I was really intrigued by the idea of following a group of ballerinas chasing their dreams in Paris, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The friendships and struggles felt real enough, and there were moments of beauty in the writing. Still, I found the pacing uneven, and some characters didn’t get enough depth to fully connect with. It’s a decent read if you’re into stories about ambition and friendship, but it didn’t totally grab me the way I hoped.

I no longer have access to this book and do not anticipate seeking it out to read it at this time. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Any interesting read that appeals to fans of Black Swan. I would recommend it if you’re interested in suspense and ballet.

Very beautiful and evocative, though I think the disjointed timeline distracted more than added to the reader's understanding of the main character's motivations. I'm not always the best at reading across multiple sense - hearing the music and seeing the dancers, but I really felt the emotion of the narrator experiencing these so that helped to add to my experience of them as well.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a great book, i loved everything about it! plan to buy, would recommend

I love a ballet story and especially one that has really great female characters leading the way. Will think about this one for a bit.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

Delphine was had the soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet before leaving it all so start fresh in St. Petersburg. The only thing she took with her was a secret involving her two best friends, Lindsay and Margaux.

Fast forward 13 years and Delphine has returned to the Paris to choreograph a ballet to move into the next phase of her career still connected with ballet. In her absence, she lost touch with Lindsay and Margaux, both of whom moved forward with their lives. Carrying the guilt of a secret for years, Delphine tries to atone by involving Lindsay in the ballet she is choreographing, but somethings just won't work, not matter who she tries.

I was drawn in by the cover and the blurb of this book. It felt a little disjointed for me, but it was decent.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t ever get into this one. The pace was super slow and I didn’t care for the main character. I was really hoping to love this one. All thoughts and opinions stated are solely my own. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

This was a great drama in that it painted a great picture of ballerina life but the story did feel a bit long and drug out. I guess i wasnt sure what to expect but was hoping for a little bit more juice and darkness with the comparisons to black swan. it was good just not exactly what i thought i was getting into when i picked it up.

I love the romantic dance that is a novel about ballerinas. Added bonus when there is drama, plot twists and a bit of a thriller aspect.

As someone who grew up dancing - this book brought me back to that world which made the book interesting to me. But the plot seemed too slow for what it claims and it just wasn’t my favorite. I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and premise but it fell flat for me. Although she did portray the dance world very well!

This was a behind the scenes look at the incredibly ambitious and competitive world of ballet. The jealousy, the secrets, the hookups, the betrayals, all of it paints a cutthroat picture of what these dancers, who train their entire lives, go through for the glory of being on the stage. It's slow to get going, but the pace picks up in the second half. However, I had big issues with the turn it took towards the end. I wouldn't say this is a mystery thriller, instead it's more a character-driven women's fiction story about the dark side of competitive dance.

"The Ballerinas" is a novel that takes readers into the competitive and cutthroat world of professional ballet. Set against the backdrop of a prestigious ballet academy, the story follows three young dancers—Gigi, Bette, and June—as they navigate the pressures of training, friendship, and rivalry.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale's novel offers an intriguing glimpse into the demanding and often ruthless world of ballet, where talent and ambition collide with sacrifice and obsession. The author's own experience as a former ballet dancer shines through in her vivid and immersive descriptions of dance sequences and the grueling training regimen. The relationships between the three protagonists are complex and compelling, with each character grappling with their dreams, insecurities, and desires. Gigi, Bette, and June are well-developed and relatable, and readers will find themselves rooting for each of them as they strive to achieve their goals.

However, while the novel excels in its portrayal of the ballet world and its characters, it falls short in terms of pacing and plot development. The pacing is uneven, with long stretches of introspection and description that some may find too meandering. Additionally, the plot lacks the tension and suspense necessary to fully engage readers, without a clear sense of direction at times.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Ballerinas" remains a compelling read for fans of ballet and character-driven dramas. Kapelke-Dale's evocative writing and authentic portrayal of the ballet world make for an immersive reading experience, even if the pacing and plot may fall a bit short.

The plot, in my opinion, was greatly lacking. But I rated it a four because of the wonderful work this author did to bring the true story behind professional ballet, and the darkness underneath. Therein lies the brilliance. I’d highly recommend for any woman who, like myself, took ballet is a little girl and dreamed of being a ballerina. I do recommend this book. While the plot was virtually nonexistent and there were too many loose threads that should have been tied together, it’s the best book I’ve read… It’s the story… The true story… of the costs to the body and mind of the women trying to carve out their own place in the brutal world of ballet

This book is hard to rate. As a dancer growing up who did everything from ballet to tap to jazz, it was fun to get back into that world. However, it was also portrayed in a dark way through a thriller. Not that that's not fun, it was definitely a fun concept. Rachel Kapelke-Dale did a great job bringing you into that world and the underbelly that not many people know about. I will say the plot was lacking, so that was disappointing. But it would still be a fun read for girls like me who used to dance.

Three friends with the same life goal, to be the best in the art of dance. Their life stories will be played out in two time frames over the course of their careers. As the drama of ballet rolls throughout their stories, the dance will become one of the characters in the book. Beautifully told; you can almost hear the music in the background.

The Ballerinas is an engaging and emotional novel that illuminates the cutthroat world of professional ballet through the lens of female friendship. Thirteen years after abandoning Paris and her two best friends, Delphine returns to make amends and restart her career. But long-buried resentments and secrets threaten to surface as the former ballerinas reunite...this book was so great! Purchased the physical book and audio book.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Wow, I absolutely loved this book! It was highly a anticipated read for me and exceeded all expectations.

This is the best book I read in 2021; the writing is so beautiful and lyrical, with some truly inspiring and exquisite quotes that are incredibly relatable. I plan to read this book again once I have the hardback version following it’s official release in December this year, then I can tab/annotate to my heart’s content so I have all these wonderful quotes to quickly refer back to.

I grew up in the world of ballet and in my opinion, this book depicts the cut throat dance industry accurately; it brought back memories and I loved delving back into that world from afar, but the story also made me realise I don’t miss being in the harsh reality of it!

The storyline is incredibly gripping and a joy to read. I adored the writing style which was gritty yet elegant. I loved our key protagonists and discovering each of their stories; I couldn’t help but like them all and found myself completely rooting for each of them.

This book covers some amazing and important themes which I really enjoyed and resonated with, from the incredible strengths of true friendship, to female empowerment and the problematic culture of male expectations/views of women and their bodies.

You don’t need to be a dance or ballet fanatic to read this book, I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone - you won’t be disappointed! Get ready for an emotional, fantastic, whirlwind of a read 👌❤️🩰

Thank you very much to St Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital ARC for The Ballerinas in exchange for an honest review.