The Quarterback and the Ballerina (The Ballerina Academy, #1) by Anne-Marie Meyer

The Quarterback and the Ballerina (The Ballerina Academy, #1) Reviews

• 
  Sabrina

  The story was cute but a little too rushed for me. There wasn't room for the characters to grow and instead it felt like the ending came out of nowhere and I can't even say it had a true HEA.
• 
  Katie (Hiding in the Pages)

  Loved this one!
  
  (4.5 Stars) Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever grow too old to enjoy these clean teen romances and I sure hope that never happens, although sometimes I have no patience for the extreme drama. I always wanted to be a ballerina, but had no idea how brutal that world could be and after being planted firmly inside this story for a time, I'm kind of glad that competitive dancing wasn't a part of my coming-of-age.
  
  Collette and Ethan have more in common than they first realize, especially as they each seem to come from such opposite worlds. I love finding hidden messages and meanings in stories and this one has some resemblances to Cinderella, in a modern and flipped way, yet again, both Collette and Ethan show those affinities to this beloved fairy tale.
  
  I couldn't help it and was completely sucked into this story and into the lives and world of these characters. My heart ached for each of them, yet I was the front and center cheerleader for them, waving my inner pom-poms for their growth and victories. I absolutely loved how things weren't as they seemed and how self-awareness led to discoveries of self and others. And that epilogue was a perfect segue to the next book, which I can't wait for.
  
  Content: mild romance
  
  *I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
• 
  Aimee (Getting Your Read On)

  Very Sweet
  
  I think this book does a good job of showing teenage insecurities and also teenage courage. These characters are on the cusp of adulthood, both anxious for and a little scared of those changes. I liked the way Ethan and Colette supported each other in their dreams. It was very sweet. This is a good start to a new teenage clean romance series!
• 
  Paige (TheBookVulture)

  Characters were very boring, and I often couldn’t tell who’s POV I was reading. Characters very juvenile for their ages, and as such it read like it was meant for the younger YA audience. I’m disappointed. I had hopes for this one, and it missed the mark by a long way.
• 
  ~Lizzy's Book Lounge~

  Warning: this text may contain spoilers
  I did a buddy read with my friend Kayla Grace Breedlove
  
  
  Oh my gosh you guys! This was an awesome book!!
  Collette wants to be a dancer but she thinks the way her body is made she can't be one.
  She thinks ballerinas need to be slendor and not chunky.
  Ethan is a football player. To be exact he's the quarterback.
  Spoiler: But he has a secret talent. I won't say what it is . You have to find out what it is
  These two find each other when Ethan's coach decides to put his team into ballet. I mean can you imagine big football players doing ballet?
  One of the reasons i really like this book was because Ethan and Collette both helped each other with their insecurities.
  And in the end they both fell in love. When they finally saw that they needed each other i wass literally whooping!
  Ooverall it was a very enjoyable read! I can't wait to read book 4
• 
  Kyah Howard

  I read this in about 3 hours after seeing it falsely advertised on Tiktok as a must read. Was it well written? Was it a groundbreaking story? To both of these I have to go with no in the nicest way possible. The tropes it leaned on were exaggerated and the characters were irrational or half done. Many side characters were kind of toxic as well, but was I expecting a literary masterpiece? Also no. It was way too YA for me to really be interested much in it, but I saw it through in that way that self indulgent reading thrives in. I still liked it, even if it is rated low here in my review. It gave very much "A Cinderella Story" vibes which was cute.
• 
  ella

  i need to stop reading books i see on tiktok💀
• 
  Vibliophile

  (4.5 stars) - We are more than how people choose to see us
  
  This story reminded me of a song Switchfoot put out years ago that has the refrain, "This is your life - are you who you want to be?"
  
  Ethan and Collette are both trying to be who others, especially their parents, expect them to be.
  
  Ethan is successful at everything his father wants for him, but he's not allowed to explore what he wants for himself.
  
  Collette is discouraged from even trying. Her mother is so convinced that she needs to be protected from rejection & failure that she doesn't realize she's already condemned & essentially rejected Collette before she even tries
  
  The beginning of the story focuses on Collette's damaged body image, but as it progresses, it's clear that it's really about damaged self image.
  
  It's one thing to aspire to be your best self but another to try to be who others have decided you are. Ethan & Collette help each other with self discovery - and finding joy in the journey.
  
  It's a romance so the essential happily-ever-after is solidly delivered. The story's message that wishing won't alter reality, but dreaming *can*, conveys the exhilaration of possibility when we face down our fears.
  
  The next book in the series promises to take that even further. And I look forward to Bianca's learning how to be human, lol.
  
  *Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic
• 
  Kylie

  I don’t think i’ve ever found an MC to be so annoying. Like girl please get it together. You know it’s bad when I was agreeing with everything the “mean girl” was saying about you.
• 
  Julie Carpenter

  Oh to be a teenager again and to have to face the insecurities of school, friends, life, joys, struggles, dreams and all of the unknowns associated with it. I think I'll stay where I'm at...many, many years past being a teenager. But, I'll enjoy reading these fun YA books instead.
  
  Collette and Ethan are two characters who were easy to cheer for. They were vulnerable and trying to navigate their lives with all the pressures placed upon them from their peers, teachers/coaches, parents and themselves.
  
  I loved the first meeting of these two. Collette is fiery and has a quick wit about her. Plus all her fun references to Harry Potter made me like her very quickly. Ethan thought the same thing too. Hee Hee! They've both been hurt and took a little time to trust each other but once they started breaking down those walls it was a sweet friendship that followed. I loved Collette's love of dance and how well written those scenes were. I felt like I was there dancing alongside her and feeling the freedom that doing something you absolutely love gives you. Ethan and his music was such a great addition to the book. Especially "their" song. No spoilers, but I think you're gonna love that part. *sigh*
  
  There's drama and hurt, laughter and healing. But overall I really enjoyed the message of this book. I loved these two authors combining their talents to write this book and I'm very much so looking forward to the next book. The ending of this book did a great job of setting up book #2.
  
  Content: Clean. This book deals with ballet and body image, Collette's character dives into that quite a bit. The authors showed the insecurities she faces in regards to that as well as trying to show her healing and coming to love who she is.
  
  I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.
  
  Happy Reading!!!
• 
  Danna

  נטשתי ב 68 אחוז.
  המון פוטנציאל, הספר מדבר על נושא מאודחשוב- דימוי עצמי, היכולת לעמוד על רצונך.
  לצערי הכתיבה לא זורמת, המון פסקאות מיוצרות שמקשות על הקריאה, הכל צפוי יצר על המידה, זה לא רק איך הסוף יראה, אלא איך הפרק הבא הולך להיראות. זירו מתח.
  ולכן כבר איבדתי עניין.
  *איכשהו חזרתי לקרוא עד הסוף וכמעט נתתי כוכב אחד. הספר ממש ממש לא טוב.
  
  ספויילר
  שתי הדמויות הראשיות באות ממשפחות מאוד קשות, כל החיים שלהן הן נאבקות במשפחות האלו ופתאום ככה סתם שתי המשפחות בסדר? הכל בסדר? בלי תהליך כלשהו.
  לא, לא טוב.
• 
  Margaret Watkins

  A beautifully written young adult romance, this novel touched my heart as Collette and Ethan break through the barriers and boundaries set by their parents. When Ethan first sees Collette dancing, something breaks open in the young quarterback's heart. His sole purpose up to that point had been pleasing his father and bowing to his demands. However, when observing Collette's deeply emotional dance when she thought no-one was looking, Ethan discovers a new and deeply satisfying response to her artistic ability. However, caught in the crosshairs of his father's ambition, Ethan finally takes an irrevocable step that not only affects his future but Collette's as well. Collette has tried and failed at fitting the mold of the consummate ballerina. However, through Ethan's sacrifice on her behalf, she is finally faced with choices that will affect how she sees herself for the rest of her life. The story is well written, emotional with life lessons for everyone. I enjoyed the main characters and found myself cheering them on, hoping throughout they would find their own path to happiness. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
• 
  Treena

  A sweet, clean, YA romance. Characters were very real. My first book by these authors and I liked it. 😊
• 
  Sheameka Valentino

  After 4 hours of listening to Ethan rave about Collette and repeatedly tell her she’s beautiful, followed by Collette rejecting his compliments and having an internal dialogue where she constantly talks about her size and how she’s too big to be a ballerina. Its cute and all but I thought she would have more fight in her.
• 
  Sophie

  I was expecting this book to be just another YA romance that I forget about within a week, but it wasn't.
  They tackled body image in the dance industry in a very real and authentic way which I found interesting to read. I felt so bad for Collette the whole time because she really didn't have anyone. Her mom (who I could not stand!) constantly put her down and so did almost all the girls at the academy.
  If a person has never struggled with body image issues they may find Collette's decisions questionable, but I found them realistic for someone who has had no one lifting them up. Until Ethan came along, she didn't have anyone telling her anything positive about herself. She did have Olivia but there is only so much someone can believe from one person when everyone else is pushing them down all the time. The author portrayed this part of the book in a realistic manor which I was happy for because there are plenty of authors wouldn't have.
  
  I also found myself liking Collette. She was likable, but not too likable that you hate her. And she definitely wasn't annoying. I don't find many YA female main characters that I actually like reading about so this was a breath of fresh air.
  
  I also liked Ethan. He was basically one of the most perfect fictional boys I have ever read about. Nothing too special just... perfect. He plays guitar and football AND is a really nice person, there's not much more a person could want.
  
  In total, this book wasn't like the majority of books I've read from this genre and I really enjoyed it!🌟 5/5 🌟
• 
  Jamie (The Kansan Reader)

  DNF
  
  To start off with, I have only read one of Anne-Marie’s books and I didn’t give it the highest rating. With Maggie, I have read a couple of her books and I DNFed them. So when I picked up this book off my TBR and noticed Maggie as the author then went and looked at Anne-Marie I started not to have high hopes. It’s not because they have bad writing. Their writing tends to hit the younger demographic which I haven’t been in for about eleven to twelve years. But I decided I was going to give this the good ole college try.
  
  When Coach Reynolds told me what he’d planned as punishment for my teammates, I’d thought he was joking. The entire starting lineup for the Oakwood High football team taking ballet lessons? He couldn’t be serious.
  
  The starting line with the exception of Ethan got caught partying the night before a game. The coach decides that their punishment will be learning ballet. Ethan purposes to help out Collette.
  
  I want to point out one thing… many famous football players actually participate in ballet to enhance their performance. Don’t believe me, google it. I did try to keep an open mind. There really wasn’t anything wrong with the story. I’m just bored. I think it has more to do with the fact that I just finished a five-star book and this really is pointed to a younger demographic.
  
  I’m sure if I had picked it up at another time, I probably would have liked it but unfortunately, that is not the case.
• 
  ضحى الحداد

  This was a really enjoyable book, many would say it's childdish and the main character was over the top with her emotions with her weight .. but let me tell you ..
  The story is about Collette, who is overweight and that's preventing her from pursuing her dream which is dancing Ballet .. then we meet Ethan, who wants to be a football Quarterback AND and Guitarist, but his father is preventing him from doing that .. together they will learn to trust each other to chase after their dreams .. together
  for anyone who's never been overweight, you will NEVER understand how much this will affect your self esteem in every area in your life .. as a former overweight person I can say I am still healing from the emotional scar that left me .. so no .. Collette wasn't being dramatic .. she is a teenager who's facing a great challenge and didn't find her way until she learned to accept herself .. which is something I'm still struggling to do .. so props to the authors for that, it's the first book I read that captures what it means to be overweight in a merciless society
• 
  Kayla Grace

  Read this book in a buddy read with my friend ~ASuperBookReader~
  
  Ok when you first see this book you might think it’s a corny romance book but your wrong (never judge a book by it cover)
  This book is sooooo good because it covers real life problems. It’s not a fluffy chessy love book were all there problems just suddenly disappear. like Ethan he deals with living up to his fathers dreams for him being a lawyer but he wants to play the guitar. Colette deals with not being good enough to be a dancer and all her life she’s been told that’s she’s to fat to be dancer or she don’t have the body type (her mom even told her she’s not good enough). And then they meet BOOM long story short they help each other over come their insecurities. I think my favorite part is we’re Ethan tells Colette that he loves her but he can’t be with her till she loves her self and see what he sees in her🥹. I have to say Olivia Is like the best best friend ever.
  
  So all in all I definitely recommend reading this book and I definitely will read the next book in this series.
• 
  Emily Holgate

  Unbelievably cringy but that was just what I was looking for
• 
  margarida

  3.5 /5
• 
  Saira

  DNF! Really cringe. Gave up at about 30% I thought this book would help me out of my slump but nope. No help.
• 
  Mary Mccormack

  Honest review
  
  Clean coming of age romance. Discovering themselves and the choices they have in finding their future selves. Really good story and characters.
• 
  The Mysterious Reader

  A quarterback who only really enjoys playing his guitar (but doesn’t really know what he wants to be). A wanna be dancer Hogwarts-nerd (which, by the way, I am too so thats not a criticism), who really wants to be a dancer. Add in the complex relationship between the dancer and her dance teacher mom, who seemingly inexplicably (though we do get explanations by the end) doesn’t want her to dance. Such are the ingredients for Colette and Ethan’s YA romance in Anne-Marie Meyer and Maggie Dallen’s The Quarterback and the Ballerina (The Ballerina Academy, Book 1). This is most definitely the promised Sweet YA Romance. It’s also totally fun and well told - and easy to highly recommend.
  
  PS: a pro tip - you can skip the epilogue. It’s not really part of the story, even if involving the two biggest supporting characters. Instead it’s basically just a teaser for book 2 in the series. If you intend to read that book (as I certainly do) then I’d hold off reading this epilogue until it’s time to turn to that book.
• 
  Kaye

  ONE EXCEPTIONAL ADVENTURE!!!
  Splendid! This talented, imaginative and compelling duo delivers all the feels with such exuberance, finesse, style and jazz, laying it out skillfully and precise with a uniquely dynamic approach. A raging tempest of fervent events chocked-full of stirring circumstances, blasting those swirling emotions with a life altering, mind-blowing culmination. Bumbling through the trials and tribulations, noting the disarming twists and progressive turns, looking for answers, testing our characters in ways they could have never anticipated. Unveiling a foray of drama, angst, intrigue, misgivings, turmoil as revelations spirals, melding this gem together piece by piece brilliantly. The characters flow and blend together smoothly transforming into amazing personalities with depth and qualities that make them unique and relatable. Embellishing abundantly detailed descriptions intertwining each scenario with all the zeal and gusto bringing them to life before your eyes. Fantastic job guys, thanks for sharing this little fella with us.
• 
  Lulavv3

  Tiktok deja de recomendarme cosas que parecen sacadas de wattpad plis (mentira AMO)
• 
  Lily Adams

  Another TikTok recommendation. Very predictable. Quick read.
• 
  Nari

  I enjoyed reading this book. Collette was a fun character. She has a quick wit. I didn’t care for her relationship with her mother. It was very dysfunctional and caused serious problems. I liked Ethan more and more as the story progressed. Colette and Ethan together were a great combo.
• 
  sof

  only read bc of a tiktok that recommended it and it was kindle unlimited but the ideas been done so often and there wasn’t anything really unique, i felt completely detached to the characters