Variation
Instant USA Today, Amazon Charts, and Publishers Weekly bestseller.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets and deep regrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.
Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.
As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.
When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.
- Pages
- 464
- First published
- November 19, 2024
- Language
- English
- Edition
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Shelved by 10 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished January 10, 2025
I truly enjoyed this book! There were so many twists and turns. The amount of surprises at the end of chapters made this book so hard to put down. I thought it was well written as well. I really loved the characters, there were a lot but it made it feel more real and more complex. Allie and Juniper are definitely my favourites. Allie in this story over comes so much, I love how she finds herself and works through grief and trauma. She heals not only her physical injury but her mentally as well. She is so much happier by the end of the book, and so much better off. Hudson too, he had a lot of maturing to do, and watching his relationships grow with everyone in his life was nice. Seeing him support Allie (and juniper) shows how kind and caring he truly is. He is a great uncle, and so supportive. I also loved Kenna, Anne and Juniper. They made this story feel more whole. I also liked the Sister and their love for each other in tough times even if they fight, but I think part of that is their mother, and the competitiveness. I’m glad they were able to work through it and find their bond again. Kenna is a great friend to Allie in a tough time, and all so supportive and loving to Juniper. 🌶️4/5 for spice. I feel like it was spicy but it fit into the plot well and didn’t seem forced. It was the right amount, not constant but not at all. Definitely giving this book a 5/5
Started January 7, 2025 · Finished January 8, 2025
Every chapter end paragraph had my jaw dropping with surprise desperate to read more. The plot, characters, everything about this was interesting and enthralling. I loved the sisters, and the struggles or pressures growing up with impossible standards along with a real shitty parent situation. The loss, found family, and drive to find peace and heal from childhood trauma, grief and the MCs finding themselves was really well done. So many unexpected little twists… Loved it. 🌶️ 4/5 These MCs had a lot of tension and I adore childhood friends turned lovers. The pining over the years… swoon There are quite a few really hot spicy scenes in this… Yarros knows how to write some smut… I felt like the FMC was a little daft not forgiving the MMC for as long as she did, but by the end it all just made sense and all the little pieces tied together very nicely.
Started April 8, 2025 · Finished April 9, 2025
Finished July 2, 2025
This was hands-down my favorite contemporary romance of the year. Rebecca Yarros seriously knows how to wreck me in the best way. I’m fully obsessed with Hudson and Allie. Their story had all the feels, a few twists I didn’t see coming, and I loved every second of it. No notes, just love.
Finished April 7, 2025
This book is everything I want from a second chance romance: angst, heartache, chemistry, and just enough secrets to keep my chest tight the entire time. The combination of dance, swimming, and family drama is so beautifully done it feels cinematic. Allie and Hudson's story is raw, and packed with those classic Yarros emotions that grip your heart and never let go. Hudson? Absolute dream. The kind of man that makes you believe in forever, even when the odds are stacked against it. The first chapter hooked me instantly. And from there, it was impossible to put down. I was swept up in every ache, every slow burn moment, every bit of healing.
