What a BEAUTIFUL story! I absolutely cherished every page of this book and couldn’t grasp how well the story came together. I loved the main characters and their honesty.

This is a compelling second-chance romance that follows former sweethearts Zoe and Jase who are forced back together as dance partners at an elite ballet academy. Savas creates authentic characters with genuine emotional complexity. Both Zoe's guilt over her hidden secret and Jase's lingering hurt feel real rather than manufactured, while their forced partnership as dancers provides natural opportunities for both conflict and reconnection. The author clearly understands the competitive ballet world, using the physical and psychological demands effectively to heighten the romantic tension.
The slow reveal of what drove them apart maintains engagement while allowing for gradual character development. Savas handles the emotional stakes with sensitivity, showing how past trauma affects present relationships without rushing to easy resolutions. The dance setting serves as both metaphor and catalyst for their emotional journey. The authentic ballet details and genuine teenage voices create a compelling read that balances romance with personal growth.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I really liked this book! The only things that I didn't really love about it was the pacing. I feel like more than 50% of the book was Zoe telling us that she had gone through some kind of trauma but we don't find out what it is until about 60% in when everything is getting wrapped up. The same goes for Jase but at least with him, we know that he feels the way he does due to being abandoned. That being said, I think the author did a good job in hinting at what had happened to Zoe (which is a good and bad thing). I feel like because it was so obvious, she didn't have to wait so long to actually say what happened. I feel like because the same plot kept happening over and over again, once the two actually communicated, the book was almost done and the author had to try and wrap everything up. The last 30% of the book was just back to back other issues that were talked about being all tied up. It just all seemed too convenient. I also didn't love Charlotte as a character, if you are going to hint that she has something awful in store for Zoe then commit, but that whole subplot was lackluster at best (and i'm not talking about the trauma incident, i'm talking about when she first gets to the school). Overall, I think it was a solid first book and I can't wait for it to release in stores here in the states. I know this is part of a series so I am curious about the other books as well.

this was a strong opening chapter to the New England School of Ballet series, it had that ballet elements that I was hoping for and enjoyed from this type of book. It was a unique concept and worked with the world that was going on. The characters had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. Anna Savas wrote this well and left me wanting more.

I was a little worried at first that since I don't know much about dance, I might not be completely engaged but I was definitely wrong- I loved this!

I really liked how the book shifted between two timelines to preserve the mystery of what happened for as long as possible. We can see that there's all sorts of tension and hurt feelings and anger between the main characters in the current timeframe, but it's only as we get small glimpses of what happens in the past that we can finally get the full picture of what happened to define them as they are now. It was also clear that both the FMC and the MMC had their own demons to deal with and as they deal with the past, they are able to be the support that the other needs to heal.

The spice level is around 2 chili peppers but the depth of the plot and characters makes that a natural amount and nothing seems gratuitous or inappropriate. It was a compelling and heart wrenching second chance story that was very well done.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I’m in love. In love. In love.
I didn’t expect Hold Me to stir up this much emotion in me. Second-chance romances can be tough — the feelings often predate the story itself — but this book handles it beautifully.

Zoe and Jase felt so real. The flashbacks were perfectly placed, and the chapter openers, where they exchange personal truths, gave their story an extra layer of depth and intimacy. I was completely hooked on their journey.

The side dynamics — family, siblings, friendships — were just as moving and gave the story a lot of emotional weight. The dance academy setting was warm and atmospheric; I would’ve loved a bit more focus on the dance element, but with three more books coming, I’m not worried!

This book delivered everything I look for in New Adult romance: emotional intensity, relatable characters, and slow-burn chemistry. Absolutely recommended!

Really enjoyed this second chance ballet themed romance. I love the new England setting and the cut throat ballet aspect. Plus, the cover is gorgeous!

This book delivers on every level: angst, passion, tenderness, and a slow burn that pays off in the best way. If you love stories with high emotional stakes and the intensity of forced proximity, this one is for you.

3.5 ⭐️

Tropes you’ll find:
🩰 Forced proximity / dance partners
💔 Second chance romance
🔥 Unresolved tension
💖 Emotional healing

Perfect for fans of: emotional, character-driven romances and anyone who loves the drama and beauty of a ballet backdrop.

📚 Huge thanks to Anna Savas and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

#HoldMe #AnnaSavas #RomanceReaders #BalletRomance #BookReview #NetGalley

Wow wow wow. I didn’t expect to love this romance book. But give me a sequel immediately. The cover is deceptively cute, but this story was deep and had heart

Charlotte is the worst human being in the entire world I want her to PERISH!!!

But sidenote I LOVED this book I am so HEAVILY invested. The writing?? Superb? The storyline? Beautiful. The love story? YEARNING ALL DAY!!

Jase and Pixie (IYKYK) have such deep seated problems and obstacles yet they found each other in the worst of times and reconciled in the even worser of times. Their love really touched my heart and getting to be on the journey of their second chance was beautiful.

This story is moving and filled with how love can bring out the best in you and impacts so much more than you and that other person, it lifts you up and provides you a space to grow into the best version of yourself.


I literally teared up and cried and can’t wait for this book to come out.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, LYX, and Anna Savas for an advanced reader copy of the English-translated version of Hold Me in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a 5-star read for me!
This was the first book I’ve ever read set in the world of ballet dancing, and although I’m new to everything, I really enjoyed it!
This is the first book in the New England School of Ballet series, and I really enjoyed experiencing this cut-throat and elite version of education and society that I’m unfamiliar with. This is set in one of the richest neighborhoods of Boston, and the characters are top young athletes in the world of ballet dancing.
I know virtually nothing about ballet, and it was neat to learn so much more about the ballet culture and the strenuous training the dancers go through.

This wasn’t a light and fluffy read— there are a lot of heavier topics, such as sexual assault, the aftermath of that act, mental health issues, loss of family members, bullies, and really disappointing family dynamics. But I really feel that the author paid a lot of respect to each of these topics, and she made them come to light in really authentic and relatable ways. She helps us to understand traumas and difficulties that we have hopefully never experienced, and it’s oddly refreshing to experience everything these main characters go through and then to experience their journeys toward growth and healing.
Hold Me was definitely stressful at times, but it was real and made me feel difficult emotions that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’m always grateful for an author that can do that.

The two main characters are Zoe and Jase, and their love story begins very briefly in a really sweet way, but then they’re pulled apart (for reasons we eventually learn), and Jase is left feeling confused, angry, and abandoned. This leads to a lot of anger and tension when Zoe and Jase are eventually reunited a year after they last saw each other, and their journey back to each other is really beautiful.
Zoe and Jase are both ballet dancers, and admittedly, I had trouble wrapping my head around a ballet dancer as the main male lead. I read a lot of hockey romances, so this was VERY different, but I found myself really enjoying it and really enjoying their chemistry.

I loved Hold Me a lot, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
I will absolutely be recommending Hold Me to any of my fellow romance girlies. ❤️

I adored this book. It delivered way more emotion than I expected, and the second-chance romance felt genuinely lived-in. The blend of flashbacks and honest exchanges between Zoe and Jase made their connection believable and sweet.
The character dynamics, family, friends, siblings, added real depth, and the gentle writing style made the dance-academy setting feel warm and atmospheric. I would've loved a little more actual dancing, but I’m excited we get more books in the series.
A soft, emotional New Adult romance I easily recommend. 🩰💗

Thank you, NetGalley, for a chance to read this amazing book.

I seriously loved this book, and I can't wait to get my hands on the beautiful sprayed edged English preorder when it comes out in March.

"Tell me your secrets and I will tell you mine."

"Why are you telling me all your secrets?" Because you're real. And somehow, you're able to make me feel something.

Zoe's and Jase's relationship was such a beautiful and moving second chance romance that I quickly ate it up in one sitting. Building up their relationship through the use of letters (that started in high school), where they revealed a secret that they never shared with anyone made me truly believe their friendship and that they were each other's lifeline even when they weren't together.

A secret or thought was revealed every chapter head; it was so meaningful and made their relationship feel so special throughout the whole story (I loved reading them so much). This is a second chance romance so get ready for all the pain, hurt they caused, and frustration but seeing them pick up each other's pieces time and time again through some serious life and emotional trauma was so inspiring and healing.

"Because you're you, and I'm me. And I believe that together we can be everything."

Jase was so down bad for Zoe, and I loved every moment. Even when he was mad and felt betrayed, he couldn't stay away and needed her to find some peace in his tumultuous life. Uhhh the mirror scenes between them were everything....so emotional and sensual (I will be thinking about them for a while.)

I adored this story and highly recommend this book to anyone who loves heartbreaking and second chances; I'm dying to read the other stories when they are translated. I can't wait to go read Anna's backlog of books. I can really tell the amount of love and research she put into learning ballet and its techniques. Thank you for an amazing story.

Hold Me by Anna Savas was such a beautiful, emotional read. I got pulled in right away and honestly didn’t want to put it down. The characters felt really real flawed, guarded, and easy to connect with and their relationship developed in a way that felt natural and meaningful.

I loved the slow burn and the emotional depth. It wasn’t just about romance, but about healing, trust, and letting someone in when it’s hard to do so. There were so many moments that made my heart ache in the best way, and the payoff was absolutely worth it.

This is one of those books that leaves you feeling soft and emotional after you finish. If you’re into heartfelt romances that hit you right in the feels without being over-the-top, Hold Me is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and NYX for an ARC of this book.

Only one word for this story. WOW. This story was beautifully written. This story was about Zoe and Jase and takes place at a college for ballet. The FMC and the MMC knew each other as the MMC was her brothers best friend however there was a spark between them. Something happened in which they stopped speaking with each other. At first I was unsure about this story for about the first 5% and didn’t feel the book grasping my attention. However the “mystery” aspect about why they stopped speaking with each other held my attention and I wanted to come to find out why. This story was very well written and I didn’t feel as if the plot was rushed. This characters felt real. All in all would absolutely recommend!

I absolutely loved this book! The way Zoe and Jase each had their own individual stories made the entire experience so rich and compelling. I adored watching Jase come into own his emotions and Zoe’s journey toward finding justice, although heartbreaking, was powerful. Every character was wonderfully written, and the storytelling was moving from start to finish. I genuinely can’t wait for next semester—aka the next book!

Hold Me is a beautifully emotional and heartfelt YA contemporary novel centered around love, loss, and the power of forgiveness. Zoe’s dream of joining the New England School of Ballet comes with the painful cost of facing Jase—the boy who once held her heart but now embodies a past filled with secrets and heartbreak.

The story shines in its portrayal of two complex characters grappling with their own fears, family pressures, and the unresolved pain between them. Their journey as dance partners is tender, raw, and charged with unspoken emotions that leap off the page. The author captures the intensity of ballet as both a physical and emotional language, weaving it seamlessly into Zoe and Jase’s story.

Hold Me explores themes of trust, vulnerability, and second chances with sensitivity and depth. It’s a compelling read for anyone who loves slow-burn romances with real emotional stakes and well-drawn characters.

Highly recommended for fans of contemporary YA romance and stories about healing through art and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and LYX for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this book. It’s the kind of romance that pulls you in right away with sweet tension, realistic emotions and characters you want to root for. I got totally wrapped up in the slow burn and the way the relationship felt both tender and intense at the same time. The writing is warm and easy to sink into and the story left me feeling soft in the best way. Highly recommend if you want something heartfelt that sticks with you.

🩰 HOLD ME by Anna Savas
New England School of Ballet #1

Second chances, slow-burn ache, and all the ballet-school angst your heart could want.

If you love your romances quietly emotional, beautifully atmospheric, and wrapped in the soft ache of unfinished business, Hold Me is the book to add to your TBR.

Zoe arrives at the prestigious New England School of Ballet ready to chase her dreams… just not ready to run into Jase, the boy who once knew every truth about her, except the one that made her walk away.

Forced to dance together.
Forced to face the past.
Completely unable to ignore the tension simmering between them.
🩰✨ Slow-burn perfection.

⭐️ Read this if you love:

🩰 Ballet / performing arts settings
💔 Second chance romance
🔥 Forced proximity + assigned partners
🌙 Soft melancholy + emotional healing arcs
👫 Friends-to-lovers-to-strangers-to-maybe-again
🎧 Audiobook lovers (this one hits in audio)
🎓 New Adult angst + competition
🎀 Stories about finding your voice and choosing your dreams

This book feels like:
✨ late-night rehearsals
✨ fingertips brushing during choreography
✨ the kind of longing that steals your breath
✨ past wounds resurfacing just when you think you’ve healed
✨ two broken hearts learning to trust again

Anna Savas brings all the yearning, all the vulnerability, all the quiet intensity of dancers who feel too much and say too little. Zoe and Jase are the kind of characters who stay with you. They're soft, flawed, and impossible not to root for.

If you loved If We Were Villains, Dance Academy energy, or NA romance dripping in emotion, this one’s for you.

#HoldMe #AnnaSavas #NewEnglandSchoolOfBallet #BalletRomance #NewAdultBooks #SecondChanceRomance #LYX #SportsRomance #BookstagramReads

This book was an emotional roller coaster!

Zoe is finally at her dream dance school. She has picked up the pieces just enough to attend The New England School of Ballet. Everything is going well until Jase walks back into her life. Until he's forced to be her dance partner. The boy she fell for, the boy that used to be her brother's best friend. The one she pushed away...

Jase has every reason to be upset at Zoe or so he believes. Between his unsupportive family and the girl who disappeared on him, he doesn't want whatever Zoe might bring back to his life. No more notes, no more secrets, he just wants to get through this class as her partner and get as far away as possible.

Can the two of them forget the secrets they shared? Or will they start to unravel the missing pieces?

I cannot get over the intensity in this book! Zoe is facing something so traumatizing she shut down for an entire year. She still struggles to allow people to touch her. But Jase is different he's always been the one to share her secrets with. So the instinct is so natural, the pull is so REAL. I think the angst and the pure yearning in this book is unmatched! The author curated their relationship in this book perfectly. I love the dancing aspect of it as well. Jase being a male dancer is something we don't normally see in books. But he is written intricately and I love that no matter how out of control he thinks he is, he's actually very emotionally in tune with himself.

This was a great read I will highly recommend for anyone who is wanting a tear jerker!
Thank you to Netgalley and LYX for the eARC!

Soft, emotional, and deeply romantic. Hold Me is full of vulnerability and yearning, with characters that feel genuine and easy to root for. A lovely read for fans of heartfelt romance.

This book wrapped around my heart and refused to let go. Hold On is emotional, tender, and achingly beautiful in the way only a truly well-written love story can be. Anna Savas has a way of capturing vulnerability so realistically that you feel every quiet moment, every unspoken fear, and every bit of hope blooming between the pages.

The characters felt raw and real, flawed, hurting, and trying their best to heal while learning how to let someone else in. The romance is soft but powerful, filled with meaningful glances, gentle touches, and that slow, steady build that makes your chest ache in the best way. This is the kind of love story that isn’t loud or flashy, but deeply felt.

This was a perfect second chance/friends to lovers book OMG!!!
-
Jase is Zoe’s brother’s best friend. Of course they can’t go there. But they start exchanging notes, and notes turn into stolen glances. But when things start to feel right, everything falls apart.
A year later, everything still feels raw. Jase is at school trying to focus on his passion. There he runs into Zoe, who’s just as shocked as he is. They’re thrown together in class, paired up to dance for the semester. The only way to make this work is to talk. Which is hard after a year of not keeping in touch.
When secrets start to unravel, the truth might just break them for good.
-
This was truly such a gorgeous story. It was written beautifully. I’m so honored to have gotten an ARC for the English version! It releases on March 24!!! Mark your calendars because this one is unforgettable!
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy!

This was a very emotional roller coaster of emotions. I felt so deeply for Jase and Zoe and their story. I almost read this in one sitting because I just wanted to know what happened and that they will be okay. This was a really good romance book, and sure it was ballet themed, but the main story was growing through grief and forgiveness. Also it helps that the smut was good.

Hold Me pulled me into the high stakes world of ballet and second chances from page one. When Zoe arrives at the New England School of Ballet, she thinks she is stepping into her dream. Instead she comes face to face with Jase, the boy who once knew her heart better than anyone, and the same boy she walked away from without explanation.

Zoe is determined and hopeful even when her past keeps pushing back. Jase is guarded, frustrated, and just as wounded as she is. Watching them struggle to rebuild trust while dancing together felt raw and emotional in the best way. The tension between them simmers and builds until you just want to grab them both by the shoulders and tell them to figure it out already.

The ballet setting adds something extra and intimate. The training, the exhaustion, and the need for absolute trust between partners made their chemistry feel earned and believable. I found myself wishing there was even more behind the scenes of the ballet world, but the emotional journey stayed front and center and carried the story well.

Hold Me is a story about forgiveness and facing your past instead of running from it. It is messy, heartfelt, and full of longing that slowly works its way under your skin. If you enjoy second chance romance with depth and a slow burn that rewards the wait, this one is worth picking up.

Hold Me” by @annasavass is the total package for an angsty, heartwarming, slow burn romance to make your heart melt. There are not many books that have made me cry, but Hold Me has done it. This book covers some deep topics, and the main characters have a lot of angst and sadness, but the way they manage to come back to each other and be exactly what the other needs is beautiful. I loved the romance and chemistry between Zoe and Jase, and my heart broke for them the more I learned their background story. The author writes beautiful prose, and the slow reveal of the history and non linear timeline, while typically not my favorite format for a book, hit the mark every time. My one critique: The villain in this story is flat. Charlotte, while easy to hate, has no true motivation for her behavior and is just a villain for the sake of having a villain. I did not care for what happened with the Charlotte plot, and I honestly think nothing would be lost from the story if you removed her character entirely.

Over all, this story is about so much more. Love, Forgiveness, Grief, ugh!! I could keep gushing. If you love: forced proximity, second change romance, slow burns you’ll be on your tippy toes dancing for The New England School of Ballet’s first installment. I CANNOT wait to pick up the rest of this series.

So delighted and thankful to Netgally, Anna Savas, and LYX books for providing me an advanced readers copy of Hold Me in exchange for my honest review of this book !! If this book sounds right up your alley, preorder the book and mark your calendar for March 24th!!

Hold Me is an achingly emotional, slow-burn romance that lingers long after the final page. Set within the high-pressure, disciplined world of competitive ballet, this story is as much about love as it is about grief, forgiveness, and learning how to breathe again after heartbreak.

Zoe is living her dream at the New England School of Ballet—until the one person who knows her best, and hurt her the most, re-enters her life. Jase isn’t just part of her past; he’s tangled in every secret she’s tried to bury. When they’re forced into close proximity as dance partners, unresolved pain and unspoken truths resurface with every rehearsal. The tension between them is immediate, heavy with history and longing, and the slow unraveling of what went wrong makes their connection impossible to ignore.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its emotional depth. This isn’t a light or fluffy romance—it tackles anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, and the crushing weight of expectations with care and realism. The portrayal of mental health feels especially raw, capturing the spiraling thoughts and physical sensations in a way that feels painfully authentic. Zoe and Jase are both deeply wounded, and watching them slowly find their way back to each other is both heartbreaking and beautiful.

The romance itself is a true slow burn, fueled by forced proximity, second chances, and a shared passion for dance. The chemistry between Zoe and Jase simmers rather than explodes, built on longing, restraint, and moments of quiet vulnerability. Their love story unfolds through a non-linear timeline, revealing pieces of their past gradually. While this structure won’t work for everyone, when it lands, it hits hard—adding emotional weight to moments that might otherwise feel familiar.

The ballet school setting is wonderfully atmospheric. The rigid discipline, competitiveness, and constant pressure create a melancholic backdrop that mirrors the characters’ internal struggles. If you grew up loving dance-centered stories or shows like *Dance Academy*, there’s a strong sense of nostalgia woven into the narrative.

That said, the book isn’t without its flaws. The pacing can feel uneven at times, especially early on, and the transitions between timelines occasionally disrupt the emotional flow. Additionally, the antagonist subplot feels underdeveloped—more a narrative device than a fully realized character—and doesn’t add much to the overall story.

Overall Thoughts
Hold Me is an emotional, character-driven romance that prioritizes healing over perfection. It’s about choosing love after loss, learning to forgive, and allowing yourself to be held—emotionally and physically—when the world feels too heavy.

Final Verdict
A poignant, angsty second-chance romance with beautiful prose and heartfelt moments, even if its structure and pacing aren’t always seamless.

Last Thoughts
If you love ballet settings, slow burns, forced proximity, and romances that hurt before they heal, *Hold Me* is well worth the read. It’s a story that dances between pain and hope—and I’m very much looking forward to continuing this series.

I was NOT expecting to love this book so much. This second chance romance was such an incredible.story. The story is about heartbreak as well as healing.

Zoe has dreamed of getting into the ballet school, the flaw is she will come to see Jase again. How will Jase react to seeing Zoe again while he has so much already piled onto his plate? Can they get a long enough to be at the same school? There are SO many questions your mind will be asking throughout this book!