Drop Beat

The Heartbeat Series, Book 2

By: Ryleigh Sloan

Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Jason Clarke

Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

The second stand-alone novel in The Heartbeat series

Maddie

Three things are more important to me than anything else: family, baking, and fun. So when I saw Keller Cannon, drummer of LP-45, perform at a charity concert, I knew he’d be the perfect guy to have heaps of fun with.
It was temporary. No strings attached. A pretty damn perfect arrangement if you ask me.

Until it wasn’t. Until being with him highlighted just what I was missing.
But having more wasn’t an option. He made that perfectly clear. 

Keller

Music is my escape. When I’m behind my drums, I’m granted temporary respite from my demons and a small reprieve I don’t deserve. 

Until Maddie. Maddie is a distraction I can’t afford and crave at the same time. I drown in her, and she breathes life into me. She offers peace - the comfort and promise of a life free from the torment. But I don’t deserve her. And I can’t need her like I do. I just can't.

©2020 Ryleigh Sloan (P)2020 Ryleigh Sloan

Excellent story with top-notch narration!

Sometimes a book just connects with you on multiple levels. Maddie and Keller are exactly the story I needed with all the best of a tortured musician meets independent woman. What starts out as a fling snowballs into the feels before they know what hit them. They are so natural together I found myself grinning ear to ear for the way they interact and come together. They are both very sexual and express themselves together beautifully! Keller has a painful past and is torturing himself, thinking he doesn’t deserve happiness. Maddie is a sex-positive breath of fresh air who isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. The dual point of view really weaves the journey together from fling to something that cannot be denied as the best kind of love between friends who respect each other and can’t keep their hands off (the perfect blend). Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon are so good together it is toe curling story! They bring the characters to life in a way you can’t get outside of an audiobook performance! I was swept away in the fun they have together, the way they come together, and when things fall apart I was lost as well. I had all the feels from A to Z with this one and have listened twice already.

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I’m really looking forward to more stories in this series. This is my favorite so far, but they are both excellent! The characters being revealed are very interesting!

Growly Jason FTW!

- Plot - Sexy drummer Keller is looking for his next no-strings-attached hookup when he meets Maddie after a concert. Maddie is ready to rock when Keller proposes some naked fun before she heads back to South Africa. Keller is hooked on Maddie after just one night, but he has demons to conquer before he can fully commit. Don’t worry, this isn’t an angst fest. Wonderfully crafted secondary characters bring playful banter to ease the tension as Keller and Maddie move toward their HEA.

- Narration - Jason’s deep rumble as Keller creates a warmth that will make you swoon from the first word. Specifically, I like the way he drops the “g” in words ending in “ing.” Erin does a nice job with Maddie’s bubbly but self-assured personality. You’ll notice that Erin doesn’t use a South African accent. This appears intentional. Maddie tells us that South Africa has 11 official languages and a wide variety of accents. The fact that every resident (even family members) sound different makes me comfortable with the decision to withhold an accent from Maddie. I’d prefer no accent to one that’s indistinct.

- The Heat - Erin handles the majority of love scenes in Maddie’s POV. Her male voice is smooth and natural sounding. I prefer a male narrator during love scenes but Erin doesn’t disappoint.

- Style - Ryleigh Sloan’s writing flows smoothly, drawing in the listener for chapters at a time. Her character development is thorough and we understand the characters’ motivations. As the plot progresses, moments of understanding come from natural progression instead of predictable cliche. When sharing a character’s backstory, Sloan realistically yet respectfully incorporates the effects of trauma. A relatively new author, Ms. Sloan is on her way to building a strong catalog of titles that transport readers and listeners into the story.

- Memorable Quote - “I’m not a complete jerk. Well, I guess that depends on who you’re asking but I don’t (bleep) and chuck ‘em. I enjoy sleeping next to someone. But as soon as our (bleep) has run its course, I like to move on; no attachments, no drama, no distractions.” -Keller

Love this series!!

Story was great, narration was perfection how can you go wrong with Erin & Jason🥰



So worth the money!

Rockstar romance with great narration

Drop Beat can be read as a stand alone but we meet a lot of the characters in Ryleigh Sloan’s previous book, Back Beat, so I would recommend starting with that one first. Drop Beat definitely had more meat to the story than Back Beat did and there is definitely more steam. Maddy and Keller embark on a sex only fling, they have friends in common and Maddy lives in South Africa so it seems like the perfect set up for a fun time. I loved that neither of them could fully walk away after their night/couple days together. Even though the chemistry was there from the beginning, the cute and funny texts and phone calls let them form a friendship that I love to see in characters. I mentioned this story had more meat than Back Beat and that’s in the form of Keller’s past, he has a lot of guilt bottled up and watching him struggle to move on is a lot. Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke nailed the performances, as always. They both have great ranges and were able to switch characters seamlessly.
#AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Love this

I love the story and my favorite narrators Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke never disappoint

Fun Rockstar Romance

Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon do a fantastic job narrating Keller and Maddie. Keller is the drummer of LP-45. Maddie has dreams of opening her own coffee shop where she can sell her pastries. Seems simple but this story is so much more.
She is strong and confident. He is cocky but loveable, and he's haunted by a dark past. Their chemistry is instant and believable. Together, they are awkward and funny and sexy and romantic and really perfect for each other.

Gimme more of LP40!!!

After reading Risky Rockstar, I definitely was wanting more books with the boys of LP40!! And the author delivered with Keller's (the teddy bear in the pocket drummer) story!! Maddie and Keller were great together, even though they weren't supposed to be more than a one weekend fling. They both have pasts that have scarred them and leave them not thinking about forever. The narration by Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke was amazing as always!!

Great story and narrators !

Im not usually a rock romance fan but this one was so good! Well written story and narration is fabulous. Love me some growly Jason 🔥🔥🔥 Will definitely be listening to more books by Ms Sloan 😍

⭐️ Gotta keep a Rockstar grounded.

I love a good Rockstar romance . And you can never go wrong with Jason and Erin.. I loved the flow of this book, never a dull moment . It always amazes me when one person or both wants nothing to do with marriage or relationship until they meet the “ ONE ”.. Very well written, I can’t wait to listen to more of Ryleigh’s work...... Especially if she keeps having Jason and Erin Narrate..

5 ⭐️ Rockstar!

I really enjoyed Drop Beat! The story was started out super hot, and ended super sweet. I love a sexy rockstar romance, and Maddie and Keller’s story did not disappoint. This audio book is narrated by Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke. (Always one click narrators for me!)

Erin Mallon portrays Maddie perfectly! Maddie is carefree and adores her best friend. She loves life, and Erin does a great job bringing that to life in her narration. Jason Clarke’s deep, smooth voice is just what I imagined for Keller. Keller has demons in his past, and only wants something light and fun. Jason does a great job portraying the different layers of Keller. Both narrators’ voices complimented each character in the best way.

Overall, I loved this story. It starts off quick and hot! It will hook you, and leave you swooning over Maddie and Keller! This rockstar romance is not to be missed! I'm looking forward to more from this author!

Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon totally Rock!

Drop Beat is an entertaining satisfyingly spicy rockstar romance. I was very excited to read this book after reading the first one (Back Beat) and wanting to know what was in store for Maddie, Blair's best friend. This story is low angst and the drama resolves itself quickly so the book is high enjoyment and low stress. Blair and Dean from book 1 play prominently in this book and it's fun to see their story continued. There were some scenes where the language choice took me out of the story or the moment, but the narration was so great I was easily able to sink back in. Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke do a great job with the humor and the heart during this book. Jason Clarke performs Keller's prickly personality perfectly, embodying his anger, humor and alpha-ness so it came through in every line.

I definitely recommend this book, it can be read as a stand alone, but i think you will get more enjoyment if you read book 1 first.

A fun rockstar story with great narration.

Maddie is most definitely my people. She is a total clutz and I loved her. I mean she managed to kick him instead of kiss him! There were a bunch of funny moments in this rockstar romance and I was here for them all. She and Keller embark on a fling that is hot as Hades but when it’s time to leave neither is happy. They both caught feeling fast but a dark past prevents Keller from allowing himself to feel the love.

This is a story with feelings, funnies and hot lovin'. There is some seriously steamy moments, my particular favourites involved showers.

A great audiobook with solid narration from these two pros. Jason gives us tortured Keller who is smooth talking and super HOT. Erin shows us how utterly adorable Maddie is with her hilarious inner monologues.

This is a standalone, so you don’t need to read/listen to book 1 first but it does give you some of the background for the events that happen in DROPBEAT. A fun audiobook with all the ingredients for a great listen.

A Wonderful Story...Start to FInish!

I loved absolutely everything about this book. The audiobook had me hooked from the start. Maddie and Keller had some serious chemistry and decided to partake in a little friends with benefits relationship... totally casual, nothing serious. It really couldn't be more anyway given that they live on totally different continents and Keller doesn't do commitment and attachment.

Except....maybe their time together was more explosive than either could have imagined, and maybe they connected in a way that wasn't just physical, and maybe just maybe they were what each other other needed to be whole and at peace.

I loved Maddie and Keller. Their banter and the back and forth between them kept me fully invested beginning to end. My heart went out to Keller as he worked through his past and all he had been through, and I was 100% cheering for Maddie and Keller to get their HEA. I adored getting more from all the characters in the previous book also including Dean, Blair and of course Papaw. I so enjoy this author's writing stlye and definitely did not want this story to end.

Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon totally rocked this one. Jason Clarke's voice is completely epic, but he definitely brought forth all the emotions needed for Keller's story. I could listen to him ALL DAY LONG!!!! Erin has always been a favorite narrator of mine as well. She has a wonderful voice to listen to that just makes getting lost in a story so easy. I would highly recommend them both.
#TheFlock #PinkFlamingoProductions #AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Maddie and Keller!

Drop Beat is another great story in the Heartbeat Series. This is the rock star romance of Maddie and Keller. What starts out as a hot and steamy one night stand quickly turns into so much more. It is sexy, sweet, emotional and funny. I love the characters, the storyline and the amazing performance from Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke who both did a wonderful job bringing this story to life.
🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Super sexy, sweet and emotional

What an entertaining sweet sexy read, and although it’s book 2 in the series, it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone. What starts as a one and done, turns into a three day tryst that neither Keller nor Maddie seem to be able to let go of, even though there’s thousands of miles separating them. I absolutely loved Maddie’s filterless mouth, and her extreme clumsiness, which funnily enough starts rubbing off on Keller. Hilarious. What a funny, super super sexy, sweet and at times extremely emotional audio. The drummer and the baker. Adorable. Narrated by Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon, absolute perfection, I adore these two together, they really make a story come to life.
#AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Even better

I absolutely love it when the second book in a series is even better than the first book. My expectations has completely been surpassed!

The narration was beyond PERFECT! I love how the narrators pronounced the Afrikaans words. Erin and Jason you brought magic to my ears!

🎧AOR🎧

Maddie & Keller!

Love, love, love Ryleigh Sloan and this second book in her Heartbeat series brought easy listening, passion and all around fun. We have Maddie and Keller featured in this story. Maddie is from South Africa, and finds herself playing with Keller's drum kit. We all know that is not something musicians like, but Keller finds her endearing. There is something about this quirky girl and he makes the most of it for the weekend. But will that be enough? These two were so much fun. Maddie is exactly as she says she is. There is no pretense, she says exactly what is on her mind and it is hysterical. Keller is a little more reserved. He carries some baggage, and he may just need some help with carrying it! Sloan writes low angst, yet realistic stories that we get lost in, and this story was the perfect listen. I loved it!

Erin Mallon and Jason Clarke are a fantastic team and they bring out the best in Maddie and Keller. Mallon easily creates the quirkiness in Maddie, and is so natural it's like we know her well. Clarke finds the heart of Keller and lets us in to help him.It's a wonderful performance and I highly recommend it!

A great book overall!

It was an enjoyable book, and the narrators made it ten times better.

I love a good no-strings-attached relationship that becomes more once the characters know more about each other. Add to that an adorable clumsy lady and some extra sexy times, and I’m sold.

The author tackles some heavy subjects too, with respect, and I couldn’t help but feel for Keller and his guilt. I’m still puzzled by why that made him decide to avoid relationships though. There’s also positive messages here–like you can find love even with an extreme disability.

Music isn’t a main focus of the story, but we still see one concert, one music video filming, and some studio time. This IS a rockstar romance after all. We get a lot of friendly time between the band members though. In general, I enjoyed the various relationships between the characters.

As for the narration, it was perfect. The narrators are good at both drama and humor, and there’s plenty of both here. A great book overall!

Swoony, sexy, low angst rock star romance

This is a steamy, sexy & sweet rock star romance that has you swooning. The story starts of quite steamy and ends so very sweet, like an “awwwe – heart clutching” HEA.

I really liked Maddy´s character. She is so full of life, quirky, a bit clumsy and literally says out loud what she actually just wants to think. She is a big fan of band LP-45 especially their drummer Keller and has nothing against some steamy fun before returning home to South Africa after visiting her best friend Blaire in L.A.

Keller is the sexy drummer of LP-45. He is quite taken with Maddie and suggests a no strings attached fun weekend. He is not into serious relationships as he is battling his own demons and thinks he shelters Maddie by staying emotionally distant!
Maddie and Keller have so much chemistry! I loved how the dialogs were written which made for some really fun & sexy banter.

This is low angst and there is not much drama going on which sometimes is not a bad thing if you want something light, fun, sexy, easy to read/listen to and feel good at the end.

This can be read as standalone but to get the bigger picture of the side character´s like Maddie´s best friend Blaire start with “Back Beat” beforehand which is the first book of the Heartbeat series.

Audio Performances by Erin Mallon & Jason Clarke were amazingly awesome as always. What I love about both narrators is that they do such good imitations of the opposite sex voice. They just ease into it so effortless. They both brought Maddie & Keller to life so perfectly. I actually think Jason is doing one of my favourite female voices as a male narrator.

Rockstar romance Gold 🤩

Holy shitballs!!! (quote Maddie 😝)I really loved the story of Maddie and Keller in this rockstar romance by Ryleigh Sloan. With Drop beat you get witty banter and hot and steamy sexscenes along with the serious backstory of Keller’s past. Maddie is so endearing and funny, and had me laughing out loud throughout the book with her clumsy ways. Keller is the hot and sexy alpha male drummer, with a vunerable side. Jason Clarke (SIGH ♥️) and Erin Mallon were both amazing and brought Maddie and Keller to life in the most perfect of ways. I will definitely be adding more of Ryleigh’s books to my library.