While the description sounded interesting, I have to say I didn't love this book. It was slow at the beginning and never became the 'couldn't put it down' book. Parts of it were engaging and I liked reading about the life of a ballerina, but it just didn't hold my attention.

This one wasn’t typically something I would go for but that cover drew me in. Overall the writing was so superb I’m glad I checked this one out. Thank you so much!

The Ballerinas had an intriguing premise, but marketing it as a thriller led to unmet expectations as I didn’t find anything particularly thrilling in the book. I loved that the book gave us a look at the dark side of the industry and that it focused on older characters. I didn’t care too much for the main character herself, but it was almost impressive how she could make everything about herself. I also wasn’t too interested in her infatuation with Jacques, but that storyline did gag me a bit in the present timeline, and it made the book more interesting. I also didn’t feel too strongly about the ending, but overall, the dance parts of the book kept my interest, and I found some of the deeper topics to be refreshing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

Love the insight into the ballet world and the prestigious POB. Kapelke-Dale captures the intensity and passion of ballet, as well as the dancers' sacrifices. Ballet as a character is strong and developed well. However, the protagonist is flat and one note. The secondary characters need more depth and come across as caricatures. The arc of female empowerment through dance held promise, but the delivery was clunky. The author's use of metaphors was well-intentioned but fell flat with the abundance of exposition directly after, destroying the stylization. Disappointing.

I have never read this author before but once I started reading it, I was captivated.
So well written, the book is about dancing at its heart but it so much more!
I will now be on the lookout for more books by this author. So well done!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked the blurb of the story and that is what led me to want to read it. However, it did not keep my interest and I had to DNF. It receives a lot of good reviews, so it could have just been my mood as I am a serious mood reader. I may try again at another time.

This was character driven, and definitely gets points for originality. It is different from most other thrillers that I normally read. Unique and informative. 3.5 stars

They meet at the Paris School Of Ballet as young girls. Delphine is the 'nice' one, a girl whose mother was a ballet star. Margaux is her best friend and they are the two best dancers. Lindsay is an American and comes when she is twelve. She quickly becomes friends with the others and they become a trio for life. Only other dancers can understand their lives; the daily hours of practice, the quest for perfection, the competition to rise in the field they have chosen.

The story picks back up when the trio is thirty-six, almost at the end of a dancer's career. Delphine is just returning to Paris after thirteen years in St. Petersburg. She followed a man there and became a choreographer. When she broke away from him, she returned to the Paris Ballet and is working to establish herself in her career. Margaux has come out as gay, is married and is a secret alcoholic. Lindsay married a journalist and is still fighting to make her mark. She dances fearlessly but has never been popular with those in power at the Ballet.

The friendship of the three women picks back up but has to adjust. They realize that a grown friendship has to be different than that of girls. In their case, each is struggling to come to terms with what comes next in their lives and fighting to throw off the expectations of men. They have come to see that their live have been dominated by men and what they want, what they find appealing, what they are willing to let women have. Can their friendship adjust to a more mature footing?

Rachel Kapelke-Dale grew up in the world of intensive ballet training so she knows the inside story of what these women go through to become the best in the world at what they do. But more importantly than one field of endeavor, the book explores the world of female friendships and how they change as we grow and how the best of them sustain those involved. She also talks about how women's dreams and goals are often constrained by the men around them and the struggle to live free of others' expectations. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Wonderful characterization and sublime storytelling!

As someone who grew up in the dance world this really shed light on the complexities of the sport.

Thank you for the review copy.

This title definitely slipped through the cracks of the overwhelming deluge of books and everything going on during the whole everything was locked down period of time. In fact, I'm not sure that I have ever heard anyone other than myself talk about this book which is a shame because I actually think it pairs really well with Megan Abbott's ballet inspired thriller

I excitedly read anything with ballet as a backdrop, so I was instantly drawn into this cover, title, and description. While the characters are not likeable, I found myself so drawn into this story and this world that is so foreign to me, I allowed myself to be carried away and enjoy the ride.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Delphine, a former ballerina, returns home to Paris to choreograph a new ballet. She quickly falls back into the drama of the Paris ballet scene and finds that there is a dirty underside to it. As her relationships continue to evolve, she learns that while you can go back home again, it might not be the home you remember. An involving book about characters coming to terms with their choices and their true selves as they grow older.

I love this novel and could not put it down. I found myself intoxicated by the girls' stories and the unfolding of what happened to them in their past! I would definitely reccomend

I keep trying to read this but for some reason it just isn’t satisfying to me so I’m going to stop. I like the story synopsis though

This book was not for me. I couldn't relate to the characters at all which made the story drag on. I did not enjoy this book at all.

I usually love a book about ballet or dance, and I love thrillers but this book was not my cup of tea.
I had trouble caring much about any of the characters and I felt alot of the story was forced. As if the whole story was just trying to hard to be what was someone's thought was to be expected of a dance based thriller.

This is a thriller about ballet dancers. I had a really hard time caring about the characters. And, although I thought I would be excited about a novel set in the ballet world, it ended up feeling overdone. The story didn't move along very well. It was so slow, and not very thrilling or mysterious, as was promised by the book description.

This was a good read, I loved the cover, and the synopsis sounded great. It held up to my expectations and I'm glad I went outside of my normal reading style and picked this one up. Very creative writing and Character development. Look forward to reading more from this Author.