The Hit List

by Nikki Urang

The Los Angeles Conservatory for the Arts is supposed to be a new beginning for Sadie Bryant. Moving across the country is exactly what she needs to escape the gossip surrounding her injury, the devastating betrayal of her ex-partner, and to rebuild her career as a solo dancer.

When the school announces that the annual Fall Showcase, a performance that secures a spot studying in London, will now require each dancer to have a partner, Sadie’s fresh start is a nightmare. Now she has to dance with Luke Morrison, the school womanizer with a big ego. Sadie doesn’t know how to trust Luke enough to dance with him after her last partner left her broken, but Luke is determined to change that.

Then, The Hit List comes out. A game of sexual conquest where guys get points for all the girls they hook up with—and it seems like every guy at the school is playing.

The girl worth the most points? Sadie.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, College, Sports, Contemporary Romance

313 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2014

About the author

Author of THE HIT LIST (Spencer Hill Contemporary, 11/11/14).

Reviews

[Hanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadie loves to dance. Dancing is actually the most important thing in her life and she wouldn’t know what to do without it. When her longtime dancing partner (and ex- boyfriend) goes to a school without her, Sadie decides to move far away from home and to go to school there. At that school, there is this list, the Hit List. That’s a list where some men get points for sleeping with women. Some women are worth more and Sadie is one of those women. Sadie doesn’t understand what’s happening. She just wants to focus on dancing and does not want to bothered by anyone.

I didn’t like this book.. I really liked cover and I was curious about the meaning of the title. I expected dancing and I got that, so that was good. Luke saved the book (a little), but Sadie was so frustrated. I don’t think I ever disliked a female main character this much. She was so hot and cold. There was a lot of running and trust issues. Even after Sadie and Luke had an amazing dance together, Sadie still didn’t trust Luke to dance with her at school and she kept pushing him away. When she said she loved him, I didn’t feel it. Sadie is so lucky that Luke is a patient, sweet, trusting, genuine and loving man. Luke is also so passionate and amazing at dancing, that’s something he has in common with Sadie.

[✨ bloop ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. Would not recommend unless you want to drown yourself with aspirins and then hit yourself repeatedly with a bat for being sadistic enough to read this mind numbingly whiny and P-R-E-D-I-C-T-A-B-L-E book.

The only reason why this book gets 1 and a 1/2 stars is because of the love interest, Luke (because he's not a douchebag unlike EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE GOD DAMN BOOK) and Adam (who's also surprisingly not an asshole, but too bad he was barely in the novel). Right off the bat, I could tell Luke was a nice guy (despite the few weird, out of character moments in the beginning... which I think was the author's attempt at having some "steamy" moments between the two characters. It wasn't steamy. It was weird. And I thought it was borderline abusive/intrusive and I was kind of worried that Luke was one of those love interests that's either a bad boy dick one minute and then golden boy sweetheart the next). But he proved to not be that bad. He was decent--and actually pretty nice. He then became swoon-worthy when you realize that he's a pretty swell dude who was trying to do whatever it took to help Sadie learn to trust and deal with her abandonment issues.
Everyone else is annoying. The MC is annoying. The roommate is annoying.
Too much whining and jadedness and honestly, I think the person behind the hit list deserves a harsher punishment than what actually happened. That person got away scotch free after practically sabotaging one person (which had a hefty consequence that affected a LOT of people besides the MC) over something stupid/petty. Bull. Shit. I am so pissed. Perhaps the MC's jadedness and bitterness rubbed off on me--but the person behind the current hit list SHOULD have been punished.
And to be honest, the MC's reaction/response to the person behind the current hit list "hit man" was so... unrealistic. If I was her and I found out who was behind the dumb list that brought me drama, paranoia, and sabotaged not only my schooling/education (but others as well) over something stupid/petty that happened a year ago, I would have REPORTED THEIR ASS to the dean.
Justice needs to be served. Even if she doesn't give a damn doesn't mean that only her opinion matters. She wasn't the only one linked to the damn list. God, she's so whiny and self-centered.

This book was so disappointing. The only good side was Luke. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. If Luke was anything but the surprisingly sweet and devoted and kind guy in the novel, I would have given this book a -1 stars. Believe me, i would have found a way to give this a negative rating. (Also, what was with his mood swings in the first part of the book? It seemed as if the author didn't know what route to go with his persona until she was 20% through with the story).

I feel like the book is kind of incomplete. She has trust/abandonment issues, and I'm glad she finally moved on from Patrick (but you're forced to read 90% of dumb, angsty, jaded bullshit before she realizes that she's holding up rage and anger and taking it out on innocent people. Like, it took WAY TOO LONG for her to come to this conclusion). But what about the abandonment issues from her mother? Nothing really got resolved from that. I don't think Luke is the solution to her abandonment issue from her mother.

I like that the MC didn't slut shame (I dislike books the second I can sense slut-shaming bull shit from miles away), but I hated how she didn't care at all to seek justice over the victims (yes. I think all the girls who ended up on the list were victims. I don't care if the girls only counted (for the guys who joined the hit game) if things were consensual--the fact that their names were revealed and added to the list without their consent makes it NOT OKAY. Therefore, victims. Plus, it was evident that the men involved in the games were going to do whatever it took to score points--which meant that the girls were taking advantage of. I'm mortified that no one tried to stop this BS before things spiraled out of control). I hated how no one wanted to go rat the stupid list. I hated how everyone didn't want to rat the list because they didn't want to "ruin people's fun". But I hated how the MC knew that the list was harming/hurting girls who got affected by the game and didn't give two shits about it. Yes, I know that they're not her responsibility--but she carried an "I DON'T GIVE A FUCK" mentality throughout the first 80% of the novel. If she didn't give a damn about what people thought about her, she should have just ratted the damn list right off the damn bat to prevent people from creepily coming onto her. I mean, I know you already have to suspend your disbelief to believe that this is even possible, but jesus christ--there's only so much bullshit I'm willing to accept before I say enough's enough.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hit List
by Nikki Urang

“Basically, it’s boy loves girl, girl hates boy.” “I can handle that,” I say, glaring at him. “Hating you is my specialty.” “I think you missed the part about forgiveness at the end,” Luke says. “I didn’t miss it. I ignored it.”

3 stars because this book was about broken ballet dancers and .25 because the ending that annoyed the heck out of me. I could've given this a higher rating if it weren't of the ending, it ruined the whole book.
I wanted to love this book so badly, it's a pity I didn't.


I grew up being obsessed with ballet literally obsessed but never got to be one because I was told by some dance teachers that I didn't have the perfect physique to be a ballerina.


The plot: Classic emotionally broken girl Sadie (who has trust issues) meets the hottest guy in college Luke (with whom every girl wants to be with) who happens to be a womanizer and *fireworks* it's attraction/hate at first sight, set in a world filled with dance floors. Thus, being a new student in college and the only sophomore in the dance class, they have to partner up to compete in a dance tryout and with that the judges get to decide who'll have the chance to attend to one of the most amazing ballet school in London for a whole semester. And guess who was assigned to be Sadie's partner for the next few months? LUKE!


The characters: Sadie is one whiny main character with an irritating, immature and stubborn personality. I get it. She experienced a horrible injury because her former ballet partner couldn't catch her, then she started having trust issues with everyone. I'm not blaming her for having trust issues because when someone dear to you lets you down, it's hard to rebuild that trust again.
She hardly ever speaks up for herself; instead, she relies on her surroundings to do all the talking for her. Even when guys are borderline sexually harassing her, she either A: Says NOTHING or B: Waits around for someone else to protect her. Like, what? This isn't the 19th century, nobody wants a girl who's a damsel in distress in 21st century, otherwise everyone will take advantage of it. Sadie's mother on the other hand doesn't give a single damn about her daughter. |
Luke: I actually liked Luke very much, he made Sadie trust people again.

Things that annoyed me besides the ending:
So many story lines needed to happen: Sadie's mom, Luke's parents, Brielle's issues, the hit-list wrap up, Adam's relationship... Don't worry, none of the mentioned are really explored and given actual closure or explanation.
The book needed to focus on more characters, I wanted to see more of Adam who is Brielle's GBF, Brielle and her intentions and what is she the way she is, Luke's parents and Sadie's mother. Nobody noticed how this new senior assistant Brandon harasses the students, and nobody even reported him to the principal's office because of his behaviour.
The relationship/friendship or whatever was taking place between Sadie and Adam was weird, odd and strange, one time they were angry at each other the exact next minute they were coming back to each other, they were behaving like a married couple with more hormones, more angst, and less understanding and trust.

Spoiler section:
Brielle didn't deserve to win, she was the one who put Sadie's name in that retched blog about guys getting sexual with girls just to earn stupid points and she knew it would affect her but she did it anyway, also she was the one who continued that blog altough Luke was the one who created it. Honestly, what was the author thinking making the mean girl win?

While reading this book I get flashbacks of all the cheesy dance movies that I've watched.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received an advanced copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes taken from a pre-published copy may be altered or omitted from the final version.**

4.5 Stars!!

Opening Lines

"I never should've agreed to do that stupid article. I shove the magazine back onto the shelf and pull another magazine over the top to partially cover it. Not that it will do any good. The bright red letters of the "Jete" in Jete Magazine are recognizable to half the students here. It's probably the most popular magazine at out little campus book store. Even hidden, my naive happiness taunts me from the glossy page."

I used to dance, a lot. I didn't really focus hard on ballet, but more so jazz, hip-hop, tap and I even tried my hand at lyrical. I loved dancing, there is just something about letting your body tell a story and how elegant and graceful one can be that I just find it to be so captivating and simply beautiful. Unfortunately, I had a injury that required me to quit dance. It was a sad time in my life, but I took some years off and discovered cheerleading, but my love for dance has never gone away.

When I first came across The Hit List I knew I had to have it. I mean have you seen that cover? Her position is beautiful! Looking at the cover and reading the synopsis made me Youtube So You Think You Can Dance? videos and clips from Centre Stage. Having been a dancer and the fact I have dealt with an injury I knew I would be able to connect with Sadie. That being said, you do not have to be a dancer or know everything or anything about dance to be able to enjoy this book! This just helped me connect with Sadie more. I finished The Hit List in two sittings, it was fast paced and I was so excited and curious to see how this would come to an end. I also really enjoyed the writing style, it was well-written and didn't feel forced. Nikki Urang's descriptions were perfect, I felt like I was actually in the room watching them dance!

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed."
"I hear sex helps reduce stress."
Jesus Christ. Of course he would know that my name is back on The Hit List. I hold up my hand. "I'm not interested. So stop. Stop with the lingering touches. Stop with the sexual remarks. Just stop."

I loved that not every character was perfect, there were characters that I really just wanted to kick (and that's putting it nicely). I loved how strong Sadie became throughout this book, she really learned to speak out and stand up for herself. And Luke, well Luke had his moments. We're introduced to so many great characters that I just didn't want to say goodbye to! This would have been perfect as a series, it book focusing on a different character or two.

This wasn't exactly sexual read, but you can definitely feel the sexual tension between Luke and Sadie. I really enjoyed seeing them evolve throughout this book. I will say though, I thought their romance would be extremely predictable...it wasn't. There was a certain about about 20 or so chapters in that had me sitting here reading screaming "NO!!!!". But everything turned out well in the end. So does this have a HEA kind of ending? Yep!

What kept The Hit List from getting 5 stars?
- Very minor, but this was something that bothered me after a little while. I found Sadie to be a tad bit too whinny at times, I completely understand her injury and the betrayal she felt thanks to Patrick but I felt she went on and on complaining about it. This also made it hard to picture her as New Adult character, I wanted her to be more mature and accept what happened and move on faster.

Overall, I found The Hit List to be a great debut read! This book has made me dig up my copy of Centre Stage and re-watch it. This is definitely a book I will be re-reading again sometime soon, I only wish that it was a series instead of a standalone. Would I recommend The Hist List? Yes! Have you seen the two teasers I included? Doesn't think make you curious? If so, pick up this book!

**Originally posted on Bookish Wanderlove.**

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bonus girls are worth more points if a Hitter is able to get them into bed. The first Hitter there gets to claim the points. After someone claims points, the girl will lose her bonus status and become like every other girl in the game.

Welcome to the game! Sorry, welcome to the story I mean. When Sadie moves across the country to attend a new school, The Conservatory, she's introduced to the game. Before going into the details of the game, we'll stay with Sadie for a moment. She moves across the country after she suffered an injury after a mistake her dance partner, and then boyfriend, make that left her without a scholarship. Meanwhile, her then boyfriend got a scholarship, and Sadie can't help feeling betrayed, left behind, and she wonders if what they had was real. At her new school, she meets Brielle, her new roommate who, like Sadie, has an absentee mother. She also meets Adam, Brielle's friend. Also, of course, Sadie meets Luke, campus heartthrob who flirts with everything that moves.

Now, back to the game. It's a campus game where the male students who join in are looking to score. Literally. They get point when they sleep with a girl, and some girls (they vote on which) are worth extra points. These girls' names are official on a blog that hosts the game. The guys sign up and some of the rules are: consent is a must, no alcohol can be used by the Hitter (the participant) to alter a girl's state of consciousnesses but if she does it to herself, you're good to go, you must prove you had sex (pictures, underwear, video, etc.. Have fun.

...

Yeah, have fun.

I'll discuss the game more in-depth later in the review, because for a large part of the story it is merely a backdrop, something going on outside of Sadie's world. So we'll start with Sadie. She has trust issues like, well, the typical New Adult heroine that she is. Her ex-boyfriend/dance partner accidentally dropped her during a dance, which left her injured and Sadie lost her shot at a scholarship. Due to this, she's unable to trust people and her dancing is affected when she's unable to partner with someone else. (She's also iffy about partnering with someone who isn't gay, or she isn't in a relationship too, because screw professionalism, right?) In the beginning, it's easy to sympathize with Sadie. Her mother is absent and offers no motherly support, and after Sadie's boyfriend left her, it's not hard to understand where she's coming from. Yes, in the beginning, this is all fine and good, but at some point (even before 80% of the characters have called Sadie out on it) you lose interest, and what initially was sympathize for Sadie turns into frustration and the need to tell her to grow up. She hangs onto her anger, feels like she's entitled to something better, and acts much like a baby.

Then Sadie meets Luke, local heartthrob and... it's not quite as much insta-love as usual NA, but there's definitive some insta-something-alike there. Luke, whom she is later forced to dance with, is a flirt. Sadie is unable to trust him when partnered, and instead she decides to practice with Adam (who she is able to dance with because, you know, he's gay). Anyhow, despite what it may sound like, I did like how Luke and Sadie's relationship developed, at times. Kinda. Maybe. Okay, maybe not really. It's mostly due to Luke's whiplash personality. One second he's cold, then hot, then cold. Sadie calls him out on it - good for her - but throughout the story there's never a reason revealed why Luke acts the way he does. He has some trust issues himself, and he, too, is iffy about relationships, but that doesn't suffice to rationale or explain his actions. I also lost respect for him at the end of the book, when certain reveals are made. I also dislike how Sadie dealt with the revelations, but most how they were portrayed in general.

Now there will be some mentions about the game, but mostly it's how Sadie reacts to it. Sadie is one of the bonus girls, those that are worth more point if you sleep with them. Her name is official on the blog, and she's aware of it. She's aware of the rules and stakes. Here's the thing: several times she wonders why no one is stepping up and stopping the game, why no one takes it up with the school. She sees girls (and talks to some of them) and wonder why they let themselves be used by the game. Even when things gets out of hand and a girl is sexually harassed, she doesn't do anything. Actually, she acts as if the game is no big deal, not really. The girls know about it, she thinks, so what's the harm? (Not her exact words, but it's how it sounds.) Yet, when some girls take advantage of the game (uses it to sleep with boys), Sadie somehow looks down on these women, asking them if they don't know they're being used for points? I'll discuss this more in a short while.

For the game, I'm not undecided. It's a horrible thing. The rules says that all parties must consent, but it's quiet clear that consent, to some people, is easy to go around or overlook. Especially on college campuses. Then turning women into something men can receive points for, if that's not dehumanizing, I don't know what is. Given the nature of the game, this will certainly seduce some guys that feel entitled to women's bodies to joining in. It's a perfect setup for boosting the notion that women are for men, and men can use them however they want.

Moving on to the rule that says no alcohol is allowed to change the woman's state of consciousness, but it's okay if she does it to herself. First of all, this rule would be incredibly easy to go around. So you as (male) participant is not allowed to give the women drinks, but there's no saying your best friend can give them to her. Also, it's good to remember that if the woman is drunk and unable to make sound decisions, then that can be considered rape. What the rule basically says is that it not okay if you give her alcohol and sleep with her, but if she drinks herself drunk, it's her fault for having sex with you even if she doesn't want to. That sounds like victim blaming. Oh, wait, that's exactly what victim blaming is.

Then there's the rule about proof. Proof could be underwear, pictures, and videos. Let's begin with the fact that sharing a picture of video of this nature against the other person's knowing, that's a crime. While it may only be shared by the "hitter" and the person hosting the game is still sharing that picture or video. Once again this encourages the notion that women are for men, and men are allowed to do what they wish when it comes to women.

The problem isn't that the game is in the story, it's the way it's treated. Characters might point out that they are hurt by it, but there's no discussing how sexist and degrading the game is in itself. There's no one pointing out what the game says about women, femininity, and society's view of women. This is the issue. When it's revealed who's behind the game and its origin, there are still no discussion about this, just how it was started from a misguided point of view, of confusion and frustration, but not about the obvious lack of respect for women the inventor of the game had (and might possibly still have).

This book had a good concept. It had a story that could've, if done well, evoke strong feelings, exposing dark parts of society's view on women, men, and sex, but it failed greatly. Instead it avoids going deep or opening up questions that most people might not want to ask themselves in favor for some hesitant romance, girl-on-girl hate, and Sadie's trust issues.

[Kate Brauning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous emotional development, sharp pacing, and OMG the sexual tension!

Nikki writes about dance like a dancer, and Luke and Sadie's dance scenes are hot, sweet, and packed with conflict. This is one I'll be reading again.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary and NetGalley.)

This was an okay contemporary dance story, but it didn’t hold my interest well.

Sadie was a girl who had issues, and you couldn’t really blame her considering what she’d been through. I did think she was maybe less introverted than I would have possibly been in the same situation though.

The storyline in this consisted of Sadie’s day-to-day activity during dance classes etc. with ‘Gossip Girl’ type online updates to the ‘Hit List’ game. I thought that Sadie took it quite well that her name was on the list really, and I did sort-of see where she was coming from when she was bothered that her name was taken off the list. While I personally wouldn’t want people thinking that I had slept with someone when I hadn’t, I also wouldn’t have wanted to see my name put back on the list! At least with your name crossed off you could be certain that potential suitors weren’t just in it for the points!

The ending to this was okay, and there was a little bit of a surprise over who was running the hit list. The romance was a little predictable though, and I didn’t really enjoy it.
Overall; okay contemporary dance story, but didn’t hold my attention well.
6 out of 10

[Kayla]

DNF @ 30%

I was really excited about this one but I just cannot force myself to continue reading. 1. Sadie is jaded and it's really annoying. She constantly blames Patrick for her injury and while I haven't gotten far enough to find out what really happened, I'm over her whining and constant blame game.

2. The Hit List Blog. I tried to suspend reality but there is no way a school would allow this to go on.

3. The insta-feelings between Sadie and Luke. She talks to him for 5 seconds and yet acts all heartbroken when he acts like a jerk.

I'm not sure if it's because I just read three 5star* books this past week but I'm just not feeling this one.

[Claire (Book Blog Bird) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 5%

Nope! As far as I can see this is a book that romanticises rape.

Did I even read this right? This 'game' states that all parties must give consent, but that if a girl is drunk then she's fair game. Wow. Charming. Fair game.

What the hell is it about the transition from YA to NA literature? YA literature is all about consent during sex, but then as soon as the characters turn nineteen, it's like, 'Yeah, if a guy fancies you so much he literally can't stop himself from banging you it's really romantic'. WTF?

[Carole · Rating 1 out of 5]

All I can say about this book is - pass the aspirin.

I honestly don't know how it is getting such great reviews?
I must have read a different book than everyone?

There are 2 things that are going for the book
1. The Cover - It is what drew me in. I thought it was beautiful and I was expecting so much
more from this book.
2. The subject matter. - Hit List - This could be interesting, plus it involved ballet and dance.

What did I get

A main character Sadie who the only way I can explain it is she is delusional. I have never read a
book where in one sentence she says she has to stay away from Luke, and literally the NEXT SENTENCE
she says she can' be without Luke. This goes back and forth constantly throughout the book.
Did I mention the overtop dramatics from her? Combined with flashbacks it slowed the atory down.

There wasn't any connection with Luke, let alone any steamy love scenes. With the subject matter you
would think there would be some love scenes.

Oh and you don't have to be a scientist to figure out who was behind the HIT LIST.

This book had so much wasted potential.

[Alice]

SORRY I TRIED , BUT I HAD TO DNF !!!!

[Lisa (lifeinlit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

“Not everyone leaves in the end. Sometimes you just have to give people a chance. Give them a reason to stay.”

The Hit List really surprised me, in a very good way. At first I thought it was going to be a contemp more on the silly side once I started reading and found about about “the hit list”, which is a list of girls that guys in school can earn points for scoring with. Yeah, not something I would normally be interested in reading about. But I was so happily surprised as I read more into the story how much more this story really was. It wasn’t simply regarding this game (thankfully!), but it was so much more than that. It focused quite a bit on dance, also carrying with it a strong message about staying strong, overcoming obstacles, and being the best YOU you can be.

Sadie dealt with inner struggles that were interfering with her dream – becoming a professional dancer. She was lucky enough to get into an amazing school that specialized in dance, one that only the BEST were able to get into, yet she found herself so overcome by fear that it took away from her performance. You see, she had this overwhelming fear that everyone would leave her, eventually. An incident in the past with her ex-boyfriend left her completely unable to trust anyway, including a dance partner. And wouldn’t you know it… the school required the big dance performance to be done in partners. And to make matters ever worse… her partner was the conceited, overly self-assured “player” of the school, Luke Morrison.

“I think I just contracted an STD from all the manwhoreness pouring off of you right now.”

Sadie and Luke are forced to work together as partners, which neither one was very happy about. As the story progresses their relationship changes, adding more confusion and drama to the story. Add in a few of their friends and this story is outright funny at times. Definitely entertaining and fun, for the most part. Though the beginning was a bit slow, it did end up picking up as the story progressed, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would to begin with. The “hit list” story line took a backseat to the dance part, which I found rather enjoyable. I was surprised by who the “bad guy” ended up being, which was a fun little shocker for me that gave the story another few points, in my opinion.

Overall, an entertaining read that I would definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for that type of thing. Especially to fans of dance, as I felt this story portrayed it extremely accurately. Nikki Urang is a new author for me, one that I will be sure to keep my eyes out for in the future.

(Thanks to Spencer Hill Contemporary for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

[Riki · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a cover this beautiful and a premise so absolutely intriguing, I couldn’t wait to get started on this book. The idea of the “game” set in a world of dance had me hooked from the start, and the execution is written perfectly.

What this book does beautifully is develop a character in a richly compelling and dramatic manner. Sadie begins this book as a broken girl, running from a past that has up to this point defined both her career and personal life. Moving to LA and starting over is the impetus for her development and change, and boy does she ever. As the book progresses, we see her take encouraging leaps of faith forward and devastating steps backwards as she struggles to once again trust in others. I was fully invested in her outcomes from page one and identified with her desire to have faith again.

Something else that strikes me in reading The Hit List is the absolutely palpable sexual tension created in the novel, without being overtly sexual in any way. The game itself revolves around sexual conquest, yet the author never has to resort to depicting sordid sexual encounters to get the point across.

Speaking of sexual tension, the chemistry between Luke and Sadie is absolutely unmistakable. The scenes that have them dancing together are these wonderful moments of push vs. pull that drew me in with every step.

I love a book that keeps me on my toes, and I spent the entire novel trying to figure out who was behind the Hit List. I never saw the twist coming, yet it made perfect sense when it arrived.

This is a wonderful addition to the New Adult genre, with compelling characters, an incredibly original and intriguing premise, and deftly developed plot. I highly recommend it.

[Lindaisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5

LORD! Am I happy to be done with this book!!!

I bought this book during one of my big New Adult/Contemporary moods along with about five other books and it’s just been sitting on my tablet waiting to be read. So I finally decided to just pick this one up.

I’m not going to lie, I could have liked this book. It’s a different kind of book with a unique story that I’ve never read before. Sadie Bryant is a dancer (ballerina?) She’s moved to L.A. to attend The Conservatory of the Arts school in the hopes of making a fresh start for herself after a bad break up of a relationship and partnership back in NY. She’s in a new place with people she doesn’t know and no one to really back her up and support her. One of the students at the school makes up this deplorable game called “The Hit List” which is basically a game in which guys have sex with the most girls in the school to earn points and Sadie is on this “List.” While dealing with this she also has to deal with the fact that she has to partner with Luke Morrison, one of the most popular dancers at the school who she believes is playing the sex game after she’s had such a bad experience with her former partner Patrick.

All of these factors should have come together for a really great story about finding your own way and making it out on your own. Overcoming adversity while remaining true to yourself. Going for what you want in life even if its terrifying.

Problem is, Sadie Bryant is THE most flip floppy, wish washy, ANNOYING character I’ve ever read in my life.

Because of her breakup with her last partner she has major issues trusting in Luke enough so that they can dance together. Which is understandable right? She got hurt, its irrational to think that someone could get over something like that over night. But the ENTIRE BOOK was the same thing over and over and OVER again.

i>I can’t trust Luke because he’s playing that stupid game and he just wants to get in my pants - I know Luke, he wouldn’t do something to hurt me he wouldn’t be involved in a game like that - He’s just talking to me to get points, he doesn’t really care about me. I can’t let Luke in because he’s just going to leave me like everyone else has - I have to let my guard down and believe that Luke means what he says - I can’t let myself fall for Luke because I cant trust him. Luke is just playing that stupid game, I can’t believe I ever trusted him, he’s just like Patrick! - I can’t push Luke away just because of what Patrick did to me. - LUKE IS JUST LIKE PATRICK!

Do you know how ANNOYING that is?! To read this girls internal dialogue and have her say the same things over and over again. Have her battle with the same exact feelings, come to the same exact conclusions only to change them and then change them again. I would have given this book a 3.5 rating if she wasn’t so damn insufferable!

Not to mention she’s the most selfish person ever. The main reason she got angry with Patrick, her last partner/boyfriend, is because after she got hurt he went on with his plans of getting hired by a major dance agency. I’m sorry but I don’t see how its fair for you to expect someone to put their life on hold just because you have to put yours on hold.

I seriously could not stand her. She would come up with these wild ideas that would just leave me with my mouth agape wondering how anyone could be so childish and annoying. She let her irrational and unchanging feelings and ideals, get in the way of her dancing to the point where she and Luke would spend weeks on the same dance because she refused to let him touch her because she was so afraid of the feelings she didn’t want to have for him. If this were a real school and not just the product of the authors imagination, I’m sure she would have been kicked out of the school for lack of cooperation.

Besides Sadie, I liked a lot of the characters in the book. Her roommate Brielle was a fiesty little diva that I enjoyed reading about. Luke was actually a pretty cool guy. I don’t understand how he put up with Sadie’s BS though. He had the patience of a saint that’s for sure.

Like I said before, if it weren’t for Sadie being such an irritating character, I might have actually liked this book much more than I did. If the author would have spent more time focusing on SADIE/b> and what she was going through being alone in L.A and having to deal with all of the craziness at the school, instead of making her every thought about a guy, It would have been great. But because of her, I was just racing to finish the book and rolling my eyes the entire way to the end.

I’m just glad its over!!!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads .

I'm not now nor have I ever been a dancer. I don't have the body type OR the coordination required. But no matter, I am obsessed with dancing. So many of my guilty pleasure movies and TV shows are based around dance and dancers. I've seen Center Stage and all the Step Up movies hundreds of times. I never miss So You Think You Can Dance. I've read a fair few dance books, and while I enjoyed them at the time, none of them really stood out. Until now, that is. I've been eagerly anticipating The Hit List since a friend featured it as her Waiting on Wednesday post a few months ago. It SO lived up to my expectations.

The Hit List was a great, fast read. While I admit it was the combination of dance and "the game" that initially drew me to this book, it was the wonderful characters and their development that sucked me in the most. Sadie and Luke were great main characters, but there were some fantastic secondary characters in this story as well. I would love to see The Hit List turned into a series that tells different characters' stories in each new book. There's so much potential here with the other characters. I'm already hooked on them. I'd be thrilled to get the others' stories. (Starting with Brielle and Adam, of course.)

I was a fan of the thought of Sadie and Luke from the first time they set eyes on each other. Yes, I was a little weary of Luke and his outward image and reputation. Sure, I hoped he wasn't just playing with Sadie for the sake of the game. But damn, the boy was swoony. He was pushing her out of her comfort zone and challenging her to be a better dancer. He was supportive. I mean, he had his jerky moments, but I was willing to look past them because I was sure there was more to him than met the eye. Sadie was a great protagonist. She was real. She was flawed. But, at the same time, she's someone I could see myself being friends with.

I'm a fan of the new adult genre and all the things that come with it. Yes, I'm talking angst and sexy times here. The Hit List might have been fairly low on both the angst and blatant sexy times, but the sexual tension is incredible. Sadie and Luke have tons of chemistry and, even when they try to fight it, it jumps off the page. So good. It's also big on feels, and that alone made me love it. I was completely connected to these characters and definitely felt all the feels. If you're a contemporary romance fan and this book isn't yet on your radar (and your TBR list!) it should be.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Emīlija · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.6/5
okay. ugh, just thinking and writing about this book will definitely make me annoyed.

SPOILER WARNING (if anyone actually cares)

i defienetely liked SOME (like, one or two) parts of the story, but, that's about it. i liked the idea of the story - a dancer, who had an injury that changed her life, is moving to some LA dance school, where, appearantly there's some game going around hosted by an anonymous person, called the ''hit man'' (the game is called ''the hit list''). the game is basically which-guy-can-sleep-with-the-most-girls-for-money type of thing. i didn't have much problem w/that, because it intiqued me, but the way it was executed was pretty dumb. no one cared to tell any of the teachers about it because they ''didn't want to ruin anyones fun'' (actual quote from the book).
the characters were, at best, flat and sooOOOOO mood swing-y it was just weird. you would read a sentence like ''Oh, Jenny was my friend.'' and then the next sentence would be ''I didn't care what she tought, because clearly, even at my first day of school, i can read everyones personalities perfectly, and she's just being a bitch''. that's what basically this book was to me. it was super cheezy, filled with sentences like ''This must be what a real relationship feels like'' and ''You can't lose something you never had'' etc.
this book was just not good.
there were these moments when i felt like the author didn't know what to write, so she just gave us information or scenes that had no impact of the story. like, for example, at the start the main love interest has a on/off girlfriend, who, at one point just isn't a part of the story anymore. he doesn't even break up with her, she just dissapears into thin air. there was also a friend of the main girl Sadie who's name was Adam, and we got this weird info about his past that was just useless, because we get about 5 scenes with Adam. actually there were basically just two characters in this book, everyone else just didn't matter to the story line at all.
overall this book annoyed me and i really disliked it. the only reason i gave it 1,6 rating is because i liked the idea of the book.

[Amanda Burckhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of beta reading this for Nikki in some of the early stages of the book and even then it blew me away. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I easily connected with the main character and the fear she feels toward dancing with another partner is so raw and vivid I felt scared along with her. I trusted Luke along with her. And omg Luke. Love that boy. Such a great love interest. The premise is what intrigued me but the characters are what made me fall in love with this book. I can't wait to get this on my bookshelf! 

[Sandes gii · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

si se dieron cuenta, estuve un largo tiempo para leer este libro. Justo cuando lo comencé, LDC lo estaba traduciendo.

El libro me gustó mucho, amo la tapa... el preciosa y la historia como está contada es genial. Tiene originalidad, hace tiempo estaba buscando una historia que tratará el tema de la danza y sobretodo... amor.
Me gustó como la trama de la Lista está desarrollado, sospechas de todos de quien puede ser que esta manejando el juego.
Te enamoras de los personajes, pero unas cositas ahí me hizo bajarle el punto.

[Bookish Voodoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hoped to like The Hit List but it fell flat for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Not once did I feel anything for Sadie. It was more as if I was being told what was happening.

[Ivey Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hit List really has a great start. I could tell that it was going to make me emotional by the way Sadie talks about what her ex-partner did, and the hit list that is created. I just knew that I was going to get very angry and emotional while I read this book. I was right, too! This book is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Seriously, my emotions were thrown all over the place. The drama in The Hit List was unlike anything I’ve ever read about before. This book gets an A + in the drama department, but it works with the story and it makes things a lot more interesting. I love the world of ballet, I think it is absolutely beautiful and to match it, this book is so beautifully written. One thing that had my blood boiling was the hit list that was created in the book. It really pissed me off because Sadie deserves a guy who will appreciate her, not use her to get points in a game. It makes me hate all the guys that pay any attention to her because I believe they are jerks with ulterior motives. Although I didn’t like the idea of the hit list, it did wonders for the book. It sucked me in and captivated my heart. One thing is for sure; my heart was blown wide open in this book.
I hurt when Sadie hurt and those flashbacks she had made my heart break. I felt for her. I know what it's like to feel cheated and betrayed, which makes it was easier to put myself in Sadie's shoes. It also makes everything hurt more. I just wanted to protect Sadie from everything that could harm her. She kept saying that people would always leave given the chance and my heart broke every time she said it. I loved Sadie’s character throughout the book and how much she grew. Her feistiness grows as the story progresses and I LOVE it. It fits her so well and I can totally relate. She had me cheering her on because I love heroines that don't take crap from anyone. Another thing I love about her story is that along with being heart wrenching, it is also inspiring. Getting over an injury like that and not letting it stop you just makes me feel inspired and uplifted.
Now, it’s time to talk about Sadie and Luke. I had confused feelings about Luke at first. Half the time, I wanted to slap him and the other half, I wanted to hug him. His mood swings irritated the hell out of me. BUT, he grew on me although I really didn’t know how to feel about him until the end. The relationship between Sadie and Luke was slow and sweet. It takes Sadie awhile to trust him and I thank God she takes her time, but I also like that she finally let her vulnerable side show. There were a LOT of rough patches between them to say the least, but I had faith in them both. The dance scenes between Luke and Sadie were magical. I felt the intensity through the pages and I loved it. Also, when Sadie told Luke she wants to be his only exception *CUE MINI HEART ATTACK PLUS FANGIRLING* I may have died. The things Luke says in this book will make your heart melt. Seriously, The Hit List is so quotable for sweet things, like Nick's parting line makes you go “awhhh”.
I really couldn't put the book down. I read it in one sitting in 3 hours. That's how captivating it is. I didn't expect to get into like I did, I was surprised. However, I am so glad I did. You don’t realize you are hooked until you have to put it down. That twist at the end made my heart hurt so much too. The Hit List is a very inspirational and emotional read about trusting again and finding yourself in the chaos of life. I loved it. Truly. My emotions were thrown about, my heart hurt a lot, my eyes tears up, and I got inspired. THAT is the kind of book I love.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's just say I expected better from this book. The first pages and chapters were ok, but sadly after that I just didn't enjoy it every time. This mostly was because of the characters, the silly plot and some other things.

Finding (good) books about dancing, about ballet, about a school specially for that is not easy, so I was happy and excited to see this one. Of course I was also worried for the fact that there was also a sub-plot. A plot about some kind of sex game. Normally I would avoid books that has this kind of stuff, but since it was also about dancing I figured I would give it a try. And in the end... well it wasn't the sex game that was the problem.

The sex game thing was quite a big thing, but this was mostly in words and in stares and whispers, in watching fights and girls discuss stuff, there was no sex or anything really sexual happening. There were some tensions, and sure she had a problem with one guy, but that was actually all there was to it. Which, on one hand made me happy (yeah, no sex or at least nothing overly sexual), but on the other hand I felt like the game could have been shown to be more of a threat or more of a thing, especially considering our main girl's position in said game.
Not that I agree with such a game, but it is an interesting addition to a dancing genre book.

I liked the school, however I felt it was a bit lacking. We don't get a whole lot of world building. Most of the book is about our main character, her problems and her dancing partner. And I think this is a shame. I would have loved more information, more facts about the school. Now all I could see was a school which had dorms, a few studios and a cafeteria, a principal office and that is all. I do hope that they have more lessons then just doing some ballet exercises or dancing exercises. Things like normal lessons, or special lessons, however I didn't see anything like this.

Then we have the main character. Dear Lord, whiny and annoying. That is what she was. At times she was awesome and at times I really was cheering for her, but at other times I was just shouting that she should get over her shit and start working on getting over stuff. Because seriously, yes your partner dumped you, yes he dropped you, yes he was a shitty guy in general, but come on, life goes on and you can't just whine and whine and hyperventilate about it every time something comes up. You are a professional, or at least aiming to be one, act like one.
Her attitude in regards with Luke were frustrating, especially later, when she was running away, towards, away, towards and so on. It was just so annoying, typical princess attitude. It was pathetic and I really felt sorry for Luke. Who sure, wasn't always a perfect guy, but he did his best to help her and what does he get in return? Nothing, just a whiny little girl. I can't imagine why he would want her.

The whodunnit for the Sex Games thing? Could have seen it coming. Still a bit of a surprise, but thinking back there were some hints and such.

A good thing was the cover, I really liked it. Everything in grey scale and then bright pink letters for the title.

All in all though, I wouldn't really recommend this book. Again, it was at times a pretty good book, but the total image just has too many things wrong. Which is a shame. It was a quick read though. :)

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Margarita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nikki Urang really knows how to tell a good story that I just couldn't put down! Regardless of how I felt about the characters, from beginning to end, I was completely committed to finding out what was going to happen to everyone... even though I have no knowledge of any sort in regards to professional ballet, dance, tap, etc. The author gave me just enough info to understand what the characters were doing and what they were trying to accomplish without missing a moment or lacking in the stories momentum.

After having her heart ripped apart and recovering from a dance injury, both faulted by her old dance partner back in New York, Sadie moves to L.A. to try to get a fresh start and pick up where she left off, without a dance partner. However, life can never be that easy... but she's determine to do what she has to do to stay on top, with no strings attached to her old life and without creating any new ones in her new life, she is going to work as hard as she can to prove to herself and her instructors that she is the best. With high hopes to not only make it into the Fall Showcase where she'll be able to perform in front of some of the biggest talent scouts, with the hopes of landing her dream job, but also win a scholarship of sorts to go to London, Sadie will only trust in herself to accomplish her dreams.
But the instructors and department heads have made other plans. Everyone must be partnered in order to audition for the Fall Showcase. Not only that, someone has started a "Hit List", a game where guys try to hit on and score with the top 10 girls on the list. And Sadie, who just wants to be left alone, is on the top of that list.
And then Luke happens.
Not only is Luke the biggest player on campus, his parents are also prominent figures at the school, but he has just been assigned to be Sadie's partner.
Sadie has only been on campus for just a few short days, and she is completely overwhelmed and is starting to have panic attacks. How will she ever get over her trust issues in time to impress her peers and make her dreams come true???

The main issue between Sadie and Luke is communication. The back-and-forth banter, the hot-and-cold mood swings usually would cause me to say enough already, let's move on. However, for Sadie and Luke's story, it works. Every moment that they had together, good or bad, made them reflect and grow as individuals. Everyone's made mistakes. And they learn to accept theirs, each others, and more. It was really refreshing to see such honest and raw character development.
Also, Sadie was completely shattered not only by her ex-partner's, Patrick, betrayal and his involvement in her injury, but also, the fact that he was the only constant trust that she had in her life since her father past away and her mother blocked her out, is completely understandable and heartbreaking. At times, she seems a bit whiny and too quick to place 100% percent blame on Patrick. But, being that she was so young, so in love, and so trusting, one can understand that this was an extremely traumatic experience and time for her. And no one can truly understand her emotions unless they had physically and mentally went through what she had to go through, alone.

Again, the author has definitely created some memorable characters in THE HIT LIST. I highly recommend it - a good quick weekend read you won't regret!


*An eARC was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[Just a person · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read The Hit List because I am drawn to books about dancers. I have never done it, but I guess that is a lot of little kids' dreams. Then I read about the list, which is giving guys anonymitiy to sleep with or otherwise score with girls. I haven't read anything quite like it and I knew it could lead to some hard core emotions and heart break.

The main character, Sadie, has just transferred to LA after an injury with her ballet partner and ex-boyfriend. She has a lot pain inside and trust issues now. While the scene of dancing and that special bond you get from working with the same person for years, dancing with bodies aligned and the chemistry, I could definitely relate with her pain and fear of trusting again. She wants a new start, but the magazine article that was written about her and Patrick is the first thing to shadow her. Then the teachers drop the bomb shell that instead of individuals performing for the prestigious Fall Show, everyone will be auditioning and if accepted, dancing with a partner.

The Hit List made me and Sadie question all of the guys. I knew that only 12 were playing according to their numbers, but it casts suspicion on any guy that talks to her or asks her out. She has no intentions of putting her heart out there. But she is paired with known player and flirt, Luke. He is so frustrating-- he can be patient, sweet and attentive one minute, and then the next ignoring her or finding yet another new girl to flirt with, But as Sadie has panic attacks as Luke gets to close while dancing, we get to see the side of Luke that not many others do. He works to gain her trust, and Sadie's attraction to hot bad boy only grows and it confuses her.

So, besides the romance, I also like the friendship. Her roommate Brielle and token gay friend Adam both hang out with her, hoping to draw her out and let her have an outlet as well as convincing her to have some fun.

But I do appreciate the realism that although she goes out occasionally she puts so much focus, intensity and time into practicing and keeping up her talent. Now, I know that for story purposes there has to be other conflicts going on to help the plot, but some aren't very realistic in how much time you actually have to put into classes and practices to get and maintain talent to be at a ballet school.

Honestly, it did get a little too angsty at times, and I know that its the emotion coming out, and her fear, but she does say she's giving up too easy. I like that the teachers just mostly try to avoid and ignore the drama, telling her to take a water break and get right back to it instead of getting mad or taking a moment of weakness to seriously.

I liked the ending, and I never would have guessed who was behind the lists. As far as that it did feel a little rushed and that forgiveness or justifying it without repercussions was a little hard to be okay with. But I liked where Sadie ended up, how she grew as well as getting to know the other side of Luke.


Bottom Line: Good drama and romantic tension

[Lori (Ficwishes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is going to be a little bit weird for me. This book had many things that normally turn me off, such as the violent mood swings and the constant back and forth of 'will they or won't they'. Usually when I encounter these themes in a book, I tend to move on, but with THE HIT LIST, I just couldn't. The author did an excellent job sucking me in and making me care about the characters. I genuinely cared about Sadie's plight and was cheering for her and Luke to be able to work through their crap and find a way to trust each other.

In the book, Sadie Bryant is attending a conservatory in Los Angeles for dance. After recovering from an injury that was made worse by the actions of her former boyfriend and partner, Sadie is determined not to put her trust in any person ever again, but the department heads at the conservatory have other plans. Suddenly Sadie is being partnered with Luke Morrison, the biggest player on campus, and she has no say in the decision. If she wants to dance and the possibility of a future, Sadie must learn how to dance with Luke.

In the background is a game called THE HIT LIST. It is a ranking system for guys who have scored points with the girls on campus. They get extra points for scoring with a list of certain girls and of course, Sadie is on that list.

Sadie and Luke have several starts and stops. He seems to pursue her, but when she allows herself to be caught, he is suddenly cold. When Sadie turns a cold shoulder to Luke, then he seems to work overtime to get her attention again. The extremes these two bounce between is a bit overwhelming and at times I wanted to punch them both. They both behaved poorly and irrationally, but then I remember that Sadie is 18 years-old and a Freshman in college. I remember some severe emotional turmoil from my Freshman year at college as well.

This was an entertaining New Adult read. Give it a try.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sweet:
Beautiful. Emotional. Brilliant. Loved it!!
To Elaborate...
Do you those books you come across so rarely that punch you in the feels over and over? Not just because the characters are facing a rough time or sad things happen, but also because the writing just speaks to you on such a personal level? This was that kind of book for me. I'm certainly not a dancer looking to be the best, but the writing shot straight to my heart over and over again. It's beautiful and meaningful, and it goes deeper than I ever imagined.

The main couple, Sadie and Luke, are full of so much passion, intensity, emotion, hate, and love that my eyes got so angry they couldn't read about them fast enough (and I read this in a few hours). They are the kind of couple I never want to walk away from. They fight, argue, yell, kiss, and dance with everything they have, and most importantly, they aren't afraid to call bullshit on each other. They are flawed, and they are marvelous.

The game of The Hit List is ridiculously realistic. I'm not sure if the game was inspired by something someone actually tried to do, but it would not surprise me to see it happening anywhere. It makes the reader and the characters take a hard look at gender objectifying, stereotyping, and just plain human hurtfulness. I always rave about books that can spark a much needed discussion, and this is definitely one of them.

I seriously can't recommend this book enough, but I especially recommend it for people who love the movie Center Stage, who like contemporary stories with deep emotion, and for people who might be in search of a book to find meaning in.

Originally posted at I Heart YA Fiction: http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2...

[Catastrophe Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams. Your passion fuels your drive... But what if the person you love is standing in the way of your precious dreams?

Sadie Bryant was on her way to the top. She would have been number at the New York ballet school if she hadn't injured herself and get her heart broken by her dance partner Patrick. Months later she's moved to L.A. to start fresh and forget about the pain and torment of her past. But some wounds take too long to heal and Sadie finds herself in a position where she can't afford to be weak...So how can she reach her dream as a dancer if her past pains won't let her shine?

Enter Luke Morrison, the resident flirt and Sadie's new partner. She can't deny their chemistry but she doesn't feel emotionally ready for a relationship yet. Plus, there's this little thing called The Hit List. It's a competition to see how many girls a guy on campus can score. And well, Luke seems to be playing. How's that for a turn on?

It also doesn't help that Sadie is one of the girls on the top "to-do"list. Guys are after her left and right. So how could Sadie be sure that the feelings between Luke is showing is genuine and not just for the sake of winning the game?

Well I enjoyed this book but I think there is something really wrong with me for wanting Luke to be a bad guy. Haha. I don't know, I just didn't like him all that much. I found his relationship with Sadie to be a bit abrupt and superficial at times.i was much more interested in Brierley because of her parental issues and insecurity. But still, this was worth the read. I would definitely recommend this to romance novel enthusiasts.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

First advice I am giving you: do not judge this book by its title. Even though The Hit List plays a big role in this book, it is not the main focus.

The main focus here is to never give up on your dream, no matter what gets throw in your way. For Sadie? It is trust issues after her last partner/boyfriend dropped her from a lift, causing a hip injury that almost ended her dance career.
Sadie did get on my nerves with her indecisiveness about Luke. Throughout their dancing, their relationship changes and even though Luke has an image to uphold he never did anything to hurt Sadie in the first place. She constantly went back and forth between liking him, not liking him but other than that I found her to be quite a strong main character.

Luke, although flawed, stole my heart away. He was charming, thoughtful, sweet. Yes, he had his bad sides and he made some bad decisions when he was younger, but the way he dealt with Sadie’s mood swings? A lot of guys would have walked away, yet he stayed.

I absolutely loved the setting. The dance world, the training… I really liked it. I guess for someone not really interested in dance, this dance theme might feel quite repetitive or even boring. I, however, was constantly amused.

I did figure out some of the twists throughout the book, but this didn’t take away from the goodness of this story. It did feel like the story wasn’t yet completely told, and I might be crossing my fingers here for a sequel?

[bells ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le doy dos estrellas por esto:

Él frota su mano hacia arriba y abajo en mi espalda. “Verdad o Reto”.
Tomo una respiración profunda, no estoy segura si estoy lista para escuchar lo que tiene que decir. No creo que vaya a ser capaz de manejar la situación si él dice que todavía no quiere una relación.
“Verdad”.
Su mano cubre la mía y la coloca sobre el pecho. “Te amo”.

Por nada más. Odié a todos los personajes menos a Adam.
El libro me aburrió hasta el extremo.


Y Sadie, tengo un mensaje para ti:

[Jenna Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dancers don't go to "practice." They go to rehearsals. Dancers don't have "tryouts." They have auditions.
Dancers at this level aren't told to "warm-up" before class, even though they are expected to stretch. They take barre. Dancers do t begin a class with pique turns across the floor. Also...a sex game? Really? Has this not been played out enough? This book wasn't poorly written; the pacing was good, the chemistry was good. I, and most competent readers, will have the entire plot and ending figured out in first 20 pages. Two stars was being generous for this book.

[Brianne R · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book that has a lot of interesting problems that the characters must face. Sadie is going to a dance school and tries not to get close to her partner because of what happened last time that happened. She has to learn to trust her partner too, and that
is difficult to do if you just met someone. Will she be able to trust her partner or will her dance career fall with her?

Grade/interest level: 7th and up
Reading level: 1015
Genre: Romance
Main Characters: Sadie, Luke, Adam, Brielle
Setting: LA at a dance school
POV: 1st