Fun, feel-good and a must read for fans of Strictly Come Dancing! Saturday nights are strictly for dancing… As the glitter ball shimmers and sequins flash, forty-year-old Maggie remembers the pull of the dancefloor. But now, as a newly divorced mum of two, Maggie’s certain her dancing days are over. Or are they…? Encouraged by her friends, Maggie dusts off her silver stilettoes and enrols … her silver stilettoes and enrols for dancing classes, all she needs now is the perfect partner.
Enter Seb. Young, carefree and hot as hell, Seb is definitely a perfect 10! Even though everything about him is outrageously inappropriate! But as Seb sweeps her across the dancefloor every week, Maggie begins to see a new side to him; kind, caring, funny, strong.
And Maggie realises that he’s the only one she’d like to foxtrot with…perhaps even forever?
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I was so excited to win Strictly Come Dating in the Love in Lockdown Giveaway by Harper Collins! The story follows Maggie as she finds herself and learns to love again. Maggie’s guilty pleasure is watching the show Strictly Come Dancing, which she watches with her best friends and the kids every week. When her friend’s younger brother watches with them one Saturday night, everything changes. They are instantly attracted to each other, but will their ten-year age difference and different lifestyles prevent them from being together?
Maggie, with encouragement from her friends, joins dance classes again. And when Seb becomes her partner, Maggie learns more than just dancing. She realized that Seb is more than the goofy, good-looking younger brother of her friend. He is fun and caring and generous and not what Maggie expected.
I love Maggie! A responsible, loving, and dedicated single mother and doctor who has been burned by love, Maggie likes to be in control. She is super organized and a bit insecure after the constant berating of her ex-husband. She is such a relatable and realistic woman who reminded me of one of my friends. Seb is very different from Maggie. A fun-loving and care-free man, Seb lives in the moment and is more impulsive. Much like Maggie, he is also very family-oriented, awesome with kids, and has a big heart.
The slow-building romance between Maggie and Seb is so sweet! They didn’t rush into a relationship, which I liked, especially considering there are kids involved, and they really got to know each other before jumping into anything. I also like that they don’t try to change each other. Maggie’s ex-husband squelched her identity and mocked her interests. I like how supportive and accepting Seb is. He gives her that confidence that her ex took from her, especially when he becomes her dance partner!
This is a sweet story with a slow-building and charming romance. I love the themes of friendship, family, and embracing life. Thanks so much to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Think ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ …but with a Contemporary Romance story to build all the tension, the potential drama, and the feelings you really need to make that routine SHINE! Add a twist on the May September type couple, two darling little girls, a few feisty seniors, and a gaggle of pre-teens that meddle just as much…and you’ve got the makings of this story set to dazzle and enchant!
I was listening to Dan + Shay while reading portions of this and…”…girl I wanna be what keeps you up at night…” just struck me as a very appropriate line for our boy Seb! Yes, he’s the younger one in this equation, which doesn’t raise other eyebrows as much as it does our leading lady’s, but he’s not one to give up when his heart is fully engaged. Maggie is wary with good reason. She doesn’t want to mess up her friendship with his sisters, nor does she want to get her heart in a tangled mess again after her marriage ended in a less than lovely manner…but the age gap is also giving her pause. Can she let go enough to listen to her heart instead of just her mind and enjoy the moments given? Now, if they can just get each other on the same page, they’ll be two stepping in no time!
In the end, I’d give it a 9.5 out of 10! Very entertaining, heartfelt, and yet realistic. Age gap romances when flipped the other way aren’t generally even blinked at but put the woman older than the man and all of a sudden you’ve made news! These two though…make serious sparks, both on and off the dance floor, and that chemistry, that ability to be in step with each other could just see them making a go of something they never saw coming. Recommended for Contemporary Romance fans to put a skip in your step and a flutter in your heart!
**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own
A romantic story full of rhythm
Strictly Come Dating by Kathryn Freeman is the story of a 37yo divorced mom that once again finds love and joy in life by dancing with her friend’s younger brother.
Our thanks to the author, One More Chapter, and Rachel Random Resources for the advanced reader’s copy.
Maggie was a responsible adult. She worked hard, took good care of her daughters, had it all organized and planned. Everything worked like a clock: everything, but her empty love life.
The highlight of her week was to watch Strictly Come Dating with her best friends every Saturday.
One night, her friend’s younger brother Sebastian showed up while they were watching the show, and Maggie’s life was never the same.
I simply loved Maggie! She was so sensible, so put together, and so harshly judged by her ex-husband. It was lovely to see how she managed to relax and to find herself through dancing.
Seb was a sweetheart and quite mature for his age. He worked with kids in a community center and was such a fun person to be around. He saw through Maggie’s emotional walls and reached to her.
Despite, or maybe because of, the age difference, Maggie and Seb worked. They had similar values and morals, and their differences brought balance to their relationship.
Strictly Come Dating is an inspiring, romantic, and fun read.
Lovely!
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Strictly fabulous:
This book is perfect for fans of the reality TV show Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing With The Stars as it is called across the pond.
Maggie is a type A, walled off divorcee with 2 children. Meanwhile 10 years her junior, Seb is laid back and still trying to find his way in life. Opposites attract and despite the age gap, they develop strong feelings for one another. I did like that they both had to work through their emotions and I appreciated seeing their growth and development. That being said I did want to shake them a time or two and wished they’d talk and just be honest with each other. Unfortunately I didn’t find this book overly exciting, however I grew to really like these two and Seb warmed my heart, especially seeing how he interacted with Maggie’s children.
I found the story rather slow paced and it took me a while to really get into it. Also it was marketed as a rom-com, however I think contemporary romance is a better description.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I have never watched Strictly Come Dancing or any equivalent US-based show, but Strictly Ballroom is one of my favorite movies so I can easily get into this new contemporary by Kathryn Freeman. The basic premise is this: Maggie religiously watches Strictly Come Dancing every week with her best friends and daughters ever since her divorce three years ago. One night there is a visitor to intrude upon their watch fest – her best friends’ younger by 10 years brother, Seb.
Seb is back home after his father’s heart attack, and he’s attempting to find his way. He’s been traveling and roaming since leaving high school (or what do they call it in the UK? Secondary school?) trying to find his place in life and what he feels called to do.
Maggie is a physician and essentially a single mother (more on that DB ex-husband later) but loves dancing with a passion, so she doesn’t fight hard when her friends convince her to take ballroom dancing lessons. Seb, feeling an instant attraction to Maggie, volunteers to be her partner, and life goes on from there.
What I loved about Strictly Come Dating was how it dealt with Maggie’s resistance to be in a new relationship, and especially how she felt about the age gap between them. And yet, she can’t deny the connection she has with Seb, even if there are some mishaps along the way.
I was happy to see Maggie finally come to her senses and realize that she has worth, because for so long she let her ex-husband wear down her confidence. I really wish she took that DB to court; he owed so much to his children and I felt like he got off so easily.
Even though it dealt with some deep and harsh issues, I felt like this was a light and quick read that instantly sucked me in. I picked it up, planning to just finish my chapter before bed and then somehow it was after midnight and I’d reached the final page. Kathryn Freeman has a way of keeping your interest!