Two DJs. One beat. An off-limits romance neither of them expected.
THE BEAT MATCH by KELLY SISKIND
Series: Showmen #3
Publication date: September 16, 2020
Published by: Self pub
Genre: contemporary romance
SYNOPSIS
Weston Aldrich is known for his devastating looks and crisp Italian suits. He's been groomed to take over his family business and is on the brink of closing a massive merger. Only two wild cards can derail him.
Wild Card One: If anyone learns he moonlights as a masked DJ, his credibility will be toast.
Wild Card Two: Annie can’t-hold-a-job Ward.
The Annie Ward he promised to help raise after her brother died. The scatterbrained girl who makes it her mission in life to drive him crazy. The gorgeous woman he’s not supposed to fantasize about, let alone kiss.
Annie hates Wes’s insanely overprotective nature, and how his ridiculous bone structure makes him look like a Greek god. His jokes about her plethora of jobs are beyond irksome. She has no plans to tell him about her latest aspiration, to match beats as a budding DJ. Until she learns what Wes does at night. Now she plans to prove Weston Aldrich has met his match.
"A friends-to-lovers and older-brother's-best-friend book that will blow you away." ~ Reads and Reviews
"This romance flits between grin-inducing banter and hypnotic dance scenes. Annie and Wes are a couple to remember!" ~ author Michelle Hazen
"The writing is delicious and Kelly's voice is vibrant." ~ author Mary Ann Marlowe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to enjoy the charm of northern Ontario. When she’s not out hiking with her husband or home devouring books, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. Her novels have been published internationally.
2015 Golden Heart® Finalist
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The Beat Match by Kelly SiskindMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
After reading and loving the first book in this series, New Orleans Rush, I've been eager to read another book by Kelly Siskind. This synopsis grabbed my attention immediately. I loved how different the plot was-the hero is a wealthy businessman who has a secret double life as a DJ by night. I can confidently say that I've never come across another character like this before. Bonus points for originality right off the bat. Weston was not only unique, but he was the perfect foil for free-spirited Annie. Weston is a little bit stuffy. He's not uptight, just tends to be more formal, focused, and responsible in general. He's a problem solver in both his personal and professional life. Annie is more of a...problem maker. In a lovable way of course.
Anthea— Annie— Wardhad the attention span of a fruit flyand was as organized as a Black Friday sale.
The feelings these two have for each other are like those of family. While they're exasperated with each other almost on a daily basis, there is a deep understanding and affection that you can only have when you've spent almost your whole lifetime around each other. You know each other's faults, idiosyncrasies, and weaknesses. Though, everyone has secrets, and Weston is no exception. He's secretly been nights as a DJ called "The Falcon" in order to relieve stress and feel closer to the friend that he lost. If his strait-laced father knew what he was doing, he could be fired from the family corporation in a heartbeat. (Yes, he's really that heartless.)
You really feel for Weston having to deal with so much stress at work, and having no one that can commiserate and give him a boost. After his mother passed away, his father became closed off and cold towards him. It's really infuriating at times how he takes Weston for granted and doesn't cherish the family that he has left. In the beginning of the book, he pressures his son into dating the socialite daughter of the owner of Biotrell for business reasons. That goes to show you how appreciated and valued Weston must feel.
Annie was a quirky ray of sunshine. I thought she had a hilarious sense of humor that would make an appearance in almost any situation. She was good at finding the positive side when things weren't going her way. She was also impulsive, and a bit of a scatter-brain. While she didn't abuse Weston's generosity, she often got herself into financial jams with unconcern, knowing that he would be there to save her if things went awry. In the beginning, it did feel like she was taking from their relationship and not giving equally back. That bothered me because I felt as if she didn't appreciate and support him in the manner that he deserved. She did see the error of her ways eventually as her feelings started to develop past friendship.
As with any friends to lovers romance, there's going to be some push and pull as they struggle to accept deepening emotions.
He wasn’t sure when the change hadfully struck him.It felt gradual, yet sudden.Expected, yet feared.Forward momentum he waspowerless to control.
All of a sudden, he's unable to tear his eyes off of her. His internal dialogue really shows his struggle and discomfort as he's bombarded with all of his new feelings. Not only does he not want to risk losing her, he's scared that he wouldn't be able to treat her right in a romantic relationship. Weston is a commitment phobe. While he would never want to disrespect Annie, he just doesn't know how a long term relationship works. He's spent his whole life distancing himself out of fear that he would only lose another loved one in the end. Enter the fake relationship with Rosanna that becomes his shield. That should provide an effective barrier...right? What ensues is some satisfying mild angst between the two of them that's expected in this trope. I really loved the back and forth between the two of them, especially when Weston he was in unrequited love with her. Unbeknownst to him, she had been dealing with some confusion of her own.
I loved how different the two of these characters were, yet at the same time, so very right together. Once Annie discovers Weston's secret, they have something special to bond over. Annie has secretly found a passion in music recently, and they have more in common than they know. One of the conflicts of the book is whether or not Weston's secret life will be outed to his father somehow. You get the feeling that it's inevitable, but in the back of my mind I was wondering what the consequences would be. There's also a bit of a mystery with someone leaking information at work, but I guessed early on who the culprit was. While it didn't take me off guard, it added another layer to the story.
I really enjoyed The Beat Match! I recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining, funny read with some mild angst. Annie and Weston were the cutest couple once they let go of their fears and went for it with their whole hearts. You can imagine them 50 years in the future sitting on the porch together, bickering and busting each other's chops between kisses. If you like the friends to lovers or brother's best friend tropes, give this one a try! You'll be pleasantly surprised.
A seamless beat match.Exactly how Wes and she had melded their lives:perfectly synchronized,stretching and adjustingto fit into each other’s worlds,whether bickering or laughing or making love.A harmonious relationshipbuilt on years of friendship.
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