Not what I expected...

3.75 Stars

Finn is the singer for one of Northern England's most popular bands and Danny is a vice detective who happens to love music. It's attraction at first sight for both of them when they meet during a festival, even if Danny is surprised that a gorgeous man like Finn would even notice him. They get along great, though, and Danny discovers Finn is kind and sweet and nothing like the idea of a rockstar that he has. However, Finn has a secret, and revealing it to Danny might put a damper to any kind of relationship between them. 

While I loved My Mate Jack, unfortunately, I can't quite say the same about Lucky Man. I liked Finn and I felt bad for him because of all he had to go through with his mental illness. I would've liked to read more about it, and less about the case Danny was working in. I can't say I liked Danny much, I just didn't feel his connection to Finn, and I didn't think he was as invested in their relationship as Finn was. 

All in all, while the book didn't quite hit the mark with me, it was definitely well-written and the case was intriguing, even if as I said before, I would've liked to know more of Finn's illness and how it impacted their relationship. Still, it's worth listening to it, if nothing else because Dan Calley is amazing and he consistently delivers quality performances that I can't get enough of.

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A bit Disappointing Really

I’m really not sure what to make of this, the second book in the A Heated Beat series. Having enjoyed My Mate Jack immensely, I was hoping for much more of Jack and Will’s story than we got. However, they’re only minor characters in this book and we get no narrative advancement about the couple other than a simple reason why they are not living together, which made little sense to me. By the end of the book, we’re none the wiser to their relationship other than they’re still boyfriends.

I think the lack of their story advancement was my main reason for my disappointment, but it didn’t end there. The two MCs in this book didn’t really do anything for me nor did their storylines. Finn is a rock star who has mental health issues and Danny is a detective working in the vice squad. However, we don’t get much insight to Finn’s schizophrenia, nor do we get much in the way of a murder mystery story.

In all honesty, I couldn’t say that I disliked the story, but there was very little substance for me to enjoy it either.

The narrator has a very good reading tone and his character voices are consistent and you never have to guess who is speaking as he reads. I think it was that he read the book so well was the only thing that kept me going with this story.

I have listened to or read a couple of other Garrett Leigh books and while I didn’t enjoy this one so much, I am not put off from trying out her other works in the near future.

Moving

I loved this story, and was very pleased by the covering of a mental illness. Too much stigma is still applied to people with mental health issues. Bringing out into the light, especially like this is really good.

Finn and Danny

Lucky Man is the second book in the Heated Beat duo. I have to say I enjoyed this book more than the first because it brought out one of Garrett Leigh’s true talents – writing honestly and accurately about mental illness. She brings a keen understanding to what it’s like to be mentally ill and I feel her representations are accurate. As someone with a mental illness, I appreciate when the characters are real. I also appreciate that love doesn’t fix the illness and that people living with these conditions also deserve happy endings.

I’ll quickly mention the uneven narration style. This is not the standard back and forth alternative point of view chapters between the two heroes. That being said, it’s much more balanced than other books and I got a glimpse into both Finn and Danny’s worlds. Danny’s a cop. He takes a night off to see a band perform and is caught in the web of Finn whose voice and beauty are enchanting. They hook up and both wind up finding something they’re looking for. But Finn has a secret and if Danny can’t handle it, their relationship is doomed to end before it even begins.

Jack and Will from the first book in the series make appearances in this book as well and it was nice to see them so happy. I was surprised they weren’t living together full time, but the stories needed to be linked and making Jack and Finn flatmates worked. Finn and his issues were one part of the plot while the other was Danny and his work. He’s investigating the murder of prostitutes. Some of the women he’s gotten to know with his beat. When one murder comes a little close to Finn, things get all the more challenging. Things worked out, though. Bad guy caught? Check. Happy ending? You bet. Lovely book? Absolutely.

Finally, I’ll mention Dan Calley’s narration. I feel like Ms. Leigh and Mr. Calley are a couple made in narration heaven. His deeply resonant voice works with the sometimes-dark places where these books go. He handles the characters with concern and care. The book just works.

stunnign second book!

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted the audio file of this book.

This is book 2 in the Heated Beat series, and while it's not NECESSARY to read/listen to book one, My Mate Jack, I think you SHOULD, cos , you know, I said so! Jack and Will pop up a lot, since Jack lives with Finn, but it's not needed to have their story before this one. But you know, THAT book was a 5 star listen too!

Danny has drooled over Finn on stage for some time. Meeting him, going home with him, gave him the best night of his life. But Finn has a secret and Danny has a stressful job. Can they make it work?

This is a much darker, dirtier, deadly listen than book one, but I loved it just as much, maybe a tad more.

There is powerful and instant chemistry between Finn and Danny, and it carries right through the book. Its hot and steamy, but equally, deeply emotional, for both Finn and Danny. Finn's health issues, and what that meant in his previous relationships, are his primary concern. Danny is dealing with a murderer who has been on a spree across the country.

Danny reaction to Finn's health issues were not what Finn was expecting, but still, Danny struggled with Finn a couple of times, especially when he had an episode (is that the correct term? ) but Danny rode it out, and did his best to understand. Some serious research into Finn's condition has been done for this book, I'm not saying what that is, because spoilers, but the level of research into treatments and how people suffering this condition cope shows here.

I LOVED that this book is set in Nottingham. As a Nottingham gal, I got all the places that were mentioned, and loved that the shortened, locally used names for places like The Queens Medical Centre (big hospital!) are used. Loved the references to local towns, and how far they are away from Nottingham and the correct distances/times are used. Proper made my day!

I did get the murderer all wrong. I had a fairly close to Finn character pegged as the bad guy, but that all went belly up on me, so well played!

Both Finn and Danny have a say here, and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad they do! I think this one, especially, would have suffered had we not got them both, so thank you Garrett Leigh, for making my day twice in this book!

Dan Calley narrates again, and again, he knocks it out the park!

His voices for Will and Jack are spot on from book to book, but Danny and Finn's voices are perfect too. He gets over all of Danny's concern about the relationship, given that he isn't out at work. He gets over all of his concern about Finn when he has an episode, and how he deals with the aftermath. Calley gets over all of Finn's insecurities, and what's going on in his brain. I felt for Finn, listening to him have internal conversations with himself about Danny and his feelings for Danny, and where their relationship was going.

Mr Calley NAILS it, he really does.

5 full and shiny stars for the book AND narration

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**