First, thank you to the publishers at St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Ballerinas. My review has been posted to Goodreads and Instagram as of May 19, 2021.

The Ballerinas is about a trio of girls who grow up together attending POB, the Paris Opera Ballet school, where ballet is their entire life. Switching between past and present in each chapter, we see the main character, Delphine, get older (but not necessarily “grow up”) with her best friends, Margaux and Lindsay. Together, they constantly conquer the competition and continue to rise through the ranks in their school.

Around the ages of 22 though, two soloist spots open up with 3 best friends vying for them. This is the secret that Delphine is harboring. What she did to her best friend just to continue climbing that ladder to success.

While this story revolves around Delphine and her friends, it is also about hating men, which in one context, I could agree with it, but not in the second, final context. The protagonist felt bitter, extremely so, and was very selfish with her words, time, and actions. It all felt very, ME ME ME. Even her friends didn’t really matter much to her, and when she finally realizes that she’s been pushing them away, she wants them back, for her own selfish reasons. Delphine is someone who cannot be alone with herself.

The book was slow moving at first, but speeds up around the second half. While I enjoyed reading about Paris and Russia, it was difficult for me, as an American who has never traveled to the UK and such, to imagine all of the sights and sounds mentioned in The Ballerinas. The French words were also difficult, because it’s not a language I know. It did add to the story though, and made it feel more realistic.

The overall storyline was not what I had expected. The secret Delphine is hiding isn’t all that terrible. The most shocking part of the book is a scandal that breaks out among POB due to something I never saw coming. And finally, the ending, which I just couldn’t stand. In the first few sentences, we learn that Delphine has murdered someone, and it’s anyone’s guess who that ends up being. I felt it was completely unfair who was murdered and that it was unjust. I agree with other readers that Delphine did not get what she deserved in the end. The ending felt too clean for me, and therefore unrealistic.

3 stars

TW - abortion, murder, and sexual content.

⭐⭐⭐..4 Stars!
When I was very young I took dance lessons which included tap, jazz and ballet.
Don’t laugh ~ but I honestly can remember Margaret O’Brien in the movie “Unfinished Dance”!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y1MTfU9H2Y&list=PLuznTzCTalYrAAfrlB48crDsT_Pzjw47U
(Hmmm hoping there is someone who likes vintage “Old” movies and I am not the only one!)

Aww I so wanted to be a ballerina!
Needless to say this novel got my attention.
BTW: Although I never got to be a ballerina ~ but I still love to dance ~

Story alternates between two time lines. One is when three ballerinas Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsey were age thirteen and met and performed at the Paris Opera Ballet. They become close friends. Story includes the back stage drama, the rivalry, and the demands of the profession.
The other time line is when the girls are adults. Delphine left the profession fourteen years ago and moved to St. Petersburg. Now at age 36, she has returned to Paris to choreograph a ballet.

There is a bit of mystery and I did like this story!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley.
This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 7, 2021

More an insight to close-knit female friendships and the competitive world of French Ballet than the thriller I was anticipating, but an enjoyable and immersive read none-the-less. The writing was sublime.

When Delphine ditched her soloist position in favor of learning to choreograph ballet with her boyfriend in Russia, she thought everything in her life was finally falling into place. Several years later, she returns to the Paris Opera Ballet as a choreographer and ready to kickstart her career. Everything will be the same as it was when she left, right? Except everything is different, and Delphine faces setback after setback as old secrets begin to surface.

Told in dual timelines, we follow Delphine from the time she first meets her two best friends in ballet school leading up to the present as we also follow Delphine in the present after her life begins to implode. In the past, we see how close she once was with Margaux and Lindsay as well as how her friendship with them eventually became the distant and bitter friendship she has with them today. I thought it was an interesting story full of drama between friends and family while facing the pressures of the ballet world.

While this is described as a mystery, it is actually a contemporary adult fiction novel with a smidge of mystery thrown in. The core of the story are the lives of Delphine and her two best friends as well as how the dark side of ballet drove them to become the people they are in the present. I really like that many of Delphine’s relationship problems with friends as well as her mother figure are the result of her own actions. While she does have problems due to other people’s actions, it was good to see her face the results of her own actions and force herself to try to make a change if she wants to keep these relationships. It was also quite interesting to see the number of characters who are not what they seem in both good and bad ways.

All in all, I think I would’ve been disappointed about this not actually being a mystery novel if I didn’t like the story so much. At some point, I forgot that this was supposed to be a mystery and was fully enjoying the story for what it is. If you’re looking for a good contemporary novel that’s heavily character driven, I think this will be a good read for you. However, if you are looking for a contemporary mystery or a something that is primarily a mystery novel, I would recommend passing on this.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book!

I was really looking forward to reading it and I don't regret taking the four days to read it.

However, I think it missed the mark for me. It was marketed as a ballet thriller and I think it heavily leaned into the ballet part, not so much the thriller. Parts of this book were very good. It was character driven with an engaging narrator, the relationships between the women felt substantial (especially the one with her mother and with Stella), and I was hooked from about 15% of the way through to 65% of the way through. It really had a spectacular middle half (which is really hard to do).

However, I think the plot lost its way a little bit. It felt like there was too much going on. The past and the present were a bit too close together to achieve the dual narrative it tried and it left me checking dates on the chapter headings too often. Additionally it felt like there were three different climaxes throughout the book (which I don't inherently object to) and it made each of them less impactful. Each did a good job at illustrating just what women are forced to put themselves through and what men take from them. But three was overkill and cheapened the moral of the story for me. It made it seem a little disingenuous. But i'm willing to overlook that because each did to a really good job on their own.

2.5 stars, rounded to 3. While the author has a strong voice and the book was generally well-written, I struggled to truly connect with the characters. I also didn't particularly like them. I enjoyed the flipping back and forth between past and present, but sometimes the jumps skipped the pertinent details that would have allowed the reader to be able to embrace the friendships that we are told about but can't fully experience. For example, we see the first time Delphine meets Lindsay and experiences jealousy, but then they're suddenly friends and the reader has no clue how they made that transition.

One particularly well-done scene is a flashback to when the girls are sixteen and they begin their pas de deux class for the first time. The chemistry between Delphine and Jacques is extraordinary.

Unfortunately, the more I read, the darker the story became. I simply didn't want to step into Delphine's toe shoes and ultimately couldn't bring myself to finish the book. I'm rounding this rating to a three to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Maybe other readers are okay with going into dark places, but personally, I prefer the light.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately, this is was not what I was expecting and I just couldn’t get into it and finish. Will update if able to finish at a later date, but with blurb expected a thriller, which this doesn’t seem to be.

this is one of the most polished books i've received from netgalley.

immersive & atmospheric, this books transcends the "suspense" genre & goes into deeper themes of male gaze, gender dynamics & feminism.

I know nothing about the world of ballet and found that aspect of The Ballerinas very interesting especially with the beautifully written Paris backdrop. I also enjoyed the dual time frames that slowly gave the reader a glimpse into Delphines background. I did not feel the “sisterhood” the trip of friends called themselves but instead felt like their lives were merely bonded together by working and fighting their way up the heirarchy in the ballet world. I was also surprised to see this book was categorized as a thriller because it’s not. There was a lot going on (a big secret between two of the girls, sexual exploitation, and a murder). A murder?? Not needed in this novel at all but it was Still an enjoyable read even with the few big flaws.

This story was fascinating for me to read. I knew nothing about the dance world or the field of ballet. So much work involved in practicing, so much competition and so many sacrifices to achieve the level you dream of. An enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is intense and so worth it! I love the dual time frames that help the reader to experience all the memories and motivations behind the main characters. Delphine gives us such a glimpse into what a French Ballet dancer's life is like.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The strength the characters have, and the difficulties with which they are faced make this a book hard to put down. There is also something to be said about how life changes us and how we can't ever go back to where we were growing up.

Highly recommend this book.

The Ballerinas was an interesting exploration into female friendships placed under pressure, and the results that may come from that. Spoiler alert: lots of drama. The story started out a bit slow, but backstory and character building were obviously needed and the author did a good job with that. There was a nice twisted secret in there that I didn’t exactly see coming, so that was fun. Overall, it was entertaining and I certainly wouldn’t say it was time wasted. If you like stories of dramatic female friendships, this is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Ballerinas!

I initially wanted to read this because I thought it was more on the thriller side, and even though it wasn't I still enjoyed reading this. I liked the stories woven together in this story and getting to know these characters. I was able to escape into this book easily with the setting. The majority of this moved a little slow and I did think the ending was anti-climactic, but all in all I think it presented a story unlike any other I have read before and would still recommend.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is more drama about female friendships and ballet life than thriller but still very much enjoyable. The story centers around Delphine and her friends Lindsay and Margaux and tells the story of their time training and then dancing or choreographing in the Paris Opera Ballet. It leads to a fast paced conclusion that was actually surprising and not something I saw coming. Not going to lie, the first half of the story, although useful in giving background information into Delphine and her friends was quite slow. It took a while to get to the big secret Delphine was holding on to, and once it was revealed I felt that I no longer cared because the men surrounding these women had taken center stage with their misdeeds.
What I appreciated most about this book was the exploration of female friendships over time. Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux were complex and flawed but their bond as friends was believable despite the cut throat nature and the competitiveness of the ballet.
Overall a 4/5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this title.

A trio of Paris Opera Ballet dancers: narrator Delphine, Lindsay the American, and Margaux who happens to be gay make their way through the school, the company, and poor choices. When Delphine, now a choreographer, returns to Paris from St. Petersburg after a breakup, she wants her friendships to resume, and maybe to finally sleep with that hot guy she said no to when she was a virgin.

Good and bad things happen, Delphine is a jerk, and maybe there's a little manslaughter, but everyone learns something in the end. I guess that's my snarky way of saying this book is okay. I didn't love it, but I wouldn't kick it out of bed.

This story was such a nice read to have. It’s an easy read but it isn’t boring in the least. The premise of the two friends having a secret between them that involves the third in their trio is built and worked up to steadily but with hints throughout. The story flips from the past and present of the main character and with each switch to the past it gradually moves forward until it catches up with the present, usually I don’t like when this is done in stories but the way it was written was smartly done and kept me engaged. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed and could’ve used maybe a couple more chapters, but it does wrap their stories up and it does give the finality of the trio.

There is a certain point in the book where one of the characters, who I thought was on a redemption road, does a complete 180. I did not see that coming from them and I have never turned on a character so fast before. I left that chapter, chapter 20, and had to leave the room because I was so angry with them. For it to have that level of effect speaks volumes to the author’s writing abilities.

I am not a dancer, nor do I pretend to be one on T.V., but boy do I love reading about professional ballerinas! This book focused on the technicalities of dance and the cutthroat methods to rise to the top. What set it apart were the deep dives into the intricacies of the friendships of the three main characters. The secrets they kept, the traditions they bucked, and the philosophies they each held allowed the reader to see a bigger picture outside the walls of the studios. This was an enjoyable read, a page-turner to watch the characters evolved and mature in their thoughts and actions.

Thank you Rachel Kapelke-Dale, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy of this book. I found this to be an addictive read from the start. The story follows three girls through years of of together dance study and friendship and their ultimate cumulative break-through both personal and group. The reader is drawn into the world of ballet and all it's struggles. A definite read!

Enjoyable read. While promoted as a thriller I feel it is more of a drama (one tiny part could be a thriller - maybe??). Told in past and present tenses this book shows you the life a ballerina leads, the ups and downs, desires and feelings of failure. In this book, three friends learn what it is to be a ballerina, find love and discover who they are and what they want in life. Through twists and turns of daily life and choices made these characters emerge as concrete people who you find yourself feeling for, cheering on and waiting to see what happens next. If you aren’t familiar with ballet (I wasn’t) this book keeps it basic enough to where you can learn and follow along.

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Kapelke-Dale and St. Martin’s Press for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I hoped. I went into it thinking it would be more of a thriller but instead found it to be a bit more drama. The slow burn of the plot didn't help either and I simply didn't WANT to read it for long periods of time. That being said, it's not a bad book and I think the plot is fantastic, it just wasn't what I wanted to read at the time. I may go back and give it another chance in the near future.