Book info

• Title One Enchanted Evening
• Author Anton du Beke
• Year 2018
• Genres Historical Fiction, Romance

London, 1936. Inside the spectacular Grand Ballroom of the exclusive Buckingham Hotel the rich and powerful, politicians, film stars, even royalty, rub shoulders with Raymond de Guise and his troupe of talented dancers from all around the world, who must enchant them, captivate them, and sweep away their cares. Accustomed to waltzing with the highest of society, Raymond knows a secret from his past could threaten all he holds dear. Nancy Nettleton, new chambermaid at the Buckingham, finds hotel life a struggle after leaving her small hometown. She dreams of joining the dancers on the ballroom floor as she watches, unseen, from behind plush curtains and hidden doorways. She soon discovers everyone at the Buckingham - guests and staff alike - has something to hide...

Thoughts

So, Anton du Beke has written a series of books, and would you believe it, they’re about old school ballroom dancing in a posh London hotel. It’s exactly what you would expect from Anton, really, the swoosh of proper ballroom dancers in the luxurious grandness of a swanky hotel in the pre-war era of misquiet and distrust.

There are extra layers, class struggles, family squabbles, relationship dramas and even a little bit of espionage, but overall it’s a pretty straightforward story. I don’t know if I enjoyed it all that much, it had a weird formal style, which I get was trying to replicate the era but actually just felt a bit standoffish. And the relationships existed but you weren’t really given the time and space to buy into them.

I think there were some fundamental good ideas underneath it all but they just didn’t quite come across right for my tastes, so although I got to the end, I can’t say it was a hugely enjoyable process.

Rating: 2 / 5