A Dance of Love and Jealousy

by Roland Graeme

Nate Deventer is about to go from standing in the wings to dancing into his future. He’s earned his way from a major ballet company's corps boy to a soloist, gained a mentor in one of the principals, clashed with handsome star Dane Stockton—who has a girlfriend in the company despite his wandering ways—and met his idol: famed dancer and new resident choreographer, Romuald Ghent.

Romuald’s first major project for the company is a new ballet, and Nate is cast as the understudy of one of the leads. It’s an exciting opportunity, one that brings him closer to Romuald and fosters a burgeoning mutual attraction. But between them is Romuald’s on-again, off-again relationship with guest star Henri Keller, and the success of the ballet may depend on how well Nate can dance between his professional and personal lives.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Erotica, Sports, Gay

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2011

About the author

Roland Graeme is one of several pseudonyms used by a prolific writer of erotic fiction. Graeme, a descendant of Swiss immigrants and a native of Pennsylvania, resides in Buffalo, New York. He earned a Ph.D. in English by writing his doctoral dissertation on the novels of Sir Walter Scott (“Roland Graeme” is the protagonist of Scott’s novel The Abbot). His interests, in addition to literature, include classical music (especially opera), history, and world religions, as well as, not surprisingly, human sexuality, in all its variety and richness.

Graeme has been, at one time or another, a teacher, a factory worker, a civil servant, and a music critic. The one common denominator throughout his career(s) has been his passion for freelance writing. He continues to hold down his current full-time “day job” while writing in his spare time.

Reviews

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading on page 183. Couldn't get into it. I'm sorry.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never, ever advocate fade-to-black sex scenes in books. But I think this book would have been improved by them. The sex scenes were truly terrible. But I quite liked the dance stuff.

[Mel Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nate, a young up-and-coming dancer is continuously working to improve his dancing skills in order to better his capabilities. His idol, famous aging dancer and new choreographer, Romuald, signs on to work with at the dance company where Nate is a soloist. But Nate is conflicted – he was in love with his straight best friend on the dance troop; a known player is after Nate; and he’s unsure if his idol will give him everything he wants in a relationship. Who will Nate end up with?

This is a different story line than many of the m/m books I’ve read recently, and I appreciated the new setting and characters. It also provided a glimpse into the dancing world which was a welcome change. Overall though, this book confused me – it was VERY long and in my opinion, the same story could have been told with 200 less pages. There seemed to be a lot of superfluous information and details that didn’t add any value to the story or move the plot forward. Details such as the description of every dance move, things that they were observing on stage, repeated observations and thoughts, and so on – didn’t prove valuable within the story. It felt like I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out what the story was actually going to be about. However, once it was more apparent who the story was really between, Graeme did a good job at creating the sexual tension between the two main characters.

If you’re looking for sex, this probably isn’t the right book for you. You have to wait about 185 pages before any action appears, but expect the sexual tension to be high before and after the encounter. This is more of a “love story,” but not in a traditional sense. There aren’t many grand gestures or emotional insights, but you can feel the passion and love between the two men.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥

If you are a fan of dance or are looking for a behind-the-scenes look into the dance culture, you will really enjoy this book. It’s also great if you are looking for a longer, more detailed story.

[Dre · Rating 3 out of 5]

My only problem with this book was the ending; it was disappointing to read this huge book to have Romuald and Nate say I love you and just go back to work and that happened on the last two pages.

[CraftyBirdies · Rating 3 out of 5]

So there was a LOT of ballet in here...details of the performances and music that didn’t mean anything to me. I skimmed some of those to get to more of the story. The reason this didn’t rate higher was the dialogue during the sex scenes. It was over the top and absurd at times, which takes away from the emotions and act itself.

[Ann]

Didn‘t even get past the first page because
bisexuality and promiscuity were linked on the first page. Not here for the biphobia.

That‘s the quote:
„Kitri Versey was one of the company’s principal ballerinas. She and Dean Stockton, the company’s shining male star, were living together despite the fact that Stockton was openly bisexual and unashamedly promiscuous.“

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little rambling but a good read. Hot sex and very detailed ballet life. Even for a dancer, the detail of company life was long and rambling.

[Michelle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yah, yah, the book has some minor flaws. Whatever. I adored it. It was a very compelling look at a dance company, and the author did a fabulous job of building a complete universe of interesting lead dancers and their relationships inside the company and out. What an amazing read. I was right there with the hero Nate, and I loved his journey of discovery. I loved also that he seemed like a very young man in the beginning, respectful of his elders, had a great relationship with his family (for a change) and had a couple of fantasy crushes. I wasn't entirely sure who he would be paired-up with, and there were a number of 'false' starts that kept me wondering. The secondary characters were so strong I fell for Dane and Larry and Beau and Josh, and even liked the females Kityi (?) and Cara. And we are given an enjoyable ride as Nate becomes more self-assured, and his natural confidence emerges. Of course, this is a m/m romance, so he had to have a fairy tale moment, and it was a good one.

If you don't read this book, you will be missing out on a very well-developed story from an experienced writer. The only less than stellar aspect was the dialogue in the sex scenes. Not my cup of tea, but then, I am not a gay men and can't be entirely sure of what rings true and what doesn't.

I did revel in their kissing, though. ;)

[Gabriela Araujo · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Excuse me for any possible spelling mistakes, English is not my first language, but I try ;) ]

Welcome to the world of open relationships, casual hookups, the art of having sexy with everything that moves, blushes, character's inconsistence, ridiculous scenes, and more. I'm not criticizing anything, I just felt it was too much, and that Nate couldn't possibly be everything at once and still be considered "pure, innocent and puritan".

I've had some pretty good laughts at this book's expense, and I thought for a moment that despite the bad reviews I had read, I would have a good time with it. I was wrong. It came to a point when the ridiculous things starring in this book were too much for me.

The character's attitudes, Nate's passiveness, the dialogues, the pacing of the story that seemed to go nowhere, and don't even get me started on the sex scenes and the dirty talk: the most pathetic sexual attempts I have ever read.

It had potential to be a good book, but it really wasn't. I thought the description of the dance routines at least would make the book worth it, but not really. Disappointed.

[Lioness7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved all the ballet scenes. Everything about the book revolved around ballet and all the main characters were part of that world. It wasn’t just performances either. It was practices, costumes, makeup, everything.

Sure, there were other places seen. They were mainly were the dancers went after practice or for lunch though. This book just made me feel totally immersed in creating and performing. This set it above other books about dancers that I’ve read.

The only thing that I had trouble with regarding this book was that it was hard to identify more than Nate as the main character. I know that Romuald was supposed to be another, but several side characters had as much book time as him. This made the book good though. I loved having so many people be so important that they would have their own scenes.

Overall, I loved this. I don’t think I can say it enough. I don’t think I can find anything I didn’t love either. Great.

[Dusty Dreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I didn't finish it. I was very disappointed in the eventual pairing, and I was rooting for another. Here is why:

Nate and Dane had unbelievable chemistry. Yes, Dane was a bad boy and Nate was a 'choirboy', but still, their chemistry, even without hopping into bed together, was undeniable.

Nate had a crush on the choreographer, and his eventual lover, both professionally and personally. I hate that type of 'teacher/student' trope. Even as a trope, it's far too cliche and there's no *excitement* in it. It was just 'student crushes on handsome teacher! student is good student and teacher notices! they fall in bed together, and after some problems, live happily ever after'

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I liked the amount of detail that went into the ballet, and I liked the side characters as well. I just couldn't finish it. Sorry.

[Carycleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel of life backstage in a New York dance company, focused on new arrival Nate, who is gay, and his exploration of life in the big city. Leisurely pace, spread out over years. Spotlights also on a bisexual dancer, another dancer with a wife and child, and an English import choreographer and dancer. The first 50 pages are pretty slow, but it picks up some steam after that. Feels like a knowledgeable insider’s view. Watch new ballets being conceived and choreographed, based on classic Roman literature and history. Lots of talk about music and composers. Way more focus on the dancer’s life than on romance. The dirty talk during sex reads like cliché porn. Totally awesome diva meltdown scene of visiting star dancer.

[Snowtulip · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This story took me a long time to read. I had difficulty with the narration for the first 20% of the book, hardly any dialogue at all, I was being told everything.

If you love ballet, this story probably works better for you than me, there was too much description of everything about the world of ballet that left me drifting or skimming many times.

However, the dialogue and interactions between the characters started and those are the parts of the story I really enjoyed. The conversations between Nate, Beau, Dane, Larry and Rimbauld kept me interested in them as characters. But it wasn't enough in the end for this to be a great read.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dance of Love and Jealousy was a very enjoyable read. Not having had much exposure to the dance world I was a little apprehensive about not being able to understand a lot of the technical language, but my apprehension was for naught. The book is written very well and I never felt that I was lost or left out. The story has a very natural flow to it and the characters are fully developed. I look forward to read this author again.

I give A Dance of Love and Jealousy four stars.

[Jody-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved this book when I read it a couple of years ago. Loved mr Graeme's style of writing... Very dense , with references that I would have to look up later.
But, do not let that deter you, read it, love it. I am writing this on my iPad, so I cannot access this like I can on my Kindle to get the names of the MC, to reread the synopsis of the story and go ....ohhh, that's right, that one Did this, and the other one did that.., nevertheless, really good.
Hope you enjoy it too, highly recommended.

[Lb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book! The triangle between Nate and Romuald and Dane is so great. I know people weren't happy with Nate and Dane when they weren't the main pairing but i believe that Dane wouldn't have changed and that is not who Nate needed. The only thing that was really bad in this book was the dialog in the sex scenes. I felt that i was reading a really cheap and nasty porn mag. I REALLY disliked it, so much that i skimmed most of those scenes. This is why it got a three star instead of a 4.

[Enny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love long, descriptive stories and A Dance of Love and Jealousy fit that bill perfectly. During my college years I worked as an extra in a big opera and ballet company and Mr. Graeme managed to describe the atmosphere so well. I also like characters that aren't perfect and the hot sex scenes were also very good.

[Miriki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writting is overly descriptive. It took so long for the 2nd Mc to show up that by that time I've already been rooting for the wrong couple. There were some very strong secondary characters that could pair up with Nate nicely. The multi POVs got on my nerve. I don't want to get into very characters' head but the MC's. Also not appreciated the detail of heterosex one bit. :(

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful ballet drama with a slowly developing m/m relationship between an older and a younger man. The author manages to convey, that despite a 15 year age difference the younger dancer and the older choreographer have a lot in common and are a good fit for each other. Yay for that. But boy, those sex scenes are bad. Someone has watched too much porn!

[Cleon Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I love the characters and the setting. The author did a thorough research and it shows. I also love that not every major characters in the book is gay. And the cover is one of the most beautiful cover in this genre. Kudos to the cover artist!

One little thing that bothers me is Romuald's name is hard to pronounced. My eyes often slipped and read it as Ronald.

[Bookbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole, this was a good read. It started off a little slowly but once it got going, it picked up momentum nicely. I liked the characters and thought that the eventual MCs suited each other well. I must confess that my favourite character was resident bad-boy, Dane! On the minus side was the dialogue for the sex scenes...yeah, just really, really bad porn dialogue.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for this book, it's so hard to find a good book about ballet. But, it was a major let down. The details of the ballet and development of the characters was very good. However, the details got to be too much and thus, boring. I've read quite a bit of gay erotica but none of those had such poorly written sex scenes as this book did. It was like watching horribly done porno.

[H Beeyit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was too rambly and disconnected and too slow to get started. I did, however, appreciate that the m/m and f/m sex scenes were equally bad. (No, I have no problem with het sex scenes when they're well written.)

File under: Regret purchasing.

[Kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read, although I'm not entirely happy with it as a romance

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars Highly recommend

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.