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Have it All
Liora King dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. She leaves her small hometown to pursue her dream, but she meets trouble along the way. That trouble's name is Penelope Reyes. Penelope is already one of the best in Chicago and the lead of the troupe Liora wishes to join. They butt heads every chance they get as they rival for the starring role in their troupe's performance of The Nutcracker. They continue to fight until slowly but surely they develop feelings for each other. Neither of them wants to admit their feelings. Liora and Penelope must learn to get over their anger and let themselves be happy.
210 pages, Paperback
Published December 22, 2024
6 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 26, 2024
Have it All by Beverly Anne Michel is a deeply satisfying and empowering story of learning self acceptance, found family, and love, all set in the world of ballet. It also goes well beyond a simple sapphic enemies-to-lovers tale. It deals with serious real world issues of body image and eating disorders, all while being full of memorable and loveable characters.
From the very first page, I immediately connected to Liora. By the end of the opening scene, I was all with her and her struggles and desires. It made it easy to quickly get into the book, which isn't always the case. And, yes, she may be a bit brash, but it felt so natural and real as part of her character. And, since this is from her perspective, we only really see the problems she's having clearly when she lets herself see them clearly. That also added to the character depth and realism.
While this is a sapphic romance with plenty of Liora finding women attractive and cute female interactions, a lot of the book actually felt like the focus was on Liora's issues with her feelings, body image, and how she treats others, as well as the diverse cast of characters. This made it feel so much deeper than a simple romance. Not that I don't love romance! But there's actual serious issues here, all balanced out exceptionally well with humor, making it a fun read despite the heavy topics.
I'm personally more of a friends-to-lovers fan than enemies-to-lovers, but the slow-burn nature felt so natural that my feelings toward Penelope changed as Liora's did to the point that I, like Liora, wondered why I was so quick to judge and dislike her. By the end, it made the sweet moments between the two of them that much more satisfying.
This is actually a pattern with all the characters, as we get to learn more about them and expand our understanding. Also, I have to say that there were so many characters that I either loved or just plain found interesting, with plenty of queer rep too. And, as much as I want to say I liked them all, Amita and Chuck are my absolute favorites. I love those two!
For those worried since this is the first book in a series, I'll set your mind at ease and say the story comes to a natural and satisfying conclusion that will leave you smiling and want to read it all over again. No cliffhanger, thank goodness!
With the characters and depth of story, I definitely recommend this not just to fans of ballet and sapphic romance but also to those who want to see a strong female character find strength not just in how she stands up to bullies but also in how she learns to accept herself.
From the very first page, I immediately connected to Liora. By the end of the opening scene, I was all with her and her struggles and desires. It made it easy to quickly get into the book, which isn't always the case. And, yes, she may be a bit brash, but it felt so natural and real as part of her character. And, since this is from her perspective, we only really see the problems she's having clearly when she lets herself see them clearly. That also added to the character depth and realism.
While this is a sapphic romance with plenty of Liora finding women attractive and cute female interactions, a lot of the book actually felt like the focus was on Liora's issues with her feelings, body image, and how she treats others, as well as the diverse cast of characters. This made it feel so much deeper than a simple romance. Not that I don't love romance! But there's actual serious issues here, all balanced out exceptionally well with humor, making it a fun read despite the heavy topics.
I'm personally more of a friends-to-lovers fan than enemies-to-lovers, but the slow-burn nature felt so natural that my feelings toward Penelope changed as Liora's did to the point that I, like Liora, wondered why I was so quick to judge and dislike her. By the end, it made the sweet moments between the two of them that much more satisfying.
This is actually a pattern with all the characters, as we get to learn more about them and expand our understanding. Also, I have to say that there were so many characters that I either loved or just plain found interesting, with plenty of queer rep too. And, as much as I want to say I liked them all, Amita and Chuck are my absolute favorites. I love those two!
For those worried since this is the first book in a series, I'll set your mind at ease and say the story comes to a natural and satisfying conclusion that will leave you smiling and want to read it all over again. No cliffhanger, thank goodness!
With the characters and depth of story, I definitely recommend this not just to fans of ballet and sapphic romance but also to those who want to see a strong female character find strength not just in how she stands up to bullies but also in how she learns to accept herself.
August 25, 2024
I've always had a soft spot for ballet books since I was a little girl, and I still find myself drawn to them so I was excited to read Have it All by Beverly Anne Michel, which takes everything I love about a dancer reaching for her dreams and aims it at a more mature audience. This sapphic love story follows Liora King, a young woman who was forced to give up her dream of dancing professionally but decides at the age of almost thirty to give it one more try. Leaving her small town behind she moves to Chicago and auditions to join a ballet company run by the daughter of her former dance teacher. While she makes it into the company and makes some new friends, things don't all run smoothly as she finds herself continually butting heads with one of the other dancers, Penelope. Penelope is one of the most talented dancers in the company and doesn't seem to think that Liora has earned her place but before long it becomes clear that the chemistry between the pair is too strong for either of them to resist. Could all of Liora's dreams be coming true?
This is a short book that packs a lot in. It does require the reader to suspend their disbelief and just go with the flow and believe that an out of practice dancer nearing thirty could turn professional, but to be honest this is not the kind of story that is built on accuracy , this story is all about emotion and boy is it full of it. From Liora's determination to escape her miserable life and pursue her dreams to Penelope's determination to do the best she can for her daughter , this is a book where strong women are at the forefront. It also tackles some darker themes like disordered eating and does so in a sensitive and realistic manner which I admire. There are some really fun secondary characters and I found myself really enjoying the friendship group that Liora built for herself. Of course this book has a happy ever after ending, and so I closed my kindle with a smile.
This is a short book that packs a lot in. It does require the reader to suspend their disbelief and just go with the flow and believe that an out of practice dancer nearing thirty could turn professional, but to be honest this is not the kind of story that is built on accuracy , this story is all about emotion and boy is it full of it. From Liora's determination to escape her miserable life and pursue her dreams to Penelope's determination to do the best she can for her daughter , this is a book where strong women are at the forefront. It also tackles some darker themes like disordered eating and does so in a sensitive and realistic manner which I admire. There are some really fun secondary characters and I found myself really enjoying the friendship group that Liora built for herself. Of course this book has a happy ever after ending, and so I closed my kindle with a smile.
March 18, 2025
The ballet aspect caught my attention immediately and I was also drawn in by the lgbtq+ representation, as well as a number of tropes, including grumpy x grumpier and found family!
Very easy to get into the book and love the characters! They are all so real! I enjoyed the entire group and loved the friendships! Liora is awesome! Amita and Chuck are so sweet! Everyone needs a J.J. in their life!
The rival to lovers is really well done!!! I loved Liora and Penelope's dynamic, especially when they finally got together!
I also really appreciated the way the story tackles topics such as pursuing your dream, how it's never too late to do so, the challenges when it comes to a disparity of money in pursuing dreams and even in the health care field, as well as single parenthood, body image, and eating disorders.
This was an amazing novel! I highly recommend!
Very easy to get into the book and love the characters! They are all so real! I enjoyed the entire group and loved the friendships! Liora is awesome! Amita and Chuck are so sweet! Everyone needs a J.J. in their life!
The rival to lovers is really well done!!! I loved Liora and Penelope's dynamic, especially when they finally got together!
I also really appreciated the way the story tackles topics such as pursuing your dream, how it's never too late to do so, the challenges when it comes to a disparity of money in pursuing dreams and even in the health care field, as well as single parenthood, body image, and eating disorders.
This was an amazing novel! I highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews