Title: Variation
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher:Montlake
Date published: November 19, 2024
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Firefly Books in exchange for an honest review.
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.
⤖ My Review ⬻
Diving into Variation, I had only read one other book by Yarros—Fourth Wing. So this was definitely my first experience with any of her contemporary romance titles! Despite having read one of her previous works, I really didn’t know what to expect because there were zero similarities between Variation and Fourth Wing. I was curious to see how her writing translated outside of the fantasy setting I was already familiar with.
Some of Yarros’ other contemporary romances had been recommended to me before, so I had a good feeling going in despite my anxiety around starting this book close to my baby’s due date and also how thick of a book it is—thick for a contemporary romance, in my opinion.


It should come as no surprise, the above information considered, that it took me two months to get from start to finish! The other factor was that it took me some time to get into the story. Variation did hook me somewhat around 30% in, but I didn’t get super invested in the characters until the end (Silly! I know).
I think my main issue was the length of the book. I think the story could have been told a little more efficiently, but that’s just me. All that aside, I do recommend Variation if you’re interested in second-chance romance, a bit of mystery, and ballet (or dance in general)!





⤖ Places to Purchase the Book ⬻
⤖ Let's Chat ⬻
Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
