Celebrate Lit / September 24, 2026

The Ballerina’s Bargain

About the Book The Ballerina’s Bargain

Book: The Ballerina’s Bargain

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: September 8, 2026

A burdened earl. A determined ballerina. Saving the theatre was part of their bargain. Losing their hearts wasn’t.

London, 1815

Emmeline Laurent has survived by grace and grit. After her parents’ execution in France, she has learned to live unseen as a humble ballerina instructing young pupils in a small London theatre. When whispers spread that the Danforth Theatre may be sold to an unscrupulous buyer, Emmeline fears not only for her livelihood but for the safety of her impressionable students. With no time and no options, she does the only thing she knows to do: leap into a moving carriage and bargain with the new lord who holds their fate.

Grant Atherton, the Earl of Quincy, has inherited the crushing weight of duty along with a failing theatre, an arranged engagement, two younger sisters to usher into society, and a mountain of his father’s secrets. Selling the Danforth is the only way to save his family from ruin. The last thing he needs is a beautiful, infuriatingly determined ballerina turning his careful plans upside down.

But when Emmeline’s hidden past begins surfacing and the danger circling the theatre proves far deadlier than either of them realized, Grant must choose between the life he planned and the one God may have been preparing all along.

For fans of Roseanna M. White and Jen Turano — a sweeping Regency romance about the grace found in surrender, the courage it takes to trust, and the God who makes a way when every door seems closed.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts on The Ballerina’s Bargain

Every young girl dreams of being a ballerina, don’t they? I know I did. And my daughters are the same. In fact, my two youngest girls just started ballet classes this week. We were lucky enough to find a Christian dance class for them that teaches classical ballet. I can’t wait to watch them improve and grow in this passion they have. They may never be professional ballerinas, but they will have the passion for it.

But will they have as much passion as Emmeline?

The Ballerina’s Bargain is a wonderful historical fiction novel that teaches history but also has you fall in love with characters who are flawed and have some serious burdens on their shoulders. It’s not dark and dreary, but it feels very real.

Emmeline lost both of her parents in France. They were executed. And so she wants to live under the radar and does that well in her ballet. But when the studio is threatened to be sold, she fears for herself and the young ballerinas. So what does she do? She jumps into a moving carriage to make a bargain.

I love that! I love that she has passion, and even if she’s scared, she’s going to act on what she believes in. Too many of us let our fear root us into the ground.

This is a Christian novel.

There is God, and there are faith scenes. And they feel like integral parts of the story. They’re not forced and don’t feel preachy. Rather, they feel like you need them to understand where the character is and know how the story will move forward.

Grant inherits the title and the theatre. He plans to sell to get money to help save his family. Because, along with a failing theatre, he’s also got two sisters to make advantageous matches for, an arranged fiancé, plus debt.

But Emmeline convinces him to give the theatre a go. Then, the past catches up to them. That’s where the story picks up pace. Emmeline and Grant are wonderful together. They work together well. And of course there are sparks even when there shouldn’t be.

This is a new series, and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
I could not put it down! I immediately fell in love with the characters and hope that they all come back in future books.

As a warning, there is talk of young girls being taken as mistresses, etc. And one gets pregnant as a result. It doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality that was the theatre during this time period (1815).

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of The Ballerina’s Bargain

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts, with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone-filled household.

More from Lorri

Many young girls dream of growing up to become a ballerina. There is a romantic whimsy to the airy skirts, graceful movements, and illusion of defying gravity as dancers balance en pointe and extend their limbs with such elegance that they seem almost infinite. While modern audiences often associate ballet with beauty and enchantment, behind the heavy stage curtains of Regency England’s opera-ballet lurked a darker reality.

Many of the ballerinas came from impoverished families struggling to put food on the table. Girls trained from a young age, long before the onset of womanhood, and were expected to endure gruelling hours of rehearsal despite blisters, sore muscles, and bleeding feet. For some, ballet offered a better alternative for a working girl than scrubbing floors and emptying chamberpots as a scullery maid, labouring as a laundress near scalding water and hot presses or cleaning dangerous cotton machinery in a mill.

At least the stage held the possibility of applause—if the performance was well received.

If it wasn’t, audiences could be merciless. Performers might be shouted down, heckled off the stage, or pelted with food. Fights occasionally erupted among patrons in the pit or upper gallery, while disreputable men gathered in the front row of what was known as Fops’ Alley in hopes of catching a scandalous glimpse of the ballerinas’ ankles.

Their wealthy counterparts could become a ballerina’s sponsor, gaining special access to backstage rooms where they could ogle the dancers and receive in-person introductions after a performance. These men were known as protectors, though the title was a misnomer. In exchange for a ballerina’s exclusive attention, they offered gifts the young women could scarcely afford themselves, like new ballet slippers, ribbons, bracelets, or other trinkets.

While saving the theatre and its ballerinas from these so-called “protectors” forms the premise of The Ballerina’s Bargain, the novel doesn’t dwell on the darker details of these backstage arrangements. Instead, it focuses on the heroic efforts of its protagonists to spare the young ballerinas from a wretched fate. However, the tension of what may happen should they fail lingers in the wings throughout the story.

Enjoy!