Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Rutherford Fitzhugh is exactly what you’d want from a financial advisor. He’s dedicated, intelligent, and even wears a bow tie. His life is quiet and somewhat regimented and he’s quite all right with that. But when Rutherford’s new boss decides to shake things up by reaching out to a new type of clientele, Rutherford is dragged along for the ride. He finds himself presented to Mak Makena, the front man for band Memo To Myself. Friendly, talented, and drop dead gorgeous, Mak is everything Rutherford didn’t realize he wanted.

Mak finds Rutherford attractive and sweet, but he never goes back for seconds. He assumes his fling with Rutherford will be the same as all the rest. But Mak realizes that Rutherford is special and what they have could be something that lasts. However, both men have issues to confront before they can find the strength to face a future together.

Business and the Beat was a sweet, but somewhat boring story of two men who are so set in the way things have always been, they fail to see what could be. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Business and the Beat and I think there are a fair number of readers who will enjoy it. Unfortunately, I found the plot too slow and the overall story lacking.

Rutherford and Mak are a cute couple and even if there isn’t a lot of depth, they work together rather well. Their romance didn’t read as particularly well developed to me, but there’s enough happening that I wanted to ultimately champion them. I think both characters need more development of their backgrounds to feel more fully fleshed out and, especially regarding Rutherford, I wanted to know more about the strained relationship with his parents.

Business and the Beat isn’t bad, but it never really engaged me. It sort of meandered and wandered until it came to its inevitable conclusion. Part of the issue was pacing, which was slow in places and, as a general rule, the narrative needed tightening up. But on the whole, the story didn’t have much of a wow factor. It all felt rather ordinary and, again, that doesn’t mean it was bad, but I needed something more from Mak and Ford’s story.

If you’re looking for something sweet and simple then I think you’ll find plenty to enjoy with Business and the Beat. I found the overall story to be kind of boring and slow and it just didn’t totally work for me. That said, it’s a perfectly serviceable book and if you just want something easy and relaxing to read, then this will fit the bill.

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