Still

Still follows two career dancers who meet during their prime performing years. Katrina Rosales is a prima ballerina with a renowned company, while Baptiste Carpenter dances with an elite modern dance troupe. Their paths cross repeatedly through professional circles, leading to a connection that spans multiple years. Career pressures, personal trauma, and competing priorities create obstacles between them. The world of professional dance serves as both setting and metaphor, with scenes moving between New York City, London, and other global arts hubs. Through the lens of ballet and modern dance, the story examines themes of sacrifice, ambition, and healing. The novel explores questions about the price of artistic excellence and what it means to choose between preservation and risk. Through its dual focus on romance and dance, it considers how past wounds shape present choices.

Readers note the strong emotional impact and depth of character development in this romance, particularly praising how it tackles grief and healing. Many reviews highlight the realistic portrayal of chronic illness and disabilities. Liked: - Writing quality and poetic prose - Authentic representation of Black culture and family dynamics - Complex exploration of art and creativity - Chemistry between main characters - Handling of serious themes without overwhelming the romance Disliked: - Slow pacing in first third of book - Length (some found it too long at 400+ pages) - Heavy focus on art terminology and references - Multiple flashback scenes Ratings: Goodreads: 4.41/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (5,000+ ratings) BookBub: 4.7/5 (1,400+ ratings) One reader said: "The prose reads like poetry without being purple." Another noted: "Takes time to build but delivers an emotional punch when it gets going."

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🌟 Kennedy Ryan is the first Black author to win a RITA Award (2019), considered one of romance publishing's highest honors. 📚 "Still" is part of a series of interconnected standalones called "The Grip Series," which follows characters in the hip-hop music industry. 🎭 The protagonist, Bristol, is a trained ballet dancer - a detail Ryan researched extensively by interviewing professional dancers and attending performances. 🎵 The book explores the intersection of classical ballet and hip-hop music, challenging cultural stereotypes and genre boundaries. 💫 Many scenes in the book were inspired by real-world locations in Atlanta's music and arts scene, where Ryan herself has lived and worked.