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Published by Post Hill Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
“I've spent most of my life in the wings at Lincoln Center, and fiction rarely gets dancers right. This book does.”
—Glenn Green, repertory director and former New York City Ballet dancer
When the lives of a disheartened prima ballerina and an injured hockey star collide, can their pas de deux end in an encore?
What happens when the one thing that defines you is ripped away, and you’re forced to rebuild from the ground up?
When NHL forward Liam LeClerc’s career-threatening injury refuses to heal, desperation drives him to an unlikely solution: ballet lessons from Petra Montgomery, a talented soloist overlooked due to her company’s politics.
In secret, after-hours studio sessions, Petra teaches Liam that strength comes in unexpected forms while he reminds her why she fell in love with dance, before ambition complicated everything. But when their unconventional partnership threatens both their careers, they must decide if the connection they’ve found is worth risking everything they’ve worked for.
The Swan and the Sentinel is a story that reminds us sometimes the best comebacks require learning an entirely new discipline, even if it’s performed in fifth position.
—Glenn Green, repertory director and former New York City Ballet dancer
When the lives of a disheartened prima ballerina and an injured hockey star collide, can their pas de deux end in an encore?
What happens when the one thing that defines you is ripped away, and you’re forced to rebuild from the ground up?
When NHL forward Liam LeClerc’s career-threatening injury refuses to heal, desperation drives him to an unlikely solution: ballet lessons from Petra Montgomery, a talented soloist overlooked due to her company’s politics.
In secret, after-hours studio sessions, Petra teaches Liam that strength comes in unexpected forms while he reminds her why she fell in love with dance, before ambition complicated everything. But when their unconventional partnership threatens both their careers, they must decide if the connection they’ve found is worth risking everything they’ve worked for.
The Swan and the Sentinel is a story that reminds us sometimes the best comebacks require learning an entirely new discipline, even if it’s performed in fifth position.
Product Details
- Publisher: Post Hill Press (June 16, 2026)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9798895655474
Raves and Reviews
“Bill Keenan has knocked it out of the park—or should I say, rifled it top shelf—with his debut hockey romance novel. If you love athletes who discover that true strength comes from letting someone in, and heroines who are every bit as fierce as the men who adore them, you must give it a read.”
– Sawyer Bennett, New York Times bestselling author
“I've spent most of my life in the wings at Lincoln Center, and fiction rarely gets dancers right. This book does. Petra Montgomery leaps off the page, fierce and fragile in equal measure, her discipline and artistry rendered with intimate detail. Yet for all its authenticity, this is also a charming love story. Bill Keenan understands that athletes and dancers speak the same language, one written in sacrifice and the relentless pursuit of transcendence.”
– Glenn Green, former New York City Ballet dancer and repertory director
“Endearing, swoony, and impossible not to smile through, The Swan and the Sentinel is a cozy feel-good romance that’s easy to enjoy and hard to put down.”
– Mary Thomas MacKinnon, soloist dancer at New York City Ballet
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
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Book Cover Image (jpg): The Swan and the Sentinel
eBook 9798895655474
