Book Freak: Beat of the Heart by Katie Ashley - Book Tour, Book Review, Giveaway

Beat of the Heart

(Runaway Train #2)

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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MY REVIEW -

If this book will get even hotter – my Kindle will most likely burn. Hold on to your seats, because Katie Ashley will take you in for a ride in her third installment of the Runaway Train series.

The cover took my interest – how can you not drool over that hot-god over there?!

Mia Martinelli had no luck in men and relationships. After her cheating ex-fiancé ran out of her with one of her friends, she swore off relationships for a while concentrating on her cardiac patients in the hospital rather than risking her heart for another doomed relationship. But the moment AJ Resendiz steps in the unit, everything has changed. She plunged into a steamy and no-holds barred sex weekend with the lead drummer of the band. She tried to protect her heart, made it to a point that all of these come with no strings. But how can you stop yourself from liking someone who’s sensitive, thoughtful, and makes you laugh? Mia Martinelli had met her match. Will she let her insecurities and past relationship dictates what she has now? Or will she take the risk?

AJ was horrified when the best sex experience of his life lands him in the shower – naked, alone, shivering and to top it all, handcuffed. He needed his band mates to rescue him. He tries to forget about Mia and her insecurities, but it was hard for him to do so. It might have been a short while, but he knew she already ruined him to all women. Months later, he sought her, ready to ask for an apology and begged for a second chance. What he wasn’t ready for was the surprise she was keeping from him. Will he convince her to give him another chance?

When I’m in a relationship, I’m in it for the long haul. I have never cheated once on any of my girlfriends. Ever. I was a freakin’ altar boy back in the day, and that makes me take fidelity pretty damn serious.

AJ is the complete package any girl would die to have!! He’s famous, sexy, handsome, plays music, reads book (he totally got me with this one!!!), good in bed (and this one too!), funny, thoughtful, had long-term relationships in his history and sensitive. He tries to assure Mia about his intentions, most especially he assures Mia about herself. This is what I like most about him, he knew how to make a woman feel good, and he knows how to do it sincerely. I don’t know why Mia is so afraid to be with him. He might have hoards of girls in the past, and perhaps a lot of girls will be chasing him in the future – but he would only have eyes for her. AS FOR MIA, her past relationships caused the absence of her self-confidence and insecurities. But I wished she would see all the effort AJ is making just for her.

I love the secondary characters in this novel as well. New friendships were formed and old ones were strengthened. Every girl needs a gay best friend, and as for Mia, she’s lucky to have Dee who stood by her side through the good and bad. I love that Mia was welcomed both in the band and in his family, and didn’t hate her even if she left him locked up in the shower (*evil grin*). They had supported the relationship, and was kind enough to knock some senses into their friends when it was badly needed.

Great Romance, sizzling mind-blowing scenes (in and out of bed), awesome hot and feisty characters and amazing plot – wrap in a single package. Katie Ashley made sure you’ll be satisfied and will scream for more of the Runaway Train by the time you reach the end part of the novel. This is one of the reasons why Katie Ashley is one of my favorite authors. :)

RATING:

*ARC Copy was given in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT -

AJ and Mia do the Rumba
As he moved, my eyes honed in on the flourishing movements of his hips. With his blazer off, I could see his back muscles flexing through his shirt. Moist heat burned between my legs at the way the rhythm moved so effortlessly through every inch of him. My mind couldn’t help wandering to what those hips and shoulders might feel like moving above me, my hands running up and down his corded back muscles as he thrust in and out of me….

AJ’s voice brought me out of my fantasy. “Got it?”

“What?”

He laughed. “Come on, Mia. This is the easiest part I could show you without blowing your mind with the complications.”

“It wouldn’t take much.”

“Let’s try it together.” Once again, he took the remote out of his pocket. He scanned through several songs. When a sultry, Latin beat came from the speakers, he shoved the remote back into his pocket. He then slid his arm around my back while the other went to clasp my hand. He waited for the music to pick up at the right place.

“Slow. Quick, quick, slow,” he instructed, his breath fanning across my cheek.
While the rhythm rippled easily through AJ’s body, I wasn’t quite getting the upper body flow or the swishing of the hips.

“Keep your frame locked, don’t slouch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, I feel like I stepped into Dirty Dancing.”

AJ laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever been likened to Patrick Swayze, but hey, I’ll take it. The man had some serious moves.”

When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I tensed up. “AJ, I can’t do this. I’m completely robotic compared to you!”

“No, you’re not.”

“I tried to tell you before that I just don’t have it in me.” I dropped my arms from his shoulder and started to stalk off, but AJ tightened his grip on my hand before whirling me back against him.

“Yes, you do have it in you, Mia. And I’m going to show you.” He turned me to face the mirror before sliding behind me. His hands came to rest on my shoulders. “First of all, you’re way too tense. You need to loosen up. You have to let the music flow through you.” His deft fingers began massaging my neck and shoulders. His dark eyes locked on mine. “That’s it. Let the tension go. It’s only you and me here. No one is judging you.”

“But you—”

He shook his head. “You’re the one doubting yourself, not me.”

AJ’s fingers slid down, teasing along my clavicle. I felt the muscles in my neck and shoulders go limp. My eyelids started fluttering closed as he continued massaging me. “Mia, when will you get it through your thick, stubborn, Sicilian skull that your body is made for dancing…and for fucking.”

I popped my eyes open to stare open mouthed at his reflection. He winked at me. “Now for the lower half.” His hands slid down the side of my body, slightly catching the sides of my breasts, before coming to grip my hips. His hands rose up and down on my flesh, causing my hips to roll forward and backward. “That’s right.”

When he eased up on his grip, I kept up the same pace of undulating my hips. “Very nice.” He met my gaze in the mirror and grinned. “See, you don’t suck.” Keeping his eyes locked on mine, he slid his hands slowly back up my torso. My breath hitched when they paused above my ribs to tease the underside of my boobs. Surveying my reaction, he then splayed out his fingers to fully cup my breasts.

I raised my brows at him. “And when did groping second base get added to the rumba?” I questioned breathlessly.

His head dipped to nuzzle my neck. “It’s all part of my rumba.”

“I see.”

“Do you like it?” he asked, as his thumb and forefinger pebbled my nipple under the dress’s fabric.

“It’s not bad.”

“Hmm, ‘not bad’? That’s not exactly good, is it? Guess I better work on my moves.” His right hand released my breast and trailed down my side before coming to rest between my legs. “Think I might be able to sell you on third base better?”

A shudder rippled over me as he cupped and stroked me over my dress. Even through the fabric, I could feel the heat of his fingers. “Pretty good.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” When his hand left me, I moaned at the loss of sensation. In a flash, AJ was tugging at my hemline. My eyes widened when I watched his hand trail up my bare thigh.

Trying to steady my erratic heartbeat I sucked in a breath when his hand delved into my panties. “AJ—”

“Don’t fight it. Just feel.”

His fingers stroked my clit, causing me to whimper. My gaze darted over to the door, fearing that at any moment the instructor was going to walk in on us. As if he could read my mind, AJ said, “Don’t think about her. Just think about what my fingers feel like against your warm, wet pussy.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but AJ silenced me by sliding two fingers deep inside me. “Oh God,” I murmured. My eyes locked on AJ’s hooded gaze in the mirror. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t tear myself away from looking at what he was doing to me.

“Do you like watching me touch you?”

“Yes,” I panted.

“I like watching you react to me—the way your eyes widen, the way your chest rises and falls, the way your hips move.” He dipped his head to where his breath burned fiery against my ear. “I can’t wait until it’s my dick, not my fingers, that’s inside you.”

With my first male induced orgasm in six months within reach, I no longer cared that we were standing in a public place or that AJ had a thing for dirty talk unlike any of my other lovers. All I cared about in that moment was getting off. My arms went behind me to grasp onto his hips that were moving against my ass.
“Mmm, I’m close. Make me come, AJ,” I commanded.

AUTHOR BIO -

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.