3.5 stars
A slow start but then it gets going and is a fun romance for all lovers of strictly. The chemistry between Seb and Maggie was great and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship form and grow.

Part of a series, but a great stand alone book, Strictly Come Dating by Kathryn Freeman is an excellent story about a wayward free spirit who comes back home and falls in love with his older sisters’ college friend who’s now a doctor. They meet while the friends and their children get together on Saturdays to watch a ballroom dance competition similar to Dancing with the Stars. At first it’s harmless flirting and joking around, but it grows into something much bigger than that.

The free spirited takes on a job in the community just to earn an income and to see if this might be something he could do long term. He convinces the community center to put on a ballroom dancing competition of their own and gets a community ballroom dance instructor to teach the teens at the youth center and to be the judge of the competition. It’s an effort to raise money for new equipment.

Maggie is a physician who’s typically extremely organized and plans everything out to the greatest detail. Seb, on the other hand, is young and carefree. Seb joins Maggie at her ballroom dance lessons as a means to get to know her better while helping her to overcome her need for extreme order. They both seem to mostly get along. Will the sexy ballroom dances bring them closer or is the extra time together going to be too much?

I've been slowly making my way through Kathryn Freeman's books and now after finishing this one I only have two more of her books left. I absolutely love Kathryn Freeman's books and this one was just as adorable as all of her other books.
Whilst this one may not be my favourite, it was still incredibly addictive to read and I couldn't help but fall in love with Maggie and Seb's relationship. Seb was one of the most adorable love interests I have ever read. He was so lovely and kind and the way he interacted with both Maggie and her children had my heart melting. He was just the best man.
Maggie and Seb's relationship was incredible. It felt so natural the way they fell in love with each other.
I'm not a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing or ballroom dancing in general, and that is why I was incredibly hesitant to go into this book because I was scared that it would feature heavily on those subjects, but I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't as much as I thought there would be and instead the ballroom dancing was a good way to force Maggie and Seb together so that they could fall in love and I really enjoyed that.
I cannot wait to carry on with Kathryn Freeman's books and fall in love with more of her characters and her writing.

I found this hard story hard to get into and I almost stopped reading more than once. There is too much introspection which slows the story down and it goes over the same ground (eg how much older Maggie is, how unreliable Seb is) too many times. However, the last third of the book picks up and by the end I was glad I hadn’t given up.

The story is about Maggie who has split from her husband, Paul. At the weekly Strictly evenings that she and her friends host, she falls for her friends brother, Seb, who is younger than her. Seb is back from Australia following his father's stroke but seems unlikely to stay in England. As the reader follows ups and downs of them trying to work out their feelings for one another we learn that Maggie can forget her age and Seb can be responsible.

Overall it was an easy, if unremarkable read.

With thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an arc copy.

Grab your copy ASAP!!!! Excellent story. Tugs at your heart. Kept me glued to the pages. A must-read! Happy reading everyone

This is perfect for those who love the ballroom dancing show. I think Freeman has captured the passion of the show perfectly: from the dancing and emotions portrayed, to the enthusiasm of the fans. However, do be warned that there is a smidge of Christmas in this book which is to be expected, as the series is shown leading up to the festive season in the UK!

I found Maggie’s family to be really endearing and I loved watching the bond that she has with her children. Despite being a single mum with a demanding career, Freeman portrays a woman who has landed on her feet and, with the help of nanny Hannah, is able to juggle all her responsibilities. Her children, Tabby and Penny, did remind me of the personalities of my own daughters, and I think this is why I warmed to this family so much.

The seriousness behind the ‘Strictly Saturdays’ was quite entertaining! Frowned upon for interrupting or making the slightest comment, the writer has successfully captured the seriousness of fans! I did chuckle at the number of times Seb was reprimanded for not fully focusing on the television program, having been on the receiving end of this myself. It made the scenes all the more believable and showed how the friends really came together each week to share their passion for watching the show.

Seb is the romantic hero in this book, responsible for Maggie realising that she is not the person her ex-husband thought her to be. His spontaneity, criticised by his own family, is the quality that allows Maggie to understand that she is not too old to have fun and enjoy herself. Seb’s return from Australia to be with his family shows, early on in the novel, that he is family-orientated, and I think this prepares readers for how easily Seb interacts with Maggie’s children.

However, I did not find the relationship between Maggie and Seb completely convincing. There is a lot of attention paid to the ten-year age gap, emphasising how contrasting the couple really are in personality. From being punctual and organised versus living freely and (often) a little late, I did wonder how believable their relationship could be. I found the repeated concerns from Maggie to be understandable, but wanted to see her believe in herself a lot more. If she believed the relationship would work with Seb, then I would too, forgetting the decade that exists between them.

This is my only criticism of this sweet, romantic story. Even having a flash of Christmas when reading it in Spring was not enough to stop me enjoying this read! If less attention had been paid to the age difference, I think I would have been more swept away with the romance of it all. Indeed, if there had been less of an age gap in the characters, I think Freeman would have been able to use Maggie’s other insecurities instead, allowing Seb to work his magic on her in other ways. Therefore, I think a little alteration would have made this a more romantic story.

I think Freeman has the right ingredients to make a great romance read and this is another example. With passionate dancing, likeable characters and a bit of comedy thrown in too, this has plenty of qualities that should appeal to readers.

With thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book a few times and it didn't hold my interest. The set up is great and I generally enjoy romance that takes place later in life. I've read this author before and have generally enjoyed her writing, but this one didn't hold my interest so I'm DNF'ing it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Trigger Warnings
This book contains:
• References to cheating spouse
• References to a severe health problem
• Death of a parent.
Characters
Maggie is a 37 year old GP with two young girls — Penny and Tabby — and an ex who barely even calls to speak to Penny and Tabby. She’s locked herself down to her life revolving around ensuring Penny and Tabby have everything that she wished she’d had growing up. Being as organised as she is, it means everything fits to a schedule and she doesn’t do spontaneous things.
Seb is 27 and has returned home from Australia to help care for his dad as he recovers from a heart attack. He’s the carefree, no roots, go with the flow king of guy who is everything Maggie can’t stand.
Storyline
Seb has returned home and is staying with his sister when he comes home one Saturday night to find his sisters and their friends all watching Strictly Come Dancing. He’s immediately drawn to Maggie and finds ways to insert himself into her life. Whether it’s helping Penny with homework, emergency childcare or making sure she has a suitable dance partner, he’s there.
Meanwhile, Maggie is fighting with every instinct in her body to keep away from Seb. He’s charming and always ready to be there, but he’s 10 years younger. While she fights with the public perception of her being with a much younger man, not to mention how it’ll impact her daughters, Seb keeps fighting his way in.
Overall Thoughts
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to read this!
I got this off NetGalley what feels like a year ago an I’ve FINALLY had time to read it. I’m sure I read some good reviews at the time so I’m kicking myself that I left this so long coz I loved it!
It was so much fun to read, and because Kathryn spread the romance out over like 6 months, it didn’t feel rushed. It felt organic and real which made it all the better.
The little steps they both took, the challenges they faced together, the respect they had for one another the whole time was amazing. Even when they had their moments, they reacted like I think most of us would, but then found ways to reconnect, communicate and move forwards.
And the epilogue! OMG!
I couldn’t have asked for a better ending. It just felt perfect for every character.

Strictly Come Dating by Kathryn Freeman

A lovely tale about an older woman who divorces and loses her confidence but decides to take up dancing to improve her confidence and meets a younger man . Follow Maggie and the younger Seb on their journey .

A funny and interesting read.

3.5/5

If you love romance books, thus is a must read. This book was so good, I couldn’t get enough of it! I honestly loved every moment of it. The characters are great, and the story is so fun an uplifting. I highly recommend checking it out!

I found this hard to get into and almost gave up more than once. However, the last third of the book picks up and by the end I was glad I hadn’t given up.

Story is about Maggie who has split from her husband. She falls for her friends brother, Seb, who is younger than her. They bond over a mutual love of dancing, which Seb indulges her with as he can see how much it means to her. Follows the ups and downs of them trying to work out their feelings for one another.

Overall it was a pleasant, if unremarkable read.

Copy provided by Harper Collins via Netgalley

Loved this, such a funny book! Great characters and plot. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Enjoyed this one, and was glad I gave the author another chance after 'Up Close and Personal' (which I found very meh). This one had lovely chemistry between the protagonists, and though nothing much really happens in terms of conflict, the chemistry and banter and just the sheer complicity you can see developing between these two people is good enough to carry the book through. Felt like the author delved well into the POVs of the protagonists, and though there wasn't much focus on much else (the dancing is there mentioned in passing all the time - I wonder if this would've translated better on the screen, because how well can you 'describe' dance moves without actually seeing them?), it was a nice flowing read where the characters really shone.

I absolutely adore Kathryn Freeman's wonderful writing style, so given the opportunity to read and review Strictly Come Dating I could not wait!
In this story we meet Maggie, a 37 year old single mother to her two beautiful daughters. Following the divorce Maggie is understandably battling some insecurities that she is trying to overcome. Every weekend Maggie and her best friends get together and watch Strictly Come Dancing.
I loved the romance that began to bloom between Maggie and Seb is certainly a slow burner, but my goodness it is so SO lovely to follow!. Despite there being a ten year age difference between them, they have an instant spark that they simply cannot deny.
This story is full to the brim of cute, heart warming moments that well and truly capture your heart. I adored all of the characters and their own, unique little ways. The romance throughout was gorgeous and unique.
I loved losing myself in this story, and would certainly recommend others do the same!.

A fun, laugh-out loud read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a super cute book!

I loved seeing a younger male MC fall for an older single mother.

Lots of dancing references which were super fun! If you like the dancing competition shows you will love this book.

I also really enjoyed that both characters worked through some major life changes and still found love with each other.

Thank you Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for an ARC to provide my sassy thoughts.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Since I finally found the time to dive into Strictly Come Dating, I will say that this was filled with all kinds of cuteness. In it, you will meet Maggie who is about 37 years old and a single mother of two girls. Just like all recent divorcees, she definitely has some insecurities that she is dealing with. So every weekend, she gets together with her best friends and watches 'Strictly Come Dancing.' Which reminded me of 'Dancing with the Stars' and I used to be obsessed with that show.

So when Seb walks into her life, well sparks definitely flew. Even though he was 10 years younger than her. To me? Well, age is just a number when you are an adult. So if a 40 year old and a 30 year old want to get together and make babies - then by all means, you do you boo boo. I don't feel the same way if it's like a 30 year old and a 16 year old. Sorry, not sorry.

As for the romance, it was a slow burn for sure. Which can go one way or another with me. For this book, it definitely worked just because I knew that Maggie was going through some things and she didn't think Seb was going to stick around.

Luckily for them, and me, they got closer and closer and I approved all of it. I loved them together and there was nothing that was going to change my mind about them. I'm very happy that I got the chance to dive into this and falling in love with some awesome characters.

Great read with a cute concept. Not one of my favourites of 2020 but well worth a read! A great bit of escapism in this odd times

This book reminded me so much of The Idea of You. Same concept of younger guy meets older woman. Thankfully there was a happy ending here 💕

Great book if you love dancing - for someone who isn't really into dancing/dancing shows, this was okay. I did enjoy it - great characters and a well written story, just not for me.