Dance Away With Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Nineteen years ago, I went into a little used book shop up the road from my house. Besides used paperbacks, she had new hardcovers that you could take for a week for a dollar. She recommended This Heart of Mine which started me on my SEP ( Susan Elizabeth Phillips) love affair. I was anxiously awaiting Dance Away with Me and I was not disappointed.
Widowed Tess Hartsong has moved to a very rustic cabin in Tempest, TN. She feels driven to dance to loud music outdoors to try and sooth her broken heart. One morning while dancing in the rain in her undies, a craggy mountain man comes down and shuts off the music and yells at her to have some consideration for others. In mid rant, a dainty pregnant woman comes down and shoos him away. She explains that he is Ian North, a world famous street artist and her husband. She is famous model Bianca and is about 7 months pregnant. Tess is a midwife but she can't bring herself to practice her specialty because of her depression.
Ian is determined to get Tess out of the neighborhood because he is aware of Bianca's quirky personality and he sees trouble ahead. Tess, however takes a job at the local general store/luncheonette. She gradually learns all is not what it seems with Ian and Bianca (not really his wife). She also runs afoul of local folk when she pushes safe sex, smoking cessation, and some other health initiatives that the very conservative townfolk aren't happy about.
When a tragedy happens, Tess and Ian are thrown together to raise a baby. This leads to all kinds of complications including a growing attraction between the two. In the meantime, trouble is brewing in the town and possibly around the baby's custody.
I loved all of the characters in this book and how their relationships grow and develop. I also loved the quirky town folk and their gradual acceptance of Tess and her ideas. Like her earlier books, the romance is always there and percolating but the character development is also so important. You can just picture these people by reading SEP's words and she never does anything that doesn't feel true to their character. We know Ian and Tess will get their HEA but it isn't easy and we don't want it to be.
All those years ago, I was so excited to find out that SEP had already written 12 books that I could read. She became an automatic buy for me both her written books and the audio versions. This book is a great addition to any SEPPIE's collection. I've read it twice and tomorrow I'll start listening to it with great enjoyment!