Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work, building a lovely home, and, as she says, “pretending to be a whole lot more conservative and stupid and nicer than I really am.”
Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So on a whim she signs up for a ballroom dancing class, and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins 
to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new: Nik, a young Russian dance teacher who sees the artistic potential she left behind; Carolina, a woman in hospice, anxious to experience a whole lifetime in a few months; and Elyse, Kelly’s girlhood best friend who knows all of her past secrets—including the truth about the man who long ago broke Kelly’s heart.
In the vein of Jennifer Weiner's novels, Unexpected Waltz is a deeply felt story about moving on after loss and finding a new walk—or dance—of life through the power of second chances.
My review.........4 stars
What a lovely read! I love to watch ballroom dance (whether it be Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, or the occasional "real" thing on PBS), but I've certainly never taken a lesson in my life. I loved all the references to dance, right down to how much practice and sweat it takes to master one part of a dance, but this book was much more than just about ballroom dancing. It was about a middle aged woman rediscovering herself, and dance was just one of the mediums that she used to do so. There are also concurrent storylines about a woman who is dying at a hospice house, the best friend who has been there forever, and a former flame.....all of which impact the main character's transformation. Lots of great supporting characters, who you will come to like and care about, as much as the main character.
I signed up through Goodreads to receive a copy of this book from the publisher. It was already one that I had on my wishlist, so many thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy for review. I love the cover I have pictured here, unfortunately they changed the cover for the paperback copy, probably my only complaint I have with this book.
All around great read, I would highly recommend it, especially to anyone who loves ballroom dance.
to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new: Nik, a young Russian dance teacher who sees the artistic potential she left behind; Carolina, a woman in hospice, anxious to experience a whole lifetime in a few months; and Elyse, Kelly’s girlhood best friend who knows all of her past secrets—including the truth about the man who long ago broke Kelly’s heart.
