This was a pleasant surprise for me! Oti Mabuse’s debut novel is a genuine treat, with all the dance knowledge you’d expect from a Strictly Come Dancing professional mixed with a tantalising romance that was so easy to enjoy.

It’s very character focused, which is what I want out of a romance novel, but also spends a lot of time showing the very realistic lives of people in entertainment careers. Lira (our FMC) gave up a promising career in dance to help her parents with their dance studio, whilst Gabriele (our MMC) provides a foil to this in choosing to continue his career despite the expectations of his family to help with a family business. They clash after his producer invites her after seeing her performing the moves from the auditions held in her family’s studio - 13 years after they last saw each other at 19.

This book is as much about reclaiming your dreams and life goals later in life. With both leads in their 30s it provides a really mature overarching plot

I really loved my time with this and I mean it when I say it was a pleasant surprise - the character work, the expertise and the fact it’s obviously a labour of love really made my time with it enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC. The above review is my own honest opinion.

Thank you for the early read. I’m a Strictly fan - despite having two left feet when it comes to dancing myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding myself quickly swept into the Lira and Gabriel’e story. A great mix of dance, family relationships and trying to balance the needs of their own families. In Strictly ratings - this is a 9 from Karen!

I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of Slow Burn by Oti Mabuse. A glittering story around dance, family, relationships, passion and heat!

Firstly, I love the cover and I also love how each chapter alternates between the two main characters, Lira and Gabriele, with a pencil drawing of them both. A lovely touch.

Lira and Gabriele are the two main characters of the book. Lira, a Latin Ballroom dancer, lives for dancing. Dancing is all she has ever wanted to do in her life. When she was younger, she was living her dream, competing in Championships, and winning at them. However, at 19, being the eldest sister, she had to stop her dream and run the family business, a dancing studio. Her dancing dream was shattered, but due to her devotion to her parents and her family, she made the decision and stopped dancing professionally. Being torn away from what she loved, understandably had a huge impact on her life.

Lira has two sisters - both who are in the dancing world. But they were concentrating on their careers, just like Lira should have been, and did not help out at the studio.

Then we have Gabriele! The lead male dancer in a new show called Slow Burn. He is an only child and his family own and run a vineyard. And like Lira, due to his father's declining health, his family would like him to return to the family home and help run the business so there is a huge amount of pressure on him too.

Slow Burn is the new dance show which is going on tour but they need a female lead. Thankfully for Lira, they set up auditions at Lira's studio to find a partner that would be the perfect match for Gabriele! As you can imagine, this is a very hard search as they have to be the right fit for each other and have the perfect connection and rhythm. They have to dance in tune with each other, they have to feel the heat, and match each other's energy and passion. The perfect leading lady has been starring them in the face the whole time! Lira is the perfect fit and just like a jigsaw piece, they dance together seamlessly.

This is not such a surprise, as over ten years ago they did dance together, once, but that one time, was enough for them both to remember how amazing they can be together. And they spent one night together too - so was this a second chance for them both.

And their intense passion is not just on the dance floor! You could feel their fire, their hot chemistry for each other, jumping off the pages, setting them ablaze!

All set ... Slow Burn goes on tour and the show is an absolute roaring success, travelling around the (glitter!) globe. Behind the smiles, the footwork and the passion, there is also the family pull to be back helping at home, and to be more involved. There was no support from either family. I was venting at times as I so wanted the families to look at their children, at how they were absolutely living their dream and so much more, doing what they always loved to do. To give up their dreams, was extinguishing their love for life and it was so unfair.

So, do Lira and Gabriele get to continue their dreams? Can their families see through their own needs, to see that their children are living their best life, and that they should allow them to shine?

I loved how we got to see the different countries on the tour and I loved how the book ended. We should all follow our dreams, and although we may have to make sacrifices for our family, everyone should all work together, as it brings out the best in everyone and allows each member of the family to thrive and have the future that they want.

I did not like Daniella one bit - a very jealous ex partner. But her character was very well written and portrayed.

A brilliant book, with fabulous characters, a great storyline with fun, drama and romance and a beautiful ending! I also loved the questions and answers with Oti at the end.

And just as Len Goodman would say on Strictly Come Dancing, 'It’s a ten from Len!, it's a 10 from me! As 5 is the highest here, I am giving this wonderful read a perfect 5 stars! ank you to Simon & Schuster UK for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I received an ARC of Slow Burn through NetGalley.
I will be honest- I’m generally not a lover of celebrity written fiction but Slow Burn blew me away!
I read most of it on a flight back from holiday as I couldn’t put it down.
I love Strictly and so some of the dance styles and terms were familiar, however you can easily follow the story without knowing them. The characters definitely grow as develop throughout the book.
The story was well paced and flicked between the two main characters which is a nice touch and helps the reader understand their point of view.

I really enjoyed this book, as an ex dancer myself, this story took me back to long nights in the studio and competition life.

The story between Lira and Gabrielle was, as the title suggests, a slow burn, but I really enjoyed the character and plot development.

Their chemistry was sizzling and I loved the story line involving their families and the responsibilities they had towards their families.

A wonderful debut, and I’m looking forward to what else Oti has to offer as an author!