Review: Skinny - Book #1 False Reflections Series - Laura L. Smith - October 2008 Cast your mind back with me for a moment. Years ago, one of my absolute favourite genres to curl up with was what I fondly called Edgy YA Christian Fiction - stories that tackled the real, messy, complicated parts of teenage life without shying away from faith. Skinny by Laura L. Smith is exactly that kind of book, and it has stayed with me ever since I first read it. Melissa grows up surrounded by all the good things  a warm, loving Christian family and a tight circle of friends. She's also a dancer, and it's through that world that she begins to see herself as something she isn't: fat. What makes this story particularly compelling is that Melissa doesn't stop eating altogether. Instead, she starts counting calories and restricting, quietly convincing herself that because it isn't that bad, it isn't really a problem. It's that kind of slow, insidious thinking that makes her j...

Step One Grier Cooper (Indigo Ballet Series) Publication date: November 15th 2024 Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult When Indigo lands a role in Ballet Russia’s touring production of The Nutcracker, it’s a dream come true…. Or is it? Her arch nemesis is also part of the production. So is dashing Russian viral video superstar Dimitri Volkov, who’s playing some kind of game she doesn’t quite understand. As Indigo dances alongside the rising stars of Ballet Russia she struggles to rise above constant criticism from Ballet Russia’s Director, Yuri Kanofsky. But first she’ll have to dig deep and silence the doubts running through her mind if she wants to rise to their level and drive her ballet career forward. When unexpected events turn Indigo’s world upside down overnight she’s forced to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get there. And one innocent mistake just might cost her everything. Goodreads / Amazon — EXCERPT: “You.” The single word from Yuri yanks me o...

Synopsis: Maverick Loves Londyn - Book #1 Misfits Remix Series - Jordan Ford - June 2022 At Haven Academy, if you're not a rich kid, you're a charity case. The two don't mix. And they certainly don't fall in love... Troublemaker, Maverick, knows he doesn't belong in the wealthy hallways of the elitist boarding school, but he's still managed to make some friends along the way. Outcasts just like him—the Haven Misfits, a newly formed dance crew trying to prove everybody wrong about them. There's only one unspoken rule in his crew—don't fall for the pretty rich girls. But when he comes across one with a bleeding lip and tears in her eyes, all rules are forgotten. Londyn knows to steer clear of the school's bad boys, but when she's assaulted by one of her own, it's Maverick who's there taking care of her. He makes her feel safer and more protected than the gates her family and friends hide behind. He's her knight, and her frien...

Review: First Position - Prescott Lane - April 2013 Busy waiting in the Doctor's office today as I have had a sore throat after a dentist appointment, I had time to kill and so I sat and read my kindle today and scrolling through came across First Position by Prescott Lane. The picture of the ballet cover caught my attention. As soon as I opened the book we met Emory who was meeting with her wedding planner and Molly and her fiance Eric, she soon decides that Eric isn't the one for her and so she breaks up with him on the spot. That same night, getting dinner Emory ends up crashing into Mason. Mason was her first love, the one who broke Emory into pieces after they went their separate ways years ago. Emory ended up going to Europe whilst Mason married his rebound girl Alexis. Now years later Mason is back in Carolina with his career possibly ending and his marriage is ending as he is divorcing Alexis. With both Mason and Emory being single and the love and chemistry still str...

Review: Murder in First Position - Book #1 On Pointe Mystery - Lori Robbins - November 2020 As we have been in lockdown the past five days, I have been recently watching a lot of the Hallmark Channel Mysteries as well as reading books of course. Murder in First Position reminded me of a mix of the Hallmark Cozy mysteries I had been watching as well as a bit of the Netflix show Tiny Pretty Things. As we know from reading and watching shows about Ballet, is it can be a cutthroat business and fleeting as there are always younger dancers coming through and as soon as your body starts betraying you or someone better comes along, you can find yourself replaced in a heartbeat. For Leah, she has returned to the scene after a few months away as she injured her knee. Now she has returned to take her place as a lead dancer but has found she has been replaced by a younger model named Arianna. Arianna though Leah is about to discover is one of those "I'm all that" dancers and a righ...