I found myself having to rewind a lot as the story is so dull and improbable and I would suddenly realise that had missed several minutes due to lack of interest/boredom or just zoning out. But sadly I found the story thin and rather immature! Everything was too black and white, problems too easily overcome, characters too simplistic, irritating or both. I SO wanted this to be good as I love ballet and thought I was on to a winner as other reviewers seem to be in love with this book. I will definitely keep an eye out for this author and I will continue to listen to this narrator. The story is from both Victoria and Anna’s point of view and I think that made the story for me.

It was a very slow burn romance and I love that. They have lots of ups and downs in the story. Victoria is impressed with the way Anna dances and believes she is a rare find and has a special dancing talent that Victoria haven’t seen in years, so offers her the chance to be a principal in a new show she wants to direct. That’s when Anna has a lesson with a very strict teacher called Victoria who was a professional principal ballet dancer but got hurt during a performance, they didn’t get along at first as Anna’s phone went off in class and that was nearly the end of her career before it even started, but given a chance to prove herself to Victoria. The story is about Anna who joins a professional ballet school to join the team as just a background dancer.

The narration was amazing, the voices were different so you could easily tell who was who, and the narrator brought the story to life. This was a fantastic book so well written. I was honestly hoping Stephanie Murphy had been chosen to narrate as she has a nack for making a story really come alive with her voice changes and the passion she pours into the stories she narrates. The narrator was not entirely what I was looking for but she didn't at all take away from the story. I've been waiting for the Audible version to come out and will definitely keep my eyes and ears open for more from Lola Keeley, who is a phenomenal writer. The supporting characters: Jess, Irina, Delphine, Gabriel, Ethan, etc were all just as engaging and made the story hard to put down. I do wish I had learned more about Victoria than was revealed but I have also been hoping for a sequel that may delve into her more. I enjoyed Anna's growth and increasing boldness throughout the story. The budding romance between Anna and Victoria throughout the story is not at all rushed and flowed quite nicely. I fell in love with this book and have read it countless times.

The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley