Stories about dance have always intrigued me, so I was eager to pick up Lauren Morrow’s Little Movements.

In it, we follow Layla, a dancer turned choreographer who has been given a choreographer-in- residence job at Briar House in Vermont. She’s always dreamed in dance, despite her mother bringing her up to dream medium, get married, become a mother. As the months wear on, issues arise, but in her work and in her marriage. It’s an enormous feat even before Layla’s marriage starts to buckle, and before she finds out she’s pregnant.

I really liked the idea of this book. It was billed as an exploration between a woman’s dream career and what’s always been ingrained in her with a family. Unfortunately, this book was too slow for me to remain interested. I liked Layla’s character throughout the story though. I just found myself wanting more from it than it had to give.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Morrow’s debut, Little Movements, is a sharp, emotionally resonant portrait of creative ambition and the struggle to belong. The story follows Layla Smart, a thirty-something Black choreographer who refuses to settle for “dreaming medium”—even when the world seems determined to keep her in her place. When Layla is tasked with choreographing a pivotal piece for a group of Black dancers in a mostly white town, her professional ambitions collide with the realities of race, small-town dynamics, and her own complicated personal life.

Morrow brings Layla to life with a mix of dry wit and raw honesty. Every rehearsal, every awkward encounter, and every coded slight from her colleagues rings true. Layla’s marriage, her pregnancy, and her doubts about fulfillment are drawn with a light but unflinching hand, making her struggles deeply relatable. Supporting characters serve as mirrors and foils, highlighting the unique pressures Layla faces as a Black woman and an artist trying to carve out space on her own terms.

The novel’s real strength lies in its subtlety. Morrow sidesteps easy answers, letting themes of race, class, and creative longing simmer beneath the surface. The writing is crisp, funny, and emotionally intelligent—never shying away from ambiguity or the small heartbreaks that come with chasing something bigger than yourself.

There are moments when the pace slows, and some side characters could use more depth, but these are small flaws in a book that pulses with honesty and insight. Little Movements is a memorable, wryly observed debut about the art—and cost—of dreaming big. Lauren Morrow is a fresh voice worth following, and Layla Smart is a character whose journey stays with you.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Lauren Morrow writes of what she knows, and thus, Layla, her protagonist, shares much of her background. It would be helpful to have an understanding about challenges a choreographer faces to get the most out of this book since there is a lot of description of movement as well as music, but the personal difficulties in being hired to create a dance for a BIPOC work in a venue formerly known for works featuring Caucasian artists is well drawn, and the frustrations of a long distance relationship are beautifully crafted. Well done.

This book was moving and emotional, and I was in awe of the main character Layla's ability to persevere through the hardships she faced. I felt like the first half of this novel was at times rushing to catch the reader up to Layla's life so far, and I didn't feel as connected to key characters, like her husband Eli. However, I enjoyed the messaging of this story, and Morrow's commitment to illustrating the art form of dance. I may not be the person for those sections, however, because I don't tend to enjoy reading written descriptions of dance, but that wasn't an overwhelming amount of the book.

A complex story about the complications of trying to have it all in life as a modern woman. Layla is a talented choreographer and wife, happily married but seeking more fulfillment in her professional life. She's offered a prestigious residency but it means moving to Vermont from NYC. Will she be able to fulfill the job while also trying to start a family and stay happily married? Will her husband continue to support the decision they made together? There's only one way to find out.

I truly enjoyed this book so much. I don't know if a book has ever felt like as much of a mirror to me as this one. For the first couple of chapters I thought it was a memoir and had to reassure myself that it was fiction. I really enjoyed the writing quite a bit.

An ambitious debut novel, that looks at what it takes to pursue an artistic career. The protagonist, Layla Smart, is a young African American choreographer who is selected for a 9-month residence at Blair House in rural Vermont. She leaves her (white) husband at home in Brooklyn and almost immediately finds herself enmeshed in a financial scandal with racist overtones. She learns she is pregnant as her marriage falls apart. Layla demonstrates perseverance and mental toughness in the face of major life upheavals. This beautifully written book is at its best when revealing the transformative power of art (in this case dance). Layla shares a very similar resume with the author which imbues the book with an intimacy of experience that makes her success even more satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my review.

Layla, a 33 year old former publicist for BAM, has finally gotten her dream job as a choreographer for an BIPOC ensemble group slotted to perform at the Briar House in Vermont. Historically Briar House has predominantly only hosted white performers and given that, Layla grapples with wanting to be chosen by merit, but also troubled by the Caucasian favoritism. I liked the dance descriptions, but I felt there should have been more dialogue with Eli, especially during their troubled times. It was well written for a first time writer. However, she totally ruined Layla’s character and integrity when she had her blithely steal a valuable collectors item from a man who was very kind to her, such a bummer and mistake. Thank you to NetGalley and Random house for giving me the opportunity to read this novel.

Layla Smart eats, sleeps, and breathes dance. But as she wanders into her thirties, she moves toward a new passion: choreography. She’s been doing shows here and there, but gets her big break when a Vermont arts community asks her to be the choreographer-in-residence for a year. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that her opportunity might be the community’s answer to questions about their lack of diversity. As she tries to build the show of a lifetime, she wrangles with a marriage in trouble and questions about her past.

The narrative shines with descriptions of dance. I didn’t think it was possible to “show” specific movements and gestures, but I was stunned more than once. I could see it all in my mind’s eye, and I don’t even watch ballet. In fact, I think I have a greater appreciation for the craft. Even the preparations, the inner workings, the music, the costumes make sense for me now. I felt the anguish when a piece doesn’t go well. Morrow delivered the creative process of dance like I’d never imagined.

Also, the issues of race are intertwined in an intelligent, realistic way. Layla just wants to put on a dance, with no interest in race. Yet, the community leaders are expecting some representation of the Black experience. From there, Morrow uses true dialogue, vibrant scenes, and a little exposition to show us a new look at race and art. The work reminded me of the issues you might find in Erasure by Percival Everett.

I’m just a writer, not an artist. But I enjoyed meeting the artists here. Maybe because they mostly seem to revere New York, or maybe because they shun traditional expressions of their craft. Each was infused with some brilliant quirks and attributes, especially Layla.

Does it read like a memoir? Oh, yes. I went through it, read the Acknowledgements and About the Author sections, and said, “Ah, so THAT’S it!” Layla is as close a reflection of the author as you can get, if only for their exceptionally similar resume and credentials. It felt at times that this was simply a journal of what actually happened a few years ago. Not a natural flow from the new character that she’s trying to build. It’s an odd comment, but that made the feel here not as organic as I might’ve wanted.

Morrow also relies heavily on flashbacks to detail Layla’s past. That draws attention away from the plot, making it feel less important than the MC’s history and philosophy. Perhaps that’s why one or two prior reviewers commented on the slow pace to the midpoint. That said, Layla’s conflict and perseverance are a good force within the story. Sometimes I scratched my head at how she addressed some personal challenges, but I liked her eventual mental toughness. There’s also a good turning point at about 75% which galvanizes everyone, so look out for that.

A fine look at the world of dance, art, and race.

I thought this was a very thought provoking debut. Looking forward to reading more from this author, because the plot was really engaging.

I had great expectations for this book. First, because I love reading works by debut authors and have so much respect for them. Second, as a child who took years of ballet, tap and jazz, I have a love of dance and choreography. The story began on a high note but as the pages progressed, I had a hard time staying connected.

Layla Smart is a thirty-three year old dancer and choreographer. When she gets the opportunity be the first Black resident choreographer for a renowned arts program in white, rural Vermont, she leaves her job and husband behind in Brooklyn and heads north. Pressures ensue with the director of the program, relationship troubles surface with her husband and Layla must grapple with these issues along with her ambition and race. After all, her single mother brought her up to only dream medium.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for- Random House for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Where to start? I LOVED this book!! Maybe it comes from being a total klutz when it comes to dance, but appreciating the artistry and work that goes into such performances. Little Movements follows Layla from the Midwest to NYC, but more accurately, it paints a vivid picture of the arc of her dreams which translates to Layla taking the opportunity for a choreography residency at a prestigious program in Vermont. Navigating the challenges of choreography is intimately intertwined with the demanding confrontations in her personal life. Also mixed in delicately but with incredible validity is the predominant cultural view that people are dealing with racial issues, when in fact they are minimizing and trivializing African-American's experience. How Layla and the dancers navigate this fake empathy and yet remain true to their artistry is ... a true compliment. My compliments, Ms. Morrow. I look forward to reading more of your work.

I didn’t know what to expect going in but I loved the main character’s relationship with her husband, the beauty of the area, and the dance throughout. I don’t know dance super well but I could easily envision the moves that everyone was making. The diversity felt natural and the varying interactions between everyone really drew me in!

An interesting story on dance dreams and racial tensions. I liked reading the new genre to me of dancing career.

Little Movements tells the story of Layla Smart. Layla is a black dance choreographer who has landed a coveted residency. But once she’s settled in rural New England, far from NYC and her husband, Layla isn’t as sure about the dream she has cashed in all her chips to pursue.

The pacing in Little Movements felt slow to me. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it felt like nothing did (other readers might disagree) until halfway through. I had a hard time caring about Layla or the story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 2 stars. Not for me.

I love books about subcultures, and this one takes us deep into the subculture of dance, choreography, and arts organizations while interrogating race and privilege. The main character is a Black choreographer who is hired by a selective arts organization that is almost entirely White. We follow the main character as she choreographs her signature piece while navigating the expectations of the arts organization leadership.

This book has all the elements of a good mystery, with a hidden scandal that slowly comes to light over the course of the book. While this book is fiction, it intertwines real elements such as the murder of George Floyd and the behind the scenes of producing a dance piece. Excellent read and I highly recommend it!

This is a crucial and timely story. I was captivated by the author's storytelling. The book held my interest and I enjoyed the main character's self-discovery throughout. The pace is well done, and you won't be bored with the characters and the topics covered in this debut novel.

DNF 25% in.

This book was not for me unfortunately. I feel that this is written for an extremely specific audience - artists. The subject wasn’t something I found interesting so it was really hard for me to want to invest my time in this.

I also feel like pregnancy journeys/fertility need to be written very delicately - and there was a conversation between the main character and her husband that super turned me off and made me dislike Layla - and since this book is a single POV and focuses on her experience as a choreography fellow I didn’t enjoy being in her perspective.

Lauren Morrow is both a writer and a dancer, and Little Movements details what happens when choreographer Layla is awarded the chance of a lifetime—to be fully supported while creating a new dance. However, life for her quickly gets difficult, with marriage problems, sponsor troubles and continuing cast changes. It’s a remarkable story.

Even more remarkable, within the story we get to hear Layla philosophizing about what it means to create. What responsibility does she as a choreographer have to her audience, dancers, supporters or to herself? These questions are even more interesting because Layla is Black, and all the dancers chosen for her to work with are also Black, a situation they find most unusual and quite freeing. When the (all-White) sponsors find out the dance is going to be about “life” they react negatively. It turns out they were looking for a “Black” piece.

How all of this came about and how it is worked out is important, but what shines is how the dance grows from Layla’s beginning idea to a passionate team effort. This requires a lot of hard work and great learning by each individual, making the resulting performance one that will be truly remembered by all.

The art of the story was so brilliant I loved how everything came together wow great read I will recommend that all add this book