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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first book I’ve read by Milena McKay, and I very much doubt it will be my last. She had me at the first sentence. Even though the misunderstanding trope is woven throughout the story, the settings, the history (I’m a GenXer, so I remember the 80s well), is so richly painted, I felt I was right there, watching everything unfold. Juliette Lucien-Sorel is the Étoile, the Princess of Paris ballerina who becomes captivated by the Empress, Katerina Vyatka, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi troupe. And when Katerina wants to defect with Juliette’s help, the course of their lives forever changes.
Maybe I’m just super naïve, but I never suspected a sapphic romance with two ballet dancers would be so riveting. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up every night. The characters are exceptionally well developed. And the afterwords denoting the lived experiences that inspired what happens with Katrina and Gabriel are staunch reminders of what the world was like back then.
Highly recommend this work.
Maybe I’m just super naïve, but I never suspected a sapphic romance with two ballet dancers would be so riveting. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up every night. The characters are exceptionally well developed. And the afterwords denoting the lived experiences that inspired what happens with Katrina and Gabriel are staunch reminders of what the world was like back then.
Highly recommend this work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny
Minor: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent
Reverence by Milena McKay is a stunningly written sapphic romance that transcends its ballet-themed premise, delivering an emotional and richly layered story that left me absolutely breathless. Set in the glitz and tension of the 1980s ballet world, this novel masterfully intertwines love, rivalry, and historical context into a tapestry that feels both grand and deeply personal.
As a former dancer and a lesbian, I knew this book would resonate with me, but it exceeded all my expectations. Juliette and Katarina, the two ballerinas at the heart of the story, are captivating in their contrasts and complexities. Juliette, the adored "Princess of Paris," and Katarina, the enigmatic defector from behind the Iron Curtain, are as different as can be, yet their chemistry is electric and their dynamic absolutely compelling.
I’ll admit the book started a little slow for me, but once it hit its stride, I couldn’t put it down. I was fully immersed in the world of ballet, Parisian glamour, and Cold War-era tension. The historical context is woven in so seamlessly that it enriches the story without overwhelming the romance, making this much more than just a love story.
The side characters are equally well-crafted, playing vital roles in the narrative and offering deeper insights into the main characters. Every relationship—whether friendly, professional, or romantic—feels authentic and significant, adding layers to the story and grounding it in reality.
By the end of the book, I was in tears, overwhelmed by the beauty and depth of what I had just read. Reverence is a celebration of art, love, and resilience, and Milena McKay’s writing elevates it into something truly extraordinary.
Thank you to Milena McKay and Pride Book Tours for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
As a former dancer and a lesbian, I knew this book would resonate with me, but it exceeded all my expectations. Juliette and Katarina, the two ballerinas at the heart of the story, are captivating in their contrasts and complexities. Juliette, the adored "Princess of Paris," and Katarina, the enigmatic defector from behind the Iron Curtain, are as different as can be, yet their chemistry is electric and their dynamic absolutely compelling.
I’ll admit the book started a little slow for me, but once it hit its stride, I couldn’t put it down. I was fully immersed in the world of ballet, Parisian glamour, and Cold War-era tension. The historical context is woven in so seamlessly that it enriches the story without overwhelming the romance, making this much more than just a love story.
The side characters are equally well-crafted, playing vital roles in the narrative and offering deeper insights into the main characters. Every relationship—whether friendly, professional, or romantic—feels authentic and significant, adding layers to the story and grounding it in reality.
By the end of the book, I was in tears, overwhelmed by the beauty and depth of what I had just read. Reverence is a celebration of art, love, and resilience, and Milena McKay’s writing elevates it into something truly extraordinary.
Thank you to Milena McKay and Pride Book Tours for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Just blown away with this marvellous book! Absolutely love it though it made me suffer a bit!
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
okay so. i liked it a lot i did. i love the usage of the word lesbian throughout, the immersive scenes and dialogue. reverence created a very nice atmosphere. at times it a tender one but overall this book was a very good read. loved the characters, especially gabriel cuz hello her golden retriever bff. the names were all so eloquent and fitting.
what makes it a 4 stars for me is the many sentences starting with and/but/because, along with personally feeling like after the climax of the story it was heavy on time jumping. i am happy where it ended though!
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
✨ Sapphic Historical Romance
✨ 3rd Person Limited POV
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Ballet
✨ Rivals to Lovers
✨ Age Gap (25/35)
> micro-tropes and content warnings after review
I am tempted to argue that Reverence is not a romance in the typical sense for the genre. While the romance is the main over-arching focus, a lot of the book felt very suspenseful and had a strong theme of betrayal. I read this as a buddy read, and the consensus was "I need to read a romance to recover from this romance"... which isn't a bad thing! But if you're expecting something lighter, it is going to disappoint. This book holds so much more within it than a run of the mill romance, and that is something I really love about it.
I thought Juliette overall was a compelling main character. From the start, she is very infatuated with our ice queen, Katarina. This seems to stem from a mix of admiration and intimidation. It's very clear that Juliette perceives Katarina differently than those around her. The opinions and perceptions of others toward Katarina cause Juliette to be confused (and conflicted). I enjoyed reading about these complex feelings and emotions. They felt very real to me.
With Katarina, the reader isn't overly privy into what she is feeling. Everything she does is filtered through Juliette's lens, though through context the reader is able to glean some unspoken/unacknowledged insight. Because Katarina is seen as cold (aka ice queen), these instances are subtle and often misinterpreted by Juliette. I think this plays well into the time period and political circumstances surrounding the story.
I do have some minor complaints with the story overall. The pacing is a bit off with the timeline being stretched and compressed throughout the story. There are times I wanted more and other times I could have done with less. I also struggle when books like this seem to turn out a little too good. Not to say everything is sunshine and rainbows at the end, but I think the ending had aspects that just didn't seem right or like they fit with the rest of the story. I still enjoyed it, but the ending did leave something to be desired (though I'm not sure I can entirely articulate what those things are).
Overall I found Reverence to be an emotional and haunting historical romance. The author's note at the end had me tearing up. I would recommend this to people who enjoy romantic suspense in a historical setting. If you're in the mood for a classic romance, I would hold off on this one.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes:
✨ Lethal Looks
✨ Women who leave bruises
✨ Love as a tragedy
✨ Keeping the light on
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
political repressions in the USSR, homophobia (time period), fatal accident (off page)
✨ 3rd Person Limited POV
✨ 3/5 Spice Level
✨ Ballet
✨ Rivals to Lovers
✨ Age Gap (25/35)
> micro-tropes and content warnings after review
I am tempted to argue that Reverence is not a romance in the typical sense for the genre. While the romance is the main over-arching focus, a lot of the book felt very suspenseful and had a strong theme of betrayal. I read this as a buddy read, and the consensus was "I need to read a romance to recover from this romance"... which isn't a bad thing! But if you're expecting something lighter, it is going to disappoint. This book holds so much more within it than a run of the mill romance, and that is something I really love about it.
I thought Juliette overall was a compelling main character. From the start, she is very infatuated with our ice queen, Katarina. This seems to stem from a mix of admiration and intimidation. It's very clear that Juliette perceives Katarina differently than those around her. The opinions and perceptions of others toward Katarina cause Juliette to be confused (and conflicted). I enjoyed reading about these complex feelings and emotions. They felt very real to me.
With Katarina, the reader isn't overly privy into what she is feeling. Everything she does is filtered through Juliette's lens, though through context the reader is able to glean some unspoken/unacknowledged insight. Because Katarina is seen as cold (aka ice queen), these instances are subtle and often misinterpreted by Juliette. I think this plays well into the time period and political circumstances surrounding the story.
I do have some minor complaints with the story overall. The pacing is a bit off with the timeline being stretched and compressed throughout the story. There are times I wanted more and other times I could have done with less. I also struggle when books like this seem to turn out a little too good. Not to say everything is sunshine and rainbows at the end, but I think the ending had aspects that just didn't seem right or like they fit with the rest of the story. I still enjoyed it, but the ending did leave something to be desired (though I'm not sure I can entirely articulate what those things are).
Overall I found Reverence to be an emotional and haunting historical romance. The author's note at the end had me tearing up. I would recommend this to people who enjoy romantic suspense in a historical setting. If you're in the mood for a classic romance, I would hold off on this one.
(beware potential spoilers below)
Micro-tropes:
✨ Lethal Looks
✨ Women who leave bruises
✨ Love as a tragedy
✨ Keeping the light on
Content Warnings
(may not be all inclusive)
political repressions in the USSR, homophobia (time period), fatal accident (off page)
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fine, Milena McKay, I will cry a lot about the gay ballerinas.
I loved this. It made me cry a lot and also really engage me in a world I normally care nothing about (Parisian ballet and its politics). Milena McKay does a fantastic job with creating well-rounded characters that we can understand and empathise with. In many books, if you don't have the POV chapters for a character whose general demeanor is best described as icy and unapproachable, like Katarina Vyatka is, you would have a hard time empathising with her fear and insecurity but Milena has us somehow on board within a few chapters.
Remarkable, deeply sad, and the afterwords about Milena McKay's personal connections that led to her writing about the Gulag and HIV lend even more poignancy to the story. Absolutely wonderful, as expected!
I loved this. It made me cry a lot and also really engage me in a world I normally care nothing about (Parisian ballet and its politics). Milena McKay does a fantastic job with creating well-rounded characters that we can understand and empathise with. In many books, if you don't have the POV chapters for a character whose general demeanor is best described as icy and unapproachable, like Katarina Vyatka is, you would have a hard time empathising with her fear and insecurity but Milena has us somehow on board within a few chapters.
Remarkable, deeply sad, and the afterwords about Milena McKay's personal connections that led to her writing about the Gulag and HIV lend even more poignancy to the story. Absolutely wonderful, as expected!