Some call him a rock god. Others a celebrity bad boy. Me? I call him the arrogant bastard who stole my concert venue. His apology? To take me and my violin on tour with the band. It’s an offer I can’t refuse, even if it does come with strings attached. Because Rey Thomas isn’t who he seems. Life isn’t pretty behind the deviant frontman’s facade. It’s raw, ugly, and at times downright painful. But … raw, ugly, and at times downright painful.
But it’s real.
And far better than the lie he presents to the world.
The man behind the face of Dark Tide is beautiful in his chaos.
All I have to do is keep him alive long enough to see that too.
PLEASE NOTE:
DOWN BEAT deals firmly with the subject of mental illness and its associated effects on not only the sufferer, but those around them. If this is something you feel may be a potential trigger for you, I advise you stop, consider if this book is right for you, and if you decide yes, ensure you have a support person available.
Rey’s story is an immensely personal one for me and I would love for you to experience it, but not at the cost of your own health and wellbeing.
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This book blew me away.
I was drawn to this book because I love a good rocker with an attitude and went into it knowing the topic it covered. I did not expect the book I got. Down Beat is so much more than its genre or its topic.
It’s an exquisite journey through love and hate, hope and despair.
It’s about characters who showed me their heart and soul, layer by painful layer.
It’s about a man with flaws that most wouldn’t survive.
And a woman who loved him regardless.
I laughed.
I got mad.
I held my breath with hope.
I cheered them on and rooted for Rey so damn hard.
And I cried. I ugly cried.
I never ugly cry. Max made me cry by laying Rey out and revealing his beautiful, damaged soul to me. She didn’t need death or shock or any of that stuff some books rely on to make us feel… She simply wrote the hell out of a story that is real life for so many. She gave me new eyes. You see, I’ve seen mental illness through the same eyes as Rey’s mother. Max has now given me the gift of seeing it through Rey’s eyes.
If you love books that draw you in from the very first page with characters that come to life in ways that make you feel like you really know them, and books that dig their way deep into your heart and don’t let go, this is the book for you. Even if you don’t really read rockstar books, this is the book for you.
Thank you, Max, for giving me such a beautiful story.
This rocker romance is absolutely phenomenal.
It’s been awhile since I read this book and it’s still is one of the books that I always remember it is such a good book it’s so well-written and the story is so impacting it’s about a rock star who suffers from bipolar disorder and what he goes through and the one woman who he falls in love with it’s an amazing story and it will definitely stay in your head for a long while after you read it
Down Beat by Max Henry. Max Henry has become one of my favorite authors; I absolutely loved this book. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. The storyline is well written, and the characters are so real you feel like you’re right there in the story with them. You’re on the edge of your seat with your heart racing every step of the way. Down Beat is a rock Star Romance. This read is the story of Lead vocalists/Guitarist Rey Thomas who plays for the band Dark Tide. Rey Thomas isn’t who he seems, his life isn’t pretty behind the deviant frontman’s facade. It’s raw, ugly, and at times downright painful. Until his world is turned upside down when he meets Tabitha. Tabitha is a violinist, and how they meet is his manager bought out the venue she was to perform at. When Rey and Tabitha first meet he is very cocky, and arrogant. After Rey finds out about the venue being bought out he tries to make amends by having her open for their band. When they start working together, that’s when the sexual tension between us gets so thick. The chemistry between the two is out of this world. Tabitha is a different person from whom Rey has been with in the past and she forces him to deal with the problem, not hiding from it or making excuses for it. Does their relationship last, with all the banter and her not taking any of his excuses? I highly recommend this book. I think that so many people would absolutely love it. I am not gonna lie it’s a very touching and emotional read.
I went into this after reading the blurb thinking “ooooh, angsty brooding rockstar! GIMMIE” and I will say there is most definitely angsty brooding rockstar, but that just scratches the surfaces of what Down Beat truly is. Yes, you still get an epic romance. Yes, you still get steamy deliciousness. But I want to say the most important thing you get out of Rey and Tabby’s story is the raw, true, powerfully emotional look at living with mental illness.
As people slowly, and I mean really friggin’ slowly, start to accept mental illness as something that shouldn’t be swept under the rug I still feel like there aren’t many truly relatable characters out there especially in romance that some one dealing with a mental illness can read and think “I get that. I’ve been there. I’m not alone. This character has my voice.” Max Henry gives us that in Rey. More importantly she gives Rey to people who don’t know what it’s like to feel that way and that is something I’m truly grateful for. I don’t have the exact same diagnosis as this character, but frankly it doesn’t matter. With the stigma still surrounding all mental illness I’ve spent the vast majority of my life since I was a young teenager with my diagnosis used as a joke. I personally have OCD and a separate anxiety disorder. Two terms that are now so casually used as a laughing way to describe everyday habits that no one really understands what living with the weight of it is. So while I personally don’t feel the same struggle as Rey, I fully feel his feelings of being misunderstood and a burden.
Rey and Tabby’s story is so emotionally charged. Epic highs and epic lows giving you a deeper understanding of not just Rey’s struggles but the struggles of loving him and learning together how to get through life. These two have a true, bone deep, love that moved me to tears more than once. Most of the time I find myself reading romance for the “fairytale” aspect of it. I’m an alpha loving instalove junkie, the sweeter the better. But Down Beat will go forever on my all time favorites list because even though this book gave me all I love about romance it was REAL. There is no making this pretty or softening the truth in this book, just real,powerful ,flawed, yet endlessly beautiful love.
Can she save his dying heart? Well this book captured mine!
How can I write a review that will even give justice to this story about Rey and Tabitha? Well, I know I’m not the only one to ask that!
Max Henry has written a book that readers will be talking about for a long time – once we get over out stunned mullet silence at the heavy content written is such a way as to be brave and inspiring. It is raw and energetic, and right from the first chapter I got to see the volatility of Rey’s personality, until I got to reading the lyrics of his songs. They broke my heart as I got a first look into Rey’s mind, and then I got the full gamut of emotions from heartbreak to full on brilliant humour in a matter of seconds, almost as though I was mirroring the see-saw of moods that Rey goes through in his life.
Tabitha is a strong and gorgeous character who was there for a man she admired, through thick and thin, and I loved the unconditional friendship that she had with Kendall. That girl rocked, and even though she didn’t agree with Tabby’s choices, she supported her friend to the hilt. I hope we see more of her.
I have to say, that this book really got to me on a personal level. Heavy metal/rock is my genre of choice, and the words Rey sang, called to me. Right to the playlist, these are all songs that I not only recognise, but describe me as a person. It’s also easy to see that music is important to Max Henry, as she’s written not only the lyrics that Rey sings, the ones that breaks not only Tabby’s heart, but mine as well, but she also describes the beat as the guys play it – I can almost hear it literally.
The crescendo builds and moves as I got my way into Rey and Tabitha’s story, until at the crest, Tabby does what no one else in Rey’s camp had been brave enough to do. I felt like throwing up in worry right along with her. My heart was in my mouth, and it beat along to the tempo of the music that each chapter is headed by. The tension in the story kept building until I thought my chest would burst. This is what reading and experiencing a book is about – the FEELS, the EMOTION, and, the message that the author is getting across to us.
Music is my life, and I knew the songs, the moods that Max Henry captured perfectly as I read through Down Beat. This is easily a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves not only the rocker genre, but who wants to see characters conquer and overcome their life’s difficulties. 5 Stars and a huge thank you to Max Henry for daring to write this book and it’s POV. I hope it changes the way people think.
I’m blown away by this book! Powerful is the only word it comes to my mind right now, because that’s exactly what this story is!
I barely have words to make this review, I literally just finished it, but I need to put down on words what I’m feeling and I can’t, because no matter what I will try to say about it, won’t even get close to the monumental story I read.
Rey’s story gives “broken characters” a new reality. For real!
Lead singer of Dark Tide, a rock band, Rey is known by his selfishness and arrogant presence. He has everything he could ask for and more… that more is what’s killing him slowly. That more is what he needs to understand and work with. He needs someone to save him when he’s the only person that can save himself.
Tabitha’s courage to do what others never did, gives “broken hearts” a new reality…
I needed this book to open my eyes to something that I still don’t fully understand but respect it with other eyes.
Pick this book and read it. I can assure you it’s nothing like you are used to read and only that in itself it’s refreshing!
Not a fan of this book. I can’t get past how horrid the main character is. Whiny, bratty and I do get that he has many layers but I just don’t gel with him.
This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. Down Beat is the first book in the Dark Tide series. It is Rey and Tabby’s story. I love a good rocker romance and this was no different. This book features mental health struggles as its main theme. There are warnings aplenty from the author at the start of the book, so if it’s a trigger, then this is not the book for you.
Rey and Tabitha are two total opposites. Rey, Rock God, celebrity Bad Boy and Tabitha broke up and coming violinist. Tabitha loses her concert venue when Dark Tide Publicist Rick, pays double for the famous rock group to perform in her place after he screws up flight plans.
An ABSOLUTE MUST READ!
Thought Provoking
June 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
Format: Kindle Edition
Most of us read Rock Star books for the escape or fantasy of the bigger than life profession, oh to be adored and have your words be immortalized. This book looks at the downside, the pressure to live up to the hype, the expectations to always be “ON” pair that with feelings of being the black sheep in the family, that seems “normal” which can only mean that you are the problem, so you do everything to prove that theory correct.. The timing of this story for me was eerily appropriate, considering the real life headlines this past year and sadly this past week. Bravo Ms Henry for making an uncomfortable subject the forefront on a story that doesn’t sugarcoat, or better yet falsely cure with a magical 3 month stint. For taking Rey and Tabby on a realistic journey down a rabbit hole that many deal with daily.
This book while not the typical is very important and should be read. There’s an HEA – Hope Ever After. (less)
This book surprised me.
He was self absorbed ROCK STAR, until this violinist, turned his head.
This book from the beginning, this book takes the reader on an emotional journey, it will break your heart, each page to the next, then his awakening brings all together…
4 & 1/2 stars
This book is based upon mental illness and how it effects not only the sufferer but those who love them too! It’s very real and often treated as nothing or just as attention seeking, something made up. The tough topic of suicide is the main catalyst in this book. The person who attempted to commit suicide shares there POV, whilst the family members and friends share their grief. Whilst I enjoy this book and the message it delivers being married to a sufferer of depression I try to remain positive. In all honesty I’m feeling left feeling very flat.
Dark Tide are an upcoming band on tour and there agent has booked them a spot in a theatre. However Tabitha is a violinist who has been eagerly waiting to perform at the same theatre on the same night. Her agent tells her it’s been canceled and they won’t be able to rebook for three months. She’s not going to take this lying down so she attend the theatre to collect her things but lets the band know she is not impressed by the bullying behaviour. Lead singer Rey and his drummer brother Toby follow her to the coffee shop for answers. When they ask her to perform prior to them she had no idea how much her life would be thrown into turmoil.
OH MY FRIGGIN GOSH!!!! Wow! I am speechless. What can I say about this book that can honesty tell how friggin awesome it is. I just could not put this book down. I went to bed intending only reading a few chapters but ended up reading the whole thing. This is definitely a book that you MIST read. Well done once again Max Henry on another awesome book.
The struggles people that suffer from Mental Illnesses on daily bases are not something that should be taken lightly. I myself suffer from Anxiety and Depression and I was very impressed with the way that Max was able to portray the characters.
Wow, I loved this book. The author did a great job dealing with a subject that a lot of people shy away from.
Ms. Henry did a great job of exposing some of the the inner thoughts of a person who has a mental illness. She also conveyed the roller coaster of emotions the loved ones feel when trying to help or deal with a person when they have an episode.
Rey was one mucked-up guy who was surrounded by people who loved him, but with his mental illness, he just didn’t see that.
Then Rey met Tabitha, who didn’t see the illness but saw the man beneath it all. Tabitha treats Rey like a man, a healthy man full of possibilities, and Rey is drawn to her.
I won’t say too much more because I don’t want to give anything away, but this book was such a great read that I didn’t want to put it down.
This book has utterly destroyed me!
Laid my shredded heart on the pavement, run over it a few times for good measure, then collected it up gingerly, caressed it and tenderly mended it back to life, forever changed.
This is a story of struggle, inner demons, tested loyalties and love at its most raw and finest.
But in essence, it’s a very real account of the horrible reality of living with a mental health condition.
It’s taken me some time to write this review as this is Max Henry’s finest work yet, and still, I will not be doing it justice.
So it comes down to this….
READ THIS BOOK!
5 glorious, painful, jubilant stars!