Don't Mean a Thing

Fun and quick chick-lit read set in Darwin Australia. The swing dancing background of Don’t Mean a Thing makes it perfect for fans of Dancing with the Stars!

Macie joins the Royal Australian Air Force after a bad break up with her verbally abusive ex-boyfriend. She finds not only a career but a swing dancing hobby and a sexy new boyfriend, Matt. However, Macie has questions. Is Matt still involved with his swing dancing partner for the past ten years, Nadiene? Why does Macie’s hot new co-worker, Jeremy, keep flirting with her when he knows she is involved with Matt?

Don’t Mean a Thing is firmly in the chick-lit genre. However, it adds a twist by making the heroine an aircraftwoman in Darwin Australia and providing extensive information about swing dancing. The use of Australian slang is fun for non-Australian readers. Thongs are sandals. Togs are clothes. Budgie smugglers are the favorite swimwear of Borat. As an aircraftwoman, Macie works supporting aircraft at military airports. She, and the reader, get to travel to several nearby countries including Malaysia.

I decided to read this genre as a palate cleanser after reading the extremely scary, Kill Creek (see my review at dianereviewsbooks.com/Kill-Creek). Yet, I really enjoyed it. Don’t Mean a Thing and its author, Renee Conoulty, are a fresh voice in the chick-lit genre. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, Kindred Ink Press, and Netgalley for a review copy.

Don't Mean a Thing, Renee Conoulty

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, Women's fiction

Liked the sound of this, and it proved to be a light and entertaining read.
It wasn't a must-keep-reading book, but it was a fun novel. Its not one I'd read a second time though, to be honest I didn't really like Macie....

I loved the setting, enjoyed seeing life on an air base, especially one that's not the US. As a UK reader its always a treat to get a novel set somewhere other than the US, it's not that I don't enjoy them but there is far more to the world, are so many wonderful places. there's something fascinating about Swing, and I love to find it in a novel, I really felt there with the characters when they were having such fun. 

I liked the characters, Rachael was kind of light - shallow almost - but fun, Jeremy a sweet guy underneath that always flirting jack-the-lad exterior, Matt was wonderful, and of course Nadiene, his dance partner was a perfect character for me. I adore a good b itch in a book, and would have liked her part to be more active ;-) Sadly the only one I didn't like much was Macie, I just couldn't quite take to her. 
I really felt for her having walked from a domineering man, who sought to control every aspect of her life. That takes guts and at first I though she was just being self protective, ensuring she didn't get taken in like that again.
As time passed though she was so ready to jump from Matt at the slightest hint things weren't going her way, and I felt that rather than compromising she was just expecting him to make all the adjustments, something she slated her ex for doing but it seemed to me she was doing the same, placing Matt's career second and just waiting to bail out as soon as anything looked hard. 
It meant that while I enjoyed the story I wasn't so much rooting for a HEA for Macie, but for Matt, he really deserved one all the effort he put in to their relationship.
It was a good read, but a one off for me. 

Stars: four, a fun, one off read for me

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

**3.5 stars**

Macie had recently finished her RAAF training and has been posted to Darwin. Being a ‘mature entry’ person means she’s a little lost at first, as most of her workmates are younger and ready for nights on the town. When she joins a Swing Dance Group a whole new world opens up to her, especially when she meets fellow dance member Matt.

This was very gentle romance, it’s about Macie finding her confidence in a new relationship and deciding what she really wants out of the RAAF life. Can she and Matt find a balance? I really enjoyed the descriptions of both the RAAF work and lifestyles and the swing dancing. I’m not a great dancer but I can remember in my early twenties being led by a young man and just flowing with his steps. There was no great angst moment but there were decisions to be made and I felt they were portrayed in a very mature way which I liked.

An enjoyable afternoon was spent reading this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.

Absolutely wonderful story. The heroine is exactly what you want to see: independent and smart but still down to earth and just as likely to fall into a romance as the next person! Renee Coulty did a smart, funny, awesome job and I look forward to reading more.~