A Midnight Dance

Starred review from August 1, 2021
After an unexpected but passionate pas de deux with one of London's finest principal dancers, Ella Blythe dreams of becoming a real ballerina and dancing again with the mysterious leading man. Ballet is in her genes, after all. But the tragedy of her famous parents' theater romance threatens her dreams for the stage and leaves her chasing the impossibility of perfection. When a flirtatious choreographer offers to help soften her rigidity of form and express her feelings, she must decide whether to take the leap of faith and let her heart fly. Politano's latest, following The Love Note (2020), is an inspirational romance set in Victorian England that features the intense and often duplicitous drama of the world of ballet. The novel's delicate grace contrasts pointedly with the characters' anxiety, secrets, and desperation for survival both on and off the stage. Politano's revelations of the time's politics of patronage and perception of dance and the theater are enlightening, while themes of purpose and self-worth ground this captivating tale as a shockingly brilliant twist makes for a spectacular finish. Politano writes beautifully, evoking the magic of ballet and the theater from the opening turns to the final curtain, leaving readers applauding for an encore.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2021
After an unexpected but passionate pas de deux with one of London's finest principal dancers, Ella Blythe dreams of becoming a real ballerina and dancing again with the mysterious leading man. Ballet is in her genes, after all. But the tragedy of her famous parents' theater romance threatens her dreams for the stage and leaves her chasing the impossibility of perfection. When a flirtatious choreographer offers to help soften her rigidity of form and express her feelings, she must decide whether to take the leap of faith and let her heart fly. Politano's latest, following The Love Note (2020), is an inspirational romance set in Victorian England that features the intense and often duplicitous drama of the world of ballet. The novel's delicate grace contrasts pointedly with the characters' anxiety, secrets, and desperation for survival both on and off the stage. Politano's revelations of the time's politics of patronage and perception of dance and the theater are enlightening, while themes of purpose and self-worth ground this captivating tale as a shockingly brilliant twist makes for a spectacular finish. Politano writes beautifully, evoking the magic of ballet and the theater from the opening turns to the final curtain, leaving readers applauding for an encore.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.