First Position is a largely authentic portrayal of the world of ballet and the life of a dancer. It is often long hours, bleeding feet, minimal food, and a world dominated by suffering for their art. How much beauty this kind of environment creates is a testament to a dancer's commitment to the show and to dance. And this is precisely what you find in First Position. I am not sure why this is being marketed as a romance because it most definitely is not one. Yes, there is sex and quite a lot of it, but most of it isn’t between the hero and the heroine, and in the end, there is no real happily ever after. I was expecting so much more from this book, and while there were aspects I did like, it was overshadowed by the many problems this story has. He looks like Robert Graham in his younger days, but with a better hairline. He has a mischievousness to him. A playfulness in his eyes. I really, really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tense (re)becoming of age story about a Ballerina recovering from a toxic love affair, while falling for her ballet companies new star. I listened to the audio book narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Summer Morton. The audiobook is fabulous and I can not recommend it enough.

First Position – HarperCollins Publishers UK

Even though there is no sound, everyone can hear the scream from within me. So loud in my own head that I almost want to cover my ears. I almost lose my absent voice.’ As a story about professional ballerinas, there is no one setting. Instead, the characters and readers with them find themselves in some of the most beautiful cities in the world. I loved this world tour and how it makes ballet seem that much more exotic. All I can say is that I really enjoyed it. I listened to it in one day. The narration was done really well. I loved both narrators. One was vulnerable, one was bitchy and ambitious. I loved it. Jocelyn’s POV was mainly in the past. Sylvie, we get past and present. While the characters were fascinating, they author could have gone even deeper, especially when it comes to how to resolve the ending. All in all, I wasn't bored, but I wasn't intrigued either. Tiny Pretty Things (Netflix show) did something similar where the story became more about raw sex and human flesh than it did about ballet and what it is actually like to be a dancer in a major company. If it's what you're looking for, then you will have a good time, but all said and done, I wish there had been better characterization and a stronger emphasis on dance. I did enjoy the sapphic elements and wish that had been cultivated more, with the predatory male lead(s) left out. The bits where Sylvie is thinking about what it means to be a ballet dancer were what I truly enjoyed the most! It is both horrifying and awe-inspiring to learn about what dancers go through to achieve their dreams. This is probably one of the best representations of ballet and the ballet world I have read in a fiction book.’From New York to Vienna and Paris, Sylvie is caught between the glamorous and dark side of ballet. Challenged, both professionally and personally, her ambition sparks a journey of redemption and sexual awakening as she embarks on an intense and passionate relationship that could be the making of her... or cost her everything...

First Position: A brand-new spicy romance of forbidden love

I can tell you have passion,” he said easily, clearly unaware of—or undeterred by—the turmoil of reactivity thirteen inches away from him. “I watched you for only a little while up there, not even alone, and I know you can be much better than you are. Even better, I should say.” I’ve been keeping work separate,” she said. “For me personally, I prefer that because then it’s kind of fun. What an interesting romance, making us witness the life of a few ballerinas through the years. Brutality and rigorous regime required to bring such a beautiful performance on stage. And though there are a LOT of super cringey sex scenes, the intriguing friendship and rivalry between the two protagonists is more than enough to make up for it in terms of plot. She also captures the anticipation of being in the wings, the “pulsing, organic high that will buzz through my veins” once she gets out on stage. And the specifics of dancing at the highest level, of dedicating your youth to excelling in a specific pursuit, only to make it and then find yourself lost among a dozen other identically talented little swans. She talks of keeping quiet and fitting in to get to the top, then finding that audiences want star dancers with strong personalities; of the tension between being a dancer of exactitude and precision but also one of instinct and drama.He gets up, and for a moment I feel a plunge of regret that I didn’t say anything interesting and instead sat here dumbly. But then he moves to the seat directly beside me. And this book DID leave me wanting to jeté, alright.... but rather than a grand and graceful leap, I just wanted to jeté on OUT of there. 🩰 I also think the politics of ballet are extremely well rendered here, frustrating and infuriating as they may be to read about at times. When you see this cover and read the words "First Position," you might think that this is a simply a book about the dark side of ballet...you know, first position, second position, etc. I push through the outer stage doors and begin my walk of shame up the grand, red velvet aisle of the empty theater.