Today I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for Renee Conoulty's debut novel, with my review of
Don't Mean a Thing.
About Don't Mean a Thing
What if you finally took the lead, but life refused to follow?
Thirty-year-old introvert, Macie
Harman, has finally found a career she is passionate about, and after months of
training, she’s begun her new job in the Royal Australian Air Force. Leaving behind
her family, friends, and the life she knew, Macie has travelled to the other
side of the country where the only person she knows is Rachael, the extroverted
girl she went through basic training with. Everywhere Macie goes, Rachael is
there too.
While looking for a way to widen
her circle of friends in her new town, Macie discovers a local swing dancing
class. The jazz music captures her heart, and Matt, the sexy swing dancer,
sweeps her off her feet. Matt has claimed the tropical Northern Territory as
home and has no plans to leave. He loves his teaching career with its
predictable routine and has a great bunch of friends. All he wants now is the
right girl to make his house a home.
Military life is tougher than
Macie expected, and not everyone can deal with the inevitable separations and
last minute changes. Is this exciting but unpredictable life something Macie
wants to fight for, or could she give it up and put down roots with Matt?
Don't Mean a Thing is a light, romantic, and at times, very funny novel. The emphasis is very much placed upon romaine and love, rather than that of sex, and I liked this approach. Sometimes you just need a gentle, romantic read to slowly soothe all of your troubles away, and this novel does just that. It's perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, curled up with a cup of coffee.
I really enjoyed this debut novel. I liked the fact that the central character, Macie, was a woman working in the RAAF. The evocative descriptions of the airfield base, really helped to set the scene. I also know very little abut the military life and have never been to Australia, so the descriptions of the area and way of life there, I found to be hugely interesting.
The real action of this story takes place on the dance floor, when Macie joins a local swing dance class and falls into the arms of the rather lovely Matt. The scenes when she is dancing with him are just magical. They reminded me very much of the classic old time musicals featuring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, as the scenes between these two simmered with romantic energy. The novel works so well because we believe that they should be together, both on and off the dance floor.
I loved Macie, who is a strong and independent woman. She knows her own mind and vehemently believes that she will never be put on, or ridiculed by another man, ever again. Her previous boyfriend made her feel worthless, and she now realiss that she no longer needs a man in her life. However, all of that changes when she meets Matt. He is handsome (of coarse, this is a romantic novel), but he is so much more than a great dancer and a handsome face. He is a kind, caring and a true gentleman. How could she possibly resist his charms?
But although Macie is a very strong character, we stull see those insecurities that every woman has when comparing herself to other women, and I liked this side to her character. It made her appear more human and more importantly, likeable.
Don't Mean a Thing is a romantic and gentle read this will appeal to all ages. If you love romantic tales of old, where love is found on the dancefloor, then you will love this book. I most certainly did.
Don’t Mean a Thing is published by Kindred Ink Press
It is available to buy from
About Renee Conoulty
Renee Conoulty is an Australian Air Force wife and mother of two. Her debut chick lit novel, Don’t Mean a Thing, is now available through Kindred Ink Press.
When she’s not devouring books,
reviewing and blogging on HeySaidRenee, or writing her own stories,
Renee can be found swing dancing. Or possibly napping. She tweets about reading
and reviewing @HeySaidRenee and about writing, military life and dancing @ReneeConoulty,
but hasn’t created a handle for nap talk yet.
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