Dancing for Him

On Stage #1

by Jeff Adams

It takes two to tango... or waltz.

Hollywood electrician Todd Stewart is thrilled when he gets the opportunity to work on his favorite show, "America's Next Top Dancer." What he doesn't expect is making a connection with Nathaniel Mayer, a contestant on the show and a dancer he's got a major crush on.

In creating a partnership that works, they must navigate the challenges of crazy schedules, fame and post-show commitments. Todd and Nate are determined to keep their run going long past the season finale.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories, LGBT, M M Contemporary, Novella

106 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2010

About the author

Jeff Adams has written stories since he was in middle school and became a published author in 2009. He writes both gay romance and LGBTQ young adult fiction…and there’s usually a hockey player at the center of the story.

Jeff lives in northern California with his husband of more than twenty-five years, Will. They are creative collaborators, writing and podcasting together. For nine years they were the co-hosts of the Big Gay Fiction Podcast.

Jeff is also a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). He's an advocate for accessible web content and helps creative entrepreneurs understand how they can make sure their content is accessible by everyone.

Reviews

[namericanwordcat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Todd and Nate will warm your heart. This sweet romance between a plain joe and dance is just lovely. It is a fun look at the behind the scenes of a dance show and the hard working crew that makes theater, tv, and film happen.

These are both great guys and they have a really nice romance. Jeff Adams writers love story that make you sigh and smile.

[Pati · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 star. Cute, sweet, short that I would have rated a little higher if it had a HEA instead of the cliffhanger "I was excited to see where we were headed next." HFN... I expected a whole story.

[Stephanie Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit all my happy buttons!

Loved it!!!

[Melyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5.0
I received this ebook as a free read. This is also my first Jeff Adams book. This ebook is the extended edition. I enjoyed it. It was interesting with the behind the scenes storyline of a dance competition show. I liked the romance between Todd (A technical crew member on the show) and Nate (a dancer on the show). I had read some of the reviews stating it was too short, but when I read this one, it felt well fleshed out and I enjoyed the progress of the relationship. Sweet, romantic. I will definitely look for more of this authors titles.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got of a free newsletter, for a honest review.

I liked the story. It was well written and the characters pulled me in to wanting to know more. I love watching dancing on TV, so I was curious. The slow build of the relation between Nate and Todd was just right. Had a nice steady pace as I read.

Thank you for letting me read your story.

[Idamus · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Sweet, ok read, but rather forgetable.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Jeff Adams book and happy to say it won’t be my last! I enjoyed the story and the pairing of an unlikely couple. Low angst and a HEA is always a good thing!

[MsS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

[Elisa Rolle]

Todd is a pretty ordinary guy, an electrician working for tv shows and enjoying every minute of it. He is a big fan of America’s Next Top Dancer and in particular of Nathaniel, one of the dancer; when he has the chance to sub for one of the electrician working for that show, he would have never guessed that was also the chance to meet Nate. Even if working for a real show, Nate is as much ordinary as Todd, and when the two guys meet, a sweet and romantic love story will start.

I liked the contraposition of their bodies, Todd strong and big, bear-like, and Nate small and lithe, a real dancer, with the pretty much similarity of their attitude; Todd and Nate like the simple things of life, they have common interests and it’s clear their love story will be a lasting one.

There are no obstacles to their love, and while Todd has no a public life like Nate, nevertheless they don’t clash together; both Todd and Nate are on the shy side, but Nate will kindly lead Todd a little out of his shell, just enough to allow them to start a good thing together.

The Dancer & Sexy Big Man is only a short story, but it didn’t feel like that; the story was well plotted and the characters were nice and good together. I wouldn’t mind to see more of them together, seeing how they will manage their life together, I have the feel that Todd would be a good supporter to Nate’s beginning career in the show business.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/12...

[Cole Riann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love stories about awkward and self-conscious characters. Inevitably, I know that I’m going to get to read a story about someone finding the courage to come out of their shell. They seem to be the best characters, perhaps because they’re more relatable, or because love inspires them to become a better person. Its a bit shmaltzy, but in an “aww, how sweet” kind of way that, if done well, can be genuine and not saccharine. This story hovers right on the line of overly sweet, but doesn’t go all the way. If the dancing hadn’t been the focus of much of the story, I’m sure it would have been too much. But, because on a fundamental level, dancing is primal, it allowed me to see Todd and Nate connect in a way that is difficult to achieve in a short story. I have high standards for shorts, because it requires a lot more skill to pull one off successfully and truthfully. Thankfully, though the dialogue here was a bit too sweet at times, the dancing carried the story enough that I enjoyed it very much. It was a wonderful interlude to my day and I recommend it for those times when you need a bit of a break from a long novel or a particularly melodramatic or melancholy plot. Happily Recommended for a light read.

For the full review, visit Reviews by Jessewave.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and sweet short story!
I'm a sucker for class difference and blue collar stories, so I adored this one :) Hot and heartwarming!

[Janeylou · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.stars

[Regencyfan93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ballroom dance competition. What's not to like?

And as Roman said, a tech having a relationship with a dancer gives the rest of us hope.

[jules0623 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Jess A Jaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only wish it was longer!

[Lumina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and sweet and totally free from any hints of angst.

[Scott McQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book! Maybe could have used a bit more conflict, but it was a charming read.

[Mateo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short but really good.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Adams’s Dancing for Him is a trifle, a concoction that exists to be a sweet treat at the end of a meal (or in this case, perhaps a hard day at work.) Adams’s book is short, so anyone who wants to escape from the tyranny of life for a while can consume the entire book in just over an hour. I particularly liked the setting—a TV studio where America’s Top Dancer is being broadcast. Lighting technician Todd is hired as a temp for a few weeks; dancer extraordinaire Nate is a contestant on the show. And, of course, romantic sparks fly instantly between these two, an unlikely pair. I won’t reveal why they are an unlikely pair because you, as the reader, should discover that yourself (it’s part of the fun of this short work.) The enjoyment of this story lies in the fact that no murders occur, there is no dark treachery, no evil forces trying to tear them apart…it’s just a simple love story. And sometimes in life we need a simple love story. I, as a reader, would have liked Adams to have fleshed out the book a bit more, giving us more insight into the characters and perhaps a meatier story, but I won’t quibble because I thoroughly enjoyed its brevity, if for no other reason than it provided “dessert” after a heavy meal of reading a pondering, lengthy classic novel I’d just finished. Another thing I loved: the guys do have a sexual encounter, but it is not described in much detail. I like that. I see no reason for a gratuitous sex scene when the rest of the book is so frothy. Thanks, Jeff Adams.

[DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story following two men as they build a relationship around crazy-schedule careers. Nate, the dancer, and Todd, from the set production crew, were both very likeable characters and it was easy to get pulled into the story. My biggest complaint is that there was zero angst; everything moved along smoothly from start to finish. The author teased us with a bit involving paparazzi and an angry friend (Martin), but it never went anywhere. My second biggest complaint is that it had a rather abrupt HFN ending. If this is a “revised and expanded” new edition, why didn’t the author carry it a little bit further and give us an epilogue?

[Devy B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was delighted to find a book about dancers. A good change from the usual jocks/hockey/baseball NFL books that most of the authors love to write about over and over and over. (Of sports books = closeted jocks, ennemies / fuck buddies to lovers !! )
The MM world needs a breath of fresh air.. new universes, new tropes. New authors with new bright ideas.

Nathaniel the dancer and Todd the techie were good together. I enjoyed the dancing and the competition show world.
Not exactly insta love, they got together gays though but it was realistic . No sex at least not descriptive but there are heated kisses. It didn’t bother me, it’s what I wanted.


I highly recommend.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I've seen this author's work around, this is the first story I've read by him. It was sweet and easy, no angst. I loved the backdrop of the dance competition as SYTYCD is one of my favourite shows. The sex is completely fade to black which kept this very pg. I read the expanded edition and I can't imagine what the story was before as I wanted more as it is.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella centered around a tv show America's Next Top Dancer, I don't watch any of the shows like that but this was an interesting read. Nathaniel, a contestant, and Todd, a member of the shows crew, slowly build a friendship that blossoms. It's a sweet story, no angst, just an enjoyable experience.

[Suze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, easy read about two guys connecting and acting on their mutual attraction.
Exciting in the ramp up of the competition to an extent but as we only see it through Todd’s eyes we only really have any info on Nate.
Nate goes for what he wants - Todd! Total feel good story.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the story was cute, believable and a fun read.

[cmbookdiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, wish it was longer.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4 stars. Short, sweet and charming. Undetailed sex. HFN.

[KT Spille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Cute story, and in my limited knowledge of reality dancing shows, they seemed perfectly in place with them. Loved it.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It gave me nostalgia for watching the dance competition shows when you really had someone to root for. Loveable characters and fun story.

[PettyProse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: This was a charming, very enjoyable story about Todd who gets the chance not only to meet, but to experience a lot more with his fantasy man.
Review for Brief Encounters Reviews: http://briefencountersreviews.com/201...

At first, I found the author’s style rather simplistic, and I was concerned it didn’t give enough emphasis to the emotions of the characters. Todd’s excitement at his new job opportunity and the anticipation of seeing his screen hero seemed to be muted by a very linear storytelling style. He got my votes every week. Now I’d see him dance in person. I was practically bouncing around the kitchen in excitement. However, this was deceptive, as gradually I discovered the storytelling worked very well, its flow drawing me into the story with a skilful ‘sharing’ of the characters’ lives. Some of the grammatical tenses slipped out of kilter occasionally, but this wasn’t a major problem to me.

The dance competition setting was clear and well described, without too much information dumping. It was interesting to learn about the world of media from behind the scenes. I haven’t watched the programme that the story’s obviously based on, but know enough to understand it. Meeting your fantasy TV star is a common theme and maybe a little unrealistic, but I’m sure many of us relate to it! I consider the story will still be enjoyable, even if you haven’t seen the programme, or when it’s no longer on TV.

Todd seemed a straightforward guy to start with, but gradually I fell for his self-deprecating charm and wry wit. Look at me: six foot two, big. I lumber more than anything else. It was a delight to follow his romantic progress. Nate could have been a two-dimensional character in response, but there was enough of him in his dialogue and through Todd’s eyes to see both the public and the private side of a talented rising star, driven by ambition but still endearing.

They made a delightful, sympathetic couple and the sex scenes were both hot and illustrative of their developing relationship. I liked the way the author gave them time to become friends before having sex, allowing for Todd’s very realistic tentativeness. The use of dance in their seduction was charming. The story was well balanced for its length, offering a full story yet engaging the reader enough to want to know more.

The one thing that jarred was the ending which seemed very abrupt to me. It’s a short story so there’s no time to waste, and the author by then had sensibly and skillfully made me care more about the characters than the competition. But the built-up tension was very swiftly wrapped up in a couple of sentences, and appeared uneven. However this is a very slight complaint and in no way detracted from my reading pleasure.

This slice of life was well written with captivating and plausible characters, an intriguing peek into media world, and an enjoyable romance. I rate this story a B+.

by pettyprose…my opinion alone.