I like this series a lot and enjoyed this entry to the series but felt that it was a little bland. I rated it 4 stars because I enjoyed it but wish that it was just a little more complex.

Danced Close by Annabeth Albert
Portland Heat Novella #6

A sweet love story set in Portland that tells of a bakery shop employee and a wedding planner who don’t expect a HEA but find one anyway. With genderqueer male Kendall always worried that people don’t get or appreciate him for himself and Todd who is carrying his own load of history while maintaining sobriety there shouldn’t be much for the two to have in common. That said, Todd does seem to see Kendall in ways others have not and Kendall appreciates this. Later, setting up for a wedding, Kendall sees Todd feeling the rhythm of a musical number and thinks, “Why not?” He then asks Todd to be his partner at the class he has signed up for explaining that the person he signed up to attend with him has had to bail for family reasons. As they get to know one another they share their pasts and learn one another’s preferences. There is eventually about a week of questioning and angst but eventually things are made right and life moves on in a very pleasant way for both of them.

This is the type of book you might enjoy if you are looking for a quick MM read that is fun and sweet and not too deep. It does deal with issues of sobriety, addiction, genderqueer identification, stereotypes, families, trust, etc. tactfully without going into depth on any of the issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Overall I found this book ok. I requested based on author love alone because I love Annabeth's work. I will admit though, this was my first venture into a book with a man who identified as genderqueer. It took me a little getting used to, when he described himself, what he wore, the way he dressed and the make up....but that did not detract from the story. Here are two men who are both vulnerable, somewhat closed off to relationships and afraid to get hurt. One is a simple guy, the other...not so simple. They meet, and the relationship that builds is a slow burn-for several reasons. And minus a little hiccup because these guys failed to communicate their feelings, they get their HEA

Loved this Portland Heat novel - it's as well written and engaging as all the other books in the series.

Yet another great addition to the Portland Heat series by Annabeth Albert. It's always great to reconnect with her characters. Having said that, however, this book stands alone and does not necessarily need to be read as part of a series. That is the true genius of the books within this series, each is a great stand alone. I look forward to future books from this author.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this review because there were elements that I absolutely loved and parts where there didn't seem to be a full fleshing out of the situation.

I loved that this book introduced a gender fluid character in Kendall, but it then didn't really go anywhere else in terms of expanding on what that meant other than in terms of him liking to look pretty and have a more 'feminine' style on some occasions.
Yes it mentioned the issue of what people thought or how they reacted towards Kendall's fluidity, but it seemed more to just be there as the unique tick for his character.

With Todd we got a bit more depth into his sobriety and the causes of his previous addictions but the reader was also left to assume how he ended up with other complications in his life which would have been better explained I felt.

Both had had relationship issues in the past which made them wary and perhaps too easy to fall into doubt and the mini dramatic angst moment just didn't really feel earned by the narrative.

However, having said all of the above, this series is fundamentally about finding love among the disparate people who make up this crazy world we live in and ultimately, the romance between them worked, and worked well, as a believable relationship.
As it's Albert, there's also a super sweet epilogue showing them still together and still happy.

I really enjoyed this. I liked both Todd and Kendall, and I always enjoy dual-POV tales. I love getting insight into how both characters think and feel. I think my favorite part was how the two of them have their own demons, but they quickly accept the other and begin to learn how to love them. I also loved how both of them are so sympathetic; I wanted to spend more time with each of them. :)

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5



danced-closePortland, Oregon, is one of the hottest cities in America. Just ask all the hard-working men sweating it up behind the counters of the restaurants, boutiques, and cafés all over town ...

Newly clean and sober, Todd's taken a shine to his job at Portland's most talked about bakery. It's not just the delicious desserts they sell, but the tasty treats who keep walking through the door. That certainly includes Kendall Rose, a wedding planner with eyes the color of brown sugar and skin to match. Todd doesn't try to hide his attraction to Kendall's elegant confidence and unique style, even as he worries about exposing the secrets of his past.

For Kendall, the attention is just part of the anything-goes Portland he's grown to love. But he's still looking for that special someone who will embrace all of him—including his gender fluidity. So he takes a chance and asks Todd to be his partner in a dance class leading to a fundraiser. When the music starts and he takes Todd in his arms, Kendall is shocked at how good it feels. Turns out taking the lead for once isn't a mistake. In fact, it might be time to take the next step and follow his heart ...

Ever read a book that made you want to do a little singing and a swaying? For me that's Danced Close by Annabeth Albert, the sixth book in her warmhearted, and lovely series Portland Heat. I'm a fan, both of this author and series (let's get that out of the way) so I look forward to seeing what Albert will bring to enliven up an already quirky, surprising series. We start off back at the Bakery owned by Vic (couple Vic and Robin) from Baked Fresh (Portland Heat, #2). Vic's employee is Todd, who had rough times in his past where he turned to drugs. Now clean, he's learning about baking and staying sober. Its a constrained life until the stylish and outgoing genderfluid Kendall Rose enters the bakery and his life.

Now one of the things I have always loved about Annabeth Albert's writing and characters is that she loves to defy peoples expectations. You might look at that blurb above and carry some expectation about each character with you into the story. Fine, great. Than enjoy Albert turning those expectations right on their proverbial heads as she reveals lovely unexpected layers and backgrounds to Todd and Kendall. Its a dance not only on the ballroom floor but of relationship dynamics that sometimes make you sigh, sometimes smile, and don't be surprised if even you can imagine the dancing and here yourself singing in your head.

With all that, there's still a goodly amount of heartache, discarding of old wounds and healing to be done before these two can move forward together. Still sighing here.

I throughly enjoyed the journey to happiness for both Kendall and Todd. I loved their give and take with each other. And of course, Portland always keeping it strange. What on earth is Annabeth Albert going to do next?

Cover art absolutely works.

As much as I love this series this book was missing something for me, I think the prologue was also missing in my book or I missed the introduction of one of these characters in a previous book. I did not feel the connection between the main characters. But that does not mean I will stop reading this series, I love it and the author.

I think this book is a great addition to this series, I really enjoyed reading it. Annabeth writes so that you really do fall in love with her characters and genuinely care about them. I recommend this series to all I know, so far everyone has loved it.

I really enjoyed this story, and not just because I’m a sucker for sweet men in an underdog role. In this story, as in the last one I read, Knit Tight, the author explores nontraditional pairings, and this time we have both a gender-fluid man and one who is on a journey to recovery, now two years clean and sober.

Kendall Rose is a smart, sharp businessman who embraces his individuality by sometimes dressing the way many may describe as flamboyant. Often the butt of jokes or snickers, and sometimes sought out by brides just so they can say they worked with the outlandishly successful gay wedding planner, he despairs of ever meeting anyone who is willing to embrace all of him—both his masculine and his feminine sides—without trying to box him into a predetermined definition of what he should be.

Todd is an assistant at the bakery owned by Vic Degrassi (Baked Fresh). He enjoys his work and would love to learn more about becoming a baker, but his bad life choices and his feelings of inadequacy persist, and he finds it hard to take a risk. He’d be devastated if Vic fired him for screwing something up, so he doesn’t want to even try.

One thing he happens to do well, though, is dance. So when Kendall is looking for someone to take swing dance lessons with him, and he happens to see Todd dancing one night when he’s out with his friends, he manages to convince Todd to volunteer to take the lessons with him. He didn’t have to twist Todd’s arm too much since among the things Todd enjoyed as a child were the ballroom dance lessons his parents insisted he take. And it isn’t until the lessons start that Todd recalls just how much he loved dancing and how easy he finds it to let go and let Kendall lead.

Throughout the story, we are offered glimpses of their pasts and insight into their hopes for the future. Each man thinks that he may possibly have found The One, but of course, real life interferes, and their hopes are dashed. At least temporarily. Let’s face it, this is the Portland Heat series, and our guys are going to get their HEA for sure or the author’s name isn’t Annabeth Albert. It’s how it comes about and the enjoyment of both the magic of their dancing and the chemistry between the men that makes this story special. I totally fell in love with them and rooted for them to get to their happily ever after.

I also really enjoy a story in which the characters come alive and grab me from the beginning and won’t let go until it’s over. This is one of those stories, and I highly recommend it to lovers of MM romance.

*4.5 stars*

~ Review provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

I'm so sad to say that Danced Close didn't impress me. While I liked that story, I felt like the characters were lacking in some way. I just couldn't connect with them and that's a first with a book by Annabeth Albert. I need that connection otherwise I'm not quite hooked and easily distracted.
Her writing style was great like always though.

I hope this book will stay the only one that I can't give 4,5 stars to. It's sadly only a 3 star.

Tastes are always different, maybe you will like this more than I did. I strongly recommened trying anything by Annabeth Albert if LGBTQIA books are something you enjoy reading.

I'm pretty new to this series, having only read the 5th book before this one, but this one was also super easy to get into without having read the previous books. I enjoy that they are mostly stand-alone stories with characters that clearly had their own story before this one making small gets appearances. I'm becoming a big fan of this author and the quality of the writing and the storytelling that I can come to expect, and this one was no exception.

I really enjoyed both characters in this. I enjoyed reading about Kendall's genderqueer fluidity and how he carried himself. I'm always interested when I can read about different types of characters, I genuinely find it informing and helpful to read about such a variety of characters.

And I LOVED Todd. I don't want to say anything too spoiler-y and give major things away, but he is working on regaining control of his life, is now clean and sober, and trying to figure out where to go next. He's working at the bakery that Kendall does business with through his wedding planning business, and that's where they meet. And their chemistry is just awesome right from the start. I especially loved how understanding they were of each other - how they both had this mentality of like "you do you" and didn't want to change things in the other.

There's a little drama and angst that could have been taken care of very easily with one honest conversation, but these two get it together in the end and it's just so sweet! I'm glad it didn't blow up into anything bigger, because that can definitely be a pet peeve of mine - when the characters just won't TALK to fix things! Being that this is a novella, it doesn't go too, too in depth with Kendall's gender fluidity and Todd's past, but it's enough to really make me care for the characters and feel very confident that their HFN is really a HEA!

I received a copy through NetGalley in ecchange for an honest review.

Don't spoil this book for yourself!! Annabeth has a way of surprising you and it is so much better when you go in not knowing all the details.

I am not sure how a story with such strong themes could be a soft and easy read, but this one is.
This is book 6 (and the final book I believe? correct me if I am wrong) in the Portland Heat series, but it can definitely be read as a stand alone.

Todd is a recovering addict (he works for Vic and is friends with and sponsored by Robin). He is a little rough around the edges. He is living constantly in fear of losing his current life with a job he enjoys, a grandmother who loves him, and his hard-fought sobriety - all of which he has a hold on, but knows that it takes work to keep.
His past and addiction have led him to make choices about who he decides to spend his time with. He has to decide if spending time with Kendall, who is smooth and cultured and has his future mapped out, is worth the risk. Especially when Todd perceives that as exactly the type of person who would not want to be with him long term.

Kendall has embraced his genderfluidity since he realized that was what he was, though that is not always the case for the people around him. He has never met anyone who just accepts him as he is without expecting anything more or less from him. Fresh off a recent breakup, he isn't looking for anything serious.
They take dance lessons and become friends then a little more. When Kendall realizes that the people Todd has been with in the past don't quite match up with who Kendall is, he is hesitant to pursue anything more than friendship...well, anything more than benefits with a friend.
As they both reveal more about themselves, they have to decide if they are willing to take a risk with their hearts and their futures.

I really enjoyed this book. Kendall's genderfluidity is always just accepted by Todd, which makes me just love him. Todd's internal struggle makes me want to cuddle him and assure him that he is everything he will ever need to be. If anyone doesn't think so then screw them.

Both of these men have issues that could have been more hard-hitting. There was a lot of potential for a deep and emotional book. But the book a soft approach. There isn't much in the way of drama and the angst is from miscommunication and assumptions. There is some sullen pouting, but mostly it is all short lived. I'm still confused over Vic's reluctance for Todd's relationship with Kendall. It felt like that conversation went unfinished. And Todd's addiction and subsequent recovery were never really delved into.
I rounded up to 4 stars because I enjoyed the two main characters. It was a book about two guys who have differences and make it work to be with each other. A love story and exactly what I was in the mood to read. Plus, Annabeth's HEAs are always the best and this one didn't disappoint for me.
I would recommend it.

I feel like this book was disappointing only because it had such a strong start, and then I ended up liking the second half of the book significantly less. Yet, overall, this was not a badly written book.

I had high hopes for this just based on having an on page genderqueer character as one of the main characters. This excitement was only heightened when gender neutral pronouns and the word nonbinary appeared on the page.

Kendall is genderqueer and definitely not looking for a relationship after his previous partner broke up with him to find someone who was more typically male in appearance.

Todd is a previous drug addict, sober for almost two years, but as HIV and is sure that nobody who doesn't have HIV is going to want to be interested in him for any kind of romantic relationship. In his case, it's less about not looking for a relationship, and just assuming he won't be able to have one due to his status.

I completely empathised with Kendall's experience of people not being all that interested in him for who he is, or else seeing him as sideshow entertainment, and genuinely loved the commonalities that were introduced early on between he and Todd.

Their early friendship with benefits was enjoyable to read, but the insecurities that got in the way of their actually communicating with one another was a bit of a struggle. Also, as this was a really short novella, there wasn't a lot of plot given outside of the romance between Kendall and Todd, which meant that the whole story hinged on whether or not that worked.

Which, for all my love of the representation... it didn't really.

Danced Close,  Annabeth Albert

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  romance, LGBTQIA

I love romance reads, love a HEA, but don’t like to read the same recycled story over and over, and sadly its a genre where that gets served up far too often.
I discovered the M/M genre a couple of years back and found that hurrah – its romance, but mostly of the authors strive for that missing extra, the thing that makes their story stand out, and not read like a thousand others but with different character names...Maybe I’m over exaggerating here...just a bit ;-) but some days that's how reading romance feels.

I’ve only somehow caught one book in this series, and loved it, that could be my fault, I tend to ignore shorter reads. I find usually they don’t give me enough character depth and story, but though this and the wonderful Delivered Fast are short, they still gave me a good solid read, great characters and real plots.
So, the something different I look for - well, double bonus here, Todd has some issues related to his past that rarely get seen in romance, but which do affect many people, and Kendall – well, he’s just so unique.

I so felt for Todd, he’s come such a long way, worked so hard and yet doesn’t seem to feel good enough for Kendall, seems to feel the way his ex treated him was what he deserved. He’s such a great guy, but can’t see himself as Kendall sees him, someone gorgeous, solid, good, worthy.
His past, from family, the circumstances he found himself in, and then his ex have all impacted so badly on his self confidence that he’s afraid to step out of the routine he knows.

Kendall, what a great character. He’s gender-fluid – and why not? I’ve always wondered why we obsess over putting people in pigeon holes, labelling them. I guess its that society wants everyone to conform, to be different makes someone a target and there’s strength and protection comes from being one of the crowd.
Kendall won’t compromise though, wants to be true to himself, be who he feels he is, and that varies from day to day. Why shouldn’t men wear dresses and nice fabrics if they choose? No-one bats an eyelid at women in trousers, however mannish the outfit, but a man is a dress, or men’s clothes but with delicate fabrics and pretty embellishments? Shock horror!! Stupid isn’t it?

QUILTBAG, that’s a new term to me but fits perfectly. I love the way that slowly society is coming to the idea we aren’t just M/F but encompass so many different types. Sadly there’s still a lot of aggression about those who don't stick strictly to the MF definition. One day....

Back to the book, Todd, big burly Todd, is perfect for Kendall, but again turning perceptions upside down when they dance Todd lets Kendall lead, something new to him. Being the person he is others have always assumed he wants to be led, not take the lead, and he finds he’s actually good at it, enjoys it.
The thing I mentioned about how others perceive anyone a bit different, well, we see it at the dance lessons when poor Kendall gets the side eye from another couple. You’d think being gay themselves they’d be more accepting but they’re not. They don’t know how to deal with folk like Kendall, and giving him some unpleasant looks, definitely not up for swapping dance partners.
Then we meet one of Kendall’s clients who takes the opposite view, the bride and friends who probably pride themselves in being open minded, accepting and liberal, but who treat Kendall as an exhibit, someone who’s “costume”/style of dress for the day is just an addition to the wedding.
There’s too many like her, and she’s disappointed when Kendall isn’t feeling good and has dressed down, no lace and frivolity, and she makes it clear she thought that was part of the wedding package.
I was so outraged for Kendall, and yet I guess that kind of thing also happens too often. I was so glad he stuck to his guns and didn’t let her walk over him with her entitled, money-buys-everything attitude.

The romance was perfect, not without hiccups, not all smooth sailing and we really get to see “inside” the two guys, about how they feel, and why, and how the past affects them both.
Its a great read, full of emotion, angst, and had me thinking how on earth could they get a HEA or even a HFN? Its a shortish read, but contrary to most shorts, packs a huge and very real story in it.  

Stars: Five, a fabulous romance that felt very real.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Let me preface by saying I am a fan of Ms. Albert's.

Unfortunately, Danced Close is not her best work. The characters read like charictures/stereotypes and the issues facing Kendall and Todd aren't given the gravitas they deserve. Gender identity, HIV, drug addiction...These are not the makings of a light and breezy romance.

The instalove and opposites attract trope (my favorite) work, but then I need more. Why DO they work? Show me how this couple becomes stronger despite their differences. Late night worries don't magically provide answers or solutions - though this story would lead you to believe a good night's rest can solve most relationship problems.

Oh and the plot? I'm still trying to sort it out from my unsatisfied curiosity about the characters. Charm and hot sex are good - but I need a substantive story to keep me engaged.

I'll be back for more from Ms. Arthur, but this one, unfortunately, is a dud.

3.5 stars

This is the 6th book in this series but can easily be read as a standalone. The strength of this story to me were the unconventional MC's. Kendall is a gender fluid wedding planner and he uses the bakery that Vic (from book two) owns. Vic has a newer employee named Todd who's quietness interest Kendall. They are total opposites and Kendall doesn't have much success with relationships. He finds that most men want him to "tone down" his behavior and dress and he's sure that Todd, who's bearded and butch looking, will be the same. Once he gets to know Todd though he realizes that is not the case at all. Todd has had a difficult life and is still struggling with the fallout of some bad decisions he's made in the past. He's shy and quiet and his self-esteem has taken some major hits.

The two men begin a dance class together and once they get to know each other and put their preconceived notions aside they realize they compliment each other. They also become each other's biggest champions.

The book is fairly short and has very little angst or drama. It's more a quiet story of two hurt men falling in love and helping each other love again. I thought both of the MC's were well done and they are both unique and non-traditional romance characters. While I liked them both as well as their stories, I didn't really feel the emotions between them. I enjoyed the story but didn't love it.

Annabeth Albert gets romance right in Danced Close, the sixth book in her Portland Heat series. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and the story and writing impressed on several levels. Firstly, Danced Close features a genderqueer main character and secondly, that character is realistically portrayed and all without undue angst or drama. Kendall (preferred pronouns “he/him”) fully embraces his gender fluid identity and does so with a lot of style and panache.

Style and panache are exactly what catches the interest of Todd, a worker at a bakery Kendall, an in-demand wedding planner, frequents with his clients. Todd is living sober and working on building a stable life for himself after downward spiral into addiction his teens and early twenties. Both Todd and Kendall profess they are not looking for a serious relationship but neither of them can help flirting with one another. Flirting leads to dating and before they know it they are in a relationship that neither of them knows quite how to define. Together they need to figure out what they want for their futures and what that means for them as a couple.

Albert does justice to both Kendall and Todd in this book; they each are complex in their own way and are working through what they want (and deserve) in life and in relationships. One of the strongest points in the book was Albert’s seamless weaving of the lived genderqueer experience, from pronouns to being treated as “a caricature” instead of “a person”, to navigating corporate – not queer - environs, Albert shows the challenges and celebrations someone like Kendall experiences.

The story is written in alternating first person with each chapter swapping Todd’s and Kendall’s point of view. While not necessarily a bad way to tell their story, the voice of each character was too similar for this to be fully effective. It hardly felt like the person speaking changed at all between some of the chapters and because of that, it was sometimes hard to get immersed in the plot. The author’s voice didn’t fully disappear.

Nonetheless, Danced Close really impressed. If you are looking for a romance with a little sizzle and characters who charm, delve into the sweet Portland Heat series by Annabeth Albert. Four Dazzling Stars!

I have really enjoyed this series so far, this one was still great but is perhaps my least favorite in the bunch.
None of these books is particularly long but this one felt especially rushed. I would have liked just a little bit more in terms of the story's development.