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Dance to the Piper by Nora Roberts
#2 O'Hurleys
3-1/2*

Maddy O'Hurley (one of Frank & Molly's triplets) is now a successful triple-threat theater performer. She can sing, dance, and act. She's in the midst of rehearsals for a new play when she meets one of the financial backers, Reed Valentine.

Maddy is fresh, vibrant, open and honest, and rocks Reed back on his heels immediately. Unfortunately, he has some sad circumstances in his past which have made him very bitter and cynical. Even though deep down he recognizes that he needs and wants Maddy in his life, he continues to push her away. It's a good thing for Reed that Maddy has the unforgiving and hopeful spirit that she does, because he's pretty much a hot-and-cold s.o.b. throughout the whole book.

The story takes us through the process Maddy and the other performers go through to ready themselves for opening night; we also get to see and learn a lot about what happens behind the scenes in a theater. There is also a great little side story which takes us back 30+ years to when the triplets were babies and Frank and Molly had an opportunity to meet and help a man get back on the right track to see what's important in his own life. That story circles back to present day and affects the H/h directly.

Another winner by Roberts, deserving of a 4. I lowered it to 3-1/2 only because it has more angst than I personally like. I get tired of arguments and tension caused by someone being fidgety about saying the L word.