Review: 3.5 stars .
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 29, 2013
The Ballerina and The Fighter is the first book in Ursula Sinclair's new series of the same name. Written in the New Adult genre, the storyline focuses on two people-Maze and Ivy- who met five years earlier and caught up with one another after their careers have taken off. The story is told from alternating POVs.The storyline begins with a prologue where Maze and Ivy are first introduced. It is summer vacation and Ivy and her BFF Shelly are spending the holidays at the shore. Ivy meets Maze-an up and coming MMA fighter and a summer romance ensues. But a tragedy will befall Ivy and her personal life becomes fixated on dance and success. With Maze off to Japan to train, Ivy will pursue her career as a professional dancer. In the initial stages of the storyline the characters are under eighteen years of age and the story reads like a young adult novel.Fast forward five years, and in the interval, very little communication between Maze and Ivy has occurred. When Maze returns to America and finds Ivy as the lead ballerina for a dance company, he wants nothing more than to rekindle what they started years earlier. But Maze has a few secrets-his life as a MMA fighter is not always legal and above the law. When the reality of his lifestyle puts everyone he loves in danger, Maze must make a decision-walk away from the MMA or walk away from the woman he loves.The writing style is simple but it felt like there were two distinct styles throughout the story. There are a few problems with grammar, spelling and overall cohesion which can be corrected with a good editor. At times I felt like I was being told a story-not invited in. There are several life altering situations that brought drama and tension to the plot.The character development is interesting. Ivy and Maze both had some issues-in fact-Maze had a habit of leaving without so much as a good bye or KMA and Ivy was willing to accept Maze without so much as an explanation as to why he keeps disappearing. The attraction between the couple cannot be denied but their actions left me wondering about the reality of the situation. Should they not have had some communication with each other in the intervening five years? But this is a novel of fiction and questionable actions are what make up the storyline.The Ballerina and The Fighter by Ursula Sinclair is a short story that introduces the characters and some of the background information in the series of the same name. Overall, the storyline premise is interesting. It had promise but I wanted (needed) to feel a deeper connection to the characters and their stories. I hope the second installment delves a little deeper into the character development and their backstories. Perhaps some information about the `missing' five years and how it has affected both of their lives.