AFter the death of her mother she is expecting to inherit everything she including her estate. She is shocked to learn a man whom she has a very complicated and mysterious past with and she now has to reevaluate her revenge and future. Very edge of your seat exciting read.

“𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑦𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠? 𝐴 𝑔ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.”

This one has SO much potential but kind of fell flat for me. The chapters started with feminist retelling of fairytales and based on that I thought this would immediately be 5 stars. It was extremely slow, I flipped between physical book and audio to push through. I have read a lot of ~grooming~ books in the past year, so I think I have been either bored of them or more critical. Either way, not exactly for me but may be for you!

Ty for the ARC!

3⭐️

I loved the author’s Ballerinas, and I was blown away by the Ingenue. This is an author I now have on my automatic buy list. Her writing is tight and the story lines are amazing. Set in the “Me Too” time, this book explores what it’s like for Saskia and others who have fallen victim to an older man’s attentions. It’s also a book about the relationship between daughters and mothers. I was shocked by the ending… in a good way? I guess. It’s a fierce and startling look at what happpens to women as they cope with their past. This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Having loved The Ballerinas I was looking forward to this read. It did take me a few chapters to get into the spell of the storyline but then it was full speed ahead. There are so many thoughts racing around in my head now that I have finished it. Not sure I liked the ending, seems a bit incredulous to me, but the outcome -YES!
Saskia is a child prodigy pianist. So loved the way Rachel Kapelke-Dale told the story in dual timelines from her early childhood to the present day. Also loved the inclusion of her mother’s feminist takes on fairy tales, which I quite enjoyed. Her “chance” meeting with Patrick definitely threw her train off course. Saskia was so lonely, nothing in her life but piano and practice. Her relationship with both parents seemed completely tied into her talent as a pianist. I found myself feeling so sorry for her as she never was allowed to be a child, with all the light hearted fun and interactions with peers that help you grow into an adult. She was prime for Patrick’s grooming, and willing to live inside his regimented plastic bubble.
This read certainly crystallized my firm belief that the way a childhood is lived has major implications for the person as an adult. Saskia never fit in with her peers and felt awkward with them. She was never able to enjoy another relationship after Patrick left her at the tender age of 18. She clearly felt she had to punish herself, thus the boxing that would ruin her amazing skills as a pianist. Her unfulfilled childhood led to an unfulfilled adulthood.
My feelings about her mother changed when I learned her reasoning for gifting Elf House, signifying that she did love Saskia.
Many many thanks to Rachel Kapelke-Dale for touching my heart once again, St. Martin’s Press for publishing this gem, and NetGalley for providing me with an arc that made me feel so many emotions.

5 stars! This is my second book by this author and she writes conflicting, sometimes painful stories that always pull me in. I really got this one! Several days of reading this had me re-remembering my past. There is definitely a #metoo trigger and I was ready.
The story was complicated and I can imagine many will not understand the spell she was under. I thought it was well done and I had a nervousness I hadn’t felt in awhile. It’s dark and troubling in a way that had a resolution.
If you liked (can I say that?) Dark Vanessa then you like this.
I read and listened to this. Both were intriguing. The audiobook gave me a chilling front row seat. The narrator was excellent.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press, McMillan Audio via NetGalley.

Saskia Kreis, former child piano prodigy, returns home to Wisconsin following the death of her mother. Her childhood home, Elf House, has been in the family for a long time and Saskia fully expects to inherit it. She is devastated when she finds out her mother has left it to a former colleague, Peter, with whom Saskia shares a complicated history.

Each chapter begins with a snippet of "Fairy Tales for Little Feminists", a retelling of fairy tales by Evelyn Kreis, Saskia's mother, followed by a section of the story of Saskia's childhood beginning in 1991 when she was 9, followed by Saskia's current story beginning in January 2020, until the timelines merge. Although I was unable to fully immerse myself in the story, I enjoyed it much more than the author's previous novel, The Ballerinas. The ending was a bit of a shock but not totally surprising. I was very impressed by the writing and found the book to be a smooth read. I'd give it 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up since there's not a lot wrong with the book and I think most people would enjoy it more than I did.

TW: Like My Dark Vanessa to which The Ingenue is compared, there is an inappropriate relationship between a young Saskia and an older man.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel which was published December 6, 2022. All opinions expressed are my own.

While I enjoyed the story woven in Kapelke-Dale’s second book, I struggled to finish “The Ingenue.” I found the middle part of the book lethargic & drawn out. I wanted to see how the author brought the story to a close, so I pushed through and am glad I did, because the ending was quite satisfying. I just felt like a good chunk of the middle could have been shortened to speed the pace of the book & enhance the thriller aspect at its heart.

Once again Rachel takes into the world of the performing arts, this time classical piano performance, and sets the stage for what is ultimately a twisty, turny, #MeToo, revenge plot convoluted piece of literature that leaves you saying "Wow" at the end. I really enjoyed this one and think that it would be a good recommendation for those looking for a darker thriller type novel. Very reminiscent of My Dark Vanessa.

njoyed Rachel Kapelke-Dale's previous novel, The Ballerinas. So I didn't hesitate to grab this one, intrigued to see how her writing style might've grown. And indeed, it has. Once again she's used dual timelines to tell this story of a once-promising piano prodigy whose career was derailed by incidents revealed over the course of the book. In her first book it was sometimes difficult to tell when the timeline had shifted - especially when listening vs reading with eyes on page. This time she signals the shift not just with dates, but also with quotes from the series of books the main character's mother had authored. The writing is a bit tighter and less repetitive, but the story is just as compelling as the story in The Ballerinas.
Saskia Kreis returns home after her mother's death, expecting to inherit the family home, an imposing house known as Elf House. Instead, she finds that the Elf House was left to a man that Saskia knows all too well, but she's baffled as to the reason for the change in the family tradition of leaving the house to a blood relative. Over the course of the book we learn just what derailed her career as a pianist, what shaped her mother's decision, and how many of the things she thought she knew to be true turned out to be not quite what they seemed. It was an interesting look at the things we do for love, for family, and for retribution.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is said to be a mix of My Dark Vanessa and The Queen's Gambit and while I haven't read either of those books, I can still imagine that is an accurate description. Saskia being a prodigy mixed with her prior relationship with an older man screams both of those books, and if you are going to read this you definitely need to be prepared for a #MeToo story. I hadn't read the synopsis going in since my desire to read The Ingenue was based solely on how much I loved Kapelke-Dale's The Ballerinas (of course the gorgeous cover helped too), and I have to admit that I ended up with a lot more than I bargained for. Parts of the book did drag a bit for me especially in the beginning to middle and I started to lose interest, but I am really glad I stuck with it because the climax was nothing less than explosive.

There are some serious triggers in this book, so I would highly recommend checking those out before picking it up. However, I thought the way Kapelke-Dale approached them was in such a sensitive way that they might not be a dealbreaker either. The audiobook for The Ingenue is narrated by the extremely talented Stephanie Willis and I was in awe of how well she adapted to voice this novel. Her performance felt different than in other books I’ve listened to her narrate and she really brought Saskia’s character alive. She made it a lot easier for me to get through the parts that felt slow, and I loved the audio. The ending really made this book for me, and it is important to know the storyline is fairly dark. I really felt for Saskia, and I enjoyed watching the way she transformed by the time the story was over. The Ingenue had a bit of a coming-of-age story vibe as well, and though it was a tough read at times, I appreciated where Kapelke-Dale decided to take the storyline.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved The Ballerinas so I was excited for this follow up novel & the synopsis sounded like another hit.

Sas is a childhood piano prodigy who is grappling with her mother’s death and the aftermath of the sickness that her mother kept from her in her final months. Being back in her childhood home forces her to reminisce her teenage years and brings troubling memories to light.

It took me a long time to fall into the groove of this book — there were dual timelines and many characters to keep track of so it took a bit to settle in. The last half of the book was gripping and compelling, but the story as whole felt a little sporadic and disorienting in a way I couldn’t fully connect to.

Kapelke-Dale’s second novel is another dark and moody thriller. It starts strong with the gothic drama which felt a little YA to me. But the subject matter is definitely not YA as it explores the abusive relationship between a young teen and an older man. Sensitive readers, be aware— I’d consider this a Read Alike for My Dark Vanessa. The plot and atmosphere kept me interested but it lacked character development and the ending is pretty over the top. This novel definitely had some strengths but overall didn’t quite work for me. Sarah (@sarahsbookshelves) loved this one and I usually have similar opinions which makes me wonder if it was just bad timing for me. I prefer Kapelke-Dale’s first novel, The Ballerinas.

I finished this book few weeks ago and needed time to think . This is the type of book you want to either hate or love it. When I had come to the end of the story, I wanted to throw the book across the room. I still have a lot of mixed feelings about this book as of tonight.
This story will take a while for to get into it. However, I have to warn the readers that it’s trigger warning. So consider yourself warned. It took me a while to finish where I normally finish 1-2 books a day. This book is very dark, desolate, and dismal.
This is about former talented piano player as child star dealing with the the death of her mother, her discovery of her being used by a sexual predator, the family’s home, the will and etc.
I found myself wanting to yell, scream and wanting to strangle this agnostic character for making wrong choices as an adult. The ending….not going to say anything more. Like I’ve stated before, I have conflicting views on this novel.
Three and a half stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.


From the publisher: When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother's will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, Rachel Kapelke-Dale's The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia's childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.

What I Thought

My last NetGalley review of 2022 (and my 184th read of the year) finds me with very turbulent emotions. For the majority of my reading experience, I was sitting on the passenger side of Rachel Kapelke-Dale's car following Saskia on her journey to acquire her family home while getting someone from her past to admit how they had manipulated her mind and her heart.

But then...... I felt the need to grab onto the door handle, free the lock, and tuck and roll and make it to the ditch safely.

I see a lot of glowing 5-star reviews and I guess the climax and resolution of this novel worked better for most readers. For myself, I think had I held a physical copy of the book in my hands instead of my Kindle, it would have hit the opposite wall so fast.

What exactly was my problem? On that, I wish I could say to anyone reading my review, that it is as clear to me as the day when I felt the author steered me off the tracks. The topic of sexual consent is an important one. I did grapple with liking the character as I felt she was a hard character to connect with. But even that I can push to the side in pursuit of seeing where the author will take the story. I liked the feminist retelling of fairy tales. Although a few did make me roll my eyes with the vocabulary, they were great. The Beauty and Beast one was awesome!

No, I think it's because I just don't buy into the author making this the way the novel ended. I DEMAND a rewrite of that ending! Haha! Just kidding!

Seriously, I shall have to concede that I may just be a very disgruntled reviewer. I think I shall "safely" place my review at a 3 star because I did like the majority of the novel.


Publication Date 06/12/22
Goodreads review 22/12/22

After reading The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale i was hoping this book was as good, and I wasn't disappointed. This book deals with a lot of hard issues and delivers a strong portrait of a young naive woman who has to deal with the death of her mother while trying to figure out who she is.
Saskia had always been told, since a little girl that she was a piano prodigy, and she was, until she grew up and had a self crisis where she deemed herself not a prodigy at all.
When her mother dies Saskia was sure she was going to inherit the Elf House, the house that has been in the hands of her family for generations, but that wasn't the case, her mother bequests the house to a family friend, an older man whom Saskia has a history with.
What follows is an account in two timelines of what happened between the two of them in the past and what Saskia and her father are doing to try to impede this man to inherit the house.
With themes of sexual abuse, mother-daughter relationship, young girl prodigy, this book at times is not an easy one to read, but it is so good that grabs you since the beginning until the very shocking and brilliant end.

Oh WOW! Just WOW! I love when I crawl out of my Domestic Thriller/Police Procedural box and read something different and am greatly rewarded! That was the case with this one. I read reviews comparing this to My Dark Vanessa, which is a favorite of mine. The two books have similar themes to a point, but different characterizations and ultimately different stories to tell. I stopped comparing and loved this one on its own. This story does begin a bit slow, and I was not really a fan of Saskia in the beginning. That changed fairly quickly though as the story picked up steam. This is a dark tale of revenge and girl-power, and I loved every minute of it!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Rachel Kapelke-Dale and St. Martin's Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I found The Ingenue to be very well written, and although I liked it- there should be some serious TWs for potential readers (perhaps there are in the final draft, but I didn’t see any in my advance copy). Please read the synopsis carefully and perhaps some reviews, as this novel contains disturbing content (predatory behaviour - including grooming, SA). I flew through this book within a day, even though it was tough to get through (especially in the flashback scenes). Although this won’t be the top of my reads this year, I am glad I read it and will definitely look to read the next novel from this author.
Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this ARC!

This dark, multilayered novel follows Mike and Evie in the rearing of their prodigy daughter, Saskia as they groom her into success but, it seems they may have guided her into a much more troubled path. Their home, the Elf house, takes on a life of its own as a main character full of secrets, constantly drawing the family in.

I felt so much sorrow as this story began to unfold and somehow blooms into the very relatable vulnerability we can find ourselves in. Those moments you really open your eyes to find things weren’t as they seemed.

Beautifully written!

Immediately upon starting The Ingenue, it started giving me Verity/ My Dark Vanessa vibes. This part I did like - it kept me entertained, my mind wondering what was going to happen next, and also had me a bit disturbed. I will say this didn't resonate with me the way I was hoping but I can't exactly pinpoint why. I think it may have had something to do with the overdone "older man abuses a younger girl" storyline without adding anything groundbreaking to the storyline. I did find the ending pretty captivating but it wasn't enough to save this for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable, but heavy read, The Ingenue is reminiscent of The Paper Palace. While the plot and characters weren't especially impressive. The fluid writing made it incredibly difficult to put down despite its heavy topics. I haven't enjoyed a writing style this much in many years.