Blood and Ballet: A Stand Alone Vampire Romance

by Melissa Mitchell

"If only ballerinas knew what vampire blood could do for their dancing." What would you do if an injury ripped your dreams right out from underneath you? And just when you finally accept that you won’t have the life you intended, an achingly beautiful vampire offers you exactly what you need—immortality. Only, that vampire is responsible for stealing you away to his manor outside Vienna, and happens to own Vienna’s hottest night club. Not only that, he’s so frustrating, you’re determined to hate him—until you don’t. Soon, you discover he’s in the middle of a war against some of his own kind (those who refuse to live by the vampire code), and you’re the catalyst that sends everything into overdrive. That’s Cece’s problem. Cece, once a prima ballerina for the National Ballet, is living in Vienna when she’s thrown into a seemingly impossible vampires are the makings of Rome’s famed gladiators, and night-walkers stalk the streets like zombies. Our story begins in the action, as reflections of the past emerge. Cece must make sense of her new surroundings in the only way she can—through her experience with ballet and the hurt it brought her. Anghor Manor is the setting for this tale, filled with vampires, ballet, and an unforgettable romance.

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Romance

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2018

About the author

Instagram: @melissa.nicole.mitchell

Mrs. Mitchell is an author of young adult fantasy and paranormal romance. Her debut novel, Blood and Ballet, is a unique combination of two of her favorite things: vampires and ballet. She is currently working on a young adult epic fantasy series set in the fictional world of Dragonwall. You can purchase the first and second installments, Talon the Black and Reyr the Gold, through bookstores worldwide. Autographed copies can be obtained from her website store.

Mrs. Mitchell also has her Ph. D in physics with an emphasis in non-imaging optics; she is an illumination engineer for a large corporate lighting company in the United States.

She adores spending time with her husband and their three dogs (two Siberian huskies and an English lab). She also enjoys playing piano, reading, writing, baking goodies, eating chocolate, tea, wine, Prosecco, and especially bullet journaling.

Mrs. Mitchell offers “author reviews” for books that catch her eye, and you are welcome to submit your book request via goodreads messages. She reserves the right to leave messages unanswered if the book does not catch her attention.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

When the author asked me if I'd review Blood and Ballet, I said yes because of the ballet. I wasn't disappointed. The dance scenes are enchanting and a big part of the book, and the passion for ballet basically drips from the pages.

Blood and Ballet offers a refreshing take on vampires, with an added dash of gladiators, and a compelling love interest with an interesting back story.

I'm not a fan of insta-love, and Mitchell took her time to develop both characters and the relationship between the two of them in a believable way. Plus, I'm actually a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, especially when it's well written like here.

The romance oscillates between heart-warming and steamy, and is contrasted by heart-pounding tension throughout.

It's a quick read and the prose is pleasant and engaging. It might feel a bit stilted at first, but it quickly finds its pace.

This is a satisfying read for fans of paranormal romance with vampires.

[destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

“to be a ballerina is to be immortal”

this book tugged at my heartstrings. dance is such a huge part of my life, especially ballet.

while this is a dark vampire stand alone romance, throughout this book, the representation of the beauty that is ballet was written so perfectly i cried every time it was mentioned. the dance scenes had me picturing myself on that stage … or rather cage 👀 it’s such a huge part of this book and i just absolutely loved that 🩰🖤

enemies to lovers, grumpy broody vampire mmc, fierce ballerina fmc, found family, secret society, captor / captive, angst, push and pull, teasing, forced proximity

[Kristen DeMello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the most refreshing vampire stories I've read in a while. It's pretty hard these days for me to find a vampire story that I like since so many of them seem so similar, which is a shame since I LOVE vampire stories. However, Melissa weaved an incredible tale that took a much different direction than what I expected when first starting the book.

Blood and Ballet, while a vampire story, didn't focus as much on the vampire aspects as it did the ballet, romance, and amazing backstory of Caius- which I loved!

The way Melissa incorporated the ballet was beautiful, and the dance scenes were enchanting and mesmerizing. I absolutely love dance, so the fact that it was a huge part of the story really appealed to me.

The best part of this book though was Caius's backstory and the flashbacks we got to see. It was so unexpected but SO COOL! I won't go into detail so as not to spoil the story, but it's amazing.

[Literary Drunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To be a ballerina is to be immortal...” And thus the curtain rises on Blood and Ballet.
Ms. Mitchell’s seductive dark prose instantly snagged my attention from the very first paragraph. She weaves vampiric lore and the beautiful darkness of ballet into a riveting series of edgy pas a deuxs. I especially loved the dance between the main players, Caius and Celine—a delicious cat and mouse dynamic filled with feisty repartee.
Celine finds herself first in one gilded cage (and Anghor Manor certainly is a beautiful prison) and then another, but somehow, as the story gains momentum, the lines become blurred and the mouse grows fangs too...which only serves to amuse the cat.
Then there’s the pas a deux Celine (Cece) dances with herself. She’s still figuring out the steps to the new dance that’s been forced on her by fate; moreover, figuring out the new status quo with a part of herself she never knew existed—all this while trying to navigate the dangerous vampire politics. Cece uses Ballet as the yardstick by which to measure her failures and successes in life, and (speaking as someone who knows nothing about the art) it was fascinating to experience; but one doesn’t need to speak the language to appreciate the beauty of Ballet. It’s the lens through which Cece sees the world and shares her views. Above all it’s the baton Ms. Mitchell uses to choreograph this sensuous vampire romance—the blood, the pain, and the darkness. A romance that encompasses ancient Roman myth and the agony of Ballet.
The parallels between vampirism and Ballet complements the pacing, the style, and the theme of every chapter all the way to the grand finale. When the curtain fell, it was a long while before I got up from my seat. You know you’ve read something special when you go to sleep still thinking about the characters.
A thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying read.

[Marina Marcello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review 2025 Updates:

I was so excited that Melissa Mitchell sent me a copy of the new audiobook for Blood and Ballet! Not only has my amazingly talented friend updated the cover and re-edit the book, but she’s had an audiobook produced, narrated by Henri Sudy, and they do an awesome job! Their voice was perfect for the various accents and characters, I really enjoyed them!

The updates to bits of the plot as well as small things like the technology that has changed since the book was first written were absolutely clutch. I’m not surprised at all that Melissa did an excellent job of updating her first book after having written two other series!

In the end, Blood and Ballet is the perfect Beauty and the Beast-like vampire novella for anyone wanting to scratch that itch–and let’s be honest, it’s the best itch to scratch!! Four stars!




Original paperback review:
Blood & Ballet is like Beauty & the Beast but with vampires! I am having such a hard time giving it a star rating. I absolutely love vampire stories, it is my favorite subgenre, but my biggest issue with Blood & Ballet is how easily everything seems to come to Cece. I really love Cece, she deserves everything she gets, & maybe I’m being old & crotchety, but I think I’ve aged past the point where I want characters to win the day easily & live happily ever after.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was Cece’s use of language. She’s so raw & unflinching with her word choice & her dialogue with other characters is written so well; it’s realistic & flows smoothly.

The vampire lore that Mitchell employs is one of the most unique that I have read. Most notably, her vampires are day-walkers & the sun-fearing fiends we’re used to are basically their bastards: night-walkers are those humans who were completely drained & left as the living-dead, like zombies with an animal hunger for blood who cannot abide the daylight. There is also a scientific explanation for creating new vampires which I found to be quite interesting.

Mitchell brings realism & humor into the novel in various ways as well. For instance, when Cece is held hostage & she has to hold her pee for hours & worries about a bathroom break is something I wish more hostage situations would address, because we all know everyone has got to go at some point! There is also a scene with vampires having a food fight that I think was just hilarious!

Other things I loved:
-The revelation of Caius’ character being a creature of value for sticking to his word & his rules brings a roundness to his character.
-I love all the parallels with the ballets.

Things I found issue with:
-I did find a lot of clichéd metaphors.
-When Cece finally brings up her family it feels too late & too weak. I had such a hard time with her lack of missing them earlier on & Caius’ reasoning to keep them away. When he started to allow Cece some freedoms, & even offered her the chance to straight up go home, it didn’t make sense to me that Cece still couldn’t call them or visit them--& that she didn’t for the ability to.
-Cece is too easily liked by everyone! There wasn’t even one “mean girl” who had to warm up to her? There has to be a vamp or girl who resents her presence or closeness with Caius...

Ultimately, I have to go with 4 stars! I did find plot issues that made me consider partial stars, but that is just too mathematical for my brain. I really have to say that, as a whole, I loved Cece’s story & it’s one I wish would happen to me!

[Captain Prongs · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5 stars**

Blood and Ballet is just as the title suggest: bloody lovely and elegantly strong.

I know very little about ballet - I know it’s hard and painful. It’s an art-form that demands a lot of sacrifices. And that’s about it. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be able to ask questions if something seemed amiss.

But I can say with Blood and Ballet nothing seemed out of place - and if it was, Melissa Mitchell certainly write her story so her reader is left with “that’s how it is”. The power of a good writer is to be able to convince a reader that right is left. This is wonderfully done in Blood and Ballet, and nowhere is there doubt that the author has put a lot of research into the whole ballet aspect of the story.

It was the first time I read a story with these elements in it - and with a dash of danger and hot vampire guys? Count me in. Even the vampire aspects of the story had originality and the backstory was just plain sad but wonderfully refreshing.

I loved how every chapter was build up with tales of Celine’s ballet life. How that kind of prepared the reader of what was to come in each chapter, and yet still be pleasantly surprised. The only thing I actually can put my finger on, would be the start of the book. While we jump right into the story, there are certain things that could be a bit rushed at first, but within a page or two, you are up to speed and it all makes sense.

Now, one cannot talk about Blood and Ballet without talking about Caius and Celine of course. And what a lovely pair they are. This is a wonderful romance and I was enjoying every part where these two lovebirds interacted. I’m not much for instant love, and here was a love that got time to develop before we got the three big words.

The personalities of Cece and Caius just fits and though they start with a bit of a hard bump, it only makes you cheer for them more. I have always loved a romance that started out with hate/dislike turning to love (when done right). And Cece is not your fluffy - could do no wrong kind of girl. She has her dark sides, and that just gives a twist I absolutely loved. Because she is still a lovable character. Never does these sides of her overshadow the fact, that she is a good person.

And Caius? A hurting soul but that didn’t stop him from loving, and that was just beautiful. And when the first hurdle was over and Cece and Caius actually began to be able to talk, he was never hurtful against her or emitting any kind of ridiculous male dominance that’s down right abuse, that so many author writes these days - because that is apparently sexy…

Anyway.

There was lots of fluff and steamy moments to make a heart flutter and there was those serious times that made the heart pound. In the end you are not in doubt that those two belong together.

The book itself is not a long, and it took me a little over a day to finish it (with breaks in between). It has all the moments to keep the story going, and when things is perhaps beginning to slow, a new thing will happen and suddenly you are in the middle of a war.

And last but not (at all) least: I really enjoy the way Melissa writes her stories. Her words and how she sews sentences together is a pleasure to read. It just flows and is inspiring. There’s finesse and love for the written word, be it this story or another of hers.

Would definitely recommend for everyone who wants something different and needs a little break from reality.

[Elianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To be a ballerina is to be immortal, or so we tell ourselves. We must live for the here and now. We cannot afford to think about death.” —Melissa Mitchell

Melissa Mitchell has done it again. I fell in love with Talon the Black and Reyr the Gold from her Dragonwall Series, and Blood and Ballet, her first novel, is yet another I have fallen in love with! Mrs. Mitchell has quickly solidified herself as one of my favorite authors.

I have read quite a few vampire stories, but none of them were like this one. The blend of vampire lore with Greek mythology was unique and well-executed. It was such a different take and it worked well in this story. I also appreciated that while the vampires were dark and mysterious, as they should be, they were not unnecessarily cruel towards humans. It was refreshing to read! The two focal points of ballet and vampires paired well together. The way aspects of vampires were connected so clearly with ballet was stunning and another very well done aspect of this book.

As a ballerina, Cece has had to put up with a lot of shit from those around her. It’s a cutthroat world and to be the best, you have to endure the hate that others give. Her strength is evident in the ways that she speaks to Caius. She is demanding of what she wants and although Caius does not give it to her, she does not stop asking. Instead, she works hard to make a life for herself within her new and unfamiliar situation. Each encounter with Caius brought insight not only to him but also to Cece and the battles she is fighting. It also served to develop their slow-burn romance in a way that made sense and didn’t seem forced. Ballet is the most important thing in Cece’s life. It is her form of self-expression and it is how she builds her esteem. It is clear that the moments she spends discussing ballet or dancing ballet are the most important moments for her.

The way each chapter starts, pulling the reader away from the detail of the story and providing an insight into Cece’s thought process as a ballerina, was almost like being able to press pause on the story in order to gain more information, before again pressing play. As someone not familiar with the technicalities of ballet, these moments were helpful and I looked forward to them at the start of every chapter. I feel as though I have a renewed sense of love and respect for ballet.

I absolutely loved Blood and Ballet for its ability to bring something unique and refreshing to vampire lore. I will be recommending this book!

[Shannon Rohrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. There may be some spoilers, so read at your own discretion**

What a wonderful debut! I’ve been acquainted with Melissa Mitchell through the Wattpad community for the past few years, having been introduced to her dragon-shifter works (which I dearly hope will soon find their way into the published world). As such, I was excited for the opportunity to read her debut novel, Blood and Ballet. Suffice it to say, I was not disappointed.

While the story starts off a bit rough and stilted in terms of pacing, this was quickly remedied within the first few chapters. From there, things really start coming together, the character relationships and interactions really setting the stage for the things to come. Firstly, I love how this wasn’t a case of insta-love, but utilized the “enemies to lovers” trope. I always find chemistry of that nature (be it to lovers or best friends) to be particularly fascinating, so the build-up regarding Cece’s relationship with Caius was refreshing. Another thing I love (and that Mrs. Mitchell delivers on frequently in her stories) are the strong female friendships. While cattiness between women isn’t unrealistic, it is very much overplayed in literature, so it was refreshing to see Cece having close friendships with the other women present in this story, with none of the underhanded, backstabbing we’ve all come to expect when too many female egos are in one space (y’know, not much different from male egos).

The combination of vampirism, ballet, and historical events was a really intriguing one, and one I felt Mrs. Mitchell wove together beautifully. Every aspect of the story—paranormal, romance, suspense, action, etc.—was well balanced; none overshadowing the other.

Another thing I really appreciated was the passion with which Cece spoke of ballet. This felt very authentic, particularly in how honest the story was about what ballet is, versus what the audience sees. As someone with cousins who have taken ballet and other forms of dancing all their life, I can say with certainly that Mrs. Mitchell did the subject justice. Likewise with the historical elements and the paranormal ones; it’s clear that Mrs. Mitchell did her research, all while providing us with her own little twist on things.

All in all, this was a beautifully written story, with interesting, dynamic characters, a thrilling plot, and a great deal of heart. I would recommend this to lovers of paranormal romance, action, and an appreciation for the arts.

4.5 stars.

[Ania_Gemma_Reads \ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐/5
YA/ 🌶5

SYNOPSIS:
What would you do if an injury ripped your dreams right out from underneath you? And just when you finally accept that you won’t have the life you intended, an achingly beautiful vampire offers you exactly what you need—immortality.

QUOTE:
“To be a ballerina is to be immortal, or so we tell ourselves. We must live for the here and now. We cannot afford to think about death.”

MY THOUGHTS:
Oh my gosh, I cannot stop smiling when I am thinking about this book! It is one of my favorite reads! This is such a fairytale like story with a little darker and sexier twist (reminder it is YA so no smut, but the love story, and the angst kept me entertained and on my toes throughout the whole book). When I was reading this story it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast which is my FAVORITE OG Disney movie and I just loved it so much. Instead of obsession with books we have an injured ballerina who would give anything to put on her pointe shoes again.

I absolutely love the pacing, the writing style is beautiful and each chapter starts with little story/background about ballet, which I absolutely loved. I spent way too many hours on youtube looking up the ballet routines mentioned. I really appreciate all the research that Melissa did for this book!

The romance: enemies to lovers has a special place in my heart always and this was done wonderfully! It was perfect mix of angst/push and pull and all the dirty little thoughts here and there (again YA but the angst was spectacular). Cece and Caius are such a wonderful couple! I loved them together and Caius's back story literally destroyed me!

This book just made my heart happy, I really cannot explain it in any other way. You have sexy vampires, stunning and talented ballerina living together in a Manor. If this is not a perfect book/story idk what is.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been wanting to read this book for a while. As someone who loves vampire books and is intrigued by ballet/ballerinas, I knew I had to read this. The book is about a young woman named Celine (I believe she is 18 or 19 years old) whose career as a ballerina is cut short due to an injury. In an effort to cheer her up, her father buys her a ticket to travel to Europe. While she is in Vienna, Austria she is kidnapped and taken to Anghor Manor, the home of Caius, a vampire. Ceecee soon falls in love with Caius and discovers that his blood is healing. By drinking his blood she realizes that her old injury is gone and begins dancing again. Overall, this was a well written book. I liked that it talked about the world of ballet at the beginning of each chapter and tied it up with the things Ceecee was going through. The only thing that bothered me was that we never find out Caius’ true age. We know he is the first vampire created but never how old he was when he became a vampire. Ceecee is very young and Caius is way older than her.

[Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a ebook copy in return for an honest review.

I did not think I would like 'Blood and Ballet'; I do not really like ballet and most modern vampire stories are similar. I was pleasantly surprised when I started to read; the story is intense. You feel CeCe's pain and determination as she struggles with her new life as an injured ballerina. The excerpt at the start of each chapter sets the tone for that chapter, adding to the tone of the story and draws similarities between ballet and vampirism. The story is a refreshingly wonderful vampire romance. I highly suggest giving it a read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood and Ballet

I am so glad I read this book! At first I thought it wasn’t going to be very good but I was surprisingly wrong! This is an excellent book with romance, Vampires, history comedy and lots of suspense. To me this will be a keeper.
The history is about the Roman Empire and what happened way back then, of course in the authors mind. It is a really different story than the usual vampire books and if you want to try reading it you will be as surprised and pleased as I was for reading it. Hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. I am absolutely speechless. What can I say? This book was absolutely fantastic. Definitely my favorite book. I can totally see this being a movie one day. In fact, I hope this will get picked up to be a movie someday. I loved the whole romantic story about Cece and Caius. I also loved that we got a back story about Caius. Such a refreshing and interesting take on a vampire story. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I totally would!

[Katelyn Furtick · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5/5 stars*

**I received a physical copy for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

I’ll be honest, going into this, I wasn’t sure I would like it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was refreshing take on a vampire story. The plot was so interesting. Celine was strong and beautifully herself. Caius was such a great character. His backstory was so interesting. Probably my favorite part of the story. I really enjoyed the ballet storyline, also. Overall, definitely recommend if you’re feeling a vampire story, but not the typical vampire story.

Full review: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an amazing book! The plot and sequence are well thought of. I wanted to finish it in one sitting because i just couldn’t stop reading. Every chapter just builds up to the momentum & it makes me go on from chapter to chepter. I recommend this to all readers out there. And if you want to read a vampire love story that has substance then this is definitely a book to read!!!

[CR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a wonderfully gory ballet story or at the minimum a decent horror story, but I was a bit disappointed. It was a bit slow and predictable. The vampires were your typical vampires and nothing special. And there was a standard vampire turf war resulting in mass death. I ended up giving it three stars because the love story between Celine and Caius was sweet.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!!!!

The charade were well those out. I want more!!! They became real and I cared about their journey. Thank you for the good read.

[Wonde1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most eye catching books ave read... am so addicted that i couldn't wait for the next chapter, if you haven't read this book you are missing out..😍

[Megan]

CECE!

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story.

[Page_by_page__ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Melissa’s writing from her series so when I picked this up I knew that I will enjoy it. I’m a fan of vampire stories and this didn’t disappoint. I like the plot and I liked a lot the balance in this book between the romance which is the main element in the story and the action that is intense towards the end. The way the plot escalates has the reader hooked and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it.

[Dizzyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
A vampire romance would not be my first choice in sonething to read. However, Caius and Cece will bring to lifefear, a grudging trust and a slow sweet delicate love that blossoms in the dark world of vampires and nightwalkers. A shared love of ballet leads the two unlikely lovers down a seductive dance of eventual mutual respect, balance and restraint, passion, and will keep you enthralled every step of their Pas de deux. Melissa's own love and knowledge of ballet crestes a well crafted read that I ended up thoroughly enjoying. Melissa doesnt fail to bring you strong, true to life characters in a world she makes truly believable.