Thea Celik was once deliriously happy with the young man of her dreams, but something happened and she ended up married to her sweetheart's brother. Now, fifteen years later, Thea is going through a divorce, trying to raise her daughter and doing her best to run her family's coffee shop. These big changes in Thea's life cause her to examine what is important and what is real, and she comes to the conclusion that life is painful sometimes and inexplicable at other times. She knows that she made a mistake in marrying Jonathan when it was his brother she really loved, but nobody can undo what's been done...or are second chances at love possible?

Garrett Sorenson had a promising life ahead of him with a soccer scholarship that would've take him through college, but it all ended when a fight with his girlfriend spiraled out of control and he ended up with a record that made his scholarship evaporate. Now, his brother is divorcing his wife, formerly Garrett's girlfriend, and Jonathan moves in with him. Through visitation with Jonathan's daughter, Garrett once again encounters Thea and is dismayed to find that the sparks between them haven't gone out in the slightest. What's a man to do when his brother's soon-to-be-ex-wife is the only thing on his mind?

Slow Dancing on Price's Pier was a well-written and emotionally packed book. The love triangle here is bizarre to say the least, pitting two brothers against each other for the love of one woman. It seemed that the author rationalized the fact that Thea traumatized her husband, her former boyfriend and their family for the sake of love, but something about the premise of this story was just false for me. Real love isn't so selfish. I wanted to like Thea, but she was just too caught up in her own insecurities and misapprehensions to really gel for me as a character. I enjoyed her in-laws immensely - they seemed very understanding and accepting of a woman who repeatedly ripped their family apart - and Garrett was an exciting, intense personality. The book flowed pretty well in setting and in the way the characters interacted in spite of my issues with it, and whereas I don't feel that the story really worked well, I do believe that the author is gifted at writing fiction. Perhaps a less convoluted plot, something simpler and less layered, would showcase this author's talents better. Thea's daughter was the best part of the book, and the portrayal of her struggles with her parents' divorce showed Ms. Dale's potential as a writer. Three Angels.

Reviewed by: Michelle B.