Review of Second Position

Synopsis

Four years ago, a car accident ended Zedekiah Harrow’s ballet career and sent Philadelphia Ballet principal dancer Alyona Miller spinning toward the breakdown that suspended her own. What they lost on the side of the road that day can never be replaced, and grief is always harshest under a spotlight...

Now twenty-three, Zed teaches music and theatre at a private school in Washington, D.C. and regularly attends AA meetings to keep the pain at bay. Aly has returned to D.C. to live with her mother while trying to recover from the mental and physical breakdown that forced her to take a leave of absence from the ballet world, and her adoring fans.

When Zed and Aly run into each other in a coffee shop, it’s as if no time has passed at all. But without the buffer and escape of dance - and with so much lust, anger and heartbreak hanging between them - their renewed connection will either allow them to build the together they never had... or destroy the fragile recoveries they've only started to make.

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Review

It is hard to find the right words to do justice to just how much I loved this book and how perfect it was. Katherine Locke has personal experience with many of the issues her characters have in the book (though as far as I know she does have two legs) and this really shows in how perfectly they are portrayed and how everything seems to come from the heart.

Lyrical and haunting, Katherine's writing perfectly captures the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. Aly and Zed were both simply fantastic to read about. They each have struggles and demons that they have to deal with and the conflicts they deal with seemed so real. As a couple they aren't perfect but have a spark that really makes you root for them and want them to get as close to a happily ever after as they can manage.

Second Position follows many traditional romance tropes but also has much to make it unique. I can honestly say that I cannot think of many (if any other than this!) featuring one main character with multiple mental health issues where the second is a former ballet dancer whose career was cut short when he lost his leg in a car accident. This is a second chance romance that contains many of the diverse elements that people seem to be begging for in books right now.

Having danced all my life and for several years wanting to do it professionally, I always love reading books that feature ballet. Second Position is definitely one of my favourites as it seems so realistic showing both the highs and lows that dancers experience on a regular basis.

I have been searching for a diverse New Adult novel that sensitively, and realistically tackles serious issues and Second Position perfectly fits the bill. I highly recommend this one.

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Laura