Well, that was relentlessly positive. Even bad events somehow turn out OK. No apparent punishment for kicking a classmate, no PTSD from <spoiler>sexual assault</spoiler>, rescue dogs always get along, building fires don't delay schedules, and great-aunt Swan never gets a hangover.

For me, this went over the line from pleasant and comforting into not at all credible, but I expect it is just right for some people. I do wish that the author wouldn't lapse into a page or two of internal monologue to catch up on the plot. That is just lazy.

“The Phoenix Ballroom” by Ruth Hogan is a charming story about the ability to reinvent oneself after the death of a spouse. The story revolves around a vital 74 year old woman whose son decides she needs a Granny Nanny because of her age. She however is determined to pick up her past life as a dance instructor by buying a building which held the Ballroom where she worked in her past. She also winds up caring for her precious grandson as his parents find themselves in a crisis of their own. This book is entertaining with quirky fun characters, a great dog, secrets to be discovered, and hopes and dreams yet to be fulfilled.

Thank you NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is another wonderful and heartwarming novel from Ruth Hogan! I just love her stories so I was excited for this one, and the premise drew me in right away. Venetia’s story is compelling from the first page. I'm glad authors are beginning to feature older main characters a bit more often. It's refreshing. The side characters are also wildly entertaining, and Hogan makes sure all of her characters are multi-dimensional and realistic.

The theme shines through: we don't need to let the past define us.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review; all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

This is a tender, emotional, and just plain wonderful story.
The characters feel real and each has a story for them to tell and for us to learn.
There is love, friendship, family, heartbreak, hope and newfound happiness.
Throw in some surprises that I sure never expected and you have one great book that I loved!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @William Morrow for this amazing Arc and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

I love Ruth Hogan books! Her characters are always well defined and are usually someone you want as a neighbor and friend. The Phoenix Ballroom characters are no exception. The Phoenix Ballroom tells the story of Venetia, recently widowed and on her own, but only briefly as her home quickly fills with her grandson, a personal assistant and an a sister-in-law. Venetia, at 74, doesn't think it is time to fade away-she is ready to finally go after her dream of being a dance instructor she set aside when she married Hawk as a young girl. So she buys the old ballroom in town that also holds a church and drop in support center. Venetia's story is one many can relate to, regardless of age.

I absolutely loved this novel! Right from the very first page, I was drawn into Venetia’s story. I love books that feature older women heroines, and this one definitely did not disappoint. The story is well laid out timeline- wise and it was easy to follow the stories of the different characters and their situations. For me, the whole book is a testament to the fact that when one person makes positive changes in their lives, it positively affects others, whose lives stay touch. It also is a testament to what Venetia says at the end about how we don’t have to let our past define us. Thoroughly enjoyable! Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan. This is an amazing read full of humanity, compassion, understanding, tolerance and lots of emotion. The characters in the story are well developed and full of personality. I urge everyone to pick up this well written book that immediately draws you in.

This is a cozy, sweet story that will have you rooting for all of the quirky characters. Following the loss of her husband, Venetia, a former dance instructor, is living in her big house all alone. Her son persuades her to hire a “granny nanny; the wrong descriptor for what she needs as she is a healthy active woman in her early seventies. Before long, she has a full house: her assistant, her young and precocious grandson, a wild sister-in-law, and a dog she names Colin Firth. Venetia is inspired to buy the building housing the ballroom where she used to teach ballroom dancing. The building also houses a spiritual church and a drop-in center for needy people, run by Evangeline. The characters in this book have dark secrets and are unhappy. They seek and find meaning and happiness in their lives as Venetia introduces people and restores the ballroom. With thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan due to be published June 11, 2024.
When Venetia Hargreave’s husband, Hawk, passed away she was left very wealthy but knew she had to do more than sit around. Her whole life had revolved around Hawk and his career, so it was time to do something on her own. So, Venetia declared her independence by buying a ballroom – the one where she and Hawk met and danced.
This is outside my usual thriller genre but sounded wonderful – and it was. The characters – Hawk’s family were all named after birds – Swan was my favorite. She was loud and boisterous and wore turbans! Kite, her grandson (and sometime wingman), Liberty Bell, her “caretaker”, Evangeline – the spiritual leader of the church housed above the ballroom – and the mysterious Crow - they were all described so well it’s as if I knew them.
It was wonderful to watch Venetia come into her own as an independent woman who could have simply donated money to various causes without getting involved.
This is a book that should not be missed – 5 stars for this one!
#NetGalley #RuthHogan #WilliamMorrow #ThePhoenixBallroom

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an ARC of The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely amazing! I binge read Ms. Hogan's other books, and was impatiently waiting for another. I was so excited to be selected to read an ARC of The Phoenix Ballroom, and Ms. Hogan did not disappoint!

Humanity, compassion, understanding, tolerance, love, and so much emotion! This was an absolute treasure to read, and I'm only sorry that I've finished it.

I urge you to pre-order this book, and have your calendar cleared for June 11th!

I've enjoyed Ruth Hogan's work before & the club for her latest, "The Phoenix Ballroom" really appealed to me. Happy to say that this one lived up to my expectations - I found this quite entertaining, quirky and very heartfelt. I loved how we watch senior MC Venetia move on in her remaining years of widowhood and find a new life in her community with both her family and her new "found family". And I loved both the grandson & doggo! Very moving at times! My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, my pleasure to review this one.

I absolutely love Ruth Hogan. Her stories are so beautifully written and emotional. This book was as enjoyable and heartfelt as her others!

Lovely, gentle, and understated. A deeply kind and life-affirming book with heroes of the sort one doesn't usually get to root for.

I was reading a different library book that I was just not connecting with when I started this book. I figured I would pick it up to read a chapter or two as a type of palate cleanser and to improve my mood. Yup, still haven't picked the library book back up. Ruth Hogan’s books are a much needed break from the dark, dystopian books I tend to read.. I love to be reminded there are good and kind people in the world. This book left me with a mile on my face and a lot of days, that is really needed.

This book is not all smiles and rainbows. It starts with a couple funerals, a husband for one, mother for the other. The stories intertwine in a beautiful way, with each character having a well developed back story. I especially appreciated Venetia’s relationship with Kite. There is something about that generational gap that works. The side characters really rounded out the overall story. Swan was my favorite!

Side notes:
* They never explained what dead fly biscuits are, what are they? It didn’t seem like even Liberty knew.
* How does no one comment on Liberty Bell’s name? Not a single comment. Is that because it is England?, At one point,Heron even forgot her name!
* I didn’t realize that Kite was a bird, had to look it up.

This book has a lovely cast of characters. Heron, Hawk, Kite, Swan and Nightingale are all part of the same family. Venetia is the widow of Hawk and the mother to Heron. This was a proper British family with the formal, upright bearing and stiff upper lip of the well-to do. Swan and Nightingale, sisters to Hawk, were not the typical British women. The book opens with Hawk's funeral and Venetia living alone in her 70's. This did not suit Heron who believed that his mother was old and frail and in need of a caretaker. Thus, Liberty Bell came to live with Venetia. Liberty came with her own set of issues: a mother that disowned her, the married man that rejected her and a depressed attitude. Soon, Tommy (the dog) came along and the house became busier. Kite, the son of Heron, ran away from boarding school and straight to Venetia's (Neesha) home. And then, along came loud, hard of hearing Swan. The house was full of interesting people. That wasn't all though--Venetia buys a non-denominational church, with a ballroom upstairs and the cast becomes bigger and quirkier. This was a feel good book as Venetia goes through a coming-of-age period in her senior years. I liked that she was able to move into a new life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of a digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Another fabulous story by Hogan. Just like her previous two stories, she has a beautiful way of creating characters that immediately draw you in and her focus on their development and relationships make the stories such great reads. Just perfect.

Ruth Hogan, your fabulous books are just what I look for when I need to reinvigorate my faith in human nature or just need the perfect comfort read. I have savored all of your previous four books, and I think The Phoenix Ballroom just might be your best (to date).

This lovely book has everything I look for in a life-affirming, entertaining read: quirky characters of diverse ages who instantly feel like friends, initially questionable characters who develop into more engaging humans, past secrets or troubles that need to be resolved, dreams that haven't yet been fulfilled, sparkling dialogue, a vibrant setting, and heartfelt emotion. Throw in a rescue German shepherd named Colin Firth, and I am even more invested.

The central character, Venetia, is a spirited widow of a certain age whose fussy son nevertheless insists on hiring her a "granny nanny" before he and his wife move to France on business. Their 10-year-old son, Kite (all of the males in the family have bird names), is left behind at a boarding school but would rather live with his beloved "Nisha." Venetia's fortyish personal assistant (definitely not a granny nanny) is also facing a big life change and isn't at all sure this live-in job is going to work for her. And Venetia's brash, larger-than-life sister-in-law comes to visit and never leaves. Then there's a neighborhood spiritual church that's in danger of losing its lease and a rundown ballroom where Venetia taught dancing many years ago.

I absolutely loved every page of this book, and now I sadly have to wait for the next one. Ruth, please keep them coming. You are one of my go-to authors, and you deserve all of the accolades you are sure to collect when this book is released in June.

My sincere thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this stellar book.

The phoenix ballroom was such a great book! I loved it so much. The writing was very done and I could not put it down!

MANY thanks to NetGalley and William Morris for the opportunity to trad The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan. It just happens that I am Ms. Hogan's #1 fan. Her books are always worth the wait and as soon as I finish reading her newest i start wishing for the next one. This was a delight. I loved every character and am sorry to say goodbye. Guess I'll just have to read it again.