Book giveaway: Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain. Post your feedback by 23 May for chance to win £100 Love2Shop Voucher!

My first free copy was v excited to receive! Have never read any of her books before, thoroughly enjoyed it and loved how it switched from one time line to the next.

Enjoyed this, thank you mumsnet!

This was an extremely enjoyable book.
I really felt the author got into the mind of Molly, the 14-year-old girl. The story moved between Molly's childhood to her adulthood seamlessly. She has to make some tough decisions in her adult life and how to reconcile some things from her past.
A very engaging, very interesting book.

Thank you for my free copy.
I have just finished reading it, it's a beautiful story, easy to read during my daily commute to and from work.

Although I enjoyed this book, I liked some of her earlier books more.

Thank you for my free copy. I really enjoyed the book, tears and all! It is a very thought-provoking book filled with so many different issues, especially highlighting disability/illness and adoption. It gives a heartfelt depiction of love and the shocking extent of what people will do for someone they love. Well worth the read!

Thank you Mumsnet for my copy.

I found the book very easy to read and as others have said the change if time period was very clear and not confusing at all. The book deals with emotive issues such as adoption and euthanasia very sensitively. This was the first book by Diane Chamberlain I have read and I look forward to trying others in the future.

I have now finished reading this book. When I first started reading it I was offended by the very short account of a bedroom scene that the young daughter witnessed. I did not feel this was neccesary to the story line and wondered just why it was included in such a graphic way. I carried on reading it as I had agreed to and I found the rest of the book had me wanting to read more...A little bit of the Agatha Christie...and the orient express. The plot was good and had you guessing to the end with a few tears included.

This was an easy, enjoyable read with engaging characters. Interesting subject matter and clever use of switching from her past to present. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a holiday read. Thanks for my free copy.

Thanks for my free copy. This book is a real page turner, easy to read and flows well. I like the way it flips between the past and present and still feels like a single story (I've read some books where this change in point of view is just horribly confusing!). Not an author I've read before, but will certainly seek out her books again!

I was really pleased to receive this book as I am a big fan of Diane Chamberlain having discovered her a few years ago. This book was, as usual, beautifully written however I felt that the first half promised more than the second half delivered as it did become very predictable. And the epilogue was a bit too saccharine for me! Having said that I enjoyed the book and will be passing it on for others to read. Thanks mumsnet.

A great read thanks - is a real page turner and would make a good holiday read

I loved the book. I enjoy reading and this was one I could not put down. It was well written and emotional and made for pleasant reading. While there was an air of mystery, the story could have been anyone's and one many will be able to relate too in some way or another.
The characters were heart warming and the story is perfect for falling into after a tiring day.

Thank you for my copy of this book. I really like Diane Chamberlains books, the first i read was The Midwifes Confession (probably my favourite) I've read several more now. I really enjoyed the story, easy to get into and hard to put down. As others have said the ending might be a little predictable but I still enjoyed the story. Would recommend this book and Diane Chamberlains others.

Thanks for the book, not my normal subject matter but it was a very engaging read and thoroughly enjoyed.

I had never heard of this author before, and I did enjoy the book. Very easy to get in to. I would look in to the authors other books too.

Ah I read this really quickly - as a mum with an adopted son I could completely empathise with the feelings of loss and worry about not being good enough throughout the adoption process. I really enjoyed the story and could not put it down. I thought the issue of debilitating illness and euthenasia was handled well and made me think about my wishes in that type of situation. I have passed on to my mother in law to read - great book :-)

Thanks for my free copy. I'm looking forward to starting it this evening and will be back to let you know what I thought soon!

I have started this book and the reading of it is going ok so far ..but I am not quite halfway through..I will come back when its finished

"I'm a good liar." I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this book from this opening sentence.

The various interwoven "themes" touched on my life at several points which made it easier for me to identify with the characters. There were one or two instances when I found myself thinking "Molly would really not be happy about that," or "Nora would not have done that" which was when I realised I was drawn completely in and reminded myself I was reading a work of fiction and not a case study. The author has done her research extremely well, either that or she is my American alter ego.

I thought this would be a book I would read once and pass on or take to a charity shop but it has given me much food for thought. I will keep this book and re-read it. It has challenged some of my views on adoption and confirmed some of my views on voluntary euthanasia. And through all the themes is the running line of how even the best intentioned lie will come back sooner or later to haunt you.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book

A great read. Although it was easy to see where the story was going, I was still eager to see how things worked out. The characters were likeable and made reading their story really enjoyable.

I will definitely look out for more Diane Chamberlain books to read.

Thanks, Mumsnet, for my free copy. I found it a little unnerving that parts of the storyline are so close to my own life experiences, but I thought the author handled the delicate situations faced by the family with great sensitivity. I found the characters likeable and engaging and had to pace myself with reading the book not to rush to find out the ending. This is the first novel I have read by this author and it has made me eager to read more. A lovely read for holidays, commuting, or whenever you have time to curl up with a cup of tea and lose yourself in a story. Highly enjoyable; I would recommend to others and look forward to sharing my copy with friends.

I always enjoy her books and this one was no exception . I had many a late night as I could not put it down . I loved the way she writes about the angst of being a teenage girl and it brought back a few memories for me- especially getting out of my depth with older boys! I also thought the subject of euthanasia was very sensitivity handled and made me reconsider my previously strong views against. Yes the ending was a little predicable I agree however this did not detract from my overall pleasure in the story.

I have not previously read any books by Diane Chamberlain, so I am not familiar with her writing style, or subjects. But I am so happy with this book I am going to plough through all previous novels, I love finding a new favourite :)
The story was engaging with two time lines for the same character. It was very easy to read, with no confusion when switching between stories. I am the same age so it was very pleasant to read and remember things I had forgot that I knew, and certain feelings ( my friends and I were also obsessed with THE Judy Blume book, you know which one, wink, wink )
I dont have personal experience with a debilitating illness, or adoption, but felt it was explained and thoughtful. Others may know more on these subjects so can confirm if was positive or not.
All in all, a very good read. I'm passing it on to my friends as I'm sure they will be as delighted to read it as I was. And I plan to use a bit of pretend therapy in my life to see if it makes things a bit easier :)

The first Diane Chamberlain book I read was The lies we told, and while I enjoyed it I felt it was a bit far fetched and not true to life. However, after reading a couple more of her books I was hooked. The most recent one I read (apart from this one) was Necessary Lies and the true history behind the story is heartbreaking.

Her stories are easy to read and you just want to curl up with a big mug of tea and sit there until you are finished and Pretending to Dance was no different. I warmed to Molly and Graham straight away, and although you know what is happening early on it doesn’t detract from the emotion you get from all of the characters. It’s a book about loss of innocence in two different ways while dealing with a difficult decision that many families have had to face.

As I was coming to the end of the story a close family member gave me some news about her health, while not currently life threatening there is the potential for it, or a stroke, if something goes wrong. It made me think about what she would want to do if in a similar position to Graham and I know she would probably make the same decision – albeit medically controlled.

As with all of Diane Chamberlain’s books I was in a hurry to know the outcome but didn’t want the book to end.

Thank you for sending me this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others.

Thank you for Diane chamberlain's Pretending to Dance. I started reading it & could not put it down. So many issues in there, from adopting, to teenage sex, family drama, & suspense. I don't like chapters jumping from the present to the past but it does make you concentrate & it seems to be all the rage. I will look out for another one of Diane Chamberlain's books.