I'm struggling lately with books that claim their characters are nearing (or over) 30, but they act 19, and this book falls in that category. This felt less like Dirty Dancing and more like kids at summer camp. Plus, one of our MCs was dating someone else for the bulk of the book, which made it real hard to get invested in the "real" relationship.

2.5. I went in really wanting to love this. I’m an ex dancer (vallet/pointe, jazz, rap, contemporary) and love Dirty Dancing. The premise had me excited for this novel. But it was a bit like thinking you were going to see Grease only to have it start playing and realise, it’s Grease 2. That said, I really enjoyed the last 30% of the book and wish the first 70% had been more like it. Heck, even the last 35%. It was a bit off-putting for (spoilers incoming) one of the leads to be dating someone else for nearly the first 63% of the book. Give me a love triangle where you have two competing for one? Absolutely. But having Archer have the hots for Mateo and continuing to ogle him while dating someone else just wasn’t it for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

This was a queer take on Dirty Dancing and it was so hot and fun! I loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between Archer and Mateo, and the strange little love triangle with Archer and Caleb. I liked it but a lot was happening at once and I definitely want to get to see Caleb again in a future book!

Archer is chasing his Broadway dreams but lands at a queer-friendly resort in the Catskills, only to find himself working with his teenage crush, former Broadway star Mateo, who is all grump and attitude. Between dance rehearsals, drama with the crew, and crushes, this book has a lot happening that kept me listening and reading more.

This was a queer take on Dirty Dancing and it was so hot and fun! I loved the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between Archer and Mateo, and the strange little love triangle with Archer and Caleb. I liked it but a lot was happening at once and I definitely want to get to see Caleb again in a future book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC of this novel. This was a very breezy read that definitely felt like being in a queer Dirty Dancing which was the point! Archer was a fun protagonist and his interactions with Mateo were sweet. I loved the ending even if it is fantastical because I want the happy ending. A wonderful summer book (even if I am reviewing in late summer). 3.75 stars.

This was such a cute, fun, summer rom com book. Archer is chasing his dream of being a Broadway star. But he keeps running into rejections. Finally, he is cast at a summer camp a la Dirty Dancing, where he runs into his childhood Idol, washed-up broadway start Matteo Dixon. Can he get through the summer without losing his cool? Is this the end of the road for his dreams or does he have a chance at making it big? I loved these characters, they were perfectly flawed, joyful, and wonderful. Great light read when you need to take a break from some of the heavier stuff, but still addresses common issues!

I adored this book in a nostalgic way. Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie of all time, so unfortunately it had a lot to live up to for me. It was super cute, but I felt as though some of the drama was unnecessary. I hate Caleb. 3.5 stars :)

Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This cover! The colors, the moon, the font... ah, I am such a fan. The Dirty Dancing vibes/retelling vibes were also SO easy to see in the cover and honestly it just made me giddy to read.

Archer is a down on his luck dancer - he wants to make it on Broadway, and gave up his old boring life to accomplish this.... however, it's been 5 months and all he has is rejections. I really felt for Archer, and his mom not believing in him? That hurt.

However this is a really great book that gives the reminder that you should always believe in yourself.

Caleb was not meant to be the love interest - like there was no spark, and Archer felt like he was faking it? It was a bit of a weird vibe when reading, and it really just made me wonder if there had been a different character in the initial drafts! Possibly Mateo? But he was just so flat, there was no substance really there. I'm really not sure but it's just an intense feeling that I got, and upon finishing the book I feel even more certain that Caleb was for sure not the intended love interest.

Overall this a cute, very light hearted read! A wonderful palate cleanser as it's light and just enough.

3.75 rounded up

This was a pretty cute story, and I loved the nods to Dirty Dancing that were spread throughout the story. It reads quick and has a cast of quirky characters. I will say, for a main character who is late 20's and a love interest a few years older, sometimes this read as YA/NA. The dialogue and the way situations were handled definitely gave it the feel of younger characters.

This would make a great palate cleanser! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to arc read (albeit late..).

Archer is an aspiring performer and gets the gig of his lifetime at a queer resort in the Catskills, Shady Queens. He’s like a fish out of water but excited for the opportunity. Especially when he sees his childhood celebrity crush, Mateo Dixon there.

He goes through the motions of creating shows that people come from all over to see. Along the way, he also has some feelings develop for his bunk mates, Caleb.

As Archer grows as a person and performer, Mateo and him start to bond and when feelings arise, everything feels on the line.

this was adorable and predictable in all the right ways. I loved Mateo and Arthur's love story, and the full cast of characters was so fun. Great setting too!!!!

rep: all queer cast, achillean love story, queer Latino LI, gay MC (i think i missed his race)

spice: none

tw: media leak

Theatre gays are so messy. I love them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed with the plot. I was expecting this to be more than what it was, based on other reviews as well as the description on the back. I wanted more than just pining for the main couple until 90% of the way through the story.

The fact that one of the main characters spent a good majority of the book in a semi-relationship with someone else just made me upset. I wanted to see more practices between the love interests, to see their relationship grow more before they inevitably got together.

While this book was a lovely piece of found family, it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advance copy!

This was a cute romance with a lot of Dirty Dancing themes that was a perfect beach read. Asher has moved to NYC to become a dancer and finally gets a gig at an LGBTQ+ resort for the summer where he, of course, starts dancing with his childhood crush Mateo Dixon, who is back after a break from Broadway. Drama drama drama, but these two are hot together and while this book is pretty closed door, these two heat it up on the dancefloor.

This was cute and fun and again, I loved sitting outside on the beach reading this, it was perfect.

As someone who was a camp counselor for a decade, this book had instant merit. Imagine an adults-only camp with dance as the primary entertainment, add a heavy dose of high school/collegiate behavior, throw in some romance, and voilà you have this novel. Some of the plot didn’t work because it read younger than anticipated with a 27/28 year-old protagonist and a few conflicts got resolved too quickly, but it was still an entertaining summer read.

I love Dirty Dancing, so I was thrilled about the opportunity to read this queer take on the film classic.

The heyday of Catskills resort life is gone, but Shady Queens is still going strong. Getting the gig as a dancer isn’t Archer’s dream come true, but it was the only gig he’s gotten since leaving Ohio to pursue his Broadway dreams in NYC.

I enjoyed this book, but there are some aspects that I think are important for readers to know. This doesn’t really work well as a romance novel per se because Archer spends most of the book in a toxic relationship with Caleb rather than the handsome and talented Mateo. However, when framed as a coming-of-age book, the romance arc makes more sense. That being said, Archer is a bit old for a coming-of-age book.

The book is very light in tone with lots of witty/catty asides and Broadway humor. There’s also a recurring bit in which Archer’s roommate tries and fails to propose to her girlfriend multiple times over the course of the summer. Maybe it’s just me, but the bit got stale after the second failed attempt.

I would recommend Flirty Dancing. It is a fun new take on a classic story and Archer is a total sweetheart even if he is way too naive and trusting. It took most of the book, but Archer and Mateo deserved every bit of their happily ever after.

I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the premise, and I was actually really connecting with the story and I loved the tribute it was playing to Dirty Dancing (which is one of my favorite movies). I think the middle sort of dragged for me a bit - I didn't feel like the stakes where high enough - and maybe that's the point. I, however, had more of an issue with character decisions and choices.

I enjoyed Archer and Mateo as separate characters independent of each other. I think what I struggled with was their relationship. Mateo is -wonderful- and I didn't understand what Archer had to offer him - especially with Archer being coupled with Caleb for a large portion of the book. Caleb was not my favorite, and yes I know it's intentionally written for him to be painted as the villain. I just felt that a lot of his actions and motivations were stereotypical 'toxic gay'. Like, it felt like a lot of his choices were immature with this cast being in their twenties. I didn't believe that they were adults, and at some points their actions read as YA.

I did enjoy the ending. I liked the resolution of everything and Mateo and Archer coming together and getting that epilogue. I just wish more of the story itself centered around them actually =together- rather than flirting around a relationship.

I'd say a 3.5 rounded down.

✔️ Dirty Dancing backdrop
✔️ Workplace
✔️ Love Triangle (kinda)
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Age Gap

Archer wants to make it on Broadway but he has not booked any auditions. However, he did book a summer job, dancing again musical review at a resort in the Catskills. He meets his Broadway crush, Mateo Dixon, who is part of the revue. Too bad Mateo doesn't seem to like him even though their partner dancing is full of chemistry. Complicating it more is another dancer, Caleb, who is very flirty with him.

Ok, so yes there's a bit of a love triangle here though it is clear to the reader who Archer should be with.

I enjoyed the backdrop and all the side characters, but I especially enjoyed Archer figuring his heart out. Usually, a love triangle has been frustrating to me, but I didn't mind it here (although, yes, Archer didn't pick correctly at first haha).

This is a fun beachy / vacation read,
particularly for folks who have ever been part pd a show and who might miss the backstage shenanigams.

Steam 🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

Dirty Dancing with an LGBTQ flare and a whole lot of drama. This book made me want to fly to New York and stay at Shady Queens Resort for myself. All of the characters had such great personality which made me fly through this one!

this book was fine. corny and kind of unoriginal. i was never really sold on the relationship. i also don't love a love triangle, and this one wasn't good enough for me to get into it. the antagonist of the book was forgiven way too easily.