Review of Flirty Dancing

Synopsis

Bea Hogg is shy but fiery inside. When national dance competition Starwars comes to her school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. It's just a shame her best friend agreed to enter with school super-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands.

This warm, nuanced, hilarious story about friendship, fortitude . . . and dancing is impossible not to fall in love with. Jenny’s voice is fresh and convincing, and she handles both darker and lighter elements of the story with equal panache.

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Review

Warning - Do not read this book in public unless you enjoy looking like a giggling lunatic.

I enjoyed this book so much! It is a short, light-hearted read that will have you laughing out loud. Flirty Dancing reminded me of the Georgia Nicholson series which were my favourite books throughout my teen years as it has a similar feel to it. Other than the feel (and the main character having a crazy younger sister, oh and a dad who is abroad for a significant amount of the story) the books are very different and Bea is a fresh, unique character.

The storyline revolves around a dance competition and Bea becoming confident and happy about who she is. There are some very small amounts of romance but the main focus on the book is Bea's growth. Bea comes across as such a realistic character, she is smart, funny and sassy but at school she is too shy to show who she truly is and instead tries to blend in.

The dance element - Jive! - was such a great addition to the story and it made it unique. Other elements of the book such as bullying and the ex-best friend queen bee type were the same as what you see in most books like this but the dance competition (against both the ex-best friend bully and current best friend who has abandoned Bea to dance with the bully) was a great twist on a traditional storyline.

Flirty Dancing is the perfect book for the younger teen or pre-teen as well as the older crowd who want a light-hearted, funny read. I can't wait to read more books by Jenny McLachlan and am looking forwards to seeing what she will bring to the table next.

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Laura