Thank you netgalley and Independent Publishers Group for allowing me to read this book. Omg this book was amazing! It instantly had me hooked and I really enjoyed the drama and romance! The side characters were so great and I really liked how Heather got her confidence back! I really enjoyed the girl power when all 3 women went up against Jack. I loved how Marcus and Heather helped each other heal in different ways and really grew as individuals together.

5 stars

“We should get you out of this skirt,” he murmured. Heather nodded, unable to form coherent words. Yes, she thought. Get me out of this skirt, out of this leotard, out of this skin if you have to.

She couldn’t blame the wine; she’d only had a few sips. It was him. He was intoxicating. And kind, and easy to confide in, and quick to apologize when he made a mistake. And absolutely off limits to her.

Despite every wretched thing he had been through in the last year, Marcus had found the space in his heart to care about her. He had seen her panicked and frozen, and he hadn’t written her off as childish, or damaged, or disappointingly human. He’d brushed against her prickles, her skeptical and untrusting spikes, and had only pulled her in closer. She’d spent months feeling foolish and humiliated, but he had decided she was brave. And so he had been brave for her, had sneaked around and kept secrets for her, because he thought she was worth it. He had decided the risk was worth whatever small pieces of her he could have, for however long he could have them. And despite everything she had been through in the last few months, she loved him for it.


For almost 70%, I kept the book under 4 stars. That doesn't mean there was anything wrong with it. Heather Hays was exceptionally talented and it showed (even though she idn't believe it), Marcus was the cutest cinnamon roll MC I've read about in a while, the contrast between New York and Sydney is so stark and so warm, the characters pretty well written, and really good descriptions in general. Even with all of it, I couldn't find something that reeaallly stood out to me.

And that's when the heartbreak happened. I usually don't like conflicts in books and just chalk them up to being unnecessary. The times I do think that they fit well with the storyline, I just feel sad for the characters. But Chloe Angyal made heartbreak look so fucking beautifully tragic. I find it to be the best part of this book. It was executed with perfection. I haven't really begun to understand what I feel about it personally, but in a literary sense, it was the climax that this book NEEDED.

Carly was the cherry on top. Funny, unapologetic, a little psychotic but so fucking brilliant. Of course she was my favourite character.

Thank you Netgalley and Chicago Review Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt fresh and original, and I really liked and appreciated that. As someone who grew up in the time of Center Stage with no dance talent, I loved reading about adults in the dance world. I also loved the relationship that grew between Heather and Marcus during her time as a guest artist in Australia. After being emotionally broken down by her cheating ex-fiancé (and his horrible mother), it was lovely to see her reach the realization that nothing about her was the problem in that relationship. When she finds her joy again dancing and shines on her own, it’s a beautiful thing. I will say, early on in the book there were times I felt she came across a lot younger than she’s written to be. As it moves on and we see her shed the weight of her former relationship, she seems to mature on the page in a way that I have to believe it was all an intentional choice to write her that way, and if so, it was very well done.

I loved Marcus. I wanted to hug him. He’d suffered through a horrible year and was finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in his recovery. Meeting Heather gave even more light back into his life. He was such a refreshing change of pace for her from her ex and showed what it meant to have a supportive partner in life who was there to lift her up, not tear her down.

One thing I could’ve done without was Marcus’s brother, only because I don’t think he really added a whole lot to the story and wouldn’t really take anything away if he wasn’t there. He created conflict for Marcus and Heather briefly early on and gave another emotional viewpoint to Marcus, but I felt like all of that was achieved without him. Early on it felt like he was building to play a much larger role, and for me it never came.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the descriptions and visual imagery of ballet, I loved Heather’s growth into owning her self-worth, and I loved Marcus as a singular man and as a partner to Heather.

It is really disgusting how Jack gaslighting Heather. Heather do the right thing and so brave, she dodge the bullet. I really enjoy reading about ballet wolrd and sydney scenery. Marcus really sweet and the way he smitten to Heather was so cute, he eager to spend time with her and make her happy. I hope there is another book about Carly.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#PasDeDont #ChloeAngyal #AmberjackPublishing #ChicagoReviewPress #IndependentPublishersGroup #NetGalley #ARC

As a former ballerina, I was immediately sold by the premise of this dancer romance. I am very particular about my adult romances, though, and this didn't check all my boxes, so I didn't end up loving it as much as I thought I would, but it was still thoroughly enjoyable! Solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Congratulations to Chloe Angyal on her debut, and thanks to Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

i’ve been slacking! decided i needed to grind and finish this one today. nothing to dislike at all; a strong, i think relevant, story with characters i really like & enjoyed, but i’ve just been really slow with reading and this one didn’t really suck me in, you know? i wasn’t aching to turn the page & see what happened next. i really liked heather & marcus for each other, and i haven’t read a ballet book before so that was cool. id definitely recommend this one - it’s well-written & cute, just didn’t totally sell it for me!

#netgalley

*ARC received from NetGalley with thanks*

3,5⭐️

Chloe Angyal’s debut romance Pas de Don’t (this is what the dancers refer to when they talk about the new non-fraternisation rule at the National Ballet of Australia in Sydney that provides the external conflict to the story) is a lovely, competent fairytale set in the world of professional ballet. I don’t think I’ve visited this world since - gosh, reading Gelsey Kirkland’s troubled memoirs as a teen - and whilst some of the similar challenges make an appearance, we get a more progressive and healthier if not perfect look into the rarefied world of dance. The author provides good content warnings about coercive control and emotional abuse.

The book starts in a more grayscale, slightly less engaging place as Prima Ballerina Heather Hays’ fairytale relationship with a dancing douchebag comes crashing down in their New York company. Unable to tolerate the tense atmosphere and the training room gossip, she accepts a one month contract to visit ANB in Sydney. Once under the Australian sun, the narrative starts getting livelier and gathers pace, with Heather being shown around by Marcus Campbell of the impressive glutes, ready smile, and a healing Achilles tendon and a heart from the loss of his dad.

The main couple fall for each other pretty fast, and are not as troubled by the idea of getting into bother what with relationships between colleagues being frowned upon and leading to loss of jobs as I would be. Terrifying stuff! The story relies a fair bit on the restoring power of supportive, consent and respect as well as decent sex based relationship with a man. Marcus is an enthusiastic advocate of female pleasure, though as things get going safe PIV sex is kind of the order of the day. Which is no bad thing if that’s the main thing you’re into, though can feel a bit predictable/middle of the road. However, there’s a sweet touch of optimistic feminism in the Aussie segments and overall a nice group of supportive female friends and family. I don’t know the state of play really, to comment on whether this is an effort to rehabilitate the reputation of ballet or a wish for a better future. But it was hard not to root for the ladies as well as Marcus once things come to bite his delectable bum.

I enjoyed being taken round Sydney, meeting the to be expected critters, and could pretty well see myself there. Walking alongside a romantic couple with good communication about needs and consent and mostly an external conflict providing tension is always lovely. I found the characterisation fairly rich, and enjoyed reading about training and performing and the tutus etc. The conflict point did not feel forced though we knew it was of course coming. The resolution brings with it a certain satisfaction, though it unfolds pretty easily for a complex situation. Much like the effortless and elegant looking dance, the movement into love at the start and out of conflict at the resolution point that bookended this story were equally easy, flowy, flawless. I tend to enjoy a bit more complexity, angst, sweat and work in progress maybe? But as said, this has a sweet fairytale feel to it.

As a ballet lover, I was excited to read this, and am happy to say that it lived up to the burb.

It is a sweet story of two injured ballet dancers finding themselves, and learning to love again. Set against a Sydney backdrop, it is a quick read, easily finished in an hour.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This was such a beautiful story. I loved our fmc so much. Her heartbreak at the start of this was tragic, but her healing and her bravery was fantastic to read. I adored her journey from start to finish. Marcus, while not as fully developed as Heather, was also a character I enjoyed learning about. The chemistry was fantastic, with the mutual pining between the two and of course I ate up the "we shouldn't... but...". Their meet cute was hilarious and amazing and I loved all of their the jokes and honest conversations.

There was a third act break up which I kinda figured was going to happen, given the nature of the no dating policy these two were breaking, but the resolution was done very well! I always love a bit of a grand gesture.

Now listen, I know approximately nothing about dance, so I can't really say whether or not it stayed true to it. It seemed like it did! I found myself Googling various terms and ended up on a YouTube spiral of ballet videos. I regret nothing.

Overall, I think I learned more than I was expecting while reading. While I loved seeing women supporting women, I hate that it has to happen in the first place.

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Romance
Age Rating: 18+
Spice: 3/5
Overall: 4.25/5

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the eARC!

This book was absolutely incredible. Like “Center Stage” meets “Dance Academy” with just a phenomenal story that everyone (dancers and non-dancers alike) can appreciate. As a dance teacher, I adored how much ballet this book included! It’s a beautiful yet grueling art form, and I loved how much of an inside look the book gave us to the ballet world. It really made ballet as vivid and tangible to non-dancers as it to dancers.

I absolutely LOVED both MCs, and will always champion book couples who help one another see themselves in the best possible light, and who are “better together”. Marcus and Heather were the absolute poster couple for this! Both being ballet dancers, they understood the world they each came from, and with Marcus, Heather FINALLY had an example of how a real man should treat her. Their relationship was so sweet and I just loved the two of them together! They both underwent incredible growth during their time together, and it was so beautiful to watch them achieve their HEA.

This book also worked to shine a light on some of the sexist tendencies that exist in the arts world, and the unfair advantage men are given sometimes for just being a man. While this was primarily a romance, I greatly appreciated this little side plot, because it is something that exists in the arts world.

I really adored this story, and honestly have nothing but WONDERFUL things to say about it!

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group. All opinions are my own.

When Heather takes a monthlong guest position at the Australian National Ballet, she's only seeking to escape the fallout from the end of her very public relationship with a fellow dancer—and to remind herself that her worth as a dancer isn't tied to her ex. What she doesn't expect is that a dancer at ANB will stir up feelings...or that they won't be able to act on those feelings without falling afoul of the company 'pas de don't' policy: no dating within the company, on penalty of job termination.

I read Angyal's "Turning Pointe" not too long ago, so I knew immediately when I saw this book that I'd be getting 1) a writer who knows ballet and 2) a writer who knows how poorly the ballet world treats so many, and who wants to see something better. The books aren't written for the same audience, exactly (there's overlap for sure—ahem—but the Venn diagram is not a circle), but "Pas de Don't" makes many of the same point(e)s, just in romance-novel form: that dancers, and woman dancers in particular, are trained to shut up and obey; that the major dance companies still disproportionately spotlight male choreographers; that men turn a blind eye when other men abuse power; that boys often get special treatment because dance schools are afraid they'll be scared off. (Let me be clear for the romance lovers—there is plenty of romance here, and plenty of, ah, pas de deux. There's just also a lot of smart context going on...and it's funny to boot.)

Angyal pulls some of her material directly from recent events in the ballet world—to avoid spoilers, I won't go into tutu much detail, but...well, this was one case where I thought I was going to be grumbling about the overuse of evil exes in romance, until it started to click that ohhh, there was a point(e) to the evil ex. (So props to Angyal for making me eat my words before I even had a chance to write them down.) There are some other things that I suspect she must have come across as a dancer herself ("stage face" was a new term for me), and I am quietly praying that she got the term "ex-future-mother-in-law" from the song "When It Rains It Pours," just because I would find that hilarious.

I try to be fairly targeted about the romance novels I read—sometimes I'm looking for mindless fluff, but sometimes I'm looking for something smart and up to date, and I'm delighted to have gotten the latter here. Definitely a genre pivot from "Turning Pointe," but if Angyal can work within both these genres, I'm very curious about where she'll go next.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Heather Hays is a ballerina in the New York Ballet who finds out her fiancé, the other star of the show, is cheating on her. To get distance from the turmoil and gossip, she chooses to take a month’s residency all the way across the world at the Australian Ballet. There she meets Marcus, who is recovering from an injury. Marcus is enlisted to show her around the town, and as sparks fly, they grow closer, though the ballet company has a rule against dating co-stars: pas de don’t.

I enjoyed this book a lot! Seeing into the world of ballet as well as the setting of Sydney was great! A big theme for the book was moving past wounds, both literally and metaphorically. Seeing Heather heal from her pretty emotionally abusive ex was great, and Marcus also recovered from a physical injury but also some of the trauma it gave him plus his father’s recent death. (These things are mentioned up front in the author’s content warning).

The romance was good. I worried we would have a ton of drama surrounding sneaking around, but the story does not play out the way I thought it would. I found it very honest in its portrayal of policies that are well meaning but can still miss the mark and cause harm. All in all this is a great fiction debut and I will be looking for more of the author’s work in future. 4 stars!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy. This is my honest review.

New York Ballet principal dancer Heather Hays smart, gorgeous and talented,has the golden boy as her fiancee until discovering he is cheating with Melissa. Heather wants to escape the shadow of Jack, who she increasingly recognizes as controlling and manipulative, and takes a temporary position at The Australian National Ballet.

Heather is scared, but excited to explore Sydney and her new home, and especially excited that the head of the company has progressive views about dancers' rights. Heather is less enthused about being assigned injured Australian dancer Marcus Campbell as her guide to the city, since from the moment they met sparks have flown, and the company's rules make dancer relationships forbidden.

As for Marcus, slowly recovering from a traumatic Achilles tendon injury, he is both thrilled and scared at the feelings for the determined and beautiful dancer that Heather is. What follows is beautiful romance about two lovers who find healing together, even if they might have to risk it all to keep it.

I appreciated the content warnings for this. While dealing with heavier subject matter, the author makes the romance shine as the main plot while also filling your imagination with ballet moves and song even if I’ve never been into ballet.

I especially appreciated how Heather confronts the no-exceptions policy on relationships and how Mr.K and Peter both were handling things in not the best way, and ultimately both were hurting their dancers. Also, as someone who is sensitive to dieting this story does a great job of not glorifying diet culture, which is wonderful to see in a ballet romance.

.

This is a lyrically beautiful book encompassing the healing process and falling in love. The writing in this book is chefs kiss and truly makes you feel as if your there. Would totally recommend and a spring read.

I absolutely loved diving into this beautifully detailed, niche environment. I love a good boardroom, hockey rink, or cattle ranch, but getting a peek into the lives of elite ballet dancers was a nice change of pace from your typical contemporary romance. I'm not terribly familiar with the ballet world, but the author did a wonderful job of making you feel like you were, with casual mentions of difficult poses while also grounding the reader in the reality of hard work at a job you love.

Heather, blindsided by a betrayal by her "American royalty" ballet fiancé, makes the brave decision to venture to Australia to prove to the world and herself that she can succeed and stand out on her own as a dancer. Unfortunately for her (but fortunately for the reader), she immediately has an awkward meet-cute with Marcus, a talented but injured dancer trying to fight his way back to performance shape. Both of these characters are so determined to prove themselves, and find inspiration in each other as they do.

The main conflict revolves around a company policy that members of the ballet cannot date each other, or they will be fired immediately. Some contemporary romances lately have taken a heavy hand at tackling workplace harassment or even assault, but this author's approach didn't weigh down the overall light tone. It's done in a matter of fact, brave way that isn't drawn out.

The relationship between Heather and Marcus felt real -- they were both so excited to finally have found someone worth fighting for, and watching them navigate their workplace rules while falling in love was a delight. Can't wait to read more from this author.

My love of ballet themed romance novels began at a young age with a fantastic circa 1983 Nora Roberts read (Dance of Dreams, in case you were wondering). Pas de Don't immersed me back in that dance world in the best possible way.

Heather Hays, principal dancer in the New York Ballet, has been cheated on and left for a younger woman by her ballet star boyfriend. When she gets the chance to take a guest dance spot in Sydney, she jumps at the chance. When she gets to Australia, she has an adorable meet cute with Marcus, an injured ballet dancer and her tour guide. Sparks fly but romance between dancers in the company are strictly prohibited. Can they fight their attraction or is it worth it to break the rules this time?

This book was wonderful. Heather and Marcus were both complex characters who had major upheaval in life during the past year and needed to heal. Heather was recovering from being engaged to an emotional abuser and Marcus was dealing with grief from both his father's death and his injury. I liked how they healed individually and together. Their love story was sweet and swoon worthy, their tension and chemistry was great, and the third act break up/make up was handled perfectly. The side stories and characters were entertaining and brought a depth of emotion to the story. Finally, I loved the look into the ballet world with all of its ups and downs. I respected how Chloe Angyal called out some of the changes that are happening or need to happen in that profession.

Who knew ballet themed romances were a catnip trope for me? I will definitely read more romances Chloe Angyal sets in this world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amberjack Publishing for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, net galley, and the author with this ARC.

This book instantly had my attention and kept it through my entire read. I loved both of the main characters, Heather and Marcus.

Heather, a principal ballet dancer from New York, has to flee New York after being humiliated by her awful fellow principal fiancé Jack. She finds herself in Sydney to spend a month dancing in a new company. Here she meets injured dancer Marcus, who is asked to show her around Sydney. The two are instantly drawn to each other and have a strong connection. There is one problem- dancers are banned to date each other. Marcus and Heather enter a secret relationship, risking both of their dance careers. When their relationship is leaked, Marcus is let go and Heather returns to New York when her contract ends.

I loved Heather’s character growth in her confidence in herself outside of a controlling relationship and watching find love with Marcus. I loved Marcus’ wit and passion and his ability to heal after a tough year,

Overall great read for me and highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this one! Both protagonists were really fleshed out and relatable, and the ballet setting was unexpectedly delightful. I would have loved to get to know the secondary characters a bit better, and I would have loved a glossary of some of the less-familiar ballet terms, but I can’t wait to read more from this author!

First off, I love the punny title, a play on a ballet "pas de deux" and the fictional ballet company's non-fraternization policy of the book. It works so well, like, well done. Pas De Don't, Angyal's debut novel, is a fun women's fiction and romance novel that is told in dual perspectives. Additionally, this secret romance book is chock full of authentic characters and banter in spades. SPADES. It's very enjoyable and a quick read, plus any former dancers will surely appreciate the authentic representation of dance life.

Content Warning: Verbal abuse, emotional abuse

A couple years ago I read and loved Chloe Angyal’s nonfiction book about ballet, Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself. So I was really intrigued when I saw that she was writing a romance set in the ballet world. I feel like Pas de Don’t was excellent at creating chemistry between the two main characters, but also bringing in commentary about ballet and how people are working to change the status quo in that industry.

Heather has to get away from New York after her fiancé Jack, and fellow ballet star, was caught cheating on her. Taking a guest position at the Australian National Ballet leads her to meet Marcus, a man working on coming back from a serious Achilles injury. Heather soon finds out that ANB is more modern in a lot of ways, emphasizing using choreography from women and giving the dancers opportunities to teach classes… But also that dancers are forbidden to to be romantically or sexually involved with one another. It’s a policy set up with good intentions, to try and stop sexual harassment, but it causes issues when Heather and Marcus are super attracted to one another. Is it worth sneaking around if the outcome would be both of them getting fired?

I really enjoyed Heather’s development and seeing her realize that her relationship with Jack was controlling and then seeing what a healthy, supportive relationship was like with Marcus. Also, Marcus’ feelings about his family and what returning to ballet meant to him were well explored. The chemistry between Heather and Marcus was great, the push and pull of them wanting to be together but also not wanting to risk their jobs felt real. I think it’s easy to predict what the 3rd act conflict will be, but the way everything played out made sense and it wasn’t things blowing up for no reason.

Definitely check this out if you like romances that fully put you in the world of the characters, have a bit of a forbidden element, and also feature great development for both main characters. I’m excited to see what Chloe Angyal writes next. I don’t think I’ve ever had a 5 star nonfiction and a 5 star romance from the same author before.