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Pretty Perfect
Perfection. It is an illusion that twenty-year-old Anya DeSotto strives to maintain.
The perfect ballerina.
The perfect daughter.
The perfect liar.
Everyone else seems fooled by the charade—but Anya isn’t prepared for the moment her perfect mask is cracked in half by someone much more adept at the art of pretending.
Nearly two decades her senior, Revend Marcus, the owner of a prestigious international ballet company, has no problem with breaking Anya down to suit his own twisted idea of perfection. But when a shadow from Revend’s past looms over their futures, and Anya’s insecurities push their relationship to a violent crescendo, the resulting chaos threatens to destroy them both.
Though, sometimes, even destruction can be pretty perfect.
The perfect ballerina.
The perfect daughter.
The perfect liar.
Everyone else seems fooled by the charade—but Anya isn’t prepared for the moment her perfect mask is cracked in half by someone much more adept at the art of pretending.
Nearly two decades her senior, Revend Marcus, the owner of a prestigious international ballet company, has no problem with breaking Anya down to suit his own twisted idea of perfection. But when a shadow from Revend’s past looms over their futures, and Anya’s insecurities push their relationship to a violent crescendo, the resulting chaos threatens to destroy them both.
Though, sometimes, even destruction can be pretty perfect.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2017
67 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Lana Sky
61 books1,327 followersI am a quirky writer from the US who dabbles in dark, paranormal and contemporary romance. My stories aren't always typical, but contain a little something for everyone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 4, 2017
I don't know what to think of this book. It was gripping. It was dark and had elements of depression, suicide, age gap relationship, drug use. Then just when you were routing for the H and H it ends! No HEA. Just ends! That is not how I like my romances to go. So pretty pissed off. Had I know there was non satisfactory ending or HEA I would never have read this book! While I'm pleased the heroine is in a healthier frame of mind. I wanted a conclusion to the romance! Grrrrrr
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2022
It took me, perhaps, three o four days to read Pretty Perfect
because reading it in one sitting was impossible.
It's heavy, and angsty.
The emotions it convey are raw, too much to handle.
The topics it deals with are painful.
The passion, the crave, the obsession the FMC feels are overwhelming.
But it's worth it because everything I listed above is the reason you can’t still help yourself but keep reading it waiting for a bit of light into that suffocating darkness.
There is no sugur-coating here, just the ugly that often life is.
I'm not ashamed to say that some of Anja' insecurities hit too close to home, and maybe that's why this story was so hard for me.
There is one thing that bothered me tho: the absence of Revend' pov. He deserved to have a voice, to explain his behaviour.
But I still recommended it, just be aware it's not a happy story.
because reading it in one sitting was impossible.
It's heavy, and angsty.
The emotions it convey are raw, too much to handle.
The topics it deals with are painful.
The passion, the crave, the obsession the FMC feels are overwhelming.
But it's worth it because everything I listed above is the reason you can’t still help yourself but keep reading it waiting for a bit of light into that suffocating darkness.
There is no sugur-coating here, just the ugly that often life is.
I'm not ashamed to say that some of Anja' insecurities hit too close to home, and maybe that's why this story was so hard for me.
There is one thing that bothered me tho: the absence of Revend' pov. He deserved to have a voice, to explain his behaviour.
But I still recommended it, just be aware it's not a happy story.
April 11, 2017
Proper review to come later. The shelves I used more or less have the proper warnings. I'll happily answer any questions.
August 14, 2022
I really want a sequel!
May 31, 2019
Spanish:
“Pretty Perfect” de Lana Sky es el primer libro que leo de esta autora. Tenía pensado leer otros libros de esta autora primero, pero empecé este porque me atrajo demasiado y no me defraudó. Este libro trata de temas como la depresión, el suicidio y muchos más temas de ese tipo, con unos personajes que se llevan una gran diferencia de edad.
Anya DeSotto, 20, es una bailarina que durante años se aferrado a lo único que le da sentido a su vida, el Ballet. Su vida no tiene sentido y por ello se refugia bailando y luchando por conseguir sus sueños. Pero aparece en su vida Revend Marcus que será su nuevo mentor y librará una dura batalla, ya que es muy duro trabajar con él. Anya tendrá que romper el molde en el que está metida y dejarse llevar por la pasión y usar su ira si quiere llegar lejos.
Anya es un personaje que no entendí al principio, pero después cambió. Ella sufre demasiado y libra una batalla mentalmente. Su pasado la ha hecho cambiar, en algunos momentos para bien y en otros para mal, pero lucha cada día para mantenerse en pie y dar todo de ella misma. Los factores de ansiedad y depresión añadidos al libro le dio un toque muy veraz, y no son los únicos temas a tratar. El no contener demasiadas escenas de sexo y centrarse en el ballet, me encanto e incluso me engancho mucho. En cuanto a la relación de Anya y Revend fue intensa y a la vez difícil, ninguno de ellos afrontaban sus sentimientos, pero se veía la afinidad que ambos tenían por el ballet. Todo el libro es desde el punto de vista de Anya y tampoco es el típico libro de profesor/alumna, este libro es más profundo que eso. El final fue inesperado pero espléndido, y aunque no hubo HEA explícito o de una forma muy definida, si me dio a entender que ambos podrían tenerlo.
⚜Rate: ★★★★★
English:
"Pretty Perfect" by Lana Sky is the first book I've read by this author. I had planned to read other books by this author first, but I started this one because it attracted me too much and didn't disappoint me. This book deals with topics like depression, suicide and many more topics of that kind, with characters that take an age-gap.
Anya DeSotto, 20, is a dancer who for years has clung to the only thing that gives meaning to her life, the Ballet. Her life has no sense and that is why she takes refuge dancing and struggling to achieve her dreams. But Revend Marcus appears in his life who will be his new mentor and will fight a hard battle because it is very hard to work with him. Anya will have to break the mold in which she is involved and let herself be carried away by the passion and use her anger if she wants to go far.
Anya is a character I didn't understand at first, but then she changed. She suffers too much and fights a mental battle. Her past has changed her, at times for good and at other times for bad, but she struggles every day to stand up and give everything of herself. The factors of anxiety and depression added to the book gave it a very truthful feel, and they are not the only issues. Not having too many sex scenes and focusing on ballet, enchanted me and even hooked me a lot. As far as Anya and Revend's relationship was intense and difficult at the same time, neither of them faced their feelings, but you could see the affinity they both had for ballet. The whole book is from Anya's point of view and it's not the typical teacher/student book either, this book is deeper than that. The ending was unexpected but splendid, and although there was no explicit or very definite HEA, it did give me to understand that both could have it.
⚜Rate: ★★★★★
“Pretty Perfect” de Lana Sky es el primer libro que leo de esta autora. Tenía pensado leer otros libros de esta autora primero, pero empecé este porque me atrajo demasiado y no me defraudó. Este libro trata de temas como la depresión, el suicidio y muchos más temas de ese tipo, con unos personajes que se llevan una gran diferencia de edad.
Anya DeSotto, 20, es una bailarina que durante años se aferrado a lo único que le da sentido a su vida, el Ballet. Su vida no tiene sentido y por ello se refugia bailando y luchando por conseguir sus sueños. Pero aparece en su vida Revend Marcus que será su nuevo mentor y librará una dura batalla, ya que es muy duro trabajar con él. Anya tendrá que romper el molde en el que está metida y dejarse llevar por la pasión y usar su ira si quiere llegar lejos.
Anya es un personaje que no entendí al principio, pero después cambió. Ella sufre demasiado y libra una batalla mentalmente. Su pasado la ha hecho cambiar, en algunos momentos para bien y en otros para mal, pero lucha cada día para mantenerse en pie y dar todo de ella misma. Los factores de ansiedad y depresión añadidos al libro le dio un toque muy veraz, y no son los únicos temas a tratar. El no contener demasiadas escenas de sexo y centrarse en el ballet, me encanto e incluso me engancho mucho. En cuanto a la relación de Anya y Revend fue intensa y a la vez difícil, ninguno de ellos afrontaban sus sentimientos, pero se veía la afinidad que ambos tenían por el ballet. Todo el libro es desde el punto de vista de Anya y tampoco es el típico libro de profesor/alumna, este libro es más profundo que eso. El final fue inesperado pero espléndido, y aunque no hubo HEA explícito o de una forma muy definida, si me dio a entender que ambos podrían tenerlo.
⚜Rate: ★★★★★
English:
"Pretty Perfect" by Lana Sky is the first book I've read by this author. I had planned to read other books by this author first, but I started this one because it attracted me too much and didn't disappoint me. This book deals with topics like depression, suicide and many more topics of that kind, with characters that take an age-gap.
Anya DeSotto, 20, is a dancer who for years has clung to the only thing that gives meaning to her life, the Ballet. Her life has no sense and that is why she takes refuge dancing and struggling to achieve her dreams. But Revend Marcus appears in his life who will be his new mentor and will fight a hard battle because it is very hard to work with him. Anya will have to break the mold in which she is involved and let herself be carried away by the passion and use her anger if she wants to go far.
Anya is a character I didn't understand at first, but then she changed. She suffers too much and fights a mental battle. Her past has changed her, at times for good and at other times for bad, but she struggles every day to stand up and give everything of herself. The factors of anxiety and depression added to the book gave it a very truthful feel, and they are not the only issues. Not having too many sex scenes and focusing on ballet, enchanted me and even hooked me a lot. As far as Anya and Revend's relationship was intense and difficult at the same time, neither of them faced their feelings, but you could see the affinity they both had for ballet. The whole book is from Anya's point of view and it's not the typical teacher/student book either, this book is deeper than that. The ending was unexpected but splendid, and although there was no explicit or very definite HEA, it did give me to understand that both could have it.
⚜Rate: ★★★★★
July 4, 2017
Reason why I waited so long to post the review? I need time to adjust. To process.
This book gave me a book hangover. Seriously. I have not been able to pick another book up in weeks. It was that good, it sent me into a reading slump. God, help me.
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Pretty Perfect tells the tale of problematic Anya DeSotto, a ballerina chasing her dream of becoming a professional. (This is so hard to describe without spoiling.)
Throughout the book, we see Anya down a really dark path and I could. Not. Deal. With her. Decisions. Seriously. Girl got issues.
The darkness of this book is something else. I've really books that deal with similar sort of issues but Lana Sky takes it one step further.
------
In my head, I had this perfectly composed review but as you can see, I'm not executing it very well.
-------
Just read the book, okay? Trust me. You won't be able to put it down.
This book gave me a book hangover. Seriously. I have not been able to pick another book up in weeks. It was that good, it sent me into a reading slump. God, help me.
------
Pretty Perfect tells the tale of problematic Anya DeSotto, a ballerina chasing her dream of becoming a professional. (This is so hard to describe without spoiling.)
Throughout the book, we see Anya down a really dark path and I could. Not. Deal. With her. Decisions. Seriously. Girl got issues.
The darkness of this book is something else. I've really books that deal with similar sort of issues but Lana Sky takes it one step further.
------
In my head, I had this perfectly composed review but as you can see, I'm not executing it very well.
-------
Just read the book, okay? Trust me. You won't be able to put it down.
April 5, 2022
One thing is for sure, this book really delivers an abundance of gripping intensity and brutal rawness. If I am one hundred percent honest, I have to admit this wasn't always an always an easy book to enjoy and frankly, I'm left a bit torn over it. In the end I thought it was good, but it left me kind of unsatisfied.
September 1, 2021
Me siento rara. Terminar este libro me dejo una sensación que no puedo explicar. Leerlo en realidad fue una montaña rusa de emociones. Soy fan del dark romance, y puedo asegurar que este libro lo es en su máximo esplendor.
Pero los protagonistas fueron lo mejor del libro. Anya, hermoso personaje. Buscando la perfección, lastimandose a ella misma en el proceso. Amé estar en su mente y sentir lo que ella sentía. Quería abrazarla, protegerla y decirle que yo si estaba orgullosa de ella. Y Reven, que puedo decir de este señor. Tengo tantos sentimiento encontrados con él, pero es que su pasado y presente hacen que quieras saber más de él. No me gustaba como trataba muchas veces a Anya, pero entendía su comportamiento con ella en lo que se refiere al ballet. Y este último, que bien lo describió la autora durante todo el libro. Sentía que bailaba yo también cuando Anya lo hacía. Y hay un buen manejo de la enfermedades mentales y como salir de ellas, y como te afecta la perspectiva de tus padres también. El final si me gustó, aunque quizás me hubiese gustado que fuese de otra forma también.
Quizás, lo único que no me gustó es que hubo muchas cosas que quedaron inconclusas a mi parecer y que quería saber más del pasado de Reven. Pero fuera de eso, lo recomiendo bastante, aunque si hay que saber que no es un libro de romance común.
xoxo
Pero los protagonistas fueron lo mejor del libro. Anya, hermoso personaje. Buscando la perfección, lastimandose a ella misma en el proceso. Amé estar en su mente y sentir lo que ella sentía. Quería abrazarla, protegerla y decirle que yo si estaba orgullosa de ella. Y Reven, que puedo decir de este señor. Tengo tantos sentimiento encontrados con él, pero es que su pasado y presente hacen que quieras saber más de él. No me gustaba como trataba muchas veces a Anya, pero entendía su comportamiento con ella en lo que se refiere al ballet. Y este último, que bien lo describió la autora durante todo el libro. Sentía que bailaba yo también cuando Anya lo hacía. Y hay un buen manejo de la enfermedades mentales y como salir de ellas, y como te afecta la perspectiva de tus padres también. El final si me gustó, aunque quizás me hubiese gustado que fuese de otra forma también.
Quizás, lo único que no me gustó es que hubo muchas cosas que quedaron inconclusas a mi parecer y que quería saber más del pasado de Reven. Pero fuera de eso, lo recomiendo bastante, aunque si hay que saber que no es un libro de romance común.
xoxo
Read
July 19, 2024This wasn’t a cute taboo ballet/ballet teacher romance. He was an abuser and sucked and needed to leave.
August 31, 2021
Estoy muy frustrada con ese final. Terminan juntos? La misteriosa donacion era alguna forma de redimir al personaje por su comportamiento despreciable?.
Obviando esa parte diría que esto fue un romance con personajes torturados hasta el punto de más no poder. Los pensamientos de Anya eran intensos y difíciles de procesar para mí pobre corazón magullado, ser considerada por ti mismo un robot que no tiene la capacidad de sentir y solo actuar de forma mecánica sin tener en consideración tus míseros sentimientos, no tiene precio. Anya era fuerte en todos los sentidos física y psicológicamente, ella lucho por la sensación de sentir a pesar de que eso solo le trajera dolor. Su monólogo interno era depresivo, absolutamente este libro es "no apto para corazones débiles".
Obviando esa parte diría que esto fue un romance con personajes torturados hasta el punto de más no poder. Los pensamientos de Anya eran intensos y difíciles de procesar para mí pobre corazón magullado, ser considerada por ti mismo un robot que no tiene la capacidad de sentir y solo actuar de forma mecánica sin tener en consideración tus míseros sentimientos, no tiene precio. Anya era fuerte en todos los sentidos física y psicológicamente, ella lucho por la sensación de sentir a pesar de que eso solo le trajera dolor. Su monólogo interno era depresivo, absolutamente este libro es "no apto para corazones débiles".
August 29, 2018
I am a huge fan of Lana's work and I was definitely not disappointed. I was one of the lucky readers that got an opportunity to read the ARC of this novel.
If I were to give a review, straight after I read the book, I would have given it a 4.2. However, I have had a long time to think about the whole story and I would give it a 4.7. The main reason is due to the fact that Pretty Perfect is a story which becomes more amazing when thought over time. (more explained in the review).
Pretty Perfect was an amazing read. It is a dark romance and is very different from a usual typical story. Anya (the female protagonist) has many issues which were rooted in her past and her 'environment'. I felt like a lot of her issues were due to her unwavering focus on 'being perfect'. Throughout the whole story, the raw emotions and mental conflict were expressed extremely clearly, so clearly that you would be able to understand why she was so 'twisted'. Revend (the male protagonist) was someone who also had a troubling past.
*Has some very minor spoilers, so please do not read if you do not like spoilers*
Every part of the story was explained extremely well, the mental and physical aspect of the whole story was so clear it was quite amazing how raw it felt. Anya's inner conflict is so interesting to read, it is quite hard to describe in just a few words. (I recommend to read the book!)
The flow of the story was very well put together, nothing in the story was questionable. I wasn't able to stop reading because it was such a page turner, every part of the story was interesting. I almost didn't realise I was so close to finishing the story. However, towards the end, I felt that everything was quite rushed? in a sense. The story was quite abrupt around a certain chapter near the end, it felt as though some parts were rushed go that the story could end peacefully. The ending, I am a fan of open endings. At first, I thought the epilogue was quite lacking it felt like Lana just wrote something that 'fits' the situation. I knew that Anya wouldn't continue with professional ballet and that they wouldn't particularly 'end' up together. However, I went back and re-read the chapter and I think that that the ending was actually quite beautiful. It was a very peaceful and subtle ending and the more I thought about it the more beautiful it got (which is why I love open endings so much). I think I was frustrated because I thought the ending was 'lacking' but I recommend everyone to just break down the story and think everything though because then everything makes sense. It's an amazing story to just take a step back and rethink the whole story. It is quite beautiful, kind of pretty perfect ;)
I could go on and on into a huge in-depth evaluation of the story but then this would become an essay. So in conclusion, this story was amazing and definitely a great story to just 'think' about in your spare time. I would definitely recommend!
If I were to give a review, straight after I read the book, I would have given it a 4.2. However, I have had a long time to think about the whole story and I would give it a 4.7. The main reason is due to the fact that Pretty Perfect is a story which becomes more amazing when thought over time. (more explained in the review).
Pretty Perfect was an amazing read. It is a dark romance and is very different from a usual typical story. Anya (the female protagonist) has many issues which were rooted in her past and her 'environment'. I felt like a lot of her issues were due to her unwavering focus on 'being perfect'. Throughout the whole story, the raw emotions and mental conflict were expressed extremely clearly, so clearly that you would be able to understand why she was so 'twisted'. Revend (the male protagonist) was someone who also had a troubling past.
*Has some very minor spoilers, so please do not read if you do not like spoilers*
Every part of the story was explained extremely well, the mental and physical aspect of the whole story was so clear it was quite amazing how raw it felt. Anya's inner conflict is so interesting to read, it is quite hard to describe in just a few words. (I recommend to read the book!)
The flow of the story was very well put together, nothing in the story was questionable. I wasn't able to stop reading because it was such a page turner, every part of the story was interesting. I almost didn't realise I was so close to finishing the story. However, towards the end, I felt that everything was quite rushed? in a sense. The story was quite abrupt around a certain chapter near the end, it felt as though some parts were rushed go that the story could end peacefully. The ending, I am a fan of open endings. At first, I thought the epilogue was quite lacking it felt like Lana just wrote something that 'fits' the situation. I knew that Anya wouldn't continue with professional ballet and that they wouldn't particularly 'end' up together. However, I went back and re-read the chapter and I think that that the ending was actually quite beautiful. It was a very peaceful and subtle ending and the more I thought about it the more beautiful it got (which is why I love open endings so much). I think I was frustrated because I thought the ending was 'lacking' but I recommend everyone to just break down the story and think everything though because then everything makes sense. It's an amazing story to just take a step back and rethink the whole story. It is quite beautiful, kind of pretty perfect ;)
I could go on and on into a huge in-depth evaluation of the story but then this would become an essay. So in conclusion, this story was amazing and definitely a great story to just 'think' about in your spare time. I would definitely recommend!
June 21, 2022
Realmente quería encontrarle algo bueno a este libro, pero creo que agoté mi amabilidad en darle una estrella más de la que tenía pensada darle para comenzar.
¿Saben que odio? Cuando una historia tiene mucho potencial, pero la desarrollan de la peor manera posible. ¿Un age gap entre una bailarina de ballet y un instructor? Ahí pudo salir algo chévere, pero este no fue el caso.
¿Saben que odio AÚN más? Cuando tipos mayores intentan darle lecciones a chicas mucho menores que ellos sobre cómo deberían ser o cómo llevar su vida, y tienen el descaro de sentirse superiores en todos los sentidos, cuando la verdad es que tienen mil y un conflictos detrás y están igual o peor que la misma protagonista, y que por supuesto, se empeña en llamarla «adolescente tonta e infantil» y minimizarla de la PEOR manera posible; pero claro, en todo ese proceso igual se la f0lla como si no hubiera un mañana.
También odio a las protagonistas que hacen todo por inercia y no tienen una explicación para su actitud, y de paso, tienen aquella personalidad destructiva y tóxica que las llevan a tomar las peores decisiones.
Ugh, disgusting.
¿Saben que odio? Cuando una historia tiene mucho potencial, pero la desarrollan de la peor manera posible. ¿Un age gap entre una bailarina de ballet y un instructor? Ahí pudo salir algo chévere, pero este no fue el caso.
¿Saben que odio AÚN más? Cuando tipos mayores intentan darle lecciones a chicas mucho menores que ellos sobre cómo deberían ser o cómo llevar su vida, y tienen el descaro de sentirse superiores en todos los sentidos, cuando la verdad es que tienen mil y un conflictos detrás y están igual o peor que la misma protagonista, y que por supuesto, se empeña en llamarla «adolescente tonta e infantil» y minimizarla de la PEOR manera posible; pero claro, en todo ese proceso igual se la f0lla como si no hubiera un mañana.
También odio a las protagonistas que hacen todo por inercia y no tienen una explicación para su actitud, y de paso, tienen aquella personalidad destructiva y tóxica que las llevan a tomar las peores decisiones.
Ugh, disgusting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
Pretty perfect is a wonderfully written story of Anya Desotto who is chasing her dream to become the prima ballerina. When the mysterious Revend Marcus starts training her for the audition in his ballet company, her mask falls apart.
I insist everyone to read this book on your own and experience the life of Anya, a not so perfect character like us. You will fall in love with the author's writing.
I insist everyone to read this book on your own and experience the life of Anya, a not so perfect character like us. You will fall in love with the author's writing.
December 20, 2021
I love some other books by this author but this one just didn’t do it for me! The dance teacher was rude in a rude to everyone especially you way so I’m not sure what made her want to be around him. Also, it felt kind of rapey.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2023
Okay, so this book has me conflicted. Which I kind of love.
On one hand, I was frustrated by Anya because of her depression and the constant need to “act” yet not being a good actress at all, especially because she is 20 and is still somehow still deeply affected by her parents’ divorce and their lack of attention when it seems… juvenile? HOWEVER. The book makes it make sense. Because she IS stunted and childish and desperate as a result of an unhappy childhood.
A few things mentioned but unexplored: Anya’s dad hitting and berating her when he’s drunk late at night? It’s only mentioned in passing once and then…nothing. Both her parents being drunks? She has scars on her wrists that she covers with hair ties. Again, it’s mentioned once, then the author seemingly forgot about it and she in fact overdosed on Oxy. Her cocaine use? Like….. she is fine just casually using cocaine but she runs out and then… she wants pills instead? The whole mess with Camille was left completely unresolved. Honestly, it kind of felt like Revend was protecting Camille at times and I thought for a moment that they’d get back together with Anya ending up a casualty that he felt “something” for. Maybe we could have had a confrontation between Camille and Anya, except Anya wasn’t strong enough at that point. Hmmm, not sure. Kind of wish she’d just ended up in prison. Maybe we could have gotten a newspaper clipping near the end? Also, Reminsky(?) knowing her history and she being his favorite when she hadn’t realized it. Both men knew so much about her. I kind of wish we’d gotten more interactions with her old teacher just to clarify some things.
I know this is weird probably, but I wish we got more about Revend’s scars. I love a scarred character. I wish we got to know more about his feelings about the cane, his struggle with it, especially from being a successful dancer to someone with mobility issues. That was one of the downsides - how one-sided the relationship was. Anya bared her soul all the time after he prodded enough. But Revend only confided briefly in her.
But.
BUT.
The author has such an excellent stream of consciousness method. I loved it, you could tell when Anya was descending into depression or a manic episode. It was great.
I also really liked that Revend And his presence/existence/attention didn’t fix everything. In fact, a lot of the times, because of her confusion about her feelings for him, he impeded her growth and impacted her negatively because she wasn’t well herself. The old adage “you can’t truly love others until you love yourself,” very much ringing true.
I LOVED that she didn’t become a prima ballerina. I mean I hated it because she worked so hard. But I also loved it. The author did a great job of foreshadowing exactly this because every time Revend asked her why she dances, it was apparent that ballet was just filling a hole in her life and she just didn’t know anything else. And while she had potential, that world is not for everyone and it was not for Anya. We get the first real positive relationship between Anya and ballet when she helps teach Taylor in the living room, which is a perfect setup for her becoming a ballet teacher.
I wish there was more to the ending, but also there didn’t need to be.
“Are you ready for me now?”
I mean.
Perfection.
Because he knew back then that she wasn’t ready. That he was stunting her growth. That part of why she latched on to him was to fill a hole in her life to get attention. And he loved her enough to not let himself take advantage. He gave her money with no caveat to help her get better and stayed away until she was truly well before coming back into her life. Poetry. It was not exactly dissatisfying and yet so stylistically perfect.
I read Crossed Lines by the same author and it ends similarly, in sort of an open-ended fashion. And by that, I mean and implied happy ending. Because technically yes, we could have gotten a scene where they are a happy couple, but would that really be true to the morose characters we got to know throughout the book? I think it would have felt disingenuous which is why I really love the ending as is.
On one hand, I was frustrated by Anya because of her depression and the constant need to “act” yet not being a good actress at all, especially because she is 20 and is still somehow still deeply affected by her parents’ divorce and their lack of attention when it seems… juvenile? HOWEVER. The book makes it make sense. Because she IS stunted and childish and desperate as a result of an unhappy childhood.
A few things mentioned but unexplored: Anya’s dad hitting and berating her when he’s drunk late at night? It’s only mentioned in passing once and then…nothing. Both her parents being drunks? She has scars on her wrists that she covers with hair ties. Again, it’s mentioned once, then the author seemingly forgot about it and she in fact overdosed on Oxy. Her cocaine use? Like….. she is fine just casually using cocaine but she runs out and then… she wants pills instead? The whole mess with Camille was left completely unresolved. Honestly, it kind of felt like Revend was protecting Camille at times and I thought for a moment that they’d get back together with Anya ending up a casualty that he felt “something” for. Maybe we could have had a confrontation between Camille and Anya, except Anya wasn’t strong enough at that point. Hmmm, not sure. Kind of wish she’d just ended up in prison. Maybe we could have gotten a newspaper clipping near the end? Also, Reminsky(?) knowing her history and she being his favorite when she hadn’t realized it. Both men knew so much about her. I kind of wish we’d gotten more interactions with her old teacher just to clarify some things.
I know this is weird probably, but I wish we got more about Revend’s scars. I love a scarred character. I wish we got to know more about his feelings about the cane, his struggle with it, especially from being a successful dancer to someone with mobility issues. That was one of the downsides - how one-sided the relationship was. Anya bared her soul all the time after he prodded enough. But Revend only confided briefly in her.
But.
BUT.
The author has such an excellent stream of consciousness method. I loved it, you could tell when Anya was descending into depression or a manic episode. It was great.
I also really liked that Revend And his presence/existence/attention didn’t fix everything. In fact, a lot of the times, because of her confusion about her feelings for him, he impeded her growth and impacted her negatively because she wasn’t well herself. The old adage “you can’t truly love others until you love yourself,” very much ringing true.
I LOVED that she didn’t become a prima ballerina. I mean I hated it because she worked so hard. But I also loved it. The author did a great job of foreshadowing exactly this because every time Revend asked her why she dances, it was apparent that ballet was just filling a hole in her life and she just didn’t know anything else. And while she had potential, that world is not for everyone and it was not for Anya. We get the first real positive relationship between Anya and ballet when she helps teach Taylor in the living room, which is a perfect setup for her becoming a ballet teacher.
I wish there was more to the ending, but also there didn’t need to be.
“Are you ready for me now?”
I mean.
Perfection.
Because he knew back then that she wasn’t ready. That he was stunting her growth. That part of why she latched on to him was to fill a hole in her life to get attention. And he loved her enough to not let himself take advantage. He gave her money with no caveat to help her get better and stayed away until she was truly well before coming back into her life. Poetry. It was not exactly dissatisfying and yet so stylistically perfect.
I read Crossed Lines by the same author and it ends similarly, in sort of an open-ended fashion. And by that, I mean and implied happy ending. Because technically yes, we could have gotten a scene where they are a happy couple, but would that really be true to the morose characters we got to know throughout the book? I think it would have felt disingenuous which is why I really love the ending as is.
February 13, 2022
“Up above, charcoal-colored clouds threatened to bring another storm, but even they couldn’t disrupt this surreal feeling of peace. It felt like I was trapped within a snow globe, anxiously waiting for it to be shaken up or smashed to pieces. A rude awakening lurked beyond this imaginary glass—nothing ever went my way for long.”
Anya DeSotto’s dreams of becoming a professional ballerina are circling the drain, along with the last of her pills. Forced to discover ‘healthy’ ways to cope with her crippling lack of self-worth, Anya’s last chance at success comes in the form of Revend Marcus, a man nearly two decades her senior.
The owner of a prestigious international ballet company, Revend has no problem breaking Anya down to suit his own twisted idea of perfection. But when a shadow from Revend’s past looms over their futures, the resulting chaos threatens to destroy them both.
This is the first novel I’ve read where the art of dance was the nucleus to the story. It was a nice change from horror reading and it still had its dark, psychotic moments. I wonder if Sky was inspired by the movie, Black Swan, a deeply traumatised dancer trying to be the epitome of perfection. After the intense sex scenes and passionate dialogue with Revend, I started to ponder where the story was going to lead to. The subplot with Revend’s cold calculating ex-wife reaching an almost tip towards the whole Tonya Harding/Nancy Carrigan scandal, this could’ve been brought into the novel earlier. I felt the ending could’ve been better but, it was good to discover Anya hadn’t succumbed to her darkest impulses and her life was in a better place. Overall, Pretty Perfect is a wonderful character study but to me it lacked plot points to keep the fast pace running. My favourite part was Sky’s writing style, Anya spoke about her insecurities and her place in the world in a beautiful, emotive manner.
Anya DeSotto’s dreams of becoming a professional ballerina are circling the drain, along with the last of her pills. Forced to discover ‘healthy’ ways to cope with her crippling lack of self-worth, Anya’s last chance at success comes in the form of Revend Marcus, a man nearly two decades her senior.
The owner of a prestigious international ballet company, Revend has no problem breaking Anya down to suit his own twisted idea of perfection. But when a shadow from Revend’s past looms over their futures, the resulting chaos threatens to destroy them both.
This is the first novel I’ve read where the art of dance was the nucleus to the story. It was a nice change from horror reading and it still had its dark, psychotic moments. I wonder if Sky was inspired by the movie, Black Swan, a deeply traumatised dancer trying to be the epitome of perfection. After the intense sex scenes and passionate dialogue with Revend, I started to ponder where the story was going to lead to. The subplot with Revend’s cold calculating ex-wife reaching an almost tip towards the whole Tonya Harding/Nancy Carrigan scandal, this could’ve been brought into the novel earlier. I felt the ending could’ve been better but, it was good to discover Anya hadn’t succumbed to her darkest impulses and her life was in a better place. Overall, Pretty Perfect is a wonderful character study but to me it lacked plot points to keep the fast pace running. My favourite part was Sky’s writing style, Anya spoke about her insecurities and her place in the world in a beautiful, emotive manner.
September 24, 2022
After finishing Crossed Lines I wanted more of Lana Sky's works. Pretty Perfect caught my curiosity and here we are. Pretty Perfect and Crossed Lines are very very similar, not just with the main characters but also with specific story settings and occurrences. Thus, if one has read Crossed Lines before, it brings a lot of familiarity. At the same time, I think it does feel a tad bit repetitive. Still I absolutely enjoyed this book.
Pretty Perfect tells the story of Anya, a 20 year old ballet dancer that tries to find her place in the brutal world of ballet. During an audition she meets Revend, a ballet company director. He takes her in as his protege and a story of growing, of confrontation, of brutality, hate and healing starts. The book has so many different teachings. It is a mirror and a warning all in one. A true well done book.
Still some things that bothered me where that we never truly come to an understanding of what really happened to Anya for her to be this absolute mess. There are a few lines that give some clue as to what has all gone wrong, but it is confusing.The same thing happens with Revend. We have no idea if things resolve or not, what happened or not. We do get some answers but it does feel like there is a lot more to it than what we are given. And even when one can imagine the rest, one still hungers for a bigger explanation or at least a bigger dive into the background of these characters.
Apart from that its once again a well done story, with an absolutely amazing writing style .
4,5/5
Pretty Perfect tells the story of Anya, a 20 year old ballet dancer that tries to find her place in the brutal world of ballet. During an audition she meets Revend, a ballet company director. He takes her in as his protege and a story of growing, of confrontation, of brutality, hate and healing starts. The book has so many different teachings. It is a mirror and a warning all in one. A true well done book.
Still some things that bothered me where that we never truly come to an understanding of what really happened to Anya for her to be this absolute mess. There are a few lines that give some clue as to what has all gone wrong, but it is confusing.The same thing happens with Revend. We have no idea if things resolve or not, what happened or not. We do get some answers but it does feel like there is a lot more to it than what we are given. And even when one can imagine the rest, one still hungers for a bigger explanation or at least a bigger dive into the background of these characters.
Apart from that its once again a well done story, with an absolutely amazing writing style .
4,5/5
July 4, 2025
It’s like a 3.5⭐️ for me.
I feel kind of bad, because I genuinely do appreciate distinctive writing- and this author definitely has her own voice. It’s good, and I actually knew what I was getting into since I’ve read Crossed Lines. But still... it’s just so pretentious and unnecessarily frustrating at times.
There’s this constant emotional struggle that feels unearned, and the way any real explanation is delayed (and delayed, and delayed) only to lead to a conclusion (was it even a conclusion?) that felt extremely unsatisfying... ugh.
That said, I live for her characters and their messy, complicated relationships. The chemistry is so palpable, and all the intimate scenes were truly top notch. And the age gap? Deliciously controversial. I ate that up.
Anya is so hot-and-cold, and so is the Reverend. I just wish we got to see more clearly that their connection meant something in the end. The constant “just feel” and “show me anger” vibe got so exhausting. Anya honestly acted pathetically most of the time, and he was a proper jerk, but they did work together in some twisted way, and as a proper romance girly, I just wish we got to see that love land in a way that felt earned. Maybe the author didn’t know how to end it- I saw that the book had many rewrites so it’s possible, but I don’t like to assume:)
OH and also why is the cover not more ballet related?? it’s so meh, it wouldn’t have caught my eye if I didn’t know the author already
I feel kind of bad, because I genuinely do appreciate distinctive writing- and this author definitely has her own voice. It’s good, and I actually knew what I was getting into since I’ve read Crossed Lines. But still... it’s just so pretentious and unnecessarily frustrating at times.
There’s this constant emotional struggle that feels unearned, and the way any real explanation is delayed (and delayed, and delayed) only to lead to a conclusion (was it even a conclusion?) that felt extremely unsatisfying... ugh.
That said, I live for her characters and their messy, complicated relationships. The chemistry is so palpable, and all the intimate scenes were truly top notch. And the age gap? Deliciously controversial. I ate that up.
Anya is so hot-and-cold, and so is the Reverend. I just wish we got to see more clearly that their connection meant something in the end. The constant “just feel” and “show me anger” vibe got so exhausting. Anya honestly acted pathetically most of the time, and he was a proper jerk, but they did work together in some twisted way, and as a proper romance girly, I just wish we got to see that love land in a way that felt earned. Maybe the author didn’t know how to end it- I saw that the book had many rewrites so it’s possible, but I don’t like to assume:)
OH and also why is the cover not more ballet related?? it’s so meh, it wouldn’t have caught my eye if I didn’t know the author already
January 8, 2024
La historia me encanto y no podía parar de imaginármela en la pantalla grande!! Sin embargo en el final me lleve una gran decepción, no por el final en sí, sino por todos los temas inconclusos que dejo esta autora. Terminarlo de leer fue como dejar un libro por la mitad y darte cuenta que el resto no lo podes leer porque se lo comió el perro, tu hermano te lo rompió, se mojó, cualquier otra excusa posible; algo inaudito!!! Y realmente es una pena porque el libro es muuuy bueno, los personajes y esa dinámica tan compleja que tienen, me encanto, y más allá de ese final (que por cierto, me pareció bien aunque no me gustan para nadaaaa los finales abiertos) la autora no terminó de cerrar temas fundamentales!!!! y estoy muy enojada porque diosss está buenísimo el libro y si concluía con los puntos importantes de la historia como por ejemplo camille y encima dejaba ese final abierto, excelente, o sea odio los finales abiertos pero de acuerdo a la historia y a los personajes, era un final que me parecía acorde pero nooo, dejó de lado lo importante y pum final abierto🤦🏻♀️
Tengo que admitir que no puedo ser objetiva con las estrellas porque me encariñe demasiado con anya y mi corazón no me deja ponerle menos😂😭 en resumen, era necesario más, más de anya, más de el, más de todo…
Tengo que admitir que no puedo ser objetiva con las estrellas porque me encariñe demasiado con anya y mi corazón no me deja ponerle menos😂😭 en resumen, era necesario más, más de anya, más de el, más de todo…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2018
Amazing!
I first started reading Lana Sky on Radish and I can definitely say she's the on that got me into reading Dark Romance stories. Maxim and XV are the first two books I ever read of her and since then I can't stop reading her books!
Revend's and Anya's love story is one that you don't see in a lot of books. Revend is not afraid of telling Anya the truth and what he thinks of her and Anya is an emotionally-troubled girl in need of truth. While some people might think that this story is the average student/teacher love story I can definitely tell them that this story isn't. The chemistry between them can be seen since the beginning and you can see how they demonstrate a different and unique type of romance. This was a great book and you should definitely check out her other written works!
I first started reading Lana Sky on Radish and I can definitely say she's the on that got me into reading Dark Romance stories. Maxim and XV are the first two books I ever read of her and since then I can't stop reading her books!
Revend's and Anya's love story is one that you don't see in a lot of books. Revend is not afraid of telling Anya the truth and what he thinks of her and Anya is an emotionally-troubled girl in need of truth. While some people might think that this story is the average student/teacher love story I can definitely tell them that this story isn't. The chemistry between them can be seen since the beginning and you can see how they demonstrate a different and unique type of romance. This was a great book and you should definitely check out her other written works!
May 26, 2022
this was written so beautifully dark & twisted in the best way. I cannot get enough of Lana Sky’s writing it’s so incredibly unique & addictive. this is definitely not your average dark romance. THE SEXUAL TENSION I could feel it through the pages of the book 😳 our main female character goes through so many emotions you can’t help but feel for her reading her thoughts really pulls you in her world. the ballet I know very little of however it did give me like some black swan movie vibes so I used that to get a picture in my head of what those scenes would look like. the ending is probably not a favorite for some but for me it just felt right.
talks of addiction & depression aren’t for everyone so definitely research any CW/TW before reading.
it is a teacher/student & age gap story as well so if you like those type of tropes in your dark romance then this is highly recommended.
talks of addiction & depression aren’t for everyone so definitely research any CW/TW before reading.
it is a teacher/student & age gap story as well so if you like those type of tropes in your dark romance then this is highly recommended.
September 11, 2018
A powerful technique in this kind of story writing, is being able to write explicit sex scenes that hold value and deepen the story line. Lana Sky uses this throughout the story, bringing forbidden desire and tragedy together in a suspenseful, and psychological plot. The writing and dialogue is compelling, it has Lana Sky's usual cynical and dark flare, but with a more relatable character. Anyone can suffer through similar circumstances such as Anya, and survive as she did, but Sky's story depicts the reality of what would happen to "anyone", but tenfold. The ending was unique, and possibly the most satisfying outcome. The story leaves you with contempt regard for the protagonist, and those involved in her journey.
February 8, 2022
I absolutely loved this book. I started at 11pm at night (stupidly) and went to sleep at 3.30am only because I had to work the next day. Woke up at 7 am and had to finish it.
She is a ballerina who is never confident and only being put down or ignored by her family, She gets a chance to be more when studying under Revend and he is not nice to her originally. You can feel there is something more there but then she snaps and they fall together...That's where it grabbed it's hooks into me and wouldn't let go! Is the relationship (If you can call it) toxic? Completely. But they were made for each other it feels like in this book.
This book needs to have a sequel because the way it ended just was like "WHAT?!" You can let your imagination take off but...... LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.
She is a ballerina who is never confident and only being put down or ignored by her family, She gets a chance to be more when studying under Revend and he is not nice to her originally. You can feel there is something more there but then she snaps and they fall together...That's where it grabbed it's hooks into me and wouldn't let go! Is the relationship (If you can call it) toxic? Completely. But they were made for each other it feels like in this book.
This book needs to have a sequel because the way it ended just was like "WHAT?!" You can let your imagination take off but...... LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.
November 5, 2025
Me gustaría decir que son enemies to lovers o rivals to lovers, también hate to love, pero no es así. Enemigos no fueron, rivales tampoco y mucho menos se odiaban. No se que eran, pero amé la tensión porque no podían dejar de desearse y querer destruirse al mismo tiempo.
Amo los libros que hablan del ballet, son pocos los que realmente se meten en el tema, este me dio toda una historia que gira entorno al ballet. La relación era bien tóxica, lo bueno que combinaba con el ambiente y el tema de las obsesiones.
No se que tienen los hombres que escribe que son tan miserables, gruñones y hasta crueles, pero los adoro porque las protagonistas los hacen sufrir tan bien sin quitarse su personalidad.
Amo los libros que hablan del ballet, son pocos los que realmente se meten en el tema, este me dio toda una historia que gira entorno al ballet. La relación era bien tóxica, lo bueno que combinaba con el ambiente y el tema de las obsesiones.
No se que tienen los hombres que escribe que son tan miserables, gruñones y hasta crueles, pero los adoro porque las protagonistas los hacen sufrir tan bien sin quitarse su personalidad.
May 8, 2017
Alternative/refreshing darkish story compared to the sugarcoated mainstream storylines. Captivating, its hard to let go of the story. Relatable likeable characters, especially with all their flaws.
Anya is keeping up an appearence to a world that does not care, except that it should look good on the outside, until she meets Revend who sees her broken soul, and sees her potential to start living and feeling again. He helps her in his own broken way, as he has his own problems. In the end it helps her feeling the world around her and getting on with har life, instead of holding on to the familiar.
Anya is keeping up an appearence to a world that does not care, except that it should look good on the outside, until she meets Revend who sees her broken soul, and sees her potential to start living and feeling again. He helps her in his own broken way, as he has his own problems. In the end it helps her feeling the world around her and getting on with har life, instead of holding on to the familiar.
October 5, 2020
My first time reading this story was on Wattpad. It’s probably been two years or more since then but it stuck with me hard. I love this story. I don’t use wattpad all that much anymore but I had to log into my account just to find this book again! I read it right before it was taken down to be published so it was a little hard to find but it was worth the trouble. Though the ending isn’t exactly what I hoped for I like that I was able to come up with my own conclusion of how things really ended. This story is one of my biggest inspirations when writing my own work. This book touched me and will be with me forever.
March 7, 2021
I loved this book. It was full of dark emotions. Usually I get bored fast if there's unending internal dialogue but the way Lana writes...not one bit. I felt what Anya was going through. Her pain, humiliation, turmoil, desperation...all of it just bleeds through. Her and Revend...their chemistry...EXPLOSIVE! Off the charts!!
Since I've read LA before, I had a feeling it was gonna be an abrupt end with lots of questions left unanswered. Grrr. Not happy about that. But I've got imagination and I choose to believe Anya and Revend stay together and have lots of babies. And Camille gets hit by a bus "à la Regina George".
Since I've read LA before, I had a feeling it was gonna be an abrupt end with lots of questions left unanswered. Grrr. Not happy about that. But I've got imagination and I choose to believe Anya and Revend stay together and have lots of babies. And Camille gets hit by a bus "à la Regina George".
July 20, 2022
So far every book by author has been enthralling
The cover attracted me to this story wanting to know more about this character on the cover, not disappointed when not only her story was told but her challenges as not only a dancer but life in general where here comes this instructor who became so much more while it has a beauty and best vibe he was more like the antihero who rescues her from herself and he does it in a way you sometimes want to dislike him but its his imperfect actions that make him such a perfect Hero to this story.
I started the narration but didn't love the audio definitely proffered reading this one.
The cover attracted me to this story wanting to know more about this character on the cover, not disappointed when not only her story was told but her challenges as not only a dancer but life in general where here comes this instructor who became so much more while it has a beauty and best vibe he was more like the antihero who rescues her from herself and he does it in a way you sometimes want to dislike him but its his imperfect actions that make him such a perfect Hero to this story.
I started the narration but didn't love the audio definitely proffered reading this one.
July 12, 2025
2.5⭐️
Siento muchas cosas con respecto a este libro pero la que más resalta es la frustración y todos los sinónimos que se me ocurren,eso es lo que sentí en la mayor parte del libro. Me exasperaba Anya todas sus decisiones y pensamientos,Revend en ocasiones era bastante violento,irritante,intenso,etc.Lo que ya me dejó KO es el epílogo ¿Me estás vacilando? Me costó un poco entender su romance debido a lo bastante tóxico que era pero tenía su punto y terminé esperando más. Luego ni si quiera se solucionó lo del villano que seguramente seguirá haciendo daño.
Pd:Puff no sé si cambiaré la nota estoy muy confusa e impactada 🫠
🌶️🌶️🌶️/🖤🖤🖤
Siento muchas cosas con respecto a este libro pero la que más resalta es la frustración y todos los sinónimos que se me ocurren,eso es lo que sentí en la mayor parte del libro. Me exasperaba Anya todas sus decisiones y pensamientos,Revend en ocasiones era bastante violento,irritante,intenso,etc.Lo que ya me dejó KO es el epílogo ¿Me estás vacilando? Me costó un poco entender su romance debido a lo bastante tóxico que era pero tenía su punto y terminé esperando más. Luego ni si quiera se solucionó lo del villano que seguramente seguirá haciendo daño.
Pd:Puff no sé si cambiaré la nota estoy muy confusa e impactada 🫠
🌶️🌶️🌶️/🖤🖤🖤
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