are no funds for repairs. Neither sister seems able to understand / admit who they are in love with, so basically, the book takes us through the resolution of this.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

One of my favourite genre is historical fiction based on facts....and I'm also very fond of dance, especially ballet. So this book was always going to be one I would head for. Indeed I saved reading it for a time in hospital. What a treat! With it's mystery element thrown in to enhance the plot, I found the time sped by and I was lost in another time and place. I'll certainly looking out for more of Olivia Horrox works to read in the future.

A brilliant story. I loved the characters Grace and Clementine a true story of sisterly love and support in such difficult times. The differences between the two sisters view of their futures was wonderful to read about. This was a truly memorable read and the courage of these two women to fulfill their dreams was touching and inspiring.

I received an E-Arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review! Thank you!

Oh my gosh! What a beautifully written story! Love, life, choices, sisters, dreams and dancing! I totally loved it. The way it was written and how the flow of the story moved so gracefully along with a few surprises. I am so not giving it away. I literally could not stop reading. I tried to read as fast as I could but like a thing called sleep came to me and life things comes at you to do...you know?

If you like historical fiction, this book is for you! I really, really, really enjoyed it. I hope others read this beautiful gem...you should! You really should. Also I am loving the cover! So pretty.

I love how Grace and Clementine are great sisters to each other and yet they have their own dreams. Grace works in the library (loved this because libraries rule). as Clementine is on a mission to head to the stage as ballet dancer (dancing is amazing and I love dancing). The sisters just click as sisters do! I just loved their relationship with each other. I assumed that the story was going to focus on both sisters, but it's mostly on Clementine.

I will say I was not a fan of their mother. She was just heartless and cruel to Clementine which broke my heart. Aren't mothers supposed to be so kind? Luckily Grace did not fall into world of meanness from her mother. Just ugh to the mother. I do wonder if the mother was like that when the Grace and Clementine was little? I hoped not.

So these questions were lingering about while I was read: Who gets to get married? Who gets to follow their dreams? Who has to make the hard choices? What will happen to the new handsome neighbor? Will the two sisters remain sisters?

Reading one page after another, the questions kept coming to me and I kept looking for the answers...well boy, I did find some answers. Whoo whee! I can say that I was feeling all the feels! One moment I was gasping, the next I was yelling no, another time I was happy and yet I was also putting on my thinking hat trying to predict the story which I did not predict right but it it was soooo good! It is such a great story as I had a smile on my face. To me the story seemed more about choices and dreams, which I adored reading. I will say there was no spicy bits in it but that did not stop me from loving the adventures. Okay okay, there was one or two kisses that happened.

This is a must if you like historical fiction!! You must get this book!
Go get it when it comes out January 2024.