3.5 stars

It started off slow but picked up the pace. It was a fun sexy read about a dance competition. Kate signs up and finds her dance partner irresistible and oh so hot. The chemistry between these two - wowza! A little bit too much spice for me but all in all a good romance read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really like the premise of this book, the behind the scenes of a dance show storyline got me intrigued. I felt like the romance with Merle was a bit quick, so I never fully understood why Kate liked him so much, and thought about him afterwards.

But when Aleksis was introduced I thought their romance developed a lot more in depth. I enjoyed the character development of Kate, and felt like she was relatable.

I would have loved to have seen Merle get what he deserved at the end, but overall it was a happy ending for Kate and Aleksis anyway so that made it worth it.

Overall this was a cute rom com with some great characters, and a great storyline.

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters were so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

While the concept of this book was interesting to me, it fell a little flat. Between the instalust and lack of character development, the storyline was lacking and the only character I really felt like we got to connect with was Aleksis. I would have loved to see some karma for Merle and more growth from Kate considering what she had gone through to be on the show.

Too many sex scenes and not enough character development for me I’m afraid. I did finish it as I was waiting for karma to catch up with Merle; I was disappointed. I this felt like a waste of a really good premis.

This book would be perfect for anyone who is a major fan of Strictly Ballroom or Dancing with the Stars. Set in a competition pairing a pro dancer and a non-dancer, this fictional show mirrors a lot of what we see on reality TV contests. There's scandal, pairings, and sex, sex, sex.

Kate starts off being in Instalove with Merle - her partner who is so hot and a great dancer. When she finds out Merle is married, she's devastated. After intimate photos of the two of them are published online, Kate finds herself embarrassed and alone. She's paired up with Aleksis whose sister is Merle's wife.

Aleksis has a grudge against Kate, while his sister - does not. She recognizes Merle is to blame and he's such a scandalous cad. Aleksis has to work through his feelings of anger towards Kate and, well, you can guess the rest.

I think my problem with THE DANCE DECEPTION was there was too much s.e.x. It's a romance, and I'm all for intimacy in romance, but Merle's felt rushed with not enough real scenes between him and Kate. While the intimacy with Aleksis grew, and that was better, these two could not keep their hands off each other and it became boring after a while.

The pacing was slow and once Aleksis and Kate got together, the pizazz and anticipation of them hooking up was lost.

I think overall, THE DANCE DECEPTION has a great premise, particularly for those who enjoy dance competitions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an e-copy of THE DANCE DECEPTION to review.

I rate THE DANCE DECEPTION three out of five stars.

Very cute “Dancing with the Stars” vibes but without the celebrities.

Not gonna lie — I almost DNf’d this one because the beginning took a bit to really take off. But I’m happy I pushed through and kept going.

I think the author did a great job of building the relationships between the competing dance couples and made you feel the exhaustion the competitors felt trying to perfect their moves.

The characters came across as relatable but in the end I wish Merle had gotten a taste of his own medicine instead of just what Emilia did at the end.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I got into this book with so much anticipation but unfortunately it didn't make the cut for me.
I wasn't immersed in the characters nor was I pulled by the events even though the story line was very promising it felt flat for me. I ended up taking a 2 days off thinking I might clear my head and get back to it with new eyes but nope NOTHING 🥲
Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher @avonbooksuk for granting me an ARC of #TheDanceDeception in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute! Such a fun and charming read. I loved the relationships and the friendships that grew in this. A really delightful easy read with sizzling chemistry and a dash of spice.

Fun chic lit. Kate enters a dance competition and gets more than she bargained for with her dance partners. A light-hearted read, good for the beach.

Fun book about a contestant on a normal persons strictly style dance competition . Kate is hesitant to sign up but is persuaded. She finds her dance partner irresistible and then her problems start. Great holiday read. Perhaps a little too much sex for me as it stopped the flow of the story but each to their own!

I really wanted to like The Dance Deception but this just wasn't for me.
The storyline should be good but it wasn't written in a way that i could really give myself to it.

what a precious and fun read!! i am always so thankful to netgalley for giving me access to books before they come out. this was such an enjoying read! you should definitely check it out when it comes out!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the Advanced Copy of The Dance Deception by Becky Ward. It's a solid addition to libraries with contemporary romance readership.

I love fake dating romances because of the tension the main characters have. And boy, the tension between Kate and Aleksis, you could cut it like a knife.

Also i really liked the idea of a dancing with the stars competition with ordinary people, it was an original element.

Only the beginning was a bit slow, but that was all solved at the end.

Good. Full of tension and drama. Felt like I was backstage at Strictly with all the drama going on as the writing made it feel like I was part of the action not just a reader. Even though the story was exciting the sex scenes in this book did make me cringe so as much as I enjoyed it, those scenes nearly made me stop reading.

Kate is looking to pull herself out of a slump— she dislikes her job and her last relationship ended in heartbreak when she found out her boyfriend was cheating. So when her friend encourages her to go on the new dance competition show, Fire on the Dance Floor, Kate figures this could be the restart she needs. Things seem to be working in her favor when she’s partnered up with sexy Merle, but when the shoe drops, Kate is left to pick up the pieces and try to move on — a challenging feat considering her new partner, Aleksis, appears to hate her.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story. I liked the character development for Kate as she found her confidence throughout the dance competition. I did feel like some aspects of the story were a little rushed (primarily Aleksis and Kate’s progression), but overall it was an enjoyable read.

This was a super fun fake dating, reality dance competition romance by a new to me author. Great enemies to lovers banter and a nice amount of steam. Recommended for fans of books like Alexis Daria's Take the lead. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for what Becky Ward writes next!

I absolutely adored this book. It kind of reminded me of So You Think You Can Dance and I used to watch it all the time when I was younger. Such a throw back memory wrapped in a book. I feel like it is a romance with dance woven in, not to be confused with a dancer romance. But still so cute and lovable. You have to love the main character. 10/10

A really interesting story that maybe could have been executed better I did enjoy the story overall but felt there were moments that felt a little awkward