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Dance Off #2
Dance with Me
The second book in Alexis Daria's dancing duology finds one playboy charmer falling for his new roommate.
Natasha Díaz is having a day. She’s trying to prove she can make it as a professional dancer, but she’s overworked, out of cash, and her roommate has just moved out. When she comes home to find a hole in her ceiling and her bedroom flooded, she’s desperate enough to crash with the one guy she can’t quit. She accepts his offer with one condition: no sleeping together while she’s living with him.
Dimitri Kovalenko has never lived with a woman before. But when Tasha’s in need of a place to stay, he suggests she move in without a second thought. He accepts her condition, hoping she won’t stick to it. They’re good together, both in the ballroom and the bedroom. Since their first dance, she’s never been far from his thoughts. Sure, she’s a pro and he’s one of her show’s judges, but they’re not currently filming, so no one needs to know.
Living in close quarters shows Dimitri a side of Natasha he’s never seen before, and he likes it. A lot. Too bad she’s doing everything in her power to keep him at arm’s length. When an injury forces Natasha to take it easy or risk her ability to dance, it’s his chance to show her that the rules have changed, and she can trust him with her heart.
Natasha Díaz is having a day. She’s trying to prove she can make it as a professional dancer, but she’s overworked, out of cash, and her roommate has just moved out. When she comes home to find a hole in her ceiling and her bedroom flooded, she’s desperate enough to crash with the one guy she can’t quit. She accepts his offer with one condition: no sleeping together while she’s living with him.
Dimitri Kovalenko has never lived with a woman before. But when Tasha’s in need of a place to stay, he suggests she move in without a second thought. He accepts her condition, hoping she won’t stick to it. They’re good together, both in the ballroom and the bedroom. Since their first dance, she’s never been far from his thoughts. Sure, she’s a pro and he’s one of her show’s judges, but they’re not currently filming, so no one needs to know.
Living in close quarters shows Dimitri a side of Natasha he’s never seen before, and he likes it. A lot. Too bad she’s doing everything in her power to keep him at arm’s length. When an injury forces Natasha to take it easy or risk her ability to dance, it’s his chance to show her that the rules have changed, and she can trust him with her heart.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2017
20 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Daria
15 books2,498 followersAlexis Daria is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola, A Lot Like Adiós, Take the Lead, and more. Her books have been featured on several “Best of ” lists and have received starred reviews from multiple trade publications. A former visual artist, Alexis is a lifelong New Yorker who loves Broadway musicals and pizza.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
November 3, 2017
This book is the second installment in the Dance Off series, and I loved it more than the first installment Take the Lead. I probably loved this story more because it follows two people who are friends-with-benefits that end up sharing a house together, due to unforeseen circumstances. Whenever two characters become roommates, I immediately fell in love with the story because that is one of my favorite tropes used in romance novels. There’s something about pushing the two love interests together in the same house that makes me love a story even more, whenever this trope is used.
The two characters in this novel were so well written and I loved their character development as they both supported and cared for one another while hiding away their feelings for the other. They also both had strong personalities that flowed off the page and made me connect to them right off the bat. Natasha was a strong-willed girl who wanted to stand on her own two feet while Dimitri was a protective and caring man who just wanted to help others. Their slow-burning romance was also fantastic and well-paced enough that it didn’t feel rushed which is important in a romance novel.
I really enjoyed this story and the dance elements that were thrown into the narrative as well. I also loved seeing the main characters’ two cultures (Natasha is Puerto Rican and Dimitri is Ukranian) being shown off with the use of their languages and traditions. This story was just what I needed to get back into reading, and I am so glad that I picked it up.
ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
• Puerto Rican MC
• Ukrainian Love Interest
• Friends-with-benefits
• Roommate trope
SEE MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG: http://storiesforcoffee.wordpress.com
The two characters in this novel were so well written and I loved their character development as they both supported and cared for one another while hiding away their feelings for the other. They also both had strong personalities that flowed off the page and made me connect to them right off the bat. Natasha was a strong-willed girl who wanted to stand on her own two feet while Dimitri was a protective and caring man who just wanted to help others. Their slow-burning romance was also fantastic and well-paced enough that it didn’t feel rushed which is important in a romance novel.
I really enjoyed this story and the dance elements that were thrown into the narrative as well. I also loved seeing the main characters’ two cultures (Natasha is Puerto Rican and Dimitri is Ukranian) being shown off with the use of their languages and traditions. This story was just what I needed to get back into reading, and I am so glad that I picked it up.
ELEMENTS OF THE STORY
• Puerto Rican MC
• Ukrainian Love Interest
• Friends-with-benefits
• Roommate trope
SEE MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG: http://storiesforcoffee.wordpress.com
December 13, 2017
A copy was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I loved the first book in this series, Take the Lead. I gave it five stars. It's one of my favorite romances that I read in 2017. Dance With Me is the sequel, but it can stand alone. Though there are some elements that will be more satisfying if you have read book one (especially the plotline involving Donna).
Unfortunately, despite my excitement to read it, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much. It still brings some of the things I loved in Take the Lead: a Puerto Rican heroine portrayed with a great deal of cultural specificity, conflicts that felt real and gripping, some lovely dance-centered moments (I especially appreciated the choreography moments), blazing chemistry between the MCs, a heroine I adored. It also includes elements that I often enjoy: forced proximity, friends with benefits to lovers, a romance arc where the hero needs to prove he is worthy of the heroine's trust.
I could see the glimmer of how great this romance could have been, because of those things, and I am sad it had other issues that prevented it from working for me.
My core problem with the story is that I don't think that the hero is worthy of the heroine's trust. He is careless with her, often says cruel things (which is attributed to nervous blurting). Most importantly: he is in a power position both as a judge on the show she works at and as the person who is giving her a place to stay when she has nowhere else to go, and he doesn't respect her boundaries or her no, continually pushes her to have sex, and is very controlling for a large portion of the book, which is especially bad around her temporary disability. The carelessness and the cruel blurting could potentially be recuperated. The other stuff made me conclude that he was terrible for her and this was a destructive relationship for her. Nothing he did won me over and I honestly am not sure it could.
I can pinpoint the exact moment when I decided he was terrible for her. The sexual coercion at 28%.
Then, around 40%, the heroine gets temporarily injured. As a disabled reader, I was appalled at his behavior. This is basically the exact opposite of caring: removing disability aids and ignoring her no is not romantic or a sign of love. At best its ableist ignorance. Paired with a pattern of ignoring her boundaries and disrespecting her no, it read as abusive to me. The book, however, seems to present it as a minor flaw, and has him shift his behavior because he is called on it by people in his life...not even because he listens to her objections.
He does become less controlling as the story goes on, finally respects a boundary she has set, listens to her more. But for me, he just doesn't work as a romantic hero. He was not recuperated for me, even when he does eventually step up and take emotional risks.
Trigger Warnings:
I loved the first book in this series, Take the Lead. I gave it five stars. It's one of my favorite romances that I read in 2017. Dance With Me is the sequel, but it can stand alone. Though there are some elements that will be more satisfying if you have read book one (especially the plotline involving Donna).
Unfortunately, despite my excitement to read it, I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much. It still brings some of the things I loved in Take the Lead: a Puerto Rican heroine portrayed with a great deal of cultural specificity, conflicts that felt real and gripping, some lovely dance-centered moments (I especially appreciated the choreography moments), blazing chemistry between the MCs, a heroine I adored. It also includes elements that I often enjoy: forced proximity, friends with benefits to lovers, a romance arc where the hero needs to prove he is worthy of the heroine's trust.
I could see the glimmer of how great this romance could have been, because of those things, and I am sad it had other issues that prevented it from working for me.
My core problem with the story is that I don't think that the hero is worthy of the heroine's trust. He is careless with her, often says cruel things (which is attributed to nervous blurting). Most importantly: he is in a power position both as a judge on the show she works at and as the person who is giving her a place to stay when she has nowhere else to go, and he doesn't respect her boundaries or her no, continually pushes her to have sex, and is very controlling for a large portion of the book, which is especially bad around her temporary disability. The carelessness and the cruel blurting could potentially be recuperated. The other stuff made me conclude that he was terrible for her and this was a destructive relationship for her. Nothing he did won me over and I honestly am not sure it could.
I can pinpoint the exact moment when I decided he was terrible for her. The sexual coercion at 28%.
Then, around 40%, the heroine gets temporarily injured. As a disabled reader, I was appalled at his behavior. This is basically the exact opposite of caring: removing disability aids and ignoring her no is not romantic or a sign of love. At best its ableist ignorance. Paired with a pattern of ignoring her boundaries and disrespecting her no, it read as abusive to me. The book, however, seems to present it as a minor flaw, and has him shift his behavior because he is called on it by people in his life...not even because he listens to her objections.
He does become less controlling as the story goes on, finally respects a boundary she has set, listens to her more. But for me, he just doesn't work as a romantic hero. He was not recuperated for me, even when he does eventually step up and take emotional risks.
Trigger Warnings:
December 11, 2017
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.
March 9, 2018
For the life of me I can't figure out why more people aren't reading these books!
Dance with Me was another great book in the series and one that left me feeling happy and satisfied. Both characters have a lot of growing to do and I love that this book was more character driven. Natasha's life has been a little crazy ever since her best friend moved out of their apartment. She's always been the kind of girl who tends to live in the moment without thinking of the later consequences. This of course has gotten her into a pickle a time or two but luckily, she's always had someone to help her out. But Natasha struggles with her inability to do things on her own and she's stubborn about it too, even though there's nothing wrong with accepting help when it's offered. This book was a journey for Natasha on learning how to be her own person, to figuring out who she was and what she wanted most, even if that was something people were against. I really liked her character and felt she was very relatable.
Dimitri wasn't perfect but I liked that he owned up to his mistakes and faults and actually tried to do something to change. Yes, the reasoning behind their "arrangement" kind of annoyed me, especially since they could've been together a long time before had he not been a coward about it but I can understand how scary it is to let yourself be vulnerable with someone. But this book was also about Dimitri's personal growth within himself. We really got to know who he was and the things he wanted most in life and how scary it was for him to think that he'd never get them. It was also really interesting to learn more about his Ukrainian culture and family as well as Natasha's Puerto Rican family and I loved how diverse this book was.
While I could've done without the mention of their previous hookups, I couldn't deny that I could tell they were perfect together. They have immediate sexual chemistry but getting to see things from both of their POV's I could tell early on that they were a perfect match for each other in every other way too. My only complaints would be that I wish there were more scenes with Gina and Natasha, and also the issue with her mom felt unfinished. Considering both weighed heavily on Natasha's mind throughout the entire book, the way they were handled by the end didn't feel like enough for me.
Overall this is a solid read and one I'd highly recommend romance readers to check out!
October 24, 2017
Thanks to Swerve/SMP via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It has not influenced my thoughts or opinions.
Take the Lead, the first book in this duology, focuses more heavily on a Dancing with the Stars-inspired plot between a dancer and a guest competitor. In Dance with Me, Daria explores the on-again-off-again relationship between a dancer and a judge, but it deviates pretty considerably from the first book.
I loved this book because it explores the family you find, the maturity of a regular hook-up to a relationship, and what it means to care for others. It's also ultra steamy, so if that's something you like in romance novels, definitely pick it up. Daria is also very skilled at navigating tough subjects like making difficult decisions to achieve one's dreams, fear of failure, and – oddly enough – personal finance. Both Natasha and Dimitri are likable in different ways, even as they err, and I found myself rooting for them.
Daria is a fresh new voice in romance, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
Take the Lead, the first book in this duology, focuses more heavily on a Dancing with the Stars-inspired plot between a dancer and a guest competitor. In Dance with Me, Daria explores the on-again-off-again relationship between a dancer and a judge, but it deviates pretty considerably from the first book.
I loved this book because it explores the family you find, the maturity of a regular hook-up to a relationship, and what it means to care for others. It's also ultra steamy, so if that's something you like in romance novels, definitely pick it up. Daria is also very skilled at navigating tough subjects like making difficult decisions to achieve one's dreams, fear of failure, and – oddly enough – personal finance. Both Natasha and Dimitri are likable in different ways, even as they err, and I found myself rooting for them.
Daria is a fresh new voice in romance, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
December 12, 2018
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!
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
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!
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
December 22, 2017
This was very much a knock heads together romance. I actually related a lot to Natasha's desire to succeed on her own, but the stuff with telling Gina not to pay out the lease, that was just stupid. She signed a contract!! Taking money that she legally committed to paying isn't asking for help, it's what's right!!!
But other than that, they were very sexy together and I hope we get a F/F novel in this series.
But other than that, they were very sexy together and I hope we get a F/F novel in this series.
December 27, 2017
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I received an ARC of Dance with Me from NetGalley. I requested this dance romance book, as I am absolutely in love with the first book of the series: Take the Lead. You can check out my review here.
This book is #ownvoices for Puerto Rican American representation.
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This book was so different to the first book. I was expecting a really wonderful romance, and I did not get that at all.
The writing style is very organic and flows well. It made it quite easy to get into the story. The dancing and choreography passages are a dream again. It’s wonderful how much of the soul and feeling of dance is conveyed into the writing.
Natasha wears glasses and contact lenses, and I was pleasantly surprised that this was mentioned quite a few times during the story. I was really happy about that!
However, there were quite a few things that I disliked about this book.
The first is that Dimitri isn’t respectful of Natasha’s wishes and demands. She will state that she wants something to be just so, and he will agree – however, when the reader switches to his perspective, they find out that he is planning how to change their mind. Dimitri does not try to understand why Natasha would make certain choices.
Once Natasha is injured, Dimitri practically ignores most of her wishes. Spoiler: . This left me with a very sour feeling.
Natasha’s insinuates numerous times that people don’t strip because they genuinely want to do the job, but for the money. Enjoying the job and having a good work atmosphere seem to be seen as luxuries, that only a few people in the industry have. This is sex-worker antagonistic. I would have preferred it, if there had been some characters that were not just in the industry for the money but also because they really love the job they are doing.
I felt that Dimitri’s overbearingness was romanticised in this book. And he was really not a great person.
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I am so surprised that reading this book gave me the complete opposite experience to the first book. I am quite disappointed. However, since I did enjoy Alexis Daria’s writing and I like the premise and setting of the Dance Off books, I will still read other books by her.
If you don’t like reading books with a lot of sex in them, this isn’t the right book for you.
Trigger warning: sex-worker antagonism.
I received an ARC of Dance with Me from NetGalley. I requested this dance romance book, as I am absolutely in love with the first book of the series: Take the Lead. You can check out my review here.
This book is #ownvoices for Puerto Rican American representation.
__
This book was so different to the first book. I was expecting a really wonderful romance, and I did not get that at all.
The writing style is very organic and flows well. It made it quite easy to get into the story. The dancing and choreography passages are a dream again. It’s wonderful how much of the soul and feeling of dance is conveyed into the writing.
Natasha wears glasses and contact lenses, and I was pleasantly surprised that this was mentioned quite a few times during the story. I was really happy about that!
However, there were quite a few things that I disliked about this book.
The first is that Dimitri isn’t respectful of Natasha’s wishes and demands. She will state that she wants something to be just so, and he will agree – however, when the reader switches to his perspective, they find out that he is planning how to change their mind. Dimitri does not try to understand why Natasha would make certain choices.
Once Natasha is injured, Dimitri practically ignores most of her wishes. Spoiler: . This left me with a very sour feeling.
Natasha’s insinuates numerous times that people don’t strip because they genuinely want to do the job, but for the money. Enjoying the job and having a good work atmosphere seem to be seen as luxuries, that only a few people in the industry have. This is sex-worker antagonistic. I would have preferred it, if there had been some characters that were not just in the industry for the money but also because they really love the job they are doing.
I felt that Dimitri’s overbearingness was romanticised in this book. And he was really not a great person.
__
I am so surprised that reading this book gave me the complete opposite experience to the first book. I am quite disappointed. However, since I did enjoy Alexis Daria’s writing and I like the premise and setting of the Dance Off books, I will still read other books by her.
If you don’t like reading books with a lot of sex in them, this isn’t the right book for you.
Trigger warning: sex-worker antagonism.
October 25, 2017
Alexis Daria's second novel is another fun look inside the world of televised dance competition. Natasha, the best friend of the heroine in Take the Lead, is the star here. Tasha has had an on again/off again "friends with benefits" arrangement with Dimitri, one of the judges on the show. Deciding she needs to stand on her own feet, Tasha tries to end it with Dimitri, just as her apartment becomes unlivable and Dimitri's offer to put her up is the best of a bad bunch of options. To successfully pursue Tasha, Dimitri has to learn to let her solve her own problems. In turn, Tasha needs to learn to learn the difference between independence and trying to prove herself to her forbidding, dismissive mother.
In some ways, I don't want to compare the two books--they definitely stand on their own--but having read Take the Lead, comparisons are almost inevitable. The conflict in this was mostly driven by the personalities of the protagonists (whereas in the first book, the conflict was driven more by outside circumstances). I kind of wanted to shake both of them at various points, but their insecurities and histories were believable enough that the conflict wouldn't have been resolved by just one simple conversation. While the show was still a part of the plot, it wasn't as integral as it was in the first book (neither good nor bad, just an observation). The community and camaraderie among the show's other dancers is fun and strong in both books and I'm hoping we get more stories in this world (Kevin, maybe?).
I was provided a free advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In some ways, I don't want to compare the two books--they definitely stand on their own--but having read Take the Lead, comparisons are almost inevitable. The conflict in this was mostly driven by the personalities of the protagonists (whereas in the first book, the conflict was driven more by outside circumstances). I kind of wanted to shake both of them at various points, but their insecurities and histories were believable enough that the conflict wouldn't have been resolved by just one simple conversation. While the show was still a part of the plot, it wasn't as integral as it was in the first book (neither good nor bad, just an observation). The community and camaraderie among the show's other dancers is fun and strong in both books and I'm hoping we get more stories in this world (Kevin, maybe?).
I was provided a free advance reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2017
Dance with me by Alexis Daria a sublime four-star read. This is the second book in the Dance Off series, and it’s just as good if not better that the first book. This book will have you dancing in the supermarket isles, it’s a great story and shows us what happens during the off season of reality TV shows, its shows how life isn’t all sparkles and bedazzled leotards. Natasha Diaz is having a hard time, her life isn’t what she was hoping and she has realised that when life gives you lemons you move in with a boy you can’t keep your hands off. That boy is Dimitri and well I wouldn’t want to keep my hands off him either. He could show me his moves any time, but that may be the problem.
This book will keep you reading and humming to yourself while you read it, if it doesn’t fill you with a passion for dancing I don’t know what will. If you are after a great read, with romance and drama a plenty then this is the read for you.
This book will keep you reading and humming to yourself while you read it, if it doesn’t fill you with a passion for dancing I don’t know what will. If you are after a great read, with romance and drama a plenty then this is the read for you.
February 24, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨I originally wanted to wait and see if St. Martins Press is going to re-release this one like they did with Take the Lead but I couldn’t wait for Natasha’s story. This was really fun.
This book was a dual pov, open door romance with forced proximity as the most prevelent trope. Other tropes include: second chance romance, childhood crush, and workplace romance.
I think if you loved the scenes where Josh takes care of Lucy in The Hating Game, then you’ll love how sweet Dimitri is to Natasha. Obviously they are not the same book at all but the scene was reminiscent of that book for me.
I think you can definitely read this as a standalone but it’s a bit more fun to read it after reading Take the Lead.
My biggest takeaway: dancing is sexy and now I want to watch Dancing with the Stars for the first time in years haha😅
This book was a dual pov, open door romance with forced proximity as the most prevelent trope. Other tropes include: second chance romance, childhood crush, and workplace romance.
I think if you loved the scenes where Josh takes care of Lucy in The Hating Game, then you’ll love how sweet Dimitri is to Natasha. Obviously they are not the same book at all but the scene was reminiscent of that book for me.
I think you can definitely read this as a standalone but it’s a bit more fun to read it after reading Take the Lead.
My biggest takeaway: dancing is sexy and now I want to watch Dancing with the Stars for the first time in years haha😅
December 31, 2017
3.5 stars
I actually thoroughly loved the first book in this series and the reality TV dancing world it introduced me to. It also introduced us to the protagonists of this book, who have an on-off hook-up relationship for years, but somehow the hero wants more. Now, I am not a big fan of the theme that people who have been with each other over a period of years, do not evaluate whether they have something deeper but I will say I really enjoyed this book. The heroine has a messy relationship with her mother and the hero comes through for her when she needs him. All in all I am very impressed by this author's voice and can't wait for what she comes up with next.
ARC provided through Netgalley
I actually thoroughly loved the first book in this series and the reality TV dancing world it introduced me to. It also introduced us to the protagonists of this book, who have an on-off hook-up relationship for years, but somehow the hero wants more. Now, I am not a big fan of the theme that people who have been with each other over a period of years, do not evaluate whether they have something deeper but I will say I really enjoyed this book. The heroine has a messy relationship with her mother and the hero comes through for her when she needs him. All in all I am very impressed by this author's voice and can't wait for what she comes up with next.
ARC provided through Netgalley
December 12, 2017
WHAT A JOY
June 27, 2020
This is one of those fun, breezy books that gives you all of the telanovela glamour of L.A. celebrity life as well at the realities of trying to make it as an artist (like Natasha struggling to pay rent and working a hundred side gigs to keep herself afloat, despite the fact that she is a mini-celebrity). I'll admit I'm not a big fan of Hollywood-type romances in general, but this book really pulled me in. I think it was because of all the dance elements. I LOVE to (Latin) dance and every time I picked up this book, I felt the joy of dance in the pages, even when the scenes weren't explicitly about the craft. Natasha's struggles to establish herself and redefine what success means to her are realistic and relatable and the way she and Dimitri are able to work through their issues was satisfying. I also loved how they were able to take their personal power back by the end of the book by refusing to play the industry games (trying not to give any spoilers so sorry if this is vague!). I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
October 13, 2018
I adore this series, I really do. There's something so addictive and sexy about a dance world - and a Dancing with the Stars-inspired world was just what I needed.
This novel follows the previous Dance Off series female lead's best friend (Natasha) and her casual-turned-something-more relationship with one of the judges (Dimitri). It was less plot-heavy than the previous, and other, romance novel(s), due to it taking place during the off-season of the show. It focused more on the characters and in particular their personal growth and development as a couple. That being said, I really enjoyed their introspections and the chemistry between the leads was fantastic. (Also, a sexy Ukranian dancer character named Dimitri is just everything I ever needed in a romance novel). (Also sidebar to the sidebar, the little bits of Spanish and Russian included in the text was a nice touch).
If you're a fan of fun, sexy contemporaries, and in particular, dance and dance competitions, definitely pick it up (no need to read the previous novel in the 'series').
This novel follows the previous Dance Off series female lead's best friend (Natasha) and her casual-turned-something-more relationship with one of the judges (Dimitri). It was less plot-heavy than the previous, and other, romance novel(s), due to it taking place during the off-season of the show. It focused more on the characters and in particular their personal growth and development as a couple. That being said, I really enjoyed their introspections and the chemistry between the leads was fantastic. (Also, a sexy Ukranian dancer character named Dimitri is just everything I ever needed in a romance novel). (Also sidebar to the sidebar, the little bits of Spanish and Russian included in the text was a nice touch).
If you're a fan of fun, sexy contemporaries, and in particular, dance and dance competitions, definitely pick it up (no need to read the previous novel in the 'series').
November 27, 2017
"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."
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
[3.5] This is the second installment of the Dance Off series. After reading these two books, I really appreciate Alexis Daria's writing and ideas. I enjoyed reading this book and what I liked the most was the relationship dynamics since we have a couple who are friends with benefits and then they have to move in together and it's also a forbidden relationship so they have to keep their arrangements a secret. I absolutely adored the domesticity that surrounded them, my favourite part, as with the first book is how they used dancing to express their feelings. Alexis Daria has a real talent for descriptions on dance and creating tension and communication between the characters through it.
Something that kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the book is seeing them grow as people, the development and the different ways they interacted. I loved how they already knew that they liked each other but were too fearful to do anything about it. Nevertheless, I wanted more conversations on how they came to fall in love with each other before the book started to connect with them and their relationship more. Natasha was a super strong character and I appreciated the aspects of Puerto Rican culture that we got to see from her as well as Dimitri and his Ukranian heritage. The pacing of their relationship was well done and I liked that it was slow burning. Both of them had flaws that they had to work on and they did it together, as friends and as lovers. However, there was too much coming and going with them and I lost interest at one point because they wouldn't communicate. I didn't like that Dimitri was very over protective of her and even when she asked him to not do things for her, he wouldn't listen. Apart from those things, I really enjoyed my time reading this book and I look forward to reading more from her!
November 12, 2018
I was mad at the beginning because the power dynamics really pissed me off, and their logic was often truly bonkers. Dimitri often disrespected Natasha’s boundaries, which is just ughhhhhh, especially at the beginning. they talk it out and actually apologize, even tho I didn’t feel like he apologized for everything he did. And he still was like pulling the strings instead of letting Natasha do her thing and have her space, yknow? Anyway. I love Tasha, and she deserves SO MUCH LOVE!!! AND A THERAPIST!!!!!!
September 22, 2019
*3,7 stars*
January 6, 2018
In one line - "I really want to love this book because it's so good but this particular collection of tropes is working against me, gaaaaah-"
It is good. The storyline has much more angst than the first book, though, and that's where you start to lose me. If you don't mind angst and (well explained!) miscommunication this is your jam.
The good:
- The writing is solid and little things that sometimes fall by the wayside are perfectly in place.
- The characterization is spun out slowly and realistically, aided by the duel points of view.
- It's a friends-with-benefits to lovers storyline, which I haven't seen in quite this configuration before.
- The baddie gets her due and ooo boy is it good.
- Dimitri's backstory is interesting and even fun in places. Wait until you see what his breakout movie role was, bwahahahaha. :)
- I love what Daria has to say about acceptance, the importance of friends, and the different ways one can be Latina.
The not-for-me:
- Miscommunication is rife. There are good reasons for it but my tolerance is pretty low.
- One of the characters is always prepared to believe the worst and it drove me a bit nuts. 'This awful thing will totally happen, leading to this and that which mean ruin!' No. Please breathe and think for a sec.
- The reality show the series is based around is in the off season so there's none of the associated happy crazy. I don't usually read contemporary romance and having something a bit outside of everyday real life makes it more interesting for me.
Even though this wasn't the best book for me it's still an easy recommend if your tastes run counter to mine. I'm excited that Daria has more books planned in this universe, and a f/f relationship is teased in the prologue! Love it.
Thanks to Swerve and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
It is good. The storyline has much more angst than the first book, though, and that's where you start to lose me. If you don't mind angst and (well explained!) miscommunication this is your jam.
The good:
- The writing is solid and little things that sometimes fall by the wayside are perfectly in place.
- The characterization is spun out slowly and realistically, aided by the duel points of view.
- It's a friends-with-benefits to lovers storyline, which I haven't seen in quite this configuration before.
- The baddie gets her due and ooo boy is it good.
- Dimitri's backstory is interesting and even fun in places. Wait until you see what his breakout movie role was, bwahahahaha. :)
- I love what Daria has to say about acceptance, the importance of friends, and the different ways one can be Latina.
The not-for-me:
- Miscommunication is rife. There are good reasons for it but my tolerance is pretty low.
- One of the characters is always prepared to believe the worst and it drove me a bit nuts. 'This awful thing will totally happen, leading to this and that which mean ruin!' No. Please breathe and think for a sec.
- The reality show the series is based around is in the off season so there's none of the associated happy crazy. I don't usually read contemporary romance and having something a bit outside of everyday real life makes it more interesting for me.
Even though this wasn't the best book for me it's still an easy recommend if your tastes run counter to mine. I'm excited that Daria has more books planned in this universe, and a f/f relationship is teased in the prologue! Love it.
Thanks to Swerve and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
January 19, 2018
This is Natasha's story. Natasha was Gina's best friend and rommate in the first book (Take the Lead). After an unexpected disaster, Natasha finds herself homeless. Her on and off lover for 3 years, Dimitri, offered her his spare bedroom.
So, having enjoyed the first book, I wanted to read this one too. A word of advice: Just skip this one. I had Issues. Big, Major Issues.
Natasha makes it known that she doesn't want to be lovers while she is living with Dimitri. Dimitri finds ways to constantly and consistently push her line. What made this worse (for me), was Dimitri's position of power. Not only is Natasha dependent on him for a roof over her head, he is also a judge on the dancing show she is on. When Natasha is injured, he makes it so she is almost completely dependent on him. Fuck No.
Then there is Natasha. She is envious and jealous of Gina. Get over it. Please. She didn't make the best decisions (being broke and then going out for dinner at an expensive restaurant with her friends for example). She does mature a little by the end and I did find I didn't want to slap some sense into her as much.
So to summarize, Dimitri's behavior was something that *most* people would not put up with in real life. So, it shouldn't get a pass in a book boyfriend. It's not romantic, it's abusive. But read the first book: it's good!
eARC courtesy of St Marin's Press (Swerve) and NetGalley.
Released Dec 12th 2017
So, having enjoyed the first book, I wanted to read this one too. A word of advice: Just skip this one. I had Issues. Big, Major Issues.
Natasha makes it known that she doesn't want to be lovers while she is living with Dimitri. Dimitri finds ways to constantly and consistently push her line. What made this worse (for me), was Dimitri's position of power. Not only is Natasha dependent on him for a roof over her head, he is also a judge on the dancing show she is on. When Natasha is injured, he makes it so she is almost completely dependent on him. Fuck No.
Then there is Natasha. She is envious and jealous of Gina. Get over it. Please. She didn't make the best decisions (being broke and then going out for dinner at an expensive restaurant with her friends for example). She does mature a little by the end and I did find I didn't want to slap some sense into her as much.
So to summarize, Dimitri's behavior was something that *most* people would not put up with in real life. So, it shouldn't get a pass in a book boyfriend. It's not romantic, it's abusive. But read the first book: it's good!
eARC courtesy of St Marin's Press (Swerve) and NetGalley.
Released Dec 12th 2017
December 6, 2017
The only thing missing from this fiery friends-with-benefits-that-want-more story was a playlist. The way Natasha and Dmitri connected through dance was mesmerizing and I wished I could hear the music while envisioning the dance scenes.
Dance with Me was a great surprise to me because I usually don't care for romances set in the fake and weird world of reality tv and I usually don't find romances compelling when the MCs are already sleeping together. But the push-pull between Natasha and Dmitri and their undeniable chemistry on and off the dance floor made this more an emotional story about two people making mistakes (and learning from them) as they fight falling in love. I loved watching the smooth Dmitri fall over himself trying (and often failing) to say and do the right things for Natasha once he realized he was in love with her.
It was lovely how Natasha and Dmitri's ethnic backgrounds flowed together without need for unnecessary exposition or translation. Some of my favorite little moments were when Natasha would lapse in Spanish and Dmitri in Ukrainian. Their cultural differences blended together just as effortlessly as they did when dancing together.
Although this was the second in the Dance Off series, it reads like a standalone. I hadn't read the first but didn't have any trouble following along.
Note: I received an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
Dance with Me was a great surprise to me because I usually don't care for romances set in the fake and weird world of reality tv and I usually don't find romances compelling when the MCs are already sleeping together. But the push-pull between Natasha and Dmitri and their undeniable chemistry on and off the dance floor made this more an emotional story about two people making mistakes (and learning from them) as they fight falling in love. I loved watching the smooth Dmitri fall over himself trying (and often failing) to say and do the right things for Natasha once he realized he was in love with her.
It was lovely how Natasha and Dmitri's ethnic backgrounds flowed together without need for unnecessary exposition or translation. Some of my favorite little moments were when Natasha would lapse in Spanish and Dmitri in Ukrainian. Their cultural differences blended together just as effortlessly as they did when dancing together.
Although this was the second in the Dance Off series, it reads like a standalone. I hadn't read the first but didn't have any trouble following along.
Note: I received an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
December 13, 2017
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. Dans le premier tome , nous avions suivi les aventures de Gina et Stone et vous pouvez retrouver mon avis sur Take the lead en cliquant ICI
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.
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.
December 11, 2017
http://celebrityreaders.com/2017/12/1...
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!
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!
October 27, 2017
This was an enjoyable novel with some problematic parts, but I actually think I enjoyed the pacing of it more than I did the first one in this series. This is probably more to do with the fact that there was almost none of the reality TV show aspect, excepting when it was mentioned, and there was a vast reduction to the character of Donna (although she gets her comeuppance which I would almost give 5 stars for all on its own).
Natasha and Dimitri are both characters who readers will be familiar with from Take the Lead. However, if you didn't read that book, the author gives more than enough information for you to go forth into this book without problems.
Natasha is in a bad way when the story starts. Her housemate has just moved out. Her car has recently broken down and depleted her savings, and to top it all off, her bathroom ceiling has just fallen into her apartment necessitating her immediate leaving of the apartment so that the builders can do their repairing thing.
The problem is, she has nowhere to go and no money to get into a hotel.
Enter Dimitri, the guy she's been sleeping with casually for three years. I really loved the introduction of Dimitri. Like in Take the Lead, this is a dual viewpoint book, which meant that we got Dimitri's history of events between them as well as Natasha's. And Dimitri has just been looking for a way to see if there is any way of developing a closer relationship with this person who he's been casually seeing for three years.
All of this is going along swimmingly, if you excuse the complete lack of communication between these characters, but reasons were given to a point where even I excused it.
Around halfway through the novel, however, Natasha injures herself. And that's where some of the problematic stuff starts. Dimitri's wanting to develop a closer relationship with her becomes a little off. He does things for her without asking her permission or getting her consent. You can see that it's meant to come from a good place, but Natasha should also get a say in what's going on while she's injured.
THANKFULLY, both Dimitri's mother and his cousin set him straight on maybe showing he loves her rather than railroading through her wants in his need to assert his feelings, and he gradually does better.
February 22, 2018
Rating 3.5
Ok,my anticipation for this one was prettyyyyyy high, because book one is now one of my fave books i've read for 2017. i just adored it! But i have to say I didnt get that same feeling here, sadly. i liked Natasha and could so relate to her insecurities of wanting to do things on her own, and not knowing how Dimitri felt but I feel like i never fullyyy warmed up to Dimitri.
He was soooo pushy with Natasha that for a good portion of the book he sort of turned me off. Like, she gets injured and he's carrying her and she says to put her down multiple times and he flat out refused....that just...rubbed me so wrong,
I never did get that omg swooon feeling that i got with Stone in book one. i know i know, two different guys here but still! I may have slightly, towards the end, been like ok he's wising up to how not to act with Natasha but idk, maybe it was too late then.
BUT. lemme just say the few dance scenes were magical as always. Alexis Daria knows how to give good dance , lemme just say that. emotions were so real when they danced. And i know this book takes place in the off season of their show but I wanted mooore dancing.
This is where book 1 shone for me. that emotion, of their building relationship was seen so well with the dancing and while we got a few scenes here with Dimitri and Tash i missed them. i really did.
And whooo boy Donna i legit despise you girl. Even more so than in book one damn lol.
Also side note: i really liked Nik, even the little we got of him I was like oh i like him and I want to see more of that guy heheh.
So while i didnt get the swoony feeling that i got with book one I will say i'm hoping for more books in this series. Idk if something's being hinted at with Kevin, Tash's friend and coworker on the dance show but im here for more books in this universe!
Ok,my anticipation for this one was prettyyyyyy high, because book one is now one of my fave books i've read for 2017. i just adored it! But i have to say I didnt get that same feeling here, sadly. i liked Natasha and could so relate to her insecurities of wanting to do things on her own, and not knowing how Dimitri felt but I feel like i never fullyyy warmed up to Dimitri.
He was soooo pushy with Natasha that for a good portion of the book he sort of turned me off. Like, she gets injured and he's carrying her and she says to put her down multiple times and he flat out refused....that just...rubbed me so wrong,
I never did get that omg swooon feeling that i got with Stone in book one. i know i know, two different guys here but still! I may have slightly, towards the end, been like ok he's wising up to how not to act with Natasha but idk, maybe it was too late then.
BUT. lemme just say the few dance scenes were magical as always. Alexis Daria knows how to give good dance , lemme just say that. emotions were so real when they danced. And i know this book takes place in the off season of their show but I wanted mooore dancing.
This is where book 1 shone for me. that emotion, of their building relationship was seen so well with the dancing and while we got a few scenes here with Dimitri and Tash i missed them. i really did.
And whooo boy Donna i legit despise you girl. Even more so than in book one damn lol.
Also side note: i really liked Nik, even the little we got of him I was like oh i like him and I want to see more of that guy heheh.
So while i didnt get the swoony feeling that i got with book one I will say i'm hoping for more books in this series. Idk if something's being hinted at with Kevin, Tash's friend and coworker on the dance show but im here for more books in this universe!
August 3, 2020
I loved the first book in this series and I have no idea why I waited this long to read the next! Natasha and Dmitri had such palpable chemistry with their push-pull dynamic. They’ve been doing whatever they’ve been doing for 3 years and Dmitri has been secretly in love with her the whole time. But he’s one of those guys who always says the wrong thing. Hello, foot in mouth. So Natasha has no idea he wants more than a friend with occasional benefits. She wishes she could quit him, especially because she feels really strongly about learning how to do things on her own. A bedbug infestation in her apartment building, along with a caved in ceiling compliments of a leaking pipe from the apartment above her, leaves her with no place to go but Dmitri’s house and there the sparks really ignite. This was such a fun read! I loved their banter and the way they talked about their respective immigrant experiences. Plus, I loved seeing what dance and choreography meant to them. It was interesting to read about a heroine with an excessive spending problem and to see what that meant for her finances and larger picture of her life, although it stressed me out too. I do wish the power imbalance had been better addressed—Dmitri never seemed to take Natasha’s concerns seriously, whether it was their living arrangement or the fact that she could get kicked off the show. I also struggled to understand why Natasha stayed in relationship with her toxic mother, even through to the end of the story. She would have been better off cutting her losses.
CW: toxic mother, sprained ankle
CW: toxic mother, sprained ankle
July 31, 2018
4,5 stars
I read Rita Award-winning TAKE THE LEAD quite a while ago (GR tells me it was October 2017) and when DANCE WITH ME released, my plan was to read it immediately...but my reading never goes as planned so it ended upon Mt. TBR and stayed there until a few days ago, when I finished a novella and was looking for my next read on my Kindle. It jumped at me and demanded to be read immediately.
I started reading and was completely drawn in by the writing and the characters. I really love Daria’s writing style.
I loved how it is Dimitri, the hero, who is smitten and pursues and wants more than just a sexual arrangement. Natasha is the one trying to create a bit of a distance between them by pushing away his advances and attempts to deepen their relationship and wanting them to remain f*ckbuddies.
I liked Natasha as well, her sass was awesome and I could really relate to her character and personality and how she tackled life.
I really missed the dance competition stuff I loved in the first book but the romance and character development more than made up for that. And there was still a lot about dancing in all forms. I loved reading about Dimitri’s family and Gina making an appearance was just the icing on the cake.
I hope Ms. Daria treats us to some more from this world soon.
I read Rita Award-winning TAKE THE LEAD quite a while ago (GR tells me it was October 2017) and when DANCE WITH ME released, my plan was to read it immediately...but my reading never goes as planned so it ended upon Mt. TBR and stayed there until a few days ago, when I finished a novella and was looking for my next read on my Kindle. It jumped at me and demanded to be read immediately.
I started reading and was completely drawn in by the writing and the characters. I really love Daria’s writing style.
I loved how it is Dimitri, the hero, who is smitten and pursues and wants more than just a sexual arrangement. Natasha is the one trying to create a bit of a distance between them by pushing away his advances and attempts to deepen their relationship and wanting them to remain f*ckbuddies.
I liked Natasha as well, her sass was awesome and I could really relate to her character and personality and how she tackled life.
I really missed the dance competition stuff I loved in the first book but the romance and character development more than made up for that. And there was still a lot about dancing in all forms. I loved reading about Dimitri’s family and Gina making an appearance was just the icing on the cake.
I hope Ms. Daria treats us to some more from this world soon.
October 5, 2018
I had issues with this book, it seemed to be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”. My big issue was how both Natasha and Dimitri were so caviler about their relationship, friends with benefits or maybe co-workers with benefits. Either way it bothered me how they would sleep with each other and other people no strings. The funny things is that both of them admitted in this book they wanted more from the other but were too scared. But come on…3 years, that is a lot of time to not have what you want.
Now that my rant is done, off to things I liked about the book.
I did like that Natasha called Dimitri when she needed help, that he didn’t give a second thought to helping her, even as things went on Dimitri tried to help Natasha in bigger ways to get her life together. When these two would spend time together and not think of the outside world they were great together. I liked how they were able to trust each other with their secrets and how neither judged the other.
When the evil producer Donna butted in I wanted to throttle her! I hated what she did, but loved how she was dealt with.
The ending had me smiling, loved that Natasha and Dimitri were living life on their own terms together.
Now that my rant is done, off to things I liked about the book.
I did like that Natasha called Dimitri when she needed help, that he didn’t give a second thought to helping her, even as things went on Dimitri tried to help Natasha in bigger ways to get her life together. When these two would spend time together and not think of the outside world they were great together. I liked how they were able to trust each other with their secrets and how neither judged the other.
When the evil producer Donna butted in I wanted to throttle her! I hated what she did, but loved how she was dealt with.
The ending had me smiling, loved that Natasha and Dimitri were living life on their own terms together.
June 26, 2018
***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 ~
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 ~
December 22, 2017
As a big fan of the first book, I was sad to be disappointed by this one. I found the male protag's overly controlling and domineering behavior to be abusive. To start with, Dimitri's a judge on the television show the female protag, Natasha, dances on (basically like Ukrainian Simon Cowell). Then, when Natasha's apartment becomes unliveable, he volunteers her a place to stay. Generous, right? But instead of respecting Natasha's no-sex-while-cohabitating condition, he continually tries to break it. If not non-consensual, it was at least dubious and manipulative.
I did really like Natasha and there were some really fun side characters; it was nice to see more to Lori and Kevin. It was fun to practice my Spanish with all the Spanish words and phrases in there. And I liked learning more about dance and the descriptions of the dance scenes. The writing itself seemed solid to me. But overall the whole Dimitri-Knows-Best-Even-Though-Natasha-Is-An-Adult-Woman-Capable-of-Making-Her-Own-Choices show got old really fast. It improved somewhat as the book progressed, but I couldn't get past that enough to ever root for them to be together.
I did really like Natasha and there were some really fun side characters; it was nice to see more to Lori and Kevin. It was fun to practice my Spanish with all the Spanish words and phrases in there. And I liked learning more about dance and the descriptions of the dance scenes. The writing itself seemed solid to me. But overall the whole Dimitri-Knows-Best-Even-Though-Natasha-Is-An-Adult-Woman-Capable-of-Making-Her-Own-Choices show got old really fast. It improved somewhat as the book progressed, but I couldn't get past that enough to ever root for them to be together.
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