Book Review

A male ballet dancer walks into a rural small town…

Liam, a professional ballet dancer from New York City, moves to the tiny town of Swan, Oklahoma, with a mission. Haunted by what he endured as a teenager, he returns as an adult to conquer his fears and challenge the town’s outdated prejudices. He plans to modernize Swan by opening a dance studio and showing its residents that there’s a place for everyone and all should be accepted.

Tate has never traveled beyond the Oklahoma border and knows little of life beyond his small rural town and blue-collar job. Deeply entrenched in secrecy and surrounded by people who’d never accept him if they knew what he hid beneath the surface, he’s resigned to a life of lies and loneliness.

Liam and Tate’s worlds collide a safe distance from Swan, where they form an instant connection but plan to walk away after one night, no matter how much more their encounter leaves them yearning for. Fate, however, has other plans. When Tate shows up for a renovation job at Liam’s new studio, their initial shock gives way to a tentative friendship with complicated emotions.

The pressures of small-town life, narrow-minded family members, and Tate’s insecurities threaten their budding connection from day one. Liam is determined to show Tate the beauty of living as his true self, but Tate has seen the consequences of such a life firsthand, and they’ve imprinted on his mind.

As they grapple with their feelings and the harsh realities of Swan, Liam and Tate must decide if love is worth the risk. Can they find a way to be together in a world that seems set against them?

Title: The Duality of Swans
Authors: Lilly Atlas
Length: 82k
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary.

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“Okay…” He needed to get this train back on track before he completely lost control. People thought teaching kids was tough, it was nothing compared to a group of mischievous seniors. “Let’s work through the dance a few more times before we run out of time. The senior center’s talent show is in a few weeks, and I’d hate myself if I sent you ladies out there unprepared.”

“It’s so nice of you to do this for us before you officially open, dear.”

“It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Snow. Okay, everyone in their place?” The group of senior ladies all nodded. “And five… six… seven… eight…” He hit the music, and the studio filled with the song they’d requested—Jailhouse Rock. As Elvis belted out the lyrics, the ladies began to dance. It was a bit of a disaster, but they had fun, laughed, and teased each other, so he offered a few corrections. After running it several times, they had it down, and Liam felt comfortable calling it a day.

Dot had other ideas. She’d begged him to play the rest of Elvis’s album. Once the other ladies joined in the pleading, he had no choice but to give them what they wanted. Who could resist a bunch of sweet grandmas itching for a dance party?

By the end of the second song, he was dancing with them, spinning, dipping ladies left and right, and laughing his head off. His friends in New York wouldn’t recognize him. Who would believe that in the span of a few weeks, he’d gone from being a lead performer in the New York City Ballet to choreographing a dance for the local senior center’s talent show?

But this type of dance fed his soul—fun, no pressure, and pure joy. It was the kind of dance professionals often forgot about in their pursuit of perfection. So, he embraced it, crooning along with Elvis and getting his fifties groove on.

He was mid Rock Around the Clock with The King when he spun, thrust his hips, and came to a dead stop. Tate stood propped against the door with his arms folded and a smirk on his handsome face.

Liam rushed to his phone on the floor near the mirror and killed the music.

“Hey!” Mary called out when the room fell silent. “Oh, who do we have here?”

“Leave him alone, Mar. He doesn’t want to be your number six,” Dot said with a snicker.

“Oh, Tate, hello dear,” Mrs. Snow said with a wave for the bad boy lurking at the door.

“Hey, Miz Snow.” He waved before folding his arms again. “So, what are you crazy kids getting up to in here?”

Liam’s face was hot enough to melt off his body. “Uh, we’re just having a quick lesson.”

“This sweet boy is helping us by choreographing a dance for the senior center’s talent show.” Dot looped her thin arm through Liam’s and tugged him closer to Tate. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye that he needed to squash immediately.

This is a new to me author, but seeing decent sized back list, I’ll be reading more! I jumped on this one because my kryptonite was mentioned- ballet dancer. I just can’t resist. And I am very glad I didn’t resist because I loved this book.

The main characters are set up in a prologue set 10 years before. We clearly see what kind of people live in the town of Swan. Backwards homophobic bigots. It was jarring at first just knowing that people really are like that. Heartbreaking. After a traumatic event we jump 10 years to present day.

Liam, a NY ballet dancer packs us his life to move to Swan and open a dance studio. Why? He has his reasons. Swan is notoriously homophobic. So much so that even one town over doesn’t like to mingle there. Ya, that bad.

Which means that Tate, born and raised in Swan is deep in the closet. And he works with two of the biggest reasons- his brother and his brother’s best friend. The type of guys who think you can catch gay from a handshake or being too close. And speaking out against them and their hate will just bring the hate on you as well.

And Tate is a good guy. He wants to do better than what he has known his whole life. He has ambition. But even that is mocked. Tate, his brother Randy, and Randy’s best friend Daryl all work for the same tile company. And when they have a job at the new dance studio, Randy and Daryl let the slurs fly. You can almost see Tate’s heart crumpling.

Liam sees Tate though. For the good person he is. For the closeted gay man he is. And Tate definitely sees Liam.

I loved that Liam really supported Tate. Never gave him an ultimatum. Never said “I’m not going back into the closet” or any of the other cliche things. He does call him out on any bs, but he is also incredibly supportive.

The more Liam supports Tate, the more Tate wants to be free. He wants to be with Liam. Out in the open. He wants to be happy.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some serious stumbles along the way. But grace is given and forgiveness gifted. Because Tate and Liam didn’t play games with each other. They were for more mature than their 25 years.

Tate’s character arc was one to behold. From completely closeted, to defending Liam, to publicly being friends with Liam and more. Each step forward I wanted to cheer for him.

So I was sucked in by a ballet dancer, but I was left swooning by a tile guy.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lilly is a best-selling and award-winning author of steamy contemporary romance. As a Navy wife, mom of three girls, and fur mom to two dogs, she’s living her best and craziest life. Before publishing, Lilly worked for almost a decade as a physical therapist. Now, she spends her days wrangling her crew and giving life to the stories in her head.

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