With You

Institut d’Étoiles #1

by Zarin Madiyha

To achieve her dreams, she’ll have to dance with her worst nightmare.

Amelie Devereaux has dedicated her life to becoming a prima ballerina, and nothing will stop her from securing a spot at a prestigious summer intensive.

Not the biased director of her university's ballet program, not her own body, and certainly not the frustrating River Campbell.

But when Amelie is denied the principal's solo at the annual showcase, she's forced to find a partner. Unfortunately for her, the best chance at catching the eye of the intensive's scouts is to partner with the boy she hates.

River Campbell has always skated by in life.

Academics and ballet both come easy, but so does bone-deep boredom. Ballet was once his passion, but lately he's just been going through the motions.

With River's future in the family business pre-decided, the present does nothing to pique his interest. Until the gorgeous, untouchable ballerina who despises him finds herself in need of a partner.

With Amelie forced to dance with her own personal devil, and River realising that some things are worth rearranging your priorities for, what starts as a forced pas de deux becomes more than either bargained for.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance

278 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2026

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 4 ☆ .ᐟ 💐 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ an amazing start to a new series! utterly gorgeous
arc

⋆˚࿔ 93rd review of the year

⌗ ꒰ my thoughts ꒱ 🩰
⤷ wow so i really enjoyed this!! since ive never read any of zarin's other previous books, this was a wonderful surprise! a great start to a new adult series and something FUN in the romance genre! ofc, it was pretty typical and predictable, but was still fun nonetheless! we all need reads like that sometimes, yk?

overall, amelie and river were really good together and i loved seeing them open up and work together !!! i mean just look at the cover, oh my days its stunning. i cannot wait to see what the rest of the series holds and i hope i find more cutie romances like this soon hehe 💐

~ thank you zarin for letting me read this early and be apart of the street team on ig!! this is out oct 8th <3

------------------------

💐 — pre-read .ᐟ ⌗

𐔌 ♯┆10.4.26
⤷ THANK YOUU zarin for letting me be on the street team!! i cant wait to dive into this, the cover is EVERYTHING. so far so good🤞🤭

[charisse ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

˗ˏˋ 5 stars ⟡ ݁₊ .

ahhh im so obsessed with this book!! the vibes were so elite, like wdym they're at an elite boarding school in paris?!! i love that they truly dislike each other and the back and forth between the two were so good!! the fact that they were rivals and had to work with each other!!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• amelie devereaux
i loved amelie the second i read about her on page! i loved that she's so determined and focused with ballet, like she's willing to do anything to get into this prestigious ballet program!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧• river campbell
ahhh river, he's an absolute gem. ugh i love him! like wdym this man flew her to another country just to buy her ballet shoes cuz she couldn't find any that weren't pink in paris?!!! he's just a man obsessed and i will eat it up every single time

and the yearning!!! just thinking about it, i literally cannot! also when it's revealed that river has been secretly pining for her for years... fucking sent me into the afterlife

anyways i cant wait for the rest of the series! the friend group already has a chokehold on me and i cant wait to get into everybody's head!! asdgjkk-

gonna go read zarin's backlist now!

⤷ thank you to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶˗ˋ୨♡୧ˊ˗︶︶︶⊹︶︶︶

₊˚⊹♡ pre-read ♡⊹˚₊ ↴
ahhh im super excited to read this one!! ballerina x ballerina, dislike to love, c'mon!! i can tell already that it's gonna deliver so hard!

[joni ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
rereading with my arc!!! this gorgeous book is out tmrw!!!! thanks zarin for letting me annoy u all the time! ily <3 stuck with me for life



----

beta read, review/rating after ARCs! go add this to ur tbr now!!!!

tropes to expect
- dislike to lovers
- ballerina x ballerina
- elite university
- he falls first and harder
- forced proximity

[anzhelika ୨ৎ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 4.5 stars ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

"I think that young girl still lives inside of me somewhere though, dreaming of love but scared to reach for it."

"Anything you want from me, you can have it, Amelie."

"It's just us."
"Always just us."

firstly i'd like to say thank you to zarin for letting me be on the street team, and for the opportunity to read and review with you in advance! as soon as i found out that this was ballerina x ballerina, i knew it would be good and something to look forward to. i loved amelie and river's dynamic, they caused a lot of giggling and blushing for me while reading. they initially start off disliking each other (he doesn't actually hate her though), and once they start doing the partner dance together they learn more about each other and then eventually grow closer. amelie and river stole my heart, i loved seeing their chemistry and banter.

i also loved that with you is set at an elite boarding school in paris, the vibes of this setting were just chef's kiss. something else i really enjoyed about the book is that you learn a lot about ballet. often you see the sport being mentioned in the background a few times in a lot of sports romances, however here it's definitely a focus and present. there are a lot of descriptions and explanations of both amelie's and river's experiences with the sport, and the struggles they face. i also really liked the found family with this friend group, they're all fun and their friendship felt so genuine, and i wonder whose book could be next.

i absolutely cannot wait for the next book in Institut d’Étoiles, but in the meantime i should probably check out Coates Academy as i've heard really great things about that series! overall though, it was so cute and you must add it to your tbr!

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to Zarin Madiyha for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

[&#x1f342; emma &#x1f342; · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

age rating: 15+ (marketed as NA)
spice: none
language: 1.5/5

this book was everything i needed it to be—and more. please go pick up this book right nowww. 😫💫 i’ve never read a ballerina romance before, so i kinda didn’t know what to expect from it. not only was there fantastic banter and giggle-worthy moments, but i actually learned a lot about the sport of dancing.

in order to secure her future, our protagonist amelie has no choice but to partner up with her rival, river, who justttt so happens to be our second protagonist. thank freaking goodness for dual pov, because i was eating up his chapters. THIS MAN YEARNS, YALL. 🤭

both amelie and river were so easy to love and root for, and i loved how clearly their relationship was established in the beginning and how much we got to see it grow. the forced proximity is immaculate, hehe. they’ve known—and disliked—each other for years, and that’s really evident in their dynamic and banter fueled exchanges. zarin is so witty and immersive in her writing, and i found it very easy to become invested in the story.

if you’re looking for a stunning ballerina x ballerina no-spice romance with dislike to lovers, found family, an elite university setting, andddd where he falls first and harder—LOOK NO FURTHER.

with you is out tomorrow (october 8th)!!

thank you so much to the author for the e-arc. 🫶🏼 i have preordered my physical copy and cannot wait to show it off in future posts.

🎵: bones and all - mckenna grace
lovers - anna of the north
afterglow - taylor swift
stay - gracie abrams

[day]

prerelease (beta read): will update my rating/review when this comes out but I've been dreaming of a ballerina romance my whole life and now I've finally read one!!

[Miri James Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un libro que tenía absolutamente todo para gustarme y que, sin embargo, ha terminado decepcionándome.

Para empezar, hay algo que me ha chirriado muchísimo y que creo que nunca me había encontrado de una forma tan exagerada en un libro: los personajes secundarios carecen por completo de personalidad. ❌ No hay profundidad, no hay individualidad, no hay nada que te permita conocerlos más allá de su interés romántico.

Hay dos amigos de él que tienen el ojo puesto en dos amigas de ella y, por poner un ejemplo, en una escena uno de ellos está sentado al lado de su interés romántico, come lo mismo que ella, hace todo lo que ella quiere y habla exclusivamente de ella… POR DIOS, PARA. QUE ERES UNA PERSONA DIFERENTE A ELLA!! Ten un mínimo de personalidad. 🙄😮‍💨

Y aunque eso ha sido lo que más me ha molestado, no es lo único.

También siento que la autora intenta conquistar al lector a través de los "detalles" que el protagonista tiene con Amelie, pero es que prácticamente todas sus demostraciones de interés consisten en sacar la cartera. 💵 YA SABEMOS QUE TUS PADRES SON INMENSAMENTE RICOS, no hace falta que nos lo recuerdes en cada capítulo. Para mí, esos gestos no tienen ningún valor como demostración de amor. Y es que ni siquiera estamos hablando de su propio dinero o de sus contactos, sino de los de sus padres.

Me da muchísima rabia porque iba con unas expectativas altísimas. Tenía todos los ingredientes para convertirse en una lectura que me encantase: el ballet, el ambiente parisino, una universidad con absolutamente de todo, una portada preciosa… Sobre el papel, era exactamente el tipo de historia que me apetecía leer.

Menudo PLOF.

[annie ۫꣑ৎ]

⋆˚࿔pre-read/pre-release

so so excited to read this one! the tropes sound so good! ballerina x ballerina, dislike to love?!?! this seems right up my alley! also joni def convinced me to sign up and read this one so i am even more excited!

thank you so much to zarin madiyha for the eARC!

[megan (in a slump) · Rating 5 out of 5]

6!🌟

arc review 💌

AHHH! I love them so much. ♡R+A♡


thank you so much Zarin for the arc!!

I loved the banter!! even when they started dancing and actually getting to know one another, they didn't automatically like each other. some of my fav tropes too!! forced proximity, he falls first (and harder), dislike to lovers.

"Even his face isn't too bad, I guess. I glance sideways at him, the lowlights of the room catching the angles of his fave and making them even more defined. It's as if he's been delicately carved from marble: his jaw sharp, the slope of his nose impossibly perfect. I imagine if he stayed quiet his entire life, everyone would have a much more pleasant experience around him."

"I lost the solo but I gained River, and that's something that means far more to me than dancing alone."

"I really wanted you to like me", I confess. "it was lonely sometimes being the only boy in class. I thought maybe we could have become friends."
"And then I was mean to you."

this is coming Oct 6 to KU!!

[nakia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 beta read <3 amelieriver the cutest ever i love them so dearly 🤍🤍

thank you for letting me beta zarin ily

[Shaïna · Rating 4 out of 5]

🇬🇧 I loved the overall atmosphere of With You! The book is set in Paris, at a ballet academy reserved for privileged youth. Having practiced ballet myself for almost 10 years, it felt good to revisit that world and the vocabulary that’s familiar to me. And it was also nice to come across those few words and phrases in French!

The relationship between Amelie and River was great. As dancers, they respect each other but can’t stand one another because of their respective prejudices, which leads to some pretty funny bickering. When they finally get to know each other for real, they end up liking each other and falling in love, and I loved seeing their relationship develop that way!

The scenes where they dance together were also among my favorites. I found them particularly intimate with the way they draw closer and communicate through dance.

I also appreciated that the book addresses the privileges associated with wealth and explores Amelie’s experience as a young Black woman, particularly in the face of racism in the ballet world. It was also interesting to see how River, as a white man, gradually became aware of these realities.

In short, With You was a short but effective romance, super cute with a relationship I loved watching develop and themes that add a bit of depth to the story!

–

🇫🇷 J’ai adoré l’ambiance générale de With You ! Le roman se déroule à Paris, dans une académie de danse classique réservée à une jeunesse privilégiée. Ayant moi-même pratiqué la danse classique pendant presque 10 ans, ça m’a fait du bien de retrouver cet univers et du vocabulaire qui m’est familier. Et les quelques mots et phrases en français étaient aussi sympas à retrouver !

La relation entre Amelie et River était géniale. En tant que danseurs, ils se respectent mais ils ne peuvent pas se supporter à cause de leurs préjugés respectifs, ce qui donne lieu à des chamailleries plutôt marrantes. Quand ils apprennent enfin à se connaître pour de vrai, ils finissent par s’apprécier et tomber amoureux et j’ai adoré voir leur relation évoluer de cette manière !

Les scènes où ils dansent ensemble étaient aussi parmi mes préférées. Je les ai trouvées particulièrement intimes, avec cette façon de se rapprocher et de communiquer à travers la danse.

J’ai également apprécié que le roman aborde les privilèges liés à la richesse et explore la condition d’Amelie en tant que jeune femme noire, notamment face au racisme dans le milieu du ballet. Le fait que River, en tant qu’homme blanc, prenne progressivement conscience de ces réalités était aussi intéressant à suivre.

Bref, With You était une romance courte mais efficace, toute mignonne avec une relation que j’ai adoré voir évoluer et des thématiques qui apportent un peu de profondeur à l’histoire !

*merci à l’autrice pour ce sp numérique 🤍

[tessa ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW!!

I am so grateful to have received an arc of this wonderful book!! Thanks queen zarin!

You know a romance is good when it has you giggling and kicking your feet whilst simultaneously clawing at your neck in stress. The way that Zarin Madiyha builds tension between Amelie and River is electrifying and the intimacy is genuinely unmatched.
I loved that both protagonists and their relationship were instantly established and shown so we didn’t need to faff about with tedious explanations on page 1. We learnt about them as they learnt about each other which is just perfection!
I am obsessed with the detail of Amelie’s brown pointe shoes to match her skin and the reference to the fact that ballet is a very conservative sport and that it’s difficult for people of colour to find ballet shoes that aren’t pink, as well as Amelie experiencing discrimination because of her skin colour in terms of auditions. I also was learning a lot about ballet, like I didn’t even realise that ballet shoes were pink because it’s meant to be an extension of the dancers leg, the more you know! I loved all the ballet discussion, like I was learning so much and it was so beautifully embedded explanations too.
River was a perfect male lead because he was not only making me have heart palpitations (plus I freaking love the trope of they hate each other but he actually doesn’t hate her at all hehe). I loved the exploration of his difficulties being a male ballet dancer and his experience of isolation in the sport.
I loved the found family friend group and the epilogue hinted at some potential story lines for them (I’m particularly intrigued by Evie and Damien’s arranged marriage).
I’ve always been a fan of Zarin’s writing and this book just solidified my love for it. She has a way of making me giggle and obsess over characters whilst also just being invested in her descriptions and explanations of the scenes, she truly is a master at her craft.
I can’t wait for this to literally blow up and everyone read it because it’s incredible and so bloody cute I can’t!
Read it!!!!!!

[Boundbybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

With You by Zarin Madiyha
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This has to be one of the most unique romances I’ve ever read! I haven’t come across a ballerina romance before, and I couldn’t be more grateful to Zarin for giving me the opportunity to read and review her upcoming novel in advance. 🩰💗

First of all, this is a DISLIKE TO LOVERS romance! Don’t mistake it for enemies to lovers, because the dynamic between River and Amelie isn’t really an enemies-to-lovers relationship. It’s truly a dislike-to-lovers romance, and I absolutely adored it.

River and Amelie’s story completely stole my heart. Their chemistry was EVERYTHING, and I loved watching their relationship develop throughout the book. The pacing was perfect and never felt rushed. There were so many moments where they got to know each other on a deeper level, which made their relationship feel genuine and well-developed.

This book checked off everything I had hoped for, and somehow it even got me out of my two-month reading slump!😭📖

But the romance wasn’t the only thing that captured my heart. The friend group that Amelie and River share is SO supportive of each other, and their friendship was honestly one of my favourite parts of the book. Their dynamic felt so genuine, and Zarin included so many funny, wholesome, and heartfelt moments between them. 🥹💕

I cannot wait for the release of With You, and I hope this review makes you just as excited for its release as I am! If you’re looking for a unique romance with incredible chemistry, a ballerina setting, and a friendship group you’ll want to be part of, definitely keep this one on your radar! 🩰✨

Thank you so much to Zarin Madiyha for the ARC opportunity! 🤍

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Maahirah Nahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

With you follows Amelie, a talented ballerina who lives, eats, breathes ballet. She’ll do anything to secure a spot at a prestigious summer intensive, but when Amelie is denied the principles solo at the annual showcase she is forced to find a partner. Unfortunately for her, the best chance at catching the eye of the intensive’s scouts is to partner up with the boy she hates…

When I tell you guys I devoured With You in one day (mostly one sitting) I am not lying. This book had me HOOKED. The characters, the setting, THE YEARNING it all just felt like a dream.

Amelie my sweet baby, I loved watching her character develop as she got more sure of herself and how strong willed she was, that girl is the definition of a fire cracker and I loved reading her flourish.

And then there was River, that man had me clutching my pearls, I was genuinely in love with this man (sorry Amelie) getting to be inside his head and reading him PINING over Amelie literally had me giggling! This man was perfection to say the least.

I loved all the characters Zarin created I genuinely feel so maternal towards all of them and I can’t wait to see them flourish in their own respective books.

Scroll to see some of my reactions, I was so annoying to Zarin but I couldn’t help myself

Thank you for this ARC I genuinely wish I could read about Amelie and River all over again.

With You is out tomorrow everywhere AND Zarin has the most gorgeous special editions on her website!

P.S if you pre order it today you’ll get the cutest sticker sheet 🫶🏼

[Allisyn DeGraff · Rating 5 out of 5]

THANK YOU ZARIN MADIYHA!!!! You have literally written my dream book!!! I love reading about ballet and then just adding a person of color as the fmc was just the cherry on top. How do I even begin to say all the things I love about this book, honestly there wasn’t anything I disliked. I have read both the Story of Us as well as the Secret of Us and I loved both of them because of the characters, the writing structure, and just the overall plot and I feel like that was translated into this novel. I loved the characters, none of them made me mad or annoyed based on their actions; they both were very serious about their dancing as well as the situation they were in and it made the book and their whole relationship feel so much more real. I also loved all the side characters; they found family aspect as was so perfect!! It made me think of my own friend group and the memories we’ve made together and how that’s all gonna change and become different when we graduate🥲. I’m not a ballet dancer myself, but I feel like all the dancing scenes were done so well, like I could see both Amelie and River in my head with all the details and descriptions that were incorporated. Also the main conflict wasn’t made into the biggest deal ever which I personally loved because I don’t understand why the world has to end when there’s like the smallest problem. Anyways loved this book and you all know I’m gonna be in the reviews for the next Zarin Madiyha masterpiece!!💗

[Diya · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Review of Advanced Copy Received from Author

this book was everything i needed it to be and more. please go pick up right nowww 😩💫 i went into this book not really knowing what to expect, but i ended up loving it so much more than i anticipated. the banter, the tension, the characters??? absolutely everything.

amelie and river are EVERYTHING 😭 the fact that they’re rivals who have to partner up to secure amelie’s future makes their dynamic even better. river’s perspective was probably one of my favourite parts. their witty exchanges had me giggling and kicking my feet, and i was completely invested in their journey from the beginning.

zarin madhiya’s writing is so engaging, and i loved how the story balanced romance, humour, and the world of ballet. i learned so much about the sport of dancing, which was such a lovely bonus! this was such a fun and heartwarming read, and i didn’t want it to end. 💌🩰

[Gianna Marie · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25 🩰🧑🏾‍🩰💝 Oh to have the love of your life waiting in the wings for you! Thank you Zarin for the ARC <3 With You is out now!!!

“You’re living your dream here, and so am I.”

Amelie and River’s story was the perfect balance of banter and yearning. I’m not usually a dislike to lovers kinda girl and thankfully the “dislike” in this book was more a lack of understanding between characters and super low stakes. Once they Communicated it was so sweet to see our MCs learn about each other and fall in love 🥹 what do you mean he slept on the FLOOR holding her HAND ALL NIGHT!!!!!!

With You also did an amazing job providing commentary and centering a woman of color’s experience with ballet, Amelie’s arc was so beautiful and I was so happy with the payoff at the end. SUCH a strong foundation/start for a series and I WILLL be back for more (looking at you Zena and Layth) 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[Dayana Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an arc review. Thank you to the author, Zarin Madiyha, for writing such an incredible story!!!

We’re in France, which I can imagine is an incredible place to be, at this rich kid university. Our main girl, Amelie, is set on being a pro ballerina and the only way to showcase her talent on the main stage is to work with her obnoxious rival, River. Both are ballerinas and because they’re working together so closely to perfect their routine, the lines of their rivalry become blurred.

This book showcased an incredible friend group and I’m hoping we’ll get books of the friend’s relationships as well.

[chloe_readz03 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book!

Amelie and River were so cute! I loved reading their story and how unique the setting and the premise was. The found family and side characters were written so well and I’m looking forward to hear more about this series!

With You is one of my most anticipated reads for this year, and it did not disappoint. I’m so excited for the release!🫶🏽

If you enjoy:
🌷ballerina x ballerina
🌷elite university setting
🌷he falls first (and harder!!!)
🌷dislike to lovers
🌷forced proximity
you will LOVE With You!

[EllieGraceReads · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!

I love Amelie and Rivers dynamic so much. The way they bicker is really funny but you can tell there’s probably hidden feelings behind it all!
River is so attentive and always taking care of Amelie and making sure her feet are properly tended to which i loved!

They work so well together and balance each other out nicely.
I love their love

I absolutely adored this group of friends, a true representation of found family and i’m hoping they’re all going to be getting their own books!
Especially Grayson👀🤭

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zarin truly knows how to write a man who yearns! With you was amazing! Amelie determination was truly inspiring, she is strong and confident, not letting other people put her down. River although he acts cocky at times he isn’t afraid to show his love for the people around him. I loved reading about both River and Amelie and how they were able to push each other and grow from it, they are each other strength and weakness.

[ashuls_book_diaries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute read. I loved them as characters and the love story was really cute. I love that its a he falls first and how we had duel pov. The ballerine book is a first for me but i love the art of it and it was so interesting to read about. I love that they are set in paris it makes it feel more romantic. It was a lovely read if you like cute books

[meiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never leave reviews but for this book I had to. I stumbled upon this author few months ago and what a blessing it was! Her writing is so perfect and this book was so beautifully written. River and Amelie have my heart! Can’t wait for the other characters’ book!

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored this book

You know when you read a book and you have no idea how to describe it other than it being a cute, giddy, kicking your feet good time. Yeah, that’s exactly what this was.

[Belle Paige · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This was so sweet, Zarins books are always so well written and she’s always able to make the characters grab your heart immediately. I cannot wait for the rest of this series to be written I loved all these characters so much. 🩷🩷

[nura · Rating 5 out of 5]

why was this the cutest book i read this year💗💗💗

[Anna · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

A cute easy read. Not that much happened but there’s definitely nothing wrong with it.

[yasmin꣑ৎ.ᐟ · Rating 1 out of 5]

the story was great UNTIL they got together. their banter wasn't bantering like it was before. :(

[Shahana · Rating 4 out of 5]

River has done a PhD in loserism and I am not complaining

[Emmas._.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I wanted...and more.
He wears glasses, need I say more?
HE BOUGHT 12 PAIRS OF BROWN POINTE SHOES FOR HER SO SHE NEVER HAS TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE AGAIN.