Come Dancing

by Leslie Wells

Overview

Julia is a book-loving publisher's assistant. Jack is a famous British rock star. "Opposites attract" is an understatement. It's 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher's assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors-but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz.

Julia blows off steam by going dancing downtown with her best friend, Vicky. One night, a hot British guitarist invites them into his VIP section. Despite an entourage of models and groupies, Jack chooses Julia as his girl for the evening-and when Jack Kipling picks you, you go with it. The trouble is ... he's never met a girl like her before. And she resists being just one in a long line.

Jack exposes her to new experiences, from exclusive nightclubs in SoHo to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood; from mind-bending recording sessions to wild backstage parties. Yet Julia is afraid to fall for him. Past relationships have left her fragile; one more betrayal just might break her.

As she fends off her grabby boss and tries to move up the corporate ladder, Julia's torrid relationship with Jack takes her to heights she's never known-and plunges her into depths she's never imagined.

With a fascinating inside look at publishing, this entertaining story of a bookish young woman's adventures with a rock superstar is witty, moving, and toe-curlingly steamy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692235911
Publisher:	Percambio Press
Publication date:	06/08/2014
Series:	Jack and Julia Series , #1
Pages:	382
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.85(d)

About the Author

Leslie Wells left her small Southern town in 1979 for graduate school in New York City. After receiving her Master's in English Lit, she got her first job in book publishing. She has edited forty-eight New York Times bestsellers in her over thirty-year career, including thirteen number one New York Times bestsellers. Leslie has worked with numerous internationally known authors, musicians, actors, actresses, television and radio personalities, athletes, and coaches. She lives on Long Island, New York.

Editorial Reviews

2015-09-15
In Wells' debut novel, a young editor embarks on an affair with a rock 'n' roll guitarist in 1980s New York City. Julia Nash is living a 1980s New York dream. She works at a publishing house (under the thumb of a lecherous boss), lives in a then-affordable walk-up apartment in SoHo, and regularly goes out dancing with her best friend, Vicky. It's on one of those nights dancing in a club that she meets Jack Kipling, guitarist for the fictional band Four to the Floor. Despite her reservations about getting involved with a famous musician, Julia begins a romance with Jack, who seems to be genuinely interested in her despite their differences. However, as she becomes more and more involved in Jack's life, Julia must figure out how to balance her own career with Jack's claims on her time and emotions. Plus, is he really being as faithful to her as he claims? Wells, herself a longtime editor, does an excellent job capturing the milieu of 1980s New York, when cocaine was everywhere and cellphones were nowhere. Julia is an appealing heroine, and her quest to navigate work and love in the big city is a familiar but winning one. The other characters, from Jack and Vicky to Julia's brassy mother and Jack's odious band mate, Patrick, are recognizable archetypes but still unique enough to keep the reader's attention. At times, dialogue is a bit hokey—Jack has too many lines like "You've really gotten under my skin. Which is where I want you." The novel's central idea is admittedly a bit of a fairy tale—would a rock star really fall for a brainy publishing employee?—but one that's still delightful enough to get readers to suspend disbelief and come along for the ride. Wells includes pages from a sequel at the end; here's hoping the next installment keeps up the charm and spirit. A lighthearted, romantic romp.

Kirkus Reviews