Review: A whirlwind romance in Rome!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 9, 2013
"Because that's the dangerous thing about the truth: once you grasp it, it cannot be un-learned. And once you feel love, real love, you can never forget..." - AnnaliseI received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest reviewI just want to start off by saying, that I totally fan-girled when I saw Melody Grace was coming out with a new book. After loving her Beachwood Bay series (which you need to read if you haven't), I just knew I had to get my hands on whatever else this author put out. When I read the synopsis, and saw the book was set in Rome...I was sold!Much like her other books Melody Grace always, to me, starts out really strong with her prologues. The one in this book was incredibly poetic, which just enough of an ominous feel that I was left wondering how the storyline would unfold. Also, since Annalise is a ballet dancer, all the chapters are titled after a ballet move, which I felt was a great tie in to the story!Moving on to the plot, the premise is that Annalise, along with The America Ballet Company, goes to Rome, where the company is touring Swan Lake. Though Annalise is a great dancer, her mother was renowned in the world of ballet, so she feels the additional pressure to succeed. Since she's a a peak age for dancing, and not yet landing all the solos and roles her mother expects her to, Annalise views the gig in Rome as her last big shot at greatness. Even so, on an outing with her troupe, Annalise gets separated from the group and ends up winding through the streets of Italy, where she meets fellow street dancer, Raphael. From there, both her and Raphael let themselves fall into the whirlwind of their intense feelings, but will love prove true in the end?First off, I must say that I really enjoyed Annalise's character. Lately, many NA books (for me) will have a great male lead, but then the female counterpart will just make you want to grind your teeth every few chapters. That wasn't the case at all with Annalise! She starts of the story as shy, and very much feeling all the pressure her mother's putting on her to succeed. With that, I was astounded at the things she had to go through. From dealing with other nasty dancers, to measuring everything she ate, to putting up with constant over-bearing mother's constant criticism, Annalise really pulled at my heartstrings. I just wanted to hug her, and make her see what everyone else saw, a beautiful and graceful young woman and dancer. Yet, it was seeing Annalise come out of her shell, and gain strength both through her dancing and being with Raphael, that really made me love her character. The decision she has to take towards the end is not at all an easy one, but I loved how she took it upon herself to figure everything out and just listen to her heart.Raphael was another character I greatly enjoyed. Though he can't replace Emerson (my heart be still), this Italian boy defiantly gave him a run for his money. Raphael, as we see in the beginning of the book, dances around the streets of Rome with his friends. Even so, unlike the other people in his troupe, dance is a real passion for Raphael, and he seeks to do something more professional with it. From the beginning, once he sets his eyes on Annalise (and saves her purse from a shoplifter), Raphael was relentless in his pursuit of her. My favorite part of the relationship, apart from when Raphael and Annalise danced together, was seeing how Raphael helped Annalise loosen up and see things through a new perspective. From taking her to eat gelattos, to kissing her senseless in his apartment, Raphael opened Annalise up to the possibility that life can have multiple dreams, but whatever they may be, the important thing is that they make you happy. Also, the boy was swoon worthy and things that came out of his mouth, made me giggle and blush all at once! Whenever both he and Annalise were on scene together, the pages of my kindle just sizzled with their chemistry."I'm going to teach you what pleasure feels like." Raphael tells me..."What it means to want someone, beg for their touch." Desire rises, clawing me from within. Raphael lifts his head again, his dark eyes meeting mine, black with promise. "You're going to come for me, and I won't stop until you're mine."As I've mentioned, the setting of this book was Rome, and it was perfect! From the descriptions, I felt like I was walking along those tiny streets, taking in all the sights and smell the Italian city has to offer. Plot wise, though it was a bit predictable at times, I have to admit that Melody Grace's writing kept me riveted to my screen, and at the end, even I couldn't predict how things would go down. That said, I loved the ending and how Annalise and Raphael's story wrapped up.To say I like this story was understatement, but with how well Melody Grace pens her books, I'm not surprised. Apparently, this series will follow other characters (the next book is Rosalie's) through different cities of the world, which only has me excited to see what comes out next! If you like romance, swoony alpha males, exotic cities, and the chance for love to conquer, then this a definite must read for you!