What a lovely and unexpected story. The characters were all unique and I could really feel the vibes between the group. The individual couples each had realistic and interesting storylines. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to my friends.

Flirty Dancing takes a few narrative threads from Dirty Dancing (a resort in the Catskills, dance performances, interpersonal entanglements), but feels a bit closer in tone to the films Wet Hot American Summer and Camp. It's a clash of personalities, motivations, and relationship issues that all come to a head during one resort summer where everyone is trying to figure out where their lives are leading them.

Archer is a 27-year-old former accountant who dreams of dancing in New York. But New York and Broadway are not quite knocking down his door. He ends up getting a gig at Shady Queens resort and finds himself working with a cast of dancers, one of which is his teenage crush Mateo Dixon. Mateo has his own demons and reasons for being at Shady Queens after being a huge Broadway star that came crashing down. But Mateo is also a very closed book to pretty much everyone. Except Archer. Sometimes.

There is a lot to like here. Most of it being the supporting characters. Archer's roommate Lynn is one (their text conversations were fun). The other being Eileen, Shady Queen's ever-present old lady with all the stories and an invitation to tea. There are also some moments and characters that just don't seem to fit the story. Caleb is one such character that feels very superficial, there to initiate plot threads, but without a lot of deeper motivation. There are times when this story feels like it wanted to be a slice-of-life, friends group story, and times where it wanted to be a contemporary romance. But it never quite fit into either lane. For me, there was so much more to the Mateo and Archer story that could have been given more time to grow and breathe if Caleb hadn't been such a focus for so long.

As with any group of people kept together for a long stretch of time in a confined space, there are arguments, games, hook-ups, break-ups, and all sorts of chaos. This is a fun story, and worth a read if you love camp (and CAMP), musical theater/dance/performance, and a group of ostensibly adults that behave a lot like they are back in high school.

Prepare for drama to the 16th degree! The characters in this story are a little messy, a lot talented, and extremely entertaining.

Some characters are not likable, but in the case of this book, it doesn’t ruin the story at all. Attention seekers are painful, but not entirely unpalatable.

Ultimately Archer is the star; Matteo’s close second. I adore books with a diverse cast of personalities. This is probably one of the most well rounded stories I have read in a very long time—funny, romantic, real, hopeful, gorgeously & realistically queer. Plus, I love a HEA!!

I am so excited to read more work from this author.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Right from the start I knew I'd have problems with this one and I was proven right. I have NO idea who this is written for or when it is set. The MC makes an Archie (like, the 1950s comic book??) joke and says his favorite musical is Grease (????). The entire book has a very Fellow Kids approach, like a boomer writing Gen Z characters without ever speaking to them ("You bet!" -- the main character).

The characters are flat and boring and unrealistic, there is zero romance except between the MC and some douchecanoe who is the main antagonist, the MMC couldn't have less chemistry, 27 is WAY too old to be getting started as a professional dancer, and the entire plot consists of a bunch of people complaining at each other and they're not even funny about it. Boo.

I thought this was a good book overall and I do love a slow burn romance. However, there was a lot of conflict happening with lots of side characters that I felt was messy and took away from the overall goal of the story.

It was a sweet slow burn about a dance troupe at a summer resort. I enjoyed it overall, but some of the conflicts felt really forced and I really disliked a few of the characters because of it. In the end, I did love the main characters I just wish they’d had more time for their relationship.

This is at the heart a story of chasing your dreams and the things you love no matter what age you are. I enjoyed the light summer vibes. I was a little lost on some of the dancing terms, but I could see a dancer really enjoying the diversity of dance mentioned. I will say the story is flirty but romance is more of a subplot to the found family friendship and dreams plot. Overall is was a good light read. It is fade to black romance(not my thing)

I received an ARC of Flirty Dancing in exchange for an honest review.

What an adorable, feel good read! The first half felt so slow for me — I read it casually to keep my Kindle streak going while I tackled other reads in other formats. But the second half!!! I DEVOURED it in an hour.

There are so many things the author does well here: the emotions of being an aging and seemingly failing dancer with parents who don’t quite understand your heart, THE TENSION and ✨chemistry✨ between Archer and Mateo. There was so much I loved and squealed over, never stopping my excitement to FINALLY see those two get together.

The last few chapters felt rushed, like we were just trying to get to the end with the cleanest, most ideal ending of all. It soured me on the whole book a little bit, almost like we were building to a climax that happened and then absolutely nothing else but pure fluff. I still love this book as a whole and if MM romance is for you, I highly recommend picking up this sweet little book on 5/27/25 when it releases 🫶🏼

Thank you to Jennifer Moffatt and NetGalley for the eARC!

Explicitness: 🔥🔥🔥 / 5 or PG-13 (fade to black sex scenes)
Archer has always wanted to dance on Broadway; unfortunately, at 27 he keeps being told he is too old. When he’s almost at the end of his savings, he gets offered a job dancing at a queer resort in the Catskills all summer. When he arrives, he finds out that his teenage Broadway crush is one of his coworkers and the leader of the troupe. Mateo has a chip on his shoulder and doesn’t appreciate that Archer’s a fan – and they have to dance several duets and a pas de deux together. Worse still, their chemistry is off the charts, at least on stage.
This was a fast-paced, compelling read. Though I was a little annoyed with Archer at first, I ended up really rooting for him and it eased my earlier frustration. The main characters are pretty well fleshed-out, convincingly having inner lives. Narration alternates between the two, but Archer feels like the real protagonist. Some of the supporting characters, like Betty and Eileen, are well-developed and have nice relationships with the main two. One thing that bugged me is that Caleb, who Archer dates for a significant chunk of the summer, is kind of flat and incredibly immature.
I’d recommend this for fans of dance rom-coms (like Save the Last Dance) and for readers who love a grumpy/sunshine dynamic. I received an advance copy of this book for review; all opinions are my own.

This was disappointing for me. Although the MCs were in their late 20s, this read more like a YA. Early on in the book one of the characters proclaims that "this isn't high school" but honestly...that's what it felt like. There was a lot of petty drama and immaturity and it felt like a bunch of teens at summer camp rather. Which is fine, just not my cup of tea.

I loved the premise of this. Dirty dancing vibes but with an M/M pairing.
However, all the drama felt very like high school show choir/theater.
I’m still not sure what two saw in each other. I love a good slow burn but this just didn’t hit for me.

I loved this book. I laughed, I cringed, and I wanted to dance and go to summer camp.

I believed in the romance and I WANTED it to happen. The palpable sexual and romantic tension kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. I loved Archer, and really the rest of the cast! Archer felt like a good person with relatable struggles and issues, and the rest of the cast was full of people much the same. I appreciated the depth it brought to the story.

The dancing was really well written. I know just enough ballroom dance to have felt maybe a tenth of what the dancers felt in terms of chemistry on the dance floor, but I appreciated that the dancing was both a focus point and not too technical in description.

Also, I really appreciate a "closed door" romance now and then that still treats the reader like an adult, which this book did well - lots of the time in closed door books, it feels like if characters are not going to have sex on the page, the characters don't dare to so much as think about attraction, which can hurt the chemistry, and that was NOT the case here.

Finally, the book was kind, which is something I don't read often enough. Characters can make mistakes and do bad things and apologize and forgive each other and grow, hard things work out in the end, and the overall feeling was warm and fuzzy.

This was a sweet rom com that I really enjoyed. Well written and I loved all the characters. I would enjoy a sequel. Will definitely keep an eye out for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Flirty Dancing was a cute LGBTQ+ spin on Dirty Dancing. I really enjoyed how the author described the dances, and you could feel the love for the performing arts in this book. I loved the chemistry between Archer and Mateo, especially towards the end of the book. However, the pacing throughout the book felt a bit off, and I didn't love the drama within the dance crew. It was described in the book as "high school drama" and it very much was. But as it kept going on and on throughout the majority of the book I got tired of it, especially because these characters are supposed to be adults. I also didn't love the dynamics between Archer and Caleb, and since it was basically the first half of the book, it brought my rating down.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book is incredibly sweet. Is it a little mushy and predictable, sure, but it’s an LGBTQ+ retelling of Dirty Dancing, so the plot is more or less in the title. The fun is in the journey.

4 Stars - rounding up from 3 1/2 because a good time was had by all.

Honestly, a really nice book to read if you are into musicals and queer love stories. I don’t usually read romance books but this one caught my eye because of the main characters. I like how they’re not young adults but adults, which really gives more depth in their characters. Nothing wrong with young adult characters but I like seeing some diversity in the age when it comes to romance. This book, while it’s light-hearted (somewhat) in the romance and dramatic like almost every summer camp set book, it does bring attention to one of the big things that the main character struggles to find, achieving his dream to being in Broadway despite starting in his late 20’s. I like the notion that he doesn’t give up in achieving his dream, even when he’s struggling to make a place for himself and leaving everything he’s known for that. The ending wasn’t surprising but it was a nice ending that really gave that happy ending to a love story between Archer and Mateo while also achieving their dreams.

The romance with Mateo is also what I really like as well, because you can see the development in their dynamic change throughout the book. Although, I personally like how oblivious Archer is to Mateo’s interest because clearly Mateo is jealous and their is some sort of sexual intimacy happening yet they won’t do anything about it. Although, Caleb did annoy me because he was acting like a teenager that didn’t get what he wanted and causing trouble and drama everywhere he goes. Gives off the vibes of someone who hasn’t grown up and seeing the realization settle into Archer that he doesn’t want to be with someone like that was a breath of fresh air because he doesn’t try to justify his actions. Although there is sexual tension throughout the entire book, they really only got together when there really is only 30 pages left of the story, so it’s pretty much very slow burn. They didn’t have any kind of romantic drama or obstacle between the two which I really enjoy because that really isn’t my favourite thing to read in a romance book but I also like how not everything is butterflies as well as they tackle their own issues.

Although this book was comedic in itself and all I can thank for is the hilarious director that absolutely knew what he was doing when making comments at Mateo and Archer. The best word to describe him is unhinged.

Overall, I enjoy this cute story and would recommend it to anyone who would like a good, comedic, light romantic book who is also a queer musical fan.

I would also like to thank NetGalley for allowing to read the earc of this novel and the publishers, St. Martin's Press, as well!

Flirty Dancing
2/5 ⭐️

This review does contain spoilers

I was so excited by the premise of this one but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. I found I felt ambivalent toward the main character and that I didn’t overly like many of the other characters. I found myself frequently wondering why Archer was even dating Caleb since it didn’t seem by the text that he even really liked him much. I also didn’t really feel chemistry between Archer and Mateo though out and when they got together at the end (90% through the book) it just felt off.

I’m not quite sure who the audience for this one is. The writing felt young, and though the characters were in their late 20s they felt more like teens to me. Unfortunately, this one just isn’t for me.

Flirty Dancing by Jennifer Moffat is a whirlwind of romance, drama, and summer adventure - but unfortunately, it's often too much of a whirlwind to really settle into its potential. The story follows Archer who is trying to pivot from his former life as an accountant into being a professional dancer on Broadway, and his last hope is being hired to be a performer in a dance troupe for a LGBTQ+ resort in the Catskills. Ultimately, this was a solid and enjoyable read that struggled to find its footing - but once it did, it really did.

The biggest issue with this book is the pacing of individual scenes and events. Relationships and storylines don't develop naturally so much as they materialize out of thin air. Important scenes, such as Archer's interactions with his parents who are a major source of his anxiety, or with Lynn who is supposedly his best friend, are brushed over leaving the reader to fill in the gaps. Similarly, pivotal moments, such as Archer's first live performance as a professional dancer, or Mateo revealing his sobriety, are introduced and then abandoned without any meaningful exploration. Emotional beats that should have resonated - like Mateo's admission of past transphobia - are rushed, with forgiveness coming uncomfortably quickly.

The writing itself also struggles to keep up with the story's ambitions. While the characters are in their twenties, they often read like teenagers, and the breakneck pace leaves little time for reflection or emotional depth. Scenes feel like they're being ticked off a checklist, and there's a sense that we're being told what happens rather than experiencing it with the characters.

That said, the book's pacing, while chaotic, does give it a compulsive readability, and the rapid progression of events kept me turning pages and interested in what would happen next. And while the initial character and relationship development didn't work for me, once they had been established the dynamics became much more engaging. By the end of the story, the characters felt much less one-dimensional, and I felt that each storyline reached a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, this book has its moments but doesn't lean into its emotional weight enough to be truly memorable. It's a fun, fast-paced read, but one that could have benefitted from slowing down and letting its characters - and its readers - breathe.

Archer Read, a 27-year-old accountant from Ohio, moves to Manhattan with dreams of Broadway stardom but ends up with nothing but rejection. Desperate for a shot, he takes a job dancing at Shady Queens, a queer-friendly resort, where he’s shocked to find himself working with his former celebrity crush, fallen Broadway star Mateo Dixon. As Archer navigates Mateo’s icy demeanor, a fling with his bunkmate Caleb, and the chaotic drama of the dance crew, he discovers that chasing your dreams means confronting heartbreak—both on and off the stage.

I am more and more getting into MM romance and this one is a very cute romance and queer family story. I loved Shady Queens and their staff and would love to go to a resort like this in real life. There were a lot of slow moving parts, but there’s a lot of vulnerability and accountability with their characters (specifically one main character) which I loved. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I did enjoy this book. It’s definitely more cutesy than sexy, and the romance plays a much much much lower end on the plot point than you’d expect. I would definitely read more from this author.

At first it felt like a gay rip off of Dirty Dancing but eventually evolved into something else. The story follows a dance troupe an upstate New York summer camp for LGBTQ+ individuals. The characters are likable and it was fun to see the inner development of a show. Definitely gives vibes of Noises Off where we see the drama behind the show. While the sexual tension of the characters is quite strong, the sexual encounters are tame and without detail, skipping from makeout to afterglow. This is a plus for those who prefer a less spicy romance novel.
Parts of the story were slow and the main romance story develops so slowly that you don't see its resolution until 90% through the novel. There is a brief side romance featuring Caleb, my least favorite character, and the story's main antagonist. I felt like this plot detour detracts from the flow of the story and did little to aid character development or to bring our main protagonists together. Fixing some of these issues would help improve my rankings.
Overall, it was an entertaining read and while it not going on my favorite books list, I wasn't disappointed.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Spicyness level: 🌶️🌶️
Character Chemistry and Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️