Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Mateo de la Cruz expected to dance, drink, and maybe get picked up when he hit West Hollywood on his birthday. He didn’t expect to wake up with an epic hangover, fully clothed, in the bed of the guy who gave him the best dance of the night.

Sam Lee didn’t expect the birthday boy to be such good company, especially not with a hangover. A day off together led to dinner, which led to going back to bed. It was perfect, which was scary. When Mateo left, Sam panicked. They didn’t see each other again for a year.

Then Mateo tracked Sam down again, to see if they could figure out why neither of them had been able to move on. And once they'd figured that out, it was time to figure out their next moves.

 

Book Review

An observation: ‘Beat’ was set in 2011, copyright in 2013, and recently reissued. That raises a question of whether the original style has held up over a decade. This gay romance is only moderately sexual as the main characters discover each other and become a couple. The major thrust of the story is their engagement in competitive ballroom dancing together and with friends, and that unique environment. Having read many books of the original printing era, sex, even heavy and detailed, was certainly included in many publications. So I note that ‘Beat’ is more akin to light romance, focusing on avocational development and a view of a life style.

 

While Rainbow Book Reviews avoids wasting the time of our general reading population with works which do not earn at least a satisfactory rating level, this novel is probably quite acceptable to a narrower audience, one where a gentler plot and character interaction are prominent.

 

Accepting that style, ‘Beat’ is a sweet story. Beginning in the West Hollywood of jam-packed clubs and hot men, we are introduced to Mateo – a young and attractive Filipino, alone on his birthday. He is a solitary person. And along comes Sam, a tall, Black and Chinese man (with a touch of Mexican), who sweeps in and starts dancing with Mateo. Sam, a former martial arts fighter, has ‘serious skills’ and the couple soon are the major attraction on the dance floor. The racial descriptions seem present only to emphasize diversity, and neither add to nor diminish this relationship! Hooray for the author.

 

The lead characters are wonderfully drawn – such differences but such a good mix. Mateo is young and concerned about his lack of intimate experience. Sam, truly worldly, is much older, has a scarred face and a broken nose. And yet, he is gorgeous. From these backgrounds we witness their growing familiarity and attraction. Perhaps they become “one” a little too quickly, but that is okay as it is the secondary thrust of the story. Sex occurs slowly and in graduated steps, though they move in together too quickly. But they develop common interests, share friends, and their involvement with competitive dancing caries the story. BUT, I need to warn potential readers, while that can be exciting, much of the dancing reads as though sports tales, it is a matter of taste and patience, often a bit too technical. It’s not for everyone. Within the pages, competitive dancing is perfect for Sam who was an MMA participant, and is especially connected to others who are physical.

 

What is positive about ‘Beat’? It’s a tale of two very different men, meeting and mating. Characters are limned and grow, their metamorphosis connecting in intensity. The descriptions of the dances may be somewhat abstract for readers, but the energy is quite visual.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the author for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 261 pages/73200 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	31-January-2013
Price	$4.99 ebook, $11.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Beat-Alexandra-Caluen-ebook/dp/B00B9HHXXA