Reviewed by Cheryl
TITLE: Syncopation
SERIES: Collaborations #2
AUTHOR: Jodi Payne & BA Tortuga
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 211 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 5, 2019
BLURB:
Colt Boudreaux was raised in the Louisiana bayou and is gifted with a talent steeped in the rich and soulful New Orleans blues tradition. He makes a living as a session musician, playing guitar for anyone who needs him. When his manager sends him to New York, the Cajun is as beguiled as he is baffled by the energy of the city—and just as charmed by Kyle Alexander.
Kyle is a successful classically trained ballet dancer, choreographer, and native New Yorker whose unbridled talent defies convention, and whose rebel spirit favors ink, shuns the orchestra, and is every bit as unique as Kyle himself.
They find a connection right away that inspires rhythm and movement, mood and music, both in and out of the bedroom. It’s not long before they’re as obsessed with each other as they are with their art, and they decide to work together on an improvisational piece for Kyle’s upcoming solo exhibition.
But Kyle is focused, and Colt is free-spirited. Colt’s work ebbs and flows with inspiration, and Kyle’s is rehearsed. Kyle is social and sophisticated, and Colt… isn’t. When their talents weave together, it’s magical, but will their differences destroy it all?
REVIEW:
I loved this book from beginning to end. It is slow and sexy and just the right mix of story and sweet but spicy sex scenes.
Cole and Kyle were amazing together right from the start. They were a couple that shouldn’t really have worked. Kyle, a ballet dancer is so focussed and committed to his work while Cole, although no less committed, is far freer spirited and wanders wherever the spirit, and the work, leads him. Kyle lives for dance and Cole for music but in very different ways. There is a point in the book where they realize that it shouldn’t, maybe couldn’t work, but it only makes them stronger in the end.
I think Kyle shows more character development through the story, mainly because Cole was pretty much perfect as he was from the start, although I think he does find a little more self-worth.
The story unfolds with all the beauty of a piece of music—deep and earthy, with all the soul of good ole N’awlins blues, but less of the darkness, and a smoky curl of smoldering hot lovin’. There are lots of interesting little details and a sense of “realness” that moves the story along with just the right pace.
The story arc was perfect with the tension building from a tiny ripple to an all consuming tsunami then resolving in a logical and very sweet way. There were times when I could honestly say I held my breath and sped up my reading because I needed to know. This is definitely a “can’t put down” book and I will certainly be reading more by these authors.
RATING: 
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