Title: Adagio (The Company, Book 1)
Author: Delancey Stewart
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
The world of professional ballet is built on illusion. The illusion of perfection. The illusion of effortless beauty. The illusion of eternal love.
But backstage, few members of the Union Ballet Company suffer from such illusions.
Anna Glaser has dreamed of nothing but dancing professionally her entire life. And when she's finally offered a position with Union, she takes it, giving little more than a passing thought to what she might have to give up in exchange. But Sebastian Kaplan, the director who gave her the chance, won't forget so easily.
When Anna meets Cain, who has been dubbed by the local media as Union's most eligible bachelor, she realizes that making a deal with the devil might mean that Heaven -- in the form of a gorgeous dark-haired man -- is forever out of her reach.
Dancers at Union know that something that glitters and shines under the stage lights can still be vicious and evil when the lights go down.
Adagio is the first episode in the series The Company -- an engaging drama-filled ride through the darker parts of the ballet and the lives of those who live to dance.
*This book contains explicit content and is suitable for readers over 17
But backstage, few members of the Union Ballet Company suffer from such illusions.
Anna Glaser has dreamed of nothing but dancing professionally her entire life. And when she's finally offered a position with Union, she takes it, giving little more than a passing thought to what she might have to give up in exchange. But Sebastian Kaplan, the director who gave her the chance, won't forget so easily.
When Anna meets Cain, who has been dubbed by the local media as Union's most eligible bachelor, she realizes that making a deal with the devil might mean that Heaven -- in the form of a gorgeous dark-haired man -- is forever out of her reach.
Dancers at Union know that something that glitters and shines under the stage lights can still be vicious and evil when the lights go down.
Adagio is the first episode in the series The Company -- an engaging drama-filled ride through the darker parts of the ballet and the lives of those who live to dance.
*This book contains explicit content and is suitable for readers over 17
Kayla's Thoughts:
I adore dance...especially ballet. There is just a beauty in it that makes me in awe of the people who learn and become almost masters of this exquisite sport. But that is only what we see on stage, during the performance. What we don't see is the blood, sweat and tears behind the curtain. There is so much more to ballet than meets the eye, and sadly, what is portrayed in this story is part of it.
Before anything, I just want to commend this book cover, because it is initially what forced me to read the blurb of the book, and once I did that I was hooked. It is just such a beautiful cover, and probably one of my favorites.
Now, to the characters. I must give kudos the author for starting the story out with a creepy factor with Sebastian and his cringe-worthy antics. I got chills and uncomfortable feelings at the beginning of this book, to the point where I was almost wasn't sure if I was truly going to like the rest of the book. In my head I was like, I do not like this. Something is not right. And boy was I correct. But the beginning opened up into a relief when the character of Cain was introduced. I mean, a visible sigh of relief actually ran through me when he came into the picture. I was all YAY! The leading man! That is what made me continue reading. I just knew he was going to be what made this story grand.
I have to admit that there is a bit of a thriller aspect to this story. What with the reopening of the OD case of a former member of the company. There is this tension throughout the story that something happened...something big. And while I could not quite put my finger on it, I knew that somehow her OD wasn't just a mere accident. No sir. It was not.
I absolutely adored the parts of the story where Anna described how dancing made her feel. Her awe was reminiscent of my own when I used to perform music. It is just something that cannot be taught or forced. That passion has to be inside of you.
Before anything, I just want to commend this book cover, because it is initially what forced me to read the blurb of the book, and once I did that I was hooked. It is just such a beautiful cover, and probably one of my favorites.
Now, to the characters. I must give kudos the author for starting the story out with a creepy factor with Sebastian and his cringe-worthy antics. I got chills and uncomfortable feelings at the beginning of this book, to the point where I was almost wasn't sure if I was truly going to like the rest of the book. In my head I was like, I do not like this. Something is not right. And boy was I correct. But the beginning opened up into a relief when the character of Cain was introduced. I mean, a visible sigh of relief actually ran through me when he came into the picture. I was all YAY! The leading man! That is what made me continue reading. I just knew he was going to be what made this story grand.
I have to admit that there is a bit of a thriller aspect to this story. What with the reopening of the OD case of a former member of the company. There is this tension throughout the story that something happened...something big. And while I could not quite put my finger on it, I knew that somehow her OD wasn't just a mere accident. No sir. It was not.
I absolutely adored the parts of the story where Anna described how dancing made her feel. Her awe was reminiscent of my own when I used to perform music. It is just something that cannot be taught or forced. That passion has to be inside of you.
Verdict:
This is the story of two people with terrible pasts coming together through what they love most. It is a story of learning to trust, and protecting those you love. I am completely in awe, and I cannot wait to see what the next books in this series will unfold.
Author's Bio:
Delancey Stewart writes contemporary romance.
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a direct sales representative for a French wine importer. But she has always been a writer first.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home outside Washington, D.C.
Stewart has lived on both coasts, in big cities and small towns. She's been a pharmaceutical rep, a personal trainer and a direct sales representative for a French wine importer. But she has always been a writer first.
A military spouse and the mother of two small boys, her current job titles include pirate captain, monster hunter, Lego assembler and story reader. She tackles all these efforts at her current home outside Washington, D.C.
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Great review, Kayla! I'm not a dancer at all but I love stories based around dancing - Save the Last Dance is one of my fav movies ;) - and this one sounds like it delved into the darker side of the ballet world. And the bit of mystery added it the story makes that even more intriguing - I love me my thrillers! ;)
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