I really enjoyed Sylvie's story. Ballet is a world I know very little about so this was fascinating to see what happens behind the scenes, The author has certainly done her research and it clearly shows. I will be looking for more titles from her. A captivating read

I just want to say thank you to @netgalley and @millsandboon for giving me the chance to read and review this book ahead of the 22nd June publication date!🥰

First Position follows the story of Sylvie, a determined ballerina who breaks every rule to reach the top of her profession. However when a scandal rocks the ballet world, Sylvie loses everything and when her life starts to spiral to out of control she uses alcohol and erotic encounters to cope! 🥺

Melanie was not shy writing these erotic encounters; it was so full of spice! If this isn’t your kind of cup of tea though, I would recommend staying away from this book as it’s very detailed! 👀

It was unique and different reading a book about ballet and dance as I hadn’t read anything like this before and also not being in this profession I can only imagine what it’s like! 🩰

If you are into dance, ballet or erotica then this book is most certainly for you! 😍

I read this and it kind of gave me 'Black Swan' vibes. I loved the dual POV's and I definitely think desire can be the downfall for a lot of people. Throughout the book was a lot of very sensitive topics that were written about with care and consideration. If you are triggered, I would check this before reading.

I enjoyed the book, it was interesting and gripping - the ballet side of things is just how I imagine life for a Ballet Dancer to be.

Thanks to Melanie and Netgalley for allowing me access to this arc.

Book was a lot more filthier than I anticipated! At first I'll admit, I was a little bored with the plot as I felt it developed at a very slow pace, however I do believe that around the middle of the book we got to see some interesting developments between our characters!
I was honestly expecting something a bit more tamer than usual, however it was a pleasant surprise!

I enjoyed this book and was completely invested in the story, the middle felt abit drawn out and I wasn’t a fan of the characters but a good book and story nonetheless.

Gritty,delicious and intriguing First Position is a ballet lovers dream read. An original and engrossing premise that really takes you behind the scenes of the dancers world so you really feel what they do.

Not quite what I expected - a very average score from me. Not helped by the formatting, was awful to read on kindle

First position is a deep dive into the cut-throat world of ballet. Sylvie was on track to be the best ballerina but then a scandal leaves her mental health and career in wrecks. I struggled to get into this book. Some of the themes just weren’t for me although I do understand that it was trying to show us the dark side of ballet. However, I find some parts really interesting. I think this could definitely be a 5 star read for someone it just wasn’t for me. Thank you for giving me the arc

This one was a pleasant surprise! I was unsure if it was going to be for me, not having a huge interest in the world of dance. But I honestly enjoyed it so much, spice, twists and dark turns kept this being such a page turner! It won't be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it!

I was disappointed by this book - I expected it to be a spicy romance, but really it lacked any romance at all and was much more about ambition, self-doubt and self-hatred. I found the main character’s motivation hard to understand at points, but the real let down was the absence of a happy ending, which is something readers expect as a universal feature of the genre.

I tried.... I really did - and I am an avid reader - but I couldn't finish this - it just wasn't for me. Also on the kindle - it didn't download well which did make the reading experience harder. Lots of numbers and half lines etc.

Oh, how I adored First Position by Melanie Hamrick! This gripping tale of passion, ambition, and scandal swept me off my feet from the very beginning. Sylvie Carter, a driven dancer, has broken the rules to ascend to the pinnacle of her profession. But the ballet world is unforgiving, and a devastating scandal shatters her dreams, leaving her with nothing. Determined not to repeat her mistakes, Sylvie's resolve is tested when she crosses paths with the enigmatic dancer, Alessandro Russo. Their magnetic connection ignites a journey that takes us from New York to Vienna and Paris, delving into the alluring yet dark side of ballet.

The romance between Sylvie and Alessandro is captivating and sizzling, skillfully woven into the fabric of the ballet world. I found myself completely immersed in their passionate relationship, eagerly turning the pages to uncover every twist and turn. Melanie Hamrick's writing is simply exquisite, artfully balancing steamy elements with the emotional depths of forbidden love. The story flowed seamlessly, and I couldn't put the book down until I reached the satisfying end.

First Position is a gem that lingers long after you turn the last page. It delves deep into the harsh reality of the elite ballet world, painting a vivid picture of Sylvie's journey of redemption and sexual awakening. If you're a fan of intense, steamy romances with a touch of darkness and intrigue, this book is an absolute must-read. Prepare to be captivated and left wanting more of Sylvie and Alessandro's enthralling story.

I was pleased to be given the opportunity to read this; especially considering the synopsis. However, I have been left feeling rather disappointed that the story takes forever to unfold... two dancers who meet and have a shared trauma, but the flipping backwards and forwards, the events told from the two characters point of view just didn't really seem necessary, and I wanted to finish the book rather than get to the end of a story. A brilliant idea, but just needs refining in order to hold my attention a little longer.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But there is very little character development with Sylvie making the same mistakes again and again. It was trying to be like Black Swam but I felt something was a bit lacking in it. Also the book being described as "dark"; I wouldn't necessarily agree with. For me I thought there would be more tension instead of drug use and sex scenes.

The ending felt rushed, everything was wrapped up very quickly and fairytale-like. Not that a happy ending is a bad thing but after everything that happened in the book I did want more of Sylvie learning to put the past behind her and truly healing.

The spice in the book was ok, but often it felt like it overpowered the storyline. I would have preferred more character development to gratuitous sex scenes.

This was alright, but not special. I certainly wasn’t riveted by the storyline. There were echoes of the Black Swan, but it was not so well executed.
There was little character development, not much background, and the constant switching timelines was irritating. The author wasted no time getting straight into the ‘spice’ however! Maybe that is what Mills and Boon does these days to hook their readers in? 2.5 stars from me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

First Position got spicy very quickly - less than 20 pages in to be exact 🌶

I absolutely loved this book and not just because it is a romance but due to the dark vibes from the story and incredibly unlikeable characters - it was even better than I expected it to be!

I loved Ballet and Dance growing up, so this book being set in a Dance company was perfect.

I would love to read more stories like this, so cannot wait to see what Melanie Hamrick comes up with next.

My Top 5 things from this book:

•Ballet
•Romance
•Spicy/ Steamy read
•Dark theme
•Unlikeable Characters

Dirty Dancing indeed! This accomplished novel, rooted in the author's experience of the ballet world, follows the fortunes of two competing principal dancers. Sylvie was once the 'perfect girl' with it all at her feet, all the technique but less heart. Jocelyn didn't have her precision, but was somehow more watchable and with more life experience from having grown up 'a hoodrat in a tutu' with a mother who resembled Jennifer Coolidge, but withour her charisma. As young women, they seemed to have it all to look forward to.

However, something has gone wrong - when we meet the two at the start of the book, Jocelyn is smashing it as ballet mistress Diana's favourite, while Sylvie has lost her confidence, bordering on getting kicked out of the company, and is dependent on drugs, alcohol and anonymous hookups in hotels. It turns out they were both groomed by their ballet master when they were barely out of their teens, and love - with the right men, and even with each other - might be the only thing that can help them escape his shadow.

The ending was too abrupt and fairytale, but the sex scenes - if a bit vanilla - were very well done, with an opulent mix of S&M, girl on girl, threesomes and straight, romantic love. Highly recommended.

Whilst the book was good, it wasn't more than that. I was excited to read something dark with ballet because it's always an interesting topic to dive into. However, this book was anything but thrilling. Yes, there was an attempt for Black Swanishness (that isn't a word but I just made it into one) but it just lacks the edge unless we count sex clubs, drugs and older men as edge.

All in all, the plot made me hope for more than what I got but it was still a decent read.

This is a book that will attract ballet lovers everywhere and although not a ballet lover, the front cover certainly drew my attention. The book follows the lives of two young girls, Sophie and Jocelyn who join the North American Ballet the same time and how Sophie gets involved in a scandal which disrupts her career and spoils her friendship. This book covers all the issues of the ballet world like weight, sex, drugs ,eating disorders, casual relationships and was a very intense read at times.
My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the proof copy which was unfortunately laid out in a very disjointed way ( first time ever ) which did spoil my enjoyment of reading this book..

Not my usual genre, but all around an enjoyable enough book. Only giving 3 stars as it didn't really stick out to me, and probably wouldn't recommend it for that simple fact.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.