Growing up in foster care, Officer Traci Lucky had a rough start to life, but things are looking up now that she’s found a place in Bridgeport with two sisters she never knew she had. One night while on the job Traci finds Gwen, a pregnant teen caught up in a dangerous world of drugs, and takes her straight to the hospital. There Traci encounters the oh-so-charming Dr. Matt Rossi, who surprises … surprises Traci with his compassion—and his movie-star good looks.
A busy ob-gyn with a huge, meddling Italian family, Matt Rossi hasn’t had much time for love in his life. All that changes when he meets the beautiful Officer Lucky. He’s intrigued by her strength and the kind heart she tries to hide beneath her tough exterior.
When Matt confides that he needs to learn to waltz for his brother’s wedding, Traci reveals that her sister happens to be a ballroom dance teacher. Next thing they know, Matt and Traci are juggling busy careers, helping young Gwen with her pregnancy and personal safety, and learning to waltz together. But when Gwen’s escalating problems threaten to put all of them in danger, they wonder if they’ll ever find time for a little romance too.
Shelley Shepard Gray takes us back to Bridgeport, Ohio, a town where family comes in all different shapes and sizes, love has no limits, and community means everyone deserves a little help when they’re lost.
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This book was so so good!!! It was emotional, happy, funny and romantic all in one!!! I highly recommend this book!!!
Take the Lead is the second book in Shelley’s new Dance with me Series and wow she has out done herself once again. The story continues with Traci Lucky who is a cop. Traci has lived a hard life unlike her sisters and so her mind works a bit differently when it comes to talking about her past and allowing others into her heart. Dr. Matt Rossi is up for the challenge though and their story is woven in with the teenager Gwen that Traci is trying to help. Gwen’s story is so heart-wrenching that I was on the edge of my seat at times. The dance lessons between Traci and Matt bring them closer in to a budding romance.
You won’t be disappointed with this read. Shelley’s life-like characters will inspire you. You won’t be able to put the book down. There is so much more that I could say but I don’t want to give any spoilers. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Book two if this series was just as wonderful as book one. Kept my attention throughout the story as we learn more about the sisters in this group. We follow along as we find out what makes Traci Lucky tick and how her experiences were so different than her sisters. We are introduced to Gwen and the life she has lead and how,she fits in with the other three even though she is no relation. Matt comes into Traci’s life after they meet in the hospital when Gwen is brought in and the experiences that they share over the story is delightful. Matt comes from a large Italian family with an safe and secure background just the opposite of Traci’s. can they make it work, will she trust him enough to let her in and how does this all connect with her sisters Shannon and Kimber…..
Read the first in the series, then the second and as with me I have the third already on hold at our library. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did…
By the way I have read it twice now…not usually my style but loved it.
Who will not like Traci toughness exterior and her caring heart. I admire how seriously she takes her job. One of the interesting things about this series is the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. I learned that there is more to dancing than I thought. This series will make people want to take their partners to a dance class. The dynamics of the sisters has shown how love can bridge the gap between differences. Traci and Matt communicated in a way that lets readers know that this relationship will last because they are in it for the long haul.
I highly recommend this series to readers. I received this book for the publisher and the opinions are entirely my own.
Love this series! I’m enjoying spending more time with these sisters. The story is a wonderful story of finding love and second chances.
I loved this book so much I didn’t want to put it down. Excited to read the next book in the series.
Take the Lead is the second in the Dance With Me series. I loved the first book so I looked forward to the next. I wasn’t disappointed. Three sisters were separated at a young age and grew up under entirely different circumstances. Traci Lucky grew up in the foster care system. Now a police officer, Traci is a little cautious in excepting new people. When she and her partner find an unwed teen mother in trouble, Traci steps in to help. Little does she know this will change her life. This story brings out love, family relations, acceptance, and redemption. I love how the town comes together as does this family in times of need. I look forward to the next installment. A received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.
Shelley Shepard Gray excels at telling stories with heart and truth. Her new series, the Dance with Me series, is about three sisters reunited as adults. Take the Lead releases today, and it’s a compelling look at how we should treat people around us who may appear to be different than we are.
This book brings so many questions to the surface: what role should our families play in our relationships? At what point does danger trump our ability to help other people? What informs our identity, and can we change it? What is a family?
These are all crucial issues in today’s turbulent times, but Take the Lead isn’t a heavy book at all; instead, Gray addresses these questions with her signature sweetness and care. The story certainly invites readers to ponder their own reactions to these issues, but at no point does it feel scary or overwhelming. Despite the seriousness of the plot, Gray keeps the plot moving and the reader invested without bringing the mood down.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book – and the one that kicks off the series, Shall We Dance? They’re really fun, lighthearted romances – perfect for the stressful days we’re living in. I love how the sisters are learning to bond and relate to each other all while making a home together and in their new relationships.
Take the Lead is a bit different than the other books by Gray that I’ve read, however, and I feel that I would be remiss in not sharing how. This one is published by a secular publisher, and while there are still references to prayer, faith, and God in the story, major life lessons are without named spiritual lessons. Also, several characters are often reaching for alcoholic beverages and some, being romantically involved, reference spending the night together – in ways that mean that they haven’t but aren’t opposed to the idea. Both of these references are kept light, but it is a departure from Gray’s other scripture-filled stories.
I can’t wait to read Save the Last Dance, the final story in the series, though. If it’s as good – and as timely – as the two that came before it, I’ll be pre-ordering it as soon as possible. If you’re looking for sweet, romantic, lighthearted reads, perfect for a fall getaway or a pandemic distraction, Take the Lead is the perfect choice.
I received a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Take The Lead is book two in The Dance With Me Series and focuses on Traci. It is fun getting to know these three sisters who weren’t raised together and in very different ways as they get to know each other. It makes you feel like you are listening in on their conversations. I love the dance quotes as headings for each chapter and living over a dance studio sounds fun especially when you get free dance lessons from your sister. Traci is a strong independent woman who is also smart and hides a heart of compassion. I enjoyed seeing her start to crack open her heart and letting people in. When you add a pregnant teenage girl and a nice looking Dr you have the makings for an entertaining read. I look forward to Kimbers story in book three and getting to know more of this family. I recommend reading book one first as you don’t want to miss any of this series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Note to fans of Ms. Gray this is a clean read but not Christian.
Captivating-realistic-romantic. Author Shelley Shepard Gray captured my attention with the realistic characters and true to life circumstances in this story and I’m so glad to get to know another sister from her Dance With Me series. The main character in Take the Lead proves that a person doesn’t have to be defined by their past and they can use this awareness to build a promising future. This is the case with Traci Lucky! Her mother was addicted to drugs when Traci was born and she spent her childhood in a group home but this helped her become a strong, intelligent police officer. Her experiences also made her sensitive to the needs of others and Traci finds herself in a position to keep another baby from being placed “in the system” because of its drug-addicted mother. Realizing that she can’t do this alone, Traci asks the doctor caring for that young mother to help. What follows is a story of two people, raised in totally different environments, who discover that their future may offer more than just a brief professional relationship.
This is the second book in the Dance With Me series and I enjoyed returning to Bridgeport, Ohio, to learn more about the three sisters who have managed to find their way back to each other, after being separated at birth by social workers. Three sisters, so different, but so eager to be a family! I also loved watching a friendship develop between Traci and Dr. Matt Rossi as they work together to help Gwen and her unborn baby. He definitely fits the description “dream doctor” and it becomes apparent that he recognizes just how special Traci is. Matt needs to be able to dance at his brother’s wedding and Traci’s sister may be able to help, so why wouldn’t Traci want to save him from total embarrassment in his personal life? Will her efforts to help him learn to waltz turn into a lifelong dance? Can a man who has always enjoyed a loving, supportive family understand someone who grew up alone and in foster care?
Take the Lead is a sweet contemporary romance and I recommend it to all who enjoy feel-good stories. It made me anxious to visit Bridgeport again to see what the future holds for Kimber, the third sister in Gray’s series.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. A positive review was never required and these are my own opinions.
I loved the author’s series Bridgeport Social Club as well as book one in this series titled, Shall We Dance? and this one was just as touching, thought provoking and wonderful.
If you are new to the series, it centers around three sisters that at a very young age were given up for adoption. separated and never knowing the others existed. It was a Shannon , the main character in book one, that discovered she had sisters and reunited them in the town of Bridgeport. Each of their upbringing was totally different. From Shannon growing up as a Southern Bell, to our protagonist, Traci Lucky, growing up in the foster system.
Traci is now a cop and a very good one. During a raid she finds a pregnant teen in a corner who obviously is in need of help, and can’t stop herself from stepping in to assist . What started out as a professional assistance, becomes personal and in her quest to help Gwen, she meets Dr. Matt Rossi.
The lives of these three will be changed forever. But the road to finding hope, support and love will be one filled with some physical and emotional danger. Gwen’s ex is determined to find and harm her, while Traci’s heart has to learn to trust and open itself up to love.
Will they each find the inner peace, and love they hope for?
This was another touching story by this very talented author. Being a dancer, I specially enjoed the quotations throughout the book.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I loved being back with these amazing sisters, yes, this is the second book in this series that I have read, and you might want to read the first, but this can stand alone.
Amazing DNA, and these sister’s finding one another, and while we are with all three sister’s, and we are updated, this story focus is on Traci Lucky, and she seems to have had the hardest life of all. She grew up in foster homes, and never was adopted. She sure has a heart for the less fortunate, and being a Bridgeport police woman, she finds a pregnant teen, on drugs, but she can’t let go, and ends up being there for Gwen. Because of Gwen she meets Dr. Matt Rossi, and thus we have a sweet romance for Traci!
This story will keep you page turning, and wondering about Gwen’s brother, and if the abusive boyfriend will find and hurt her. Will Matt’s family accept her, and will the sister’s embrace Gwen?
I received this book through Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
I really enjoyed reading Take the Lead. It was a great escape for me during this Covid-19 pandemic.
This is the second book in this series that surrounds a dance studio. Three sisters live above the studio and their lives are full of adventure.
Traci Lucky is a police officer who was born from a drug addicted mother then placed in many foster homes and then a group home. She’s opinionated due to her hard life. She also a very caring person for the same reason.
One night she pulled a pregnant teen (Gwen) from a drug bust and when she took her to the hospital she stayed with Gwen. As Dr. Matt, a handsome young obstetrician treated Gwen he was attracted to Traci, whom he found fascinating.
Dr. Matt is Italian and all his family like to get involved with each other. Matt’s brother is getting married and the wedding is to be from an olden time when everyone waltzed. Matt knows he needs dance lessons so he invites Traci to be his date for the wedding and the lessons begin! Traci’s sister Shannon gives them lessons and the romance starts.
When I was young I took dance lessons and I wanted to be a ballerina so as this story unfolded, I loved how all the dance moves were described.
Gwen provided a lot of danger due to her ex-boyfriend trying to find her where she was hidden and safe until he showed up.
I like the story of the sisters and how they protect Gwen and truly want to help her. I like the happy ending so much!