Flirty Dancing was cute, but honestly nothing to write home about. I think my expectations going in were a bit too high, and the romance was a bit too slow of a burn. Overall though, was a quick read just didn't blow me away.

DNF at 36%. Why is Archer spending so much time romancing someone else? Mateo is barely there, yet he’s pitched as the endgame love interest.

thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the audiobook and eARC

this was an overall fun and quick read but i did feel that some parts were a bit too drawn out and unnecessary

i love dirty dancing and i think that just put my expectations too high

but i also think all the characters, especially archer, got over caleb being a shit person too quickly. ben and caleb in the epilogue???? PLEASE LIKE 🤨

this was also a very very slow burn read (90% ish) but nonetheless, still a fun read

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a sweet romantic MM love story between dancers at a summer resort in the Catskills. Major Dirty Dancing vibes!

As a teenager I once saw a live performance of Dirty Dancing, it was so much fun and I enjoyed it much more than the movie so I was excited to be chosen to review an ARC of Flirty Dancing.

While Flirty Dancing is not Dirty Dancing, there are of course elements that lead to comparisons between the two. I went into this story with an open mind, knowing that comparisons were likely and not allowing it to compromise my thoughts on the book. I was happy to discover that it wasn’t a copy paste idea but with LGBTQ+ characters.

The messiness of the relationships within the story feels like something off of a reality tv show. The summer flings and the drama of long term relationships and cheating, really made the story believable. When that many people gather in small quarters, there is always bound to be drama and problems.

I loathed Caleb’s character from the beginning, and while the relationship between him and Archer was frustratingly in the way of Archer and Matteo, it was the perfect blend of summer fling drama. Caleb’s frustratingly shitty behaviour shows that he needs to grow up, or at least find a way to talk to his partners before investing in a relationship.

My heart broke for Matteo numerous times, poor sweet man who made mistakes. While he said some awful things to his co-star before our story takes place, it’s not unreasonable to understand why he did it. His hateful words and actions are not excusable and clearly haunt him but it defines his character and the growing that he has had to do. I love that he was able to reconcile with the person he hurt and that she was able to forgive him.

Archer’s parents are also a source if ire for me, they’re dismissive and don’t support him while pretending that they have his best interests in mind. The fact that they are pushing him to take a job that wouldn’t make him happy is sad, but allows Archer’s perseverance to really shine. He’s trying to do what makes him happy, even though he could take the easy route.

Overall I loved this book. While the Matteo/ Archer relationship didn’t come until near the end, the pace of their relationship worked. The Calebs of the world are needed so we can find the Matteos.

Final note: the names given to the leaks in the Lynn’s apartment were hilarious! Such a really thing that people would do. It’s me, I’m people.

I rate this 4.5 out of 5.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet and heartwarming read. The drama with all of the cast at Shady Queen's was fantastic and enjoyable. It felt like a season of Glee and I was entirely here for it and invested in everything. The villain arc in the book is one of the best arcs of the book because as the reader you go through so many feelings about them throughout a la Rachel Barry or Santana Lopez.

I do want to say that I struggled a bit with the premise that following your dream of being a professional in the arts at 27 is too old. However, many people did not break out in the arts until their 30s, (e.g., Harrison Ford). So, it was a bit hard to buy into the premise of Archer panicking about being too old or that his parents are continuing to point this out to him. Now not having enough funds to live in New York and pursue a career in the arts where you haven't broken through was a struggle that made more sense to me.

My favorite part of the book was the friendships that Archer had throughout. His fellow performers and the guests at the resort were a fabulously written cast of characters each with their own distinct, well-rounded personalities. Archer's interactions with them also made him so relatable and endearing. From the Betty and Archie bit to calling his roommates/castmates "the Bs" because they are a couple who both have B names and he can't tell them apart at first. Archer's interactions with Mateo also helped to highlight multiple aspects of Archer's character. Particularly how clueless Archer is about certain aspects of their relationship throughout.

I did struggle with feeling the passion between Archer and Mateo. The closed-door nature of the romance is completely fine, but I did feel that a lot throughout the book the chemistry between Mateo and Archer was stated by other characters, but rarely clearly articulated by Archer. When Mateo and Archer begin dancing together Archer does spend some time articulating to the reader how he feels and where they are touching so the tension between the two of them is clear. However, as the tension builds between them we seem to step away from Archer's point of view and hear from the other performers about how steamy they are. I just wish there had been a bit more focus on Archer's point of view.

I would highly recommend this book. It has friendship, the arts, personal growth, and romance. It's a fun, lighthearted read, and the drama will keep you turning pages.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Sexual content

One of the side characters is briefly hospitalized and is taken in an ambulance.

I think this was a cute little romance. I liked how the two main characters' backstories were fleshed out. There were also discussions of real-life things that have come to form the characters' personalities and feelings. I also liked how the characters' flaws were an important part of the story. I do not like romance novels that have characters who are just flawless and happy all the time. I need depth in my characters.

There were parts that I was not a fan of. I did not like the mini love triangle that took place in the book. I could have dealt without Caleb being such an important part of the romantic part for Archer. I also think the amount of miscommunication or lack of communication could have been lessened for this novel because it kind of infuriated me when reading.

Overall, though, Mateo and Archer stole my heart with this story so 4 stars!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of the audiobook and St. Martin’s Press for the ebook so I could read along. Mark Sanderlin is a new narrator for me and he was a solid choice for this book.

DNF at 15%. This book would have made so much more sense if they were all aged down 5-10 years. He’s extremely concerned about his parent’s opinions on his career. He drinks like it’s brand new to him. As a stage manager in another life I would have hit the roof if one of my cast had gotten blitzed and missed rehearsal at 27 years old. Stealing someone’s clothes when they’re in the shower so they have to walk naked back to their (shared) room as a prank did not feel age appropriate for these characters.

So much tell and not enough show. I was told Archer and Mateo had so much chemistry and I wasn’t seeing it at all. Archer was missing social cues so hard which was probably to show he’s some naïve guy from Ohio brand new to the “big city” but it didn’t work for him. His earnestness came off as insensitive in a few places.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was adorable and the setting was great; unfortunately it just fell flat for me. The book jumped from one scene to the next, making the characters not feel fully fleshed out. This book is doing a lot of telling instead of showing which also doesn’t help with the stories flow. It also felt like there were too many characters and subplots, which ultimately made you not care about any of them.

Flirty Dancing was a mixed bag for me. The premise was great-- a group of dancers performing at an LGBTQ+ summer resort in the Catskills (the template here is, of course, the movie Dirty Dancing). As an actor, I am a sucker for any premise involving the performing arts. The author does a nice job with creating the various members of the troupe, the director, Stewart (and Judy) and the long-time fan, Eileen, as well as with creating the backstage chaos that often does provide more drama than what happens onstage.

The writing is okay but needed, given it's subject, to be snappier. The sex scenes were either fade-to-black or described in generic over-the top romance fashion (involving planets and stars). and not really saying anything specific to the actual characters involved. The characters were also problematic. The main MC, Archer, started out as sympathetic--loved the "I'm too old" mantra. But from Day One, he should have been suspicious of Caleb (after all, he stole his clothes and towel from the shower--why?)and as Caleb's behavior became ever more egregious, Archer remained clueless about how bad a person he was. Archer also remains far too clueless that Mateo (the other MC) is into him. It took WAY too long for him to pick up the cluephone. Finally, in the relationship with Mateo, Archer suddenly becomes "the woman"--Mateo is described as hairy, muscular, strong. Archer is always the follower, whether they are dancing or singing a karaoke duet. The last third of the book feels like an MF rather than an MM romance. Finally, the ending was over the top--one minute, Archer is broke and headed back to Ohio and the next he's living with Mateo and has become a Broadway star. i am all for a solid HEA but this was too much..

All this said, the strengths were author's creation of a believable summer stock environment including the tensions and insecurities of the performers as well as the grueling hours of rehearsal that go into creating a performance, and finally the degree to which the performers' personal lives can affect their performances for both good and ill. Overall, a quick read with some fun backstage antics.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!! Following Archer's journey was such a fun ride, and even more fun was following his journey with Matteo. Flirt Dancing is so sweet and sexy and exciting! Can't wait to recommend this one to friends looking for a good MM romance.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Flirty Dancing in exchange for an honest review!

Archer Read is on his last chance trying to make it big and achieve his Broadway dreams. Hoping to delay what feels like an inevitable move back home, he takes a job at a musical revue in the Catskills. The last thing he’s expecting is to find his teenage celebrity crush Mateo Dixon running the revue. If that isn’t embarrassing enough, Archer is assigned to be his dancer partner, and while Mateo is definitely hot, he’s also grumpy, and difficult, and sending death glares at just about everyone. There’s no doubt that Archer and Mateo sizzle on the dance floor, but will they spark off of it, as well?

Flirty Dancing manages to capture the broad elements of its inspiration, but never fully reaches the max potential of its leads, or their timeless romance. This is perhaps due to an overly meandering dalliance Archer has with fellow cast member Caleb, that begins to chafe long before it ends. Flirty Dancing is best when Archer and Mateo are finally alone, and can begin to get to know each other, though it takes much too long to get there. I think my biggest issue was that there were too many characters–friends, co-workers, Catskills vacationers–and not quite enough Archer and Mateo. Overall, it’s charming and syrupy sweet, and fans of Dirty Dancing will appreciate the queer retelling of a classic. I don’t know if it's bearing the brunt of the load, but it’s certainly carrying a watermelon.

this was ok! i think the summer dance camp setting was very fun (i love a book set a summer camp). i liked the writing and the main character, but this had that trope of the MC dating another person, who's kind of a dick, who they're clearly not that interested in, while realizing they're in love with the main love interest, and i find that annoying! that trope usually does not work for me, but especially when the MC is with the other guy for more than 70% of the book like in this one! so the main romance just felt like it was there? and it happened? and i wasn't invested?

Archer and Mateo are dancers in a music review at a place called Shady Queens in upstate New York. Each are there for their own reasons.

Archer, a struggling dancer in NYC, accepts a placement in a dance group after a serious of rejections. While there, he encounters his crush, the man who adorned his room on posters. Mateo blew-up his career, so here he his training dancers at a resort. While one is struggling to make it in the world of the dance, the other is hoping to step back into the good graces of the scene. What neither expects is to dance into each others heart.

A fun and relatively light queer romance.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

Flirty Dancing is one of those perfect summer reads - a quick, easy read, with plenty of heart. Archer has recently moved to New York to chase his dream of dancing professionally, but hasn't had any callbacks until finally a LGBTQ resort in the Catskills gives him a callback for their summer season. From there it almost feels like a summer camp vibe between the dancers, with shared rooms and "just for the summer" relationships and drama, as well as "this is just for fun" versus "this is a serious job" camps. There's all sorts of interpersonal drama, including one character who has messy relationships with almost every male character, leading to an almost love-triangle-esque situation with Archer.

I did really love how well the tension between Mateo and Archer was written and conveyed - whether they were dancing together or playing Monopoly, it was tangible, something that was important since they don't get together until quite late in the story. This does thankfully mean that between that and all the other drama from the rest of the cast of characters, there's no third act breakup, and most of the dramatic points that come up get interpersonally resolved fairly quickly.

I did think that the ending rushed by quite quickly, especially the pipeline of "I'm into you" "let's stay together after this" "together forever", but considering a subplot with Archer's roommate was her proposing to her girlfriend of six months, maybe that's just normal for this author. Overall, everyone was very cute and I enjoyed this actually quite a lot more than I was expecting, considering how tropey it felt like it was going to be, something that is owed to how human and well-rounded the characters feel.

I devoured this book!!!

The storytelling was great and I really loved the characters. Everyone had their own flaws and it was really interesting to see how they grew beyond them. It is such a fun summer read that I can't wait to get a copy of!

Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies, and this book hit the vibe so perfectly! Archer and Mateo are such great characters that are deep and complex, both working through their personal insecurities. I love the summer camp vibe of Shady Queens, and the side characters were all delightful!
I listened to the audio, and I absolutely loved the narrator's dry humor.

This book is a perfect fun and vibey book for people who love mm romance with dirty dancing vibes!! It was a fun read where I didn't have to put too much of my mind into it.

I really wanted to love this one . A Dirty Dancing inspired MM romance should have been a home run for me. Unfortunately it was not. I enjoyed the actual writing style, it was easy to read and smooth. However I can't get over the fact that our MC spends over half the book with someone other than the end game love interest. Personally this was way too much drama for my liking but I would see myself giving the author another read in the future.

I picked this book up on a whim based on the title and description. Being a fan of Dirty Dancing, I thought it would be a fun read. It was so much more than that! Amazing book, that brought the concepts of dirty dancing to a new generation. Highly recommend!