Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet and thrilling romance. This was a great novel.

Omilee doesn't know who her family is. She takes a DNA test to try to find some family.
Wolfgang, a wealthy man, doesn't know who his family is. He takes a DNA test to try to find some family.
Wolfgang's wife doesn't want him to find any family. She needs to be the sole air of his fortune when she plots to have him killed
Her plan doesn't go as follows. But that doesn't stop her from trying to kill his next of kin
Will Omilee find her family or get caught in the crosshairs
Will Wolfgang stop his spiteful wife before it's too late

The narrator really brings this story to life. I had previously read the book, but with another title on the way figured I would get caught up again through the audio. Sala writes a wonderful story that you just can’t stop listening too.

Heartbeat (Jubilee, Kentucky #3) was another great read by the author. Sean Pope lost Amalie Lincoln once before. He will now risk everything to never have to say goodbye again. Amalie moved to Jubilee, Kentucky to start over. She is looking to not only build her business but to heal the scars of her past. She never thought she would run into Sean Pope. He was a beloved childhood friend that she hasnt seen in decades. The day that she moves to town, a helicopter explodes under suspicious circumstances. The Jubilee PD investigates the incident while Sean and Amalie find comfort in a budding romance with eacho ther. As they uncover the truth, the crooks behind the attack set their eyes on Amalie. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

Heartbeat is the 3rd book in the Jubilee, Kentucky series and my favourite so far. Amalie Lincoln was in a serious car accident two years earlier that left her with serious scars from being burnt. She is now healthy, but unable to find a job. Although she has money from the accident, she wants to work again. She moves to Jubilee, Kentucky for a fresh start and to set up her own office as a CPA. Sean Pope, a local IT specialist, helps her set up her computers and office. Amalie was abandoned as a baby and was raised in foster care. Little does she know that her search for her father is coming to an end. When she entered her DNA into a genealogical site, she wasn't sure whether she would find a relative, but she never expected who she matches with.

Heartbeat is a romantic suspense story that has a lot of coincidences that move it forward. As Amalie and Sean get to know each other, they realize that they have met before. He assists her setting up her office as well as planning an open house for her business. Things get interrupted when a helicopter explodes over the Jubilee elementary school. Who is trying to kill the business man who was supposed to be on the flight? I am enjoying getting to know the Pope family and all their relatives. They are a very close family who will do anything for one another. There are a couple of villains in this one and they are very well written and easy to dislike. This is a quickly moving story that I listened to in one day, and I very much enjoyed how it all ended. It was a bit predictable, but there was a lot to keep me interested, even though I had figured a lot of the plot out. This was an enjoyable romantic suspense story and I am looking forward to seeing which Pope falls in love next. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Traci Odom and enjoyed her performance. She does a good job with her tone and expression.

I did not realize that this book was part of a series. Each book in the series revolves around a different Pope. Luckily this was easy to read as a stand-alone novel.

This book has a little bit of everything in it, second-chance romance, found family (kind of), past lives, fated love, suspense, and more. This primarily follows Amalie who grew up in the foster system and became a CPA. She had a horrible accident which eventually led her to Jubilee, Kentucky to open her own CPA firm. When she moves to Jubilee she hires a tech guy, Sean, to set her computers up and they have an instant connection. In the meantime, there is another storyline that follows the attempted murder of a billionaire whose plane exploded over the town of Jubilee. Another plot is finding the family of Amalie. The main plot is the attempted murder of the Georgia billionaire. This wraps up at 3/4 of the way through the book, then we tie up the other subplots. Overall, the story is very entertaining. The first quarter of the book had me on the edge of my seat. Then we got to the love story, which was so sappy, the love story part was my least favorite part of the story. The further you go into this story the more we uncover which is interesting. However, once that main plot was done the book kind of petered off and we added in a whole bunch of unnecessary, but still interesting plots. The narrator did a good job, but she made Amalie feel a bit flighty. Great story, loved the suspense and action, will be picking up the other books in this series.

My first book by this author. And I really enjoyed it. A great mixture of thriller and romance. Small town feels made it feel homey.

Heartbeat by Sharon Sala
This is the first book I read in the Jubilee, Kentucky series. I had no problem understanding what was going on, and I never felt like I was missing anything from the first two books. In this book Amalie, a grown orphan, has decided, after much tragedy, to leave the town she lives in and move to Jubilee, Kentucky. Once there she meets one of the Pope brothers and for them the rest is history. However, at the same time that this story is going on, so is another. A helicopter crash kills two people, but did it kill the people that it was supposed to? And how does this connect to Amalie? All will be revealed in the story Heartbeat.

This one kept the pages turning! It was romance and thriller all in one. I liked how the pieces all came together at the end. It did feel a little far fetched though, but I can see it. I was glad Amalie finally got to be happy. Also an interesting twist on those DNA tests.

🌀Synopsis
After an accident Amalie returns to the one place that she loved the most from her past- Jubilee. She’s sure that this small town will bring her peace and safety. She happens to run into an old time friend too. Sean remembers Amalie from all those years ago and he remembers her leaving because he was heartbroken. The feelings from all those years ago come back easily and effortlessly. Sean shows Amalie parts of Jubilee she didn’t see and she falls in love with the town, his family, and him.
Meanwhile, a helicopter crash and a DNA test lead to interesting findings. The crash? Amalies long lost dad. The DNA test now reveals that he is her father because he is is dead. Only, he isn’t dead because he took a different flight. Someone is trying to kill him and the same person who is behind that is determined to make Amalie disappear too so they can have the inheritance all to themself.

This is the third book in the Jubilee, Kentucky series, and I enjoyed this one as much as the first two. They've all been solid romance/mystery/thrillers, all revolving around the extended family members in the small tourist town of Jubilee. The romantic story line was very good, with a surprise connection between the two main characters. The mystery/thriller line was also solid, although the initial mystery wasn't a mystery for long, but others continued to pop up until all was revealed. There's also a touch of magical realism that I enjoyed. The audiobook is narrated by Traci Odom, and she does an excellent job of providing different voices to the characters. Overall an enjoyable read, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Returning to Jubilee, Kentucky, in 'Heartbeat' felt like coming home. Sharon Sala weaves a compelling story that had me hooked from the first chapter. The blend of suspense, romance, and surprises from the past kept me on the edge of my seat. I binged this audiobook in one day, captivated by the twists and turns of Amalie's journey, the helicopter crash, and the blossoming romance with Sean. The surprises from the past added a delightful layer of complexity to the narrative. I especially adore a certain someone in Amalie's life now, and I'm eagerly awaiting more in the next installment. Traci Odom's narration was fantastic, bringing the characters and the story to life with her wonderful inflections and tones. A highly recommended listen!

Sweet second chance romance with a touch of suspense.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. The romance between Amalie and Sean was lovely. I loved seeing how Amalie interacted with Sean’s family and how easily they accepted her as one of their own. The suspense part of the story was engaging and even if it was easy to unravel.

There were a few things I didn’t enjoy about the story. First, it felt overly long. The last 30% could easily have been an epilogue. When the major plot points were wrapped up at 70% I started to worry about what else was going to happen. My second issue (and this may be due to listening to the audiobook) has to be that there were too many POVs and the shift between them felt random at times. Not sure if there is any denotation of this change in the print version, but in the audiobook it felt like the POV shifted mid paragraph sometimes. These changes took me a while to get used to as I had to pause and go back a few times to confirm who’s head I was in now.

I didn’t realize when I started this book that it was the third book in a series; however, I don’t think this hurt my reading experience. There were hints and mentions of events from past books, but they were added in ways that are tempting me to go back and start the series properly. The only impact starting in the middle of the series may have is not connecting previous characters as quickly. There were a few moments in the beginning where I could tell I should know who people where based on how their name was dropped.

The continuing Jubilee series centers around another Pope. This time it’s Sean story, IT consultant that lives with his mom on Pope’s mountain. Meeting with a new client in town he has a feeling of familiarity with Amalie.
Amalie after winning a large settlement for an accident she was in, has decided to start fresh and far away from her previous life. She falls in love with Jubilee, KY and opens up her own CPA office instead of working under someone. Needing help with her computers set up she hires Sean Pope, but there is a feeling of deja vu. And then it dawns on her that he was her hero from 3rd grade bullies. Instant sparks ignited between the two, first love has found each other again.
There is a mystery of Amalie finding her family being that she was brought up in foster care. Another mystery that involves a helicopter crash at the Jubilee grade school and who was killed in the accident. Who is responsible and was it murder? A bit predictable, a bit on the corny side but overall a typical sweet mystery romance. Love the paranormal bits in it. Can be read as a standalone, but will have more background information if you read the previous books. I listened to the audiobook this time, the narrator was good, but I think for me I enjoyed reading more. I give it 3.5 stars and rounded up. Thank you for this ARC, all opinions are my own and mine alone. #Sharon Sala. #Heartbeat #NetGalley

4.5⭐
Genre ~ romantic suspense
Series ~ Jubilee, Kentucky #3
Others in the series ~ Don't Back Down, Last Rites
Setting ~ Kentucky
Publication date ~ February 6, 2024
Est page Count ~ 477 (21 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 44 minutes
Narrator ~ Traci Odom
POV ~ multiple omniscient 3rd
Featuring ~ small town, murder, found family, second chance

Amalie & Sean ~ aged 27
Amalie is looking for a fresh start, so she moves to Jubilee. She opens her own CPA firm, but needs help setting up the computers, which is where IT tech Sean steps in. Once these two see each other there's a familiarity....y'all, he saved her from bullies back in elementary school! How adorable! And it was when they lived in a different state! If that's not FATE then I don't know the meaning of the word!

There are a few different plot lines that come together nicely. We get the perspectives of many characters, but it's pretty easy to follow along with. The Pope family is so tight knit, delightful and welcoming. The characters that are supposed to be horrible are perfectly written as such.

Overall, I loved it! It's super fast paced with hardly any downtime of action. I think I spotted the set up for the next book, so I can't wait until that comes out.

I have 3 gripes, which did not affect my review
~ Ghost, the hero dog, who I've come to love from the previous books barely had any page time
~ The Culinary Institute of America is in Hyde Park, NY, which is upstate not in NYC
~ since Heartbeat is one word it should be shown as such on the cover

Series notes:
I suppose not absolutely necessary to read the first two, but the Pope's are one big happy family, so they're interacted with often, especially mamma, Shirley. The whole series is great, so you might as well start at the beginning.

Narration notes:
Traci did an excellent job! There are so many POV's and she nailed them all!

This is a sweet story of redemption, revenge, and rediscovery. I enjoyed the book, the characters, and the touch of mysticism. At the same time, I found the storyline predictable and often sappy, requiring the reader to suspend reality, particularly as all sorts of relationships sprang up instantaneously. Even so, it did not stop me from continuing to read, not to mention tearing up at many of those "sappy" moments, and it did provide a very safe read, free from angst and anxiety. This was a different read for me, and perhaps it is the norm for the sub-genre, but I found it an odd combination of pleasant and improbable. I did not realize this was the third book in a series, but it did not take long to realize that it was part of a family saga. Even so, the book works as a standalone.

Traci Odom did an excellent job voicing the characters and bringing them to life.

3/5⭐
ARC REVIEW!!! i'm going to be honest, this one wasn't for me. i didn't love how many different characters there were and it switching between all of their pov's. i found it very hard to keep track of (especially because this was an audiobook arc so i wasn't actually seeing the words on paper, i was listening to them) i did enjoy the storyline and how it was a mixture of romance and mystery. i feel like i would have enjoyed this more had i read the first two books in the series so that i could maybe get a little more backstory as to what was going on.

like i said, i did enjoy the story, i just was confused at times and felt lost throughout the book because of all the different pov changes with no indicator that were getting a new pov - i enjoy when we switch if there's a title saying the character's name first. i find it makes it less confusing!

thank you to Sharon Sala, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Heartbeat by Sharon Sala
Narrated by Traci Odom
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers, Romance
Expected Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Heartbeat is the third book in the Jubilee, Kentucky series by Sharon Sala. I had not read the previous books and I enjoyed this as a standalone book.

I thought this was a great balance of romance and mystery. I loved the characters and enjoyed seeing things come together. There was definitely some magic woven through this book! I enjoyed the suspense that was woven through the story. It kept the story moving forward.

I loved the narration by Traci Odom. She did a great job bringing the story to life.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story definitely made my heart beat with love. The narrator was just wonderful and trustworthy. I felt like someone in my own family was telling me a story and I did not want to miss a single detail. The storey is based in Kentucky on Pope Mountain but the MMC's mother gave me true southern belle vibes and I enjoyed her so much. Sean was just as wonderful as his mother. I wanted to be a part of this family with every part of my soul. There is found family in this and the plot was entertaining through the whole book. I think I need to go read the rest of this series however I had no problem following the storyline with this being my first book by this author.

I really enjoyed the romance in this, it was so cute and had me smiling. The mystery was also a nice addition to this book. I did find myself tuning the book out at some parts just because i was bored. Overall this is a really good book and i would definitely recommend people read it. The narrator did an amazing job with this book, I will definitely be looking for more audiobooks she narrates.

Book 3 in the Jubilee, Kentucky series. Would work as a standalone, but you will gain information by reading book two. (Book one is less integral to subsequent books)

After an accident leaves Amalie's life up in the air, she is drawn to Jubilee. She visits, falls in love, and moves there. She is a CPA and when she calls a local tech person to help her set her new office up, she is surprised to find it is her childhood hero, Sean. Amalie grew up in foster care and Sean was the only person who ever stood up for her. Amalie's life is suddenly full- with newfound love and friendship.

Overall, I'd say I enjoyed this the most so far. However, there are always little things that bug me too much to rate it higher. Sean and Amalie knew each other for a few months as kids. Yet, it is insta-love. Which bothers me. <spoiler> Granted, they are 'really' the reunited and reincarnated Pope founders. So I guess it is supposed to make sense. Still is off to me. </spoiler> It also bothers me that three characters- Amalie, Sean, and Wolf- all of whom came to Jubilee as adults (and Wolf only as a business man) are all connected. Like, the odds of that happening is astronomical. The other thing that bothers me is the inaccuracies in police procedures. And the speed of the judicial system, lol. Those details niggle at me and I can't help it.

Traci Odom narrates the audiobook. While I was less annoyed this time than with book 2, I am still not a fan. Especially in dialogue.

Other than the nitpicky problems I have, I did enjoy it. I enjoyed this one enough to look forward to book four. If I were to guess, the youngest of Shirley Pope's sons will find love.

I received an advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.