Dancing Queen

by Erin Soderberg Downing

Who needs Prince Charming if you've got a rock star?

It's official. Olivia is a superfreak. Sure, she may have landed the hottest internship at an übercool TV music station. And yes, she's chilling with A-listers in London all summer. But when she meets her very first pop star, she gets caught in a revolving glass door and falls smack down on her bum -- all in one quick motion.

Luckily, Rocker Boy thinks Liv's quirks are adorable. He takes her clubbing at the hippest spots! Liv may be clumsy on solid ground, but on the dance floor she sparkles. The summer's just begun and she's already captured the spotlight -- and a celeb's heart, too. Now if only she was sure he's the right guy...

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Young Adult Romance, Contemporary, Teen, Rom Com

245 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 23, 2006

About the author

I read and write lots of funny, adventurous, & heartwarming books for kids, tweens, and teens (and even a few romantic comedies for adults, too!) that are ultimately about finding your place, finding your people, and finding your voice. I always love book recommendations, so please send them my way. As a reader, I'm partial to contemporary romantic comedy, thrillers that keep the pages turning and have well-built characters, funny/original voices, quirky characters, and always kids' books with humor and heart.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never finished this book - but I did get to most of it a million years ago and had the chance to reread it!

This one wasn't as bad as the other Simon Pulse romantic-comedies, I just feel like these books would be better geared to a younger audience. However, being close to her age - I don't know if it's because I'm way older but I found some of Olivia's actions a little naïve and Josh to be a little stupid AND naïve but sometimes, teenagers can be like such.

I think, the ending was a little unnecessary with the miscommunication trope but meh, it wasn't bad overall.

3.5 stars, wouldn't reread.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this recently for a light read and it was very nostalgic. My friends and I collected books in this "series" and would trade them and share them. This was one of my favorites. To me a bit of a far fetched premise but I imagine it's based off of much music VJs or something which I think were pretty young. It's a fun and easy read about teenagers on the cusp of adulthood interning for the summer at a music station hoping to get a spot permanently. Three girls are roomed together and end up forming fairly close friendships. Along the way they discover themselves and discover what they want in love and life.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

"She is the dancing queen!" *cue melodic ABBA harmony*

Liv (Olivia) is your typical teenage girl, oh…other than the fact that she gets to spend the summer as an intern at a super popular TV music station in London, hanging out with celebrities and "having the time of her lifeeeeee!"…what can I say the song really goes with the story?

I am a sucker for romance, but this story felt a little too sweet and simple, consisting of stock characters and a predictable plot. This would be the "average" girl who gets noticed by the heartthrob super star, but finds herself swooning at the "average" boy next door (or in this case, her fellow intern, Colin). Liv also has a lighthearted best friend (and flatmate), Anna, but shares the flat with super self centred intern, Rebecca (complete with a crinkly little dog, booties and all).

These type of books are light and easy to read through, but lack a real sense of substance and reality…because in reality when do international super stars randomly fall for you and find your quirks endearing? Too perfect, or rather too hallmark. If your looking for a cute and easy rom-com, you've found it.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was quite good. I liked the way that it opened and the way it ended. I liked the descriptions of the feelings that the charactors were feeling at certain points in the book. I loved the way that the author made the things that the charactors were doing sound fun. I loved the way that some parts of the story surprise you, you just don't know what is going to happen until it happens. It was hilarious in some parts of the book. What I didn't like about this book was the way that some parts of the story repeated itself. In one part one of the main charactors says "Go Girl!" and later on in the story he says that exact same thing. It was like the two words were put into his brain and someone pressed a repeat button so he said the exact same thing over and over again. But overall it was quite good, I enjoyed it heaps and I recommend it to anyone aged 13-18 because that age group is the target audience.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was one of those books that started me on the road of YA and while it still holds a special place the appeal of this book did not stick quite so much as others in this set. that being said there are so many things i still love about this book despite the fact that this would be my 10th (i think) reading of it. i love the setting, any book set in Europe i tend to love and when you add in the teen playing grown up gained by no parents and it gives the book a fun vibe. One of the other things i love about this book (no matter how lame) is the chapter titles ... they are all named after songs and yet still connect with the chapter, with the music theme of this novel this really serves to tie everything together nicely. the one big draw back in this novel for me is that the love triangle is weak at best and really if the love triangle is weak is there any point?

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. i really enjoyed it. this book was about how this girl named Olivia, but people calls her Liv, moved to London for a job, over the summer. she had a job, with 2 other girls, that is dong the same job, and those are also her room mates. her room mates is Anna and Rebecca. Liv doesn't like Rebecca because she is mean and is very noisy and Anna became Liv's bestfriend. when Liv came into the apartment building, she bumped into a celebrity, which is Josh Cameron. she was very shocked, when she bumped into a celebrity. Liv was very about her job at a record place, and she had a date with Josh Cameron. As the summer days went, Liv thought Josh wasn't the gut she wanted, and she wanted Colin. this book was very good, and i liked it a lot.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. The "mean girl" character in it has an over pronounced Southern accent that drives me crazy. It would be enough to say "She's from Texas. She has a Southern accent" but no. Every time she speaks, it's "Ah" for I and "Li-uhv" for Liv. The other characters are from places that would have "different" accents when speaking English (Sweden, Italy, and UK), but they don't get the phonetic treatment.

On top of that, Liv put up with way too much crap from Rebecca and Josh for me to like her. The book just made me frustrated as I read it.

[Yushi Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entrenched in the middle of London, Olivia is interning at a TV music station. Between her work and meeting different celebrities, Olivia has to learn to live on her own and maintain her friendships with the other interns.

I thought that this novel was fun to read because Olivia's summer seems very exciting. I would like to have a summer like hers where I can travel to another country and meet new people. Even though some parts of the story didn't seem realistic, it was still entertaining.

[Sara ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. It was pretty cute — predictable like the rest of the series... She gets the guy in the end, etc. The thing that threw me off was the title. I was expecting there to me a lot more dancing, but the title was a reference to the main character's love of 80s music, not her ACTUAL dancing skills. But it was cute.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this book was okay. The main character was likable, and I loved the fact that she was so clumsy and that it was set in a different country. Loved the internship stuff. I felt led on a bit about the fact that she liked the movie star or singer or whatever he was, when it was again obvious who she was going to end up with. Very cheesey and dorky ending.

[Emily S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid. In the end, the guy who she likes (Josh Cameron), while drunk, tells her that she's just a rebound for him - to get a good title in the tabloids after a bad relationship with "Cherie", his old girlfriend.

[Azuree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really as good as others I've read in the romantic comedies series. Girl goes to London, girl meets two boys, girl dates wrong boy while right boy waits in wings, etc. Teen girls would probably like it for the romantic overtones, but not a great read in general.

[Trin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes this book is a set down and sometimes it is a can't get my hands off it. Great source of love and humor.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an action and romance book. Mostly action and it kept me on the edge. I couldn't stop reading. I finished it in about 3 hours.

[vampire (dipita) grul · Rating 5 out of 5]

its really coollllllllW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nora14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this bokk my friends and i read it together and all loned it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

none of this stuff would happen in real life. it was also stupid

[Hpitcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda boring, nothing really Happened.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't one of my favorites but still was good.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

liked it a lot!

[Janae · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a very interesting book. The title matches the book perfectly.

[Elaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

VERY 2000's. Olivia is kind of flat and shallow as a character. I don't see why Colin would like her. I did like Colin and Anna's characters, but not enough to reread or keep this book.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good!!!!!!!!!!! for Tweens !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Blen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty goog book!!!

[Fazleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

boring!!!!!!!!!!!

[MARTHA INGE]

Not a good book