A love story between a holocaust survivor and a ballerina, but at its core it is so much more.

Three Muses is a beautiful and heartbreaking post-WWII tale that explores love, grief, trauma and identity. It is marketed as a romance however it really centres these difficult and very real themes rather than the romance.

This was a really well-written debut. The characters felt three-dimensional. I enjoyed the alternating POVs and timelines.
I think I have leaned away from this kind of book and I think had I read and reviewed it earlier I might have enjoyed it more however it was a very lovely read that I think many people could devour.

3.5 stars rounded up <3

This book was so much. Beautifully written and really engaging. I don't generally like alternate time lines but this was surprisingly good! Not as hard to follow as I thought it would be but you really do have to pay attention with so much going on in the book.

I love reading books about ballet! This is a beautiful story of two people one a boy who lived through the Holocaust and the other a young girl whose mother dies suddenly.
I feel like this book was written in a way that makes the reader feel for both of these characters from the very beginning and when the perspectives start to converge it is done so that their stories still feel true to each of the characters.
I loved reading about Katya and how she came to be a dancer. Katya believes that without dance she could not live and that is the driving force behind all of Katya's decisions throughout the book.
John is trying to distance himself from the things that he did to survive the Holocaust and who he is becoming because of that experience.
I loved each of these characters and how flawed they were. I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work.

In all honesty, this book is a well-crafted piece of literature that showcases excellent writing, particularly in its portrayal of a deep passion for ballet. However, I find it challenging to provide further commentary. While I don't regret reading it, I can't say I'm thrilled about it either. It didn't quite meet my expectations, and the ending left me feeling unsatisfied (although I understand the reasoning behind certain creative choices). Personally, I prefer books that offer a rewarding experience even after going through intense emotional upheaval.

Picked up cuz of the cover with the dancer as ballet is one my interest. This story talked about a love story and also very heavy topics

Tw: war , holocaust

3.5 / 5

Thanks for the ARC

If you can get past some of the difficult topics discussed in the story and in the characters lives, then you are in for a beautiful story. It is a very emotional read, one I wasn't quite prepared for but loved all the same.

What a beautiful, bittersweet romance where love conquers all! It has the perfect mix of WWII historical fiction and romance.

This book is different from other books that I have read in the past. However, I can relate to this book as it was similar to the ballet lifestyle that I endured as a child. Thank you to the publishers for providing me a chance to read this great story.

I think I would have preferred this story if it had focused on one of the storylines. Individually, I liked them but didn't struggled to connect. The pacing was a little disjointed for me, probably because I don't think the moving between storylines quite worked. Very lyrical at times. I wish there had been more of a ballet focus as that is what drew me to the book.

Three Muses is a love story between a dancer and a doctor who both have had traumatic experiences and struggle with their identities. Themes include that of Holocaust survival, grooming, grief etc.

I enjoyed parts of the novel but there were a few scenes that I felt were unrealistic such as one scene during a ballet performance. I also found the female character infuriating at times with her poor decision making. Ultimately, it is up to each reader to decide for themselves.

This is a beautifully written historical fiction novel. I loved this story of heartbreak, love and dance. I loom forward to reading more from this author.

WWII historical fiction intermingled with dance - what more could you ask for. There's love, heartbreak, history and art.

Overall, a lovely read.

This was enchanting and beautifully written. I loved getting to know John and Katya as their stories unfolded and their lives intertwined. They felt really real, and all the secondary characters were also well formed. Toll handled the difficult topics sensitively, without shying away from the realities of trauma. The representation of mental illness was really good, as she showed the importance of therapy and medical intervention, but also the power of music and the arts to bring healing too. This was a powerful and moving book.

This is a beautifully written story of heartbreak, love, and hope. I am so happy to have read it.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really excited with this one, but unfortunately had a hard time getting into it. The story is a historical fiction about a holocaust survivor. It alternates point of view and does tell information from before the war as well as during and post-WWII. The beginning was hard to get through as it is a bit of a slow build up and a little confusing, but a few chapters in there was a bit more to the pace. The writing style is really beautiful but it was a bit awkward at times and the pacing really hindered the story-telling at times. The ending was also lack-luster. Overall, it was an alright WWII Historical Fiction, but in a sub-genre that is overdone to begin with, I think this book will have a hard time competing. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

This is the kind of historical fiction I love. It was specific and singular, while still touching on something that felt timeless and essential. The writing is lyrical without getting in the way of any plot or characterization.

Such a quick read and a beautiful story! I loved following the character's journeys but the ending went in a different direction than I had hoped, Still a really great book.

This was a moving book about two people, their traumas, and healing. I liked how while they were from different walks of life, John and Katya's stories seemed to parallel each other in a lot of ways. I was invested in both characters throughout the book.

I especially enjoyed all the descriptions of ballet in the book, and it was obvious that a lot of knowledge and thought was put into them. I could easily imagine a lot of what was going on in my head, which is an acknowledgment to the author's writing.

I can see some people being disappointed by the bittersweet ending, especially if they're going into this strictly for romance. I thought the ending was perfect though and showed how sometimes there are people in our lives that play important roles at the time, but are necessarily our soulmates our happily ever afters.

Three Muses is a hauntingly beautiful story. We follow John Curtin from his imprisonment in a concentration camp to his journey to New York and his eventual involvement with ballerina Katherine, called Katya. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and immersive.

When John meets Katya in Paris, so begins a dance that leads to each of them addressing their long buried traumas and coming to terms with their own pasts. I loved the pacing o the story, and I found it hard to put down.

Heartbreaking historical fiction read. It was very interesting but struggled with pacing and dialogue issues.