The trope of the lovable anti-hero is beaten out only by that of the detestable anti-hero. Sylvie Carter is inherently unlikable, the hapless victim of every event of the story, including her own poor decisions, the least of which is becoming sexually involved with yet another member of her ballet company, even after the first affair launched her fall from grace. Possibly the most frustrating character since Scarlet O’Hara, her narration is filled with shocking scandal and incredibly loving description of a professional dancer’s lifestyle – and I adored every page.
First Position by Melanie Hamrick, (List Price: 17, Berkley, 9780593638149, June 2023)
Reviewed by Elizabeth Graben, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina