First Position by Melissa Brayden - 5/5
Summary from Goodreads:
Anastasia Mikhelson is the rising star of the New York City Ballet. She’s sacrificed creature comforts, a social life, as well as her own physical well-being for perfection in dance. Even her reputation as The Ice Queen doesn’t faze her. Though Ana’s at the peak of her career, competition from a new and noteworthy dancer puts all she’s worked for in jeopardy. While Natalie Frederico has shown herself to be a prodigy when it comes to ballet, she much prefers modern dance and living on her own terms. Life is too short for anything else. However, when the opportunity to dance with the New York City Ballet is thrust upon her, it’s not like she could say no. Dealing with the company’s uptight lead is another story, however. When the two are forced to work side-by-side, sparks begin to fly onstage and off.
Review:
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. ***
Anastasia has made sacrifices throughout her entire life for her career. She’s got her eyes on the prize, and she wants nothing more than to become the principal dancer of the New York City Ballet. There are only a couple of problems: she’s too formulaic, too cold when she dances, and she’s suffering from an injury that could end her career for good.
Natalie is the exact opposite of Anastasia. Dance and emoting come easy to her. She’s prodigious in her work, but lacks focus. She tried ballet before but gave it up in favor of modern dance and in order to create her own shows. When funding is cut short, and her shows aren’t enough anymore, she is given the opportunity to head back to the New York City Ballet. With no other prospects, she takes it. Natalie’s life collides with Anastasia’s and neither are ever the same again.
I went into this book expecting to enjoy it, but I didn’t expect to fall in love with it. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
This plot seems so simple: opposites attract and shake up each other’s worlds and it all takes off from there.
To begin, I love these characters. I loved Anastasia because she seems like the typical ballerina type — I had a long running obsession with Dance Academy, and she reminds me of Abigail, who I just adored. I connected with her because I, too, am uptight, and I was constantly rooting for her throughout the entire novel. It was really nice to watch her blossom and come into her own as time went by.
While I loved Anastasia’s character, I fell IN LOVE with Natalie’s. She’s witty, hilarious, spunky, and incredibly sweet. She’s everything that Ana needs but she also benefits from Ana’s structure and passion.
The plot was so easy and honestly fairly predictable, but that didn’t matter because I loved it SO MUCH. It was lovely to read something that was so full of sweetness and humor without too much underlying darkness. I normally abhor contemporaries and romances, but this one was wonderful.
This is the first book I’ve read by Melissa Brayden, but I can honestly say that I’m hooked! I can’t wait to dive headfirst into the rest of her work.
