First Position: A brand-new spicy romance of forbidden love. A passionate and thrilling debut for 2023!

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She slid off him and knelt between his legs, relishing the view of his taut, muscular thighs. God bless every ballet teacher who ever made this man do pliés, she thought.”

First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Goodreads First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Goodreads

This book was flat out entertaining! I could not stop listening to it and finished it in a day! I was obsessed, I devoured all the details that made up the behind the scenes of the fictional North American Ballet Theatre knowing it was written by a former Prima Ballerina. There was a lot of sex and also drug abuse and also how an artist abuse their body and soul. A lot of competitiveness. Some of the sex was steamy, some was on the cringeworthy side.nothing. That might be everyone else’s problem with it, but it’s exactly what I appreciate about it.

First Position - Goodreads Jo (Spain)’s review of First Position - Goodreads

She must see something more in you. If I had to guess, I’d say there’s a lot more to you than what I just saw.” From New York to Vienna and Paris, Sylvie is caught between the glamorous and dark side of ballet. Challenged, both professionally and personally, her ambition sparks a journey of redemption and sexual awakening as she embarks on an intense and passionate relationship that could be the making of her... or cost her everything...

After finishing this novel, I can report that it's pretty good. It's fine, but it does not leave up to the potential of this subgenre. Though a bit short on actual ballet, this is entertaining if you’re into this subgenre, and boasts two intriguing and likable protagonists. An] addictive novel perfect for those who love their story with forbidden and steamy elements for a romance book’ I went into this mainly blindly. I had no expectations. I can’t judge how realistic this really was, but it gave me the vibes of how it could be behind the scenes? It turns out that it was written by a former Prima Ballerina. I won’t judge this on the level of realistic expectations. I take it as a fictional novel. As that, I enjoyed it immensely. I can get lost in a fantasy/illusion.

First Position: A brand-new spicy summer romance of forbidden First Position: A brand-new spicy summer romance of forbidden

I read this book I’m one sitting, I just had to know what had happened 5 years ago and how this would all end. I don’t know about my fellow readers, but I rarely read a book featuring a ballerina or dance as a sport. Honestly, I can only think of a handful yet this latest release from Berkley is hoping to change the conversation.First Position is a largely authentic portrayal of the world of ballet and the life of a dancer. It is often long hours, bleeding feet, minimal food, and a world dominated by suffering for their art. How much beauty this kind of environment creates is a testament to a dancer's commitment to the show and to dance. And this is precisely what you find in First Position.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick Read an excerpt from First Position by Melanie Hamrick

When I dance I feel like a vessel. I don’t experience hunger or thirst. Pain and exhaustion take on a different sort of tolerable life. Carnal desire is set aside from the dance itself. The hands on you don’t feel the same as they would off the stage. But tonight, it is something different. I am deeply aware of the heat from his body as it touches my skin … I am unable to feel nothing.” Let’s go, let’s go,” Diana says, with snapping fingers. The pianist begins the music and I hear the gentle shuffle of the dancers’ feet as they scramble to places behind Jocelyn.

Finally, I say, “I don’t think it’s fair for you to say anything when all you’ve seen is— I don’t even know how much you saw.” And this book DID leave me wanting to jeté, alright.... but rather than a grand and graceful leap, I just wanted to jeté on OUT of there. 🩰 There’s not a lot here that you can’t find in other ballet books of this sort and a lot of them are better written, but this one gets points for pacing and likable characters. Sylvie and Jocelyn have their own chapters where they tell their story to the reader on their own terms. Both describe their perceptions of their past and present – starting with when they first entered the NAB. It is never confusing and instead highlights the tragedy of what Sylvie went through. The pacing is consistently a medium pace that only slowed down on a few brief occasions, making this book a pleasant read in terms of pace. 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.’