Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of What’s Yours is Mine.

This is my first read from the author, and I definitely enjoyed it. I felt it was a slow burner for the first half of the book, but I was never contemplating DNF, it kept my attention and I was keen to see how the story would progress.

Then, at halfway, it ramped up, and I was invested big time! Glad I’m off work for the summer holidays and had time to keep reading!

Overall, a good read, kept me entertained and would recommend to others, especially dance and sports mums!

Best friends Kate and Colette are the two top dancers at their elite studio. Kate’s mom Valerie is a hard-working single mother who doesn’t really understand the world of dance, so Colette’s mom Elise, an intense former ballerina herself, took Kate under her wing. Colette has always been the better of the two, but Kate’s been edging up and now they’re evenly matched and competing for the same prestigious opportunities. As Kate starts to outshine Colette, a vicious attack completely upends their worlds.

This might not be my usual type of thriller, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this one! I was immediately sucked into the cutthroat dance drama in this riveting domestic suspense novel. Everything about this book felt like it could be so REAL, from the girls’ complicated friendship/rivalry to Elise’s obsessiveness to Valerie’s attraction to Elise’s husband. The suspense builds and builds, the tension gradually ratcheting up like a frog being slowly boiled alive. By the time we get to the shockingly violent moment, I was completely enmeshed in the characters’ dramas. What sets this book apart from other thrillers (and make no mistake, there are plenty of twists and red herrings here) is the raw, visceral emotion that the author wrings from her characters. It hooked me deep and I couldn’t look away! My friends at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse will be buzzing about this one!

Loved That? Read This! This book is perfect for fans of:
- The Turnout by Megan Abbott
- The Shadow Girls by Nina Laurin
- Black Swan
- I, Tonya
- Dance Moms

Jealous friends and overbearing dance moms is a lovely recipe for disaster! This one was oozing with drama and I loved every minute! What a competition fueled read this was. It’s started out slow for me but when the twist came I was hooked. Add this to your TBR because it’s so good.

I could not stop reading this book I absolutely loved it I will be telling everyone to read this! I love a crazy person in a book and this was just perfect

What's Yours Is Mine by Jennifer Jabaley is a well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
They are realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

Drama is high, and competition is cutthroat in this dance moms inspired thriller. I found every single character in this book completely unlikeable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There is so much jealousy, deceit, and lies going on in here, and I must admit, I was all for it. This book is one that if you like drama you will eat it up. I will say that I had the twist figured out way before it was revealed, but I didn't care. I was just hoping that in the end, Mrs. Drama Queen got what she deserved.

This book was absolutely crazy! Colette and Kate: best friends. Dancers. Colette's mom Elise just wants her daughter to have everything she never accomplished. With a huge money prize, why wouldn't you want to do everything in your power to get it? The rivalry and competition between the characters will leave you gasping. Everyone in the Pulse is so excited to be able to read What's Mine Is Yours by Jen Jabaley and I'm one of them. This book is explosive and my flabbers were gasted. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. I highly recommend.

Have you ever met a mom who is obsessed with her daughter's achievements in sports? We're talking a level of Dance Moms obsessed. Jennifer Jabaley's What's Yours Is Mine offers a fun take on this dynamic, featuring two teenage best friends who are dancers, one over-the-top mom, and another mom simply trying to reconnect with her daughter.

What I Liked About What's Yours Is Mine:

I really enjoyed the characterization in Jabaley's book. The story is told from the different perspectives of the four characters: Elise, Colette, Valerie, and Kate. We get a look into the life of dancers and their moms. Elise is the manic mom of Colette's achievement in dance. Colette is doing everything she can to make her mom happy. Kate is Colette's best friend, and a dancer herself. Valerie is Kate's mom. She struggles because she doesn't understand Kate's love of dance. She also doesn’t understand why Kate would rather be at Colette's house all of the time.

My favorite character was Kate. I admire someone who has grit and determination to achieve her goals. She persists even if she doesn't have the means to make it happen. In order to pay for her dance lessons, Kate even cleans the dance studio to help offset the fees.

My least favorite character was Elise. You aren't supposed to love her, but I think a lot of parents will relate to her, especially if you have a child involved in sports.

This was an easy read, and I definitely wanted to find out how it ended. I gave this four out of five stars because I enjoyed reading it. The ending seemed a little rushed, but I thought it wrapped up nicely. Middle school readers and young adults would enjoy this book as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Jennifer Jabaley for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.

Welcome to the world of competitive dance, where the pirouettes are tight, the mothers are terrifying, and the claws are sharpened offstage.

Jennifer Jabaley’s What’s Yours is Mine is like Dance Moms meets Big Little Lies, but with more secrets, more sabotage, and yes more murder-y vibes.

On the surface, it’s all glitter and grace. Valerie Yarnell is a single mom trying her best to support her daughter Kate’s dreams of becoming the next dance prodigy. But unfortunately, they’re orbiting around the black hole of fabulous dysfunction known as Elise, a former prima ballerina, mother to Colette (Kate’s best friend/perfect little dance angel), and, oh yeah, married to the man Valerie can’t quite forget. Fun!

Cue the spiraling tension. Competitive moms? Check. Daughter drama? Double check. Emotional landmines with every turn? Absolutely.

And thenit happens. A violent attack at the height of competition season blows everything wide open. Think: broken dreams, secrets revealed, reputations ruined. What began as subtle sabotage morphs into a full-blown psychological catfight with devastating consequences.

Jabaley nails the toxic undercurrents of ambition and motherhood with chilling precision. It’s sharp, suspenseful, and full of “wait… WHAT?” moments that make you flip pages at 1 a.m. like your life depends on it.

If you’ve ever side-eyed a stage mom, questioned a friendship that felt just a little too perfect, or wondered how far someone would go to protect their child’s future, this book will eat you alive (in the best way).

Buy this. Read this. Cancel plans. Tell no one.
Because in this game, what’s yours is theirs… until it’s not. 👀

Valerie is a hardworking single mother who’d do anything for her daughter, Kate. Kate is a dancer with dreams of stardom, just like her talented best friend, Colette. Despite Valerie’s sacrifices, it’s Colette’s mother, former ballerina Elise, whom Kate adores. Colette has become like the sister Kate never had. How can Valerie not feel frustrated and jealous of the queen bee of dance moms? Not only has she hijacked her daughter, but Elise is married to the man Valerie pines for.

Rivalries are forming. Tension is mounting. In preparation for an elite dance competition, Kate outshines Colette onstage, and the pressure is on for Colette to remain in the spotlight― and to keep her demanding mother happy. Who could have foreseen the violent attack that sabotages everything?

This book is definitely more drama than thriller but it was just as twisty and intense and did not disappoint! It is a perfect example of what can happen when parents live through their children and the pressure that’s placed on kids to succeed while they are just trying to enjoy something they love doing. There are parts of this book that every parent can relate too…especially the feeling of wanting the best for your children. Elise takes this concept to another level, while Valerie wants the same thing but doesn’t have the time to commit to dancing because she’s trying to earn a living. The tension just kept building between all the characters, that I had to keep reading because I knew that someone was going to snap! And while I knew Elise was crazy, the author did a great job making me question everyone at some point!

This was my first book by this author and I’ll be reading more! It’s an entertaining read for anyone, but I would definitely recommend it for parents of young children or teenagers…and it’s a must read for any dance mom!

Dance moms gone sinister.

Obsession. Envy. Jealousy. Drama.

A $100,000 prize & these girls will stop at nothing to get it.

I’m not sure who was worse…the moms or their daughters. Holy moly this one had a lot of drama to unpack.

This was a great domestic thriller. I definitely felt the need to keep reading as the suspense kept building. The characters were all unlikable & that’s exactly the point. I definitely recommend checking this one out. It was entertaining & filled with everything a good thriller should have!

Book Review: What’s Yours Is Mine by Jennifer Jabaley
Thank you to BookSparks for the gifted book, and to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC.

From the very first chapter, What’s Yours Is Mine grabs you by the collar and drags you into the emotionally charged world of competitive dance—and it doesn’t let go. Jennifer Jabaley’s latest novel isn’t just about dance moms behaving badly (though there’s plenty of that); it’s about ambition, resentment, misplaced identity, and how love, when warped by fear or ego, can turn dangerously obsessive. This story doesn’t just simmer—it burns.

At the center of the novel are two teenage dancers, Kate and Colette, best friends on the surface, but underneath, they’re competitors. Their dynamic is already complicated, but it’s made infinitely worse by the women who raised them. Valerie, Kate’s mother, is a single mom doing everything she can to support her daughter’s dreams, even when she doesn’t understand or fully agree with them. Elise, Colette’s mother, is a former prima ballerina whose own career ended in disappointment—and she’s made it her mission to ensure Colette becomes everything she couldn’t. Both mothers want the best for their daughters. But one of them wants it too much.

Jabaley does a masterful job developing her characters into living, breathing contradictions. Elise is chilling—a picture of poise and control on the outside, but underneath, she’s a storm of insecurity, envy, and delusion. Her entire identity is wrapped around Colette’s success, and the lengths she goes to in order to protect that dream are deeply disturbing. Valerie, by contrast, is more grounded. She’s not perfect—far from it—but she’s real. She struggles, she doubts herself, and she carries a quiet kind of guilt that’s almost unbearable at times. Watching her try to hold everything together, financially and emotionally, while being completely sidelined in her own daughter’s life, is heartbreaking.

And the daughters? They’re written with such nuance that it’s easy to forget they’re just fifteen. Kate is driven and talented but aching for approval—from Elise, from her peers, and most painfully, from her own mother. Colette is tightly wound, carrying the pressure of perfection, and terrified of what failure means—not just for her, but for her entire family dynamic. Their friendship, built on shared passion, slowly starts to crack under the weight of comparison, and as the stakes get higher, so do the consequences.

The line that perfectly encapsulates this novel’s tone? “…because every bloodthirsty dancer would stop at nothing to command center stage.” It’s not just about dance. It’s about the brutality of competition, especially when the pressure doesn’t come from the rival across the stage—but from the parent sitting in the front row, expecting nothing less than greatness.

As a thriller, this novel doesn’t follow a traditional path. The suspense comes not from a sudden event, but from the slow, excruciating unraveling of relationships. When an act of violence finally shocks the story into chaos, it feels earned. All the tension has been building like a coiled spring, and when it snaps—it’s devastating. The media frenzy, the suspicion, the betrayal—it all explodes in a way that feels all too believable. It’s like watching a spark land in dry grass. You knew the fire was coming, but it still takes your breath away.

One of the strengths of this book is its use of multiple perspectives. We move between Elise, Valerie, and Colette, getting glimpses into their private thoughts, their lies, and the secrets they keep even from themselves. It’s disorienting in the best way, because it keeps you questioning everyone’s motives. Who’s protecting whom? Who’s lying to themselves? And who’s really to blame when everything falls apart?

By the time I reached the final twist, I realized how deeply the author had buried the truth. I thought I had figured it out. I was wrong. And when the truth did hit, it landed like a punch. Not because it came out of nowhere, but because it had been hiding in plain sight, masked by emotion, pain, and denial. That’s good writing. That’s a story that knows how to manipulate tension, character, and truth with surgical precision.

I’ve read plenty of thrillers. This one stands out—not just because of the plot twists or the pacing, but because it dares to explore the raw, emotional reality of what it means to be a mother who’s afraid of losing her child, and a child who’s afraid of not being enough. Jabaley doesn’t flinch away from the messiness. She leans into it, digs deeper, and exposes what happens when love curdles into something dangerous.

This is not just a book about dance. It’s a book about identity, expectations, envy, and the brutal toll of unfulfilled dreams. It’s about what happens when women are pitted against each other—generation after generation—and no one wins unless someone else loses. It’s sharp, character-driven, and psychologically complex in all the right ways.

Whether you’re a fan of thrillers, domestic suspense, or simply enjoy stories that challenge you to empathize with people you don’t agree with, What’s Yours Is Mine delivers. Jennifer Jabaley has written a novel that’s not just gripping—it’s emotionally bruising in the best possible way.

"...𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆."

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @jabaleyjennifer @lakeunionauthors & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthless, cut throat, and a tad bit psycho is my impression of the dance world.
Wow. Just wow. The ballet world is not something I know much about. I did take some ballet when I was younger, but it just wasn't my path in life.

Collette and Kate are friends and dancers vying for the ultimate goal: become the best of the best. But at what stakes would they realize they have gone too far.

This has some pretty unlikeable characters that made my jaw drop at times. Toward the end, it gave me Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan vibes. The competition, the accident, all of it but with two fifteen yr old girls.

I will say I definitely didn't see this one ending the way it did. It was so good! This definitely is one , going in blind was well worth it!

Grab this domestic suspense ASAP. You won't be disappointed!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Aug 5, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever danced? Taken any classes?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint #whatsyoursismine #lakeunionpublishing
#jenniferjabaley
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WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE was a relatively different kind of book for me. I haven't read anything about dancers and competitions, but this stood out. There was a lot of rivalry, drama and jealousy. My daughter was never in competitions like this so I never really thought about all the things that could happen between the girls, but here it was just one mom in particular. I think the author did a great job keeping me guessing. The twist was at the very end and I wouldn’t predicted it. If you’re looking for something a little different than your average thriller, I think you’ll like this one.


Many thanks for my gifted copy. My review will be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to pub date.

This gripping domestic thriller is not only an intense story about the competitive world of dance, it is also a complex tale of mother-daughter relationships strained by relentless expectations. This is a must-read not only for those who understand the intense pressure of the dance world but for anyone who loves a suspenseful and engaging story where rivalry pushes both kids and parents to their breaking points. The characters, like ticking time bombs, drive the story to a shocking reveal. I highly recommend this thrilling and insightful novel.

This book gave me dance mom vibes. I enjoyed it, an easy read thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for ARC

[Snack-Size Review] What’s Yours Is Mine, by Jennifer Jabaley

Quick Bite: Was this book written by a teenager? I feel like this book was written by a teenager.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: Kate Yarnell is almost the best dancer on her team, second only to her best friend Colette. Colette’s mother Elise is everything that Kate’s mother isn’t - a former professional dancer and completely devoted to furthering Colette’s career. She’s a second mom to Kate, loving and welcoming… until Kate starts to outshine Colette.

A Word From The Nerd: Oh. My. God. This book is awful. Terrible. The characters are all one-dimensional and completely lacking any emotional regulation. Everyone is always crying, shouting, shrieking, etc. Elise is a caricature. Valerie, Kate’s mom, is a sad sack. And the writing! So many exclamation points! In narration, not dialogue! The plot relies on every single character being a complete idiot, and making the most wrong, stupid choice every time. The final “twist” fell flatter than a ballerina on a greased stage. Just skip this one.

The Nerd’s Rating: ONE HAPPY NEURON (and some full-fat hot chocolate because SCREW YOU MOM!)

𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔?

Listen, I don't have a daughter and don't know anything about the dance world. But I'm here to tell you that I never missed an episode of Dance Moms and all the tears, shrieking, and drama that went with it--oh, and that all came from the moms. The kids just wanted to dance.

Kate and Colette are best friends, but in the dance world, that's often a misnomer as tensions run high and competition is fierce. Valerie is a single mom pulled in too many directions, but she knows that dance is important to her daughter Kate, so she makes the financial sacrifice for lessons. She can't always be at practices, but Colette's mom Elise never misses one. And whatever amenity she gets for Colette, Kate benefits from as well.

However, everything changes when an elite dance competition is announced. Colette, who has always been the reigning queen, starts to slip--after all, she is a teenager, and she's experiencing her first real crush. As she loses focus, Kate steps up and outshines Colette onstage, earning the coveted spot in the upcoming competition. Elise won't stand for her daughter to be second, and she amps up the pressure for Colette to reclaim her position in the spotlight.

When a violent attack sabotages the futures of both girls, truths start spilling out. Vicious journal entries, obsession, secrets...things get messy in SO many ways. I was absolutely hooked from the first page, and the whole thing read like one of those 'ripped from the headlines' events. Because when it comes to their children, some mamas are just crazy. Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for the early copy. Look for this one August 5, 2025.

Who is worse? Competitive dancers or their mothers?
Valerie is a single mother struggling to support her daughter Kate’s dream of dancing professionally. Elise, on the other hand is married to a lawyer and their daughter Colette has the best dancing classes, outfits, and her mother’s devotion to making her dreams come true.
When Kate starts getting more attention than Colette from their demanding teacher, all Elise sees is red. Her dance dreams were ripped away from her, and she will do anything to ensure Colette stays on top. Cracks begin to form between Kate and Colette as they both get ready to compete in an important competition.
Soon their friendship seems broken and Colette starts to wonder how far Kate will go to win. When Colette is attacked, will her dream be over? And is Kate happy or sad?
Get your notebook ready to list your potential suspects. There are more than a few, and I honestly thought all of these parents (except for one) might have been guilty. I wound up making my final choice and I was right (yeah me)! Interesting dynamics, a story told from multiple POV’s, and chapters ending on cliffhangers made this a fun beach read.
My favorite character was the Cray Cray Elise. I would not want her as a mother or a friend, but as far as a character, it was hard not to keep rolling my eyes and saying, what’s next Elise!

📖 ARC Review | What’s Yours is Mine by Jennifer Jabaley
📚 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This was another one I went into blind—and I was hooked. From the start, there’s an undercurrent of tension that just keeps building. Jealousy, sacrifices, secrets, and simmering rivalries make this a compulsive read that doesn’t let up.

As the layers peel back, you’re left wondering who you can trust and how far someone will go when everything’s on the line. A sharp, twisty thriller with a strong emotional edge—I flew through it!