This book strikes the perfect balance of spice, and the plot is engaging from the very start. I took my time finishing it because I wanted to savor each chapter and extend the experience. Rebecca, the author, brilliantly made me reflect on the events of the first few chapters while introducing new twists to the plot!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Full review with spoiler will be posted on my Goodreads week of Nov 19th.

As always a 5/5 for me! No one does emotions like Rebecca Yarros. Allie and Hudson will live in my head rent free for a long time!

I was lucky enough to read a Net Galley ARC copy of Variation. I absolutely loved it!! I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately and Rebecca pulled me right into this one. I was completely gripped from the start (as I always am with her books) and I fell hard for Allie and Hudson. It felt so good to be dying to find stolen moments to read again and despite being busy, I was desperate to find time to binge it!

Allie and Hudson had so much chemistry and the steam was definitely five stars!!! There were several moments I found myself holding my breath and on a roller coaster of emotions - I was so invested in both the main characters and their families!! I loved how Yarros intertwined their lives as secrets were revealed.

This was an epic love story about two people destined for each other - filled with second chances, a sprinkle of fake dating, the one bed trope, and even some military elements.

I highly recommend you run out and read this as soon as you can!!

There is just something magical about the way Rebecca Yarros writes. This book gripped me from the first chapter and never let go. You could feel the yearning and angst between Allie and Hudson. The characters in this book range from charming to funny to detestable. But they are all so well written and vivid that they seem real.
This is the story of Allie, a ballerina and Hudson, a rescue swimmer. They knew each other as teenagers and were brought back together as adults by some twists and secrets that just keep getting more interesting as the book progresses.
Yarros does a fantastic job of letting the reader see all sides of the coin, just not all at once. This is an emotional roller coaster of a book, and I enjoyed every second of it.

Everytime Yarros releases a book, it’s like the birth of my child. I fall so insanely in love with each and every magic filled book damn near instantaneously. I am forever in aw of how insanely talented this author truly is.

Yarros’ ‘Variation’ is a one of a kind, once in a life time book. The complexity of Hudson and Allies story had me face first from beginning to end just trying to grasp the true complexity of it. The depth of this story is on another level. It’s what puts this author on another level. Yarros carved and carved until I found myself so deeply immersed, that this book was all I saw, all I felt.

Variation was filled with twists and turns. Family secrets, and a hell of a lot of tension.

Alessandra and Hudson are like Fire and Water. They are so different in so many ways and yet, I have never seen two characters compliment each other more. Their chemistry was off the charts; palpable. Their growth and understanding? Beyond compare.

This book is truly remarkable. This is not just your average “Romance.” It is so so much more. I highly recommend getting your hands on this one.

Ahh I devoured this story, Allie and Hudson have me all the feels this was a fantastic story and Ms yarros really knows how to bring the heat. Highly recommended

***Thank you to the Rebecca Yarros team & Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.***

“Truth always differs depending on who’s telling the story, and in complicated situations, there are countless variations.”

I looked up the definition of variation on Google after seeing how often it was used starting in the third chapter.

Variation Ballet - Variation: A choreographic process in which known and defined elements (e.g., specific movements, movement phrases) are separated from their original relationship and restructured in a different pattern; male or female solo in a classical ballet.

Variation - a change or difference in condition, amount, or level, typically with certain limits

I feel that these definitions fit well with why I believe RY used the word in her title of this book. It was important for the main characters to focus on themselves before committing to a relationship together. The way their relationship changed over time, and how they grew apart vs together while pushing each other to fulfill their dreams. It fits! What I didn’t love was the dramatic overuse of the word throughout the entire book. At one point I felt annoyed with myself that I didn’t count how many times the word “variation” pops up to comment about in this review. I may read it again just for that alone lol!!

I was wayyyyy overly excited for this book… and maybe I wasn’t in the best state of mind, but I felt like it took me too long to get into. The first chapter had me hooked, but then I felt a little bored until about 1/3-1/2 way through the book when I suddenly couldn’t put it down.

I do want to make a point to say that I am not a fan of the fake dating trope, and miscommunication/hiding truths/lying throughout an entire book drives me absolutely crazy!!!!!! I have no idea how I got through this book without feeling like it was two stars because that’s normally how I rate books like this. RY just has a way with her stories to get me fully invested in her characters no matter what. This blows my mind!! If you want to know why I would read a book with tropes I hate, well…it’s because I go into every book blind so I do not get any spoilers at all. I also would read RY’s grocery list happily because I love every book I’ve read by her. That’s just a fact.

I did love the dual POV because multiple POV is my jam! I love that RY gives us insight into the minds of her main characters, and it helps us love them even more! I know nothing about ballet, so I felt bored 🫠 during a bunch of Allie’s chapters. I didn’t want to feel bored, so I’ll admit that I did a little research lol. I even YouTubed a bunch of ballet variations just to have them in my head while reading. The classical music is very relaxing! I think these chapters early on were the reason it took me a little longer to read this book than usual. I didn’t like that I kept putting it down during the first half, and I wasn’t in a hurry to pick it back up the way I usually am with Yarros books.

“Follow your heart and take care of what I’m leaving behind.” - chapter three this sentence comes up, and we have no idea how important it will be throughout the book 🤯🥰

🚁🏊🏻‍♂️🛟Hudson was perfection in every way! I loved his role in this book so much!! Usually fake dating tropes annoy me because both sides hold back how they feel until the very end, but Hudson was upfront and honest the entire way. I loved the way he communicated with Allie and took her seriously while also teasing her & giving us some banter. I don’t want to give away too much, but his character could not have been built better. I actually preferred his chapters to be honest. His character was my very favorite! I could just see his sexy body right there in front of me while reading, and I wanted to eat him right tf up! I kept waiting for more details of his job…his missions…any losses or mistakes or accidents?! I really wanted more here and I kept expecting it…

🔥holy smokes🌶️the spice🥵so sexy without being too much🤤

🩰💃🏼👸🏼Alessandra took me a little while to fall in love with. I felt for her early on, but there was just something about her that annoyed me. I took two days after finishing the book before I started to write a review because I didn’t want to be harsh, but I still don’t know exactly what it was about her that I didn’t love love. I do really admire that she acknowledged her flaws like being indecisive and a perfectionist. I just really loved her with Hudson because he brought out her shine and made her more tolerable. By the end of the book I loved Allie, and I felt like she’s a better person than me lol✨

Overall I really enjoyed this story. Did it bring me to tears? Not exactly…although I got close a couple of times. Did it make me laugh out loud? Nah, but I did enjoy the banter and the teasing comments from Hudson 😉. This one was not the usual roller coaster of emotions that RY gives us, but it was still a really good story. This book was 4.2 stars for me. The last 1/4 was the best of the book, and I could not put it down if I tried. I just wish the first half did what the second half did for me…if that makes sense.


Spoiler alert…….








….read no further if you didn’t read book…








✨last warning for spoiler✨










Okay, I could not for the life of me picture exactly what happened to Juniper at the end there. A wave crashed over the side of the boat and took her into the water? The one and only wave of the evening? Was it extremely rough seas? Aren’t they on a yacht?! It just seemed extremely far-fetched. Like an unrealistic reach for some much-needed drama. I was hoping that Hudson would get lost while rescuing in rough seas, so I got nervous every time he went to work lol. I expected someone to drown, so when Juniper jumped into the lake when no one was in there…I expected her to die or get close. Her leg got wrapped around some underwater brush?! That also was a reach for me. Both instances with Juniper nearly drowning felt unrealistic. That is just my opinion, and I’m wondering if others felt that way too. I needed a good cry, but I didn’t get that with this one. That’s okay tho because I still really enjoyed the book!

I always thought I would make a great ballerina, but then I tried it once and I had all of the grace of a sloth.

This is such a lovely story. I do adore books where the couple meet when they are young but things happen and they become estranged only to meet up in the future when they are mature and ready for each other.

Hudson Ellis is like the ultimate book boyfriend. So strong. So sexy. So full of secrets and drama. I want to throw myself in the ocean and have him save me (a warm ocean though, not a cold one). It’s his job, he’s a rescuer, I’m not just expecting him to throw himself randomly into a body of water (ooohhh, he can throw himself randomly at my body though).

Allie Rousseau is the ultimate ballerina. Damn though her family is complicated.

Rebecca Yarros always gets me hooked. I was invested from the start. What was going to happen with the precocious Juniper. Would Caroline stop being a bitch? Why is Sophie so nasty? What is Hudson scared about? Why did he disappear without saying goodbye? Can I smack Eva about the face because she deserves it? How do I get rescued by Hudson?

Honestly, there is so much going on. Brilliant read.

Oh my goodness, where to begin. Rebecca Yarros has done it again!
Variation was absolutely amazing. The way this story was told was absolutely beautiful and hit all the different emotions in the best way possible.
Allie and Hudson are the perfect characters, they were done so beautifully that you can relate to both of them in different ways.
All of the other side characters, they were also brilliant and very much needed for this whole story. I loved the different settings, whether we were indoors or outdoors.
Highly Recommend reading this one!

*Thank you to Rebecca Yarros and everyone for the chance to read the e-arc of Variation*

Variation is a book that constantly twisted my heart strings. The character building that Rebecca Yarros does makes you connect to each and every character. I absolutely loved Hudson and Allie. The way they were able to build their love over the 11 year gap. They way they were able to support each other in different ways. I love how for each of them, they just wanted the other to achieve their greatest dreams.

I also loved how Rebecca was able to depict the different familial relationships. Not every mother is the best friend to the daughter; sometimes they are the most toxic person in their daughter’s life. It was nice to read a book that was so real in that department.

ARC Review
Alessandra is a ballerina, Hudson is in the Coast Guard. She is under immense pressure to be the best dancer, she is graded on the harshest scale. He is an outstanding swimmer and he job is to literally save people, can he save her from losing herself?

Weighed down with guilt and fueled with anger after being ghosted by her best friend she pushes herself to her limit to win the affection of her mother who is impossible to please. Allie sustains a career threatening injury forcing l her to return to her childhood home to rehab and focus on healing so she could go on and perform in the fall. While she is there she meets Hudson’s niece at her door sharing news that she can’t ignore forcing her to cross paths with the one who broke her heart.

Will she be able to forgive herself for her past? Can she forgive him? Can’t she help this fan out with her dilemma? Alessandra has some challenging choices to make.

Fake dating
Coast Guard
He falls first
Second chance

Rebecca Yarros did it again. She's masterfully woven together a story of pain, heart ache, friendship, love, hope, and second chances. The back-and-forth between points of view allows the reader to fall deeply for both Hudson and Allie, and everything they've endured both together and apart. Their history is complicated, but their present even more so, paired with complex emotions tied to their past experiences. I couldn't put this book down. I was so caught up in rooting for them, for their families, and for the happily ever after that I didn't want to stop reading for anything. By the time I reached the end, I was so fully caught up in every single character from this story that I couldn't help but be sad it was over, and I couldn't keep following their lives with them.

Oh, Rebecca!! You did it again!! This book stole my heart and made me fall in love with the characters. I love Annie and Hudson so much! Right when I thought I had everything figured out, you proved me wrong time and time again.

This book is a second-chance, fake dating, ballerina romance, and it was so good from start to finish. I couldn't put it down and was super sad when it ended. Seeing Annie and Hudson bond over their niece and fall in love for a second time while forgiving each other for past mistakes warmed my heart. The big secret in the book was not what I was expecting. I had my theories on it and was completely wrong. The secret helped unite the story and made me appreciate the characters even more! Buckle up on this one; it may rank among my top 3 favorite romance books by Rebecca! Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC and allowing me to read such a beautiful story!

4.5 stars
I'd only read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame by Yarros and was excited to read Variation- quite the difference! I love her contemporary voice- this book has it all-family secrets, sisterly love, first love, oh ,and some steamy sex scenes, and a perfectly happy ending. Looking forward to reading more of her contemporary romances.

Variation ARC review 🩰🌊

Honestly, Rebecca never ceases to draw me in, rip out my soul, put it back together, and leave me wanting more 😂- it’s a skill. I devoured this book in essentially
2 sittings.

The journey of Hudson and Allie is something to behold- it’s the perfect balance of angst, tension and love. This book has everything you want in a contemporary romance -small town, fake dating, multi-POV, great side characters- you do not want to miss out!

Also I love Gavin and wish he could have his own book😂

Honorable mention for favorite character: Sadie, she seemed really quite amazing 🐶

Release day: November 19 ‼️, preorder today!!!

Careful guys! If you have plans, cancel them because Variation by Rebecca Yarros is a gripping read right from the very beginning.
Now I am one who can call out plot twists and endings from the beginning of the book, but with Variation, I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time! I kid you not, I could not put this book down.

My favorite quote: Flings didn't make room for each other in their lives ... "
My least favorite quote: "Goodbye ... " Why? Because my heart BROKE so many times (Mrs. Yarros how could you 😭).
Who was my favourite character: Gavin. Why? Because he's funny as all hell and is that bit of comedy that everyone needs in their life.
My least favorite character: I don't think I can choose one specific character because everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses and character development. (Except for that one character, you'll understand when you read the book!)

This book gives you the perfect mix of adventure, suspense, second chance romance (or third or fourth but who's counting) only one bed, banter, character growth, plot twists, and so much more.
I highly recommend anyone asking themselves "what do I read next?" To give this book a chance

Small town love story filled with family secrets, second chances, heartbreak, and suspense. Rebecca Yarros weaves a brilliant binge worthy story that you can not put down!

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I love when Rebecca Yarros tackles contemporary romance. Throw in some second chance, and I'm all in!

For the most part, I really really loved this book- I did feel as if it took a while for me to get into it (although that may have just been me, not necessarily the writing), I think because there were so many names thrown out toward the beginning, and I had to stop to try to keep track of who they were. I loved the depth of the characters, especially Allie and Hudson. They felt so real to me, and the issues that they had to deal with were portrayed very well.

I would love to see more from these characters, especially the sisters, in the future!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets and deep regrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.

Rebecca’s storytelling shines in this powerful tale of love, regret, and second chances. From the first page, I was completely absorbed, swept into Allie and Hudson’s emotionally charged journey. Their story is raw and deeply felt, and I found myself navigating their ups and downs as if I were experiencing them firsthand. The emotional complexity of the characters, combined with Rebecca’s signature heartfelt prose, makes this novel impossible to put down.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you feel deeply and linger in your thoughts long after the last page, this is it. Rebecca's writing is nothing short of spectacular. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Thank you Rebecca Yarros and team for this ARC!
Variation is a contemporary romance, which we know Rebecca does so well. It was sweet, emotional, and full of easy to love characters. A second chance, small town romance will do it for me anytime, anyday. The story is heartfelt and moving and has more to offer than your typical romance novels. And in truth Rebecca fashion there is of course a twist in there that you never see coming!
Which is one of the many many reasons I will forever be a Rebecca Yarros fan!