Pas de Don't

March 6, 2023
Angyal’s sweet debut novel (after her 2021 nonfiction title Turning Pointe) delivers ballet, romance, and female empowerment with Australian flair. From the outside, Heather Hays, a principal ballerina with the New York Ballet engaged to her celebrity dance partner, appears to have it all. In reality, her verbally abusive fiancé has convinced her that he’s the cornerstone of her success. When she finds out he’s cheating, a month dancing for the Australian National Ballet seems like the perfect way to escape the drama and prove herself capable without him. One of the ANB’s principal dancers, Marcus Campbell, is having the worst year of his life due to the death of his father and a debilitating injury. Then Heather arrives, and things immediately look up as he agrees to show her around Sydney. Unfortunately, the company’s “Pas de Don’t” policy means that any dancers who get caught dating will be fired. There’s a lot of backstory to get through before the love story begins in earnest, but readers who stick with it will be rewarded by an emotional forbidden romance that doubles as a love letter to ballet and a travelogue through Sydney. This is a treat. Agent: JL Stermer, Next Level Lit.

March 17, 2023

DEBUT Journalist Angyal (Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself) sets her first novel in the world of ballet. Heather Hays has just been promoted to principal dancer at the New York Ballet and become engaged to principal Jack Andersen, her on- and offstage partner. Both the promotion and proposal take place onstage during the curtain call after their latest triumph, but Heather soon finds out that Jack is stepping out with a member of the corps de ballet and decides to look for a company that will accept her without her unfaithful partner. The Australian National Ballet offers her a guest spot, and she heads Down Under. Meanwhile, Marcus Campbell, ANB's principal dancer, who's recovering from a serious injury and a personal loss, is recruited to show Heather around Sydney. They hit it off, and when their professional relationship turns into a passionate love affair, they both risk their careers under ANB's strict no-dating policy. VERDICT A sexy, smoldering romance that pulls back the curtain on the world of ballet and deftly portrays the ambition, drive, and passion of those who live and work in it.--Carolyn M. Mulac

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