In this unconventional and intriguing reimagining of the Beauty & The Beast fairy tale, we follow the journey of a talented young ballerina in 1930s Chicago. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her extraordinary talent catches the eye of a wealthy benefactor.

The prose in this novel possesses a haunting beauty that completely immersed me in its meticulously crafted world. I could vividly envision every detail, from the setting to the characters’ innermost thoughts and emotions.

While there’s a captivating gothic fairytale at the core of this book, it felt like the main storyline didn’t truly take flight until more than the halfway mark. Despite the beautifully written prose, the characters and plot fell somewhat short of my expectations.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a lover of ballet and magical stories with a lurking darkness, Nocturne immediately appealed to me. Unfortunately, despite the lush and lyrical writing capturing Grace's dreams, desires, and the reality of being a ballet dancer in depression-era Chicago, Nocturne failed to win me over.
I wanted to love this book so much, but simply couldn't connect with the story on the level that I wanted to. The beautiful prose was charming in the first few chapters but quickly lost its magic and instead made me feel separated from the story instead of drawn in and engaged. While I liked Grace as a main character, I would've loved to see more depth from the supporting characters as well.
H0wever, I would recommend any reader who is intrigued by its premise to give it a shot! Maybe this is exactly the book you've been waiting to read...

This book was beautiful. The writing was magical and ethereal. Within the fantastical tale you read of loss, betrayal, friendship, loyalty, love in various forms, and how your dreams can change as you grow and mature.

Not for me. I was expecting more history, less fantasy. Also was givingDaddy Long Legs and I don't care for Fred Astaire, nor that movie

This is such a hauntingly beautiful book! I really enjoyed reading this one. There’s heartbreak, love, suspense, danger, and the supernatural. Which means there’s something for everyone. Grace is our main character and she’s easy to love. Grace is a beautiful ballerina who has goals of being the prima ballerina in her troop.

Her journey is one that is easy get hooked onto and I found myself eager to find out what happens to Grace. I especially enjoyed the romance portion of the book. I also only took off one star because I wasn’t entirely pleased with the ending. I just wanted more.

I highly recommend this read to young adult romance lovers who enjoy the supernatural.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Grace Dragotta is an orphaned ballerina in Depression-era Chicago. When the time comes for a new prima to be chosen, she makes the cut thanks to a mysterious new patron. Grace's curiosity about Master La Rosa is piqued and she is drawn into his world of darkness as she attempts to discover his true identity.

This novel is dark, brooding, and existential. And I ate it all up. Every. Word.

The writing is beautifully evocative, creating an atmosphere of fantasy and drama. I love the ballet details and the 1930s setting. As the plot progresses, the story dives into a gripping darkness as Grace looks within herself to uncover her core sense of purpose and place in the world. Her inner struggle is relatable as she questions her own existence and laments the misfortune that she and her family have suffered while falling under her patron's spell.

Read this one if you're looking for a darker fantasy based on the story of Persephone and Hades. While it doesn't have the exact feel of a mythology retelling, the classic themes are there with an early twentieth-century sensibility.

Nocturne by Alyssa Wees was truly something. Let's get from the start: i ADORE the cover. It's pretty, dark navy almost black background is never wrong, and then added with the silhouette of a ballerina? It's atmospheric. It's just a recipe for goodness.
Into the book. I loved the book's idea, the story that it was intended to be. I didn't have a problem with somehow lyrical writings of the author. However, I didn't really have some attachment to any of the characters. They just came and went in my mind. And for a book with romance on it's tag, dark romance to be precise, I didn't feel like it gripped me, or at least noticable enough for me for feeling something for our main character's love story. I feel like it's not built enough, teh romance, which is back on how the characters weren't fleshed out enough. The love story felt flat at best.
Truly, the prose author used probably the saving grace for this book. It's not a bad book, at all, but it could've been better that's for sure..

2.5/5 rounded up.

The book's cover and description draws you in to reading it. I found myself thinking of Phantom of the Opera and was left a little disappointed by the story's events.

For so long I had been desperate to escape Death, but maybe I’d been mistaken – what I’d really wanted to defy was time.


Nocturne by Alyssa Wees is a dreamlike experience into a ballet themed adaptation and mixture of classic stories like Phantom of the Opera and Hades and Persephone. With a dark, almost desolate feel, this story transports you to another time, place and even realm of existence. Grace Dragotta’s pursuit of the enigmatic call of dance places her in a position she thought she always wanted, yet one that turn out to be her worst nightmare. As her understanding of the consequences of her choices becomes more clear Grace ultimately has to decide between her heart and her own self-interests.

Nocturne was an interesting read in that it was able to elicit the same feeling you get after having a lucid dream. While there is definitely a clear plot progression, the journey through the book is in constant flux between reality and fantasy. This is due to both Alyssa’s style of writing and her focused intent on layering the meaning of objects, actions, and events. While not necessarily a type of book that I would want to constantly read constantly this gothic yet sinuous delivery fit really well with the plot. Also, Alyssa’s knowledge of ballet is also quite evident. Her love and appreciation of this technical yet stunningly beautiful form of dance permeates each page and pulls you into the elite world of classical ballet.

I let myself smile, feeling deliriously nocturnal, an animal in the dark. It was a last moment of peace before the breaking.

While the premise of Nocturne initially led me to believe that it could also be a romance, the end result is not entirely true, which is not to say that this detracted from the experience. Nocturne is a love story on multiple planes; “My desire to dance was more than merely wanting to be seen, but I couldn’t have explained it then. Playing the violin was like breathing, but dance was the thing that kept my heart beating, wild and free. Breath or blood? Air or ichor? If I had to choose, I chose my heart.” Grace’s journey of self discovery and empowerment explores the way we look at others and at ourself. The “happy ending” is relative but their is no doubt that Alyssa takes you on a lyrical journey through love and loss, life and death that will linger in your consciousness.

shorter and a bit younger skewing than i expected it to be, while still a straightforward and evocative exploration of art and boundaries and perverse watching. obviously very death and the maiden dependent. not bad

Nocturne is the story of Grace, a ballet dancer in Chicago in the 1930s. She has lost everyone and now her best friend is leaving the ballet company to get married. To Grace's surprise, she will be the new prima because she has a patron she has never met that will save the company. But she must go live with him and has no say in the matter. The only requirement of her is that she must dance with him once a week.

This is a book where nothing seems to happen and yet everything does. Where time goes really fast and yet does not. It is just a blah book. I wanted to like it but was bored most of the time and confused the rest. Not sure who the audience was but it feels like an overly descriptive, under developed pre-teen book. There are better magical fantasy novels out there that you could spend you time reading.

Nocturne was a lyrical and enchanting read. While I found parts of this book to be a bit too over descriptive, I did enjoy the world it took you to. This novel embraced escapism and beautiful prose. It’s a great read for fans of The Midnight Circus and similar works.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

🩰 NOCTURNE 🎻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

This book was pretty good! It delivers on its premise as a Phantom of the Opera retelling set in the 1930s Chicago ballet scene without feeling like a carbon copy of the stage musical or book. The book begins with some recognizable plot points, but quickly evolves into its own story with some unique takes on magic. My only criticism is that the middle third of the book is a little slow and repetitive plot-wise, but the ending makes up for it with plenty of action and surprising decisions from the main character. Also, there could have been more ballet in the back half of the book. This is marketed as a new adult fantasy (I guess for its darker themes?), but there’s nothing too graphic or explicit for teenagers in here - more appropriate in the YA section than ACOTAR, in my opinion. If you’re looking for a short standalone dark fantasy romance, consider picking up Nocturne.

Nocturne came out on 2/21 and is available at most book retailers. Many thanks to @delreybooks and @netgalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Read if you like…
🩰 The Phantom of the Opera
🩰 The Little Mermaid
🩰 The Red Shoes

If you loved fairy tales and ballerinas as a kid, and have been searching for a grown up story to fill that niche, Nocturne is the perfect book for you.

The story takes place in a fantastical version of Depression-era Chicago and focuses on Grace, a prima ballerina who takes on a mysterious patron. Despite being labeled as a fantasy book, I think Nocturne is a story that is accessible to everyone. While it is labeled as fantasy, the world-building is light and easy to follow. It also incorporates elements of romance, family drama, mystery, and light horror. Maybe it’s the cover, but for some reason this book gave me big winter vibes, so if you’re planning on checking it out maybe save it for when the weather turns colder.

Nocturne is out now. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book slow and confusing. It was extremely difficult for me to get through this book. The book focused more on world building then on fleshing out the world that was explained.

I wanted to love this book, but it’s just so overwritten. It feels like a love affair with the words at the expense of pacing, plot, and character development.

Im including my instagram post and review on this stunning book. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpknYD6roJ9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

DNF'd at 70% - I really wanted to love this book, but it was just too slow for me that by the time something started happening I was no longer invested. I think the author described the world of this book wonderfully and I loved all the lingering descriptions and the magical atmosphere, but I needed a bit more plot earlier on. I might come back and finish it one day, but for now this is where I stop. I do think this book has an audience and the cover is gorgeous, it just wasn't for me!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a dnf for me. The characters weren’t very interesting and the pace rather slow. Not a story I’d recommend.

I wanted so desperately to love this book. I fell in love with the cover at fist sight and the premise sounded so intriguing that I knew it was going to catapult to the top of my TBR. I was extremely grateful to NetGalley for sending me an arc copy and I dove in right away. The review took much longer because honestly, I was hoping that after some reflection, I would look upon Nocturne a little more favorably. Alas, I did not. While I was entertained by the story somewhat, I had great difficulty with some of the prose, and it made it difficult for me to ultimately enjoy the plot progression. I felt like there were plot holes and character actions that were never fully explained or explored, leaving me wanting by the end. I finished this book with more questions than I started with and I never really developed any connection to any of the characters. The writing appears beautiful and lyrical, but the story felt so flat to me that I couldn’t recommend it in good conscience.