Missy Malone has had a great summer, watching her friends meet wonderful guys and fall in love. She even has a wonderful guy in her own life. Trouble is, he's only in her life to mentor her son, Scot. She just has to stop daydreaming that he could be as good for her as he is for Scot. What would he ever see in her anyway? She's a broke single mom who talks too much, while he's a quiet, shy, tech genius. And besides...he has a girlfriend!
On paper, Dan Benson has a great life in San Jose. His software development company, his penthouse apartment, his car, and his girlfriend are all supposed to make him feel happy and successful. None of them do. Until he started visiting Summer Lake, he'd always been more comfortable around computers than people. These days he's comfortable hanging out with his brother, Jack, and his friends. He feels successful when he's helping Scot. Most of all, he's happier than he's ever been, when he can spend time with Missy.
Will the attraction between them be enough to overcome the differences and obstacles that stand in their way?
The Summer Lake series follows a group of friends from a small lakeside town in the California hills. They have kept in touch over the years and now, in their early thirties, their lives are drawing them back to Summer Lake and to each other.
Hi, I'm SJ. A coffee addict, lover of chocolate and drinker of good red wines. I'm a lost soul and a hopeless romantic. Reading and writing are necessary parts of who I am. Though perhaps not as necessary as coffee! I can drink coffee without writing, but I can't write without coffee.
I grew up loving romance novels, my first boyfriends were book boyfriends, but life intervened, as it tends to do, and I wandered down the paths of non fiction for many years. My life changed completely a couple of years ago and I returned to Romance to find my escape.
I write 'Sweet N Steamy' stories because to me there is enough angst and darkness in real life. My favorite romances are happy escapes with a focus on fun, friendships and happily-ever-afters, just like the ones I write.
These days I live in beautiful Montana, the last best place. If I'm not reading or writing you'll find me just down the road in the park - Yellowstone. I have deer, eagles and the occasional bear for company, and I like it that way :0)
Complimentary copy provided by the author for an honest review
Ever since I read the first book I have been hoping for more between Dan and Missy. I was very excited when I received an email from the author asking me if I would like to review this book and even more so that it was the story of these two characters. Dan was a bit of a mystery in the first two books beyond knowing that he was a computer wiz helping Missy's son Scott, Dan is seen as very quiet and shy, so getting to see that there was another side to him made this story very interesting.
What I enjoyed the most about this third book in the SummerLake series was that it had a different feel to it than the other books with the focus on family and there was not as much drama beyond Dan's ex. Sometimes books in a series fall into a predictable pattern, and S.J. does an excellent job of giving each book it's own tone.
Missy and Dan are opposites that show that opposites can definitely attract. They have amazing chemistry that resulted in some steamy scenes. Dan and Missy also are characters who show that when you find the one you are meant to be with, you bring out the best in each other. Knowing Missy's back story from the other books, and learning about Dan's past made it even more enjoyable as these two found in each other a sense of belonging and love that neither one was looking for or expecting to find so quickly.
I love this series and suggest that you read the first two books in this series before this book because while they could each be read as a standalone, all of the characters appear in each book so you get to reconnect with characters, which I love. You also get background knowledge that helps with understanding the characters.
I highly recommend reading this story, and I cannot wait to read about more characters in future books.
Wow her books just keep getting better and better so far I think this is my favorite one in this series it's dan, Scotty and missy story. Full of love laughter and finding out where you fit in. Must read book add it to your TBR list today
Oh my, how to put into words how much I am loving this series. Its pure romantic escapism with a lovely side order of hot and steamy.
What is not to love about a nerd romance? I’ve loved Dan from book one and noticed his interactions with Missy and hoped they would get together. Oh was a super hero he was. I loved how what he always thought about himself, how he defined himself was all wrong once he met Missy and went to Summer Lake. It was the perfect place for him and he learnt that he was just fine and happy and. I longer felt the need to define and defend himself as he was accepted for who he was by everyone. ( yeah I may just love Dan a little too much ❤️❤️)
I also loved Missy, she was a very relatable character, the teenage mum who had to change her life plans and gave everything to raise her son. Her independence and struggle to let Dan in were very real and totally understandable. I loved his quiet patience with her, the clueless really was the best one clued in!
I love these books as all the characters flow and evolve over each book, new ones are even introduced and plot lines are set up for another story. I can’t wait to jump into the next one.
I just love going back to summer lake and seeing the old gang. Such a great group friends and family, I love there dynamic. Missy and Dan where no exception of the others. They just made sense, they got one another like others didn't get. It was great to see how they worked out there relationship.
Missy and Dan were perfect for one another. I loved watching their relationship grow and how it all played out. Also I love seeing everyone together it's like reunion with everyone in one place. Such a great book of love and friendship.
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching is Book 3 of the Summer Lake series, one that has been anticipated by anyone who has read Books 1 & 2. Missy and Dan’s story has been evolving slowly since Love Like You’ve Never Been Hurt. I give it a solid 4.5 stars.
Overall, I liked the story. I kept waiting for a big conflict that never quite materialized, and that is why I couldn’t quite give that last half star. I thought a couple elements could have been a little stronger, a little more edgy or angsty, but none of the conflicts seemed to really threaten to keep them apart. But part of me really liked that. It was a love story about two people working out real-life type issues to make a relationship work. I very much liked that Missy and Dan talked to each other and didn’t have any of those annoying misunderstandings that drive me crazy! It makes it a bit fluffy, so readers who must have angst, and want to bite their nails worrying whether or not there will be a Happy Ever After may not find this fits the bill.
As with the other Summer Lake books, all the characters in Dance are well drawn, and the repeat characters hold true in all three books. I thought Missy’s independent and stubborn streak was very realistic, and in her case I actually admire that she just didn’t jump in and swoon so that Dan would take care of her. I found Dan to be almost too perfect, but I liked him. He wasn’t too over-the-top beefcake and he seemed very believable to me.
Random musing: So Chance, Michael, Smoke and Laura, and Leanne and Ryan.... Each of these characters are very strongly drawn and I’m assuming their stories will be told in other books. There are very strong (and I’m assuming deliberate) hints about them, especially Chance and Michael, and I am left with a desire to know what their stories are, and who they are going to end up with. I’m also anticipating Ben’s story, coming down the line at some point. Summer Lake has potential to continue for at least three if not four more books.
I have been anxiously waiting for Dan and Missy’s story ever since book one of the Summer Lake series! This book was everything and more of what I was hoping for!! I once again fell in love with Summer Lake and its amazing cast of characters!
Missy is a tough single mom who is used to putting her son Scot first. Dan is an introverted computer genius stuck in a bad relationship. These two are exact opposites on paper but ever since they met there was an instant attraction. Based on their situations they’ve ignored the attraction and built a friendship. Alongside their relationship is the relationship that Dan and Missy son, Scot have developed. Kindred spirits these two share an amazing bond all on their own.
This book was an absolute pleasure to read! Such a sweet and heartwarming romance there is no unnecessary angst, just enough to keep the pages turning! But don’t worry; these two definitely burn up the sheets! There are some amazing and steamy sex scenes.
Once again SJ McCoy does an amazing job with these characters that I have grown to love (I want to move to Summer Lake and hang out with these guys!) With new additions to the group I see many more books in this series to look forward to!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review :)
Complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review.
This is the third book of the Summer Lake series and I loved the story of Missy and Dan. If you read the first 2 books you know that Missy is a single mother to Scot a briljant computer geek young boy. To help this young genious Jack one of her friends invites his younger brother Dan over to mentor Scot.
Love is in the air all around Missy and her friends but for her it's not easy to fall head over heels she has to protect herself and also her son. But one person has captured her heart Dan the quiet, reserved guy who is mentoring her son. The air between those two are sizzling but she can't have him because he has a girlfriend and lives far away and is only in the weekend at Summer Lake. And besides what could she expect him to see in her anyway, a single mom who cleans house for a living.
Dan a hot looking genious computer guy is going back spend some brother time at the lake but secretly he wants to see Missy again. Since he started coming over to the lake he can't get Missy and her son out of his head.
I was given this complimentary book by the author for an honest review. If you are a fan of SJ McCoy books, then you will not be disappointed by this book, this book is as enchanting as the two other books in the series. This book follows Dan and Missy's story, but you also catch up on the rest of the gang as well. Dan is Jacks brother and has visited summer lake for a while. Whilst there he has become close to Scot who is Missy's son, Scot looks up to him and Missy loves the bond that Dan shares with her son. Dan has also grown close to Missy and the feeling is becoming mutual. Dan wants to take care of them both but Missy is fiercely independent. Can they have a relationship together, are they compatible and how will it affect her son. A great book yet again. A must read.
Loved this book, I downloaded it when it first came out but forgot to read it, oops. Well it definitely didn't disappoint. Loved Dan and Missy, and yes we could see they would be a great match from book one, but its great story of how opposites do attract. Missy and Dan where the sweetest of couples and you could really put yourself in their places. Her a nice normal, hard working single mum and him the shy geeky millionaire. Cant wait to see whats next for the Summer Lake group. Amazing work
I think I liked this one the best. It was so good, just like the last 2, I read it in one day. I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next one to come out.
BRILLIANT I have to say I think this has been my favourite out of the series so far. Not to take anything anyway from book one or two cos they are both fantastic. When I first read started reading the book and found out the main female character was Missy, I was wondering if it was the same Missy that is Chance's sister that is mentioned in the Remington Ranch series, I know the answer now and I am not gonna spoil it for all of you that haven't read the book yet. I could understand where Missy was coming from and understand the way she was, been there done that kind of thing. I was pulled into this book by the second page, I just could relate to Missy so much it was unbelievable, I laughed, I cried and at one put I thought oh come on. But I am so pleased that things turned out the way they did. As I have already stated this book is my favourite I just love Missy, Dan and Scott and I am pleased that things turned out the way they did. SJ McCoy I have to say you have a wonderful way with words and I love your books so much, I am not sure if I have read them the right way but I don't think it matters really. I highly recommend this series for all you romantics out there, or if you just want to get lost in a book, SJ McCoy's books will help you to do that. So worth more than 5 stars.
This is the third book in the Summer Lake series. Like the previous books, it is a stand-alone with all the same characters. The group of friends that grew up together on Summer Lake makes up the core characters. Each of them is finding their HEA. The same characters are in each book; the focus is just on different characters in each story.
OK, Dance Like Nobody’s Watching is Dan and Missy’s story. They are an odd couple, to say the least, yet they somehow work. I still think that Work Like You Don’t Need the Money, Pete and Holly’s story, is the one I’ve connected with best, but this one is a close second. Dan is an awkward nerd who isn’t really so awkward at all. Missy is a strong, independent woman who is raising a 14-year old son. Yeah, she’s one of the teen mothers who has never had it easy in life. There is drama in her family which you see a glimpse of, but never really get the entire story. It involves her brother, Chance. I suspect he’ll get his own story and all will be revealed then.
Dance Like Nobody’s Watching is the least drama-filled of the first three books. At least, the drama that is there is gone within a couple of pages. It’s a fun, sweet, and quick read that will entertain as you catch up on all the characters and find out the inside scoop on Missy and Dan.
Missy Malone has had a great summer, watching her friends meet wonderful guys and fall in love. She even has a wonderful guy in her own life. Trouble is he's only in her life to mentor her son Scot. She just has to stop daydreaming that he could be as good for her as he is for Scot. What would he ever see in her anyway? She's a broke single mom who talks to much, while he is a quiet, shy, tech genius and besides. He has a girlfriend.
Dance like Nobody's Watching is phenomenal book from beginning to end. I love the fact you get to see both sides of the story. S.J. McCoy is a fantastic author and I'd highly recommend her books. If you want to read a good series on Cute Romances this Summer Lake series is for you.
An ok read. Wasn’t connecting with it as I did with the previous two but it was still a good book. I don’t know what to make of Scotty, he confuses me and come to think of it so does Dan. What I had in my head of them being nerds just does not match their behaviour in this book. Maybe that’s why I can’t connect the two. Don’t get me wrong I love the romance between Dan and Missy and the relationship he has with her son. It was lovely to read. The friendship and family connections are still strong. I love the gang and also the fact that there is no major drama going on at the end. Although sometimes we crave there being one but sometimes you just want an easy read.
So far in the series this has been my favorite. The newly forming couple are also dealing with a teenage son and his Mom, and new mentor for Scot the son. Personalities are stronger in this book, number 3 in the series. I found myself rooting for this couple and their 3 person union. Again a few spelling and grammatical errors, that I would think the author or proof readers would have picked up by now. There is explicit sexual content that I am used to now but if that is not to your liking I would not recommend this to you. What I like best is the friendships that are developing or renewing after 10+ years.
I love these books. So much. This one not as much as the others. I felt like so much was going to happen or go wrong, but it just flowed so smoothly. I claim to like that, but not sure. I feel like I needed more with Scot's dad. With Dan's partner. Also...I'm not sure what it was with Scot, but something bugged me. Is that how 14 year old boys act? It's like he had a developmental disability, but we weren't told. Not that there is anything wrong with that if he did, but I just couldn't figure out what it was. Will definitely keep reading, though.
Super cute romance. Would have liked a little more from Dan and Missy. I think it just moved too fast for me. I would have liked a little more struggle. Also, I felt that Scot kept changing, not only in this book but in the series. He started out at 14, I believe, and by the end of this one I felt like he more 8 and not a teenager. Maybe it was just my way of reading it.
Otherwise, good continuation of the series and I look forward to the rest.
Missy a staple in Summer Lake, raising her son, Scot. Dan comes from silicon valley to visit his brother, Emma's Jack. What will happen when Dan mentors Scot.........
Quiet, logical geek Dan creates a bond with fourteen year old Scot over computers and code; beautiful Missy's son. This journey had me crying. Dan taught a lesson a while ago by his brother Jack, changes his focus from the stereotype to his wants becoming a family.
Missy - single mum, cleaner Dan - owns own tech company in San Jose, Jack’s younger brother
I enjoyed this more than books 1 and 2, maybe because I like the geeky hero types and the characters weren’t annoying. Dan is chivalrous and a great role model to Scott. He was so attentive and caring when Missy was unwell. He’s a keeper!
The whole neck holding thing with Missy was a bit weird for me.
I really enjoy the Summer Lake series. The friends are great, they really look out for each other and I love the dynamics of the group. I think this book ended a little unfinished I would like to know what happened with Dan's company and I would have loved to see Olivia get a little of what she deserves. Also I thought Scot's dad suddenly being around was a bit odd. But the love story between Missy and Dan is great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The third book in the summer lake series that i have to rate 5 stars. From reading the first 2 books Missy began to become one of my favourite characters, so naturally I couldn’t wait to read this book.
Dan and Missys story is very different from the first two books which makes it a lot easier to read. I would highly recommend reading the summer lake series
This was fun to read if however a bit hot and heavy with the sex scenes. Be aware. The sex goes on for quite a while. I found myself skipping. There were some editing problems with words missing that distracted me from the flow, but over all worth reading.
I enjoyed Dan and Missy's narrative and plot a little more than I enjoyed Holly's and Pete's. While the dialogue at the end between Dan and Olivia was rather cheesy, I expected more conflict on the page in that story line. All in all an enjoyable predictable HEA read.
I loved this story of missy and dan, the awkwardness of geekdom becoming a man , and her son Scott sees dan as a father figure. Their romance blossoms both missy and dan overcome their hang ups and become a perfect couple. Well written kept me going from beginning to end.
This one was significantly better than book one and two. I actually enjoy Emma, Holly, and Pete now that they’re not being idiots. But there’s just something missing in this series for me to really love it.
This story about Dan and Missy (and her son, Scot) and how they became soul mates and overcame Missy's feelings of inadequacies and learning to love each moment as they come. Excellent summer read.