The Beat Match is about Annie and Weston who are aspiring DJ's but Weston also works for his family's business so he is trying to achiever that work/life balance which is getting and harder for him to achieve because his dad is working him to the bone. His dad is a real a$$ by the way. Annie is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life because she has always had random jobs that she quits within a couple months. She is just rediscovering music for the first time since her brother has passed away and just decided that she wants to be a DJ and wants the mysterious DJ Falcon to teach her. She doesn't know that this mysterious DJ is someone that she knows. Maybe all her life. I really enjoyed this one. It was unexpectedly much deeper than what I was expecting. I loved that the characters were three dimensional and that you could easily understand why some decisions were made by the characters at the end. The growth that the character showed throughout the story was great and you were cheering them on because you were so proud of them. They are both dealing with grief over Leo who was Annie's big brother who was older than her by five years but they were super close. When Leo dies Weston who was Leo's best friend promised to take care of her. I loved the slow burn of Annie's and Weston's relationship. Weston might seem like a unfriendly guy but he has a soft side when he is around people that he truly cares about. He also has some commitment issues that he is working on because he had two people that he greatly cared leave his life very suddenly. I loved how independent and how understanding and compassionate Annie is. She is patient with Weston when he is dealing with all the stuff going on in his head. I also like how forward Weston was with his feelings when they got together. He told her that he was vulnerable in the position that they were in and his dad doesn't help the situation as he is emotionally abusive to Weston constantly work always wanting Weston to work and never having a personal life. Never really warming up to Annie and how close Weston and Annie are together. So I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be checking out more books by Kelly Siskind.

*Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book for an honest review*

Ratiing - 3.5/5

A huge thanks to NetGalley for this free copy.

I mean I have read Kelly Sisikind's books before and they have been very charming. This one was no different. I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did and I have been pleasantly surprised. The plot, the characters, the romance and even the cover- all of them make it such a great story. It's perfect for the fans of contemporary romance and I highly recommend it too.

Happy reading.

Excuse me? this book is just... EXCUSE ME!?? I honest to God can't believe how good this was!
The relationship between the main characters? real, pure, funny, sweet, the banter... pretty much perfect. The secondary characters? all interesting and fun, I ended up wanting more and more of them all. The writing style? This is my first book by this author and I loved it completely. It felt so light and easy to read.

I adored this book! Kelly is a new author to me and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more of her work. In some ways The Beat Match gave me Cinderella Story vibes in that you can always truly be yourself around the one you love and be accepted, there’s no hiding, and the expectations from parents on what their kids should be doing, making, and goals in life. I also really liked that this wasn’t just your typical romcom that you could set aside and come back to later, it very much keeps you turning pages and involved.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review!

I really enjoyed this book. It had so many tropes that are overdone or done wrong and this book turned them on their head and did them right. It took me longer to warm up to the hero but he turned into someone to root for. I would have liked to see the heroine develop a bit more professionally as it seemed her goals got lost by the end of the book. But overall this was a sweet read

<i>Thank you, NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review!</i>
.<p>In this story, we follow Wes, who's a focused businessman (and secretly a well-known DJ) and Annie, the yougest sister of one of his best friends from childhood, who passed away when they were younger. Wes promised to take care of her, but he starts to notice his growing attraction towards her, at the same time Annie realizes Wes might be her perfect match.</p><p>As always, I loved yet another Kelly Siskind book! She knows how to balance interesting female characters, swoon-worthy male love interests, and a little dose of "drama" to keep us readers at the edge of our seats. The wrighting is descriptive without being over the top, what makes it for a very easy to get into read.</p><p>I loved how it discussed family expectations, since Wes' dad really pressures him to make the "right decisions", and how he grows as he realises things. Another point I appreciated was how music was permeated through the whole story, making the main characters even more connected.</p><p>My only issue was the last 20% of the book felt a little rushed, contrasting with the first chunk of the book. It featured a very slowburn romance, because the characters didn't want to admit their feelings; in this case, it made a lot of sense. But by the end, some conclusions regarding a certain subplot felt too easy for my taste. I'm being vague here, but I don't want to spoil anything.</p><p>Overall, I definitelly recommend this (and every other romance in the Showman series) if you are into a fun yet slowburn rom-com.

The Beat Match is such a fun story about falling in love!

Weston Aldrich is a workaholic pharmaceutical executive who closes deals and doesn't date.
His best friend, Annie Ward, is a free spirited woman who floats from job to job, searching for her passion.

When Annie discovers that Wes is secretly the DJ Annie has been trying to apprentice with, it transforms their relationship in ways they couldn't foresee.

I really enjoyed both of these characters. They have backstory, they have heart, they have real emotions and motivations that are relatable.

4.25⭐

I was delightfully surprised by this book. This slow burn romance had more depth than others I have read in this category and I really enjoyed that aspect. There are some parts where I found myself wanting to react immediately to the story with laughter, smiles, or tears of my own. I enjoyed how the mystery was introduced and even though I could guess what might be happening there were little snippets that would make me doubt until finally we find the true blue bare bones of the story and it is very sweet and made my heart feel so full.
Thank you Netgalley for this book. And you don't have to read the other books in this series to understand the premise which was also nice.

I loved every second of reading this book, honestly couldn't put it down. This was just the kind of entertaining read I needed.

this was a cute story. The main characters had to deal with heartaches and sadness and grieving and it was a beautiful way to explore how not everyone deals with the aftermath of something tragic in the same way, specially with people from different backgrounds and lifestyles.
I did enjoy some of the romance tho I did not like that our female lead sometimes fell into the "doormat heroine" mode that i dislike so much. I hated when Wes just texted her "be there" and she dropped everything to be with him or there for him (like with the bunny stuff) it infuriates me when that happens in romance. Also the miscommunication... ugh! I didn't really care about the secondary characters so I can't say much although I did like Vivian and Sarah, sometimes they were more interesting than the main couple.
Sometimes the book/plot felt messy like too many things were happening but at the same time nothing was really happening and those things made me skimmed parts of the book.
It had its problems but overall it was a nice book to read.

This started out a little uneasy for me but I don't know why I ever doubted Kelly's storytelling. I absolutely enjoyed her previous book Don't Go Stealing My Heart and this one topped that. I love Kelly's take on the contemporary romance genre. There's drama and spice and steam but there's also incredible honesty and devotedness and depth.

I was really concerned at the beginning that this was described as friends to lovers in the blurb and yet the way they spoke to each other was more enemies/off limits to lovers kind of feeling (which is also a trope I like, but maybe I just don't like misleading blurbs and thought I was being fed lies). I didn't find their bickering charming or foreplay-like initially. But as Wes' life got more stressful and Annie started coming into her own and exploring her passions and facing her fears, I absolutely loved seeing them develop individually and together.

And that has to be one of the most special epilogues I have EVER read.

This book was a lot of fun to read. It had so many different emotions and concepts but was a great wrap around. I was so absorbed in this book that I barely realized time passing by. I liked how each character was easy to imagine and understand. One thing I noted was that the book was a bit long and there were sections that seemed a bit slow. Other than that this was a fast-moving book with occasional witty banter and hilarious themes.

I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for an ARC copy.

This a a sweet, charming, fun read. Annie and Wes are opposites in almost every way except their connection to his deceased best friend (her brother) through music. There some intrigue, lots of chemistry, will-they-won't =-they back and forth and two very likable main characters that you want to see together. Even though it's part of a series, it feels like a complete standalone.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun friends to lovers book. The heroine was really independent but Weston really knew how to get her to pay attention to him and get what he wanted. Very cute book by an author I've never read! Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this review!

Don't let the cover or description fool you, this book is all heart! Wes and Annie have been best friends since Wes vowed to look after Annie when her brother died. Wes is all corporate stress and pressed suits by day, but he blows off steam at night when he performs as Falcon. Annie is drawn to Falcon's energy and reconnects with her brother's memory by getting into music and DJing herself - now she just needs to convince Falcon to take her on as a student. Of course when she realizes who is behind the mask, everything changes.

What I liked:
- Annie is so likeable - I want to be her best friend. She's kind and compassionate and she's such a good friend and colleague. Her journey to make friends was so relatable.
- Wes is an adorable hero. Such a softy underneath the exterior. He's committed to his family and to Annie and his grand gestures are OVER THE TOP.
- The commitment to the cause of gun violence and gun control
- The epilogue. 'Nuff said.

What misssed the mark for me: Some of Wes' controlling tendencies felt like too much and were brushed off as just being a quirky personality feature. Our hero could use some serious therapy

This is the third book in the series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone. I haven't read the other books in the series, but plan to go pick them up now!

Thanks to NetGalley and XPresso Book Tours for the early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love this book, it has amazing, characters and the story is so easygoing and unique it gets you trapped and you don't want to stop reading, loved the characters connection to music, and their relationship that seem prohibited

This was my first Kelly Siskind book but it won’t be my last! I had no idea this was #3 in a series until after I read it- had no problem reading out of order. I’m now super curious to read the two before!

The Beat Match was everything I could want in a love story! Wes is an overprotective, serious type- left to keep an eye on Annie when her brother is murdered. Their relationship takes a turn which keeps the reader completely captivated. Wes gave me some Christian Grey vibes. Who wouldn’t want a hot, protective, successful man in their life? Annie is the complete opposite but full of compassion and creativity. They need each other so much but at what cost?

This had all the aspects a good romance needed- a little predictable, a little cheesy, a lot steamy. It also intertwined serious issues like gun violence, poverty, addiction. Of course I loved the mix of music that was a core part of who the characters were. I started off needing a lighter read and couldn’t put it down. I breezed through this in a few sittings because I was enthralled with Wes & Annie.

I loved this book. It was a perfect blend of two of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers and brothers best friend. The witty banter and sensual scenes kept me wanting more! I devoured this book in one sitting! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Kelly Siskind for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
A few months before COVID took over the world, I wandered the aisles in my local library for a good book. I stumbled across Kelly Siskind’s book New Orleans Rush. When I saw the third book in her Showmen series on Goodreads I was so excited! I’ve been looking forward to reading this book since I was approved but unfortunately I hit a major reader’s block. I started back at work this week and have been stressed to the MAX. I wish I was someone who can find reading while stressed possible, but I re-read the first chapter of this book three times. It took me a week to read this and most of it was read today in one sitting. I refused to move on to a different book because I knew it was me. Of course after a long weekend of naps and hiking I sat down and instantly got sucked into Wes and Annie’s world.
I didn’t get to read book #2 in the series and this is only my second book of Kelly Siskind’s I’ve read, but I can already tell its going to be one of my favorites! This was a slow burn, friends to lovers romance with a hint of forbidden love and a splash of office drama. There really was something for everyone in this book, but Kelly Siskind managed to keep things from getting unrealistically messy.
BOTH main characters are so genuine and relatable that by the end of the book you’ll be left wishing you could be their friend. I wanna double date with those two. Their energy reminds me so much of my own relationship with my boyfriend. A relationship that starts as best friends is a deeper kind of love. Also shout out to two ADULT characters acting like ADULTS without being boring or cliche. It was nice to read characters in the upper twenties/low thirties who actually acted like people I know that age. Both characters were flawed, vulnerable and grew both separately and together throughout.
If you’re in the mood for a good romance that will leave you craving a night out with your girlfriends, this is the one!

The Beat Match!

The Beat Match by Kelly Siskind is Book 3 in her Showman series. However, I haven’t read 1 or 2 and I found this to be a complete stand alone. I’m finding myself gravitating toward unique characters whose lives aren’t perfect! And this book had that in both Annie and Wes. Annie is the younger sister of Wes’ friend Leo, who was shot and killed in a club. Wes feels guilty about the events of that night, while he and Annie grow close (like brother and sister). Annie grew up in the foster system and she’s learned to take care of herself. That’s not to say, she doesn’t rely on Wes at times. As the anniversary of Leo’s death grows near, Annie is ready to start living a life she’s never experienced. She’s a strong woman, looking for some help to discover a career she’s passionate about. Meanwhile, Wes has his own career issues, between his father, a pretend relationship, a new deal he has to manage through to the end, a secret he’s keeping from everyone, and his growing attraction to Annie, the poor man is so stressed, he doesn’t know what’s going on in his life!

This was a fun story with two people who were close and learning they were made for each other. I loved watching them figure out how to live with the other’s quirks and how to balance each other. A terrific, fun opposites attract rom-com!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.