Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Sweet romance that is perfect diverse for multigenerational readers of all ages. The premise was reminiscent of movies of old, with a new age twist. I look forward to discussing this story in a book club setting that welcomes readers aged 12 and up.

This book has a unique protagonist issue, surprisingly something I have encountered before this year. I am glad that there is now more variety in the plotlines, making it interesting to venture into these stories.
Cami has an invisible illness. One that she is not taking the prescribed medication for because she does not feel her body needs it daily yet.
This part was much stronger than the romance or the significant amount of scenes with the ex.
On the other hand, her male counterpart, Marsh, is not as much of a dancer as Cami is. He has his own deep-seated issues to deal with, and he ends up agreeing to fake date Cami.
My problem with this situation is that I read and enjoy a lot of fake dating books. It is one of my favourite tropes. It is not as convincing here. Marsh's ex (who was cheating on him) decides to annoy him publicly, so Cami swans in and takes his side. This bickering was a little over the top. The only reason I enjoyed the rest of the book was the solid behaviour of family and best friends when it was required the most.
There are a few explicit scenes, but not enough to detract from the slow growth of the central romance.
I think fans of this genre would better appreciate this book and not nitpick as much as I have.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This book was a fun time but I expected more out of it. I liked the main character and I thought the disability rep was well done but I didn't really like the plot or the main romance in the book.

This was a cute book and one that I enjoyed for the most part. I did not love the drama at times, but the overall chemistry between our MCs made up for it. I'm looking forward to reading more by Tinia Montford.

Did not finish. Unfortunately the story wasn’t for me but the writing was good: thank you for the opportunity to read

This book was a 4 star read for me.
It started with a Dance, was a quick and easy read, with great character development. I really enjoyed the representation in the book; chronic illness and PTSD. Cami and Marsh have great chemistry.. This book includes some of my favourite tropes including enemies to lovers, and fake dating. The writing was great, and I couldn't get enough of the spice in this book. I found the side characters really added to the storyline, and can't wait to hopefully see more of them in books to come.
I love a book that includes dual points of view, and felt this really added to my enjoyment of the story overall. Marsh's back story broke my heart, and I enjoyed reading about both characters working through their past/diagnoses.
I felt the book was a touch too long, and drug on in some parts, but overall loved the storyline and characters. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC, for any honest review.

Cute book about Dani and Marsh told from dual point of view which I personally enjoy. I thought there were some great parts and some boring parts but all and all it was a cute, quick read that I enjoyed. I will definitely look for more from Tinia Montford in the future.

Dani and Marsh meet when they are both struggling. Can they help.each other or will they just hurt each other?
A great read, told from dual POV.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was great. Enjoyed it.

The good:
- Fake relationship trope
- Smart and ambitious young black main characters
- Thoughtful discussions about chronic illness and grief
The not so good:
- The characters were really, really in their heads so the internal vs external dialog ratio was off
- Pacing could have been better; story seemed to slog a bit in middle

This book hit the spot it was a short, drama-filled college romance. This reminded me of Elle Kennedy minus the sports themes and adding in Black Culture

I couldn't put this down - I finished it within a day and I loved every moment

Cami is a nerdy dancer who has a sickness and is trying to navigate that while a persistent ex-lover won't leave her alone Marsh is getting over past devastation meanwhile his girlfriend and his friend are together now after cheating behind his back

A standard fake relationship is what they both need. Beyond the drama that I enjoy the spicy scene were top-notch.

I will be promptly reading the first book in this series and looking forward to more.

I wasn't aware this was the second in a series when I started reading, but I don't think I missed out on too much. It definitely had me wanting to go back and read the first one! I really enjoyed this story and the characters. It talked about hard topics in a great way and as a former dancer, I really appreciated that narrative!

4.5 stars! I loved this book!

Cami is a dancer through and through. She is temporarily taken out of commission when she receives a medical diagnosis that may alter the course of her life. Instead of taking her medication and going to a support group, she ignores what her doctors tell her and tries to live her college life as if she doesn't have a chronic condition (dancing included). Marsh is going through the motions ever since a horrible accident changed his life forever. He is now only a few credits away from graduating college and attending law school. He finds out he needs to take an elective course to make up those credits and gets stuck in the only class left: a ballroom dancing class. Cami and Marsh meet with a bang and don't get along first. As the weeks roll by, Cami pretends to be Marsh's girlfriend to save him from an embarrassing public situation. As they get to know each other, their outward relationship status may be fake, but their feelings for each other certainly aren't. Can Cami and Marsh overcome their traumas and admit their love for one another?

Fake dating is one of my favorite romance tropes, and author Tinia Montford executes it with ease and perfection in "It Started with a Dance." I *loved* this book. Cami and Marsh's slow-burning pining and intense chemistry eventually lead to some serious spice, steam, and big-time feelings. I rooted for them from the first page! Cami and Marsh are two extremely well-fleshed-out characters, as are most of the side characters, including Cami's brother Devin, Marsh's friend/frat brother Ezra, Cami's two best friends Deja and Winter, and Marsh's ex-girlfriend Larissa. None of the characters are ever forgotten or disappear from the page only to randomly come back in the last act. Hopefully, we will get another book about Deja or Winter or Larissa??? :)

I thought Tinia Montford handled the trauma aspects of the story well, especially where Cami is concerned. As someone with a chronic illness that impacts every single aspect of my life, I totally identified with Cami's feelings surrounding her lupus diagnosis. I have been dealing with my illness since I was 14 (I am now in my late 30s), and I know what Cami was going through when she found out she never dance again. It's heartbreaking, sure, but Montford has a way of talking about Cami's lupus with tender care and extreme realism all at once.

Please read "It Started with a Dance" immediately! I loved the representation, I loved the writing, I loved the banter, I loved the emotion... I just loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tinia Montford, and 735 Emerald Press LLC for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review in any way.

Fake dating <i>is</i> a trope I thoroughly enjoy… most of the time. Unfortunately for me, this book does not deliver that enjoyment to me. I know fake dating is built on lies, but the main characters cannot even lie to save their lives. I’m just amazed how they actually buy their meet cute story when just one moment ago Cami said that she met Marsh for the first time. Plus point for the chronic illness and PTSD rep, but still the characters feel one-dimensional and annoying I cannot even name one character I like. Also, reading this feels like reading a YA book with a dash of smut scene, which is kinda off-putting even for me.

I read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the emotion in some parts of the story. How Cami feels about her diagnosis really resonated with me and my own health. How it will affect her life in the long run and her feelings on this are so realistic.
The drama with the exes though, felt very YA so maybe this book is for younger readers. Then again, the chemistry between the characters is not YA ;)
3.5 stars

WILL THEY PULL OFF THE PERFECT PERFORMANCE?
It’s double time for Cami Clinton…

Dance is in Cami’s blood, but a bombshell diagnosis puts her on the sidelines. Now returning for her senior year of college, she’s determined to prove she is the dancer she once was. Each year, at the end of the semester, the campus hosts a dance festival. It’s not unusual for talent agencies to recruit PGU students, launching their careers. Cami knows this is her shot at redemption, but while at a party, things go horribly wrong and Cami suddenly has a new boyfriend: Marsh Lincoln.

Marsh Lincoln has two left feet…

He doesn’t dance. A nasty accident haunts Marsh and he’s ready to graduate until he’s told he’s missing credits. To make matters worse, his girlfriend breaks-up with him in front of everyone at a party, leaving him with a new girlfriend he’s never met before…

The only class left to fill his missing credits? Ballroom dancing.

His new girlfriend? Cami Clinton.

It takes two to tango…

Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy when you’ve just met. Cami and Marsh make a deal: pretend to be a couple and ace the dance festival. Should be easy… Right? When the lines between what’s real and pretend blurs, Cami and Marsh have to ask themselves the question: Can you catch feelings for something that’s all pretend?

It Started with a Dance is a steamy fake relationship romance. Perfect for readers who love ballroom dancing, fall breaks to Lake Tahoe, and midnight rides along the Golden Gate Bridge. This novel contains cursing and sex scenes, and intended for audiences 18 years

Wow! this book was so wonderfully written and poignant. Fake dating, steam, and so much chemistry it'll make you blush.

A solid, emotional NA romance. Cami loves to dance but is struggling with accepting her lupus diagnosis. Marsh has his own issue he is trying to deal with, and in order to graduate on time he has to take an arts elective. He ends up in the same dance class as Cami, and being partnered with her. They start a fake relationship (both have their own reasons for this), but their feelings quickly become real. I loved the BIPOC and chronic illness representation in the book too.

Absolutely loved this book! Full review to follow as someone who loves dance and combine that with a romantic storyline I’m sold! Especially as someone who also deals wi5h chronic illness I love how that was incorporated into the story. It was so relatable and beautifully written. Please watch this space where I will elaborate my feelings more, but I hope to read more from this author.

I loved this book!

I was recommended this book from @latestbookcrush on Bookstagram. We meet Cami a dancer in college who was just diagnosed with Lupus. She is in denial and just wants to live a normal life and dance! Who needs a support group anyways? Then we meet Marsh who’s 23 and needs two more credits to graduate. So he needs to take an elective but the only one that’s left is ballroom dance. He then meets Cami who is also in the class. They both don’t really get along in the beginning Marsh could care less about dance and dance is Cami’s world. Cami and Marsh agree to take date. But feelings fly. But Marsh isn’t ready to open his heart as it still belongs to someone he lost in a tragedy that he carries immense guilt for. He’s working through his grief and Cami is working through her new normal. Can a fake relationship really turn into real feelings?

I used to be a dancer before I dislocated my knee in grade 10. I really related to our main character Cami. She was also just diagnosed with Lupus and I really understood wanting to feel normal because in 2020 I was diagnosed with a life threatening auto immune disorder called Addisons. ( my body doesn’t produce cortisol which is vital to live) But I was also grateful we had answers after month of being extremely ill. Like Cami we both had a new normal thrusted onto us. This book was emotional but also spicy as all get out 🌶🌶 Highly recommend! Thanks again Netgalley and Xpresso book tours for this experience