Book Review: "Flirty Dancing" by Jennifer Moffatt

I don’t know about you, but I can’t resist a book that has this as its title! Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy of this fun book.

Archer was an accountant in Ohio who quit his job to move to NYC and pursue his dream of being on Broadway. But the auditioning isn’t going well, and maybe his mother is right: 27 is too old to chase your dreams. Still, he goes on one more audition, vowing to head back to Ohio if he doesn’t succeed.

He lands a job as a performer at Shady Queens, an LGBTQ-friendly resort in the Catskills. It’s not quite what he was hoping for, but you never know where your big break can come from. Much to his surprise, he learns that one of his co-stars is Mateo Dixon, once a Broadway star and Archer’s teenage crush.

After Mateo’s time on Broadway flamed out in spectacular fashion, Shady Queens is one of the only jobs he can get. He’s not thrilled to have been the target of Archer’s teenage worship (which has maybe carried over into his 20s), but all he wants to do is dance. Maybe he’s a little standoffish, but he’s still sexy as hell in Archer’s eyes.

Archer tries to build a friendship with Mateo but always seems to say and do the wrong things. And when a relationship with Caleb, one of his castmates, turns sour, it adds to the drama and tension among the performers. The show starts to suffer, and it’s up to the performers to buckle down and try to leave their emotional issues offstage.

As a huge fan of musical theater and romance, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were fun, emotional, and overly dramatic, much like you’d imagine performers to be. I loved the chemistry between Archer and Mateo, and at times it felt like Shady Queens reminded me of Kellerman’s from Dirty Dancing.

The book will publish 5/27/2025.

Book Review: "City of Night Birds" by Juhea Kim

There’s something about making art—theater, dance, music, visual art, etc.—that provokes such strong emotions. That’s probably why artists are such rich sources of inspiration and drama, which make them perfect muses for fiction.

“The true cost of accomplishing something you want with your whole being is that the moment you get it, you realize that it’s not enough.”

Natalia, a prima ballerina, returns to St. Petersburg in 2019, two years after an accident disrupted her career. She is invited to dance again, something she both looks forward to and fears.

Being back in St. Petersburg evokes many memories for Natalia. She dreamed of being a ballerina since she was young, and achieved tremendous success, but at the same time, she also experienced rejection, loneliness, pain, and estrangement from her mother. And while she may be past her physical prime, she is determined to give an unforgettable performance.

She is reminded of Alexander, the talented dancer with whom she created magic—both creatively and emotionally. She also is reunited with Dmitri, the mercurial, spiteful genius who caused her a great deal of anguish and self-doubt.

This is a very introspective, slow-moving story, but I found it dramatic and utterly fascinating. It shifts back and forth through time, from Natalia’s childhood to the present, and follows both her career and her personal life. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at the cutthroat world of Russian ballet, and while at times I wished the pacing would speed up, I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a while.

Book Review: "The Backup Plan" by Eden Finley

Y’all know I love my sports romances. Well, Eden Finley is one of the writers who have stoked that love!

Thad dreamed of nothing more than becoming a professional baseball player. He spent so much time playing and practicing, but when it came time for the draft, he was hit with the realization that he just wasn’t good enough. Dream: dead.

Now, angry and bitter, he’s pursuing his backup plan of becoming a sports agent. He’s interning at King Sports, one of the biggest firms working with queer athletes. He’d probably like the job and be good at it if he weren’t so mad. But dealing with athletes who are living his dream isn’t easy.

Kelley is a rookie pitcher and he’s on his way to becoming a superstar. He’s also under a lot of scrutiny: his fathers were the first out football players to win a Super Bowl and his brother is a star quarterback. While news of Kelley’s coming out is met with the usual mix of support and derision, his need for approval and his worry about what people are saying about him is only exacerbating his anxiety.

Thad is assigned to watch over Kelley on a two-week stay out of the public eye and off social media. At first, Thad resents that Kelley, who has everything Thad has ever wanted, is acting this way. But then he realizes how tough the pressure is and how much it feeds into Kelley’s other issues, and then Thad shifts into protector mode. And, of course, the animosity between them shifts into something intense, something deeper.

This was a good story, full of memorable characters, great steam, and terrific banter. It’s also a real examination of anxiety and fear of disappointment and disapproval, and how debilitating they can be. I’ll be waiting for book 2 in this series!

Book Review: "The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes" by Xio Axelrod

So I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. to finish Xio Axelrod's The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes. Just. So. Amazing!

Toni Bennette (yes, she’s heard the jokes) was the daughter of a musician mother who left her behind to pursue fame. She grew up in a small town with a father who gave her nothing and never treated her as anything more than a burden.

Her only salvations during those days were making music and spending time with her best friend, Sebastian. Toni and Seb dream of getting away from their town and their parents, and pursuing their musical dreams. They even save money to help them make their escape. But the day Seb turns 18, he takes his share of the money and leaves without a trace.

Years later, Toni is a successful session artist and a musician-in-residence at a small club in Philadelphia. Her talent is evident and exceptional but she lacks the belief in herself and the desire to pursue fame. When she unexpectedly runs into Seb, it reopens old wounds and awakens feelings neither acknowledged as teenagers. But Toni isn’t willing to let herself get hurt again or get drawn in by him.

When an immense career opportunity comes Toni’s way, she’s unsure what to do. A band on the verge of stardom needs at least a temporary guitarist to replace their current one, who is a mercurial, talented trainwreck. It may never amount to anything, but it could change her life completely. Is she ready for the possibility of fame? And what does Seb have to do with the band?

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes was such a great, emotional story about pursuing your dreams, finding your way, and trying to move beyond old hurts and resentments. I loved these characters and was so impressed with Axelrod’s storytelling choices, because there definitely were places where things could have veered into melodrama. (I have seen it happen too many times, y'all.)

I’ve been reading a lot of books lately where music factors into the plot and this is definitely a favorite among them. What an exceptional book!

Book Review: "Be Dazzled" by Ryan La Sala

Ryan La Sala's newest book, Be Dazzled, is an utterly adorable rom-com that looks at doing what you love and being with whom you love, no matter what anyone says. Plus sequins. Lots of sequins.

Raffy is a tremendously talented artist. But unlike his artist-turned-gallery-owner mother, he doesn’t view art as valuable only if it’s elitist. His talent lies in design—costume design, more specifically—and he’s found his sweet spot in designing costumes for cosplay conventions. This isn't something his mother approves of, so he must hide everything from her and work only when she isn't home.

He literally runs into Luca, a handsome boy from his school, in the sequins aisle of a craft store. Luca has actually followed Raffy’s popular videos on a YouTube-like channel, so he’s mesmerized by Raffy’s talent. Clearly smitten with one another, they decide to create a costume for the two of them to compete at the next cosplay convention.

But the pressures of creating the perfect costumes and having to hide this side of him from his mother take their toll on Raffy and his relationship with Luca. It doesn’t help that Luca has his own anxieties about fully coming out to his own family and embracing the side of him that loves cosplay, and these anxieties ultimately doom their relationship.

Devastated and angry, Raffy is still determined to create the winning costumes for the biggest cosplay convention, in hopes he might get offers of sponsorship or even jobs. But when Luca shows up with a former friend of theirs to compete as well, it opens wounds that aren't even close to healing and ignites Raffy’s competitive spirit. Can he get everything he wants, or will he have to sacrifice something to be happy?

Although I have zero artistic ability I am fascinated by art supplies and the creative process, so I couldn’t get enough of this book. Raffy and Luca are an adorable if dysfunctional couple, and even though I wanted to shake them sometimes, I rooted for their love to win in the end.

Be Dazzled was a fun story with real emotional components as well, because it hurts when you can’t share the things or the people you love with those closest to you. La Sala shows he’s just as talented at rom-coms as he is creating fantastical situations, like he did in his last book, Reverie.

This book charmed me completely!

Movie Review: "Whiplash"

Whiplash is an intense, fantastic film that asks the question, how far is too far to push someone to harness their talent?

Andrew (Miles Teller) is a freshman at the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory of Music in New York City (standing in for Juilliard). He's a talented yet cocky drummer who dreams of being a true great in the jazz world. While practicing one day he is spotted by Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), the black-clad hardass who rules the school, and handpicks those he believes to be talented to join his studio band.

But while Fletcher would love to find the next Charlie Parker or Buddy Rich, what he seems to be even better at is terrorizing his students, hurling slurs, curses, even furniture at those who provoke his wrath. (His philosophy is not knowing the answer can be worse than being wrong.) But does he do it because he likes to break these students down, or because he believes this is what separates the truly talented from the pretenders, those who truly want it from those who are lazy and squander their gifts?

Fletcher takes an interest in Andrew, but that interest is tremendously fickle. Andrew is determined to prove himself worthy of Fletcher's faith, even if that means practicing until his hands bleed all over his drums, and closing his emotions and his life to anything but his music. (The scene where Andrew explains to his girlfriend why they shouldn't see each other any longer reminded me a little of John Malkovich's breakup with Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Liaisons.) He doesn't have any friends, and his father (Paul Reiser) doesn't quite believe in him, but Andrew only wants to be great.

The road to greatness, however, is a tremendously difficult one, and Fletcher exposes every one of Andrew's vulnerabilities, pushing him to the breaking point. Andrew has to decide whether to try and see if he really is as talented as he believes he is, or if he should simply believe what Fletcher has been telling him, that he just doesn't have it. But what do you do when your single-handed pursuit of a dream doesn't end the way you hope it will?

I've been a huge fan of Miles Teller since he appeared in Rabbit Hole a few years ago, but it was his performance in The Spectacular Now, one of the best movies I saw last year, that truly demonstrated his acting prowess. He is terrific in this movie, simultaneously cocky and desperate for Fletcher's approval. His dogged determination to get the chance to play during a music festival was painful to watch yet utterly mesmerizing.

If all you know J.K. Simmons from are his comic role as the father in Juno or his Farmers' Insurance pitchman responsibilities, you will be utterly bowled over by his performance in this movie. He is a drill sergeant, a bully, a heartless bastard everyone is aching to deck, yet Simmons occasionally lets glimpses of the man's vulnerability break through his a--hole exterior. Simmons has complete command of nearly every scene he is in, even without saying a word. If there is any justice, he will be among the nominees for Best Supporting Actor at this year's Oscars—this is far from a lovable performance, but it is totally riveting.

Running less than two hours, Whiplash puts you through the ringer, but like Andrew and Fletcher's other students, you willingly take it all in. While the plot of the movie may not surprise you, the performances—and the heart—of this movie will wow you. See it.