I am so excited to be a part of the book tour for Dances & Dreams on Diamond Street by Craig Revel Horwood, this tour is hosted by Lovebookstours and today is my spot. I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I was so excited when this book tour landed in my inbox, I absolutely love Strictly Come Dancing and Craig Revel Horwood is by far my favourite judge, I love his character, his humour and his no nonsense attitude so when I saw he had written a book I knew I had to read it!!
I absolutely LOVED this book, it honestly made my heart happy and left me with the biggest smile on my face. I urge everyone to read it to add a bit of sparkle and joy to their day!
Blurb
Set against the colourful boho backdrop of London's Camden in the 1990s, Craig Revel Horwood's first novel, Dances and Dreams on Diamond Street, tells the story of an unlikely family of friends who each rent a room in a ramshackle six-bedroom, four-storey townhouse. Like any family, the residents of Diamond Street sometimes fights and often act up but when the chips are down, they're there for each other in an instant - usually brandishing a cheap bottle of booze, and the offer of an impromptu kitchen disco.
Presided over by the wise-cracking but warm-hearted patriarch of the family, Danny Hall, a professional dancer turned choreographer, the novel follows a year in the life of the inhabitants of Diamond Street, rough diamonds one and all, as they try to achieve their dreams - with unexpected, heart-warming and sometimes hilarious results.
My thoughts
In the words of a certain judge this book was absolutely FAB-U-LOUS darling! Set in the 90s this story follows the lives of 6 housemates, how they form a family unit together and help each other through different trials.
I loved absolutely everyone of these characters, they all contributed such fantastic colour to the story.
Danny the head of the household is an ex dancer moving into choreography and we follow his dream for his career and love throughout the story. His strength and glamour are a fantastic part of the story.
Jewel is a young man who has just moved to London and is trying to make his way in the world, wanting to find out who he is and be happy. His innocence and naivety is so endearing and brings a sweet side to the tale.
Cat and Justin a dancing couple moving into Camden to follow their dreams, Cat is finding her voice, her passion and her love for herself. Justin has all of this in abundance. Can they find their happy ending?
Lachlan, an Australian nurse who has many secrets. He keeps himself guarded but will the Rough Diamonds help him break free and open up?
Pete, a morose poet who brings comedy to the story.
Lil the ageless hipster who fills the story with her flavoursome anecdotes of life in London in the 60s. She is such an amazing character, a matriarch of the group and brings happiness and glitter to the group - I think everyone needs to be a little bit more Lil!!
This character driven tale kept me entertained throughout, the characters were written with depth and I felt a link with each one of them. They all had trials to overcome throughout and helped each other to find their way. The family unit they create is a delight to behold and love shone through the pages brightly. However, not everything is peachy all the time, there are plenty of moments of darkness as in life - but the light finds a way back through.
"Maybe life wasn't about finding happiness and keeping it, he mused to himself. Maybe it was more of a seasonal thing that came and went, but always came back again."
That quote really resonated with me and just sums up the book perfectly, all the characters have journeys throughout which they lose and find happiness. It is a fact of life that nothing is perfect at all times, but the fun is in finding the happiness and enjoying it. Life should be enjoyed for everything it throws at you.
This book was amazingly written, it was awash with colour, throughout the story I felt like I could see the lives of the characters playing out in techni-colour, I could hear the music, feel the vibrations and smell the electricity in the air. It is a treat for the senses. Pure sparkle and joy emit from the pages and I inhaled it! If you are looking for a gorgeously written book which gives you all the feels, this one is for you! I highly recommend you pick up a copy now!
Is this one going onto your TBR? Let me know in the comments!
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