Robyn Allen is finally getting closer to her dream of West End stardom. And along with her role dancing in the latest hot musical, she’s being wined and dined by an equally hot man – the wildly successful and well-connected Fabian Carrington. But one slip up and her dreams are shattered, and Robyn has to hobble back to the Yorkshire village of Beddingfield, and the life she hoped she’d escaped.
Moving back into her mum’s house with her recalcitrant teenage sister Sorrel, next door to her older sister Jess who’s fed up with picking up the slack, is not how Robyn pictured her year. But there’s more to come. Sorrel needs a new school, and the school needs a new drama teacher. Despite having vowed never to teach again, Robyn knows she has to support her sister.
So together Sorrel and Robyn vow to take on St Mede’s – home to jokers, tearaways and trouble-makers, but with a hidden heartbeat ready to be inspired. And who knows, the kids might have something to teach Robyn about life too…
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My Review
The book is divided into two halves, with Robyn’s life in London and then in Yorkshire. Initially, Robyn lives above a Soho kebab shop, working as a waitress while dreaming of a West End role. Her relationship with barrister Fabian introduces her to a new lifestyle but also exposes her to prejudice. Robyn’s strong sense of right and wrong and pride in her heritage contrast with Fabian’s moral ambiguities. The story then shifts to Yorkshire, where Robyn returns to help her struggling family, especially her troubled teenage sister Sorrel. She secures Sorrel a school place on the condition she teaches drama and dance. The narrative is filled with surprises, new relationships, and challenges, all set within a warmly depicted family dynamic. The author handles serious issues sensitively, blends humor, and develops romantic elements with unexpected twists. This heartwarming, well-told story makes a promising start to a new series.
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