Nick is a math teacher with cerebral palsy who regularly lights up the stage during karaoke night at the local bar. Nick’s life is turned upside down when he meets Hayley, a passionate dancer who just moved into town, but Nick and Hayley’s friendship gets off to a rocky start. Hayley, after seeing Nick’s reaction to her dancing, tries to convince Nick to give dancing a try, only to be embarrassed when she discovers that Nick can only walk with the aid of a walker. Despite having a long-term dancer boyfriend, Hayley is determined to make things right with Nick and the pair eventually form a close friendship. The more time Hayley spends in Nick’s world, the more the boundaries between friends and lovers begin to blur.
How to Dance is an own voices, closed door romance novel featuring the love triangle and “friends to lovers” tropes. The writing is reminiscent of authors like Gayle Foreman, John Green, Jesse Andrews, Jennifer Niven, David Levithan, and Kristina Forest; so, if you like any of these authors, you should definitely check out Jason B. Dutton. How to Dance would also probably be a good fit for fans of novels with representation like those written by Talia Hibbert, Chloe Liese, and Helen Hoang. Some themes and topics present in How to Dance include disability and accessibility, ableism and stereotypes, communication, self worth and self love, appearance versus reality, music and dance, overcoming fears, family roles, and mental health. A significant quote that I took away from this novel is, “dance with your heart” (both physically and metaphorically).
I want to preface this review by saving that How to Dance ended up being fairly different from the often spicy adult romances and fast-paced fantasy novels that I usually read, so for me, the plot seemed to be comparatively slow. This novel may be better suited for readers who enjoy unique stories and clean romances. If you love dancing, you may be disappointed that there wasn’t a ton of actual dancing in the book—even though the female main character is a dancer—the book focuses more on metaphorical dancing (like the emotional connection between two partners), which was quite lovely.
On the positive side, the book was unique in that I don’t often come across characters who have cerebral palsy and the disability representation in this novel comes across as accurate and informative. One of the enjoyable parts of the book was Nick’s toddler aged pseudo-niece Rosie because her impromptu singalongs with Uncle Nick were adorable and her character added some welcome playfulness to the plot. Lastly, even though there wasn’t as much dancing as I would have liked, I still appreciated that Dutton incorporated dancing and music into Nick and Hayley’s story.
How to Dance is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 6th 2024.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Opposites attract and sparks fly as a passionate dancer and a ladies’ man who’s given up on love fall for each other—one tango at a time—in this charming debut romance perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert and Blair Fell.
Nick Freeman works hard as the star of the weekly karaoke night at his bar, hoping his singing talent, quick wit, and winning smile will distract from his cerebral palsy. But one night at the bar, watching a professional dancer light up the dance floor with her boyfriend, he realizes that entertaining strangers will never give him a fraction of the joy he sees in this woman’s eyes.
When Hayley Burke notices Nick’s reaction to her dancing, she urges him to acknowledge his passion and try a few moves himself—only to be mortified when she realizes Nick can only walk with the aid of a metal walker.
As Nick and Hayley fumble through misunderstanding into friendship, Hayley begins to enjoy Nick’s company more than that of her self-centered boyfriend. Nick tries to fight his attraction to Hayley, believing she deserves a dance partner who can move like her boyfriend does—but as Hayley and Nick continue to find their rhythm together, she shows him that “dancing” is about so much more than moving your feet.
In this fresh-voiced and utterly charming debut novel, Jason B. Dutton takes readers on a swoon-filled journey as two lost souls learn that neither physical disability nor emotional scars disqualify us from finding beauty, validation, and love amidst the chaos of being human.
