Shut Up and Dance by Lindsey Jesionowski: Book Review

  *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Dancing with the enemy is a terrible idea.
Falling for him is so much worse.

Angie’s life was a choreographed dance– thoughtfully planned and perfectly executed.

Until a year ago.

Losing her job, moving to a new town, and barely making ends meet? Definitely not part of the plan.

Neither is living in the same town as Johnny—a guy with more charm than a box of leprechaun-themed cereal. His toothpaste ad-worthy smile might work on every other girl, but not on Angie. For the most part.

When her dance partner breaks his foot and can’t help teach the charity ballroom dance lessons she’d agreed to, Angie is desperate to find a new partner. Not in life, of course. Just on the dance floor.

Johnny is the last person she wants to tango with, but his help is an offer she can’t refuse. Besides, keeping your enemy close is supposed to be a smart move, right?

But during the long rehearsals and late nights, Angie sees he might not be the villain she thought. Although, that’s part of his routine, isn’t it? She’s seen this story play out before. She knows all too well how it ends with guys like him.

If she doesn’t tighten up her frame, Johnny will continue to cha-cha his way even closer. And this time, he might do more than step on her feet.

He might stomp right on her heart.

A sweet, feel-good romantic comedy, Shut Up and Dance has slow-burn chemistry and plenty of sizzle without on-page explicit content.

Lindsey Jesionowski is a wife and mom who does most of her writing in her car in the school pickup lot. She’s a native of West Virginia, a lover of coffee, and a fan of books with happy ever afters—so she decided to write one.

Lindsey’s books are full of heart and humor with plenty of sizzle and no explicit content. Just lots of smiles.

Find her on Instagram:

https://Instagram.com/authorlindseyjesionowski

Shut Up and Dance is the second (full) book in the When In West Virginia series. It can be read just fine as a standalone if you haven't read the previous book. 

I learned everything I know about ballroom dancing from watching Dancing With the Stars... which is to say, I really don't know a lot! But when I read this book description, I was drawn in. I enjoy a good enemies-to-love story, as they already have that back-and-forth built right in. In this case, Angie and Johnny weren't true enemies... Rather they were both broken characters with pasts they were working through so she disliked him (greatly) for what she believed to be true about him while he hoped to change her mind about him. Watching their back and forth, and seeing them truly get to know one another was so much fun. It very much was like a dance and worked together so well with that ballroom theme. I found myself unable to put it down, wanting to see how it all worked out. While their dancing (and the kisses) led to some swoon-worthy moments, this is a closed-door romance that goes nothing beyond kissing and mentions of physical attraction. 

As much as I loved the chemistry between these two, I also have to say that their group of friends truly made their story all that much better. They are hilarious and loving, and I definitely want to see more from them! Overall, if you're looking for your next closed-door RomCom, this one is definitely worth checking out.