Dance of the Butterfly

When Kat Donaldson discovers a marvelous new artist for her gallery, A Discerning Eye Fine Arts, she can’t wait to convince him to sign up with her in order to better showcase his work. Unfortunately, Magnus Thorvald is anything but excited to showcase his woodwork with Kat. From the moment he meets her, he gets the impression of a promiscuous and overly flirtations woman, just the type of woman he can’t stand. Her membership in the Platinum Society, an exclusive sex club, only confirms his suspicions of her true nature. It’s too bad he’s so attracted to her. In fact, he can’t get her out of his head, and though Magnus sends his younger brother Rolf to work with Kat in regards to his artwork, Magnus can’t help but be jealous. He wants Kat for himself, despite her supposed promiscuity.

Kat Donaldson is a woman who has lived life to the fullest. She makes no apologies for taking lovers or for engaging in acts that aren’t necessarily condoned by general society. But something about Magnus Thorvald makes her want to reform, makes her want to try to make a commitment to a man. Though they bicker and argue, their attraction is strong and it forces them to face some hard truths about themselves. But can Magnus, a man who has been betrayed by his ex-wife, and Kat, a woman who has never truly trusted a man, have a committed and loving relationship?

Dance of the Butterfly is the sequel to Cris Anson’s story Dance of the Seven Veils. Like its predecessor, it is highly erotic and highly charged with emotional intensity. Magnus is a man who was truly devastated by his ex-wife’s betrayal and he finds it hard to trust any woman, let alone a woman of Kat’s brash and bold nature. However, Kat definitely undergoes a change in this novel. It is slow and subtle and that makes it all the more realistic. The buildup in Magnus and Kat’s relationship is just as erotic as the actual culmination of their attraction. While their initial arguing became tedious as the story went on, it truly did help to solidify their relationship as it showed how these characters had to bare their souls in order to truly fall in love, rather than just stay in lust. Exciting, loving, and very sensual, Dance of the Butterfly proves to be a great sequel. It would be great to see some of the secondary characters in this story get their own chance to shine, especially Magnus’ younger brother Rolf, a roguish man who played the ham through much of the story. All in all, this is a fun story to read but it also covers some very serious relationship issues such as trust, love, and commitment.

Reviewed by: Sarah W