From the publisher:
There’s about to be fire on – and off – the dance floor…
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Kate Wareing is astonished when she secures a place in a televised dance competition. Especially as it means she’ll be paired with a professional dancer to compete for a life-changing cash prize.
When she’s matched with gorgeous French dancer Merle it quickly becomes clear that he’s just as keen to work on their chemistry as their routine. But when the competition is rocked by a scandal, Kate’s forced to switch to a new partner, Aleksis, who is just as devastatingly attractive as Merle – but seems to hate her.
With the odds stacked against them, Kate and Aleksis embark on a showmance to try and win over the public. But what happens when Kate’s feelings for her fake boyfriend become all too real? And how far will Merle go to sabotage her chances – both in the competition and in love?
Tropes:
• Enemies-to-lovers
• Fake Dating
• Spicy romanceFunny, feel-good and oh-so-steamy, this is the perfect read for the Strictly-obsessed and anyone who loved The Spanish Love Deception and The Love Hypothesis
https://amzn.to/3QXJxx2
This was a riff on Dancing With the Stars, but instead of D-list celebrities competing, anyone can audition. Kate is accepted even though she isn’t much of a dancer, which seems to be the point. Out of all the “regular” people competing, only one has real dance experience. They are each paired up with a professional dancer, and Kate ends up with Merle, a super hot dancer that quickly leads them into an affair. And it is an affair, as it turns out Merle is married.
The scandal forces the producers to swap out Kate for another partner, Alexis. He is cold and really seems to hate Kate, but she pushes through and eventually they find a way to get along – and then much more. The relationship helps because viewers get to vote on who stays and who goes, and the prize money at the end is a very big deal to Kate, and most of the contestants. The professionals, especially Merle, want the win for their resumes.
This was an enjoyable read with enough tension in the dance competition plus the romance to make it a real page turner. I’ve never watched DWTS, although I’ve seen clips over the years, so while I had a bit of an idea of how the show works, I don’t know how far off this book veers from that model. If you are a fan, I’d love to know what you think in the comments.
11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE DANCE DECEPTION by Becky Ward. Avon (October 24, 2023). ISBN: 978-0008609344. 384p.
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 