I first discovered Elizabeth White when I read her Texas Gatekeepers trilogy of romantic suspense novels. I enjoyed them and I’ve kept up with her work as she moved to Zondervan to write contemporaries and then recently began writing historicals (including the wonderful Redeeming Gabriel) for Steeple Hill. Her latest book takes readers behind the scenes into the ballet world. It was an interesting journey, and one I would definitely recommend to others.

Gillian Kincade left her home in Alabama while she was still a teenager to seek success as a ballerina in New York City. Though she lives the fast-paced life of a rising dancer, she remains a committed Christian, which sets her a little apart from the other dancers around her. Still, Gillian manages to be both genuine in her beliefs while keeping friendships with her fellow dancers, a balancing act that makes her an appealing and interesting heroine.

When Gillian goes home to Alabama to dance at a church festival for her sister, she meets Jacob Ferrar, the artistic director of the Birmingham Ballet Theater. Though their first meeting goes a little awkwardly, each makes an impression upon the other. Jacob, especially, finds himself intrigued by this relatively unknown and, when he sees her dance for the first time, starts to get an idea.

Jacob begins working out the choreography for a ballet that will have a Christian message and feature part of the story of Mary and Martha. Though he sees Gillian as the perfect dancer to portray Mary of Bethany, there are complications to the idea. First of all, Gillian has just made soloist in her New York dance company and contractual issues would make it difficult for her to come dance in Birmingham. In addition, Jacob and Gillian’s growing feelings for each other awaken issues from Jacob’s past that he needs to deal with if he is to move forward.

The author’s portrayal of the ballet world is one of the huge strengths of this book. From the exhilaration of a good performance to descriptions of the toll that dance takes on the dancer’s bodies to how the long hours and demands of the profession affect one’s life, readers get to step behind the curtain into a world that feels real. Gillian, her friends and her colleagues seem a lot more modern and believable than the characters in most secular contemporaries that I’ve read.

In keeping with the setting, the author also touches upon both the good in her character’s lives, such as strong friendships and supportive families and the darker side, with issues of alcoholism and eating disorders. Not all of the characters are Christian and not all of them are going to change their ways of thinking by the end of the book, but the author treats all compassionately. Just as Gillian and Jacob care about their friends and do not take on a judgmental attitude with their friends, so too does the author refrain from ever preaching at the reader or taking a judgmental tone. The book contains a lot of Christian content, as one would expect from an inspirational, but the characters seem very genuine and it never seems harshly preachy.

Though slow to get off the ground, the romance is truly a sweet one. Gillian and Jacob seem rather tentative with one another at first, but one can see a definite chemistry between them, especially as they work together on the dance. When they finally start to admit their feelings for one another, the ensuing romance is quite sweet and heartwarming. And who can resist a first kiss described like this? “So he kissed her, not because it was Christmas and he was lonely, though it was and he was. And not because she was young, beautiful and gifted, though she most certainly was. He kissed her because he needed her like the desert needed a flood of water…”

My one real beef with this book had to do with Jacob. From the beginning, readers know that Jacob has some kind of secret. However, the author waits too long to finally reveal it and then all the complications from the revelation get wrapped up way too quickly and easily. Still, even with that little bit of eye-rolling, I vastly enjoyed Tour de Force and would recommend it without hesitation.