Dress Rehearsal: Driven Dance Theater Series Book 3

by Brianna Stark

I was deceived, then ruined.

Turns out Daniela Harrington—Principal Dancer at Driven Dance Theater, social media influencer, and NYC socialite—isn’t invincible.
My reputation is shot.
No fault of my own, of course.

Well, maybe a little bit.

The Stars Gala is my last chance to resurrect my career.
All I have to do is dance in a duet I despise.
For a live broadcast.
In ten days.
With the one person who haunts me most.

Jonas Knight is my childhood best friend, the gorgeous Ballet Royal lead who turned me down every time I threw myself at him.

He used to protect me.
We were inseparable.
Now he’s moved to London, and soared, leaving me behind.

I can’t bear the thought of him seeing me like this.

How deep can old feelings run?
Movement is transparent.
So how can I dance with the man I’ve been in love with forever—without the whole world calling me out?

Genres: Romance

ebook

Published August 21, 2020

About the author

Join Brianna’s VIP list for your free copy of LIGHTS UP and an exclusive bonus chapter here:
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Do you like reading stylish and emotional romance? Then you are at the right place.

Brianna is the author of the Driven Dance Theater romance series. She spends her summers island living in the Pacific Northwest, where she is happiest writing. She takes a boat to get her groceries, has a super cute dog, is learning to play the ukulele, and practices yoga. When she is not living in the woods, she lives in Vancouver, Canada. She loves writing edgy and emotional romance. The more angst the better. She used to be a professional dancer and the Driven Dance Theater series started because she wanted to give others a taste of this magical world.


Visit Brianna’s website: www.briannastarkauthor.com
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Connect at Twitter: @Brianna97986706

Reviews

[Neha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel has one of my favourite troupes, friends who reunite and become lovers. This book delivers in the romance department and even brings the steam from time to time. I liked the slow burn romance they had while they danced, which only made the moment which they got together even more satisfying. I like the characters enough to root for them and the plot was more expansive than just their love story which I appreciate.

I wished their was more steam during the lead up and the side story did feel a bit distracting from the romance.

Overall I still enjoyed the story and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys reading about dancing and romance.

[Anna Reads Here · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Daniela Harrington is dealing with the aftermath of her partner and the man she thought she loved cheating her and the entire Driven family of everything. Her life is not the same, but there are those who believe that she can get back on the horse. She can return to Driven and to the dance community and build her reputation back. The only way to do that? Dance with a boy she loved when she was younger. A boy who is now a man and is infamous for his own reasons.

Review: Of all the books in the Driven series, I’ve actually only read “Curtain Call” and “Dress Rehearsal”. And I remember Daniela from the first book, but to have an entire book dedicated to her gave me more insight into this woman. And I love her. She’s not perfect and she’s gone through something horrible, by having her heart ripped out and her money and her reputation taken away, but Daniela is not completely giving up. Sure, it looks like she is, because it’s easier to give up when the going gets tough, but she pushes through.

The Driven world is so beautiful. I’ve always been so fascinated by ballet and dance companies and after watching Centre Stage years ago, I’ve been obsessed with fiction and movies and television shows that revolve around all of that. And Brianna Stark has woven such an incredible world. All of these characters are perfect and their stories and their passion for dance and their love for everything dance is mind blowing. I know nothing about the technical stuff around dance, but I could almost picture every little dance move and detail in my mind.

A delicious slow burn, Daniela’s second chance to fix her reputation comes in the form of a former love - Jonas Knight. Jonas was the son of her parents’ housekeeper and therefore, off limits for her. But their common love for dance brought them together before and even now. And for that, Daniela is glad. Jonas is returning from the Ballet Royal in London to help Daniela with the Stars Gala showcase, because he believes that she has more to offer and that she should not give up. Daniela, on the other hand, is so overwhelmed in Jonas’ presence that it takes her time to really get her feet under her.

Brianna has built such a wonderful relationship and history between Daniela and Jonas. The whole time you’re reading their dance scenes or just conversations between the two, you’re wishing they could just see what everyone else sees - a match made in heaven. Their bodies move together and their minds are connected and their history makes all of this even more delicious. Of course, Jonas has his secrets and Daniela has her demons and skeletons to overcome, but those are just a part of who they are and what makes their relationship so good.

By the end of the book, I was a little overwhelmed by my emotions and it all just escalated to a point before exploding. But what a ride. Every inch of this book is filled with angst and drama and love and steam and man, it was just beautiful. I’m going back in time and reading the other two books so that I can connect all the characters and all of the beauty of these characters and this story together.

Thanks to Brianna Stark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Find this and other reviews on anna reads here

[Mia Kun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love dance stories. Especially well written ones where dance really does take center stage. And this book did that!
Dani and Jonas’a story is by far my favorite from this series.
There was just so much raw emotion and pure connection between them that it tugged my heart.
I love friends to lovers stories and this one did an amazing job in slowly uncovering the layers of their relationship.
There was so much drama and secrets that added an extra spice to the mix.
And the dance scenes were out of the moon. Their connection while dancing made it even more obvious how they felt for each other.
Dani’s pain, agony and torment was heart-wrecking.
Loved it!

[Coastie Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani and Jonas have known each other almost their whole lives, and probably had feelings for each other before they even realized it. Dani feels like Jonas wasn’t interested in her because she tried to kiss him several times and he always refused her advances. Jonas was told at a young age that he wasn’t good enough for Dani (according to her mother) and still thinks that to this day.

Dani has a lot of hurt and pride to get over. She’s taken advantage of by someone who she thought loved her and her career is about to go down the drain. Her feelings for Jonas are making it hard for her to dance with him, even though that is all she wants to do.

Jonas has a little scandal of his own going on back in London where he ran off to about 4 years ago. He is leading a great life with the Ballet company, but comes back to help out his best friend get her career back on track.

I wish I would have read the 1st 2 books in this series. While you didn’t need to read the 1st two books to read the 3rd, some of the story might have made a little more sense to me. I will definitely be going back and reading the other 2 now. I really enjoyed this book and have no doubt that the other two books are just as good.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy through Hidden Gems ARCs for an honest review.

[nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Daniella & Jonas. My heart couldn’t handle them! Having read the books leading up to this, I was more than ready to dive in to the mind of Driven’s diva. Bring back someone from her past and I am all in. This book is a slow burn, but it burns so good. All from Daniella’s POV, this book takes twists and turns that literally keep the reader on your toes. I loved every minute of it. I would have loved a few chapters from Jonas’s POV (this may come as a bonus?), especially when he says in a hoarse voice in one scene, “You don’t know a thing, Daniela Harrington,” then proceeds to kiss her. So. Hot.
For awhile it felt like all the odds were stacked against these two. Near the end, there were a lot of tears on my end (I felt all of Daniella’s emotions so strongly—hurt, heartache, betrayal, disappointment, etc). Of all the leading ladies in the series, I feel like I personally related to Daniella the most, and I was not expecting that. Beautifully written, I highly recommend this book for those who love drama & divas, friends-to-lovers, childhood sweethearts, second chances, slow burns, and love that conquers all. I have truly enjoyed reading this entire series. (Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.)

[book.addict.nb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I loved reading about Daniela and Jonas story. Jonas travels all the way from London to help Daniela. Daniela seems like she has it all she has money she is one of the best dancers around and she has a guy that seems to adore her. It seems like overnight her whole world is flipped upside. The guys she was dating turned out to be a criminal and stole from the dance company they work for and disappeared. Daniela tended to give off the mean girl vibe and she plays that role well. The more you read this book the more you love her. Jonas seems like male perfection until Daniela learns he has his very own scandal but she decided that she doesn’t want to learn what it is until after they dance. Will his scandal break her or will she be able to see who he truly is and go for what she wants?

“Oh.” Weird. Or maybe not weird, since everything at Driven Dance Theater has been upside down since Cory nearly bankrupted the company. I have to remind myself Jonas is here as a favor. He’s here to save the day, and likely my career, and yet I can barely look at the guy. “You can stay at my place if you want. The couch isn’t the most comfortable. But it’s better than nothing.”

This book will make you fall in love with Daniela and Jonas! Brianna Stark did not disappoint on this book.

I have received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[lf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani and Jonas are together again...but will they ever be together in love

Dress Rehearsal is the third book in the Driven Dance Theater series. This series is about the people in and around the Driven Dance Theater in New York City. As Brianna Stark is a "new to me" author and I had not read the previous books in this series I was not sure what to expect with this story. I was nicely rewarded with a quite enjoyable and engaging story about Daniella and Jonas. I will say that this series should be read in order as the story-line and characters do cross over and this book seemed to start in the middle of something. But even with that it was still a great read.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in this series and is Dani and Jonas’ story. These two were childhood best friends, until Jonas moved away leaving Dani behind. Now Dani is the principal dancer who has karma dished up in retaliation of her previous bad attitude. Jonas is the lead, and he and Dani are due to dance together, but can Dani’s career be saved? This is a well written story which is raw, gritty, and emotional, with added drama, secrets, twists, heartbreak, and love. I look forward to reading more form this talented author whose work I recommend for all friends / lover’s readers.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know absolutely nothing about the dance world, but I am loving this series anyway! Daniella is one of those girls you love to hate. She's had her crown knocked askewed and life is throwing her some lemons. Watching her try to navigate, while dancing with long life friend Jonas was interesting. I might have even been cheering for her towards the end. Great characters, descriptive dance moves, steamy scenes, this book has it all!!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is a standalone, it enhances the story by reading them in order just because of the relationships. Dani definitely has had karma served to her for her prior attitude to those around her. She has to learn what it means to be on the outside. I enjoyed her rekindling her relationship with Jonas and her maturity growth.

I read and reviewed a copy of this book.

[M H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Diva finds love

I enjoy reading a book about a character that was mean and the villain in previous books. It's fun to see how an author can make you feel for that character. The author does a good job of getting into Dani's head and in showing character growth.
I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it.

[Robin Blanksguster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniela, Dani, is depressed and humiliated. Her parents think she helped her ex-boyfriend steal money from the Dance Theatre. Her longtime childhood friend, Jonas, tries to come to her rescue to save her reputation. Friends whom she didn't know cared, start the ball rolling. The characters that populate this book are serious, expressive, fun, underhanded, sarcastic, etc. I love the way it succinctly fills in the back story yet continuously moves forward. There are twists, turns, tear-jerk moments, confessions and epiphanies'. Loved the story.

Red Robin

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this latest by Brianna Stark! Dani and Jonas have quite the story! Will the diva get her HEA? Read this epic book and find out!!

[April Wolfgong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I loved it. I couldn't put it down

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. Well written storyline with exciting twists throughout. Storyline intriguing and full of exciting drama. Characters story was enjoyable to read about.

[nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Daniella & Jonas’s story! Having read about Daniella throughout the whole series, I was more than interested in getting in to the mind of Driven’s resident diva. The story starts with her dealing with Corey’s betrayal and news of someone from her past coming back to help pick up the pieces. This story is a slow burn, but so worth it! Daniella & Jonas’s story is one of second chances, redemption, heartache, and complicated love that conquers all. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Daniella’s story, but it quickly became a favorite of mine (perhaps because I could relate to her in some ways). Regardless, this book is a great addition to the Driven Dance Theater Series. (Please note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story, as evident from previous reviews of this series that I reviewed without ARC copies :) ).

[Laura Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic redemption!!

As much as I didn’t want to like Dani from the previous books .. I definitely felt bad for her in this book.. the fall out of Corys betrayal affects every single aspect of her life..
Dani and Jonas have danced together before, they grew up together.. they were best friends even if Jonas might have been in love with her..
It’s crunch time and they have less than 10 days to save Driven and put off a performance of a life time..
Dani will question everything and realize Jonas is the one but will it be too late?
This book brought out all the feels and had some really steamy scenes.. it’s a story of redemption and love and honestly I loved it so much! It’s ended up being my favorite.. thank you Brianna!!