They Danced On

The Darlings #3

by Carre Armstrong Gardner

Nothing is more important to Jane Darling than her family. She’s dedicated her life to raising her children, and they all appear to be doing well. She can finally relax and enjoy life. But when her husband becomes seriously ill, Jane finds herself taking on the most difficult role of her life.

Laura Darling moved away to escape the expectations of her family. Ever since she went through rehab, they watch her like a hawk. Now she has a good job, new friends, and no one to criticize her or comment on everything she’s doing. But when everything begins to unravel, Laura’s heart turns toward home.

Follow the Darling family through triumph and tragedy as they struggle with an uncertain future.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Inspirational

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2016

About the author

Carre writes from the big small town of Portland, Maine, where she's the mom of 3 teenagers and 2 dogs she would rather not own. (Only the dogs, not the teenagers.) From 2007 to 2010, she and her family lived in Russia, studying the language and doing humanitarian work.

Like most writers, Carre grew up with her nose in a book. The heroines who most informed her were smart, creative, independent thinkers like Anne Shirley, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, and Cherry Ames. Nancy proved that being a girl detective might just be the coolest career ever, but Cherry taught her that nursing was more practical. Carre compromised by becoming a nurse and marrying a sleuth.

Nearly every flat surface in Carre's home has books on it. The stories she loves most are those about the ordinary lives of ordinary people; she thinks of every life as a fascinating drama. Isn't each one of us the hero of our own story? She'd love for you to drop her a line and tell her yours!

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is very rare for me to not finish a book. Especially review titles. This one dragged. I was on like chapter 5 and felt that I should be further along that I was. I had no connection with the characters or the plot. This particular book probably wasn't for me. There are several positive reviews online.

I received this book for free from Tyndale for the purpose of reviewing. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This last book in the Darling family trilogy was passably enjoyable. In my opinion it stagnated at various stages in the story-telling, especially when it came to Jane, the Mom, accepting Leander, her husband's disease. Indeed, ALS, is a slow advancing fatal disease, but Jane hopes that her faith will cure him.
As for all the Darling children and grandchildren, their lives move on, and there are weddings and a new grand-baby on the way. Ivy and Nick's adopted children thrive, DeShaun going to culinary school, Jada, as a teenager, testing her mother's boundaries. Only for Hammer, who seems to act out, therapy is needed. And finally we see Laura, who lives in Phoenix, come to terms with her alcoholism. Supported by her new friends, she works hard at her recovery and is finally able, after some time, to face her family back in Maine.
I am glad I read these books because they told me in a simple and compelling way that living with God in your life can be a beautiful thing.

[Challice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Pass the tissues and bring out the brownies.
Beautiful story that I didnt realize was 3rd in a series. I dont feel like I missed anything. The only thing that I felt was inserted oddly in the story was Jane's back story about the baby she gave up for adoption. You get bits and pieces and she reflects at odd times. Again it ends abruptly and for me to pick it up as an outside reader was a bit disconnected.
Loved learning about this family and seeing the struggles they had as individuals and collectively.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Danced On is a beautiful book, heartfelt and moving. It encompasses every facet of a busy, flawed and loving family. There is romance, weddings, first kisses and even proposals. There are serious illnesses and diseases, both ALS and alcoholism. There are calls from the school principal, family secrets, and wrestling with faith.

This book takes place six months after the end of the previous book in the Darling Family series. It covers a long period of time and, judging from the epilogue, it will be the last book in the series.

Leander has ALS and a large part of the book focuses on Leander and Jane, as they both deal with the changes in their lives and settling scores with the past. We also get glimpses of the rest of the Darling family. Sephy and Justice are about to get married, Laura is still struggling with her alcohol consumption and is not in contact with her family, David is settling into married life, Amy is biding her time until she can pursue a future with Mitch, and Ivy and Nick are still getting the hang of raising three rambunctious kids, with DeShaun about to graduate high school and start cullinary school. Alternating chapters from various characters give readers an insight into the whole family's continuing stories.

Throughout the whole book there is the most wonderful mix of joy and sadness. It is horrible watching Jane work through her denial of the seriousness of Leander's fight with ALS, and the way she treats him is at times heartbreaking, as is watching Leander's diminishing strength. This is balanced with the joy of watching the Darling family grow and flourish.

If They Danced On is to be the last book in the series, it is the perfect conclusion and the perfect celebration of love and life. A highly recommended series for readers who love stories of family, romance and faith.

The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Find more reviews on my blog Madison's Library.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Danced On by Carre Armstrong Gardner
Have read other works by the author and knew I'd enjoy this one. Again we are surrounded by the Darling family.
What I really like about the books is that they are about a family and there are many siblings, all the different careers, all the different ages and all the different ways God is in their life.
What struck me was the word "danced" on the front of the book. I've recently gotten my husband to dance with me, very seldom and we enjoy it, on a spur of the moment-out of the ordinary.
Love the instances in this book that the characters do get to dance. Loved hearing about the kids and their parents and the struggles they face in todays' time.
Felt such a strong bond to some of them as I've gone through some of what they have. The other tragedies I have not experienced for myself were devastating to hear about and how they copes with them.
Quite a meaningful book to read, you will get so much from it, no matter what your age.
I received this book from The Book Club Network (bookfun.org) in exchange for my honest review.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt conclusion to the Darling family series, the author continues to show her skill at creating realistic, flawed characters. Laura is one who will stick with the reader long after completing the novel, as her journey is filled with pitfalls along the way to change her life for the better. There is also a thought-provoking examination of how to accept when God says “no” to sincere prayers.

Jane Darling loves her family, and never before have they meant as much to her as they do now that Leander is dealing with progressing ALS. Jane prays for the healing that God promises in the Bible, and cannot understand why others fail to share in her absolute belief in that healing. The adult children are moving forward with their lives and each has challenges to confront along the way.
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[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Danced On is the third installment from The Darlings series. I can't tell other readers how much I have enjoyed this series. This book covers some real life issues and at times heart breaking yet, the author still was able to throw some laugh out loud moments.
I would highly recommend this book, as well as, the rest of the series.
5 plus stars.

[Janka H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

How wonderful to send the year of 2021 off with a bang by reading this novel! Because it is a wonderful read after a string of bland ones - warm yet realistic, intelligent and engaging, full of heart, yet fully acknowledging the harsh season of life. And full of hope. A gem within not only the realm of Christian literature.

This is a third book in the series. I recommend to read the previous installments before this one (they are wonderful, too).

This series focuses on Jane Darling and her marriage, as well as her daughters Amy and Laura; while staying in touch with all of the Darlings!
I like Jane’s story very much - she is facing an enormous crisis because of serious illness within the family, as well as her hidden past. Wholesome Jane has a past, you say? Yes. And I applaud the authoress on not saving the matriarch of the family from the need to look some things straight in the eye. Not saying more here - but my heart breaks for her sister Ellen. I wish that she could get her happy ending, too (and by happy ending I do not mean the traditional romance, but a peace for her, and a warm embrace from God and the people around. Seeing her backstory, I can not help but think that she was treated a bit harshly, even if her choices were her own.).

Amy is a pure sunshine and her romance is gold.
Jaded Laura’s demons are not covered in-depth here (I would love to explore that!), but her story is not sugar-coated and I am thankful for that. Christian literature can offer certain naivete at times, but Laura’s story is not that in the slughtest and can offer a look into the less-traditional happy-go-lucky churchgoers. We are humans instead of idealized versions of us, and Laura’s arc is very good to ponder upon, to try to look more deeply on people.

All in all, the authoress goes to my auto-read list because of this series. This quality of understanding the human heart is rare.

[Sarah Sartin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think books 1 and 2 could have easily been combined into 1 and shared readers the long, drawn out paths some characters took to get to their final destination. I was so tired of hearing about Laura’s drinking before I was done with the 2nd book, I could not believe how much it dragged on in the 3rd. Jane’s character has some ugly internal dialog for 40% of this book that didn’t seem to line up with who we knew her to be from the other 2. The story line of her adopted son did not have near enough resolution for how much time they devoted to her agonizing over contacting him. And there was more genuine good in the last chapter and epilogue than the rest of books 2 and 3 combined, in my opinion.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens to a wife and mother when her children have flown the nest and her husband has an incurable disease? Jane Darling realizes after more than thirty years of marriage and motherhood that she has to re-invent herself and figure out who SHE is, on her own.

This is a fitting, yet sometimes surprising, conclusion to The Darlings trilogy.

Editing oversights found in the Kindle text: Page 32, I used to be a auto mechanic / I used to be AN auto mechanic ; 41, What about ... / What ABOUT ... ? (partial question) ; 191, It was a wonderful, controlled chaos of course / It was a wonderful, controlled CHAOS, of course ; 231, Well what? / WELL, what? ; 232, Oh no you don't! / Oh NO, you don't!

[Rena Ackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Darling family was raised as a close Christian family, playing music together, dad was a band director, mom a pianist, each one had an instrument or sang. As they got older, things changed, some didn’t quite fit that mold anymore, but Mom’s keep praying. One takes an intervention to get to rehab then moves away, another chooses an unconventional path to family life when they cannot get pregnant, another is a workaholic, but can’t understand when her theater crew all want to quit. Then what happens when the backbone of the family can no longer be the backbone. This is a beautifully written novel of what happens in real life, we have struggles, we run away, we call each other out. Hopefully at the end of the day, we still call each other, family.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was third in a series until I came to review it on Goodreads! The author reminded me very much of Lauraine Snelling's style. I enjoyed the multi-POV approach a lot, and I liked that the author included so many parts of the different characters' lives (maybe because as a mom of five it felt very realistic!). I do wish Christian authors wouldn't compare prayers to mantras, though! Completely different, or at least they should be.

[Shelley Marushak Langelaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the trilogy. It tied up a lot of the unraveled ends. This family is not perfect - nor will it ever be — that is one of the reasons I was drawn to it. At times I got frustrated with Jane and how she handled her husbands illness - that said I know of people just like her. Sorry to see this series end — I enjoyed peeking into their lives.

[Joan Arning · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Danced On is my favorite of The Darlings series. I could understand how Jane Darling wanted to believe for her husband's healing from ALS rather than accepting that God sometimes gives us the strength to go through bad things rather than healing on earth. You will probably want to read the earlier books in order to understand who the Darling children are.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have grown to love the Darlings. I feel as though they are family. This book brought to life their family and the drama within a large family. I wish all the questions were answered but I think the way it ended gave the characters closure. A hopeful weekend read!

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with likeable characters. I really enjoyed this series. Some realistic subject matter that was handled well.

4.5 stars

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was one of the first books I read it ok I liked it.

[Ellen Keyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family story of hope and healing

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, uplifting conclusion to the trilogy. Heartbreaking and real.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 3 in a series. Apparently, I skipped #2 and will have to go back and read it. I love the Darling family and their challenges and escapades. However, I didn't like this one as much as the first one, maybe because of the subject matter, I don't know. It was definitely sadder than the first one. It is a good, heartfelt family series though, and I do recommend it.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt as if I was living life with the Darling Family throughout all three of the books in this trilogy. The ending of time with this family closed out beautifully in this third book. I cried and I laughed as each family member dealt with heartache and joy. Such an enjoyable read. I look forward to more books in the future written by Carre Armstrong Gardner.

[Debi Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of author, Carre Armstrong Gardner, but the storyline of this book, They Danced On, caught my attention and I was really looking forward to reading it. They Danced On is all about the Darling family. No, they aren't a darling family - their last name is Darling. Apparently this was the third book in a series, but I have to say I never would have known this was a book in a series - definitely a "stand alone". Now that I know there are two books ahead of this one, I'm curious if it would have mattered if I knew more about the family before reading this book.

Each of the characters in They Danced On are realistic and flawed, which is just the way I like it. I could totally identify with them and each of their respective ways. As a woman in recovery, I particularly liked the realistic way Laura's addiction was shared and I could relate to her struggles. It showed a good person who regularly volunteered and helped the homeless continue to make bad choices as it pertained to alcohol. There are many times when active alcoholics are perceived as selfish people, when in fact their addictions own them and control their behavior. As they come to terms with their addictive behavior, they are able to make "right" the selfish ways of their past. I think as Laura's addiction is portrayed in this book, it is very close to being on point with the women in recovery that I have encountered in my life (including myself).

It was very interesting, too, reading how Jane's faith affected her original perspective on her husband, Leander's disease (ALS) and whether or not her perspective was realistic in this situation. Even more interesting was how Jane was able to come to terms with the inevitable future of Leander's ALS. Another interesting topic as it pertained to Jane was her feeling the "empty nest syndrome" and how she dealt with that situation as her last child moved out. As readers, we read how she struggled with that particular issue and how she resolved those feelings.

And then there's Jane's very strained relationship with her sister, Ellen. While Jane has a "dirty little secret" from all those years ago, that secret isn't hidden from Ellen, who played an intricate part of the situation. Jane must come to terms with her part in the situation before she can ever restore her relationship with Ellen. It's kind of interesting to me how something so horrible could just happen to Jane without her finding any accountability on her own part for so very long. It isn't until she realizes that she had an active part in the destruction of her relationship with her sister that she can even begin to mend the bridge.

There are many other stories going on at once in this book, with Sephy, with Ivy and Nick and their children, with Amy and her boyfriend, Mitch - I just can't address each story so you'll have to read the book to learn about everyone's outcome.

This book was a quick read. At the end there's an excerpt from her next book, All Right Here, which appears to be Book #1 in this series. I think now that I've read #3, I'd like to learn the backstory of this family by reading Book #1, All Right Here, and Book #2, Better All The Time, so that I have a more complete idea of who the Darlings really are.

In compliance with the Federal Trade Commission regulations, please be aware that Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this post as part of their Tyndale Blog Network.

[Sara Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

** “ ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ Like salve applied to a wound, it always helped for the moment, but it had to be often reapplied. She supposed that was the blessing of pain: it demanded that you return, and return often to the Healer for relief.” **

Carre Armstrong Gardner wraps up the stories of the Darling Family with the hard-hitting and emotionally charged “They Danced On.”

Family matriarch and Maine resident Jane is learning to come to terms with the ALS diagnosis her husband, Leander, recently received. She truly believes in the Scripture that says God will heal those who come to Him in faith, and when He doesn’t seem to be healing her beloved, she has real doubts.

Ivy and Nick are continuing to try to figure out this parenting thing with their three adopted children — DeShaun who is entering culinary school, 13-year-old Jada who just HAS to have cornrows so she can be cool, and 9-year-old Hammer, who is suddenly acting out in very bad and very dangerous ways.

David and Libby are happily adjusting to newlywed life, and Sephy is about to marry Justice and move to Africa.

Youngest Amy is still running the local arts center and waiting for her best friend Mitch’s year of sobriety to end so they can take their relationship to the next level.

And Laura. Laura is still living in Phoenix, and still in denial she has a problem with alcohol — that she is indeed an alcoholic.

“They Danced On” weaves together the up-and-down stories of each of the characters, but particularly Jane’s and Laura’s. Gardner masterfully takes you on a journey that will leave you laughing one moment and crying the next. She so deeply develops these characters that you feel like you’re walking beside them every step.

Sprinkled throughout with Scripture, “They Danced On” is a tale that takes on heavy, heavy issues like disease (ALS and cancer and alcoholism) and the repercussions that come from those battles. It delves into matters of faith, where Jane (maybe not so correctly) deeply struggles with blaming Leander’s lack of healing on his own lack of faith and belief that he will be healed. She truly believes that giving up hope is not an option, and that he has given up hope.

Gardner offers up so many goodies and blessings in this novel — channeling anxiety into prayer, finding gratitude, taking everything to God, accepting God’s answers with good grace, grief and its unpredictability, and grace and forgiveness.

Even though this book is filled with many tear-inducing moments, you cannot help but feel inspired by each character’s growth. And Gardner does a great job wrapping up the story in the epilogue.

Five stars out of five.

Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm struggling with a title for this post. "I could have danced all night and still have begged for more,..." or "Shall we dance? Shall we dance?" Either would fit the bill for this story of a family going through some of the most difficult times a family can face. I jumped into this series with book number three, and while I didn't get the nuances of the first two, this third one does fine on its own.

Jane and Leander are the happy parents of a number of children
David
Ivy
Laura
Amy
Sephy
and I may be forgetting one or two.

Leander has ALS and Jane denies that it is the death sentence it's known to be. Most of the book is about redefining Jane's faith and finding her peace with God regardless of circumstances.

Laura has a drinking problem, but she's so far from home, her family only knows that she has become distant.

Ivy had adopted three children who have been abandoned by their mother, and one of the children has a serious anger issue.

Amy has been friends with Mitch for a long time, but Mitch has had to deal with his issues and they have decided they will be nothing more than friends until he's been sober for a year

Sephy and her new husband, Justice, have moved to Namibia to work in a mission--Sephy as a nurse and Justice as a veterinarian.

With every step of deterioration in Leander, Jane becomes more militant in her stance that God will heal him. When he starts walking with a cane, she rails at him for not having strong enough faith. In the midst of Leander's troubles, Jane's sister Ellen asks Jane to come visit. Their relationship has not been a close one for a long time and Jane doesn't know what to expect. If she was hoping for a warm welcome, she was sorely mistaken. Ellen is just as prickly as she's ever been.

There is a lot of angst in the book, They Danced On, Jane's for Leander, Laura's for her addiction, Ivy's for her children, Jane's for the son she gave up for adoption, Jane's for her sister Ellen, but all of it seems necessary for the plot to move at its intended pace. With as many characters in the book as there are, Carre Armstrong Gardner has done an admirable job in giving them depth and personality. I truly enjoyed the book and give it five stars, two thumbs up, and faith to face anything that comes your way.

My thanks to Tyndale House for allowing me to read and review this book.

[Deana Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story that captures the dynamics of family. Throughout the book we get glimpses into the lives of the Darling family. The characters were very relatable and easy to fall in love with. Each character brought a different problem, emotion and importance to the story. I really didn't want it to end and yes there are moments that I felt tears coming as I read about the trials the family faced.

Jane and Leander are the patriarchs of the family. I loved their dedication to each other and as I read that Leander had ALS, I could feel Jane gather her strength and surround her husband with love and compassion. She has a deep faith in God and assures everyone that Leander will be healed. I loved how the author showed Jane's steadfast hope in God and how she never once gave up. It would be so hard to watch a loved one go through an illness and I felt Jane was a great comfort to Leander. The author did a great job of showing what it is like to deal with a spouse's illness and how it takes the whole family to help out.

I found that each of the siblings had great love for each other and really was invested in each other's lives. The problems that the Darling family faced were real live issues that people face everyday. One of the most unforgettable parts of the book was the relationship between Jane and her sister. Something happened a long time ago, that Ellen refuses to forgive Jane for. That bitterness has caused such a strain on their relationship . Will Ellen ever find a way to forgive Jane? What secret has Jane kept all these years? The dynamics between these two characters were well written and shows how deep a betrayal can destroy a relationship. The story is of a family that faces devastating illnesses, addiction and behavior issues with children in a graceful and loving way. I love how the story was written with such emotion that I felt every tear, hurt and pain the characters experienced. Get ready for a story that will bring tears to your eyes, a smile to your face and a family that never gives up.

"There was so much of life left, both to sorrow over and to celebrate. "

I received a copy of this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

Nothing is more important to Jane Darling than her family. She’s dedicated her life to raising her children, and they all appear to be doing well. She can finally relax and enjoy life. But when her husband becomes seriously ill, Jane finds herself taking on the most difficult role of her life.

Laura Darling moved away to escape the expectations of her family. Ever since she went through rehab, they watch her like a hawk. Now she has a good job, new friends, and no one to criticize her or comment on everything she’s doing. But when everything begins to unravel, Laura’s heart turns toward home.

Follow the Darling family through triumph and tragedy as they struggle with an uncertain future.



My Review:

With all of Jane Darling's children grown and raised she expected to be living it up with her husband. But instead after a trip to the doctor, her husband is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease). She watches as her husband becomes slower and weaker. She refuses not to believe that he will one day be healed. With so much happening around them he has to get better, for her at least.


When her youngest moves out it is a hard adjustment for Jane, without her there life has just gotten a whole lot harder. With everything changing, Jane does her best to cope with it all. But the one thing she knows she can always count on is God. And his unfailing love for her.


They Danced On is book three in the Darling Family series. I really enjoyed reading this book. Having read this author's books before, I was very excited when I had the chance to review this book. I hope to read many more books from this author soon.



**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Nyla Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Danced On (The Darlings Series Book Three) by author Carre Armstrong Gardner
Is a 400 page contemporary Christian novel published by Tyndale House. Even though this is book three it can easily be read as a stand alone. This is an emotional, heartfelt, wonderful story. It tells the story of a large, loving family going through some tragic, difficult times. Jane and Leander are the parents of this huge family. Leander has been diagnosed with ALS. Jane stands firm in her faith and believes that God will heal her husband. Each of their children have issues, also. The issues of this family quickly become important to the readers as they easily get invested in this well written story. It has been well planned and well written.

Author Gardner has done a good job with the many members of this family. They are complicated, complex, detailed, and become your friends. I road an emotional roller coaster with the family as they dealt with alcoholism, devastating disease, adoption, secrets, engagements, weddings, and their faith. Issues that are dealt with in this book are all real life things. Some things are those that everyone deals with so there are lessons throughout this book.

This is a book on loving family, taking care of family, having faith in God, and trusting in Him. It will make you laugh and cry. It will make you want to keep reading to see what happens to everyone. It is a fascinating book. I would highly recommend this beautifully written book to anyone that enjoys contemporary fiction. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars. I was given the book by Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review.

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Darlings are a large family and since this is my first book to be read in the series, it took just a little while to get everyone straight and their relationship. Once that was accomplished I enjoyed reading about the struggles within but also the love. The characters were real, they weren't perfect. Each had their own demon to conquer. From addiction to denial, it was all there. The mother, Jane, had a very hard time coming to grips with her husband's diagnosis of ALS. She kept believing that God was going to heal him completely. She even quoted scripture. At times I just wanted to slap her. She was holding back on helping her husband with his physical struggles because she felt like it was giving in to the disease. God's answers are sometimes the ultimate healing and sometimes His answers to prayers are "no" to reach His own purposes for us. I so wanted to tell Jane this. But she had other issues as well. Empty nest for one. Amy was the last one to move out and be on her own. Laura was dealing quietly with alcohol addiction and Steph married and moved to Africa. So much for a once busy mother to deal with. Her kids didn't need her anymore, she had no purpose, or did she? And then trying to accept that her husband would gradually get worse and leave her alone was a hard fact to absorb.
I enjoyed getting to know all these family members. I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced with each of them. Now I need to back track and read about their earlier lives in books one and two.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Bookfun and was not required to write a review positive, or otherwise.

[Alexis Prue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publication Date: July 1, 2016

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

I am left speechless after reading They Danced On by Carre Armstrong Gardner. This is apparently the third novel in “The Darling Series”, I would have never guessed. This is an amazing stand alone novel. It was the first novel I read from Miss. Gardner, I can honestly say I will be going back and reading the previous books to the series. It was also my first christian-based novel I have ever read, Gardner took a faith-based novel and made it enjoyable for all readers.

They Danced On is a novel about an ordinarily large family, the Darlings. The family is very close and trying to overcome so many different realistic situations throughout the book. It is so easy to relate to each member of the family in different ways and that makes the book much more enjoyable. Gardner had me in tears, the book was full of heartbreak but also some laugh out loud moments. I fell in love with certain characters, disliked others, yet really connected with them all. The plot and story line was well thought out, and progressed interestingly throughout the novel. Though I can say I have mixed feelings about the ending. I think Gardner did us a favor by leaving out some details and saving us some tears but it almost seems as though she cut it way too short. It was as if she was ready for the novel to end. But nonetheless, a beautiful novel.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story to end the Darling Family novels! I loved how the author portrayed life – the good, the bad and the ugly – even the doubts and fears a strong Christian might have.

This is the third book in the Darling Family series – I highly recommend reading them in order. In each the author highlights a couple of the family members and tells the story from their viewpoint – this one is mostly Jane (the Mom of the family) and Laura (the black sheep and Ivy’s twin). She also addresses difficult issues – this book deals with alcoholism, giving up a baby for adoption, facing a deadly disease and dealing with an empty nest. At one-point Jane’s thoughts are, “In the story of her life, the child rearing chapters had all been written. This night was the last page…You could not- should not-ease the consequences of other peoples’ choices. No, Amy had grown up and it was hands-off time.” Yet earlier she had voiced what all moms think when told not to worry about her daughter since that was “God’s job” – “I’m a mom…Worrying about my kids goes with the territory.”

I loved how real the characters were – often too busy to notice what was going on or just drowning in their own lives. I also loved the changing Jane has to do and seeing how different events have shaped her. I highly recommend this book – I stayed up way too late reading it as I really wanted to know how the author ended it. (And for my friend who always wants to know, I did need a Kleenex for this one.)