I tried so so hard to get into this one and just couldn't. It took me forever to get through, because I just kept getting bored. I wish it had been a little bit faster paced! I also struggled to like any of the characters, which sometimes doesn't bother me, but didn't help me in this case.

Thank you, NetGalley, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.

The Ballerinas had a lot of hope and potential based on premise and main cast of characters. But that was the only part of the book that held any promise. As a reader, I quickly lost interest in consistent ballerinas terms and dancing scenes. I wished for a more dramatic tale based on the synopsis.

The Ballerinas stars choreographer Delphine as she returns to the Paris Opera Ballet, where she used to be a soloist dancer before abruptly giving up her position more than a decade earlier and following her heart to St. Petersburg. Everywhere she turns, there are reminders of her former life—the company director, her former colleagues, and most of all, her two closest friends from her years as a student and young company member. The fraught friend/competitor relationships of these young women are at the core of the story, giving it shades of a Megan Abbott novel. If you love ballet, it’s hard to resist a novel with this much focus on the ballet world and detail about the Paris Opera Ballet system in particular. For someone looking for a pure mystery/suspense book, there is probably a little too much interpersonal intrigue at the expense of pace. It’s probably best to set expectations by thinking of this as a character-driven novel with mystery elements.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital advance review copy.

This look behind the scenes at ballerina and dance culture was fascinating, and not something I knew much about before reading this book. I was expecting it to be more of a thriller, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Delphine left the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg, jettisoning a promising career due to difficult circumstances. Now in her mid 30's and choreographer, Delphine decides to return to set things right, both personally and professionally. As she had left behind her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux, will Delphine be able to ask forgiveness and move past the secret that threatens to destroy them all?

The biggest issue that I had with the book was the format, as the timeline shifts and different perspectives ruined the flow of the novel. The grittiness of life as a ballet dancer was there, but the personal drama overshadowed the overall picture. With too many side plots competing for space, there was just not enough room for a good, overarching story.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Ballerinas by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

I never read a book by this author before but am so glad I found this one! This was such a great story. I loved the characters and the book definitely kept my attention. The writing was excellent. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

The premise of this sounded so good, and bring in the subject of secretive ballerinas, I’m sold! Unfortunately, I found that the most exciting thing about this book was the cover.

The back cover promises an exciting twist, and instead I was just left wondering what the twist even was, because nothing left me excited nor was jaw dropping. There was more about their lives in the Paris Ballet then anything else and while it was interesting at first, it started getting stale.

If you’re looking for a tame thriller, or one that is very slow paced, character driven and doesn’t have a lot going on, this one might be for you. But if you’re going into this one expecting a lot of action , or viciously competitive and mean ballerinas, you might want to skip this one.

The Ballerinas was the first book i have read by Rachel Kapeke-Dale and i loved it! it was was great read and i was not disappointed in the least.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this story. A though provoking look behind-the-scenes of the world of ballet. This is a story of about the dedication it takes to make it to the top and the the lengths you go to get there!!

Having danced ballet for over 19 years I couldn't wait to read this story set in the world of dance.

This book moves between the past and present-day, so you get to see more of the story unfold in a delicious way. As you get each piece of the puzzle you learn more about the characters as well as the lengths they'd go to in order to be the best.

Delphine ditched her spot at the Paris Opera for a new opportunity in St Petersburg. But she didn't leave behind the secrets that could change the lives of her and her friends. When she returns to Paris in a choreography role, things start to surface that she hoped would stay hidden.

I don't want to give too much away, but this is a dark, slow-burn tale of friendship, of being a woman, striving for perfection and the lengths they'll go to.

Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay were best friends united by their love and passion for ballet. They met in the Paris Opera Ballet and grew up competing for the top spots in the school and later the company, year after year. But one incident, one secret upends their career, friendship, and lives forever. As a result, Delphine leaves for Russia leaving Margaux and Lindsay to continue their lives in the Paris Opera Ballet. When Delphine returns 14 years later as a choreographer, she realizes the past has a way of catching up.

I’m going to be honest, the first half of this book was slow for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and staying invested in the story. However, at about 60% in the story TAKES OFF. The ending absolutely caught me off guard—the plot line went places I would never have guessed. The last 40% of this book is what really saved it from being two stars for me. My one recommendation for this book to is see it through to the end—I guarantee you’ll be surprised.

There were two things that I really appreciated about this book. The first is the female friendships. I loved the relationship between Lindsay, Delphine, and Margaux. They were their own little family and supported each other even when in direct competition. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but let me just say female friendships really shine by the end.

The second aspect I appreciated was the focus on female bodies and the control the world exerts on them. As a ballerina, Delphine says time and time again how their bodies are really props for aesthetic purposes only. Women’s bodies don’t naturally look like this, so underlying Delphine’s sentiments is the notion of the need to strive for perfection at whatever cost. Again, I can’t get into too much detail about how this comes fully into play by the end of the book, but I will say that this notions of seeing women’s bodies as things and not as people and exerting control over women’s bodies is something that women face every single day and feel the pressure of. The author did an amazing job of putting the frustration and anger this generates into words. I know dancers are held to this standard more so than others, but Kapelke-Dale wrote this in a way that felt like it spoke for every woman.

I would recommend this one but encourage those who read it to go into it with an open mind. If you think it’s starting slow, that’s because it probably is. Stick with it and I promise you won’t be disappointed!

A lush, evocative book perfect for the #metoo movement, plus the modern abortion debate. Three friends since they were teenagers wrestle with ambition and what they really want in their 30s. I really enjoyed this one.

So much I did not know about the life of a ballerina! Very competitive… longevity? I really enjoyed the story of the drama of the friendships!

I’ve been meaning to read this book for months, but I think reading it now is even more impactful given recent Supreme Court news and rulings.

This book is NOT a thriller. If you go into it thinking that, you will be disappointed. The ballerinas is a character-driven Women’s fiction and sends an important message regarding what’s expected of women and what some men get away when it comes to using/abusing women.

It was a slow build introducing characters Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux, three ballerinas who grow up in dance school together and basically become each other’s family. Delphine and Margaux are holding in a secret about what was done to Lindsay in the past but will they continue to let that secret haunt them? Lindsay, meanwhile, is still trying to fight her way to the top and Delphine wants to help get her there. All three women are dealing with past and present struggles and are trying to hold their friendship together.

The second half of the book gained more traction for me but the only thing I didn’t like was the timeline. I usually like dual timelines but this one felt a little too all over the place for me. I think I enjoyed reading this book more now vs a few month’s ago given what’s going on in the world.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Ballerinas is a story about three girls - Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay - who meet while studying at the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) in the 1990s and become close friends. The book then jumps back and forth in time until 2018 when Delphine returns from Russia to choreograph a ballet as well as attempting to make up to her friends for a wrong she committed many years ago.

Although I found it slow-moving, the book is good. Since I'm not a big fan of ballet a lot of it was wasted on me but the story did highlight the darker parts of being a success in the world of ballet and I think I learned the difference in the levels of ballet dancers. I found the constant time shifts to be disconcerting and had to occasionally double-check to see what year we were in. I didn't especially like any of the characters which may be part of the reason the book seemed to drag on and on. There are many issues covered in the book - alcoholism, sexual abuse, abortion, to name a few - maybe too many for such a short book. The second 40% or so was definitely more to my liking and the writing throughout the whole book was very good but I just don't think I'm the right reader for the story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

A book about ballerinas in France? YES.

I loved the ballet talk, the behind the scenes and breakdown of company life, and the timeline was done SO WELL. I also really loved all three of our leading ladies.

Rep: LGBTQIA+ (side character)

I was drawn to this book because of my own love for dance but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to make me love this story.

The Pros: What Worked For Me

The way the author talks about dance and choreography resonated with me. She captured it so well, and it lined up with my own experiences.
All of the characters are very unique, making it easy to distinguish between them.
The story goes back and forth in time, which is a style I quite like.

The Cons: What I Didn’t Like

None of the characters are likable. I struggled to connect with any of them or feel any empathy towards them.
The secret was easy to figure out, and it took ages for it to be revealed.
This is a very slow-paced book and my interest waned over time.
The men in this novel are very one-dimensional; they are all just misogynists. The lack of depth was disappointing.

Maybe this novel just wasn’t the right fit for me. I was hoping for something intriguing but instead, this was a clunky book about narcissistic characters and dance. I’m going to be giving this 2/5 stars and leave it at that.

The ballerinas
By Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Thank you to NetGalley & St’ Martins Press for the copy of this book for my honest review.

This story is about 3 friends and ballerinas and how they deal with the life of a ballerina. Delphine left the opera house in Paris and escaped to St Petersburg to live with her boyfriend and learn the steps in becoming a choreographer. 18 years later she returns to the opera house as a choreographer for the upcoming ballet and brings her secrets with her. She hoped to pick up where she left off with her friends, but it is not as easy as she had hoped for.

I had a hard time engaging in this story. For me, it did not hook me until well after half way through.

After leaving the Paris Ballet fourteen years ago, Delphine returns triumphant, but as a choreographer, a dancer no longer. Her reunion with her two former best friends, however, is not so triumphant. Turns out that Delphine’s radio silence all the years she spent in St. Petersburg was not the foundation for lasting relationships. But she’s determined to make the most of being back home, finding herself slipping into old routines and old habits with little effort, for better or worse – mostly worse. With every return comes a million memories, and these memories hold a lot of pain and secrets for Delphine, who only finds herself drawn more and more into the sinister side of the ballet.

As a former dancer, I had to pick this one up. And how could I not? Just look at that gorgeous cover. And a story about dancers with a bit of mystery on the side? Awesome. And the intrigue was there, if minor, and only lightly mentioned every five or so chapters, until an utter ramp up leads to a crazy conclusion with little to no real world repercussions.

As a former dancer, I found the constant detailing of dance steps familiar and superfluous; I can only wonder what a non-dancer thinks when they read passage after passage of choreographic language, if it’s a beautiful enigma or a frustrating and unnecessary list.

Being a former dancer has nothing to do with who I am as a reader, and this reader didn’t find a lot of substance within these pages. There’s an exploration of friendship and what being a real friend means, yes; there’s the above-mentioned mystery and intrigue that is more confusing and frustrating than intriguing, sure; there’s a bizarre feminist lens that is warped and twisted so that the definition of feminism becomes completely insignifcant, mainly. Did I keep reading? Yes. Was it out of anything but pure spite? Hard to tell by the end of my experience.

But as a former dancer, I appreciated the critique on how dancers are treated and viewed – though I could have done without the shiny veneer of “it’s all worth it in the end” plastered on top.

Trigger warning: death of a parent, cancer, taping sex without consent, abortion, miscarriage.