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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
it just felt very fetishy of these people more than the other books did so it made me very uncomfortable
Kendall is a wedding planner who’s yet to meet that special someone who wholeheartedly accepts his love of pretty things and his genderqueer identity. Todd is a tattooed, bearded, flannel-wearing bakery assistant just getting his life on track after battling addiction. Both guys are very attracted to each other, but they’re also both coming off of relationships with people who didn’t treat them with the respect they deserve so they’re a little (re: very) skittish at the idea of starting up something new. The fact that each is also very aware that they aren’t the other’s usual type also causes some hitches in the road to romance.
When Kendall’s partner for a charity dance falls through at the last minute, he takes the opportunity to rope Todd into substituting – not that he has to try very hard; Todd is very receptive to following Kendall’s lead as he proves time and again (on the dance floor and in the bedroom later on 😉).
For two people who aren’t looking for anything serious, they just can’t seem to fight the connection they feel physically, emotionally, mentally. It’s like each is what the other has been missing from their life without even realizing it – it’s all very romantic 😍. And the way tough-looking Todd gets all blushing and tongue-tied in the presence of elegantly confident Kendall is just completely adorable as well.
Danced Close is such a well-written romance. I was rooting for Kendall and Todd’s relationship from the very start and found myself wishing their love story was more drawn out and in-depth, not that it wasn’t great they way the story played out, but I just liked it so much I wanted to get more into it. The angst was low, the love scenes were intimate (way more intimate than should result from a dance partners with benefits relationship like they both try to fool themselves into thinking they have), and the way the two just clicked together like completely different but complementary puzzle pieces was lovely.
The Portland Heat series is turning out to be a must-read for me and I highly recommend checking it out. Each of the novellas in the series is a standalone and features surprisingly deep and well-fleshed out romances for the relatively short lengths of the books. I enjoyed Danced Close as much as I did the last book I read in the series (Knit Tight, Portland Heat #4) and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books in the Portland Heat series as soon as possible.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
Merged review:
Kendall is a wedding planner who’s yet to meet that special someone who wholeheartedly accepts his love of pretty things and his genderqueer identity. Todd is a tattooed, bearded, flannel-wearing bakery assistant just getting his life on track after battling addiction. Both guys are very attracted to each other, but they’re also both coming off of relationships with people who didn’t treat them with the respect they deserve so they’re a little (re: very) skittish at the idea of starting up something new. The fact that each is also very aware that they aren’t the other’s usual type also causes some hitches in the road to romance.
When Kendall’s partner for a charity dance falls through at the last minute, he takes the opportunity to rope Todd into substituting – not that he has to try very hard; Todd is very receptive to following Kendall’s lead as he proves time and again (on the dance floor and in the bedroom later on
When Kendall’s partner for a charity dance falls through at the last minute, he takes the opportunity to rope Todd into substituting – not that he has to try very hard; Todd is very receptive to following Kendall’s lead as he proves time and again (on the dance floor and in the bedroom later on 😉).
For two people who aren’t looking for anything serious, they just can’t seem to fight the connection they feel physically, emotionally, mentally. It’s like each is what the other has been missing from their life without even realizing it – it’s all very romantic 😍. And the way tough-looking Todd gets all blushing and tongue-tied in the presence of elegantly confident Kendall is just completely adorable as well.
Danced Close is such a well-written romance. I was rooting for Kendall and Todd’s relationship from the very start and found myself wishing their love story was more drawn out and in-depth, not that it wasn’t great they way the story played out, but I just liked it so much I wanted to get more into it. The angst was low, the love scenes were intimate (way more intimate than should result from a dance partners with benefits relationship like they both try to fool themselves into thinking they have), and the way the two just clicked together like completely different but complementary puzzle pieces was lovely.
The Portland Heat series is turning out to be a must-read for me and I highly recommend checking it out. Each of the novellas in the series is a standalone and features surprisingly deep and well-fleshed out romances for the relatively short lengths of the books. I enjoyed Danced Close as much as I did the last book I read in the series (Knit Tight, Portland Heat #4) and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the books in the Portland Heat series as soon as possible.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
Merged review:
Kendall is a wedding planner who’s yet to meet that special someone who wholeheartedly accepts his love of pretty things and his genderqueer identity. Todd is a tattooed, bearded, flannel-wearing bakery assistant just getting his life on track after battling addiction. Both guys are very attracted to each other, but they’re also both coming off of relationships with people who didn’t treat them with the respect they deserve so they’re a little (re: very) skittish at the idea of starting up something new. The fact that each is also very aware that they aren’t the other’s usual type also causes some hitches in the road to romance.
When Kendall’s partner for a charity dance falls through at the last minute, he takes the opportunity to rope Todd into substituting – not that he has to try very hard; Todd is very receptive to following Kendall’s lead as he proves time and again (on the dance floor and in the bedroom later on
I adored the MCs. Kendall knows himself well and makes no apologies for who he is. Todd, at 22 y.o., is on his 2nd year of putting his life back together.
At first glance, these two don't seem highly compatible. However, Todd sees Kendall clearly. More importantly, he accepts and appreciates Kendall implicitly. There's a lot to be said for finding a person who not only sees you clearly, but also appreciates the you they see.
Kendall is initially attracted to Todd but is taken aback as Todd throws curve ball after curve ball at him. His huge heart won't let him remain detached however, and he quickly comes to care for Todd.
This is a novella, so I was shocked to find such heavy themes in the plot. It could have easily become an angst fest. AA did an excellent job in respecting each character's uniqueness while not allowing the story to plunge into darkness.
Review ARC graciously provided by Lyrical Shine Kensington Publishing Corp. via NetGalley
At first glance, these two don't seem highly compatible. However, Todd sees Kendall clearly. More importantly, he accepts and appreciates Kendall implicitly. There's a lot to be said for finding a person who not only sees you clearly, but also appreciates the you they see.
Kendall is initially attracted to Todd but is taken aback as Todd throws curve ball after curve ball at him. His huge heart won't let him remain detached however, and he quickly comes to care for Todd.
This is a novella, so I was shocked to find such heavy themes in the plot. It could have easily become an angst fest. AA did an excellent job in respecting each character's uniqueness while not allowing the story to plunge into darkness.
Review ARC graciously provided by Lyrical Shine Kensington Publishing Corp. via NetGalley
My Recommendation: This one wasn't for me. It could've been the timing, it could've been the characters. That being said, overall, I really like Albert's work and I'm sure I'll read more in the future. I actually already had a book by her and Wendy Qualls, Save the Date, that I picked up on my Kindle during a super sale at some point.
My Response: Of the six books in this series, this one is toward the bottom of my rankings. I'm not sure if there is anything specific about this book (full disclosure it could be my biases), but I think it has more to do with this being the sixth MM Romance I read by the same author in a very short time.
For me, this one felt like Albert had a checklist of what all haven't I included in one of my MM Romance novels in this series yet? And when she looked at her list she realized she hadn't written a HIV positive character or non-binary character and voila Danced Close.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
My Response: Of the six books in this series, this one is toward the bottom of my rankings. I'm not sure if there is anything specific about this book (full disclosure it could be my biases), but I think it has more to do with this being the sixth MM Romance I read by the same author in a very short time.
For me, this one felt like Albert had a checklist of what all haven't I included in one of my MM Romance novels in this series yet? And when she looked at her list she realized she hadn't written a HIV positive character or non-binary character and voila Danced Close.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse
I'm pretty new to this series, having only read the 5th book before this one, but this one was also super easy to get into without having read the previous books. I enjoy that they are mostly stand-alone stories with characters that clearly had their own story before this one making small gets appearances. I'm becoming a big fan of this author and the quality of the writing and the storytelling that I can come to expect, and this one was no exception.
I really enjoyed both characters in this. I enjoyed reading about Kendall's genderqueer fluidity and how he carried himself. I'm always interested when I can read about different types of characters, I genuinely find it informing and helpful to read about such a variety of characters.
And I LOVED Todd. I don't want to say anything too spoiler-y and give major things away, but he is working on regaining control of his life, is now clean and sober, and trying to figure out where to go next. He's working at the bakery that Kendall does business with through his wedding planning business, and that's where they meet. And their chemistry is just awesome right from the start. I especially loved how understanding they were of each other - how they both had this mentality of like "you do you" and didn't want to change things in the other.
There's a little drama and angst that could have been taken care of very easily with one honest conversation, but these two get it together in the end and it's just so sweet! I'm glad it didn't blow up into anything bigger, because that can definitely be a pet peeve of mine - when the characters just won't TALK to fix things! Being that this is a novella, it doesn't go too, too in depth with Kendall's gender fluidity and Todd's past, but it's enough to really make me care for the characters and feel very confident that their HFN is really a HEA!
I received a copy through NetGalley in ecchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed both characters in this. I enjoyed reading about Kendall's genderqueer fluidity and how he carried himself. I'm always interested when I can read about different types of characters, I genuinely find it informing and helpful to read about such a variety of characters.
And I LOVED Todd. I don't want to say anything too spoiler-y and give major things away, but he is working on regaining control of his life, is now clean and sober, and trying to figure out where to go next. He's working at the bakery that Kendall does business with through his wedding planning business, and that's where they meet. And their chemistry is just awesome right from the start. I especially loved how understanding they were of each other - how they both had this mentality of like "you do you" and didn't want to change things in the other.
There's a little drama and angst that could have been taken care of very easily with one honest conversation, but these two get it together in the end and it's just so sweet! I'm glad it didn't blow up into anything bigger, because that can definitely be a pet peeve of mine - when the characters just won't TALK to fix things! Being that this is a novella, it doesn't go too, too in depth with Kendall's gender fluidity and Todd's past, but it's enough to really make me care for the characters and feel very confident that their HFN is really a HEA!
I received a copy through NetGalley in ecchange for an honest review.
I wasn't necessarily compelled by the relationship between the main characters, but they were each well developed and this was a nice quick read.
Merged review:
I wasn't necessarily compelled by the relationship between the main characters, but they were each well developed and this was a nice quick read.
Merged review:
I wasn't necessarily compelled by the relationship between the main characters, but they were each well developed and this was a nice quick read.
3.5 stars
Quick read, very likable characters. Wish there had been a bit...more between them I guess, it all happened pretty quickly and maybe wasn't as intense as I had hoped. I did really like it, real issues, sweet guys.
Quick read, very likable characters. Wish there had been a bit...more between them I guess, it all happened pretty quickly and maybe wasn't as intense as I had hoped. I did really like it, real issues, sweet guys.
I try to review novellas as novellas and think about how the shorter format works for the story being told. In this case, I truly think this should have been longer. There are some big issues going on with these characters that aren't explored as fully as I would have liked. Also, with the big issues, I think a longer timeframe for the romance (this takes place over a few weeks) would have made more sense.