I Read Indie: WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT by Melody Grace Release Launch {Review/Giveaway}

Melody Grace's WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT is being released TODAY and we are so excited to join in the release day launch for it. WITH EVERY HEARTBEAT is an enchanting New Adult Contemporary Romance in Melody's new Cities of Love Series. Check out what we have for you today and then enter to win in the release day launch giveaway! You could win a set of e-copies of Melody Grace's Beachwood Bay Series that are currently available. There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out!

Title: With Every Heartbeat

Author: Melody Grace

Source: ebook from author

goodreads...

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?

My take...

Usually I would start immediately on a review the minute I finish a book. But for some reason I needed a good night’s sleep to think on it with this one. Did I enjoy the book? Sure I did. Did I like the characters? Absolutely. Was I in love with this read? Not really. Now I wasn't in love with the story, but I did enjoy it. I love this author’s ability to take us to another country without us having to step foot in said country. Not a lot of authors can do that without blabbing on too much and boring the reader to death. But Grace did an excellent job.

I think what got me was everything happened too quickly. I thought the coming together of the characters was short lived and then the ending felt thrust upon us. This is totally different than what I was used to with Grace's other work. I did however like that the author didn't wrap everything up in the end. There was still a sense that Annalise was working through some things and it was ok that she didn't know what she wanted to do just yet. That definitely made it all a bit more believable.

Now, I did however love the romance the story told. Even though it happened somewhat quickly, I was absolutely smitten with Raphael and Annalise. I would have loved to have seen their romance play out a little longer than what it did, but it was still intense and undeniable. The romantic scenes were just that…romantic. That is one thing I have always loved about Grace’s writing. She gives us some scorching romance that makes all hearts swoon.

Would I recommend this story to others? Sure thing! I didn't hate the story. I simply just enjoyed it. It has a wonderful story line and some fun characters that is sure to catch a lot of reader's attention. Pick it up and see what you think! 4 Stars for me!!

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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.

Who is this man?