This was my first introduction to Anton Du Beke’s writing, having normally been accustomed to watching him on my television screen during the Autumn months dancing and judging away, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Overall I have enjoyed this series and I have already bought the next book from this author for his next series. Raymond De Guise is home on leave from Dunkirk and is so busy helping out elsewhere, he’s not striking the right balance with his wife, Nancy. My only criticism would be that it might be difficult to read this as a stand-alone novel, you really have to read the whole series to get the best understanding of the characters and their relationships. p>Read about how we’ll protect and use your data in our Privacy Notice.

With profiteers skulking the London streets, and devious rivals plotting the Buckingham’s downfall, the hotel staff must all hold onto what matters most- and decide where their loyalties truly lie. Surprised not only by the rich storytelling but by the way Du Beke’s charming writing is filled with glorious characters who you can’t help but feel emotion for. I loved getting to know the characters and despite not having read the others, it didn’t hinder me too much. The Buckingham Hotel is a haven for waifs and strays - posh ones, wealthy ones, exiled ones, and the staff, thinned down as you would expect, are still expected to maintain the luxury they guests demand, including the Grand Ballroom. I was totally absorbed by the 1940's setting, the novels main focus is the Buckingham Hotel, London.As Strictly's longest running professional dancer, and now Judge, Anton is the perfect author to lead the reader to the dancefloor as never before. However, the process for writing this book was clearly different and the stylistic differences made it a thoroughly enjoyable read. You don't need to be a Strictly fan to relish this lively read, its glamour, magic and colourful characters contrasting starkly with the privations of grey, war-torn London. It's September 1940 and war around London is heavy and fierce with continued bombings and air raids. Apart from 'there' instead of 'their' and 'it' instead of 'it's ' every age had word or words removed from the correct place and put in several lines above where they should be.

To feel that he is still doing something for the war effort, he decides to join the ARP and spends his evenings going towards the bombed areas rather than running away from them. It was a great page turning and it was such a lovely feeling catching up with all our favourite characters again. Meanwhile the ballroom is still operating, and the staff are keen to attract top quality guests and provide a haven from the War. There are a few new characters to this book and actually overall there are lots of characters to keep track of however there is a helpful page of the characters' names and who they are at the beginning of the book which you can refer to and wish more authors would do this.

There was love and heartache, profiteers, double crossing, treachery, danger, rivalry and spirit aplenty. Home on leave and still reeling from the tragic events at Dunkirk, the dashing Raymond de Guise struggles to define his role in this new world, and to do his duty both to his country, and his beloved wife Nancy- who needs him now more than ever. With profiteers skulking the London streets, and devious rivals plotting the Buckingham's downfall, the hotel staff must all hold onto what matters most- and decide where their loyalties lie. From its beautiful cover on the hardcover edition I had this story pulled me into the glamour of the Buckingham, the ballroom and dancing, along with the horror of the war.

Royalty from other countries are flocking there for the duration of the war, so the hotel manages to keep busy. I love the author’s style of writing, I felt as though I was there in the ballroom, watching the dancing and at the other end of the scale, I could feel the fear of the unstable place that England was and the trepidation of the characters with the regular bombings. Along with community spirit and people pulling together there are those out to to take advantage of the system and feather their own nests. That mix of society along with life outside of the hotel during word war II, it really gave depth to the historical setting of this book. Raymond de Guise, home on leave and still affected by the death of his brother, is desperate to help so he joins a night watch.It took me a chapter or three to settle into this novel, there are a lot of characters to familiarise yourself with. But, at the same time, knew that the end of the book also marked me having to say goodbye to the characters again for a while. I also would have liked one more chapter on Raymond and Nancy starting the next part of their lives together but hopefully this has been saved for another book! The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter.