Original Audiobook Listen November 2019:
First off, Bill and Mace are still just as snarky and at each other’s throats(in more ways then one?) as they were when I originally read A Dangerous Dance. And yes, I know it’s the same story so of course that part wouldn’t have changed? but I still found them just as beautifully written with what I like to call a spot-on blend of snark and cuddle.
I won’t lie, I was a little apprehensive as to how the narrators were going to pull off such an equally alpha pair as Bill and Mace because let’s be honest here, Christopher and Riordan are a tad more alpha than their respective partners, Snow and Teddy. Well, I needn’t have worried because Leslie & Alces bring the guys to life with a flare that not only fits but makes them real, puts them in the room with you. I’ve said in other audio reviews of mine how I collect old radio shows of the 30s & 40s and when the narration is as spot-on and topnotch as Joel Leslie and Philip Alces, I truly feel like I’m listening to one from my collection. I expect to hear the sponsor break in with their ad or product placement. King, Leslie, & Alces are definitely a winning combination.
Original ebook Review July 2018:
When Bill found himself working for Christopher Manos he not only found a job and position suited for him but he finally found a home and a family in his friendship with Christopher’s husband, Snow. “Without a Trace Mace” has spent a long time carving out a name for himself in his business of death and he couldn’t have done it without the help of his boss Black. When Snow’s life is threatened, Christopher cashes in a favor with Black and now Bill and Mace find themselves once again having to endure each other’s company to get the job handed to them done. When all is said and done, will anyone be left standing? And more imporantly, will Bill and Mace’s hearts be left intact?
Let’s get it out of the way right now: there will be no spoilers in this review. As to what I will touch on the plot: HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!! If you thought Bill and Mace got on each other’s nerves in Hug it Out then you haven’t seen anything yet. The animosity is so thick, well as the cliché goes: you could cut it with a knife. But, as thick as the tension is the passion is even more intense.
Okay, so that was all you’ll get out of me in regards to the plot so onto the characters. I just knew Bill was going to be special when we met him in Snow Falling but I had no idea just how much I would love him. Did he burrow deeper into my heart than either Snow or Teddy? Probably not but I wouldn’t want to try and measure the difference. As for Mace, he is a conundrum. You want to hate him because he is able to detach himself from his work, or at least it appears so, but he too has a soft side(don’t let him know I said so?). As much as I loved Snow/Christopher and Teddy/Riordan in books 1 & 2, I think that Bill and Mace blossomed the most so far in Haven Hart. Did they “grow”? No because I think that they have always been passionate people but they finally let someone else in and that is something they spent their lives keeping very limited.
Now that I’ve talked about the book let’s talk about the author for a minute. I said in my review for Hug it Out “when their debut novel is as amazing as Snow Falling was, one wonders will their follow-up be The Empire Strikes Back caliber or go the way of Speed 2? I can safely and honestly say that Hug it Out is a TESB-quality sequel” and I can now say that Davidson King has continued with her amazing storytelling prowess. I would say that A Dangerous Dance is Return of the Jedi awesomeness but as ROTJ was George Lucas’ concluding entry in the original Star Wars saga and Miss King is no where near done with Haven Hart I hesitate to make that comparison but for only that reason. The emotional and passionate WOW-ness Dance invoked was just as powerful as anything Mr. Lucas brought with ROTJ. Some might say I’m stretching that comparison a bit, well perhaps but when I reached the final page of Dance, the sense of satisfaction and entertainment is very similar to what I feel every time the heroes are left celebrating in the Ewok village.
Now one final note: A Dangerous Dance like all the entries in Haven Hart Universe are technically a standalone because each one centers around a new pair and their paths but I find it just flows better if you read the series in order. There are enough secondary characters and plot points that travel throughout to keep it connected. Will you be lost if you start with Dance? Probably not, but I highly recommend starting from the beginning, trust me you won’t be sorry.