Publication date: 19th November 2024
Publisher: Montlake
Pages: 459
Genre: Romance
Format read: Audiobook
Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.
As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.
When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unravelled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.
Rating: ★★★★
My thoughts:
This was my first ever novel by Rebecca Yarros and I’ll be honest I didn’t know what to expect. I had actively avoided the hype associated with Fourth Wing and as such was completely unaware of this author’s many other works.
As a contemporary romance, Variation ticked a lot of boxes for me. I typically enjoy second chance romances told through dual POVs and a little fake dating is always a bonus. Add in a male MC who has pined for his love for 11 years and … SWOON! The romance between Allie and Hudson was perfect, however it was just a small part of the story.
Beyond the romance, there was plenty of drama – a narcissistic mother, sibling rivalry, jealousy, secrets, lies, guilt and grief – and some fairly significant plot twists, some that were predictable but others that were not. It was the drama more than the romance that held me captivated to the end. I had to know the answers to the questions that reading this story brought up, following along until the big reveal.
The characters were authentic and well written, their stories fleshed out the right amount to make them relatable. This was true not only of Allie and Hudson but of the secondary characters as well. The author did a wonderful job of getting me to care about all of the characters in this novel, especially Juniper, as she sought out her biological parents.
I particularly enjoyed Allie’s realistic depiction of the ballet world – the long days, hard work and dedication, the hyper fixation on body image, the backstabbing and the cruelty. I understood her drive and dedication, however misguided. I probably could have read a whole book based around the relationship of the Rousseau girls and their mother within this world – skipping the romance altogether, as perfect as it was. I was completely drawn in to their world.
Overall, Variation was a riveting read – more of a drama about family dynamics with a romantic side story – that I would highly recommend. I will definitely be looking to read more from this author in the future.