Melanie Hamrick's "The Unraveling" is a captivating dive into the high-stakes world of professional ballet, offering a glimpse behind the curtain of elegance and grace to reveal a darker undercurrent of ambition, desire, and sacrifice.
Jocelyn Banks, a talented ballerina who has fought her way to the top, finds her carefully constructed world crumbling when her estranged mother dies. Facing financial ruin and the potential loss of her coveted position at the Royal National Ballet, she's forced to seek a sponsor, the enigmatic Alistair Cavendish. Their connection is immediate and intense, pulling Jocelyn into a whirlwind of lust and luxury that threatens to consume her.
What works:
* Intriguing premise: The novel blends the allure of the ballet world with a sizzling romance and a hint of suspense, creating a page-turner that keeps you hooked.
* Complex protagonist: Jocelyn is a fascinating character, driven and ambitious yet vulnerable. Her internal struggles with her past, her desires, and the demands of her career feel authentic.
* Steamy romance: The chemistry between Jocelyn and Alistair is undeniable. Their relationship is passionate and forbidden, adding an element of danger to the story.
* Insider's perspective: Hamrick, a former ballerina herself, brings an authenticity to the portrayal of the ballet world, its beauty, and its brutal realities.
What could be improved:
* Pacing: The story occasionally feels uneven, with some sections moving quickly while others linger.
* Character development: While Jocelyn is well-developed, some of the supporting characters could benefit from more depth.
* Predictability: Certain plot points and character arcs are somewhat predictable, particularly for those familiar with similar stories in the "Black Swan" vein.
Overall:
"The Unraveling" is an enjoyable read for fans of romance and drama, especially those with an interest in the world of ballet. It's a seductive and emotional story that explores the sacrifices and consequences of ambition, the allure of forbidden desire, and the struggle to maintain control in the face of chaos.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy:
* Romance novels with a touch of suspense
* Stories set in the world of performing arts
* Complex and flawed female protagonists
* Exploring themes of ambition, desire, and self-discovery
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fantastic read from start to finish could not put it down.
It's a must read you will not be disappointed

Includes: story starts during the end of Christmas and NYE, ballet dancer, TW: ED and weight pressure, present and past timeline, spicy, rich rich (rich) people, the darker side of life

"Paris, Madrid, Sydney, the moon, I don't care. As long as we go together."

Thank you @hqstories for my gifted copy!
Jocelyn grew up dancing, met ballet when she was seven and has been in love with it ever since. Throughout the messy ups and downs of life, her unreliable mother, the body image pressure the dancers all go through...ballet has been there through it all for her. Until she fell in love with a guy and took a break from dancing
This is the story of how she found her love for dancing again.

But also a dark, sexy and seductive tale. A one night stand turns into something more, but probably not in the way you're thinking. Welcome to the world of double triple crossing, not knowing who to trust and who to be careful of

I read this almost within a day as it was definitely a page turner. I also love how the author is a dancer and ballerina herself! It added even more depth to the story. So much happened and not all of it was expected (which I love in a book because I'm normally pretty good at guessing what's going to happen). There were some really good twists and turns in this book. A dark romance with thriller vibes that has a cosy autumn feel too

I was immediately drawn to the blurb for this one and I’d seen some references to Black Swan so that should give an idea of how dark and twisty the plot gets.

A raw story of how the FMC found her love for dancing again, but it’s also dark and seductive. When a one night stand turns into something more, but not in the typical way you would think. Think double crossing, not knowing who to trust and whose motive to be cautious of.

Not my typical romance read but I really enjoyed it!

Thank you net galley for my copy 🫶🏼

After leaving a prestigious American ballet company for various reasons, but mostly love, Jocelyn misses the world she sacrificed and worked hard to be part of. When her mother tragically dies, it rips the heart out of her world, filling her with guilt and regret, which overwhelms her. Her relationship suffers, and after a chance meeting with someone who can get her into an English ballet company, she finds herself single and back in the world of pain, pleasure and hard work. She needs a sponsor to survive and move forward, and again, the opportunity is there for her, but nothing is what it seems, and gradually, she spirals out of control, threatening her career and her self-worth. Jocelyn's life is dramatic, and she meets some dangerous and powerful enemies, sometimes disguised as friends. The story is told through her sexual encounters and how these affect her and her life choices. Many of the characters are unlikeable and toxic, but the ending, whilst a little unlikely, is satisfying as you invest in Jocelyn's character despite her flaws.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Unraveling is an unexpected and bold story that doesn’t shy away from steam and spice. The main character, introduced as a wild child in the first half, lives for her art, but her dramatic and often unlikable nature adds complexity to the narrative.

The plot delves deep into the manipulative and cutthroat world surrounding ballet and the art scene, revealing the lengths people will go to achieve their desires. As the story progresses, so does the protagonist, evolving in a way that showcases the darker side of ambition and relationships.

One constant, however, stands out amid the chaos, providing a sense of stability in an otherwise dramatic, lie-filled world. The conclusion is satisfying, making the journey through this twisted, morally grey romance worth it. The Unraveling offers a unique blend of right and wrong, manipulation, and self-discovery, standing apart from typical romance stories.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Whilist the blurb implied this was about ballet for me ot was mostly about sex. Full of highly descriptive and sometimes weird sex scenes this should be marketed at romance rraders. The main character is too obsessed woth sdx for any teal impact of the ballet world to show through. A quick read with black sean vibes but for me never really made its mind up about what it's meant to be. Full of lust with a predictable story and very neat ending. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author

This was an incredibly intriguing read which had me hooked from the very beginning. I really sympathised with the chapters and just wanted more.

Whilst being really optimistic for the book especially after the first few chapters, unfortunately I was disappointed.

It started strong. I enjoyed the premise and the setting in the Ballet world. And I liked the flash back chapters giving context of Jocelyn's love of dancing and her relationship with her mother and Grandmother.

However, I thought that there was more spicy content then was necessary and it drowned out the story line. In my opinion, the ending was rushed, predictable but yet unrealistic.

I didn't really connect with the Female Main character and she practically ends up back where she started. With her boyfriend and with no Ballet job. I thought Jocelyn was weak for continually going back to Arabella and doing things to please her.

The book had potential but unfortunately was not right for me.

Absolutely loved this book. Arabella what an ultimate villain! This book was totally not my normal genre being set in The Ballet world but I loved every minute.. Being part Jocelyn exploding her life made for a tough read in places, but the suspense of how it was all going to play out made it worthwhile. Loved the HEA too.

I did take me a bit of time to get into this book at first , it would have been better if there was more darkness but I enjoyed the Black swan / ballerina romance setting.

LI’ve never read a ballet themed book before. I think black swan is the only thing I can refer to in terms of the set up. Although for a supposed dark romance it wasn’t really dark… it was lacking a lot in my opinion.

To be honest this book wasn’t my cup of tea. So much happened but it all felt very flat to me. It also frustrated me that the fmc was shocked when she was betrayed yet no one in the ballet world helps… or the fact that she could easily go back to her old relationships it’s just abit meh to me. Was excited to read it but it felt like abit of a let down.

This maybe a great book for someone else but isn’t for me.

Let me start by saying I do love a good ballet, Black Swan-esque book. I would expect drama, emotions, sex.
However, this, for me, wasn't a good book. I feel like so much has happened, yet... it was boring. I know that from the start, we know that Jocelyn has trouble processing her emotions. That unfortunately leaked through the entirety of the book for me. She has such highs and such lows, yet the whole story felt so flat. She felt like she couldn't keep her hands off of donor yet, but when she spends the night with him, he doesn't exactly rock her world, so why? She said at the start that ballerinas don't help each other for nothing, yet when Angelina inevitably betrays her, she seems surprised, so again, why?
I did like how she stood up for herself at the end, but I think this redemption came too late for me.

Think 'Centre Stage meets Black Swan'

Ex Ballerina moves to England and throws herself back into a ballet company after her mum passed away. Jocelyn is swept into a world of lust and luxury, she finds herself making some poor decisions to get to where she thinks she wants to be.

Although it's classed as a dark romance, I personally didn't think it was as hard as I was expecting (This was not a bad thing though)
It was clear Jocelyn needed to go through a self destructive stage to get to where she needed to be, i believe grief does this to people and every one reacts differently, there was a lot more depth to the story than just spice.
Having been a dancer previously, I loved the ballet aspect and getting sucked into the darker side and all the drama that unfolded, I enjoyed this part of the book the most. I could appreciate some of the terminology and around being so devoted to dancing. I wanted more of the dark ballet, less of the spice in parts which is why it was a 4 ⭐️ for me, rather than 5.
However I did really enjoy this and enjoyed that it was darker than most romances I have read.

I'm excited to read First Position now! Thank you @netgalley and @melanie for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🖤🩰

*I would read the triggers, this contained loss of a loved one, cheating, drugs and disordered eating*

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Wow, this book could be played out in a ballet. It is a work of art in grieve and self sabotage. Jocelyn is spiralling or “unravelling” but doesn’t notice between good and bad. She needed to step away from Jordan despite his love and caring nature so she could find herself and get back to dancing. But she made bad decision after bad decision and the spiral kept getting worse.
I won’t give much away but I found myself enthralled with the book, the Start was a bit slow and I am not a big fan of ballet books but the second act where the unravel started to show was so vivid.
I both read and listens to this book thanks to NetGalley providing an arc to read and review.

I know nothing about the World of ballet.

This novel was eye-opening, gritty and although a lot of the content was not particularly palatable, I couldn’t stop reading it. Fiction, I realise, but I wonder how much truth runs through it.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I absolutely raced through this dark ballet romance! I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience and getting caught up in the salacious, sexy and scintillating plot! As an ex ballet dancer, I knew I had to read this book and I was not disappointed. I haven’t read a book this fast in a while, which says it all!

Read this book if you enjoy:
- Spicy dark romance with queer rep.
- London setting in the ballet / art scene, with incredible wealth, luxury and glamour.
- Lots of drama, manipulation, rivalry and backstabbing!
- An insight into the toxic side of the ballet industry, as well as the fascinating inner workings of a ballet company.
- Fast-paced plot and short chapters.

As a ballerina 'on a break' Jocelyn has a little bit of a crisis following the passing of her mother back home in the States.

We see her move through a return to the world of ballet, hoping to get the principal role in an upcoming production of Manon and having to navigate securing a donor plus all of the challenges accompanying that. Let's just throw in a little bit of seduction/scandal for good measure and this is an engaging read for sure.

Jocelyn gets a taste for a lifestyle that is like no other, lavish and sexy but everything comes with it's price tag right?

By the end, I was really rooting for her and found it moving how Jocelyn had certain epiphany moments challenging the beliefs she had towards her mother.

The story comes full circle with her strength of character having come into play but also, no longer afraid to show her vulnerability.

If you like a slightly spicier version of Pretty Woman mixed with The Devil Wears Prada then you will probably enjoy this.

I am a ballet girly so I was intrigued by this book. I kinda felt like the plot wasn’t overly strong however? I think the build up was good but after the halfway mark I felt like there wasn’t enough drama. The ending felt nice, I’m glad Jocelyn and Jordan reunited but it almost felt too easy with 0 grovelling on her part? And the proposal, no please??? I felt like the twist with arabella should’ve been dragged out more and made more of a big deal. Not bad but not my fave.