There was a time when it was my dream to move to New York City and join the entertainment industry so I aways find it fun to read a book about it (although I'm very happy as a psychologist). It was fun to see Archer get to do the thing he loves and make friends to support him. However, a lot of the things that happened in this book felt unnecessary to the romance which is ultimately the central plot in a romance book.

While I don't want characters with no past, I don't usually enjoy reading about romances that are not with the love interest. In this case, I felt like having a second romantic interest for Archer just meant the reader didn't get as much time to get to know Mateo as we could have. I would have loved to see their emotional connection develop more. I also felt like Archer received some pressure to drink and act unprofessional that went unaddressed.

At the end of the day I enjoyed aspects of this story but I would have loved it to include Mateos POV. If you want to read about exploring being a queer dancer in your late 20's this is a good read but the romance comes off as a secondary plot.

I really wanted to enjoy this story, but I don't think it was for me. I had some concerns with the way that the relationships were discussed and how things transpired.

I love most books that have dancing involved and if you throw in a romance, I’m almost guaranteed to read it. Archer is a mid-20s accountant who moved to NYC to try and fulfill his dream of being a dancer. He gets the chance at an outdoor summer resort in the Catskills where he meets fellow dancers and lives a summer filled with loads of drama.

Sometimes the drama from all the cast got to be a little too much for me, but I enjoyed the camaraderie they also shared. Archer’s love interest, Mateo, is present for most of the books, but unfortunately, Archer is with another dancer for most of the book and I felt that it caused the romance between Archer and Mateo to feel rushed when it finally happened. I’d had like to see less of the first one and more time spent developing the relationship between Mateo and Archer. However, it was still a fun contemporary romance perfect for a beach read.

There were aspects of this book that felt very nostalgic for me as someone who spent their teen years performing in theatre during the summer. If you were a camp kid or spent much of your childhood at lake cabins I think that this setting will really appeal to you. I also enjoyed the different structure that the relationship progression took in this book. So much of romance hits the same beats, which can be fun, but it's always refreshing to get something different.
Where this book fell flat for me is what I perceive to be the author's lack of knowledge regarding professional performing arts. The major conflict of this story revolves around disagreements in the cast that would not exist in any paid theatre/performance job. For example, there was no stage manager in this book which makes absolutely no sense. The stage manager is there to call the show, enforce safety, and keep the production tight. Once the director leaves the show belongs to the stage manager and the various cast captains. This is another reason why the conflict made no sense, Mateo was obviously the show's dance captain. It's well understood in theatre that the person in a leadership position has been selected by the production team because they are competent and one of the best performers in the show. If you don't know anything about theatre, I think you'll still find these petty arguments about being late and altering choreo grating.
Finally the out of the blue medical emergency at 96% felt entirely unearned and dropped this book from a 3.5 to a 3 for me. We didn't spend enough time with that character for the moment to feel fulfilling. If you wanted to integrate her more into the story she should have been the resident costumer or something. This would allow for her to be backstage and to build a bond with the entire cast. As it stands, she's a sweet minor character but doesn't play a big enough role in the plot for this to hit like it should.

I just finished *Flirty Dancing* by Jennifer Moffatt and honestly, I really enjoyed it. It’s a super cute LGBTQ+ romance about a guy named Archer who decides he’s done being an accountant and wants to chase his dream of becoming a Broadway star. He moves to the city, starts auditioning, but nothing really works out for a while, and you can feel how disheartening that gets for him.

Eventually, he ends up joining this summer dance crew at a resort that is basically Kellerman’s from *Dirty Dancing*. While he’s there, he gets to work with his childhood Broadway crush, Mateo. There's definitely instant chemistry, even though Mateo comes off a bit cold at first. Archer ends up having a fling with someone else, but the vibes between him and Mateo are strong the whole time.

The story was fun, fast-paced, and full of great musical references, which I loved. It kept me entertained the whole way through. The ending was really sweet and satisfying—definitely gave me that warm, feel-good moment. If you're a fan of musicals or *Dirty Dancing* (even though it’s not a direct retelling), you'll probably love the vibe of this one too. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author.

A RETELLING OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES??? Signe me up!!! Overall: 4/5 stars ⭐️
The tension, the drama, the romance!!! I very much enjoyed the pacing of this story, it did not feel too rushed. Mateo and Archer be still my heart. I love when mcs are close in age to me the reader its nice to see some older 20s representation!!
What a delightful story!! Thank you NetGalley and Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely queer rom com! I loved the setting of a queer summer camp. All the drama surrounding the dancers and their show was so fun.

The pining and longing between Archer and Mateo was delicious. Their chemistry was so good! I would kill to be able to watch their Tango and Pas de Deux in real life.

When the title of a book and its Catskills resort camp setting are clearly meant to evoke nostalgia for “Dirty Dancing,” the first question you might ask is “Is there going to be a Baby put in the corner?” I will save you time and say there isn’t, but there are a few other little references that made me smile.

After the last two romances I read, “Flirty Dancing” felt almost cozy and low-stakes in comparison. That’s not a complaint. The main character, Archer Read, is 27 and about to give up his pursuit of a dance career when he lands a job with his celebrity dance crush, Mateo Dixon. They’ll be part of a dance company putting on two shows a night at an LGBTQ resort called Shady Queens.

It’s a sweet story with a decent cast of characters. The dancers are all young and horny, partying and pairing up and having relationship drama that constantly threatens the show. Archer and Mateo are generally the mature ones holding things together. They clearly have chemistry, so it’s just a question of when they’ll realize it against that backdrop.

I enjoyed it. It’s low in the spice scale, but there’s plenty of yearning and longing and “Oh my god, just kiss him!” moments that will keep you going.

I so enjoyed this one because it gave me Dirty Dancing vibes! Archer was such a compelling and complex character! I was rooting for him from the start! Mateo was complicated, talented, and a little lost. I loved watching the way they went from strangers to friends to something more! Their banter was hilarious. The chemistry and tension between them bleed off the page. It was fun to see Archer come into his own and realize what he wanted. I adored the found family aspect of this one. The dancing descriptions were well detailed and made me feel like I was there watching. The plot unfolded perfectly and had me hooked from the beginning. The ending was adorable and fit the story and characters well. The epilogue gave a good look into how things worked out in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance reader copy! You can pick up Flirty Dancing on May 27, 2025!

This book is sweet and heartwarming!

I adore Archer and Mateo--their dances and flirty banters were adorable. The writing is fast paced and bingeable! It's perfect for fans of Broadways, romance, and summer flings!

I'd recommend this book if you're looking for:

- LGBTQ representation
- summer fling
- M/M romance
- slowburn
- workplace
- forced proximity

I wanted to love this because I thought it would give out gay Dirty Dancing vibes but what a let down. I feel like the only thing that was happening for most of the book was rehearsing/dancing, followed by partying, followed by a love triangle of sorts with unecessary drama. Not for me unfortunately.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice: 🌶️.5

Mateo and Archer had a sweet, youthful, and messy (as the early 20s can be). I loved that Mateo was somewhat of a mentor for Archer, in that he could help him stay on track, professionally, and learn from his mistakes. There was some drama between the two characters that felt a bit forced, but overall, I loved the story.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 27, 2025

Take a cozy summer romance and mix it with the drama of a drag show…you’ll get something close to this M/M frenemies to lovers romcom! Typical 20-something messiness, but there are so many gems of characters in this (minus Caleb, ugh!). It’s fun and very heartwarming at times…I felt transported to this resort in the Catskills. Obvious flowers given for the throwback Dirty Dancing inspo.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Did Not Finish.

I'm all for a slow burn, but not a "one of the main characters is still making out and in a relationship with not the other MC at 60% of the book" kind of slow burn. Is it so much to ask to read a book about the romance between the predefined main characters?

This was honestly almost a perfect book to me! I easily gave it 5 stars. I loved Archer as a character and truly felt empathetic for all of his struggles throughout the story. I know a lot of people hate Caleb, but I think he needed to happen in order for Archer to get his happy ending. The only part that confused me was there were two instances where an Eva was mentioned and I had no idea who that was and there was no explanation.

Flirty Dancing is what you’d get if Glee, Schitt’s Creek, and a glitter bomb had a chaotic, musical love child, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Archer is 27, adorable, and spiraling (same, but make it 29). After quitting accounting (cheers my dude), he heads to NYC with Broadway dreams and ends up at Shady Queens, a summer resort that’s equal parts camp, chaos, and queer joy (LOVE TO SEE IT IN 2025). His mission? Land a spot in the revue or pack it up and return to Ohio. The stakes are high (because like..Ohio. OHIO).

Enter Mateo Dixon, his teenage Broadway crush turned grumpy, growly choreographer (listen, we've all got one. Mine is Derek Klena, obviously). Add in Caleb, the hot-and-cold bunkmate and Archer’s got himself a full-blown love triangle. Honestly it's not my fave trope, but Jennifer Moffatt made it work and she deservers all the stars for that.

The drama is delicious and the one-liners come faster than quick changes at intermission, which we all know is FAST. Between dance-offs, breakdowns, and glitter-induced bonding, Flirty Dancing is a hilarious, heartfelt tribute to chasing dreams, finding love, and embracing every fabulous, messy moment along the way. It's the positivity we all need in our lives rn.

Bonus points for the Broadway puns (ICONIC)

I’m DNFing at 30%. I was so excited for this one but sadly it was a miss for me. I feel like I’m reading about 14 year olds at sleepaway camp rather than 20-something professional dancers.

DNF @ 59%

I adore Dirty Dancing so I was really excited to see a queer take on the story. Unfortunately this version didn’t work for me. There were too many threads that didn’t quite come together into a cohesive story. My main issue with the story is that Archer engages in a relationship with someone who is not the love interest all the way to the 59% mark. I wanted to see more of his relationship with Mateo but we haven't gotten much of that so far and I don't see how a satisfying love story can be built when half the book has been spent on another character. If you don't mind the central romance taking a backseat then you will likely enjoy this story because Archer himself is a very likable main character.

Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Moffatt, and St. Martin’s Press for the Arc! The entire book was such a fun little vacation for me! It was far from boring with all the drama and cute little cheesy moments. And of course the dancing! It made me want to see the performances.

Firstly, Archer sweetie you’re never too old to chase your dreams! I’m so glad that he still tried and tried, and he ended up going to Shady Queens and ended up doing a phenomenal job there. And then Mateo, grumpy sunshine for sure! But I really loved him, even at the beginning when he acted so distant. It was nice to see his background story and why he was the way he acted. Granted, it was a dick reason, but it was still understandable. Archer and Mateo are just so cute together 😉

It wasn’t just them that I loved. Each character was lovable in their own way, even Caleb and his dick move. They all felt like such a close and dysfunctional family that really cares for each other even with their ups and downs. I think that’s what really sold the story for me and made me laugh and smile as I read it.

Thank you again for the Arc and I can’t wait to buy the physical book! 10/10 would read again.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I give this 4 stars and 1 chili pepper for spice. I loved this story so much. As a dancer I really connected to the plot. Mateo and Asher’s slow burn love story was perfect and I really liked the love triangle with Caleb. I really wish this story had more spice. It was very closed door. The tension build up between Asher and Caleb was so strong that when the intimate scene finally happened it was slightly underwhelming. But that being said, the story was still amazing and I loved the plot. I’m super happy I read this.