rocknrollfun's review
5.0
I have reread this book probably 40 times since I first read it as a teenager, and I absolutely love it every time. A well-worn, beloved, old friend of a book.
rachel_abby_reads's review
2.0
I've read this one before and liked it better earlier. There are still elements that I enjoyed this time, but I realized that the romantic coupling that happened at the end feels like it was casually tossed in at the end, as though the author finished her writing and then went, "Oops, I forgot to give her a lover."
sjgochenour's review
4.0
ATMOSPHERIC AS HELL. I dreamed about this book while reading it, and my whole body got kind of numb and tingly at the end. Most of my high rating is for that intense evocation of creepiness on the basis of an overgrown bramble with a couple statues thrown in -- shouldn't be that scary, and YET.
That being said, the plot is a bit mush, and the romantic subplot is not terribly satisfying. You know immediately which guy is the guy for Heather because Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz never picks a charmer when a grump is available, but god, he's an asshole.
That being said, the plot is a bit mush, and the romantic subplot is not terribly satisfying. You know immediately which guy is the guy for Heather because Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz never picks a charmer when a grump is available, but god, he's an asshole.
jellicle's review
4.0
Big fan but this one took several reads to grow on me in spite of the intriguing story and deliciously Gothic setting.
hollie313's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
krisrid's review
4.0
I love Barbara Michaels, so it's pretty much a given that I will enjoy anything by her. The Dancing Floor was just as good as all the other Barbara Michaels books I've read.
When Heather tries to visit a famous garden in England, as an homage for the trip she and her late beloved father had planned, but never got to take, she is infuriated to be turned away unceremoniously by nothing more than a voice in a box at the gate.
Refusing to admit defeat, Heather decides to walk around the estate to see if she can at least get a glimpse of the gardens through the thick hedge that surrounds part of it. When she discovers a path inside the hedge and follows it, she unexpectedly finds herself at the feet of the owner and his son inside the perimeter.
When the odd and eccentric Frank hear's Heather's last name - Tradescant, coincidentally the same as the famed garden designer who originally designed the gardens of his estate, and which he hopes to restore, Frank immediately invites her to stay and help with the project.
Although Heather thinks the whole thing very odd, she can't quite seem to refuse and leave. In addition to feeling she could fulfill a wish that would have made her father happy, she finds herself intrigued by the unusual group of individuals who seem to orbit around Frank like satellites.
Once she moves in, however, disturbing things start happening, and she quickly starts to fear for not only her own safety but others as well. She can't quite figure out what is going on, or why, but she has no intention of leaving until she does.
As always with books by Micheals, there are lots of characters, and lots of hints about who the bad guys might be, but also lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and throw you off the track. She also always tells a great story, with realistic characters, who do and say things you can actually believe could happen and you can actually relate to them as though you know them. You certainly can like the characters in this book, especially Heather, who is spunky and curmudgeonly all at the same time.
I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer read!
When Heather tries to visit a famous garden in England, as an homage for the trip she and her late beloved father had planned, but never got to take, she is infuriated to be turned away unceremoniously by nothing more than a voice in a box at the gate.
Refusing to admit defeat, Heather decides to walk around the estate to see if she can at least get a glimpse of the gardens through the thick hedge that surrounds part of it. When she discovers a path inside the hedge and follows it, she unexpectedly finds herself at the feet of the owner and his son inside the perimeter.
When the odd and eccentric Frank hear's Heather's last name - Tradescant, coincidentally the same as the famed garden designer who originally designed the gardens of his estate, and which he hopes to restore, Frank immediately invites her to stay and help with the project.
Although Heather thinks the whole thing very odd, she can't quite seem to refuse and leave. In addition to feeling she could fulfill a wish that would have made her father happy, she finds herself intrigued by the unusual group of individuals who seem to orbit around Frank like satellites.
Once she moves in, however, disturbing things start happening, and she quickly starts to fear for not only her own safety but others as well. She can't quite figure out what is going on, or why, but she has no intention of leaving until she does.
As always with books by Micheals, there are lots of characters, and lots of hints about who the bad guys might be, but also lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing and throw you off the track. She also always tells a great story, with realistic characters, who do and say things you can actually believe could happen and you can actually relate to them as though you know them. You certainly can like the characters in this book, especially Heather, who is spunky and curmudgeonly all at the same time.
I really enjoyed this. A perfect summer read!
xterminal's review
3.0
Barbara Michaels, The Dancing Floor (Harper, 1997)
Well, it had to happen sooner or later: Barbara Michaels is winding down. After writing a surprisingly large number of witty, original gothic romances, Michaels is starting to get-- gasp-- predictable.
Our (spunky, not overly attractive, pits in the self-esteem department) heroine, fulfilling plans she made with her recently-deceased father, has traveled to Britain to tour the great gardens therein. At one, she is staunchly rebuffed and refused entrance, but she gains entrance anyway. Surprisingly, the lord of the crumbling demesne is overjoyed to see her, and invites her to stay in his home for as long as necessary. He (older cad, dashingly handsome, filthy rich) has both a son (standoffish, far more interested in his research than in the goings-on around him, needlessly harsh with his words when forced to interact) and a servant (who looks and acts something like Pan) who are both around heroine's age. Add in some seemingly-supernatural goings-on and... hmm. Bet you can't predict how THAT one's going to turn out.
Still, Michaels is Michaels. The plot moves along at a fine clip, the characetrs have just enough depth to make her work stand out from the pack, and everything is quite satisfactorily put to rest at the end of the book. It's pure escapism of the most guilty kind. Good for turning one's brain off. But if you're looking for real quality, earlier Mchaels novels are the way to go-- Prince of Darkness, Houses of Stone, Black Rainbow, etc. ** 1/2
Well, it had to happen sooner or later: Barbara Michaels is winding down. After writing a surprisingly large number of witty, original gothic romances, Michaels is starting to get-- gasp-- predictable.
Our (spunky, not overly attractive, pits in the self-esteem department) heroine, fulfilling plans she made with her recently-deceased father, has traveled to Britain to tour the great gardens therein. At one, she is staunchly rebuffed and refused entrance, but she gains entrance anyway. Surprisingly, the lord of the crumbling demesne is overjoyed to see her, and invites her to stay in his home for as long as necessary. He (older cad, dashingly handsome, filthy rich) has both a son (standoffish, far more interested in his research than in the goings-on around him, needlessly harsh with his words when forced to interact) and a servant (who looks and acts something like Pan) who are both around heroine's age. Add in some seemingly-supernatural goings-on and... hmm. Bet you can't predict how THAT one's going to turn out.
Still, Michaels is Michaels. The plot moves along at a fine clip, the characetrs have just enough depth to make her work stand out from the pack, and everything is quite satisfactorily put to rest at the end of the book. It's pure escapism of the most guilty kind. Good for turning one's brain off. But if you're looking for real quality, earlier Mchaels novels are the way to go-- Prince of Darkness, Houses of Stone, Black Rainbow, etc. ** 1/2
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