Publication: 11th September 2025 – Simon & Schuster UK
Filled with scenes of sizzling passion, plot beats of swoon-worthy romance, and a cast of Black female characters that you’ll fall in love with, the unputdownable debut novel from Oti Mabuse brims with heat and heart. Perfect for fans of Talia Hibbert, Laura Jane Williams, Tia Williams, Farrah Rochon, Hannah Grace and Bolu Babalola.
For dancer Lira, Latin Ballroom is everything. Whilst her dreams of fame were cut short aged 19, she’s never forgotten the connection she felt dancing with a stranger at the Paris World Championship afterparty 13 years ago.
Now, with her younger sisters pursuing their own successful dancing careers, and the responsibility of running the family dance studio falling to her, Lira’s ambitious flame is about to flicker out. Until a chance encounter sees her secretly auditioning for Slow Burn, a new dance show about to embark on a 6-week European tour, and coming face to face with a blast from her past that sends her reeling.
Gabriele is the quintessential bad boy of the Latin Ballroom scene. Slim of hip, with long, lean muscles that pop, a chiselled jaw, dark eyes, obscenely long lashes, and a mouth that just won’t give, it’s no surprise when he lands the principal male lead role on Slow Burn. But, with just a few weeks to go till the tour starts, he still hasn’t found his female co-star. All it takes is one audition to set his world on fire…
On the dance floor they’re smouldering, off it, they’re on fire.
Today, I am also on the blog tour for Slow Burn, the fantastic new novel by Oti Mabuse, out now!
Slow Burn is a beautiful story of second chances, self-discovery, and following your dreams, with two relatable and engaging characters and lots of dancing and romance.
The two protagonists are Lira and Gabriele and I loved that we get both points of view of the story. When Lira and Gabriele first met they were young and full of dreams and they shared a night that they’d never forgotten. The second time they meet, thirteen years later, things are more complicated. They both want to dance professionally and they are now the leads in the dance show Slow Burn that will take them touring all around Europe, but they are both under family pressure and expectations.
Lira gave up her dancing career when she was nineteen years old to manage the family dancing studio outside London. Her parents and her sisters have always taken for granted her commitment to the family business, so when she announces that she is going on tour for six weeks they are not happy. On the other hand, Gabriele has pursued a successful dancing career, but now, due to his father’s declining health, his family would like him to return home to take care of the family’s vineyard in Italy. As Lira and Gabriele try to figure out whether to follow their dreams or give in to their family, they will also have to face their feelings for each other. They haven’t forgotten their night together and as they first rehearse for the show and then they go on tour and dance on stage their chemistry is unmistakable.
I really enjoyed Slow Burn. There is romance and family drama, fabulous characters and fantastic places to visit. I liked the characters of Lira and Gabriele from the very beginning and I loved how they both grow and mature throughout the novel and face their past and their families. Their romance is well-developed: there is passion and chemistry, but also a lot to resolve and I couldn’t put the book down. The writing is superb and I can’t wait for the author’s next novel!
A huge thank you to SJV and Simon & Schuster for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a proof of this wonderful novel.
As one of the most instantly recognisable faces in the UK and one of the country’s most beloved broadcasters, presenters and talent show judges, Oti Mabuse is a dancer of international success and renown, winning titles and championships across the world. The only professional on Strictly Come Dancing to win twice concurrently, she left after seven years on the show and became a judge on Dancing on Ice appearing on our screens to over five million viewers per week. Family and connection means everything to her and in December 2023 she welcomed her first child into the world. Oti spends her (hard won) downtime getting used to the rhythm of Mum-life and escaping into romantic fiction, which, second only to her love of dance, is her other passion in life. Her favourite authors include Colleen Hoover, Bernadine Evaristo and Dolly Alderton.
”My name, Otlile, means ‘I am here’ in Setswana, and that’s exactly what I am – here. For too long women like me – empowered, curvy, black women – haven’t been able to see ourselves in swoon-worthy, heart-racing romances… I want to change that.” Oti Mabuse
Book After Book 