A quick an easy read but the style didn't really vibe with me.
The dialog felt quite clunky and unnatural a lot of the time and the intimate scenes even more so.

Examples include the using the pet names 'babe' and 'baby' almost immediately after admitting they were into each other and that band name. It made me smile when they first came up with it for sure. Pop culture references work well as band names but considering how odd a name it actually is; it made it pretty jarring to read 'Regina Phalange' literally every time the band was being discussed/thought about. A lot of those places could easily have been substituted with 'the band', 'our band' but they never were. I wish I could Ctrl+F to count just how many times it was used. Really odd.

The 'relationship drama' moments and general plot were very simplistic and again, clunky. It felt like a half-baked fanfiction at times.

It wasn't terrible but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Sadie returns home to live with her mom because her band just broke up and she gets evicted from her apartment. While she is sulking from all the change, she continues to play her drums at her moms house. Her mom's neighbors hear her playing and they all decide to make their own band. One of Sadie's new bandmates has a daughter, Jess. Jess is not happy that her mom is acting like a teenager in a band full of grown women. Sadie tries to placate Jess, but is having difficulty getting Jess to be happy for her mom.
While they are arguing, the sparks fly and they realize what they really are arguing about. Will they do what they have to get over their differences?

This wasn't what i expected from this and i felt underwhelmed like this needed to be edited again as there was something lacking from this. I thought the two women were interesting but i just didn't care too much about their relationship overall and there was a real sense of drama in the story for me.

One is home for the summer, Jessica Moran. Jess is a graduate student looking forward to finishing school and joining her mother in business. Jess is not looking for a relationship. The other, Sadie DuChamp, drummer, in a rock band that fell apart when the lead singer got a solo contract. Sadie is also heart broken and recovering from a nightmare of a relationship break up. When the two meet, there is chemistry and much back and forth with various issues impending their progress. The issues have to do with Jess, her mother and the need to protect.

What was most entertaining to me was the neighborhood moms organizing a band to help Sadie's mother get out her sadness after her husband passes away. Also, interesting and entertaining is the business Jess's mother started, Queen of Hearts. There was also a mystery that had me guessing throughout. In general, a fun read that had me frowning, smiling, and cheering.

A Sweet New Adult Story…
Sadie had her life turned upside down when her band fell apart in New York. Now she is back home and that’s a good thing because her mom isn’t doing well after the death of her father. Jess is home for the summer from grad school. She plans to work in the family business and chill out. When she arrives home to find the sexy rock star Sadie swimming in her pool, she wants to get to know her much better… Things get complicated when family secrets are threatened with exposure and emotions run high. Can these two find a way to keep harmonizing or will they crash and burn?

This is a light and sweet story. The girls both are very supportive and close to their mothers and want them to be safe, healthy and happy above all else. I liked how they interacted with their mothers and each other. They were so cute. I loved the awkwardness as they circled around each other at first and the closeness they share as they get to know each other better. Jess is really intense about keeping her secret (and justifiably so) while Sadie is more about living and loving in the moment. I am not really into this genre, I am far too old to be the target audience but I think most younger romance readers would find this fun and flirty summer read just the thing for a relaxing afternoon in the shade.

I really enjoyed Let the Beat Drop by Cheri Ritz. This is a New Adult romance about two young women who meet up again after circumstances force both to their childhood homes at the same time. Sadie’s rock band breaks up and she loses her apartment while Jess is home from grad school for the summer. The two haven’t seen each other since high school. They weren’t close then, but there is an almost instant attraction when they meet again. Unfortunately there is a secret that may keep them apart.

This is Ms. Ritz’s second novel, and I’m really pleased to say that I can see a definite improvement in her writing. Her characters are well-developed, especially her secondary characters, which I mentioned as a weakness in her first book. In fact, I really connected with her secondary characters. They made the story for me. This is probably because I’m closer in age to those characters than I am to the mains, but I believe it’s also due to how well she created these folks. She did a clever job with the secret that runs through the plot and causes most of the angst between Sadie and Jess. Ms. Ritz gave little hints all the way through the story, but never enough for me to figure it out until near the end. In fact, I never actually figured it out. One of the minor characters had to tell me in the tale. Some detective I am!

The romance is adorable, and perfect for the target age group this book is written for. I wish there had been more books like this when I was young, but I’m glad to see them now.
This is a really nice New Adult romance that would be ideal for adults in their twenties. Even though I am definitely not in that age group, I had fun reading this story, and I recommend it to all who are young at heart.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

A quick an easy read but the style didn't really vibe with me.
The dialog felt quite clunky and unnatural a lot of the time and the intimate scenes even more so.

Examples include the using the pet names 'babe' and 'baby' almost immediately after admitting they were into each other and that band name. It made me smile when they first came up with it for sure. Pop culture references work well as band names but considering how odd a name it actually is; it made it pretty jarring to read 'Regina Phalange' literally every time the band was being discussed/thought about. A lot of those places could easily have been substituted with 'the band', 'our band' but they never were. I wish I could Ctrl+F to count just how many times it was used. Really odd.

The 'relationship drama' moments and general plot were very simplistic and again, clunky. It felt like a half-baked fanfiction at times.

It wasn't terrible but there is a lot of room for improvement.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review

Sadie's in New York, she's a drummer in her band and they have just broken up and she has also broken up with her alcoholic boyfriend.  Her father died several months ago and her mother is not coping and Sadie's feeling guilty for neglecting her so she decides to pack up and look after her mother. Jess is a grad student and heading home for the summer to help in her mother's business. Jess and Sadie's mother's are neighbours and good friends and Jess's mother has asked Jess to look after Sadie while she's in town. The physical attraction is immediate but it seems they're not destined to be together.
I quite enjoyed this book, there's the requisite angst however it would work better if amped up. Both Sadie and Jess were a bit annoying in terms of their maturity levels but then again they were just out of their teens and in their world everything is very dramatic. I'm looking forward to Ritz's next book, I think with a little improvement she'll be writing some great books.

When her band breaks up, Sadie, still reeling from her last relationship to loser Corey, decides to go back home and spend time with her mother, Jennifer, who’s struggling really hard with her grief over Sadie’s father’s death. As a way to help her mother get back out into the world, Sadie suggests she and her best friends play some music together. The idea turns out to be a success until the new band decides to play at the neighbourhood party Marley, Jennifer’s BFF, is planning. For some fathomless reason, Marley’s daughter, the uber-sexy Jess, is dead set against them playing in public.

I tried, I really tried to get into this story but hot-and-cold Jess is too much for me. I thought, at first, that she was really sweet based on her relationship with her mother. And she is, part of the time. But when she gets angry, even for legit reasons, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near her.

There’s nothing wrong with the writing but I’m too character-driven to be able to really enjoy a book when I can’t connect with one of the MCs. I regret that all the more so as the plot is quite interesting, Marley’s secret and all.

Finally, when it comes to songs, I find authors writing lyrics really unnecessary. If you’re writing about a painter and tell me she’s talented, I don’t need to see her work to believe you. It’s the same with musicians. Me, the reader, trust you, the writer. I don’t need lyrics to a song I can’t listen to. It’s not the artist’s art I’m interested in, it’s their relationship to their art, what it means to them, what it makes them feel, and what it makes the love interest feel. Here, the lyrics weren’t bad (I have read much worse, including in really good books), but I don’t think they added much. Sadie’s relationship to her music is probably what I liked best in this book and Ritz described it really well.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I try to stay away from books with teenagers and young adults. This is why. The MC’s got together, fought, miscommunicated, walked away from each other and the got back together in under a month and a half. Seriously? A big deal was made about this secret and I just think that it wasn’t necessary like it was manufactured drama. I just could not enjoy the story.

This book fell into that category of the less popular bridge between YA and adult, NA. (New Adult) I'm not the biggest fan of this genre, and this book was a prime example of one reason why.
I never came around to liking Jess. I get that we all have secrets, and why it was so difficult for her to share with Sadie. The secret itself was fine, and it kept me guessing. But her personality was driven by angst. Even before the past becomes a factor in her decisions, I could not stand her repetition of why she and Sadie could never, ever, ever be a thing. I can forgive Jess for being angsty about the secret, although I did think that she should have acknowledged it sooner, even if Sadie didn't get the full details. Then the truth comes out, and the next conflict is utterly pointless. They manage to straighten things out, and one make-up scene later, everything falls to pieces over something astonishingly insignificant. I'm going to assume that this was intentional on the author's part, because Jess does get called out on her idiocy. I suppose readers don't always have to agree with a character's decisions. It's more than possible that I've seen an abundance of Jess-trope characters recently and my frustration just boiled over here, but I'm not going to deny my own opinions.
The family theme was sweet, and the supporting cast was nicely done. They are what stopped me from disliking the story.
Three stars.

“I guess I better go find my mom. But it was nice to see you again, rock star.”
She tried not to wince at the nickname. “Yeah. You too. I’ll get out of your pool and head home.”

A chance encounter sparked the flirtatious banter between Sadie and Jess who were both home for the summer albeit for different reasons.

Forced to return home after her band broke up, Sadie was picking up the pieces not only for the demise of her band but also the family she left behind. Music was her go to escape from life but without a band, can she hope to resurrect her career and life?

Jess never settled for anyone. Home only for the summer to spend time with her mother and assist with the latter’s vodka business, Sadie was not expected. When her mother tasked her to befriend Sadie, could she cast her attractions aside or is the attraction more than a summer fling?

3.5 stars for me. The book is low on angst and has its sweet moments. Overall an easy read but wish that the relationship was further developed as the characters, with their respective pasts, have much more to add to the book.

I just reviewed Let the Beat Drop by Cheri Ritz. #LettheBeatDrop #NetGalley

After Sadie DuChamp’s rock group split up, they needed to vacate their shared New York apartment. With no job and nowhere else to go Sadie returned to her childhood home and her deeply depressed mother. The last time Sadie saw her mom was nine months ago when her father died. But immediately after her father’s funeral, Sadie returned to her group and boyfriend, leaving her mother alone to deal with her grief. Upon her return home, Sadie vowed she was going to stay home for a year, not only to help herself regroup, but also give her mom the help she desperately needed and deserved.

Jess Moran was a graduate student who always went home for the summer to help her mother in her craft vodka business, Queen of Hearts. They had a very close bond and a very deep secret that once exposed might destroy their lives. This secret was one of the major reasons Jess did not do relationships. She did not want to open up to anyone about her life so instead settled for one night stands.

When her moms’ friends came over for their usual Sunday brunch coupon swapping event, Sadie was asked to play something for them on her drums. Since there were extra guitars in the corner of Sadie’s living room, her mom and friends picked those up and joined her. Soon thereafter, Sadie decided to start a band with her mom and her friends. This would not only help Sadie continue her love of music, but help her mom get out of the house and bring some joy back into her life. Everyone was happy, except Jess who was very afraid the attention given to this band, Regina Phalange, would bring exposure to the group’s lead singer, her mother, and risk exposing her secret. But it was a risk her mom was willing to take.

I think the love connection between Sadie and Jess happened too quickly especially since there was a lot of drama associated with their relationship. Within a month, they were falling in love. But also within that same time period they argued, stormed away, and didn’t speak for a bit until they made up. Then it happened again: argued, broke up, reconciled. I think all this disruption took away from what could have been meaningful communication.

I also found myself questioning these characters’ behavior and maturity level during certain scenes. For example, there was a very intense make out scene in the back seat of Jess’ car. This was fine in and of itself. But….it was in broad daylight and her car was parked right in front of Sadie’s place of employment. Sadie finally came to her senses about the inappropriateness of what they almost did and decided to go someplace more private.

I liked that the daughters were protective of their moms and cared deeply for them. Some of those scenes were heartwarming. The secondary characters were likable, even Shanna who often got drunk on the job. She proved herself when most needed. I did, however, expect some kind of deep emotional discussion once the secret was exposed, but it seemed to be more of a surface level acknowledgment.

This was a nice story, but at times it left me with too many questions and not enough details. Other readers might find it more enjoyable than I did.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

Let the Beat Drop focuses on Sadie DuChamp who has been living and working as a musician in New York City when her band, Sugar Stix, breaks up. She is eventually evicted since she can no longer pay her rent. Sadie decides to return home for one year while she regroups to live with her mother, who was recently widowed, in a Chicago suburb.

Jess Moran is in grad school and returns home for the summer to work for her mother's craft vodka business, Queen of Hearts. Jess and Sadie's childhood homes are on the same street. They were also a few years apart in school. Jess spots Sadie in her family pool when she arrives back home and they are reintroduced.

When I read the description for this book I was eager to read it. However, as I progressed through the book I really didn't feel much of a connection to either Sadie or Jess or really even the basic storyline. The other main storyline that became evident was related to Jess' mom, Marley, and her mysterious background. I wasn't very intrigued by what was created for her background either. On a positive note, it was a easy read about the lives of a couple of young women around twenty-one to twenty-four years old. Maybe this book would better connect with someone in that age range.

I received an ARC from BellaBooks and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sadie loves nothing more then playing on her drums making music with her band on stage. When her band breaks up and she loses her place to live she decide to go back home. She decides stay a while because one to figure out what she wants to do with her life and two because she wants to help her mom Jennifer who stills grief her father death.

Jess is coming home for the summer to help her mother Marley promotes her company Queens of Hearts which specializes in different vodka for a event. She a love them leave them type she doesn’t really let anyone in not even her best friend Cassie who she known over five years they been to school together.

Sadie thinks music can help her mother with her grief and forms a band with her mothers friends and to her surprise they are actually good. Sadie and Jess butt head over Jess mother playing in the band but Sadie doesn’t get why Jess doesn’t want her mother playing. The chemistry between them is on point Jess who never let anyone in is surprise when she want to let Sadie in. This was a great read. I like how Sadie and Jess loves their mothers. The only negative is I didn’t care for Jess that much I get it but I was saying Sadie deserves better at times.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This was my first novel by Ritz and I found it to be an easy, enjoyable read that passed the time quickly. As soon as I read the blurb I knew I would want to read this, as I often find musician based romances enjoyable, however whilst it had its moments it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

At its heart the book is a romance between Sadie and Jess after both return to their home town for the summer, but it takes a long time for the couple to actually get together, giving the book plenty of time to focus on the secondary storyline of a band of middle-aged women and the third storyline - a mystery that seemingly threads the narrative together and keeps you turning the page, both with anticipation and trepidation as to the eventual reveal.

All three storylines are done well, and I didn’t feel that the book was dragging on. Both Sadie and Jess frustrated me at times and whilst they both face turmoil for different reasons, something that normally bonds me with a character, I didn’t feel particularly connected to either MC, which stopped this being more than a high three star book for me and kept it in that easy read category.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick easy relatively sweet romance to read. My feelings could easily be different to someone else’s - and it did leave me smiling at the end.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.