A review by onebookmore
Strictly Come Dating by Kathryn Freeman

4.0

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.