The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

I was recently sent a copy of a novel called The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon.

The story follows the members of a small-town dance class. Anyone who has ever attended a dance class in a small town church hall or community centre will instantly recognise the cast of characters.

There's over-worked town planner Katie and her stay-at-home-dad husband Ross, who are dancing to save their marriage.

There's young bride Lauren who is planning her fairytale wedding, and is looking to turn fiance Chris into a waltzing Prince Charming.

There's Lauren's parents Bridget & Frank who are there to support their little girl as she becomes a woman.

There's silver fox-trotter Baxter and wife Peggy, who are brushing up on their skills.

There are Trina and Chloe who want to meet men.

And there's Angelica Andrews, the former pro champion, who has returned to her small town home to pack up her late mother's things and face a few demons.

The book is well-paced and fits well with the pace of a small town, without being dull.

The characters and well-written, and I constantly changed my opinion of the book's key players, particularly Katie.

Dance fans might be disappointed in the lack of dancing. Dillon certainly knows her dancing, but the story is very much driven by the characters. The class is simply the catalyst that brings them together. However, this means the book is very accessible for dancers and non-dancers alike.

I read much of the book on the bus to my church hall dance lessons (that the 'New Lesson' classes for anyone who regularly reads this blog), and then spent my class trying to work out who was who amongst my own dancing colleagues.

This book is Dillon's debut work, and I would certainly be willing to pick up another of hers.

The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon is published by Hodder & Stoughton. Hardcover is available now. The paperback will be out on 16th October 2008.