2.5 / 5 rounded up

The writer clearly knows how to write beautiful prose, but I felt like I just didn’t get this book. I didn’t understand the main character, or why she allowed herself to be placed in the situation with the master and well a lot of it.

It felt a bit like Beauty and the Beast meets 50 Shades of Gray meets Black Swan maybe… I’m not sure.

I know that there are going to be plenty of people that find this book wonderful and that's fine. I really hate to give negative reviews - I really do.

That being said I'm giving this book two stars because I know that though I don't like it, there was enough in the plot and story that others would so I didn't want to completely bring it down to one star.

Let me explain. I felt that the overdescriptive prose and often unnecessary use of words, led to a story that was lost amongst the weeds that author had sown. At time there were 10 words used to describe something that only needed one. I was quickly bogged down in all this minutiae and lost the plot.

Was there a plot?!?

What I gathered as I waded through all the weeds of words was this story was a retelling of Hades and Persephone? Or no wait, maybe, it was a mash-up of that and Beauty and the Beast? Phantom of the Opera?!? Urghhh . . . I don't know!!! Like torn scraps of cloth gathered together to make an ill-fitting coat, the plot was suppose to some how come together stronger, a better fit, and overall a better story than the originals. I think not. In the end, the story was just tattered pieces of other masterpieces held together loosely by too many amd not enough heart.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion **

This story started off strong, the writing is beautiful and immersive. I was completely sucked into this world of a ballerina living in 1930s Chicago. I loved the friendship Grace had with Emilia, and how hard she worked to get to the top even at the same time longing to be free.

I think what lost me was all the jumping around it did between the past and present, and somewhere in the middle it became very descriptive and wordy which had me skimming some parts. Also, it took me way too long to figure out who the Master was supposed to be, and I'm still not sure why he chose Grace. With that being said I did love the way it ended. Grace had this frantic energy as she was executing her plan, which had me reading every word and excited to see how it would all end.
I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

Unfortunately, I feel that this novel derailed. It started off smoothly riding down the tracks. I was enjoying learning about the characters, the setting, immersing myself in the world of ballet. However, a bit over halfway, things became convoluted. I feel that the novel blurred good and evil. The passage that stated that Grace was struggling with whether there was a literal heaven and hell was disturbing to me. At other times the novel seemed to properly represent "light" and "darkness"...and then it didn't.
I also feel Master as a character added to the confusion. Initially I thought he was going to be a Beauty and the Beast type character/a Daddy Long Legs benefactor, if you willl. Then it appeared that he was the representation of a Phantom of the Opera/Hades and Persephone mash up. I was never able to form a distinct opinion of him. Even at the conclusion.
I think this illustration of character represents a large issue with the book. It had a lot of very good, grand ideas. Too many of them were attempted and therefore, it created a confusing read.
With some additional editing, a tune up of the ending, and simply nixing several unnecessary metaphors and descriptive passages, this could have been a better book. A defined understanding of what was being written and sticking to a particular script...possibly saving the additional ideas for a next novel. But as you can see from the length of this review, that is a lot of what ifs.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Nocturne in exchange for an honest review.

Ballet mixed with 1920’s gangsters in Chicago, count me in! When I read the description I was immediately on board because ballet…duh. The writing conjured up images of Degas’ various ballet school paintings as I read through the story. The story was kind of chaotic and did flow very well as it swung between ballet rehearsal, flashbacks of a brother’s murder by gangsters, and into memories of a father long past. I would give The Nocturne 3 out of 5 stars and definitely give it another chance read in the future.

thanks to netgalley and ballantine for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nocturne is the story of Grace, a talented ballerina living in 1930s Chicago. She's elated when she's finally promoted to principal dancer, but not all is what it seems when she attracts the attention of a mysterious patron, Master La Rosa.

On the surface, this book has everything I could want. I absolutely love ballet stories, and even more when there's an element of fantasy as well. Nocturne is loosely based on the Hades x Persephone story, and with a mysterious love interest, I was so excited to dig into this.

The story started out so strong, too! The prose was dreamy and romantic, and Grace was an interesting, dynamic character. I also loved Grace's spunky best friend, Emilia.

Unfortunately, I think this was a matter of timing. I read this book at the same time as Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. Master La Rosa just felt like a water-downed version of Death. He was completely one-dimensional. I couldn't tell why he liked Grace beyond the fact that she "kept her death in her heart" (what does that even mean). And it wasn't clear why Grace liked him, other than giving her space and freedom to dance. This was certainly supposed to be enemies to lovers, or loathe to love, but it was more of a quick switch. On one page, Grace and Master La Rosa were enemies. On the next, they were in love. It didn't feel like a totally natural progression.

Alyssa Wees spends the first half of the book setting up Grace's story, and it's too much. We don't get enough time with Master La Rosa, and his character and the romance suffer for it. This failed as a romance and a retelling for me, unfortunately.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I enjoyed this way more than I initially thought I would. It did start slow for me but once it picked up, it really took off. The imagery was astounding and the way the author wrote helped to set the mood for the entire second half of the book. Four ⭐️ from me! I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the premise of the story and felt it was compelling enough to want to see how it ended. I struggled with the writing style and felt myself skipping over some content that was overly descriptive. I also did not feel very strongly about what happened to the main character. I wished there were more interactions between the characters with more dialogue.

This was a really enchanting read. I believe we don't fear failure, rather we fear getting everything we ever dreamed of and still being unhappy and this story reflects that sentiment.

In the words of the author, "It's beautiful, exquisite, overwhelming, unnatural, enchanting, eerie" ...

In this lyrical fantasy set in 1930's Chicago, Grace, a ballerina is pursued by a mysterious patron who may be more than he seems. Torn between dreams and desires, she realizes the world is not all that it seems.

This book has a lot going on. I overall did enjoy it but because it felt very long and wordy I went from loving it to tolerating it about 2/3 the way in.

1/3 I was totally emersed in this atmospheric version of Chicago in the Great Depression. I was loving the ballet elements and the way the author set the stage, so to speak, was very magical and bewitching.

2/3 Things started to get a little bit too "unnatural" for me and the fantasy element really took hold. I was still enjoying the book but definitely having to suspend disbelief to stay in it

3/3 This is where things fell apart for me. The author is very descriptive which I liked at first but towards the end, I just got tired of consuming so many words. I was no longer enchanted, I just wanted it to end.

While overall good, I felt like this book could have been great if it wasn't trying to be and do so many things at once.

This is a must read if you love ballet, Phanton of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast, Black Swan, or Greek Mythology. All of these felt like the inspiration the author drew from.

Thank you to Net Galley and Del Rey Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I really, really enjoyed Nocturne. It felt like returning to The Secret Garden, or The Little Princess, but as an adult, and ready to experience a far richer tapestry of emotions. The story feels timeless—like those fairy tales told and retold and retold again until we all have a slightly different version imprinted on our marrow. It will enchant you, and transport you.

We open on a girl named Grace, who, living in the face of the hard times of 1930s Chicago, wants to be a ballerina; wants to dance. She is named the Prima Ballerina of her company—everything she has dreamed of—on one condition. The company has a patron, a mysterious man, and she must live in his house, eat his food, wear his clothes, and at midnight, every Sunday, she must dance a waltz with him. Thus, Grace’s story begins with her dream coming true, and it continues through a magical Chicago, at once recognizable and alien, a story of tragedy and drama and love and death, and maybe even life. What happens when you get everything you want, and you still want more. What do you owe your friends, your family? What would you give to bring back the things you’ve lost?

I recommend this for fans of Uprooted, and Alix E. Harrow, the teenagers who loved Grimms Fairy Tales, and Illustrated Classic Ballet stories, and maybe never quite grew out of it, and didn’t feel like they should have to. This book is for anyone who wishes their world were a little more magical, and had a little more drama.

A dark romantic fairy tale, to read while sipping mulled wine by the fire this weekend. You won’t be sorry you did.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.

Are you a fan of highly descriptive books - ones that have lots of description that could arguably be left out but for some of us that description just adds to the magic of the book. This is a book that will captivate those who are in love with books that invite you to feel and see everything through the descriptions.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the opportunity to read rage and review this book which is out Feb 21 2023.

So this is Phantom of the Opera a la 1930s Chicago but instead of a ln opera singer you have a prima ballerina. And that is quite literally the entire premise. It’s not original in any sense beyond the different time period and career chosen. I was bored. It was unoriginal. There were no surprises or even moments of pleasure because it is recycled fan fiction.

Grace has just been made the Prima ballerina for the struggling ballet company she dances for. Not only that she will be the first American ballet dancer to perform the Russian fire fly. A fairytale ballet that is all the rage in Europe. The previous Prima ballerina is her best friend and closest confidant Amelia, who is leaving to marry her fiancé. When the ballet finally starts she is surprised when the Madame tells her she has a benefactor and sponsor. Immediately Grace becomes obsessed with wants to meet him and although she was already haunted by the death of her mother in the loss of her brother hindsight is 2020 and Grace will definitely come to regret it. When she finally does meet him he is between a man and a myth but is he dangerous? This book definitely has a Gothic haunting field to it but I do think the theme of her prose tended to repeat over and over again with midnight darkness stores ET see and although I get it I just kept hearing the same term analogy or words that meant the same thing trying to explain her understanding or viewpoint of the situation. No having said that as I said this is truly a book with a Gothic feel to it and I would definitely recommend it flows swiftly in the story is interesting I think I just got tired of the nighttime, darkness, starlight theme to the adjectives. I received this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

It's hard to find words to describe this book. It's part fairy tale, part mythology with a little bit of Phantom of the Opera tossed it. It all works together though and the author weaves a wonderfel story. Grace is an amazing character and her journey is breathtaking. Her relationships with the Mistress, her patron and her patron's assistant as well as with Emilia, her best friend will haunt you long after you finish the book. It's simply a beautiful story. I highly recommend it.


Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this fabulous book!

I am all for a Phantom of the Opera retelling. Im also down for a beauty and the beast retelling, as well as a Hades and Persephone retelling. I don’t really enjoy having every single one all at once through the perspective of a character I simply don’t like. The plot felt like a few different ideas thrown into one book, as if the author didn’t quite know which retelling she wanted to settle with. I know that some books can do multiple - ish retellings in one go, but they have to have attention to detail and not feel as if its a bit of everything nearly haphazardly sewn together. Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere of this book is stunning. I love the way it feels a bit haunted in the beginning and a bit coldish if that makes sense? I just didn’t necessarily connect with our main character, I found her to be insufferable to be honest. The writing style is definitely for some people, even those I’m close to, but I don’t particularly enjoy it much either. I am thankful I got to read it, but I didn’t like it.

Lesson learned: avoid books that are marketed as "lyrical"

Until seeing one mentioned in the acknowledgments section, I was thinking that maybe this book/author didn't have an editor....

I'd estimate about 75-80% of the book is just the author using as many words as possible to make things sound as 'pretty' as possible. And much of the time, the obnoxiously overly-described parts don't make any sense at all if you stop to think about them for even a fraction of a second. One theory: the author wanted to repurpose a creative writing assignment, something along the lines of "how many ways can you describe silence?", and then tried to fit a story around that.

Sadly, what little story did make it into the book isn't very good, either.

Nocturne is a short tale of love, a dark love, while it’s more an intense romance — the other was spot on. I feel if someone is looking for a more modern day retelling of Phantom and the Opera this would the book.

2.5☆
I was excited for this book after I read the synopsis, it looked just like what I loved but the more I read, the harder it became to finish.
I couldn't connect to Grace, or to any character. The writing felt flat, inconsistent and I was unable to really get into the story.
I think the author was aiming for either Hades& Persephone retelling or Beauty and The Beast but it didn't fit anywhere.
There were just too much to wish for and didn't get, including with the ending.

I was so excited for this book and really thought it would be on the same level as titles such as Midnight in Everwood, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The writing style felt juvenile and jarring, and I was unable to be enticed into the story because of it. The characters were okay, but I could not get past the pacing, plot, or prose.