Scandalous Beat beautifully wraps up the Tempest series. I have to say, Mankin somehow always ups the ante, and I was mesmerized by the characters, their stories, and the slow, beautiful romance.
Story:
There was even more action and suspense in Scandalous Beat than in the prior Tempest books, and I have to say that Juaquin and Miriam really worked for me. Both in the prologue when they were teens, and in the actual story when they were in their twenties. Miriam was a strong-willed young woman, and she lived her life on her own terms. She did not give in to pressure, even if that might have caught her a break as an actress.
Scandalous Beat follows Juaquin and Miriam, but other band members and their partners show up as well. There were corrupt and dangerous bosses in Las Vegas, and family troubles at home for both of them. Even if Miriam and Juaquin had not acted on their attraction when they were younger, I would still almost call this a second chance romance, because they did get their chance. But even then, things were rather complicated.
One of the things I loved the most about Scandalous Beat was how loyal these characters were. Both to themselves, each other, their friends and their family. It made them both realistic and relatable to me, plus I was invested in their romance and the danger surrounding Miriam from the start.
Characters:
Miriam used to be the good girl, the little sister who was always in love with Juaquin. As an adult, she was still good, but she had no qualms dancing in a strip-club to make ends meet.
Juaquin was very insecure, when he was younger, his oldest brother was killed by a local gang, and he could never live up to his memory. Even as a rockstar, he never felt as if he measured up.
The other characters had important roles, too, but the one I most want to mention is Miriam's best friend, Mikey. He truly deserves his own book!
Writing style :
Dual points of view, with chapters from either Juaquin's or Miriam's perspective brought me into the midst of their thoughts and feelings. The first person point of view and past tense worked very well with the above average pace, and the climax of the story left me breathless.
Feels :
Boy, did I feel it! The longing, the want, the need... But even more so the fear they both felt when the suspense became almost too much to bear.
My chosen prince. He sat on the couch only inches away, his eyes a welcoming amber fire. I found myself leaning toward his warmth, almost bold enough voicing my innermost thoughts.
Eyes that had been closed when I had kissed her blinked open and focused on me as if mesmerized, as I unbuckled my belt and ripped open the button fly of my jeans.
"Sorry," he apologized with a wry grin and cranked the sound down. "No worries. I listen to my music loud when I drive my Lamborghini, too." "I thought your car was a Ford Fusion." "It is. On the outside."