First Position by Melanie Hamrick takes readers into the captivating and competitive world of ballet. Sylvie Carter, a talented and driven dancer, has sacrificed everything for her art. But when a scandal rocks the ballet community and Sylvie becomes the scapegoat, she loses it all. Determined not to repeat her past mistakes, Sylvie tries to rebuild her life. However, her path crosses with Alessandro Russo, a renowned dancer who ignites a powerful connection within her.

As Sylvie navigates the glittering yet treacherous ballet scene, she finds herself torn between her ambition and the risks that come with her intense relationship with Alessandro. From the vibrant streets of New York to the enchanting cities of Vienna and Paris, Sylvie's journey is filled with both professional challenges and personal discoveries.

First Position explores themes of redemption, desire, and self-discovery. Sylvie's pursuit of her dreams and her passionate relationship with Alessandro lead her on a path of growth and self-realization. Hamrick skilfully captures the intricacies of the ballet world, its beauty and its pitfalls, providing readers with an immersive experience.

Through Sylvie's journey, the novel delves into the complexities of ambition and the sacrifices one must make for success. It poses thought-provoking questions about the cost of pursuing one's passion and the true meaning of fulfillment. With its blend of romance, drama, and a behind-the-scenes look at the ballet industry, First Position is a compelling read that will captivate fans of dance and those seeking a story of resilience and transformation.

even though this is not my usual read but this was really good and well written. good plot and easy to read. worth thr read if you are looking for something new to read.

Thanks to Netgally for the advanced copy of this.
One word: FLAT
I finished this book in a couple of hours and it was boring. The characters were not fully fleshed out. There was barely any background given. It was just flat!
The jumping back and forward in time gave me whiplash, at times I had no idea where the story was even going. It was just meh and it didn’t excite me and the writing needs work!
My Rating 1/5

First Position by Melanie Hamrick
⭐⭐⭐⭐

First Position is based on Sylvie Carter, a ballerina who is spiralling out of control, using alcohol and physical encounters to cope, after falling from grace due to a scandal involving an older male star. In this book we follow her journey back from disgrace as she refinds herself as a ballerina.
I think this book depicts the life of a ballerina in a very detailed fashion covering many aspects such as their lifestyle, hard work, rivalry amongst peers as well as abuse and exploitation within and seeing as the author is a former ballerina it makes the story feel a lot more realistic.
The story switches from past to present, which I enjoyed as it gave us insight on how Sylvie actually fell from grace. All in all, I did expect the book to be more focused on ballet and the world within whereas I felt that it actually focused on Sylvie's journey to the top. Nevertheless, I definitely enjoyed the book and can't wait to read any future works this author has to offer.

Thank you mills and boons and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review ❤️

Thank you Netgalley & Mills & Boon for this ARC!

I don't really know what I expected when I started reading this as the Goodreads reviews were a little mixed. I thought it would be more about ballet and the ballet world.

Instead, it was a story about a ballerina's journey to rediscover her love of dance after a scandal with a former dancer-turned-director left her broken, with a side of spice with a new dancer thrown in. (Some will say smut, but 2 sex scenes isn’t smut in my books)

I actually really liked the concept of the dancer finding herself again & becoming stronger, even starting a new relationship with the sexy & talented new dancer.

However, I felt that while the concept was great, the character development wasn’t all it could have been! Most of the book was dragging out what happened in the past and the dancer continuing to make bad decisions, until, all of a sudden, in the very last few chapters, she decides enough is enough & is suddenly great again.

I would have liked there to have been more time spent on falling in love with dance again & training to get back to how she used to be as the talented dancer she clearly was.

That said, I did still enjoy this read because I enjoyed the idea. I just think it could have been better with a little more time spent on character development. It was, however, still a very good easy read & I would still recommend this book.

With thanks to netgalley, the pubilers and the author for allowing me to read this book.

I really struggled with First position, I didn't really enjoy it at all, sorry!

I really enjoyed this dark romance. The focus on the ballet is what drew me in as I really love ballet, but the intrigue with all of the muddled relationships and friendships throughout. You start out thinking poor Sylvie and wanting to know what happened but as it progresses, you realise that you need to know all sides of the story to understand the true tale of events. I love a flawed character and Sylvie was deeply flawed but so human. I found myself rooting for her even when she was, quite frankly, being a dick. There was definite discomfort over certain parts of the book but that was the obvious point with creepy Sebastian making the poor new girls perform for him.

Thank you so much to Mills and Boon for allowing me to read this book!

I really enjoyed this read and loved the notion of the story. All the characters were well written and fitted perfectly in the story! Definitely one for the shelf.

‘I don’t know what I want anymore, and I used to know exactly what I wanted. I know that I did. Somewhere along the way that changed. And I know exactly when.’

First Position is an emotionally dark tale from the secret and gruelling backstage of the world of ballet with so much gritty tension and harrowing angst. I felt uncomfortable reading at times as this is quite the self-destructive story of Sylvie Carter, who is entangled in an erotic, hedonistic and forbidden love affair entwined in the ruthlessness of competition and scandal. It was well written, creating a powerful atmosphere and characters which felt real and believable.

‘I’m surviving instead of breathing. I’m waiting for something, but what would it take for me to live again?’

Whilst I was completely drawn into this story, what with its sombre and powerful mood which put me completely on edge, I can’t say that I felt a great connection with Sylvie Carter, rather I felt more for Jocelyn who sparked that important emotional intensity. When I read the chapters with Jocelyn’s POV I just felt…more. Whether this was the intention of this Author I cannot say or know, but the detachment and coldness of the incredibly ambitious Sylvie kept that barrier up between her and myself. I watched, mesmerised in the audience instead. I did however feel sympathy and heartbreak for Sylvie’s self-destruction as she lost her way, enabled by those in powerful positions.

‘Even though there is no sound, everyone can hear the scream from within me. So loud in my own head that I almost want to cover my ears. I almost lose my absent voice.’

When we break, how we rebuild ourselves is what truly matters, and I did love seeing Sylvie come into her own after years of struggles and eventually find what she needed as well as her true emotional potential. And as for Jocelyn, I was so invested in her I needed to know she too would find her way in the unforgiving world of the ballet where you constantly have to watch your own back.

‘But I am alone. Letting go of my broken self. Letting go of a version of the love I used to have. I am exhausted.’

I loved this book, and it is not my usual genre. A dark, behind-the-scenes look at the ballet world and it's seedy underbelly. Loved it and had me hooked on every page.

It was a very intriguing read. I loved how intricately woven the plot line was in relation with the characters and their psyche. It was definitely one un-putdown-able read for me!

First Position follows 2 main characters who start at a ballet company on the same day. It has chapters from both of their view points and from different times too so it gives the back story to main plot lines. The story covers a lot of issues that the characters have do deal with such as weight and eating disorders, sex, grooming and drugs. It didn't become too far fetched that it became unbelievable but it kept me interested. I enjoyed the fact that the author is from a ballet background so the terminology was correct.

Peek behind the scenes of a touring ballet company. The pain, anguish, travel,, depravity, dieting, sex and manipulation are laid bare.
You follow Jocelyn and Sylvie from their first day in the company. Are they friends or enemies, different backgrounds and survival methods that pit them together and against eachother.
You will be entranced by the story and thankfully that you do not live in that world.

An exciting story about the world of ballet. Sylvie and Jocelyn, from very different backgrounds, join the North American ballet at the same time, and become friends. Sylvie gets involved in a scandal which disrupts their friendship and affects her career. The story goes back to their history, and the present time.
The insights into the world of ballet are really interesting, and there are lots of graphic sex scenes.
I really enjoyed this, highly recommended.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure about this book to be honest struggled my way through it and can't say I actually enjoyed it. Sorry

I'm not sure how I feel about this book.

I liked the premise of it and the actual insight into the world of ballet was good. A lot of the spice was smoking. However, some of it made me feel really uncomfortable. The age gap between the main characters and Sebastian was icky. Loved the ending so overall an Ok read.

Loved this book. Desire can often be your undoing and this story leaves that bare. Sylvie has so much and loses so much. Very well written.

This was less about dance than I expected and I found I didn't really connect with the characters and storyline. 2.5* rounded up to 3*. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.

A wonderful peek into the darker side of ballet, the pressure, the strain and the triumphs. I really enjoyed this read, Silvie was relatable and it was a measure to go on her journey as she found her way back to herself.
A great look at the mistakes we make in our youth and the lingering effects they can have.

With t-inches of the Black Swan we deep dive into the professional cut throat world of ballerinas and watch as Sylvie will do whatever it takes to stay on top.