With Every Heartbeat Book Review

November 8, 2013 / 4 comments

With Every Heartbeat Book ReviewWith Every Heartbeat by Melody Grace
Series: Cities of Love #1
Published by Self-Published on November 5, 2013
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eARC
Purchase @ AMAZON  or  BN
Add to Goodreads
Rating 

Rome. The city of young lovers, old secrets, and intoxicating new desire…

 I thought I knew what I wanted in life. I thought my destiny was set. Then I met him, and everything changed.

Raphael is bold, passionate, and seductive. He sees something in me I never dreamed possible, and now he's determined to show me a world beyond rules -- a dance without limits. I want to trust him, but I'm scared. Because I know once I fall, there'll be no going back.

An innocent dancer. A mysterious stranger. As Annalise is drawn deeper into the romantic delights of Rome, she'll question everything she believed about her future. But with opening night looming, can she find the strength to risk it all? And will she be forced to choose between her one true love, ballet, and the new passion in her heart?

 

Liezel’s Thoughts:

 

Annalise  has been a ballet dancer all her life. From a very young age it was ingrained in her that she was to follow in her mothers footsteps and become a prima ballerina. Her mother was one so everyone thinks that she is destined to be one too. Her entire life is dedicated to dance. For her this is the one thing that brings her happiness.

“….I feel it, a power like no other, beating through my body, like I could take flight, right there on the stage. It’s like a drug, a shot of pure joy, and the longer I go between hits, the more I crave it, need it…..”

That was until she met Raphael. As much as Annalise is a dancer, Raphael is too but in an entirely different form. The dedication  to their respective arts is one the most important things that bring this couple together but it is their emotional connection, their passion and the chemistry that keeps them together.

Annalise has never felt this way before. She thought that her  life was always going to be centered into becoming a ballerina…everything that her mother wanted her to be but because of these new emotions she finds that dance isn’t everything.

“I don’t understand it, how I could have gone my whole life without feeling a hint of this desire. Not it threatens to consume me…”

Raphael knows how important her life work is to her. He would never put her career at risk even if it would cause them both heartbreak.  He would have been willing to sacrifice his own goals so she would obtain hers.

But what if dance wasn’t what SHE wanted after all ? Can she give up something that she’s worked her entire life for something so new yet so real?

I’ve always found dancing intriguing. The dedication and commitment that it takes is this art is very awe-inspiring and the way that the author described each sacrifice and the countless other things that these ballerinas have to endure read so  original.

 I also loved that it was set in Rome. I thought the way the scenery, ambiance and the culture itself was portrayed and I appreciated how the author put so much detail in the description of these places.

What I loved most about it was the characters of course! Annalise was terrific. She was always dedicated to her craft but when she found that there was more important things in life she didn’t hesitate to follow her heart.

Raphael was the perfect counterpart for Annalise. He was just as motivated as she was. He too gave up his whole life to pursue the one thing that made him happy. I loved that he was self sacrificing and how attentive and caring he was for Annalise.

“Time doesn’t exist; the four walls of the room mean nothing. All that matters is the two of us, dancing together as one. One heartbeat, one will, one soul…”

The passion between the two was outstanding. The scenes where they were just dancing alone was unbelievably sensual. When these two finally decide to pursue a relationship and come together their emotions were so intense… so raw…so real .  It just wasn’t about achieving  physical satisfaction but obtaining that soul deep connection was what made them remarkable.

I’m going to tell you something so ridiculous it’s practically inconceivable from an Indie bloggers perspective. I don’t know how this happened… that this is the very first Melody Grace book that I’ve ever read.  And after reading this one there is no way that I will ever be able to  ignore her work ever  again because the writing , the story, the characters and everything  else about this book was just  simply amazing.

Loved it! Loved it! Loved it and I can’t wait to read more of this series.

The Verdict:

rating-5


Excerpt:

A new burst of music sounds, pulsating and wild, and suddenly, my thoughts fade clear away, blotted out as completely as the sun during an eclipse.
I see him.
Standing, poised, waiting for his intro, his body proud and arched, arms raised. There’s a girl waiting beside him, his partner, but I only have eyes for him.
God, he’s gorgeous. Dark curly hair, tanned skin, and piercing blue eyes that seem to shimmer against the gold of his skin. He’s dressed in a starched white shirt and tuxedo pants that fit him like a glove. The breath is sucked from my lungs, and I feel a thrill ripple through me, a sensation I’ve never known before: anticipation, as if I know something important is about to happen. Something life-changing.
And then he starts to dance.
Dear Lord …
I swear, time stops as I watch him move. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen: part Latin ballroom, part street, part modern contemporary. And all of it totally devastating.
I stare, awestruck, as he plays out a wicked game with his partner: bringing her in, sending her away, lifting her as effortlessly as if she was made of air. His movements are bold, dominating. There’s no cheap grinding, or tacky thrusts, but somehow, every step oozes sensuality, such an intimate connection between the dancers that I feel myself start to blush.
It’s mesmerizing, out of this world, and I’m completely lost to it, caught up in the story of love and betrayal they’re telling with their bodies until at last, he whirls her out one more time and then pulls her back; dipping her so low her hair grazes the ground.
They freeze there, holding the pose. There’s silence, so pure you could hear a pin drop, and in that moment, he lifts his head and looks out across the square.
Our eyes lock.
It’s only a split second, those piercing blue eyes on mine, but I feel the moment stretch for an eternity. His gaze crashes through me, setting every nerve and sense alight, as if I’m touchpaper and he’s a molten spark, dancing through my bloodstream.
And then the thunder of applause breaks the spell, and I realize I’m digging my nails into my palms, gasping for breath.

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About Melody Grace

Hi! I’m Melody Grace, author of the bestselling Beachwood Bay series. Some things about me:

1 I’m a small-town girl turned California beach lover.

2 I spent my childhood with my nose in a book before deciding to try and write one myself. I love all kinds of genres – from thrillers to YA and mystery – but romance has always been a passion of mine.

3 I love pistachio ice-cream, vanilla lattes, bad action movies, and Grey’s Anatomy (yes, I’m still watching… I can’t quit!).

4 I have an uncanny sense of direction. I once drove halfway across Canada without GPS or a map!

5 I have two adorable rascal cats named Bucky and Steve, I rescued them as kittens, and yes, I spoil them rotten.

6 I’m allergic to chocolate ?

7 I love sexy, heart-felt reads with strong heroines and swoon-worthy men. Why don’t you check out a couple of my books and meet your new book boyfriends?



4 Responses to “With Every Heartbeat Book Review”

  1. Anita Powers

    I have never read any of the Beachwood Bay books I would love to read this series. Thanks for the giveaway

  2. dawn ruchel

    I have never read any of the Beachwood Bay books I would love to get a chance to read this series. Thanks for the giveaway

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