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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
This book was GOOD! If you like drama, you’ll love it too because there’s plenty of it! It’s about ballet, rivalry, betrayal, secrets, ambitions, trust and forgiveness. I expected a cute romance and I didn’t get it, but the plot was unique and I felt very invested. I have mixed feelings about the ending and I’m a bit mad about what happened to a character I adored, but otherwise, I loved it!
I don’t have words sufficient for this review. Milena is such a beautiful, poetic writer. I have highlighted sooo much from this book. Character development was insane, I feel like I watched a whole life time play in front of my eyes. I did think the book was slow to start. I felt like the relationship between the two main characters was stagnant for a bit too long but all the building of tension was well worth it. So many interesting thoughts and details surrounding life in the 80s. Amazingly deep exploration of ballet, the Soviet Union, homophobia, misogyny and of course love in all of its forms.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
I was not expecting so much emotion from this book. I just wish they could have all gotten their happy ending
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reverence is a revelation. There is espionage, Russian agents, corrupt politicians, and ballet. Lying, untruths, old lovers. And Milena McKay puts it all together with love, heartbreak, heartache, stubbornness, and love.
She can create a picture you have no trouble seeing.
It took me longer to read this book than most of hers. I had to step away, regroup, and start again. There isn’t angst like we see in her other books but the heartbreak is real and unexpected. I’m still trying to recover.
Get this book, get immersed in the ballet and the intrigue.
She can create a picture you have no trouble seeing.
It took me longer to read this book than most of hers. I had to step away, regroup, and start again. There isn’t angst like we see in her other books but the heartbreak is real and unexpected. I’m still trying to recover.
Get this book, get immersed in the ballet and the intrigue.
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐ 5 Stars
This book was heartbreaking.
I can’t remember a time when I was left speechless and out of words for so long.
We always say a good book is one that makes you feel, and this one definitely did that for me. The writing was everything. I actually learned so much about ballet, and it was both informative and entertaining. I loved Juliette and Katarina from the very beginning. They were like light and dark, yet both were so easy to love. Even the side characters were wonderful: Francesca with her intensity, Gabriel with his loyalty, and Helena with her constant support.
I felt so much for Juliette. Her struggles were relatable, and when her life fell apart, it shattered my heart too. What happened with Gabriel broke me. By the end of that chapter, I had no tears left. The ending was sweet, and I liked how things turned out, though I wish we’d gotten more time with Juliette and Katarina together to really enjoy their HEA.
Overall, this book is a masterpiece. If you’re looking for an emotional journey, lovable characters, and amazing writing, this is the book for you.
This book was heartbreaking.
I can’t remember a time when I was left speechless and out of words for so long.
We always say a good book is one that makes you feel, and this one definitely did that for me. The writing was everything. I actually learned so much about ballet, and it was both informative and entertaining. I loved Juliette and Katarina from the very beginning. They were like light and dark, yet both were so easy to love. Even the side characters were wonderful: Francesca with her intensity, Gabriel with his loyalty, and Helena with her constant support.
I felt so much for Juliette. Her struggles were relatable, and when her life fell apart, it shattered my heart too. What happened with Gabriel broke me. By the end of that chapter, I had no tears left. The ending was sweet, and I liked how things turned out, though I wish we’d gotten more time with Juliette and Katarina together to really enjoy their HEA.
Overall, this book is a masterpiece. If you’re looking for an emotional journey, lovable characters, and amazing writing, this is the book for you.
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
there were parts of this that i loved and parts that really confused me. the premise was really promising, but it fell flat. i was really intrigued by the 1980s paris/nyc setting, but the romance didn’t really work for me. after the multiple betrayals from juliette’s friends/lovers, i was left really confused and disappointed. i wanted to hear more of katarina’s story too. she was really difficult to understand as a character. one of the only parts that i really enjoyed was gabriel and juliette’s friendship. his death was so upsetting. i had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it wasn’t for me.
Mostly I just really didn't vibe with the writing style and also felt like I didn't get used to it at all. It made the characters quite hard to connect to because they all felt so distant and I think partly that was the way it was written. And overall I just felt a bit bored a lot of the time. I think the afterwords were actually my favourite part and made the book more interesting to me in retrospective.
The angst in this nearly killed me. Loved the plot and characters but one certain subplot ruined it for me🥲
The writing was gorgeous but this book was so frustrating. It's horrible at building up its first half but the second part is a lot more enjoyable however without the perfect emotional pay off it would have had with a decently paced second half. I think this book should have been longer for what the author wanted to do. The main relationship is not well built-up, I had no reason to believe Juliette was in love (by the way Juliette is a pretty plain main character who could have used more personality than her one thing at the very beginning. I actually preferred her bitter self in the last part).
Listen i get that the premise is a good one and the second and third part are the meat of the story, however that means nothing if the main relationship is actually built up. Also I hated the author chickened out on Katarina's agency over anything. Besides the fact that she's not an ice queen (again that fucking first part needs work) it made the resolution so unsatisfying.
Listen i get that the premise is a good one and the second and third part are the meat of the story, however that means nothing if the main relationship is actually built up. Also I hated the author chickened out on Katarina's agency over anything. Besides the fact that she's not an ice queen (again that fucking first part needs work) it made the resolution so unsatisfying.