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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
Meh... I really struggled with this one. It was definitley not made for me. I struggle with audiobooks in third person, with accents, and historical... and this was all three.
Also, there was so much happening and half the time I was confused and had to go back and listen to what I missed.
Also, there was so much happening and half the time I was confused and had to go back and listen to what I missed.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing love story but, though obviously well-researched, underdeveloped in terms of plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, War
Moderate: Death, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Sexual violence
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such a disappointment. The first two parts are just dreadfully dull; perhaps it’s me and my lack of interest in ballet, but wow is most of the action just slow and uninteresting. It picks up dramatically in the third part, although the absolutely arbitrary and needless killing of Gabriel does nothing no to advance the story and just casts a pall over the entire final act.
There’s a HEA here, but it’s painful getting there and by the time they do, I just didn’t care anymore about the characters or their story.
There’s a HEA here, but it’s painful getting there and by the time they do, I just didn’t care anymore about the characters or their story.
emotional
medium-paced
This was my first Milena McKay and while this particular book wasn't my ideal romance, I did enjoy parts of the plot and the writing enough to finish it out.
My largest issue is that I felt like I was at arms length from these characters, especially Katarina, which is unfortunate because I would have loved to spend some time inside her head. I thought she was a far more interesting and complex character than Juliette, and I would rather experience the story from her POV. Juliette herself felt bland and unfinished to me. There were a lot of personality traits prescribed to her that I didn't necessarily feel were reflected in her actions.
The tension between them got broken almost randomly, and then it was wrought with miscommunication as a stand in for tension.
The time jump was brutal, especially because it was a 7 year jump, and it really broke the tension between these two characters for me. I was so emotionally spent from the other things that happen in the plot to really be rooting for these characters to get back together, and I do think the things that were done to each other were unforgivable, which is something I really struggle with in the second chance trope.
The political and historical background to this story were one of the highlights for me. The politics of such a competitive world like professional ballet mixed with the post-war politics between the US and Europe and Russia were a fiery backdrop for this story and it did suck me in.
Another highlight was the writing, and that alone is inspiring me to pick up some other Milena McKay even if the story and combination of tropes didn't work for me.
My largest issue is that I felt like I was at arms length from these characters, especially Katarina, which is unfortunate because I would have loved to spend some time inside her head. I thought she was a far more interesting and complex character than Juliette, and I would rather experience the story from her POV. Juliette herself felt bland and unfinished to me. There were a lot of personality traits prescribed to her that I didn't necessarily feel were reflected in her actions.
The tension between them got broken almost randomly, and then it was wrought with miscommunication as a stand in for tension.
The time jump was brutal, especially because it was a 7 year jump, and it really broke the tension between these two characters for me. I was so emotionally spent from the other things that happen in the plot to really be rooting for these characters to get back together, and I do think the things that were done to each other were unforgivable, which is something I really struggle with in the second chance trope.
The political and historical background to this story were one of the highlights for me. The politics of such a competitive world like professional ballet mixed with the post-war politics between the US and Europe and Russia were a fiery backdrop for this story and it did suck me in.
Another highlight was the writing, and that alone is inspiring me to pick up some other Milena McKay even if the story and combination of tropes didn't work for me.
AHHHHHHHGGGHGGHGHHHHHH
Milena Mckay is literally the greatest this was incredible so many emotions so many feelings ahhhhhhhhhhh!!
Milena Mckay is literally the greatest this was incredible so many emotions so many feelings ahhhhhhhhhhh!!
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes