Dance of the Heart

By James Therrian

Dance of the Heart follows Michael Baldwin-a gifted ballet dancer chasing his dreams in New York and Chicago. Outwardly, he's built the perfect life: a successful career, a loving partner, and a new dream home on the shores of Lake Michigan. But when a beautiful new dance partner enters his world, Michael is forced to confront desires and emotions he never expected.

In this heartfelt and emotionally charged journey of self-discovery, Michael finds himself caught between loyalty and longing, between the life he's built and the truth awakening inside him. As secrets unravel and relationships are tested, Dance of the Heart explores the complexity of love, identity, and the choices that define us.

A modern love story with humor, depth, and dramatic flair, Dance of the Heart is for anyone who has ever felt the pull of something-or someone-they couldn't explain. Whether you believe in fate, passion, or simply the power of attraction, this novel will leave your heart dancing.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615135005
• ISBN13: 9780615135007
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: James Therrian
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Four Blue Ribbons!

Michael Baldwin is a dancer in Chicago. He and his partner David have been together for ten years and are finally able to purchase a house together. Michael's life seems to be going the way he wants until his current female dance partner dies. With the ballerina from hell now deceased, Michael becomes partners with Elizabeth, who he finds totally captivating and yet unnerving because of the unexpected attraction he feels. Feelings of insecurity lead to problems at home - problems that Michael never envisioned because he has never been beguiled by a woman, especially one with whom he works. His sudden feelings for Elizabeth alienate the man who has been at his side for such a long time, and it is highly doubtful if things will ever return to normal. DANCE OF THE HEART is a tale of one man's journey in life that wasn't planned. Michael doesn't anticipate falling for Elizabeth. When it happens, he is completely unprepared for the domino effect it has in his life. Neither Michael, nor David come away unscathed and I held out hope that they would make decisions that were well thought out and not spur of the moment. I found DANCE OF THE HEART to be fascinating. I loved watching the character of Michael evolve. His love for David is apparent, even when confused. The sentimentality of DANCE OF THE HEART held my attention and while there were not explicit loves scenes, I knew the partners cared for each other completely. All in all, DANCE OF THE HEART is a good look at life and love and how one innocent thing can escalate and trouble even the most solid of relationships. Thumbs up for James Therrian and DANCE OF THE HEART.

What a wonderful story!

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (5/07) "Dance of the Heart" is a quick-read novel of only 118 pages, however, there is so much more to this story than one would expect. First of all, Therrian does a fantastic job of setting up the scenes, the characters, and the beginning. It was very clear to me who the characters were and what role they played. Michael Baldwin is successful and flourishing. He is well-balanced in his career as a successful professional dancer and home life with a longtime partner, David. And, they just built a beautiful home on Lake Michigan. All goes well until his lead partner, who is morbidly disliked, accidentally dies. Michael has mixed emotions over her death but even more so, mixed emotions when a new dance partner, Elizabeth, replaces Margo, the dead lead. Michael, acknowledging being gay from as long as he can remember, is extremely attracted to Elizabeth. The drama continues as Michael struggles with his emotions and ultimately discloses his feelings to his partner David. Of course, David, as any partner would be, is crushed and reacts accordingly. In the meantime, Elizabeth, being only a temporary replacement for Margo, returns to her home. Michael, with all intentions in place, was going to tell Elizabeth how he felt, however, she left before he was able to do so. This results in more mixed emotions for Michael. "Dance of the Heart" is appropriately named, because there certainly is a lot of heart dancing in the book. Does Michael ever tell Elizabeth how he feels? Can a gay man actually fall in love with a woman? Was Michael's infatuation with Elizabeth real or a fantasy? Does David move on to other lovers? What a wonderful story! "Dance of the Heart" is an account that proves how complicated love can be. Therrian's story shows how we, as human beings, can spin ourselves into a hole of confusion when we don't follow our true feelings. Michael's mother, Sally, summed it up best by saying "You can't choose who you fall in love with, but you can choose what you do with it. In the end, it's all up to you."

Dance of the Heart

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and easy to read, had great characters and an enjoyable story line. A fun and interesting read!

Dance of the Heart

A quick, engaging read. I liked the characters in this classic love story. This book would make a delightful movie.

Dance of the heart-reader review

Great stuff! It's light, reads smoothly and is that rarest of things-a unique love story. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.