Dance While You Can

Elizabeth, junior matron at a boys' private school, is surprisingly attractive.. and becomes a little too friendly with one of the older boys. She is only four years older than he is, but relatives and colleagues disapprove strongly, and they are forced to part.

Alexander, the young man concerned, tries to forget his first love, first at university, and then in London high society, with a string of other women. Elizabeth, too, tries to move on with her life. But neither can quite forget the other...

The writing is amazing, the pace fast, the scenarios - including some unlikely and obsessive crime - surprisingly believable. I found it difficult to put this book down; sections alternate between Elizabeth and Alexander's viewpoints in a show more style almost reminiscent of Susan Howatch at times.

I would have given this five stars, despite rather more bad language than I'm comfortable with, but it was let down by two overly explicit and entirely unnecessary scenes of intimacy early in the book.

Definitely recommended, if you can take the two 'purple' passages. Four and a half stars, really. show less

Elizabeth fell in love with her student. He married, she married and yet they loved each other. The marital partners suffered for many years knowing eaches spouse was in love with another. Elizabeth even had 2 of the students children.