This is my favorite cover. Leah, mourning over her injured leg, has never looked lovelier (I’d give my eyeteeth for hair like that). I'm not sure who the model leaning over is. Doesn’t look like Kay, it can’t be Linda, the only token black in the series because that girl looks suspiciously African-American to me. Somewhere Diana Chang is crying her eyes out.

This is my favorite book as well because it features a certain Russian dancer named Andrei Levintoff and we get a LOT of Andrei in this story hence my five star rating. It’s also the culmination of Leah’s character arc. We’ve followed her through the ups and downs of her first year at school, watched her fall in love, get all the breaks, dance all the good roles, now we see her overcoming her latest trial. Leah is realizing her goal as a dancer and the series pretty much ends here.

We start off in San Lorenzo, CA. with an elaborate birthday celebration for Leah orchestrated entirely by Chrissy including a special visit to their childhood ballet studio for a class. Naturally, this wouldn’t be a true Satin Slipper book unless Leah runs sobbing from some kind of dance practice. This time it’s Hannah Greene’s ballet class for 8 year-olds. Leah finds she can’t execute seven plies in a row without dropping dead from exhaustion (for those of you just joining us Leah slipped and fell at the end of book #10 tearing the ligaments in her ankle and now she may *gasp* NEVER DANCE AGAIN!). Hannah Greene tells Leah to suck it up. Her injury is but a minor setback and Leah will be a better dancer because of what happened to her.

Kay and Katrina from SFBA are in town to surprise Leah for her birthday. Chrissy and the rest are taking her back to San Francisco Opera House for a ballet performance and sleepover at the boardinghouse where Alex and all her friends are waiting. Chrissy arranged this whole rendezvous with SFBA, getting the tickets to the ballet, the sleepover, everything was all her idea. Chrissy is one awesome BFF.

Leah doesn’t return to San Lorenzo, once M. Preston finds out Leah’s in town she uses her mind control on Leah who agrees to send for her things back home, stay and resume her classes at SFBA immediately starting Monday morning. Leah’s schedule will include daily physical therapy and doing laps in the school swimming pool while Chrissy slinks back to San Lorenzo, alone. Poor Chrissy.

And now…heeere’s Andrei everyone! Leah is surprised to see him at the Opera House attending the ballet not to mention greeting her with a big kiss on the cheek and a squeeze of the hands (Claire who?) while a star struck Chrissy picks her jaw up off the floor so Leah can introduce her to the world famous Russian dancer turned defector.

After seeing Chrissy off on Grayhound the next day, Leah and Andrei have a special outing by themselves. Andrei confides to Leah that he and his fiancée have called off the engagement and he doesn’t understand why. (Hmm, could it be because Andrei’s playboy attitude has pissed off Claire for the last time?). Claire is jealous because he spends more time with Diana Chang than her and Andrei isn’t man enough to tell either woman his true feelings. Leah wishes there was something she could do to help. I could list several suggestions here but I’m trying to keep this G-rated.

Leah arrives at pas de deux class which Andrei is teaching today. Andrei calls on Leah to partner him while demonstrating today’s steps. They dance together and it’s intense, almost magical. Leah leans back with her leg wrapped around Andrei in a sensuous attitude. She hears Andrei sigh and knows he’s thinking about Claire while I beg to differ. The other girls can’t help but notice Andrei’s wandering eye and speculate amongst themselves.

Later that day, Leah is doing her twenty laps. Andrei has joined her briefly in the water and now observes from the side. When he leans out to offer Leah a hand out of the pool, she playfully yanks him in. They splash each other for awhile before Andrei suggests they take this opportunity to practice ballet while in the water. Leah thinks this is a silly idea. What, Leah, you’ve never seen that scene from Dirty Dancing? Bernard’s plugged every dance movie ever made in these books! (Patrick Swayze, RIP, we'll never forget you, 2009)

Leah finds executing pas de daux steps really IS easier in the water. Leah has her arms around Andrei’s neck when stupid Diana Chang interrupts them. Seems her and Andrei are late for a rehearsal. Andrei sheepishly makes a hasty exit to change while Diana takes this opportunity to tell Leah, “Back off, B--- he’s mine!” while Leah’s all, “Wha-?”

We next find Leah and Andrei at a community dance class at the Y where Leah can be the star of class because for someone who’s been dancing on pointe for barely two years, these are ridiculously easy combinations. Andrei is so happy seeing Leah back, confident and dancing stronger than ever, he wraps her in a big hug and plants an equally big kiss on her cheek. Wow, are all Russian men are that affectionate?

Back at the boardinghouse, Andrei gives Leah a sensual foot message (Whoo!). Leah melts under his strong yet tender hands; the pain in her ankle slowly fades as she meets the soulful gaze of those big blue eyes. Then, what does Leah do? She brings up Claire’s name and shatters the moment. Leah holds Andrei’s hand and is just working Andrei up to go talk to his ex-fiancée about his true feelings for her when Pam Hunter crashes their cozy scene, adding it to her own personal arsenal to ruin Leah’s life.

Dance class is taught by Claire the next day who does her best to give Leah a hard time before outright accusing her of “burning the candle at both ends” while Leah’s all “Wha-?”.
Later that day, Diana is leading the rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet (Andrei is Romeo, Finola is Juliet) and even though Leah is just a member of the corps, Diana takes this opportunity to rib Leah about her injury suggesting she’s too tired to participate fully and dropping hints that maybe Leah should just give up and go back to San Lorenzo. Madame walks in and advises Leah to begin learning the role of Juliet as she’ll be dancing it herself someday. Leah catches Diana giving her the evil eye and again Leah’s all “Wha-?”

Another rehearsal with Andrei. He’s uptight and edgy today, he always gets this way just before a performance. Leah and Michael are following the two principals, marking the steps, but instead of focusing on his own dancing; Andrei is frustrated by the lack of passion between the two students and insists they switch partners so he can show them the correct way dancers on stage emote “true love”. Together, they dance the entire pas de daux balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet (she’s danced this before back in book #2 with James). The power of Andrei is enough to make Leah forget her injured foot entirely. The dance ends in a stage kiss, full blown on the lips and Leah, completely caught up in the moment, fully returns Andrei’s kiss (Whoo! Go Leah!) I get the feeling Benard is unable to come up with better plot devices because (once again) the intimacy of Leah and Andrei is observed and interrupted by someone who doesn’t like Leah. If you guessed Diana Chang, go to the head of the class. Oh, and Sophie was peeking too but I suspect this sweet, innocent little girl throws darts at Leah’s picture every night before bed.

Word about the love affair must’ve gotten out because Madame summons Leah to her office for some major chastisement. Dating between students is strictly forbidden. Leah’s all “Huh?” It finally dawns on Leah as she’s leaving that after seeing her with Andrei 24/7, everyone at SFBA, Madame included, think they’re an item, “But they’re WRONG!” and realizes she needs to straighten everyone’s assumptions out, fast!

Leah is hurrying to find Claire when she runs into SFBA’s physical therapist who’s suddenly arranged everything for Leah to travel out of town to attend a special workshop and she needs to leave, like, right now. And who has she found to escort Leah to this event? I’ll give you a hint. He’s Russian and he drives a red Trans-Am! Assuming this has all been cleared by Madame, Leah has no choice but to get in the car.

While at the workshop, Leah finally gets Andrei to spill his guts and speak the words out loud, he loves Claire, Claire is Andrei’s OTP. Claire overhears this confession, having kept her powers of omnipotence quiet all this time, suddenly materializes out of the shrubbery and they fall into each other’s arms.

Heading home with the happy couple, they hit bad weather, a real pea souper, wreck the car and are forced to sleep in it overnight, with Leah stuck in the backseat (I doubt there was much sleeping going on that night!) The next morning a trucker gives Andrei and Leah a ride back to the city. They’re already late for the matinee performance of Romeo and Juliet and Leah knows Madame isn't going to be happy with their tardiness. Claire stays behind to wait for the tow truck.

At the Opera House, Leah’s in her costume ready to take her place with the rest of the corps when Madame and all the SFBA girls swoop down, almost demon-like surrounding Leah, pointing fingers, “Date! Date!” chants the girls, while Madame screams, “You! Whore! OUT!” Leah looks stupidly around for someone, anyone, to come to her defense. They had car trouble; she and Andrei are just friends! Please, you've got to believe me!

Using her power of omnipotence again, Claire suddenly arrives, the misunderstanding is cleared up, and Andrei apologizes to Leah for getting her in trouble with all the extra kissing and hand holding. It's all culture where he comes from.

Madame, seeing Andrei an engaged man again and having been reassured Leah’s chastity belt is still firmly in place, un-clutches her pearls and graciously allows Leah back into the corps de ballet. Leah hurries to take her place in line with the other dancers. Andrei winks at her. Leah is happy to have overcome her injury, is dancing on stage again and on her way to becoming a professional dancer. ( )