On Pointe, and Her New groove by Shelly Elis: A MacClain Girls Dual Review

On Pointe by Shelly Ellis

Blurb:
She’s in the mood for a little distraction . . . but will she take a chance?

Bina MacLaine is having a rough time. Still haunted by an ugly breakup that meant walking away from her fiancé and her high-rise apartment, now the dance teacher faces the possibility of losing her job, too, if her performance academy closes. When Maurice Hewett, one of her old ballet students, arrives in town, Bina sees he’s not the goofy boy she once knew—but a very handsome, very sexy grown man. She wonders if he can weave a spell that can help her forget all her woes. But can Bina let her desire take the lead without feeling like she’s robbing the cradle—and making a huge mistake?

Her New Groove by Shelly Ellis

Blurb:
An R&B songstress….

The bad boy that got away…

Can they get a second chance at love?

Monique Starr’s music career is at an all-time low: she’s in danger of losing her label contract and an embarrassing event has her front and center in all the gossip blogs—for all the wrong reasons! She decides to head back to D.C. and the MacLaine Academy of the Performing Arts to revamp her image, give her career a badly needed boost, and get her groove back. But she comes home to find her old Academy ailing financially, her mentor battling cancer, and her ex—whom she left behind to seek fame and fortune—very angry and unwilling to give her a second chance. But being back home reminds Monique of her old dreams and what she lost along the way to success. Now faced with second chances, will the music diva choose between love or fame, passion or ambition?

Review + Rating
Series Rating: 3 and a half out of five stars

Book one: The first book gave me all the "Stella Got Her Groove Back," feels.

 Bina--is heading up the finances for her mother's dance school--and their finances aren't looking too good. At the rate they're going, they won't make it through the summer--without some kind of miracle.

 People want to buy them out but Bina's mother is resolve in her stance to push forward despite the odds--even though the odds are stacked against her in more ways than one.

 In an attempt to generate business, Bina's mother hires another dance teacher, an old student of the studio--someone Bina taught to dance when he was just a boy. But he is not a boy, anymore.

He's not only heating up the dance floor--he's heating Bina up in places long dormant.

My thoughts:
 I liked the slow gradual developing of Maurice's and Bina's relationship. There was a little push and pull on both sides, which you know, I love!

I enjoyed the overall dance background. The idea of this school situated in a less than desirable neighborhood, giving the youth something to look forward to--is a plus. If I could dance worth a lick--I'd love to do something like it.

 Anyway, there's a sweet innocence to the way these two hookup, and I think readers will enjoy the unforcedness of their relationship.

It has a happy ending--and was the perfect lead up to book number two.

Book Two: Was R&B dive meets her match.

Monique is a star--but her career is flatlining.

An embarassing event has her face in the blogs for all the wrong reasons--which lands her back at the very place, she vowed never to go back to.

My Thoughts:
Okay, so Monique was kind of bouj, but bouj recognizes bouj.

She was more so looking to save her own behind--than just being this uptight, songstress diva.

I admired her resolve. She was determined to fix her career. The only downside to that is, she was willing to do anything to do so, even if it meant hurting someone else.

I liked that no one made it easier for her to return, but they also didn't shun her. But they weren't throwing down the welcome mat, and to be honest they should have. Her reasons for being back were pretty selfish--at least initially.

I also liked that her love interest was hearing none of her mess--he was resolute in not getting back with her--at the sacrifice of his own feelings.

I admired the slow moving, kind of laid back-ness to book two. There was little drama, and it worked in this regard. You kind of didn't need all the conflict that tends to happen in some romance novels.

I think as a whole this is a decent series--it reads well, and you'll get through them fairly quickly.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in book three--because as with book one, and two--there's a sort of cliffhanger-ish like ending.