2 stars.

I was looking forward to reading this book because the premise and blurb were just so alluring unfortunately I was let down. The writing in this book is so flowery that it was a bit of a struggle to want to keep reading it. I found the characters to be a bit insufferable, impulsive, and a bit vapid to be honest.

It is marketed as a Beauty and the Beast-inspired story which is one of the things that drew me to it but I didn't find any real elements or inspo from BatB, I found some Phantom and maybe even some Hades and Persephone, but nothing really concrete, it feels like the author read all these stories and said let me throw them in a blender and take bits and pieces throw them together haphazardly and voila Nocturne.

So much of this story just fell flat and felt kind of unfinished and at points unbelievable. I find that I just had a hard time seeing the vision. This book just wasn't for me and that is ok.

Thank you Del Ray and Netgalley for an eARCn in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I was hoping for historical fiction/magical realism about a ballet dancer. Instead, I got a meandering Beauty & the Beast retelling that devolved into such a messy plot I’m not sure what the point was supposed to be. This book could’ve been better if it had a clearer focus.

[What I liked:]

•I’m a sucker for ballet stories. This book uses ballet as more of a backdrop than a centerpiece, but at least *most* of the details are accurate.

•The story starts out interesting, & kept my attention until about the halfway point.

[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Having two characters named La Rosa and Russo is confusing.

•This plot is extremely convoluted. I’m not even sure what the main point of the story is.

•Most of the character motivations are very thin, or not explained at all. Why does Mistress take on an untrained orphan teen into her company without ever having seen her dance before? What does “holding death in your heart” mean? Why does Grace fall in love with the master? Etc, etc.

•Grace finds out her hard-won promotion in the ballet company wasn’t based on her talent or skill, but on a patron’s whim. She gets mad at the company director once, but after that isn’t seemingly bothered at all. If I was Grace that news would have shaken my self esteem for awhile, but it just gets glossed over in the book.

•Among the many plot holes, this one just bothered me: Grace misses several days of rehearsal & is dropped from the performance & replaced by her understudy. Then she shows up 30 mins before curtain call on opening night, not having been to class or rehearsal in days or even warmed up, & the company director puts her on stage? That’s dangerous besides unrealistic.

CW: racism, sexual harassment, death, murder, domestic, gambling addiction

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Grace Drogatta is a ballerina in 1930s Chicago. She's dreamed of becoming a Prima ballerina since being orphaned. When a mysterious benefactor arrives on the scene, Grace's life is thrown into a tailspin. The enigmatic Master La Rosa becomes her personal patron, offering her a chance at a life she' 'd never dreamed of.

This novel was so atmospheric! I loved the haunting quality of it and the play on light and dark. It was beautifully done and well written. It's a definite jewel in the books I've read so far this year!

Described as a haunting, dark romance, but unfortunately this read fell a bit flat for me.

I went in to this book expecting something totally different than what I actually got and I think that might be where it threw me. The story itself is focused on a young ballerina with a tragic past who catches the eye of death. The premise was really exciting for me, but I never found myself falling for any of the characters. The storyline itself was a bit hard to follow and I thought the FMC was really focused on her past and the loss of her family as opposed to everything else going on in her life.

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning and I really loved the premise, but I just didn’t find myself as wrapped up in this book as I hoped I would be.

Nocturne is a historical fantasy about Grace, a ballerina in 1930s Chicago. She was touched by death at many points of her life and is elevated to a principle role by a mysterious nobleman. Later, she is tasked with living with him at his large estate and to dance for him every night. This is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling, which are always fun, and I thought that the 1930s Chicago and ballet setting would make for a fun story!

While this book wasn't exactly my cup of tea, there were several parts that I really liked. I live in Chicago and enjoyed seeing it portrayed in the 1930s. I liked the parts about ballet, particularly what it was like in the early twentieth century. I liked the friend and the different relationships between the dancers. Some of the writing was very atmospheric which I really enjoyed.

The rest... eh. I got into this book quickly but it really dragged for me after about 40%. It sharply pivots into fantasy in a way that I wasn't expecting and didn't particularly like. While I like Beauty and the Best retellings, I'm not a huge fan of the mysterious noblemen who turns out be fantastical whisking a young muse into a luxury mansion. This was very much that. The romance didn't do it for me but I thought that the ending was surprising in a way that I really liked. I just thought that the fantasy in general was kind of weird. It felt like two different novels, one historical fiction and one historical fantasy. I enjoyed the historical fiction part a lot more.

Overall, I thought this book was okay. I recommend it if these kind of retellings are your jam or if you are really into ballet. 3.25 stars from me rounded down to 3. Thank you to

The concept of this book was amazing but ultimately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
I understand the author wanting to be descriptive but this was over the top. You don't need that much prose to describe a single event.
However, I loved Grace <3
Her determination, her talent, her courage... I adored her and I loved how she spoke about her fear and resilience. 3.5 Stars

Okay, this is not completely terrible, but it's definitely not what I was hoping for. It was classified as a retelling, but I didn't know what it was supposed to be a retelling of. I started reading and at first, I thought of the Black Swan. With the mysterious patron and the main character not being completely stable, I was wondering if that was the inspiration. But then I started thinking of Phantom of the Opera since it does take place in a theater, at least to begin with. Then as she moved over to live with the Master and his name being La Rosa--well, I thought that maybe it was a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales, Beauty and the Beast (except Grace is not at all as awesome as Belle). But the story doesn't head for the same kind of ending as Beauty and the Beast (hopefully that's not a spoiler), so then I started thinking of other dark fairy tales or myths that might be part of it. With Death and his brother Dream, I was thinking of Hades or Morpheus. I feel like the author drew inspiration from a number of sources and just cobbled them together in a story of her own. This is cool, but her execution left me with more questions than answers. If I had to summarize this story, which I won't for those of you who want to read it, I would have a hard time putting it all into words. Alyssa Wees writes beautiful prose, but I think she would have a better time with poetry, where things are all metaphors and imagery because there were more than a few instances where I became lost about where she was going in a particular scene.

As for the characters, I didn't really love Grace. Despite all the things she had gone through, she still felt immature to me. I didn't agree with all the choices she made, and during the time I thought this was a beauty and the beast retelling, I didn't like how she treated La Rosa. My favorite character was probably her best friend, but honestly, I didn't feel like we really got to know any of the characters to any complex level, except for maybe Grace. I prefer books where characterization is one of the main elements, especially in fantasy books.

I loved the general idea of this story, and admittedly, the cover drew me in, but the story left me scratching my head quite a bit. I ended up listening to and reading along with this story, but as short as the book is (240 pages), it felt more like a 400-page book. However, some reviewers seem to have loved this book, so you may have to check this out for yourself. Would I recommend it? Yes, with reservations, and mainly to people who enjoy beautiful prose and don't care all that much about plot or characterization.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Grace Dragotta is the newly named Prima Ballerina in a Chicago-based ballet company. A mystery patron inserts himself into her life, leaving unsettling gifts while keeping his identity hidden. Grace finds herself dragged into a world beyond her wildest imagination. As noted by other reviewers, this book is reminiscent of stories like Hades & Persephone, Beauty & The Beast, etc. Not quite a retelling, but clearly heavily influenced the writing.

Parts of this story were beautifully written but ultimately the writing came across as long-winded. I really enjoyed the story being set in Great Depression-era Chicago, it felt like an appropriately dark and gritty background for this plot.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the advanced review copy!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC! This was a highly anticipated read, and while I did enjoy it, it did fall a bit short. I love beautiful writing, prose, and imagery, but this was often complicated in descriptions. Don’t get me wrong, it was gorgeous, but it made me tired at times. I enjoyed the dark, fantastical elements. Overall, I really enjoyed it, just not a favorite like I had hoped!

This story had interesting elements from several fairy tales. Mainly it felt like it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with one key and significant difference. It felt like the author created a new fairy tale and it was lovely to read. Grace Dragotta is portrayed as a character who has been through difficult times but is stronger than most people believe. A violinist, fierce ballerina and a protagonist in what seems to be an odd fairy tale world, she demonstrates that she is more than meets the eye.

With mixed reviews for this novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I did go into this fully aware of the slower pace.

Most reviewers compare this story to Beauty and the Beast, Phantom of the Opera, and Hades and Persephone. I agree with those comparisons. It’s dark and atmospheric, and 1930s Chicago is a perfect setting. Grace is no stranger to loss after her brother is gunned down in the streets and her mother passes away, leaving Grace an orphan when she’s barely a teenager. After raising enough money for ballet shoes by playing violin on the streets, she shows up unannounced at a ballet company. With help from fellow ballerina Emilia (their friendship is a strong point), Grace works hard and pushes herself to catch up with her peers. Years later she finally achieves her dream after landing the prima spot.

Soon after Grace moves into the home of her mysterious patron, Master La Rosa, things became muddled for me. The lyrical and haunting prose is beautiful, and many lines are meant to be savored. But when I closed the book, I still wasn’t exactly sure what happened. Looking at other reviews, most fell into three camps – some readers were enchanted by the story, others didn’t get it at all, and then there are the rest of us who appreciated the writing, but were left confused. A few reviewers used the term “fever dream”, and I’d say that’s an apt description.

If you’re a fan of any of the comp titles, appreciate a slower pace, and savor lyrical writing, this may be the book for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nocturne begins in post-WWII Chicago. Grace Dragotta, a young, poor orphan is plucked up into the exciting, dramatic world of professional ballet. Just as she finally realizes her dream of becoming the prima ballerina of her company, Grace learns she has been "sold" to the wealthy patron her company relies on for its financial survival. The book takes on a fairy tale quality as Grace learns more and more about her mysterious new patron, Master La Rosa and his servant / driver, Mr. Russo. Master La Rosa, who we learn is the human embodiment of Death, seeks to isolate Grace and keep her locked away in his empire as his Queen. As Grace is an orphan and her brother Lorenzo are dead and presumably within Master La Rosa's realm, only her best friend Emilia remains in the here and now to help her since Company Mistress was the closest thing Grace had to a mother left and she was the one who sold her. Mr. Russo too seems to aid Grace, but he cannot be trusted since he seems to act for motives of his own. Will Grace manage to live, or will she be seduced by Death and dance herself to death for Master La Rosa?

This book started pretty slow, but once got about halfway through it, the story became a quicker read. At times, the descriptions are lyrical, beautiful, and highly evocative; however, in other places, the author's style is frankly overblown and verbose. The characters are a bit flat and one-dimensional. The use of the ballet in the conception of the structure and motif of the story is solid. I think in this case, the idea was just better than the execution.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Slow start, but I found myself very engaged around half way through. Vibe heavy and beautiful prose-like narration.

great book and such great characters. I enjoyed the mystery and some romance. I also enjoyed the journey of the characters. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it .

I was excited to read this “gothic fantasy” about ballet and 1930s Chicago, but the first quarter of the book DRAGGED. Thankfully I kept going, because it did get slightly better once the mysterious fantasy element showed up. Unfortunately not even Death personified could save this story that felt predictable and slow and yet, still a little confusing. The heroine was flat and only relied on her tragic backstory to make her even a little interesting. Everything just happened to her and she never tried to find her way out of a situation she didn’t like until the very end of the book which wrapped up a very complex and confusing climax VERY quickly. Too quickly. I’m still a little confused about what exactly happened at the very end. Not my favorite YA fantasy.

Thank you for the ARC and author. I really like this book it was different. I love ballet so that was what brought me to this. There's a little bit of a mystery in it but overall I thought it was a beautiful story.

**Many thanks to Del Rey/Penguin Random House LLC and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**

This story is nothing like I thought it would be. And after finishing it, I, too, feel as if I've awakened from a dark and surreal dream...

UN, DEUX, TROIS
1. The imagery and atmosphere in this book is second to none. Even though most of this book occurs in Winter, it was absolutely perfect for October- haunting, strange, chills down your spine. The author does a very nice job giving us a fun little world to live in. I'm also a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story, especially the actual French fairy tale versions, and I've never seen one told in this manner before, not with mortals anyway...

2. The author was trained as a ballerina, and her knowledge of the art is superb. Although I don't know that world, and I'm not sure what some of the words of some of the positions mean, I didn't care. I was invested in the story. Not knowing everything about being a ballerina was fine. It made the story accessible to someone who does not know that information.

3. Emilia. Perfectly written.

POINTE TO FLAT...

1. Although the ethereal, flowery language was needed for the plot to set the mood, there were several times where it stumbled on top of itself, leaning too much into the metaphorical that it forgot there was a physical world to interact with too. That makes it hard to understand what's actually going on, instead of what we think is going on.

2. I found Emilia to be a more compelling and well-rounded character than our main heroine, Grace. Much of the time, Grace acts as a typical damsel in distress, and she makes some really stupid choices. I also feel like she finds her teeth way too late in the story. I would have liked a bit more of that earlier.

3. I'm not exactly certain what the main conflict of the story is. Looking at both sides of the conflict, one side seems inevitable and truly lopsided that THAT side will win out. Not sure it was much of a fight to begin with.

VERDICT
I really enjoyed this book. It's a lyrical, atmospheric spooky book that others would really enjoy!

Beautiful cover and intriguing premise.
I liked the early Phantom of the Opera/Beauty and the Beast vibes. For some reason, I just didn’t connect with the main character. I think that’s why I didn’t love this. They all felt a bit too one-dimensional to me.

A beautiful cover to be sure. But unless you like Danielle Steel-like writing, the cover won't be enough to keep your interest.

This one is heavily ladened with so much detail, it's a huge turn off for me. So many words. An intentional writing style to use 20 words when 1 will do. I don't enjoy this style. At all.

I finally just put it down because I couldn't take anymore.

A bit over the top on the dramatics for me. I get that it's a fairytale and feelings typically run high for less than apparent reasons, but this girl's emotions were like a pendulum.
I started out enjoying some of the very poetic prose, but even that went over the top as the story progressed. The similes turned into things that didn't actually make sense.
I think to enjoy this one you really have to think of it as a fairytale - you can't read too much into it and can't ask too many questions.