I have never read this author or if I can recall correctly a story about dancing. BUT I am so very glad I did. This was such a great book. I loved the characters and story line. I will definitely look for more by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this!

Pub Date: 12/21-- def recommend

A stunning book. I adored it. This tale of three friends, unfolds across their lives in the insular and unique world of professional ballet. And yet rather than being just a glimpse into this unique world, this story somehow captures enduring truths about how women struggle to achieve our dreams and potential. Well drawn characters, a plot that kept me turning pages, and so many thought-provoking points. This is a great book for book clubs, friends who want something meaty to talk about, or even a private retreat where you take time to journal about your own life and consider how things have unfolded and what you want from this point forward. All the stars - highly recommend.

As someone who loves the ballet, friendship-centric fiction, and women-driven narratives, it’s entirely unsurprising to me that I picked this book up and refused to put it down.

But what is a little surprising to me was that I found The Ballerinas to be *such* a delightful and fast read (featuring a more mature take on dance novel tropes) that I would absolutely recommend it to someone who doesn’t know or care about ballet.

I very much enjoyed this book! It was a compelling look at ballerinas, which I always enjoy, and the three main characters were interesting; I enjoyed learning their motivations slowly in both of the timelines. The nonlinear structure worked well, though the pace of the character learning her lessons towards the end were so back to back they got a little clunky at one point. I’m guessing some of the confusing moments will be resolved in the corrected proof. Overall, I was a big fan of this one and read it in under a day during a reading slump, so I highly recommend it!

I love dance novels. I can smell the studio and perfectly picture what these ballerinas look like. The complexities of friendship, secrets, and competitiveness are examined, along with the role that men play in women's lives.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot happening in this book, which made it an incredibly fast read. Delphine returns to Paris, where she spent her formative years as a ballerina. She’s now a choreographer and looking to reconnect with her two best friends and the life she left behind. Secrets and “the one who got away” aren’t so easy to forget, though, as Delphine finds out when she revisits her past choices.

The Ballerinas is a gripping story of loyalty, ambition, and the intricate nature of female friendships. Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay meet in their teens as dancers in the Paris Opera Ballet. They become fast, tight friends, but as always with girls, there’s the undercurrent of competition. As the girls become adults, their lives change, but dance is still at the center. Withstanding two different shocking acts, we see how strong the female nature really is. Is it about ballet? Yes, which is fascinating. But it’s also about the bonds of friendship. It’s about commitment, whether dance related or the lengths one will go through to protect a friend. Fantastic book.