Blog Tour: BEAT OF THE HEART (Runaway Train #2) by Katie Ashley
Blurb
After years of bad relationships and a cheating ex-fiancé, twenty-eight-year-old Mia Martinelli prefers healing her patients’ hearts on the Cardiac Care floor rather than risking having her heart broken again. But that all comes to a screeching halt when caring for the head roadie for Runaway Train puts her into the orbit of drummer and Latin Lover, AJ Resendiz. After a scorching weekend of steamy passion, Mia’s intention of getting out with her heart unscathed is challenged by the stud with the wicked sense of humor, especially when he wants to continue seeing her. But when the harsh reality of AJ’s hoard of female admirers sends her insecurities into overdrive, Mia bails, leaving him handcuffed to his bathroom shower.
AJ never imagined that after two weeks of the best sex and female companionship he’d ever experienced, he would need rescued by his band mates from his shower prison. Although he tries to forget the sensual brunette whose curves made his mouth water, AJ can’t get her out of his mind…or his heart. Months later when he finally seeks Mia for answers as to why she left, nothing could prepare him for their life-altering reunion.
Can AJ prove to Mia that regardless of the women after his body, his heart belongs only to her?
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Dawn’s Review 4.5 Stars
Seriously, who doesn’t want a hot Latin Lover to show you a good time?? And add in that he’s got a heart of gold, a sense of humor, strong commitment to friends and family, and a huge capacity to love? Check, check, check and check! Beat of the Heart was just what I needed to bring me out of a book slump and keep my eyes glued to the page from the very beginning!
I read and loved Jake & Abby’s story in Music of the Heart and couldn’t wait to get my hands on AJ after meeting him in that book! Katie Ashley did not disappoint. This installment of the Runaway Train series had steam, rock star moments, sweetness, painful pasts, unknown futures, drama, family, love, and some seriously hot scenes! I really felt Katie delivered with Beat. One of the things that I felt she did particularly well was the dialogue and involving me right into the lives of Mia, AJ, and their friends and family. Also, she told the story from both AJ’s and Mia’s points-of-view. Transitions were seamless and the internal voices distinct. With all of the secondary characters (Jake, Abby, Rhys, Bray, Lily, Duke, Dee, and more) there was the potential to have this story pull away from being truly about Mia and AJ. It was all about Mia and AJ with the others as key to the central story.
AJ, as we met him in Music, is the sexy drummer who has all the right moves. He is all that and more in Beat. I freaking love him!!! Mia is a cancer care nurse who is fighting grief and rejection. She is real and beautiful and is quick with a comeback. But she is fighting some serious demons. I loved the interactions between these two, from the funny to the naughty. Their chemistry jumped off the pages! There is so much more I could say, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. Go, grab Beat of the Heart and travel along AJ’s and Mia’s journey!
Nicole’s 4.5 star review!
I usually start my reviews with some sort of witty attempt at relating the book I’m reviewing with something in real life. Not this time! I am cutting right to the chase. I LOVED Katie Ashley’s Beat of My Heart!!! LOVED IT!! In fact, I’m going to tell you right now that I am giving it 4.5 stars! Yep! That’s right! You have my rating too!
Beat of The Heart is the second book in the Runaway Train series. I will tell you now that I did not know that until after I finished the book, so you can definitely read it as a stand-alone. There are some illusions to the past with certain characters, but nothing that left me wondering what I was missing. Anyway…In this book, we get to enjoy AJ’s story. He is the drummer for the band Runaway Train and he is HOT!! They refer to him as the Latin Lover! Yes, please I’ll take one! I like my Latin Lover frozen with salt and served in a glass of HOLY WOW!!! I digress…
AJ is clearly a ladies man. He has a charm and charisma that leave women swooning everywhere. He knows it, but somehow doesn’t seem to be too piggish and gross about it. He’s actually quite smart and funny and exactly not what you would expect from a hot drummer! For all of his fame, AJ is very real. He is pretty cocky, but you get the impression that celebrity only heightened that cockiness. It was always there! He says some pretty obnoxious and ridiculous things in the story, but nothing that made him look like a jerk. He was really just being himself…a cocksure, good looking man! This is exactly what throws off our main female character.
Mia Martinelli is a smart, professional, independent woman. As a Cardiac Care nurse, she is the best combination of tough and compassionate. I loved her. Maybe it was her Sicilian upbringing, or her miserable past relationships…I’m not sure, but she was so real and relatable. She was burned by not one, but 2 men in her past leaving her self-esteem shaky and her willingness to trust nonexistent. Needless to say, Mia’s not exactly thrilled when AJ, a hot rock star, asks her for a date and hot sex! While she does take him up on his offer, she sees it as a way to get “back in the game.” And that is when the sparks fly, the Earth moves and we need to fan ourselves and say “oh my” as we read!!
I loved this book for lots of reasons. It was funny and relatable. Having a hot guy as the main male character didn’t hurt one bit, either! I liked that both Mia and AJ had real personalities and ambitions. I liked that they both came from strong families and that those families were part of their story. I also liked the fact that there was a beginning, middle and end. I knew exactly where I was in their story and it made me feel like I was part of it.
Copy provided for honest review.
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Excerpt
AJ and Mia’s first date:
“Tell me about yourself.”
Swirling the wine around in her glass, Mia shrugged. “Not much to tell.”
I arched my brows at her. “Yeah, right. Don’t make me start in with some lame-ass get to know you questions.”
She grinned. “And what would those be?”
Even though I knew it would probably irk a woman like Mia—one who was refined and cared about class and style, I leaned in on the table with my elbows. “What do you like do when you’re not mending hearts?” I asked, my tone serious like an interviewer.
“Hmm,” she murmured, closing her eyes to think. After a few seconds, she popped them open and replied, “I like Pina Coladas and walks in the rain.”
It was my turn to tsk at her. “Not getting off that easy, Miss Martinelli.”
“Fine then. What I enjoy doing is probably a huge bore to you, but you asked for it.”
“Yep, hit me with it.”
“I like the usual stuff like books, movies, and TV. I like traveling. And…” A little flush filled her cheeks.
“And what?”
After a hearty gulp of wine, she replied in a low voice, “I like to knit.”
I couldn’t help laughing. “You’re shitting me.”
She narrowed her black eyes. “No, I’m not. My late grandmother taught me how to knit and crotchet.”
At her still seething anger and embarrassment, I held up my hands. “I’m sorry I found it so shocking that a smoking hot woman like yourself did something so old-school and nerdy as knit.”
She shrugged. “You asked, so I was honest.”
“You’re right, I did.” Grabbing another breadstick out of the basket, I grinned at her. “You think you would ever make me something?”
“Hmm, like a dick cozy for those cold nights when no woman wants to put up with your bullshit?” she asked with fake sweetness.
Choking on the breadstick, I fumbled for my wine before taking a long swig. When I recovered, I couldn’t help laughing at her fiery response. “I would be honored if you would make me a dick cozy. I would wear it with pride and think fondly of you.”
“Oh you would, would you?” she asked, her lips curving upward.
“Yes, I would.” With a wink, I added, “But be sure to make it extra-large because I want it to fit.”
Mia snickered. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
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Get More of Runaway Train with Jake & Abby’s story: Music of the Heart (Runaway Train #1)
Our 4 Star Review of Music of the Heart
About the Author
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
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