Chloe Angyal’s debut romance, Pas de Don’t, is fantastic. The characters and the plot are grown up and the romance is tender (and steamy). Angyal uses her background in dance to ground her romance between professional dancers in the physical joy of being a dancer, without glamorizing (or fetishizing) all the things beyond art that make ballet a world apart. I haven’t read Angyal’s non-fiction book, Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet From Itself, but Pas de Don’t is the book I expect from the writer of that book.
Heather Hays is a principle ballerina at the New York Ballet and she is engaged to Jack Anderson the golden prince of American ballet. When Heather finds out Jack is having an affair with a young member of the corps, she breaks things off and finds life in the ballet company less comfortable. Her ex is making a point of letting everyone know how happy he is with his new girlfriend. And Jack’s good friends, Brett and Samuel (named after Justices Kavanaugh and Alito) are doing their part to create a more hostile work environment. Heather looks for a way to be a visiting artist at another company for a while.
Marcus is a principle dancer with the Australian National Ballet, but not dancing while he recovers from a horrific onstage accident that damaged his achilles tendon. He has been working with the company’s physical therapist for months so that he can get back on stage. When Heather arrives in Sydney, the company director asks Marcus to show Heather around. Sydney makes a lovely backdrop and I felt like I was getting a tour of the area as well.
They strikes sparks quickly, but Marcus cautions that the company has a strict no fraternization policy to combat sexual harassment. The dancers call it the Pas de Don’t. Their yearning for each other proves stronger than the threat to their careers and they start a secret romance. Heather has seen herself through her ex’s eyes for so long that she doesn’t quite recognize the person Marcus sees, but she likes her. In addition to recovering from a physical injury, Marcus is still grieving his father’s death. Angyal does such a good job of showing the joy they bring into each other’s lives, and also the fragility of their romance.
Angyal conveys the physicality of the dancers lives so well. Marcus particularly is aware of his body and how it is moving in a way that I’ve rarely seen described in romance. Some of the most intimate and smoldering moments are in scenes where they are dancing or moving together together outside of sex.
The Pas de Don’t policy that gives us the title isn’t just a plot device to keep Heather and Marcus apart. It is also a commentary on the impact that well intentioned but poorly thought out policies can have on the people they are supposed to protect. Ultimately, Pas de Don’t is hopeful – it’s hopeful about the characters’ futures and it is hopeful about the future of ballet.
Chloe Angyal very helpfully provides content warnings at the beginning of the book. “This book features on‑page depictions of coercive control and its after‑ math, as well as the off‑page death of a parent. I’ve done my best to treat these topics with the care that they, and you the reader, deserve.” I will add that while there are a couple of mentions of not eating foods because of calories, eating disorders are not portrayed and disordered eating is not glamorized.
I received this as an advance read copy from Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.