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Beat

by Alexandra Y. Caluen

A second-chance M/M romance novel about finding your groove.

Mateo de la Cruz expected to dance, drink, and maybe get picked up when he hit West Hollywood on his birthday. He didn’t expect to wake up with an epic hangover, fully clothed, in the bed of the guy who gave him the best dance of the night.

Sam Lee didn’t expect the birthday boy to be such good company, especially not with a hangover. A day off together led to dinner, which led to going back to bed. It was perfect, which was scary. When Mateo left, Sam panicked. They didn’t see each other again for a year.

Then Mateo tracked Sam down again, to see if they could figure out why neither of them had been able to move on. And once they'd figured that out, it was time to figure out their next moves.

REVISED EDITION.

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Excerpt:

Sam sighed. “I met someone this summer.”

Vince gave that a few seconds. When no more was forthcoming, he said, “And? Did he turn out to be an asshole?”

“No. Nothing like that.”

Another pause. Vince made a ‘keep talking’ gesture that produced nothing. He was starting to get concerned. “Sam?”

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“He was perfect. Young, fun, smart. Beautiful. We met at that club I told you about. It was his birthday.” Now that he was talking, he couldn’t seem to stop. “Guys were buying him shots. He got really fucked up, and I took him home so he’d be safe.” Vince’s face betrayed surprise at ‘took him home.’ Sam shrugged, a little embarrassed. He knew most people didn’t understand how hard it was for him to connect. They only knew that he didn’t. “When he woke up, we talked. We both had the day off. We just hung out. He took me out to dinner. We ate here.” He looked around as if to verify it was the same place. “And then he, he asked if he could come back home with me.”

“Uh-huh.” Another long pause as Vince deduced what happened next. “And he was perfect?” Sam nodded. Vince was trying to figure this out. He’d found his perfect partner only months ago, and hadn’t stopped talking to her since. But clearly Sam was not talking to this guy. “Did he not take your calls or something?” That would have been ‘asshole,’ and Sam said he wasn’t, but otherwise Vince didn’t know what the hell could have happened.

Sam was staring across the room. “I didn’t take his calls.”

“What the fuck, Sam.” Vince couldn’t figure this out at all. Sam was obviously miserable, maybe heartbroken, but it sounded as though he’d done it to himself. “I’m assuming you had some reason. Did you catch him kicking your cat?” Again, ‘asshole,’ but Vince was trying to elicit some response. His friend didn’t react. I do not know enough about this guy, he realized. They’d known each other for quite a while but apparently not very well.

Sam was gazing at him now. “I’m too old for him. I have a lot of baggage. I’m kind of a mess.”

“Sam, for fuck’s sake.” Vince had heard from his new love Kelli on the subject of Sam. ‘Old’ and ‘mess’ were not included in the description. Not to mention Sam was actually younger than Vince. He frowned a little. The mystery guy had to be at least twenty-one. “How old is he?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Sam! For fuck’s sake!” That almost got a laugh. Vince was exasperated. “Tell me you’re having second thoughts.”

“Second, third … twentieth.”

“Do you still have his number?”

“No.” Sam planted his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands.

“God damn it.” Sam nodded. Vince thought for a second. “You know his name, though.” No sound, no movement. “He lives in L.A.” Silence again implied assent. “Are you going to try to find him? It couldn’t be that hard.” The number would be on his call records, even if it wasn’t in his phone any more. This guy was really conflicted. Vince didn’t understand it.

Sam took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and raised his head. “By now he’s probably decided it’s not worth the trouble. I wouldn’t blame him. He knows where I work.” That escaped him. Mateo knew where he lived, too. Sam was acknowledging, to himself, that by not answering the phone he’d put the younger man in an impossible position. “I should have talked to him.”

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Sadonna on Love Bytes Reviews wrote:

REVIEW:

Mateo goes out for his birthday to a dance club in WeHo. He’s gets really drunk and he dances with a gorgeous and sort of dangerous looking guy named Sam. They fit really well together. But Mateo gets really really drunk. Jules the bartender tells Sam to check on Mateo and he does. He takes him home rather than see him come to harm.

Mateo is really hungover, but he connects with Sam and they spend the day together. Neither has ever had such a connection on a first “date” as it were. But when Mateo reaches out to Sam, Sam doesn’t pick up. He doesn’t think he’s worthy of such a great guy as Mateo.

They spend a year pining after each other. Mateo, after taking to his sister finally hunts Sam down at his job. Sam has done some work on himself and he’s embarrassed that he didn’t pick up or return Mateo’s calls. They decide to try again – and well things go completely differently. They have missed each other a lot and they each have made a lot of progress in their own lives and their own “growing up” so to speak in the intervening year. Neither is willing to let the other go again.

They meet the families. They move in. Sam opens up about his past. They begin dancing together for earl – ballroom dance. They work out together. Sam’s friends becoming Mateo’s friends. They fit really well into each others lives despite their outward differing appearances. And they make a life together. There are ups and downs, but they fit. Then there are the Gay Games competitions!

Last year I read a holiday novel by this author that I really enjoyed. When I was offered a revised novel that had been published a decade ago, I decided to take a chance. I’m glad I did. It was another enjoyable story about two men who, while from very different worlds, connect so well. And one of their connections is through dance. It seems like this author has a real love of ballroom and of queer characters. The couple from another book in the series this book is set in are supporting characters here and friends of Sam. Sam and Mateo are very different people They both grow and change in this book and become better people both separately and together. The story is told from both POVs which I really appreciated. Each chapter moves the story forward in their lives which provides a clear timeline. I loved the discussion and view of the Gay Games and the dance progressions. Really a delightful romance. Recommended.
Four Stars


About the Author

A long time ago and three thousand miles away, I wrote my first novel - a historical romance - during graduate school. Twenty years later I finally dusted it off and published it. Since then I have written and published many more novels and novellas; all romance, most contemporary. My characters (of various genders and ethnicities) range in age from eighteen to sixty-five, with the average falling in the mid-thirties. I'm inspired by authors like KJ Charles, Laurie R. King, Dick Francis, and Jennifer Crusie. I've lived and worked in Los Angeles since 1995.

Statement regarding AI: all works published under the names Alexandra Caluen and A.Y. Caluen were written entirely by the human being legally named Alexandra Y. Caluen, utilizing no AI tools. This author does not grant permission for any use of the works in machine learning or generative AI.

All cover art for the works published as A.Y. Caluen was created by the human being named RK Young. The author image used on A.Y. Caluen paperbacks was created by RK Young with AI tools.