BEAT
(A standalone novel)
Release date: June 15th
A Contemporary Romance novel
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Vi Keeland
Meet Flynn and Lucky in this rock star romance!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Blurb
Dimpled smile of a boy
Hard body of a man
Sings like an angel
Fucks like the devil
I was stuck between a rock(star) and a hard place.
At fifteen, his poster hung on my bedroom wall. At twenty-five his body hovered over mine. Every girl’s fantasy became my reality. I was dating a rockstar. Yet I was slowly falling for another man. The problem was—the two men—they shared a tour bus.
Flynn Beckham was the opening act.
Dylan Ryder was the headliner.
What happens when the opening act begins to shine so bright, it seems to dim everything else in its wake?
I’ll tell you what happens. Things get ugly.
Review- 4 Stars
I’m a huge
fan of Vi Keeland. I anxiously await each of her books, and put everything I’m
doing on hold to read them. Beat is a great addition to her list of books.
However, it didn’t quite live up to all the books that came before it. That
being said, I still enjoyed it a lot! The story is solid and I loved most of
the characters. There is so much about this book to love, but there was also a
little too many elements that tarnished the book for me. So, while I can’t give
it 5 stars, it’s definitely a solid 4.
I was
introduced to Flynn in Throb, and I was so happy to hear he was getting his own
story. I fell in love with his smooth, charismatic, sweet personality. I knew
there was an alpha side of him and I was excited to see it come out in Beat.
Flynn is a
contradiction, at once the quintessential rocker, but at the same time, the sweet
boy next door. It works for him as a performer and as a lover. When he meets
Lucky, he is immediately drawn to her and sees the possibility of forever right
before him. I loved that Flynn was immediately so sure of her place in his life.
His determination to prove to her that they were meant for each other just
melted my heart right down. I couldn’t help but fall for him right away because
he draws you in with his quirks, humor, and let’s be real, sexy as hell body.
He further
proves his depth when he sees the deep ache to perform in Lucky. She’s lost in
a cloud of fear and he wants to take her hand and guide her through to the sun.
He does it gently, but firmly, helping her find her way.
All of
these things make for an incredibly swoon-worthy hero, right? That’s why I was
a little bummed when he slowly disappointed me in one area. I can forgive
cheating in a book, to a point. Unfortunately, I felt that Flynn continued to
be the “other man” for far, far too long. I understand that he was fighting for
them, but in my opinion, he should have done a little more of that without the
naked activities.
Lucky was
really flirting a fine line for me. At first, I really loved her character.
Strong, quippy, and fun, but flawed, making her more human. She is open-minded,
a hard worker, and fighting for her dreams, even if it’s taken her 8 years to
make one step forward. As the book went on though, I liked her less and less. I
never gave up on her, but she’d lost a great deal of luster and my respect, by
the end of the book. The guilt she was feeling for cheating on Dylan didn’t
make up for it. Her excuse that leaving him would ruin Flynn’s career seemed
feeble, at best, to me. It seemed to me, that she could have just walked away
from Dylan and then worked things out with Flynn later, after the fall out from
her breakup blew over. All this aside, I
would have accepted it if it hadn’t gone on for the entire book. I kept waiting
for them to finally be together and deal with their own relationship hurdles,
instead they spent the whole book in a dance of hiding and agonizing over their
actions.
These were
things that bothered me, but at the same time, I shouldn’t be telling the
author how to write her story, and it’s possible that Lucky and Flynn’s
personalities will outweigh the things that needled at me. So, I suggest that
you read it and decide for yourself, because as usual, it is beautifully
written. The story flows, the characters are well developed, and Vi always has
a way of pulling me right into the pages of the book.
As a
couple, Flynn and Lucky were so fun to hang out with. If I set aside Dylan and
all that other crap and just focused on them, it was a lot more enjoyable. They
are really cute, and full of fun, and laughter. They work together to overcome
her fears and to get Flynn’s voice back on track and it created a deeper
relationship.
The
secondary characters are almost as captivating as Lucky and Flynn. Avery is
hilarious and I’d love to see her get her own book. The band members added
color to the story, never taking away from the main couple, just adding layers.
As I said,
I adore Vi Keeland’s books. I truly recommend that people read this book and
give it a chance. Maybe you won’t see it the way I do. While this won’t end up
on my re-read list, I happy to have read it.
Excerpt
Getting through Flynn singing is
incredibly hard. The way his throat moves, the way his mouth caresses
each syllable of the low, raspy sound that falls from his lips. I should
be watching his posture, his breathing, the way his larynx forces out the
words—but instead I’m focused on the beauty of his mouth and how the sound of
his voice glides over my body, making it feel both warm and tingly at the same
time. I’m lost when the song finishes, yet I haven’t really observed him
yet.
“So. Give it to me straight.
What am I doing wrong?”
Ummm…absolutely
nothing from what I can see. Everything was perfect.
Don’t change a thing. Shit. “Could you do it again?
Maybe a different song, one you haven’t sung in a while. So the
sounds are less familiar to your body. Sometimes that can give me a
different view.” At least I make it sound like a real thing when the
words come out.
He sings again, and this time I
force myself to observe. “Hmm…your posture is great. Most people
have a tendency to favor one side of their neck, which makes them tilt a bit
when they speak, and it becomes magnified when they sing, which puts strain on
the muscles around the vocal cords. Your alignment is perfect.”
“Thank you, it goes with the rest
of my perfectness,” he says with a teasing arrogance that, from the little I
know about him, I know isn’t real.
“You didn’t let me finish.”
“You can’t now tell me I’m not
perfect. I was already basking in the glow.”
“Actually, it was perfect…but
almost a little too perfect. Which makes me think you don’t usually stand
this way when you sing.”
“It isn’t the way I normally sing.
On stage, I usually have a guitar over my shoulder. Even if I’m not
playing it, it’s there.”
“Well, I need to see you holding
your instrument to assess you fully, then.”
Flynn’s eyebrows quirk up and the
dirty grin on his face is unmistakable.
“The guitar. I’d need to see
you holding the guitar.”
“That’s a shame.” He shrugs,
the playful smile still on his face. “But okay. It’s your call.
Whatever instrument you want to see me hold is fine with me.”
“How big of you.”
“So now we’re talking about the
other instrument again?”
I roll my eyes, although this
conversation is having more of an effect on me than I let on.
Excerpt #2
Ten minutes later I’m still alone behind the bar and Avery is nowhere to be found. I’m sure she’s in the back alley smoking, even though she swears every day that she’s quit. I check the IDs of three very young-looking pretty girls—they’re over twenty-one, but barely. I can’t miss their conversation.
“Seriously, he has to be gay.”
“Why, because he hasn’t noticed you yet?”
“No, because he’s too perfect to be straight.”
“Could we buy someone a drink?” one of the young blondes asks me.
“Of course. What do you want me to send over?”
They giggle for a few minutes, then decide on a Screaming Orgasm for their intended target. I mix the vodka, Bailey’s and Kahlua and pour it over a tumbler of ice.
“Okay. Who’s the lucky recipient?”
All three of them point to the other end of the bar and say in unison, “Him.”
Lord. That is one beautiful man.
The three blondes were clearly not the only ones to notice. The brunette next to him with her full boobage on display is giving him her rapt attention when I walk over. Yet I feel his eyes on me as I walk down the long bar. I’m used to being hit on. Men seem to find an attractive woman whose sole purpose is to deliver them alcohol an alluring combination. They tend to become even bolder after tossing back a few drinks.
Halfway down the bar, I stop to refill a beer for a patron. I don’t need to look up as I pour to know Beautiful Man is still watching me. The hair on the back of my neck is all the confirmation I need. He never takes his gaze off me, even when I turn, catch his eyes, and silently call him on his staring.
“I’m here to deliver you a Screaming Orgasm.” Damn, he’s even hotter up close. Sandy-brown, shoulder-length hair tousled just the right amount to make him look like he’s just gotten laid. Long, lean torso, tattoos on his forearms peeking out from his long-sleeve fitted shirt. Nice. Then he smiles. Dimples. Yep. He definitely just got laid.
“Thank you. But I have a ladies-first policy.” He winks.
I stare at him for a moment, then drop my eyes down to the drink, leading him to follow.
“Oh. You meant the drink.” He smirks—it’s sexy as hell, and he knows it.
I roll my eyes, but there’s a reluctant smile hidden just beneath the surface. “It’s from the three barely legal ladies down at the end.” I nod in their direction and all three smile broadly and wave.
“Well, that’s disappointing.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Those three women buying you a drink with a name that tells you what their plans are for you later is a disappointment?”
“I thought you were buying me the drink.”
Cheesy, I know, but there’s a flutter in my stomach nonetheless. “Sorry. But you get the Doublemint triplets as a consolation prize.” I shrug, trying to come off nonchalant, and turn to walk away. This close to him, the guy is making me fidget. It’s a big bar, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like we’re in a confined space.
“Wait,” he calls after me, and I turn back. “What’s your name?”
I smile and point at the sign over the bar. Lucky’s.
Additional Books by Vi Keeland
Throb
Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)
Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)
Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)
Belong to You (A Cole Novel, Book One)
Made For You (A Cole Novel, Book Two)
First Thing I See (Stand Alone)
About the Author:
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!
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