Dance with Me is a good fit for those seeking an emotionally charged, slow-burn romance that explores the complexities of trust and vulnerability in a close-quarters living situation.

I tried really hard with this book but I just couldn't keep fighting with it.

I loved the premise and there was a great deal of promise with these characters but they were jaded, distrustful and only seemed to connect in a physical way. The kept pushing each other away and I hoped the emotional connection would kick in... it didn't. Neither character ever felt worthy of the other and I just gave up.

All natasha.Tasha wanted was a nap. She fantasized about it on her drive home in her new Prius that had used her entire paycheck from playing a mean HS girl in a few episodes of Drama School. Not her finest work but a paycheck. When her last client canceled their private yoga session Tasha headed straight home. She’d taught six fitness classes that day on very little sleep. But when she got home her entire bathroom ceiling was all over her bathroom and half her bedroom including her closet. Tasha and her best friend Gina had moved here five years ago. She thought it was cool and paid for the larger bedroom. Now she had plaster, water and a fine layer of dust everywhere, making it hard to breathe. The water and dust had gotten into her clothes,and shoes. Even her luggage. She put a call into her building management company and explained the situation on a voicemail. Than she sent a text to the building super-Manny- hoping he was around. A lot of her clothes looked ruined. So it was bad but not horrible. The apartment had a second bedroom and bathroom that she could use now that Gina moved out. A part of her regretted she didn’t take Gina up on her offer to pay half the rent until the end of the lease. She didn’t want a new roommate and have to deal with another person’s quirks. She had enough dance gigs to cover the rent until the fifteenth season of The dance off started filing in the fall. Being a pro dancer on a hit reality TV celebrity dance competition paid well. Than there was a knock on her door and it was Manny the super. Then Manny went upstairs and he had to turn off the water as a pipe had burst. Manny didn’t know how long before the water would be turned back on, he had to call a plumber. Than he said there was a bug infestation in a lot of the other apartments. Tasha was going to have to move out. If only gina was here she would know what to do and take care of everything. Than Manny let her know the water was back on and she did two loads of wash. Than Dimitri called and she answered out of habit, she didn’t have time to talk to him. She snapped at him and he asked if everything was all right and she said no and told him what happened. Then she said she only had three hours of sleep because of him and told him to find someone else, than she hung up on him. Something she had never done before. It was better this way. She was trying to keep her distance, But not doing very well. Maybe this would push him away and give her some breathing room . their interactions were strictly the carnal sort- dancing, fun, for sex. They weren’t friends just coworkers who sometimes had sex. She wanted Dimitri with her every breathe, but all he would ever do is break her heart. Everything sucked and she cried, she had no idea what to do. No sleep, plus a whole day of teaching had left her physically drained. Now she was faced the prospect of being broke and homeless. She was done. She had been in tough spots before, and made hard decisions- like being a exotic dancer- she hoped never to make again. Life had showed her early on you could only rely on yourself . Gina had fallen in love with her celebrity partner Stone Nielson while paired on a previous season of The Dance Off. Gina and Tasha had been friends since they were in HS and done everything together- HS, starting a dance career, moving LA. Now gina was gone. Than there was a knock on her door and it was Dimitri. He asked her what was wrong. His hands clasped on her shoulders. Dimitri said he had come to help. She said she was screwed, she couldn’t live there but she didn't have the time or money for a motel or to search for a new apartment. If she didn’t figure it out she would have to quit The Dance Off and move back to the Bronx with her mother. So unless Dimitri could conjure up a place for her to live there’s nothing he could help do. Than Dimitri said she could come stay with him. When she mentioned to going back to N Y he blurted out his offer to let her stay with him and surprised them both. Now it seemed like the best idea. Dimitri's younger brother had moved out a couple of months ago and the house was too quiet. If she stayed with Dimitri it would be cheaper than a motel or moving to the first apartment she found. She could save money and take her time finding a new place. But not too much time. Dimitri dimitri was bad for her. He tempted her like no other man had and her inability to say no to him sabotaged her best efforts of being a responsible adult. The sex was always great with Dimitri but he’d never give her more than that. She said she would stay with him on one condition- no sex. This was a setback but she’d get through it. Dimitri had been a dancer but now was a judge on The Dance Off. Dimitri had taken Tasha for granted for three years. Since Gina and Stone there was a no dating romance of coworkers on the Dance Off. tasha hurts herself and must take it easy or she won’t be dancing on The Dance Off. Dimitri’s mom and cousin tell Dimitri maybe he should tell tasha how he feels about her instead of trying to control her.
I really enjoyed reading this book. My heart went out to Tasha when she got home and seen her bedroom and bathroom and than be told she had to find another place to live. Tasha and Dimitri had hot chemistry. I didn’t like some of the things Dimitri said to tasha, they were cruel even when put down to blurting things out. I also didn’t like how he kept pushing Tasha to have sex after agreeing to no sex while she lived there. I liked seeing the growth in tasha as well as Dimitri. I loved seeing both of their POVs. Sometimes I did get annoyed with Tasha and/or Dimitri. I wished Tashas issues with her mother had been worked out or ended. I love the pace and plot of this book. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend this.

Entertaining. Definitely not what to expect if you've read the first (I haven't but heard good things). I think I enjoyed but never truly rooted for the couple. But in the epilogue, a f/f dance pairing? I hope the author chooses that as her next book!

***4 Stars***

This was one of those books that I didn’t really look twice at until an author I follow (which one, I now forget) put on SM how much she had loved it and my curiosity got the better of me and after reading the blurb I decided to give it a go and though it did take me a minute to dive in, I ended up really enjoying it. It was a quick, fun read that had a good mix of sweet, smexy and frustrating and kept me turning the pages.

I really liked Natasha and Dimitri, I did, but boy do these two have a lot of baggage. Natasha was sassy and snarky, but boy was she stubborn, not that it was a bad thing. I loved her drive to succeed, that passion was a draw, but her determination also gave her tunnel vision and prevented her from truly living. Dimitri, I loved. He was all kinds of dominate alpha AF male that at times came off as being a caveman, but his intentions were, for the most part, well meaning. He just went around it the wrong way, kind of like how he had a bad case of what I call “insert foot in mouth” disease.

Natasha and Dimitri’s journey was definitely one that had me doing my best not to pull my hair out, but I enjoyed it. They both had a lot of insecurities and it built quite a few walls, not only between them, but those they called friends and family and through their impromptu living situation that put them in very close quarters they found a way to work through those issues and come out stronger in the end. As for their relationship, the eye rolling happened a lot, but the chemistry was there and I liked where they ended up at the end of the book.

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging, the pacing was good ~ it did slow a bit in some places, but nothing major ~ and I enjoyed the dual 1st person POV. The dancing sequences were very well done and I could picture the movement and flow in my head easily. I really enjoyed the secondary characters, Oksana may just be my favorite of the bunch, but I wouldn’t mind if Kevin and Lori got books of their own some day in the future!

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Natasha is having a really bad day, so when her on again, off again friends with benefits, Dimitri, offers to let her stay at his place, she accepts, with one condition - no sex while she's staying there. Sounds like a plan, but that's not what happens because Dimitri is a pushy jerk who basically coerces her into doing what he wants, always what he wants. Now I'm all for an alpha man, but Dimitri takes alpha to an all new, unpleasant, unacceptable, level. He was so unpleasant that he knocked off an entire star. The other star down? Natasha. She made the worst choices, I mean, the WORST choices. She was nothing like the heroine in the first book in this series, Take the Lead. Though they were both dancers for the same show, and were friends and one time roommies, they were nothing alike, which was a shame because I loved Gina and was hoping I would love Natasha, too.

So, unfortunately, I just can't give Dance with Me the same 4 star rating I gave Take the Lead. It's not that it's not well-written or well-paced, because it is; it's just that I dislike the two leads, a lot, so 2 stars is fair.

In the first book of this dynamic series we saw dance reality show judge Dimitri and star professional dancer Natasha (both secondary characters) hooking up, and arguing, and hooking up some more. We thought they were just dicking around. We thought it was only physical. But oh, my friends, we were wrong.
Dimitri’s crazy about Natasha. Has been from the moment they met. He’s tried to play things casual until he’s sure of how she feels, which is a dumb but classic move that usually leaves a hero looking arrogant and unfeeling. And Natasha? Has no idea how he feels. She wants Dimitri desperately—can’t stay away from him—but she imagines herself as alone and unloveable so thoroughly that it blinds her to any other possibility for her future.
The emotional suspense this generates is exquisite. This is the kind of romance where the characters’ yearning becomes an ache in the reader’s gut, where you occasionally have to put the book down to yell incoherent things at the wall because there are too many feelings to stay locked silently inside your body.
Both Dimitri and Natasha are driven, talented, ambitious, and hard-working. They’re both immigrants, and have parallel but not identical struggles around how they’ve dealt with that experience. Family, creativity, friendship, when to ask for help and when you need to stand up and get things done on your own—this book has a lot going on, but it never feels like too much. It has real-life complications and nuance but is never muddy: there’s no one easy answer to a serious problem, but there are a lot of ways to figure out new solutions and do a little bit better than you did before. This book believes hope is a process, a muscle you can develop with practice, and that’s something we all need at this moment in time.
I enjoyed the first book, but this one? I fell utterly in love. Head over heels. And doesn’t it lift your heart when an author’s second book is even better than their first? I can’t wait to see where this author goes next. I’m along for anything she’s got planned.

Never read this one or downloaded it. My review partner ended up reviewing it

http://smexybooks.com/2017/12/dance-with-me-by-alexis-daria.html

Really liked this book and was a wonderful follow up to Take the Lead. Alexis Daria has a fresh voice in romance that I'm excited to read. Her characters are well rounded and relatable. Her storytelling is addicting and her writing comes off effortless. I can't wait to see what else she comes up with!

I just absolutely love the covers of Alexis Daria's books. This series has been so fun and features a setting that hasn't been written about a lot before. It's such a fun, fascinating world to visit. It makes me want to dance! I've never watched Dancing with the Stars, but I love reading about this fictional dancing reality show. Maybe I check out some Dancing with the Stars clips. I'm always impressed with the fitness skills contestants pick up when they participate in this show. Alexis's imaginary dancing queens and kings make me want to visit that world.

I haven't read the first book in this series, Take the Lead, so I don't know if I was missing anything, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book on its own merits and now I'm looking forward to going back and reading the first book. In Dance With Me, the heroine, Natasha is having a really bad offseason from the dance show where she's one of the stars. Her roommate and best friend (heroine of the first book) has moved out to live with her love and Natasha feels totally adrift. It doesn't help that she is barely keeping afloat financially, so when she comes home to find that the apartment above her has sprung a leak and she will have to move out temporarily, she's at the end of her rope. Her occasional booty call, Dimitri, who is a judge on the dance show, happens to call right in the middle of this mess and she ends up moving in with him temporarily, as she has nowhere else to go. The rest of the book is all about the two of them exploring what kind of relationship they really do have, and working through the emotional barriers that have, in the past, kept them from pursuing a real relationship with each other. It was definitely a character driven romance that kept me engaged throughout. The only thing I would have liked would have been more dance scenes, but that's a minor quibble.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Dance With Me by Alexis Daria
Dance Off #2
Contemporary Romance
December 12, 2017
Swerve

Reviewed by Kini

Favorite Quote:
“Tell me what you want.” She panted and twisted her hands in the bedsheets. “Why do you keep asking me?” “Because this is all for you.” He kissed a line up the inside of her leg, adoring the strength of her in the tension of her skin. “You’re a goddess. You deserve to be cherished, and given all you desire.” She pressed a hand to her cheek and looked away. Amazing that sweet words embarrassed her more than anything else they did together in this bed. “I’m just a regular woman, Dimitri. Not a goddess.” “To me, you are. It’s about time I started treating you how you deserve.” “Don’t be too good to me, or I’ll get used to it.” Her voice was soft, and shy. Wistful. “I want you to get used to it. Now, tell me what you want.”

This is book number two in a series that centers around a fictionalized version of Dancing with the Stars, of which I am a fan. I reviewed book one earlier this year and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to seeing these side characters and learning their story. I think this would read fine as a stand alone, but the first was so good, you should probably just read it first.

Natasha could be described as a prickly heroine. She’s used to being independent and is the absolute worst for asking for help. Seriously, she’s terrible at it, and it did get a tiny bit annoying. Natasha has been friends with benefits with Dimitri, one of the judges from the dance show for three years. When she has a housing emergency and he offers to let her stay with him, she begrudgingly says yes.

Dimitri is a judge on the show, a restaurateur, and sometime actor. He came to the US from the Ukraine when he was ten. He is successful but because of life and family experiences, he is almost always holding back a little bit of himself. He is described early on as a womanizer and douchebag, but I think that was Natasha’s slightly skewed version of him. I found Dimitri to be a pretty good hero, and definitely a great match for Natasha.

Tasha and Dimitri have been having casual sex for three years, but both of them seem to be interested in more. Just neither knew how to ask. Or believed that they could. This is a theme with both of them, they both feel a little unworthy. Tasha’s mom is borderline unkind to her and not demonstrative of love. Dimitri’s family is amazing, but he put his heart on the line for a woman before and she stomped on it. But the housing emergency gives Dimitri the opportunity to show Tasha how much he cares for her.

This book was a little shaky at times for me. Donna, the evil producer from book one, shows up again. And I didn’t like her then, I really did not like her in this book. I felt like the drama and conflict she brought was unnecessary. Tasha had enough to work through with her own issues of self worth and to add on the work place drama felt like too much. As mentioned above, Natasha is really, really bad at accepting help. She practically fought every time one of her friends offered to help her. It started to become annoying. I was more annoyed with her inability to accept her friend’s love and assistance than when she was hesitant about Dimitri being in love with her. That was something he needed to show her, because of their history. I also would have liked to have learned a little more about Dimitri and his broken heart.

One last superficial quibble I have is that when authors have characters that speak a different language, I find it irritating when my Kindle doesn’t recognize the words and can’t translate for me. The characters will usually give a translation at some point, but I am impatient and I don’t want to have to wait. Tasha and Dimitri had great chemistry and Daria writes great and sexy love scenes, that really helped balance out the parts that dragged for me. I liked this story, but less than the first book. When Dimitri and Natasha finally got their heads out of their asses and let themselves love and be loved fully, it was great. They do have some sexy and tender moments together that I enjoyed. I look forward to future books from this author.

Grade: C+

This second entry in the Dance Off series is a sexy and fun romance between Natasha, a dancer on the reality show The Dance Off who is having a run of bad luck, and Dimitri, a judge on the show. They've had a few one night stands over the past few years but never anything serious, and nothing that stopped them from seeing other people. But when Natasha has an apartment emergency, it's Dimitri who comes to her rescue with a place to live and their close quarters results in something even more intimate than a night in bed together - a chance to reveal some of the aspects of their lives that have shaped them. In a way, that's even more scary because being able to trust and rely on someone is at the heart of what they'll need to pursue a real relationship - if they have the courage to do so.

As this story takes place during the off season of the reality show, there's more of the other aspects that take place behind the scenes. The friendships, the contract negotiations, the training to maintain physical peak form, and for Natasha, a lot of stress related to her own success or failure on the show and what might happen if her live-in relationship with Dimitri is discovered. I really enjoyed learning more about the characters and their motivations, and how Dimitri's playboy image is a front for a man who secretly longs to be a compassionate and encouraging partner to one woman - Natasha. He makes mistakes along the way, as does Natasha, but eventually they find the right formula to make their relationship a success. Their ethnic heritages, Dimitri as a Ukrainian national who came to America when he was a boy and Natasha as a woman proud of her Puerto Rican background, also play an important role in the story. It's a fun romance with plenty of sexy scenes, characters that show real growth and a really lovely happy ending. I hope there will be more stories to come in this series!

This review has been posted at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Goodreads.

J'avais découvert la plume d'Alexis Daria en découvrant la saga Dance Off , qui m'avait fait penser à Danse avec les Stars, et j'ai pris un grand plaisir à retrouver l'ambiance de cette saga avec Natasha et Dimitri.



Ce que j'ai aimé dans ce nouveau tome est le fait que nous restons dans le domaine de la danse mais nous ne tombons pas dans la redite en démarrant une nouvelle saison de Dance Off. Nous entrons dans les coulisses pour ainsi dire car nous apprenons à découvrir une autre danseuse de l'émission à savoir Natasha l'amie de Gina et un des juges de l'émission.



Natasha Diaz est un personnage dont nous avons effleuré la surface dans le premier tome. Elle était présentée comme une femme profitant de la vie et prenant plaisir dans les bras de ses partenaires mais je ne pense pas qu'on imaginait ce qu'elle cachait. Je l'ai pour ainsi dire redécouverte dans ce tome qui lui est consacré car c'est une acharnée de travail qui galère pour joindre les deux bouts. Sa mère Esméralda l'a toujours dévalorisé et elle est persuadée qu'elle ne vaut rien. Les soucis s'accumulent dans ce tome et nous verrons que ce sera la goutte qui fera déborder le vase. On ne le croirait pas mais Natasha est fragile car elle doute non seulement de ses compétences mais elle cache aussi aux autres cette partie d'elle même. J'ai donc adoré la voir en dehors des parquets de danse et plus proche de nous.



Elle va donc se montrer sous un autre jour dans Dance with Me et j'ai beaucoup apprécié le personnage ce qui m'a permis de ressentir de l'empathie à son égard. Elle va trouver refuge chez Dimitri , un homme avec lequel elle entretient plus ou moins une liaison depuis 3 ans. Accepter l'aide de cet homme, c'est prendre le risque de succomber de nouveau à son charme et ça , Natasha ne le veut pas. Si on venait à découvrir sa liaison, elle peut être sûre que Donna, la fameuse productrice du tome 1 , va prendre un malin plaisir à la détruire et à mettre un terme à son contrat. Natasha vit pour la danse , elle aime son métier mais elle subit une pression trop importante de toute part. Depuis le départ de Gina, tout semble partir en vrille et si elle n'accepte pas les mains qu'on lui tend, la pression risque bien de devenir trop forte. Nous allons donc suivre les déboires, les obstacles qu'elle va devoir franchir pour sortir la tête de l'eau. Aura t-elle la force de se livrer et de faire tomber les barrières? Pourra t-elle prendre le risque de tout perdre en choisissant de rester chez Dimitri?



Dimitri Kovalenko est un des juges de la compétition Dance Off et on le sent très proche de Natasha. Contrairement à cette dernière , il est très entouré que ce soit par sa famille ou ses amis. Il cache lui aussi un peu ses vraies intentions mais il parviendra à se lâcher plus rapidement. J'ai aimé ce personnage car il saura prendre soin de notre héroïne à un moment où elle en aura vraiment besoin et il trouvera les mots pour lui faire comprendre qu'ils ne sont pas si différents que ça. Sa famille est proche et ils se comprennent sans se juger. Que ce soit Alex son cousin avec qui il partage la passion de la danse et de la scène ou Nikolai son frère qui apporte un peu d'humour dans les scènes où une tension est palpable. Ces russes savent prendre soin de leur proche et j'ai aimé leur côté protecteur sans pour autant qu'ils soient étouffants. Je ne vous en dirai pas plus sur ce personnage car il faut le découvrir pour parvenir à le comprendre. Saura t-il rassurer et protéger Natasha? Parviendra t-il à prodiguer les bons conseils mais aussi à appliquer ces conseils à lui même?



Bref, si vous aimez les romances qui se déroulent dans le milieu de la danse et si vous lisez en VO, cette saga est faite pour vous. Alexis Daria a su nous proposer un tome aussi intense que le précédent avec des personnages attachants qui vont devoir prendre confiance en eux et accepter l'aide qu'on leur propose s'ils veulent aller de l'avant.

“Who are you if you’re not a dancer?”

I enjoyed the second entry in the Dance Off series even more than the first! I loved that they were already friends with sometimes benefits when the story started, and things are accelerated by a mishap that ends up with Natasha moving in (temporarily) with Dimitri. Only, neither is content with the state of their relationship, but they’re certain the other doesn’t return their feelings. Both Natasha and Dimitri are strong, driven characters, and it was so much fun as they learned to lean on and support each other. I loved the mixtures of their Puerto Rican and Ukranian heritages.

I found Dimitri frustrating, but in a good way. Dimitri’s main goal in life is to take care of those he loves, and he was constantly baffled by Natasha’s insistence on standing on her own two feet. He was constantly putting his foot in his mouth around Natasha! I found this very endearing, as finding a balance between mothering and smothering is something I struggle with, personally. Watching him gradually come to an understanding of how to best support her, and her acceptance of it, was sweetly adorable. I loved the growth of their relationship, the descriptions of them dancing together, and, holy crap, the sex was hot!

At heart, though, this is a story about dealing with failure. Natasha is convinced that if she can’t support herself - by herself - as a dancer, she’s a failure. She attributes most of her success to following in Gina’s wake, and is convinced that now that she’s on her own, she’ll fail. Dimitri has been both a colossal success and a failure, and the fear of failing again has led him to postpone following his dreams. It’s also kept him from sharing his feelings with Natasha for fear of rejection. With some interference from Dimitri’s family and Fucking Donna, though, Dimitri and Natasha are forced to face their fears of failure.

In minor spoilers, I was glad to see Fucking Donna get her comeuppance. But - what the heck was up with Kevin? I’m hoping a third book is planned for him!

Overall, tons of fun, and I’m looking forward to more books from Ms. Daria!

4.5 Stars!

Dance with Me by Alexis Daria, tells the story of what goes on behind the scenes of a very popular dance competition TV show. This book follows professional dancer and choreographer Natasha Diaz during the off season. Natasha and Dimitri Kovalenko, a judge on the show, have been seeing each other secretly for a few years. They both find have strong feelings for each other, but due to their own vulnerabilities and the show's fraternizing rules, their relationship never progresses from the booty call stage.

Natasha's life is thrown into a tailspin when her best friend moves out, her bedroom ceiling collapses, and she sprains her ankle. She needs help and against her better judgement, she asks Dimitri for assistance. Dimitri is more than overjoyed that Natasha will be staying with him, and he plans to show her how much he loves her while she recuperates. Natasha does not believe she deserves to be loved, which makes Dimitri's job that much harder.

Natasha and Dimitri are a hot couple, both in and out of the bedroom. Their completely opposite upbringing adds an underlying intensity to the story. Ms. Daria does an excellent job of describing the sparks that ignite when they dance together, as well as the awe from those that observe Natasha's unique choreography. Dimitri is a wonderful character and his artistic talents and kindness create the perfect partner for Natasha.

This is a well-written love story with an engaging plot and well-defined characters. I found Natasha and Dimitri to be sensitive and genuine, and I loved the way Ms. Moore developed them both as individuals and as a couple. Their time together was replete with warmth and lustful desire. The secondary characters round out the story quite nicely.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

i really enjoyed take the lead, but i think dance with me totally topped it. i loved, loved, loved this book. natasha and dmitri are perfection together. they've been indulging in an on and off things for three years, so when dmitri suddenly starts to really be there for natasha she's suspicious.

though to be fair, she would have always been suspicious. her whole life she's been made to feel unworthy by her mother. born to a teenager who felt her life was ruined and incapable of expressing her affection in a constructive manner, tasha feels like she's second best in all things. and being surrounded by people who give off the appearance of being more successful without working nearly as hard has only added to her complex.

inadvertently dmitri has also fed into tasha's insecurities, mainly because in trying to protect himself from heartache and rejection he's made tasha believe that she isn't as important to him as she is. because the truth is, to dmitri, tasha is everything. he wants it all with her. love, passion, commitment. but he doesn't know how to express himself in a way that she would believe. and because he is holding back, he finds himself saying the exact wrong thing at the most inopportune moments.

te way these two love each other is sweet and deep and so emotional. together they build each other up. and they only need to figure out how to keep it going once they are out in the real world. everything about this story worked for me. especially the ethnic, puerto rican-ukranian bits.

**dance with me will publish on december 12, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press (swerve) in exchange for my honest review.

Alexis Daria’s Dance with Me is the final book in her Dance Off series. I just adored the original storyline of the first one, and this installment adds another emotional layer. The combination of dance and romance is a guaranteed winner.

Natasha is having a bad week, and it ends up with her shacking up with her occasional hookup, Dimitri. But Natasha can’t deal with the no-strings attached arrangement anymore so sex is off the table. But Dimitri has other plans and when these two come together, it’s a delightful tango.

I loved the mix of cultures here. Dimitri has a Russian background and Natasha is Puerto Rican. I think this one was much more relatable for me, personally. Natasha doesn’t expect love. In fact, she doesn’t think she deserves it, and Dimitri’s take-care personality has her running scared. That’s before a new rule with her dance show comes into play, the mess of her living situation, and her finances being in shambles.

Dimitri stole my heart! This guy is awfully good at sticking his foot in his mouth, but when he gets it right? Let’s just say Natasha (and the reader) are completely swept off their feet.

My only issue was that they seemed to dance around the same conversations time and time again. It made for slow reading in portions. But that’s really a minor thing when considering all the vulnerability and heat that’s on the page.

Alexis Daria is a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

She’d shown him her shadows, and he hadn’t run screaming into the night.



Alexis Daria is a new-to-me author, and after reading and enjoying Dance With Me, she’s definitely one that I would watch out for in the future. Dance With Me is a sexy, character-driven, romance that will tug at your heart.

Natasha is pro dancer in a reality show called Dance Off, and is in an on-and-off again relationship with one of the judges in the show, Dimitri. Tash is stuck in a rut. Not just professionally but also with her non-relationship with Dimitri. Then disaster struck forcing her to spend time with Dimitri in his own turf.

Their arrangement would be temporary, just long enough for Tasha to get back on her feet and find a more permanent place to live until her apartment gets fixed. Complicating matters is the new rule imposed by their production discouraging fraternization among dancers & judges.

I personally love character driven romances, and Dance With Me fits within that category to a tee. I really enjoyed the conflict in this book. Tasha is a very complex and flawed heroine who is adamant on doing it on her own. I loved how Ms. Daria was able to really flesh her character that even though you might not agree with some of her decisions, you still get her because her motivations were explored in the book.

Same goes for Dimitri. His fear of failure and rejection drove him to take Tasha for granted for three years. Wanting her and yet not really pushing for something more permanent with her, which he’s paying for dearly.

"She's not going to want you because she needs you to make her life good, but because her life is already good and you make it better."



The push and pull between them, the asserting and acquiescing, and the physical and metaphorical dance off happening between Dimitri and Tasha are what made this book work for me. It’s fascinating and had me glued to its pages from beginning to end.

I cannot wait to read more from this author, and based on this book alone, she’s going to keep on delivering solid romantic stories with interesting and complex characters.

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4 stars — Well this was a fun sequel! I loved being back in the Dance Off world and finding out what was happening with Natasha, but the fun thing was that this was a completely different story to the first one! It may have been set in the same world, but it wasn’t during the competition this time. And I found I didn’t mind that, because there was still a lot of great dancing scenes, and still some drama surrounding the show.

Natasha and Dimitri were also very different main characters than Gina and Stone! Like, completely different. But I LOVED the two of them together. They were so very different from each other as well, but they complemented each other well. They were both very damaged from their pasts, and even their damage had both similarities and differences that meshed. It helped them to understand each other when they eventually let down their guards and let the other in. They both had so much growing to do, and they were both so afraid of taking the risk for love, even though they both so desperately sought it out. Their love story was one that had me wanting to bang my head on a wall a lot of times, b/c they were both so slow to trust, and it could get frustrating…but it did make it so that when they finally let each other in, I was cheering for them!

And it wasn’t just about learning to accept love and to give love, it was also about taking risks in their professional lives as well…and finding their passion and following it. I loved that it had that aspect to the story as well.

Dimitri was so freaking adorable. I loved that in this story you were certain of his feelings right from the start. And I LOVED the way he was all in with Natasha, even though he had no idea how to make it work. And he was so oblivious to how he was doing everything wrong, and what she really needed. But I loved how earnest he was, if that makes any sense. Seriously, he made me shake my head so many times, but I still adored him.

I loved Tasha too. I mean, she was frustrating as all get out, but I could understand how she became so damaged, and I could SEE the roadblocks in her way from understanding how she was already a success, and how asking for help wasn’t a failure. That was something I actually loved about Dimitri, how he actually understood the importance of a support network and how he kept trying to get her to reach out to Gina.

The true strength in this book lie in their adorable, if reluctant romance. They were so sexy together, I LOVED the dancing scenes. I loved all those little moments they had together. I LOVED how Dimitri cared for her, even if it wasn’t always what she needed. I LOVED the way they opened up to each other, and let each other in to parts that they hadn’t shown anyone else.

And I LOVED the potential I could see for more stories! I want Lori’s story and Kevin’s story! And is it odd that at the very end, despite Fucking Donna earning her name, I felt a bit bad for her. Like, I almost saw some depth to her, like maybe she wasn’t just stereotypically evil, but had reasons for her meddling. I don’t necessarily want her as a heroine or anything, but I wouldn’t mind seeing her be better, learn or something.

The diversity in this one was fantastic as well — probably b/c the author is latina, so the heroine feels very realistic. And I even appreciated what Dimitri being from Ukraine brought to the story, with an immigrant perspective.

So yeah, another great dance book in the bag! I look forward to more from this world!