Archer is a accountant who decide one day to realize his dream of becoming a dancer. After a lot a rejection and as a last effort to make his dream a reality, he takes a job as a dancer in a queer-friendly resort. It is a contemporary romance with a background of dirty dancing.

It was a really fun read! I loved all the characters, loved the found family trope and related to what the main character was feeling a lot. I liked how he showed sometime vulnerability in what he was feeling and he has great chemistry with Matteo. It was easy to read and got into the story pretty fast. On the other side I didn't really liked that we mostly see the main character with someone and it's not the one he ending up with. And the story was a bit too fast, mostly in the last 30%. But I enjoy it and would recommend it to people who love romcom!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I found this book to be cute most of the time, and I was rooting for Archer and Mateo. I’ve never been a dancer, but I really enjoyed reading about all these different dancing styles and about Archer chasing his dreams. I can only imagine how hard it is to break into Broadway as a dancer let alone one who is 27, but his passion for dancing was pretty cool to see. I could imagine taking any job he could get like he did. I was a camp counselor back in the day and can also verify camp hookups are a thing haha. I didn’t love how immature some of these adult dancers were, but the setting of the camp running this summer LGBTQ dance show was lovely. I wish I could go! I also can’t say the ending is realistic, but I was kind of caught up in the love is love and happy ending feel and could let it slide. I also found the title a little cringe. I guess this book would possibly fit in the new adult category, although it does not have graphic sex just kissing and references to those things going on. FYI profanity, LGBTQ love story, sexual references but not too graphic (mostly hookups and referencing details but not giving them)

This loosely Dirty Dancing-inspired queer romcom delivers a heavy dose of over-the-top drama that, unfortunately, overshadows some of the sweeter moments. The story focuses on aspiring dancer Archer, who finally books a gig dancing in a summer resort revue. When he arrives, he's shocked and more than a little excited to find his childhood crush, the former Broadway star, Mateo, also dancing in the same show. Things are great when the story focuses on Archer and Mateo, but oddly this makes the choice to pair Archer with another dancer for much of the first half of the book. I think if that storyline had been either reduced or removed, I would have enjoyed this well-written romance a lot more. I still think there's a lot here for Dirty Dancing fans to enjoy, and honestly, some of the messy interpersonal drama between all the dancers is somewhat entertaining.

I absolutely adored this book! It took me out of a reading slump, and I will for sure buy a copy. Essentially we follow a 27 year old ex accountant who is trying to make it on Broadway. A summer at a resort, grants him an opportunity to follow his dreams but along the way, a wild summer filled with relationship drama and more erupts. What I loved was how easy it was to follow and read. I constantly didn’t want to put it down, and enjoyed it. I recommend this to anyone who has any kind of theatre background. I read it so fast and hope to find something similar. You will fall in love with the characters.

The book kept me seated and fed!! A beautiful palette cleanser!

Gay romance?✅
Accountant fulfilling his life long dream of becoming dancer?✅
Dramaaaaaaa? The best kind. The kind you expect to happen between people stuck at a summer gig for 3 months.✅
“I thought you hated me” “I’ve loved you since the first time i saw you” trope✅
No third act breakup🚫
No miscommunication trope🚫

.5🌶️/5. Very closed door spice and small innuendos.

This is my first Jennifer Moffatt novel and it has convinced me that i will always read any book that i see is written by her!

Archer is the epitome of gay best friend, and i need him in my life❤️

Ahhhhhh this book was so much fun. It was a nice fun little book and I liked it so much! Be prepared for a slow burn bc it takes a while for the main characters to get together. Ugh and it made it so much better when they were able to finally admit their feelings it was so sweet. This book was no spice and honestly, it didn’t need it. The drama and build up to Archer and Matteo getting together, so good. I kind of wish there had been development with Archer and his family. All of his interactions with his family was no great and they didn’t believe in him. I would have loved to see some resolution in that and see them give their love and unconditional support in a meaningful way or Archer to call them out.

I think where this book lost me was there was so much of the book where I was waiting for Archer to say something or do something in reference to conflict in the book and he simply didn’t. He would think things or think that he should do something but he wouldn’t and towards the end of this specific conflict, it was really starting to get on my nerves like Archer pleaseeeeee

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would def read again :)

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC :)

A queer take on the beloved Dirty Dancing. This book had its positives and negatives. Starting with the positives, it was an enjoyable read. They characters were cute and lovely. Each one played a role to move the story in one direction or another. There were good moments of tension between the main love interests, and it had the romcom ending we all love. As for the negatives, the pacing of this book was a little odd. It spent so much of the book focusing on the main character's romantic relationship with someone who wasn't the main love interest? The characters were also a little shallow and if we spent less time exploring a relationship that was ultimately unimportant, we could have learned more about our main characters, the relationship with the main character and his parents... etc. Because of this, all the characters fell a little flat. The book also never had a moment where the chemistry was like EXPLOSIVE. Even if it was a fade to black romance, there are still opportunities for chemistry and yearning to shine.

Overall, a fine read.

Archer is living his dream—sort of. A few months ago, he gave up his dreary desk job to pursue a career in dance. But he's struck out time and time again, and he's perilously close to having to return to Ohio and to one of those dreary desk jobs. When saving grace comes, it's in an unexpected form: a queer resort in the Catskills. And his once-upon-a-time crush happens to be working there too...

"'Well, stop standing there like you carried a watermelon. Grab a beer,' Betty said, nodding at the fridge." (loc. 329*)

If I'm honest, I read this for the "Dirty Dancing" retelling. Luckily, this is one of those retellings that is smart about it (I'm a broken record on this, but what can you do)—rather than a straight (pun intended) retelling, "Flirty Dancing" is inspired by "Dirty Dancing" but deviates as necessary to make for a better story. (After all, cultural context doesn't always translate; both the 60s, when "DD" is set, and the 80s, when it was written, are a long way off from the 2020s.) Archer is, loosely, the Baby of the story, but he's an employee rather than a resort guest, and when Mateo (the Johnny of the book) scorns Archer's naïveté, it's not because he thinks Archer is talentless or incompetent, but just that he is, well, sometimes a little naïve.

Overall, this makes for a cute, entertaining read. Mateo has some baggage to sort through, and Archer spends much of the book in need of a confidence boost, but the cast of characters is lively, and even the people who turn out to have...fewer scruples than others...are allowed to have some complexity rather than being written off as bad apples.

This doesn't outshine "Dirty Dancing", but it's a solid twist on a much-loved story. It'll be interesting to see what Moffatt does next.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

4 stars

Dirty Dancing, but make it queer? I was sold immediately. I really appreciated the subplot of "Is it ever too late to pursue your dreams?" Archer is 27 and trying to make it as a dancer in New York, but finally lands a position at the resort Shady Queens. This story has sweetness, but it is also drama filled with a lot happening amongst the whole cast of characters we have in this story. The main romance really doesn't get to sit in the front seat until the last 15% of the story. Did I have fun reading this? Yes! It's definitely a fun read. Were there a few things I had issues with? Also, yes. I would have liked to see more focus on Archer and his final romantic relationship than we got. It made the story feel a little unbalanced from the way it is advertised. All that to say, the writing is good, and the story was interesting. Archer is definitely an intriguing and relatable MC through which we get to experience this story. This was definitely an entertaining read, I just wanted a *little* more from it than I got.

Good fairly light hearted LBGTQ romance. Archer, having moved to NY from Ohio in pursuit of a gig on Broadway, is getting frustrated at all the rejection he's been on the receiving end of. Finally getting an opportunity at a queer based summer theater. It may not be much, but it's a job in a field he loves and money he is desperately needing. Once he arrives, he finds out his long time crush, a dancer who has been on Broadway, is going to be dancing there as well. The thrill of that dies quickly when after a quick meet with the cast, he realizes that crush might very well hate him. There's a lot going on in the book. Some rocky relationships, some heated words, some game night shenanigans, some broken hearts. The whole cast of characters are fun and give the story life. And what a cast of characters they are. It does take a little bit to really get into the story, and for the story to starting coming to life. There's a little bit of angst with the characters (many have their own issues they are dealing with.) There's not a lot of LOL comedy, but there are a few humorous moments, and a couple characters who bring the comedy to the crowd. The story is narrated from Archers POV only. There is no sexual content (other than kissing) and is safe for teens.

This was a solid summer romance novel, although it definitely moves a little slower than I would normally expect a romance novel to move. If you want a novel where the main characters get together quickly, or early in the book, this probably isn't the novel for you. It takes a while for them to end up together, and the ending feels as though it comes rather suddenly compared to the slow pace of the rest of the book. Despite the slow pace, it felt as though there was inter-character drama in every single chapter of some sort or another, which did get a little tedious eventually. However, the characters felt vibrant, and there were several captivating side characters. The build up to the romance felt worth it in the end for me, and I enjoyed the ending.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy!

I was so excited to request this book I was hoping to get accepted the cover the description was amazing I absolutely loved this book it was a roller coaster of emotions and a crazy ride Jennifer’s writing style is just incredible you can tell she put her heart and soul into making the characters fully fleshed out every character has a great story and personality I absolutely loved every second of the two days I downed this book just incredible I miss it already

3.75 Stars

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. It started out great. We got to meet Archer and really get to root for him. He auditions at Shady Queens and get the job. I was so happy for him, as a fellow ex-dancer I know the struggles of not getting the job or making the team. Archer meets Mateo his crush/idol.

I really enjoyed Archers character but for being 27-28 years of age, there were times where his character was giving late teens early twenties immature. He meets Caleb and they start dating...... Caleb was very annoying and not a good fit for Archer. The author did a great job with this protagonist. He was the worst.

Mateo I liked from the very beginning. He had a chip on his shoulder. He was the grumpy to Archers sunshine.

I will say as a smut lover I wish the story wasn't closed door but overall I really enjoyed this story. I will being reading more books by this author.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

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)