A Midnight Dance

As Ella strives to keep her place in a struggling ballet company, the tragic story of another dancer seems to haunt her every step. If Ella can discover the truth of what happened, perhaps she can be free of the story and learn how to dance and live with the freedom that makes her story her own. The best moments in dance are the unscripted ones At their core, all theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most--and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. After a chance encounter with one of the ballet company's handsome dancers late one night, Ella is swept off her elegantly pointed toes. The dance they share and the promise he makes to her feel like a new beginning. Yet as she faces mounting challenges in the ever-shrinking ballet company, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the ghostly ballerina. Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own disastrous end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the unyielding grip of the past? "An immersive read set in the glittering world of the Victorian ballet, where nothing is as it seems and even the familiar echoes with secrets. Politano has written a story that is at once deeply atmospheric, yet grounded in the universal ache to belong and be loved."-- Kimberly Duffy, author of A Mosaic of Wings and A Tapestry of Light "Politano writes beautifully, evoking the magic of ballet and the theater from the opening turns to the final curtain, leaving readers applauding for an encore."-- Booklist starred review*** All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most--and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina. Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past? Mystery and romance make the perfect dance partners in this evocative story from fan-favorite Joanna Davidson Politano.