What do you think?
Rate this book
Variation
'Variation' is een aangrijpende contemporary romance van bestsellerauteur Rebecca Yarros. Ballerina Allie leeft onder de constante druk van haar moeder, maar dan zet een blessure alles op het spel. Als ze terugkeert naar het vakantiehuis van haar familie om te herstellen, komt ze Hudson weer tegen, haar jeugdliefde. Reddingszwemmer Hudson weet dat aarzelen het verschil betekent tussen leven en dood. De draad die Hudson en Allie met elkaar verbond is dan wel losgeraakt, maar de waarheid zou hen weer bij elkaar kunnen brengen… of voor altijd uit elkaar kunnen drijven.
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2024
26179 people are currently reading
179247 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Yarros
69 books199k followersRebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and coffee addict. She is the New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing, The Last Letter and The Things We Leave Unfinished. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward. Rebecca loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. A mother of six, she is currently surviving the teenage years with all four of her hockey-playing sons.
Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at www.rebeccayarros.com.
Want to know about Rebecca’s next release? Check her out online at www.rebeccayarros.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,210 reviews
December 26, 2024
જ⁀➴ 1.50 ✰
My first book by Rebecca Yarros and it was a big disappointment.
I have never been this conflicted about a rating of a book. This started strong and so so good that I thought this was going to be a 5 star. If someone had asked me about 30% into the book how many stars I would give it, I would have said 5 stars without hesitation. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less I enjoyed it. This had no reason being almost 500 pages long when everything could be solved if all of them decide TO SPEAK, yeah, this had miscommunication at the highest. I wanted to throw my phone into the subway station rails.
The most boring, long, messiest book with the worst characters in history. I deserve an award for finishing this….
I have to admit that the pace of the book during the first 45% was entertaining enough to keep me invested in the plot (hence the 1.5 stars). However, after that point, it started to get boring rather quickly and I felt that nothing was going on with the story and we were just stuck doing the same thing over and over again. The author threw a bunch of twist to the plot to the point that it gave me a migraine trying to keep up with them, mind you, those twist were SO unnecessary. I think Rebecca was undecided when it comes to her own book and that it’s why it ended up being so messy. Guys, I’m actually at the verge of crying because I wasted my week on this shit and it was sooo bad.
Another thing of the book that lowered my enjoyment was that the focus of the plot changed midway and instead of it being Allie and Hudson relationship or their individual lives, it started to focus more on Juniper-Hudson’s niece-, and that really annoyed me because I didn’t decide to read this book for that fucking child.
If there is something that really gives me the ick when it comes to children in books is when they don’t act like their age, and that, horribly, happened in this one.
The kid -Jupiter- is 10 years old and talks and act as an adult and then all the real adults are like “oh she’s feisty, sassy” “she’s smart and knows too much”; in a good way, kind of praising her🙄 but actually it got the point of her just being disrespectful and straight up annoying.
I might think this because of the way I was raised but I truly believe that if a kid is just talking back, lying, MANIPULATING and doing things behind the true adults’s back then it’s just messed up. A FUCKING TEN YEARS OLD HAVING EVERYONE WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER IN THE LESS ENDEARING WAY. And the fact that all the adults were supporting that entitled kid was crazy, they never thought she was being rude, bad-mannered or impolite.
The worst part is that she plays a huge part in the plot so she’s in every chapter RUINING my existence and my enjoyment of the book. I’m sorry but her name was shit too, if Juniper is your name, sorry, ignore that I said this. But even the author called her twice Jupiter instead of Juniper, lol I had to mention this because I truly hate this girl, and idc that she’s a child.
On the other hand, usually when I read that a book has the second chance trope I would imagine that there is going to be flashbacks chapters showing how the relationship developed at the beginning, I truly believe that that actually helps the readers to connect with the main characters in a emotional way… well, this book had all of that missing. It is a struggle to find Allie and Hudson chemistry since we don’t really see how their relation started. Guys y’all know I love second chance romance but what was this 😭 the more I write this review I realize that I actually hated this book.
If you asked me what was this book about I would have to tell you that it was about:
ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet Juniper ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet someone drowning ballet ballet ballet ballet Juniper doing ballet, ballet ballet ballet ballet more people drowning ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet and Juniper again.
I get it, most of the characters do ballet but is it really necessary to make it the whole book? I don’t think so. The romance is more of a subplot and the book rely heavy on suspense and mystery, which was why I kept reading this trash, because I needed to know what the hell was happening. Was it worth it? Nope. Also the resolution of everything at the end felt so meh, it fell flat. I also felt that there’s no character development.
➳ characters:
Allie
*deep sigh* she is fine I guess. A ballerina doormat. Nothing new, nothing special.
Hudson
He doesn’t feel like a main character somehow…. I couldn’t see neither learn that much of him, he didn’t stand out at all, I would say that he was kind of overshadowed by his niece and everyone else. Even when it comes to his point of view they just focus more on the others characters rather than him. This book was honestly made for Juniper and the Rousseau sisters and no one can tell me otherwise.
➳ side characters:
I HATE HATE HATEEEEE all the sides characters even the dead ones. They were awful.
spoilers mentioned in this section‼️‼️
-Eva: I was sick and tired of Eva, pretentious little girl, fucking entitled. She’s the worst sister to exist, I seriously can’t stand her and I don’t understand how Allie forgave her so easily after all she did. ”oh you brought me bagels from New York, you are such a good sister🥹of course I forgive you” WOW GRAN MALDITA MIERDA. sorry I had to curse in Spanish🫸🏻 because that’s the only way I could express all my anger towards her.
-Caroline: WHO. THE. FUCK. does she think she is?? She believed she could tell everyone what to do as if she have the right. The fact that she told Hudson that he can’t leave that town because she needed him to take care of Juniper, that was so selfish from her, If you truly loved your brother, I would think you’d want what’s best for him. But no, Caroline only wanted the best for herself, without caring about anyone around her. And her reason for not wanting Juniper to do ballet was stupid as fuck, didn’t make sense at all.
-the mother: surprisingly, I don’t think she was that bad, yeah, she blamed Allie for what happened to Lina and manipulated her too but being honest? That is what happens with all the mothers in a book with the ballerina trope so whatever, also she having dementia at the end???? WTF, actually I’m so mad at this author, like why are you writing all this nonsense. 😒
MORE SPOILERS
All the drama and mystery surrounding Juniper dad got tired pretty quick AND it was a disaster, I felt like Rebecca was changing her mind about who to be the father and that’s why I couldn’t even understand who tf is the dad at the end. Like was it vassily, jacob. Idek, it was really really bad and took a lot of space in the book
overall: this was going well until Juniper came in.
ᝰ🩰pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
My first Rebecca Yarros book!!!🤭 none of my current reads are delivering so I hope this one works out for me😭 I read the first few chapters last night andI have a good feeling about it🤞🏻 my good feelings are the worst
My first book by Rebecca Yarros and it was a big disappointment.
I have never been this conflicted about a rating of a book. This started strong and so so good that I thought this was going to be a 5 star. If someone had asked me about 30% into the book how many stars I would give it, I would have said 5 stars without hesitation. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less I enjoyed it. This had no reason being almost 500 pages long when everything could be solved if all of them decide TO SPEAK, yeah, this had miscommunication at the highest. I wanted to throw my phone into the subway station rails.
The most boring, long, messiest book with the worst characters in history. I deserve an award for finishing this….
I have to admit that the pace of the book during the first 45% was entertaining enough to keep me invested in the plot (hence the 1.5 stars). However, after that point, it started to get boring rather quickly and I felt that nothing was going on with the story and we were just stuck doing the same thing over and over again. The author threw a bunch of twist to the plot to the point that it gave me a migraine trying to keep up with them, mind you, those twist were SO unnecessary. I think Rebecca was undecided when it comes to her own book and that it’s why it ended up being so messy. Guys, I’m actually at the verge of crying because I wasted my week on this shit and it was sooo bad.
Another thing of the book that lowered my enjoyment was that the focus of the plot changed midway and instead of it being Allie and Hudson relationship or their individual lives, it started to focus more on Juniper-Hudson’s niece-, and that really annoyed me because I didn’t decide to read this book for that fucking child.
If there is something that really gives me the ick when it comes to children in books is when they don’t act like their age, and that, horribly, happened in this one.
The kid -Jupiter- is 10 years old and talks and act as an adult and then all the real adults are like “oh she’s feisty, sassy” “she’s smart and knows too much”; in a good way, kind of praising her🙄 but actually it got the point of her just being disrespectful and straight up annoying.
I might think this because of the way I was raised but I truly believe that if a kid is just talking back, lying, MANIPULATING and doing things behind the true adults’s back then it’s just messed up. A FUCKING TEN YEARS OLD HAVING EVERYONE WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER IN THE LESS ENDEARING WAY. And the fact that all the adults were supporting that entitled kid was crazy, they never thought she was being rude, bad-mannered or impolite.
The worst part is that she plays a huge part in the plot so she’s in every chapter RUINING my existence and my enjoyment of the book. I’m sorry but her name was shit too, if Juniper is your name, sorry, ignore that I said this. But even the author called her twice Jupiter instead of Juniper, lol I had to mention this because I truly hate this girl, and idc that she’s a child.
On the other hand, usually when I read that a book has the second chance trope I would imagine that there is going to be flashbacks chapters showing how the relationship developed at the beginning, I truly believe that that actually helps the readers to connect with the main characters in a emotional way… well, this book had all of that missing. It is a struggle to find Allie and Hudson chemistry since we don’t really see how their relation started. Guys y’all know I love second chance romance but what was this 😭 the more I write this review I realize that I actually hated this book.
If you asked me what was this book about I would have to tell you that it was about:
ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet Juniper ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet someone drowning ballet ballet ballet ballet Juniper doing ballet, ballet ballet ballet ballet more people drowning ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet ballet and Juniper again.
I get it, most of the characters do ballet but is it really necessary to make it the whole book? I don’t think so. The romance is more of a subplot and the book rely heavy on suspense and mystery, which was why I kept reading this trash, because I needed to know what the hell was happening. Was it worth it? Nope. Also the resolution of everything at the end felt so meh, it fell flat. I also felt that there’s no character development.
➳ characters:
Allie
*deep sigh* she is fine I guess. A ballerina doormat. Nothing new, nothing special.
Hudson
He doesn’t feel like a main character somehow…. I couldn’t see neither learn that much of him, he didn’t stand out at all, I would say that he was kind of overshadowed by his niece and everyone else. Even when it comes to his point of view they just focus more on the others characters rather than him. This book was honestly made for Juniper and the Rousseau sisters and no one can tell me otherwise.
➳ side characters:
I HATE HATE HATEEEEE all the sides characters even the dead ones. They were awful.
spoilers mentioned in this section‼️‼️
-Eva: I was sick and tired of Eva, pretentious little girl, fucking entitled. She’s the worst sister to exist, I seriously can’t stand her and I don’t understand how Allie forgave her so easily after all she did. ”oh you brought me bagels from New York, you are such a good sister🥹of course I forgive you” WOW GRAN MALDITA MIERDA. sorry I had to curse in Spanish🫸🏻 because that’s the only way I could express all my anger towards her.
-Caroline: WHO. THE. FUCK. does she think she is?? She believed she could tell everyone what to do as if she have the right. The fact that she told Hudson that he can’t leave that town because she needed him to take care of Juniper, that was so selfish from her, If you truly loved your brother, I would think you’d want what’s best for him. But no, Caroline only wanted the best for herself, without caring about anyone around her. And her reason for not wanting Juniper to do ballet was stupid as fuck, didn’t make sense at all.
-the mother: surprisingly, I don’t think she was that bad, yeah, she blamed Allie for what happened to Lina and manipulated her too but being honest? That is what happens with all the mothers in a book with the ballerina trope so whatever, also she having dementia at the end???? WTF, actually I’m so mad at this author, like why are you writing all this nonsense. 😒
MORE SPOILERS
All the drama and mystery surrounding Juniper dad got tired pretty quick AND it was a disaster, I felt like Rebecca was changing her mind about who to be the father and that’s why I couldn’t even understand who tf is the dad at the end. Like was it vassily, jacob. Idek, it was really really bad and took a lot of space in the book
overall: this was going well until Juniper came in.
ᝰ🩰pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
My first Rebecca Yarros book!!!🤭 none of my current reads are delivering so I hope this one works out for me😭 I read the first few chapters last night and
October 29, 2024
Rebecca yarros just knows how to rope me in, I swear it. I was absolutely captivated for about 70% of this story and was loving every single second of it!
Then, some plot twists were thrown in, but it felt like she didn’t really… let the reader know? I was thoroughly confused regarding two of the plot twists and that’s the ONLY reason this book lost its 5th star. Other than that, the romance was beautiful, the characters relatable and amazing. Loved it!
Then, some plot twists were thrown in, but it felt like she didn’t really… let the reader know? I was thoroughly confused regarding two of the plot twists and that’s the ONLY reason this book lost its 5th star. Other than that, the romance was beautiful, the characters relatable and amazing. Loved it!
November 25, 2024
This one reminded me of the Notebook vibes at first, but this ended up not being one of my favorites by this author. It was good, but not great.
There was a lot of talk about ballet, so if you are a dancer, you will probably enjoy this. I think the reason I didn’t really love it is that I never felt the extreme chemistry between the two of them.
They were best friends as teenagers and basically in love then the whole book we try to figure out why they haven’t seen each other since. It was finally explained and I thought the explanation was a little dumb and not worth the long wait. I think their story in general just wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting.
Also, I expect this author’s books to really rip my heart out and this just didn’t. I think it was too long and not emotional enough.
With all that said, it was still not bad, it just was a little bit of a let down compared to the author’s previous books.
There was a lot of talk about ballet, so if you are a dancer, you will probably enjoy this. I think the reason I didn’t really love it is that I never felt the extreme chemistry between the two of them.
They were best friends as teenagers and basically in love then the whole book we try to figure out why they haven’t seen each other since. It was finally explained and I thought the explanation was a little dumb and not worth the long wait. I think their story in general just wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting.
Also, I expect this author’s books to really rip my heart out and this just didn’t. I think it was too long and not emotional enough.
With all that said, it was still not bad, it just was a little bit of a let down compared to the author’s previous books.
May 3, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Patreon book club book of the month! 💚
Patreon book club book of the month! 💚
December 6, 2024
“And then she laughed. I fell in love with her all over again.”
6 stars. Not even a single doubt in my mind about it. I think this is the best contemporary romance I've read in 2024.
I know it because I just finished this book a moment ago and I'm already looking for others that will give me the same feelings and I can tell it's gonna be a hard task. The bar is currently kinda high up there.
RY heard me say BRING BACK MEN WHO YEARN and immediately got to work on creating Hudson motherfuckin Ellis.
“I didn’t want to be some anonymous, fleeting, erasable guest in her life like the others who had come before me. I wanted to be engraved, etched, and carved so deeply into her soul that she’d never get me out.”
This worked for me because it checked every single one of my romance boxes I didn't even know I had. This year I kind of neglected contemporary for fantasy because nothing in contemporary had what I wanted in my romance.
Variation reminded me of why I love romance novels so much. I adored all the little details and layers in this book. No lines were useless or felt like an afterthought or a filler.
Even a twitch of the eye or a light smirk from one of the characters meant something. I blushed and giggled over hand placements. Something as simple as Hudson holding Allie while they were swimming had me GRINNING like an idiot. She smiled. Just smiled. And he fell in love and it made me blush so hard. THAT is why I love romance novels.
“Her eyes lit with mischief, and if I hadn’t fallen for her eleven years ago, that look would have done it. Hook. Line. Sinker.”
Hudson and Allie fell in love when they were teenagers. This story is about their second first chance because they never really got to start it the first time.
They hadn't talked to each other in ten years, but Allie was back in Hudson's little town recovering from an injury, and she hated him, while Hudson still pined for her.
“I’ll fold,” I promised, my voice lowering. “I’ll turn myself inside out if it means I get to be hers.”
Allie is a famous ballerina and Hudson is a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. It made for an interesting story. I enjoyed all the ballet parts and also all the rescue parts.
This book felt like RY was READY to write contemporary romance. The plot was great and the characters were all SO incredible and so necessary. Some of them were frustrating but it the drama really spicy and I was so seated for it.
I loved the Rousseau sisters, the Ellis siblings, Juniper, Hudson's best friend, and all of Allie's friends and foes. Even the Mother. I kinda pictured her as Sylvie from Emily in Paris but with Elis Grey's attitude lmao 🤣
I loved Allie. She was complex, had walls SO high no one could ever peek over them. But she was also very kind, compassionate, and had so much love for her sisters. She was the perfect heroine for this.
But I ESPECIALLY loved Hudson so much. RY just created the perfect hero
Something about him talking about Allie... it was the kind of downbad that was so far from pathetic and just made him hotter. His love for Allie is the kind that makes people wonder what it would be like to be loved that hard by someone.
“You were . . . God, Allie, you were essential to existence.”
ESSENTIAL to EXISTENCE????? HELLO???????????????? Sadly that would work on me. I would fold. I have no shame.
Idk what else to say, this was perfect for me. I honestly had no notes I loved everything about it lmaoooo it might also be because I was just REALLY in the mood for something angsty and this book is full of it. 🤣
This book was angsty, what happened to them was tragic, but it was not damning which is why I love it so much. It's like a comfortable angst.
I think it might frustrate a lot of people because the push and pull in this book was CRAZY, mainly from Allie's side because Hudson wanted her the whole time but was trying to respect her space because he did fuck up in the past. But me personally? I ATE it up. I'm glad they took their sweet ass time - this is the kind of story where the peak is the journey, not the destination 🤣
Aka I was just a FAN of reading about how DESPERATELY Hudson wanted to make it work with Allie.
“She existed, and I was hers.”
And I just knew they would be okay in the end - not because this is a book but because their love was too great for it not to and Hudson and Allie were such great people that I knew in my heart they would figure it out.
Also - the SMUT?!? Do you know how hard it is to get me interested in the smut nowadays - I usually skim it because I feel like I've read it all. But GIRL just them looking each other in the eyes made me blush, so the spicy scenes were IMPORTANT to me in this book 🤣
But also like... Hudson was such a great dude, and very respectful and just an all-around good guy, so his dirty talk actually got me kicking my feet giggling.
“Hands on the barre, Allie,”
oh DEARRRRRRRRR GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.
Okay enough yapping. I think I'm in a Hudson withdrawal. I'm going to compare all the heroes I read after this to him and get disappointed that they're not him.
I'm sad to part with this book but I know I'll be rereading it a lot. Welcome to my comfort read pile 🥹
“She wasn’t the wave or the pylon; she was the entire ocean, as beautiful as she was impossible to fathom. But damn if I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life figuring her out.”
──────✧ pre-read
I already read the first few chapters and they were so angsty OH god I'm SO READY for this book to break me I hope I cry SO hard I won't be able to see shit
September 4, 2024
I read an early copy of VARIATION (best friend benefits) and absolutely LOVED IT. From the first page, reading Rebecca’s contemporary voice again was both nostalgic and a reminder of just how brilliant she is at character-driven storytelling. I’d been in a huge reading slump but once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. There wasn’t a single page that wasn’t engaging and filling me with the need to turn to the next one. Readers will fall in love with Hudson and Allie!!! 💜
August 28, 2025
If I were to choose a word to describe this book - underwhelming
Isn't reliving the past, and detailing about how the MMC and FMC fell in love, the whole point of a second chance romance? Hudson & Allie were in love with each other for a decade, and the two pivotal summers weren't even included in the story. I had no idea what was the essence of this story. The bulk of my disappointment stemmed from that.
It also felt like Rebecca Yarros was somehow conserving her energy for Onyx Storm. The plot was one-dimensional and the characters were bland. Sighs. I was looking forward to this book for months. This story has the potential to be so much more, but the focus was in the wrong direction. Hoping that the next contemporary romance from RY will be a good one!
Isn't reliving the past, and detailing about how the MMC and FMC fell in love, the whole point of a second chance romance? Hudson & Allie were in love with each other for a decade, and the two pivotal summers weren't even included in the story. I had no idea what was the essence of this story. The bulk of my disappointment stemmed from that.
It also felt like Rebecca Yarros was somehow conserving her energy for Onyx Storm. The plot was one-dimensional and the characters were bland. Sighs. I was looking forward to this book for months. This story has the potential to be so much more, but the focus was in the wrong direction. Hoping that the next contemporary romance from RY will be a good one!
Want to read
April 16, 2024Excuse me! What is this!!!! also the cover is NICE
Contemporary romance by Rebecca Yarros!!!( I have not yet read any of her Contemporary romance books)
And it's being released before Onyx Storm!! Which was supposed to be released somewhere around Oct/Nov 2024 now this one is announced, so maybe that's why Onyx Storm release date is now January 21, 2025👀👀
Contemporary romance by Rebecca Yarros!!!( I have not yet read any of her Contemporary romance books)
And it's being released before Onyx Storm!! Which was supposed to be released somewhere around Oct/Nov 2024 now this one is announced, so maybe that's why Onyx Storm release date is now January 21, 2025👀👀
November 22, 2024
I need some of y'all to take a deep breath and check your entitlement.
November 29, 2024
I freaking loved this.. It's probably one of the best contemporary romances I've read this year. Hudson and Allie were perfection. 🥰
November 25, 2024
The layers, the characters, ughhh. Rebecca Yarros 100% knows how to tug at my heart. This was perfection.🥹🖤✨
November 20, 2024
Rebecca does it again!! I don’t know what it is about the way she writes men, but she does it so incredibly well. Hudson is a dreamboat. His chapters were always the best! I was surprised by some of the tropes in this & it didn’t disappoint! Not my favorite of her romance books- some moments felt more cheesy & it didn’t have as much of an emotional impact compared to her other books, but still loved it nonetheless. The barre scene?! Yeah. 10/10.
Thanks Amazon publishing for the ARC!
Thanks Amazon publishing for the ARC!
November 22, 2024
I’m going to hold your hand when I tell you this…. This wasn’t for me. Two stars because the beginning was fantastic, a famous ballerina and a coast guard rescue diver who have a rocky past and an off again on again relationship. This is similar to Rebecca’s other military romances, like very similar which is fine but if you’re looking a ton of diversity in this newer release by her then this isn’t for you.
The only reason this book is receiving two stars instead of one is because the first like 10% before the kid was actually really good and I was enjoying myself and I actually liked the writing. I think the beginning of the book especially with the first dance scene and his first rescue was really well done. The first couple chapters really hooked me so I was really excited for this romance, but then we Segway into the niece aspect of this book and it lost me.
The child character, who is 10, TEN YEARS OLD, is somehow skipping classes, bulldozing everyone in her family and manipulating them into doing what ever she wants when she feels like it. A 10 year old forces a grown adult women to take a genetic test, emotionally manipulates a couple into fake dating and signs her self up for dance class regardless of her moms rules and gets punished for none of it???? The 10 year old is moving the plot but I couldn’t do it. This gave me in the ick- sorry for my adults with kids, but if your child is like this I’ll keep you in my thoughts💀🤣 Like Hello?? What is her mom doing and why are you letting your brothers just over step all of your parenting decisions and do what ever they want with your child? That’s crazy dawg-
The plot could have been good if it was kept between adults but using the child’s emotional manipulation as part of why these two family have to come together and the relationship has to work wasn’t the move and isn’t a trope I like at all actually, so thanks for the self discovery I suppose🤣
The only reason this book is receiving two stars instead of one is because the first like 10% before the kid was actually really good and I was enjoying myself and I actually liked the writing. I think the beginning of the book especially with the first dance scene and his first rescue was really well done. The first couple chapters really hooked me so I was really excited for this romance, but then we Segway into the niece aspect of this book and it lost me.
The child character, who is 10, TEN YEARS OLD, is somehow skipping classes, bulldozing everyone in her family and manipulating them into doing what ever she wants when she feels like it. A 10 year old forces a grown adult women to take a genetic test, emotionally manipulates a couple into fake dating and signs her self up for dance class regardless of her moms rules and gets punished for none of it???? The 10 year old is moving the plot but I couldn’t do it. This gave me in the ick- sorry for my adults with kids, but if your child is like this I’ll keep you in my thoughts💀🤣 Like Hello?? What is her mom doing and why are you letting your brothers just over step all of your parenting decisions and do what ever they want with your child? That’s crazy dawg-
The plot could have been good if it was kept between adults but using the child’s emotional manipulation as part of why these two family have to come together and the relationship has to work wasn’t the move and isn’t a trope I like at all actually, so thanks for the self discovery I suppose🤣
November 18, 2024
I think i fell asleep five times reading this. the characters were very unlikeable, the mcs didn't have any chemistry and the insta love was instant eye roll like the messy overly dramatic plot that was very predictable and full of holes.
February 25, 2025
This was my least favorite of Rebecca’s romance books, but I still really enjoyed it. I used to dance as a kid/teen, so I found the ballet plot line interesting. I listened on audio and the narration was really good!!
I just enjoyed her higher stakes romances better (in the likely event, the things we leave unfinished, the last letter, etc)
I just enjoyed her higher stakes romances better (in the likely event, the things we leave unfinished, the last letter, etc)
July 19, 2025
My First RY Contemporary Romance... and She Did Not Disappoint
This was my first contemporary romance by Rebecca Yarros, and it’s safe to (re)confirm: she knows how to write deep, heartfelt love stories that crawl under your skin and settle in your bones.
She has this ability to create men who belong on every Book Boyfriend list out there.
I loved this book. It made me feel everything. It gave me characters I felt deeply for. It gave me a romance I believed in.
But... I still wanted more.
More pages. More time. More feelings. More of them.
3.5⭐ rounded up
🌊 Hudson: The Obsession, The Devotion, The Ache
Hudson is perfection. Full stop.
He loves hard, he hurts deeply, he protects fiercely. His obsession with Allie never feels inevitable. He is a man who chooses love over and over again, even when it's hard, even when it costs him everything. Total swoon. Total heartache. Total dream.
🩰 Allie: Fire & Frost in Pointe Shoes
Allie is the kind of heroine I root for on every page. She’s fire and elegance, softness and steel. A true ballerina, not just in profession, but in personality. I could feel her grace, her discipline, her strength radiating off the page. Dance isn’t her job, it’s part of her identity.
💞 Yearning That Never Lets Up
Their love? It's the slow burn ache dragged across years and secrets and pain. It’s yearning, needing, enduring, and it’s the centre of this story. Their chemistry simmers. Their bond bleeds through the pages. This is one of those romances that lingers.
🧩 But It’s Not Just About Love
This book is packed.
Pasts. Secrets. Family feuds. Emotional growth. Plot twists.
And the side characters? Incredible. Each one adds meaning, colour, and life to the story. It seems to be an RY signature: rich supporting casts, layers of emotion, and stories that stretch far beyond the couple.
--
Pre-read:
In the mood to get my heart broken by contemporary RY.
This was my first contemporary romance by Rebecca Yarros, and it’s safe to (re)confirm: she knows how to write deep, heartfelt love stories that crawl under your skin and settle in your bones.
She has this ability to create men who belong on every Book Boyfriend list out there.
I loved this book. It made me feel everything. It gave me characters I felt deeply for. It gave me a romance I believed in.
But... I still wanted more.
More pages. More time. More feelings. More of them.
3.5⭐ rounded up
🌊 Hudson: The Obsession, The Devotion, The Ache
Hudson is perfection. Full stop.
He loves hard, he hurts deeply, he protects fiercely. His obsession with Allie never feels inevitable. He is a man who chooses love over and over again, even when it's hard, even when it costs him everything. Total swoon. Total heartache. Total dream.
🩰 Allie: Fire & Frost in Pointe Shoes
Allie is the kind of heroine I root for on every page. She’s fire and elegance, softness and steel. A true ballerina, not just in profession, but in personality. I could feel her grace, her discipline, her strength radiating off the page. Dance isn’t her job, it’s part of her identity.
💞 Yearning That Never Lets Up
Their love? It's the slow burn ache dragged across years and secrets and pain. It’s yearning, needing, enduring, and it’s the centre of this story. Their chemistry simmers. Their bond bleeds through the pages. This is one of those romances that lingers.
🧩 But It’s Not Just About Love
This book is packed.
Pasts. Secrets. Family feuds. Emotional growth. Plot twists.
And the side characters? Incredible. Each one adds meaning, colour, and life to the story. It seems to be an RY signature: rich supporting casts, layers of emotion, and stories that stretch far beyond the couple.
--
Pre-read:
In the mood to get my heart broken by contemporary RY.
December 25, 2024
3.5⭐️
If you’ve only read Fourth Wing by Rebecca, you’re doing yourself a disservice! Her contemporary romances are chefs kiss!
Hudson??? I LOVED HIM. I looked forward to his chapters more than Allie’s.
I do feel like it was a tiny bit too dance heavy for my liking, and the family drama kind of was exhausting.
Overall such a solid contemporary romance, but not my fav of hers!
If you’ve only read Fourth Wing by Rebecca, you’re doing yourself a disservice! Her contemporary romances are chefs kiss!
Hudson??? I LOVED HIM. I looked forward to his chapters more than Allie’s.
I do feel like it was a tiny bit too dance heavy for my liking, and the family drama kind of was exhausting.
Overall such a solid contemporary romance, but not my fav of hers!
December 26, 2024
3.5⭐️
Rounding up cause I truly enjoy Rebeca’s writing so much.
Ballerinas and rescue swimmers??? SIGN ME UP!!! I loved how for each of the characters individually the stakes were high. I think it really added to the story and plot. Hudson was a sweetie pie and Rebecca really does set unrealistic expectation for men but I do love reading about it haha
The 10 year old felt a little unrealistic to me but I don’t know a lot of 10 year olds lol
Overall a really good book and it’s a good one for when you need a break from fantasy
Rounding up cause I truly enjoy Rebeca’s writing so much.
Ballerinas and rescue swimmers??? SIGN ME UP!!! I loved how for each of the characters individually the stakes were high. I think it really added to the story and plot. Hudson was a sweetie pie and Rebecca really does set unrealistic expectation for men but I do love reading about it haha
The 10 year old felt a little unrealistic to me but I don’t know a lot of 10 year olds lol
Overall a really good book and it’s a good one for when you need a break from fantasy
November 24, 2024
This was not it.
There was absolutely no reason for this story to be this long. So many chapters that didn’t progress the plot or develop the characters. This should’ve been maybe half this length
The darn kid made me want to scream. The way the characters handled her secret was offensive. To keep the mother in the dark for that long while enabling a brat was infuriating. This kid was a jerk. She wasn’t endearing in any sense. She was the child and yet every adult followed her rules and what she wanted.
The overall relationship between the sisters and mother was awful, as well as the tacky reveal at over 90%. It felt so cheap and the fact that Allie decided to grow a spine when she wasn’t even going head to head with someone in their right mind and physical prime was lame.
I really didn’t like that the men were the likable ones in this and every single female character was abrasive or a doormat. I hate how Allie treated Hudson so callously when the big secret came out when it wasn’t his fault or responsibility to make her feel better.
I did like moments of the romance early one but didn’t necessarily feel the connection. I even skipped the final intimate scene. I just didn’t care at that point.
The audio was really well done but certainly not a reason to listen since the story is so lacking.
There was absolutely no reason for this story to be this long. So many chapters that didn’t progress the plot or develop the characters. This should’ve been maybe half this length
The darn kid made me want to scream. The way the characters handled her secret was offensive. To keep the mother in the dark for that long while enabling a brat was infuriating. This kid was a jerk. She wasn’t endearing in any sense. She was the child and yet every adult followed her rules and what she wanted.
The overall relationship between the sisters and mother was awful, as well as the tacky reveal at over 90%. It felt so cheap and the fact that Allie decided to grow a spine when she wasn’t even going head to head with someone in their right mind and physical prime was lame.
I really didn’t like that the men were the likable ones in this and every single female character was abrasive or a doormat. I hate how Allie treated Hudson so callously when the big secret came out when it wasn’t his fault or responsibility to make her feel better.
I did like moments of the romance early one but didn’t necessarily feel the connection. I even skipped the final intimate scene. I just didn’t care at that point.
The audio was really well done but certainly not a reason to listen since the story is so lacking.
October 26, 2024
3.5⭐
I truly love Rebecca Yarros' writing style. The first 60% of this was really really good. I love Hudson and Allie's connection and I'm not typically a second chance girly, but I thought this was done SO WELL.
Now, I did struggle a bit with all the drama in this book and the ballet talk. Once I hit 60% I did get slightly bored up until about 90% and like I said, all the family drama made me so slightly insane.
But - I still think this is a solid book. If someone asked me for a RY Contemporary rec though, it would still be In The Likely Event, hands down.
Moments:
"I'm the one who made the choice, and I chose you," 😭😭😭
"You are the subject of every fantasy I've ever had."
"He was heat and warmth, and I'd been so damned cold for too long."
FIVE MINUTES!!! 😭🖤
I truly love Rebecca Yarros' writing style. The first 60% of this was really really good. I love Hudson and Allie's connection and I'm not typically a second chance girly, but I thought this was done SO WELL.
Now, I did struggle a bit with all the drama in this book and the ballet talk. Once I hit 60% I did get slightly bored up until about 90% and like I said, all the family drama made me so slightly insane.
But - I still think this is a solid book. If someone asked me for a RY Contemporary rec though, it would still be In The Likely Event, hands down.
Moments:
"I'm the one who made the choice, and I chose you," 😭😭😭
"You are the subject of every fantasy I've ever had."
"He was heat and warmth, and I'd been so damned cold for too long."
FIVE MINUTES!!! 😭🖤
dnf
January 28, 2025꒰ preread - started 12/10/2024 ꒱
as probably one of if not THE biggest fan of fourth wing to exist, words cannot describe how excited i am for this book. rebecca, please don't disappoint🤞
as probably one of if not THE biggest fan of fourth wing to exist, words cannot describe how excited i am for this book. rebecca, please don't disappoint🤞
January 6, 2025
Elegí muy bien mi primera lectura del año.
Cada capítulo te deja con ganas de más. Entré pensando que era una historia centrada en el romance y creyendo que el drama iba a ser solo de la relación entre ellos, pero me sorprendió (para bien).
En realidad, el libro se centra mucho en ambos protagonistas tanto juntos como separados, conocemos sus historias familiares, sus sueños y sus miedos. Todo está muy bien desarrollado y tiene mucho drama familiar, que es lo que me sorprendió y me gustó, porque te hace adentrarte más a la historia.
También habla mucho de la relación entre hermanos, fue muy lindo leer ese vínculo familiar y todo lo que uno haría por sus hermanos.
El romance es un 10/10, tiene un toque de fake dating muy bueno. Además, al protagonista masculino es imposible no amarlo, el amor que le tiene a ella supera cualquier dificultad.
Una muy buena lectura para arrancar el año y, además, de una autora que amo.
Cada capítulo te deja con ganas de más. Entré pensando que era una historia centrada en el romance y creyendo que el drama iba a ser solo de la relación entre ellos, pero me sorprendió (para bien).
En realidad, el libro se centra mucho en ambos protagonistas tanto juntos como separados, conocemos sus historias familiares, sus sueños y sus miedos. Todo está muy bien desarrollado y tiene mucho drama familiar, que es lo que me sorprendió y me gustó, porque te hace adentrarte más a la historia.
También habla mucho de la relación entre hermanos, fue muy lindo leer ese vínculo familiar y todo lo que uno haría por sus hermanos.
El romance es un 10/10, tiene un toque de fake dating muy bueno. Además, al protagonista masculino es imposible no amarlo, el amor que le tiene a ella supera cualquier dificultad.
Una muy buena lectura para arrancar el año y, además, de una autora que amo.
July 28, 2025
Creo que con Más que una posibilidad, Rebecca Yarros dejó la vara bastante alta. Lamentablemente, este libro no logró conmoverme, y eso que comienza potente. Aclaro que suelo llorar por todo (y más), pero esta historia, con el corazón en la mano lo digo, no me generó nada.
Empezó muy bien, pero de un momento a otro se desinfló. No logré empatizar con los personajes. Supongo, aunque en realidad podría afirmarlo sin dudar, que sobraron páginas con momentos innecesarios. Y para mi necesidad de creerme la historia de amor que leo, me faltó ver más de la etapa de amistad y enamoramiento adolescente entre los protagonistas.
Empezó muy bien, pero de un momento a otro se desinfló. No logré empatizar con los personajes. Supongo, aunque en realidad podría afirmarlo sin dudar, que sobraron páginas con momentos innecesarios. Y para mi necesidad de creerme la historia de amor que leo, me faltó ver más de la etapa de amistad y enamoramiento adolescente entre los protagonistas.
November 20, 2024
This had me in the first half but the last 15-20% or so I was just so mad at Allie. Get it together girl HE LOVES YOU AND HAS FOR 11 YEARS!!!!
November 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and it was a joy to read it early!
Rebecca Yarros has been an auto buy author for me since I read The Last Letter 2 years ago. Her contemporary romances always have a way of drawing me in and unsure of how they will end!
Variation is a beautiful story of second chance between famous ballerina, Allie, and rescue coast guard swimmer, Hudson. Their story is filled with heartache, discovery of secrets, family bonds, healing, and quite a bit of tension/banter along the way.
What to expect:
- Second chance
- Ballerina X Coast Guard
- Fake Dating
- He falls first
- Dual POV
This is one of those books that I could see vividly like a movie playing out in my minds. I loved watching Allie come into her own and experience so much personal development. Hudson is 🔥 loved his role, personality, witty remarks, and honestly would have loved to see even more of his job!
PSA there is definitely some spice but it’s the right amount. Perfect spice to plot ratio!
It wasn’t quite as emotional for me as some of her other contemporary romance novels, but still had plot twists throughout. I wish there had been a bit less mentioning of social media/ use of modern day slang, just a personal preference of something I don’t love to have a large presence in books.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and I think it will be SO loved by romance readers!
Rebecca Yarros has been an auto buy author for me since I read The Last Letter 2 years ago. Her contemporary romances always have a way of drawing me in and unsure of how they will end!
Variation is a beautiful story of second chance between famous ballerina, Allie, and rescue coast guard swimmer, Hudson. Their story is filled with heartache, discovery of secrets, family bonds, healing, and quite a bit of tension/banter along the way.
What to expect:
- Second chance
- Ballerina X Coast Guard
- Fake Dating
- He falls first
- Dual POV
This is one of those books that I could see vividly like a movie playing out in my minds. I loved watching Allie come into her own and experience so much personal development. Hudson is 🔥 loved his role, personality, witty remarks, and honestly would have loved to see even more of his job!
PSA there is definitely some spice but it’s the right amount. Perfect spice to plot ratio!
It wasn’t quite as emotional for me as some of her other contemporary romance novels, but still had plot twists throughout. I wish there had been a bit less mentioning of social media/ use of modern day slang, just a personal preference of something I don’t love to have a large presence in books.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and I think it will be SO loved by romance readers!
January 5, 2025
First book I’ve read by this author although I know she’s hugely popular. This was a good solid read with a whole lot of family drama going on. Allie is a principal with a ballet company and her character is fairly developed. Hudson is a deep sea rescue diver and I wish his character was developed more. Would have loved to hear more about his job. An awful lot happens over the course of one summer but if you can put that behind you - this is a good read.
December 22, 2025
4.75 ⭐️ so, i’m a little less annoyed with rebecca yarros for pausing the empyrean series to focus on her contemporary romances when she delivers us treasures like this. variation was an absolute delight. i was so captivated by variation that my entire existence outside of this book ceased to matter. this is one of my favourite romances of 2025.
⋆˙⟡ for too long i woefully underestimated the power of a second chance romance. but variation truly is the blueprint. the angst! the tension! the yearning! it was an emotional sucker punch in the best way. the perfect balance of raw, messy vulnerability, blended with hope, wholesomeness, and heartfelt moments. there is a lot to love here: a tragic history, complex family dynamics, sibling rivalries, secrets, and dreams, all served with a side of drama.
⋆˙⟡ if you love a man obsessed with his girl, let me introduce you to hudson ellis. this man is a walking, talking serotonin dispenser. in typical rebecca yarros fashion, every “love” sent me levitating, every tender moment had me squealing, kicking, throwing my phone, pacing the room, and questioning whether fictional men should be allowed to go this hard. his devotion to allie isn’t just palpable - it’s an olympic sport, and he’s taking home gold, silver and bronze.
⋆˙⟡ and then we have allie rousseau: perfectionist ballerina, generational pressure cooker, high-functioning queen teetering on the verge of a meltdown (me?!). she is complicated, misunderstood, and absolutely worth the effort to understand. i would fight someone in a parking lot for her honour. her arc? stunning. her struggles? painfully relatable. her growth? chef’s kiss. if you don’t feel something watching her untangle her trauma and rediscover her worth, congratulations on your iron heart.
⋆˙⟡ allie and hudson are beautifully developed, layered, messy, and real. the supporting characters though? they felt disappointingly one-dimensional, especially given how much the plot relied on them. they deserved more than cardboard cutout status. i’m not saying they needed their own spin-off, but a little more attention wouldn’t have hurt, especially when the emotional stakes were so high. if this hadn't been an issue, i would have rated this book the full five stars.
overall, variation is a standout second chance romance. and yes, i will be aggressively recommending it to everyone.
“After that kiss, I knew there would be a first time. And a thousandth. I’d never felt chemistry like that in my life. We were a foregone conclusion.”
“I kissed her like she was air and I’d spent the last decade swimming for the surface.”
“Messy is good, love. Messy is where the best parts of life happen. You don’t have to be in control at all times. It’s okay if you fall apart. I promise I will be right here to put you back together if you just let me.”
“The ocean wouldn't care if I dance or retired, if I kissed Hudson or walked away. The waves would come regardless of my relationship with Juniper, and they would keep coming long after we were only memories. In a way, my insignificance was comforting enough that I could finally speak the truth.”
“I wanted to be engraved, etched, and carved so deeply into her soul that she’d never get me out.”
⋆˙⟡ for too long i woefully underestimated the power of a second chance romance. but variation truly is the blueprint. the angst! the tension! the yearning! it was an emotional sucker punch in the best way. the perfect balance of raw, messy vulnerability, blended with hope, wholesomeness, and heartfelt moments. there is a lot to love here: a tragic history, complex family dynamics, sibling rivalries, secrets, and dreams, all served with a side of drama.
⋆˙⟡ if you love a man obsessed with his girl, let me introduce you to hudson ellis. this man is a walking, talking serotonin dispenser. in typical rebecca yarros fashion, every “love” sent me levitating, every tender moment had me squealing, kicking, throwing my phone, pacing the room, and questioning whether fictional men should be allowed to go this hard. his devotion to allie isn’t just palpable - it’s an olympic sport, and he’s taking home gold, silver and bronze.
⋆˙⟡ and then we have allie rousseau: perfectionist ballerina, generational pressure cooker, high-functioning queen teetering on the verge of a meltdown (me?!). she is complicated, misunderstood, and absolutely worth the effort to understand. i would fight someone in a parking lot for her honour. her arc? stunning. her struggles? painfully relatable. her growth? chef’s kiss. if you don’t feel something watching her untangle her trauma and rediscover her worth, congratulations on your iron heart.
⋆˙⟡ allie and hudson are beautifully developed, layered, messy, and real. the supporting characters though? they felt disappointingly one-dimensional, especially given how much the plot relied on them. they deserved more than cardboard cutout status. i’m not saying they needed their own spin-off, but a little more attention wouldn’t have hurt, especially when the emotional stakes were so high. if this hadn't been an issue, i would have rated this book the full five stars.
overall, variation is a standout second chance romance. and yes, i will be aggressively recommending it to everyone.
“After that kiss, I knew there would be a first time. And a thousandth. I’d never felt chemistry like that in my life. We were a foregone conclusion.”
“I kissed her like she was air and I’d spent the last decade swimming for the surface.”
“Messy is good, love. Messy is where the best parts of life happen. You don’t have to be in control at all times. It’s okay if you fall apart. I promise I will be right here to put you back together if you just let me.”
“The ocean wouldn't care if I dance or retired, if I kissed Hudson or walked away. The waves would come regardless of my relationship with Juniper, and they would keep coming long after we were only memories. In a way, my insignificance was comforting enough that I could finally speak the truth.”
“I wanted to be engraved, etched, and carved so deeply into her soul that she’d never get me out.”
October 18, 2025
4.5 stars
November 23, 2024
All the hype and it wasn’t even good. MCs had no chemistry. The instalove from the very first chapter seemed very amateurish coming from this author. Well, I did say before that I was NOT ever reading any contemporary books by this author again, since I hated all of the others. But here I am again, thinking there’s a chance she’d have another Xaden but nada. I really hope she’s not a one hit wonder.
Anyhow, we barely got anything from chapter 1 and suddenly it’s 10 years later. Then from there, the weird plot about the niece Juniper comes in and another bout of boredom ensues. It wasn’t enough that both Allie and Hudson are not even likeable, have zero chemistry, I have to torture myself reading about this bratty 10 year old who manipulates EVERYONE in this book into getting what she wants. Am I supposed to believe this? Sorry, I cannot torture myself and had to DNF at Chapter 18. Not for me.
Anyhow, we barely got anything from chapter 1 and suddenly it’s 10 years later. Then from there, the weird plot about the niece Juniper comes in and another bout of boredom ensues. It wasn’t enough that both Allie and Hudson are not even likeable, have zero chemistry, I have to torture myself reading about this bratty 10 year old who manipulates EVERYONE in this book into getting what she wants. Am I supposed to believe this? Sorry, I cannot torture myself and had to DNF at Chapter 18. Not for me.
November 25, 2024
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the readalong hosted by Tandem Collective UK.
Variation is a beautiful book from the cover to the very last page. It does touch on some emotional topics and is a slow burn. I'd say this was a family drama mixed with mystery and romance, and once it gets going, you can't put it down.
We follow Allie (a ballerina) and Hudsons (a lifeguard) POV through alternating chapters. Allie lives in the shadow of her deceased sister Lina, who died in a car accident ten years ago. When Allie reconnects with her childhood friend Hudson (whom she hasn't seen since the accident) through teaching his niece Juniper ballet, many things come to the surface.
This book explores the dark side of ballet, secrets, sibling rivalry and jealousy, loss, and family toxicity, to name just a few topics. I loved the characters and how well the ending was pulled together after quite a fire cracker of events/reveals at the end of the book.
Do check TW if necessary for this one.
Variation is a beautiful book from the cover to the very last page. It does touch on some emotional topics and is a slow burn. I'd say this was a family drama mixed with mystery and romance, and once it gets going, you can't put it down.
We follow Allie (a ballerina) and Hudsons (a lifeguard) POV through alternating chapters. Allie lives in the shadow of her deceased sister Lina, who died in a car accident ten years ago. When Allie reconnects with her childhood friend Hudson (whom she hasn't seen since the accident) through teaching his niece Juniper ballet, many things come to the surface.
This book explores the dark side of ballet, secrets, sibling rivalry and jealousy, loss, and family toxicity, to name just a few topics. I loved the characters and how well the ending was pulled together after quite a fire cracker of events/reveals at the end of the book.
Do check TW if necessary for this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,210 reviews