Darren Single father WidowerRetired Three things I never thought I’d be by thirty, yet all my daily reality. This is not the life I would have chosen, but it’s the hand I’ve been dealt. I love my daughter. I loved Belle. I’m not interested in more heartache. Relationships are a thing of the past.Until I meet her – She’s the awakening I desperately need, but one I’m not sure I deserve. Haddie …
She’s the awakening I desperately need, but one I’m not sure I deserve.
Haddie
Everything happens for a reason.
Time heals all wounds.
You’re too young to give up on love.
They say that, but they’re wrong.
My world crumbled when my fiancé died.
Then I met him –
He’s flawed in the same ways.
Broken in the same places.
Scared of the same things.
He looks at me like I’m his salvation.
And I want to be, but an open heart means risking a broken one.
Broken Beats is the second spin off novel of The Illusion Series. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but the characters from the previous books do intersect and there will be spoilers from the earlier books.
Mature Content- This book contains situations not intended for persons under the age of 18. Including, but not limited to – sexual situations, cursing, alcohol and/or drug use, and possible triggers.
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This is Darren story and boy of boy have I waited for this one. This was a great story, j devoured this in a few hours I couldn’t put it down.
I’ve been waiting for Darren’s story on pins and needles. I absolutely love Haddie. She was the perfect lost soul looking for his. From the first encounter their hearts spoke to one another. I loved getting all of the gang and I’m already missing them. We got so much of the kids in this book and it made it so much more real. I hope everyone grand this book at the first chanve. It was everything!!!
Great read! I really enjoyed Darren & Haddie’s journey. I’ve been looking forward to Darren’s HEA & this book didn’t disappoint. So glad to have updates on the rest of the BAD family. & the kids are absolutely adorable.
4.5 STARS!!!
I’ve been wanting Darren’s story ever since I finished the previous book in the Illusion Series and it did not disappoint. This second chance at finding love story is one I think all romance readers will enjoy. I’ll be recommending it to my family, friends and book club. Darren and Haddie’s love story is one that is touching, heartfelt, uplifting, sweet and steamy. I love that these characters have flaws and made mistakes, but I love them even more because they showed growth and opened their hearts again. It has it moments of drama and paparazzi is on the loose looking for a story. A friend feels betrayed, and a friendship takes a hit testing it’s strength. The side characters were perfect and I loved that Sawyer and Mel was in this story along with the rest of the gang. Sawyer made me laugh a lot while reading this story. Nate and Cady’s bond at such a young age in this story is a strong one and I’m excited to see where it leads. I’m hoping there’s a book with their characters. However, this is one story you won’t want to miss because the ending was perfect and deserving. I look forward to more books from this author.
I have been waiting for this story since the beginning of the Illusion Series. I connected with Darren from the get go, yes I have a thing for drummers, they are one of my weaknesses. I knew this story was going to take me on a roller coaster of emotions and it did. I loved everything about this story, the characters, Haddie is one awesome lady. She has been through so much and it broke my heart but in the end I felt good. I connected on a personal level with Haddie some of the things about her.
Can two broken souls be put back together or are they destined to be broken? One click this book to find out.
D. Kelly thank you for an amazing story that has gotten me out of a massive book slump!
Wow, just wow!
Like every book before in this series. This is amazing book. You learn a lot more about Darren and his sweet girl, Cady. We meet Haddie. She and Darren connect on a level that’s deep. They understand where the other is coming from. Without judgement and jealousy, they are there to help each other to grow. It is definitely a must read. Also seeing the kids a little more older is so great. How they are so connected at such a young age. I can’t wait to hear more from them.
I’ve been dying to read Darren’s story since the beginning of the series. There was something about him that called to me… and now that I’ve read it I couldn’t be happier! Darren is just PERFECT!!!
This is an extremely emotional story. Remembering everything that happened previously brought me to my knees. D. Kelly is a fantastic writer, every single book written by her cause a huge emotional charge in the reader and that is a gift!
Darren’s HEA happens here. And it is perfection!
The way Darren and Haddie met, connected and fell in love couldn’t be more perfect.
Bound by their own tragedies, they find in each other their other half, exactly what both need and were waiting for.
There are several subjects brought out in the book that are seriously important and I loved the way they were developed.
Cadence is a sweetheart. Beautiful inside and out. I can almost see her in the future… I hope we have her story someday *wink* *wink*
Wow … where to start and how to do this amazing book justice ……
This was the book I have been waiting for since Just An Illusion EP and it was everything I expected and so much more, a sure sign of a great read is when you experience every emotion throughout the story and this book is certainly an emotional read.
Darren is the drummer from Bastards and Dangerous and he is trying to get his life back on track after losing the love of his life in that tragic accident a few years ago, the last few years have seen him concentrating on his adorable daughter but now she is about to start school it’s time to give himself some real adult company. Haddie also lost a loved one in a tragic accident so is it possible two lost souls can find hope and strength together…….
This book broke my heart but it also put it back together again, I cried, I smiled, I cried, I laughed and I cried some more but every tear I shed was worth it because this story needed to be told and i needed all the emotions I felt to make it one of my favourite reads of 2019. You know you are reading a great book when you don’t want it to end and that’s exactly how I felt but even though I wanted more from Darren and Hattie the ending was perfect. This very talented author did an amazing job and if you haven’t started An Illusion Series what’s stopping you !!!!!
The Illusion series is an interesting one. It is all about the characters of the band Bastards and Dangerous, they are all married and living in a retired bliss at the age of thirty. Except for Darren, he is a widower (you will have to read the other books, which you will love…), have a great kid, but is lonely and misses his partner deeply. He is basically living a six-year grief party and after a huge mistake he realizes that he needs to finally get over it.
Haddie is a good girl who is also lonely after loosing the love of her life in a horrible accident and now is facing the truth of her life and trying to move on. They meet in Just an Illusion and began a beautiful and sexy love story, they understand each other in their grief and still have such a chemistry that it is hot to read.
The book is so great with wonderful characters and moments.
You will love it!!
This book brings out every emotion I had while reading Just An Illusion series! This is Darren’s story, and man what a story!! When I say keep the tissues near just do it because you’ll need them!
Will Darren find his happily ever after or will he drown in the memories of Belle?
To find out you’ve got to read this book!
I’ve previously read and loved the 1st three books in D. Kelly’s emotional Illusion series but even so, I feel like I really didn’t know enough about Darren at all.
Of course, he is a great guy, solid friend, amazing drummer and loved Belle with his whole heart but now, as I hoped he would be, Darren has turned out to be a sweet, amazing dad to the most precious gift Belle left behind, their daughter, Cadance.
On an anniversary that brings Darren to his knees, he makes one gigantic mistake that can’t be erased and he probably won’t be forgiven for letting it happen. The secret he is keeping eats away at him but in the end, changes him for the better, makes him see his path was winding in the wrong direction and he needs to reset his life.
Months later, his world is rocked again with a single look, even though he doubted it could happen to him, his second chance at happiness may have found him in the form of a new love. Could Haddie heal Darren’s broken heart?
If anyone needed a new chance to love again, its Darren, having denied it for so long, love was what was missing in his and his daughters life. He has the love of family, good friends who are like brothers and always the music, but everyone around him had a partner to share love with and he finally wanted to have that for himself…again. Especially poignant when that someone knows exactly how loss can effect you and accepts it because they have felt it themselves.
‘Sometimes, life is wicked and unkind. It puts us through the worst kind of torment, and the only thing we can do is fight to see another day. But when we least expect it, we’re given incredible people to walk beside us. They’re the ones who help keep the bad days in the shadows. They make us laugh , and they love us through anything life throws our way .’
This quote towards the end of Broken Beats reminded me of the struggles and successes throughout the series and how this statement really rings true for this family of friends who have been through so much.
I really enjoyed this story because it gave me closure for Darren, let me finally feel okay with Mel and Sawyers marriage. Sweetly written glimpses of Belle and Noah that reminded me that they would forever be ingrained in the hearts and fabric of the band family in all the special moments and milestones no matter how much time passes. That sealed the deal for me.
Little Cady and Nate stole my heart (they’ll steal your too!) and I can only hope a new generation of Bastards and Dangerous keep us entertained far into the future with D. Kelly’s magic touch. The epilogues and extra deleted scenes had me dabbing my eyes but in a good way.
An early copy was provided and happily received. This has been my honest review of it.
Note: You can read this book as a standalone, but I advise you to read the whole “Just An Illusion” series before you delve into this one, because you’ll have a clearer vision of things happening here.
Ever since the events of [book:Just an Illusion – EP|34390797], I’ve been curious as to what would happen to Darren. Somehow, I thought he would end up alone with his daughter Cadence and would hook up with random people for the rest of his life, but then D. Kelly surprised me saying that a book about him would eventually come. The Darren fan in me squealed becauise I thought that he also deserves his happy ending like Mel and Sawyer.
Darren is a single father, ex drummer of the famous band “Bastards and Dangerous”. If you’re familiar with the story of the main series, you know that Darren met Belle in “Just an Illusion” and they fell in love instantly. Their love story was short lived but intense, because a fateful accident left Darren without the love of his life. What made Belle’s presence alive in his existence was not only his memories of them together, but also because of their daugther Cadence.
In “Broken Beats” we see how things are going six years later. Darren and the other guys are living new lives after they stopped being rockstars, and we learn what is happening in their lives. Darren is the last bachelor of the four, and everyone around him seems to be hopful that someday he’ll find a woman to love that would be his happy ending. But of course, you never know when that happens. So when Darren meets Haddie one night, he just sees her as a woman to flirt with.
Soon he realizes that they have a lot in common. Haddie also lost somebody dear to her in a similar manner to Darren, and it seems like their shared trauma brings them even closer. Darren falls fast for Haddie and at first I didn’t like that. But then I remembered that Darren also clicked instantly with Belle the first night they met, so it’s just… Darren being like that. He is a “carpe diem” kind of man, and when he understands that Haddie is the woman with whom he’d be willing to spend the rest of his life with, he tries everything to win her heart and be patient.
Haddie is a psychologist and works with children. She is a controlled person and is very conscious about her body because she thinks she hasn’t a body society would appreciate. I think she might’ve become a Mary Sue character at some point, but the author didn’t exaggerate with her self-doubt too much, so she was unsure of herself but in a normal way. I liked how she and Darren clicked and how he wanted to show her that he didn’t care about her body size.
In comparison to the main series, I liked that the book was not that long and with small drama. It is more of an emotional journey for both Darren and Haddie, so grab a few tissues.
Hot Sexy Drummer, Single Dad, and a man struggling to survive the loss of Belle, his soulmate and love of his life.
Life has changed for the whole band after the coach wreck, they have lost people and family they love and their children have lost a parent. How do you move on, how do you still breath and find happiness? Darren’s whole world is his little daughter Cadence, he’s surviving, just about, when he meets a gorgeous curvacious woman at his brother’s bar. Can he begin to date again? Put himself out there? One thing he does know is that he really wants to get to know this girl.
Haddie is really attractive to this man, but she isn’t ready to move on from losing her beloved Fiance in an accident that also left her with so much more than the internal scars of grief!!
I knew this story would be emotional, and i wanted so bad for Darren to find a happy ending. The author has broached this subject, with tender care, emotionally gripping you from the very beginning. I couldn’t hold back the tears, nor the hope that began to fill my heart with how this couple strived to find the heart to live and to love again. Darren and Haddie brings grief, love, family, trust, and devotion that will reside in your heart for a long time, along with laughs, tears, and belief that love really is what makes the world go around !!!
A heart wrenching story of two souls who are brought together through fate. No one but D.Kelly can weave such a beautiful heartwarming story. After the Illusion Series I thought nothing could be as soul touching until I read Darren and Haddie’s story. Darren a sexy, tattooed, drummer with the legendary rock bad BAD has been in a rut since the death of his fiancé six years ago. Since he has been spiraling drinking, screwing one night stands by night and raising his daughter Cadence afraid to feel. Haddie is a curvy, beautiful psychologist , who is struggling with insecurities and trying to say her final goodbyes to her own finance who as killed in a tragic car accident that left her scarred and more insecure. She returns to Just an Illusion Bar four years after the accident to say goodbye for closure. She gets a drink and moves to the pool tables where she and her finance spent their last date. At the pool table Darren is playing by himself, Haddie is lost in her past reliving her last date. Darren is playing at that table and he immediately sees her beauty and makes a pass to hook up. It’s here the their story begins. Haddie does not recognize Darren as a rock star legend. But they soon see they have an instant connection and realize they have survived similar tragedies. Darren eventually gets her number and suggest they meet again as friends or on a date. There next encounter is as intense and soon their connection grows. Their story is fully of panty dropping sex, chemistry, secrets, trust, fate, forgiveness and most important family. Be prepared to laugh, cry and love, as these families bare all their secrets and we get a glimpse of our favorite characters from the Illusion Series a five star plus plus read. It will leave you lusting to read the next book Eli’s story.
The sign of a good book is where it brings out your emotions, making you feel like the characters, this story has blown others out of the water!
This incredibly heartfelt story is at the top of my list this year due to the intense emotions I felt whilst reading.
Darrens story is a rather Broken one, any wonder with all he has been through!
Then he meets Haddie, her heart of gold, caring nature, it definitely feels like these two were fated to meet??!!
Despite what they have dealt with in the past this book takes you on an incredible journey of family, feelings, love, and the most beautiful relationship to come out of it all!
I shed so many tears! I laughed, I wanted to hug everyone!
The author has done Darren so incredibly proud, its like she has thrown her heart and soul into the story to make me want to stay in their lives forever! Long Live the band members of BAD!
It’s been an epic journey!
5 completely wonderful stars for this latest book in the Illusion series. It is beautifully and thoughtfully written, bringing love, life, loss, grief and hope into play via a cast of well drawn, fabulous characters. My heart was, in turns, wrung, soothed and delighted by the whole story.
I found myself totally invested in the possibilities of healing love and laughter between Darren and Haddie. They both deserve happiness from life after their past experiences. Cadence and Nate are a joy, as is the settling lives of the rest of BAD.
With 5 well deserved stars and a lot of crumpled tissues..from sadness, outweighed by joy, I heartily recommend this book xxx
This is one story I’ve been anticipating since Just an Illusion EP and yet was afraid to read because I knew it would gut me and bring me to my knees. From the first page I was drawn in to the story and chapter after chapter I was consumed and held captivated by one helluva emotional ride that I couldn’t put it down.
Darren is the gorgeous drummer from Bastards and Dangerous, single father to Cadence and a man trying to survive the heartache of losing the love of his life until he meets the one woman who changes everything. Haddie is a beautiful curvacious woman who lost her fiancé in a tragic accident that almost took her life as well, now she’s ready to move on. These two fractured souls were brought together by tragedy, yet bound by an undeniable desire to be happy to love again.
If you’re afraid this book will break your heart…. I’m here to tell you it will. This book had me in tears which I’ve come to expect when reading any book from the Just an Illusion series. I cried, I laughed, I smiled and then cried sone more but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This was one emotional, beautiful read about finding your second chance at love and a story that will stay with you long after you’re done. This was an ending that will leave you speechless while silently pleading for more!