Reviews:

"You'll savour every page."
Romantic Times - who also awarded Sebastian a K.I.S.S. Award -- Knight in Shining Silver

"...one of the best Regency-set historicals I’ve read in years, with a beautifully-developed love story at the center." Cathy Sova, The Romance Reader

"A wonderful love story with vibrant characters"
Rendezvous Reviews

"The Perfect Waltz is a definite keeper, and is one of the best romances I have read in a long time."
Jessica Langlois, All About Romance

"THE PERFECT WALTZ is much more than a simple dance of love; it's a whole beautifully choreographed ballet of emotions... If you haven't already discovered the powerfully moving romances of Anne Gracie, I can't urge you strongly enough to hunt them up."
Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

" I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. The characters are so rich and the story so refreshing, they reach deep into your heart. The dialogue is delightful and, at times, a hoot. I was simply enchanted by this wonderful book."
Suzanne Tucker. Fresh Fiction.

Again and again in Regency-era books we read about people going to Gunters for an ice, and I have just such a scene in the Perfect Waltz. Today we take ice-cream for granted, but in the 1800s it was a very special treat. Icecream was expensive and hard to make -- mostly because ice was so hard to come by (hauled down from the mountains and stored in underground ice-houses.) But they had a range of tastes that we don't even consider now: Below are pictures of Georgian-style icecreams, from a fabulous site on Historic food.

But what happened to those whose family riches had run out, who had no estate, no income? History is full of the stories-- people who did everything possible to keep up the appearance of wealth, to continue living as "gentlemen" getting further and further into debt, or living off the charity of their families. Some even went abroad to hide their shame and maintain the lie. They did everything possible to survive -- except take a job. Why? Because to take a paying job was to give up their place as a gentleman, to dash their pride in the dust, to betray everything their upbringing had taught them.
So what happened to the wives and children of such men?

This was what I wanted to explore in The Perfect Waltz. Sebastian was one of those people who had fallen through the cracks - the eldest son of a "gentleman gambler, who led his wife and four children into dire poverty, and then shot himself, leaving twelve year old Sebastian to care for the others as best he could. I speculated that he found work as a "factory brat." I did a lot of research into the lives of such children.

Unfortunately it is not hard to find such information. It's plentiful and it's horrifying. Here's a few samples, just from the web.

Children who worked long hours in the textile mills became very tired and found it difficult to maintain the speed required by the overlookers. Children were usually hit with a strap to make them work faster. In some factories children were dipped head first into the water cistern if they became drowsy. Children were also punished for arriving late for work and for talking to the other children. Parish apprentices who ran away from the factory was in danger of being sent to prison. Children who were considered potential runaways were placed in irons.

An account:David Rowland worked as a scavenger at a textile mill in Manchester.
Question: At what age did you commence working in a cotton mill?
Answer: Just when I had turned six.
Question: What employment had you in a mill in the first instance?
Answer: That of a scavenger.
Question: Will you explain the nature of the work that a scavenger has to do?
Answer: The scavenger has to take the brush and sweep under the wheels, and to be under the direction of the spinners and the piecers generally. I frequently had to be under the wheels, and in consequence of the perpetual motion of the machinery, I was liable to accidents constantly. I was very frequently obliged to lie flat, to avoid being run over or caught.
An account: Frances Trollope, Michael Armstrong, the Factory Boy(1840)
A little girl about seven years old, who job as scavenger, was to collect incessantly from the factory floor, the flying fragments of cotton that might impede the work... while the hissing machinery passed over her, and when this is skillfully done, and the head, body, and the outstretched limbs carefully glued to the floor, the steady moving, but threatening mass, may pass and repass over the dizzy head and trembling body without touching it. But accidents frequently occur; and many are the flaxen locks, rudely torn from infant heads, in the process.

(1) Dr. Ward from Manchester was interviewed about the health of textile workers on 25th March, 1819.
When I was a surgeon in the infirmary, accidents were very often admitted to the infirmary, through the children's hands and arms having being caught in the machinery; in many instances the muscles, and the skin is stripped down to the bone, and in some instances a finger or two might be lost. Last summer I visited Lever Street School. The number of children at that time in the school, who were employed in factories, was 106. The number of children who had received injuries from the machinery amounted to very nearly one half. There were forty-seven injured in this way.
If you have a strong stomach you can read several more horrendous accounts of accidents to factory children

An unforgettable sight - crippled children in the yard of children's home in London. From: Child labour - 1740 - 1850

The Cotton Times account of Children in the Industial Revolution
Read about Children in the Workhouse
Read more about Child Labour
Learn more about the 1833 Factory act that began to improve conditions for child workers
Women and Children in mining

Anne -- you've outdone yourself -- there is no bias in me saying that
was one of the best I've read. I loved hope (and Lady Elinore) but
Sebastian was droolworthy. Can't wait for the next instalment (the
youngest Merridew, I presume?)
Jen

*No, the next one is THE PERFECT STRANGER, which is the story of Faith, (Hope's twin sister) and her stranger, Nicholas. Grace's story comes next in THE PERFECT KISS.

Dear Anne,  I just finished "The Perfect Waltz" and Loved it!  Also adored "The Perfect Rake"....since discovering you, however, I find I cannot obtain any of your aother titles anywhere! Have searched on-line and attempted to have local bookstores order but no results....pleeease tell me how I can find more of your books!!!!!
Amy
* Sorry, only used copies exist of my other books. Maybe one day Harlequin will reprint them.

I have read both of the Perfect Rake and the Perfect Waltz and enjoyed them thoroughly. I was wondering if you could tell me if the Perfect Stranger is also about he Merridew sisters?  Your website did not mention as to what the book is going to be about. 
Regards, Lisa

* Yes, The Perfect Stranger is Faith's story - she's the quieter twin. And I've started on Grace's story, as well. THE PERFECT KISS.

Dear Anne- I had a great time this past weekend with THE PERFECT WALTZ. It was definitely a fascinating story. What inspired you to write the book?
Mary
* For the story behind the book click here

I didn't think you could top Gideon, but Sebastian is ... incredible!  Loved every page, each sentence, each perfect word.  A beautiful story, outstanding characterization, and I adored Hope and Sebastian. Truly memorable, Anne, and deserving of every accolade.
Can't wait for the next ...
Helen

Thank you so much for not ignoring the deplorable conditions of the era in Perfect Waltz. This helps us understand how heroic the characters are and how hard fought their happy ending is. I hope this helps us all realize how lucky we are and that we all have the potential to attain true love ourselves. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I cannot wait for Perfect Stranger.
Ria

Hello - I read Pru's story in the Perfect Rake and now am reading Hope's in the Perfect Waltz but am confused...I might have forgotten it but - Perfect Rake was Pru's story so where was Charity's, who married the Duke of Dinstable?  Was her story also in Pru's and I forgot it already????
Susan

*Yes, poor Charity didn't get a story of her own. She and Edward fell in love and married and that was that, I'm afraid.

Just finished reading The Last Waltz.  Great job.  I was so touched by the character's of Cassie and Dorrie that I can not help but wonder if a story of their own is in the works after Grace's book is published.   These two little girls just stole my heart, and they really deserve a book of thier own.  I hope you can convince your publisher to allow you to write a story for each
Rosa

* Sorry, but at this stage it's unlikely that Dorie and Cassie will have their own story.

I finally caught up with Perfect Waltz...and I am ashamed to say that I immediately put the worthy, Booker Prize winning "March" to one side while I eked out my enjoyment of PW!!!
I love the way that you don't gloss over the realities of the time (something that puts me right off the standard froth and bubble "regencies"!). You set yourself a difficult task with Sebastian ie how to make a "mill owner" a man of absolute integrity in a time of child labour and appalling working conditions. Hats off! You did it. Way to go...and you know how I adore a wounded hero! Hanging out for Perfect Stranger now!
 Alison

A snippet out of history ...

Gipsey Fancy Dress Party at Bexhill
The Sussex Weekly Advertiser
Monday, August 26, 1811

The Prince Regent's birth day was this year celebrated by the principal inhabitants of Bexhill, in rather a novel manner, by forming themselves into a GIPSEY PARTY. Early in the morning all was bustle - donkies, carts, old wigs, cloaks, hats, &c. &c. were put in requisition, and about eleven o'clock the party, (nearly all in some appropriate character) moved in procession, attended by a great concourse of spectators, to Coden Down, about three miles off, where tents were immediately pitched; an elegant cold PIC NIC collation, from the baskets of the party, was set forth on the grass, and very heartily partaken off - "Pleasure beamed from every eye, and mantled on every countenance," and fortune telling commenced, and continued with great oracular skill, until the party was summoned to form a circle to take tea, coffee, &c. The novelty of the scene had by this time drawn great numbers of people to the spot, as spectators, and these were regaled with two barrels of strong beer by John Macgauly, esq. Dancing then commenced and was continued until the sun had reached the horizon, when the tents were struck, and the party, preceded by the music, FOOTED IT to the new assembly-rooms, at Bexhill, where the bewitching gipsey lassies, with each a partner, tript it on "light fantastic toe" until five in the morning, when the whole party retired, very much gratified with the novel diversion, and unanimously agreeing, the anniversary of their beloved Prince's Birth-day shall be FOREVER celebrated at Bexhill, in a similar manner.