Review: Beating in Time

BEATING IN TIME by M.J. Schiller

Fiction, Contemporary Romance

4****

Blurb: Once upon a time, their hearts beat as one…

Drummer Levi Cannon knows that all the platinum records in the world won’t fill the Remi-sized hole in his heart. I left Last Chance Beach and Remington Lawson behind when I took my shot at fame and fortune, but I had no idea what I was sacrificing. Now that a fundraiser has brought me home, I want more than anything to win her back. But it’s been eight years. There may be a bridge that connects the island to the mainland, but am I a fool to think that I can build something that will span the chasm of all those years? Remi Boyd knows that her love for her brother’s best friend has never died. But what kind of fool would I be to trust him again after he broke my heart? I was a child when he left. Now I’m a woman who’s been a wife and I’m also a mother to the most precious girl in the world. I can’t drag her through some torrid affair, and that is clearly all Levi can offer me. Music took him away. Music brought him back. But is it too late to recapture what they once had? Or can Last Chance Beach work its magic for them?

Thoughts: This is a story about friends who grew up together. Levi spent a lot of time with Remi’s family. Wyatt—Remi’s older brother—was Levi’s best friend. Plus, Levi’s father was an alcoholic abuser so Wyatt’s home was his “safe” place. Levi and Remi have one beautiful night, then he leaves town for eight years. When he comes back, as a rock star, he knows he still has feelings for the girl he left behind, but how does she feel about him? And can he have a second chance with her? But to do so means changing his life.

The characters and setting are both so real, I feel as if I know them, and as if I can go visit that beach sometime. The emotions are raw and out there. Told in multiple first person, the author is kind enough to let us know when we are with Remi or with Levi. Though I will admit to still getting a little confused at times, but that’s on me, not on the author. She did a very good job with the changes.

For me, the book started off slow, but once I got into it, I loved it. Especially the end with… Nope. Not going to give that away. But I thought what the author did was amazing. That was the best part of the book for me. I mean, I knew what was going to happen (come on, it’s a romance!), but the way it happened was so beautiful.

Recommended!

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”