For fans of The Unhoneymooners, there’s no question about the fact that Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal is a must-read. With her stunning prose and incredibly well-rounded characters, Angyal is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. I devoured Pas de Don’t earlier this year, and then I did the same with the follow-up novel. It’s clear from the first few pages of the initial story that Angyal knows the ballet world and honors it beautifully with her work. The author also does a brilliant job of making the reader feel like they’re walking the streets of Australia with such descriptive language that it’s easy to lose ourselves in the story.
Now, as far as the romance goes, Carly Montgomery and Nick Jacobs are straight-up fire. Their white-hot bickering and disastrous “meet-cute” transforms into some of the most tender moments of intimacy I’ve ever read. Angyal incorporates many important beats of character development throughout, making Pointe of Pride a story that touches on relatable struggles for people in their early thirties and those struggling with their careers. How the story progresses and all the moments we get play out like a stunning film. Angyal’s writing is so immersive, captivating, and sharp that you won’t want to put the book down once you start.
Additionally, while Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal follows a character who’s initially featured in Pas de Don’t, the two novels don’t necessarily need to be read together (but they beautifully work side by side). The found families and friendships throughout make the stories feel like the kind of comfort pieces necessary in an otherwise grueling environment. No form of the entertainment industry is a walk in the park, but weave the stories around friendships and the lengths people are willing to go to for one another, and we have a big winner.
Further, the story features conversations (and a character) who suffers from pelvic pain, which isn’t something we read about often in romance novels. The attention to detail and care put into addressing Carly’s physical struggles are admirable in every way. Additionally, every word choice and decision made to showcase the character’s agency and simultaneously ensure that she is taken care of is a beautiful inclusion that makes Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal a rare gem in the romance world.
With that said, Nick and Carly are an absolute dream for fans who shipped Anne and Gilbert. Maybe even a little for the Darcy and Elizabeth girls. Her spunky attitude and his no-nonsense, deadpan deliveries morph into one of the warmest depictions of romance in recent years. It’s not always easy to believe that characters could fall in love in a short amount of time, and it’s especially not easy to feel it with characters who initially can’t stand to be around each other. However, Angyal makes every beat of their longing not only feel raw and honest but she ensures that it’s all earned.
Love often creeps up on people, slowly and then all at once. That’s precisely what we get here, and on top of that, we have characters whose struggles are deeply relatable and whose emotional responses are innately human. It’s a healing novel, especially for those working in competitive industries and fighting to be seen. And for that, among many other reasons, Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal is an unquestionable win.
Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal is available wherever books are sold on May 21.
First Featured Image | Official Cover Credit: ©Chloe Angyal