An interesting and cute story! Pulls on the strings of classic book tropes and does so very well. Would recommend.

This book and the way it was written reminded me a lot of Sarah Dessen books. The book was very emotional and the characters were all complex in their own ways. I liked how the book wasn’t solely focused on life in the circus. It also had a mixture of life in a small town. That being said, there were some things that didn’t seem to mesh in the actual story. It didn’t really make sense why Corey was put in regular school as a traveling performer. Why not home school or go through a GED. Also, I thought she’d be more upset about the fire and losing her life’s dream. I know I would have been. It seemed like there was a lot of fluff in the place of where research should have been done and readers were just expected to go along with it. I mean, the title is Trapeze, but the cover is not a trapeze act?

I really enjoyed this cute YA book about a young girl in a travelling circus. The novel delves into her identity and how it's a struggle to change her life around when she suddenly needs to live with her mother again, away from the circus - it's only made worse when she meets someone.
Corey and Luke have such an adorable presence in this story, it really kept me interested and i couldn't put it down once i got past 50%.
While I really enjoyed this as a read, I'd very much like the cover to have an actual trapeze artist on it rather than a silks performer and on that, I do think that the story could have included more on the circus life to balance out the deeper elements of the story.

It was a bit hard to get into. It felt a bit sudden and all over the place in the start. But it was enjoyable.
Sometiems it felt like nothing went on and then BAM two - three things at the time, wich was a bit annoying.

Honestly, this was a bit of a let-down. I found it really difficult to get into the story at all, and it just didn't engage me.

This was an alright read, but it still very much felt like a wattpad novel. It just wasn’t my cup of tea I guess.

‘Trapeze’ by Leigh Ansell was an emotional story with lovely writing and beautiful, vivid details. I will say to be aware of trigger warnings, but this was an amazing debut and I definitely recommend it.,

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I was excited to see a book with a different type sport/activity in it, but this was seriously lacking in storyline.

The writing reaaaaaally didn't work for me on this one. I adore circus stories — particularly when they go into detail about circus life, performing, etc. However, I don't even know if we ever get that here because the writing was so choppy and forced. Probably a difference of expectation, but this book isn't for me.

This was a really good book although the whole time reading this i felt as though something was missing. The writing was good other than that and I did like the plot.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


This book is about more than the circus! I really liked Corey & Luke’s relationship and even the friendships Corey made at school. I thought the author did a great job showing how important it is to report abuse, even though it’s a difficult situation.

Not really a favourite for several reasons among which are: the poorly fleshed out relationships between characters, the writing in certain sections of the book and the believability of some aspects of the characters' lives. Also, the model in the picture is doing silks and not trapeze which I found odd and somewhat unrelated to the title and/or story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of Trapeze by Leigh Ansell.
This book takes place over a few months after 17 year old Corey is forced to live with her estranged birth mother after the circus she works in has a devastating arson fire.

First off, let me acknowledge the gorgeous over. It doesn’t actual depict trapeze but it is stunning. From what I understand this book was written by a teenager and released as serial chapters on Wattpad. That wasn’t obvious to me as I read so I’ll send a virtual kudos to the author. Great job!
The book is paced well and the dialogue flows.
I will say it’s pretty evident that the author doesn’t live in California. There is really nothing that shouts CALIFORNIA in this novel. There is virtually zero world-building period which is always disappointing to me.

I did appreciate that Corey wasn’t some kind of teen genius wunderkind who killed it in every single class when she attends an actual high school. I thought this was a nice touch although I felt it would have been more accurate to give the circus kids access to online method instead of self-teaching from “old textbooks”.

The weakest part of the plot might be Luke and his secrets. I found that whole plot line read like a “very special” episode of an 80s sitcom and not any sort of reality. There are also some details about the arson case and an another criminal investigation that seemed very convenient for wrapping up the novel and not very accurate to police work.

Overall this novel comes in at 3.5. I think with a little tweaking it could have been a 4 or 5 star read.

I received an advance digital copy of this book from the author, Wattpad and NetGalley.com.

Ms. Ansell's book is a little more than fan fiction for The Greatest Showman. It isn't very well thought out or written.

1 out of 5 stars. Do not recommend.

I read the majority of this book on a Saturday & it was a really nice way to spend the day. The plot of Trapeze was actually very different from what I expected as I took the word “accident” differently from how it was intended. Nevertheless, Corey was a very likeable protagonist & this was definitely a romance I was comfortable with reading.

⚠️ Fire destruction, miscarriage & violence ⚠️

Corey Ryder has grown up under the big top and she is Mystique Circus' rising star on the trapeze. Showing great promise and a natural talent for swinging dauntlessly through the air on a small bar, Corey's entire world is the life she lives on the trapeze. Mystique is forever moving, traveling from one town to the next, and Corey has a feeling that their show in Sherwood, California will be a huge success, especially after meeting a very cute boy in a diner and enjoying the best fries she has ever tasted with him. But things take a turn for the worst when flames engulf Mystique's circus tent on opening night. Corey barely escapes with her life, and soon she finds herself facing a future that she never saw coming; one that does not involve the circus that she has known and loved her entire life. Living with the mother she has never known and attending real school for the very first time, Corey feels that adjusting to her new life is going to be way more difficult than any trick she ever performed on the trapeze.

Leigh Ansell's Trapeze is a WattPad novel that was specially selected for publication. WattPad is a global community of readers and writers, where novice authors can share their original stories. This makes Trapeze a special kind of book because it gained its popularity on WattPad from readers like you and me. If you did not know this going into Trapeze, you might be surprised to learn that this well-written story was actually authored by a previously unpublished writer!

Trapeze is a book about new beginnings; unexpected circumstances; and family, love, and friendship. The novel primarily follows Corey in her new school as she navigates living with her mother for the first time, developing friendships, and falling for the cute, yet mysterious guy at school. All of this is well and good, but I personally as a reader wanted more of the circus, which is why I am giving this novel 3 stars. YA books about high school, friends, and relationships are a dime a dozen, yet a book about a circus performer is something generally unexplored and unique. I am disappointed that Ansell chose to focus much of her novel on the mundane kind of life that Corey is now living, instead of taking her book to new heights by capturing the glitz and glamour of the circus. Nonetheless, readers who enjoy YA fiction in the realistic vein will find something to enjoy in this book; however, those who were hoping for a novel about big top life may find themselves disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Corey, a talented trapeze artist, faces unexpected challenges when the circus that she travels with is burned to the ground. Suddenly, her world becomes a place of chaos and uncertainty.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

This book wasn’t at all what I expected. I was thinking it would be some sweet and cozy love story with some angst in between. But I was wrong, in the best way may I add. I wasn't expecting that ending. At all. Even though there were some things I didn't like, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This novel is about life in a small town and about being part of a circus.m although it is predominantly about overcoming a disaster and forging forward in the face of adversity. A great read and definitely recommend. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.