OMGGGGGG THIS WAS SO GOOOOODDDDD. It was delicious with lots of tension, and for a dark romance, it surprisingly had a lot of depth with Eva's mental illness, Aleksandr's past loss, and her feelings toward her brother. Definitely recommend.

Things I loved:
🩰Mental illness rep, especially the bathroom scene
🩰HE FALLS FIRST and he fell hardddddd. This man was down bad for her
🩰Ballet/mafia was something I didn't even know I needed, and now I need more of them. Thank god this is a series
🩰The texts added a little bit of fun in between chapters
🩰The spice was spicing and it was soooo good but it wasn't too much that it took away from the plot
🩰The pacing was perfect and the prose was surprisingly really good at times for a dark romance. Usually it's a lot more basic but it wasn't

A perfect love story for Valentine's Day. Can't wait for the rest of the series!!

I love a good mafia romance & haven't read many that also include the ballet. I loved that addition!! This book gripped me from the very beginning & I had a hard time putting it down!!!

I loved the texts in between chapters - between the main characters, between Evangeline & her Best friend Mia, between Alek & his cousin Nikolai or his Mom... they add a lot to the book, but they're not so much that it takes away from the reading.

The spice is great & also well paced so the balance is good. The story is fast paced and sooo good!! Poor Eva - when she finds out that her family is mafia... and the sworn enemies of her love.... 😭

The fact that the play Evangeline is rehearsing for is Romeo & Juliet - SO perfect!!

Some things I loved:
*mental health rep (& how Alek helped her overcome/deal with it)
*spice!!
*Alek is protective (with a capital P) & dominant & falls first
*Eva is naive & falls hard for him, her first
*forbidden love

Thank you to the author (Lina Harper), publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.

I could tell that Pas De Deux was written with a lot of heart. The pacing is good; I didn’t come across any parts that moved too quickly or slowly.

This book reminds me of the golden age of soap opera, in the best way! Haha.

Alek is a totally unhinged love interest, and a lot of fun to read. He’s crazy, but…sweet. 😅 His craziness is believable, considering the line of work that he’s in. He doesn’t strike me as cruel, but more like someone who has the stomach to do what he does, know what I mean? But, regardless of all that and any personal vendettas he may have, he always chooses Evangeline first. That contradiction is difficult to write—someone who has the stomach for cruelty, but isn’t a cru person, you know? But here, the author succeeds.

Speaking of Evangeline, I love how her character is written, too. She’s 21 but has led a sheltered, overprotected life, and here’s how Lina Harper (author) makes her so believable: she is mature in many respects, but also naive in others. A lot of times when a sheltered or overprotected character is written, authors make the mistake of infantilizing them; that isn’t the case here. Harper seems to understand how to write contradictions in ways that feel intentional and believable.

But, you know who captured my heart, though? Jules—Evangeline’s older brother, and I’m so excited that he’s getting his own book!

I received the ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this down! Everything was enticing from the storyline, the chemistry the spice. I loved the two main characters especially Eva. On first impression I thought she would be very reserved and quiet but soon came to realise she was a secret spicy one! Aleksandr on the other hand.. morally grey.. taking what he wants with no concern for repercussions or anyone else. They make a steamy pair.

I audibly gasped throughout the book knowing what bombs were about to be dropped! The spice didn’t disappoint either and there was plenty of it throughout the book but not too much where it consumed the whole story. A brilliant combination.

Already can’t wait to read the next book in the series.