Sweet Strings

Second Sets, Book 2

By: Aly Beck

Narrated by: Lance Greenfield, Avery Reid

Length: 23 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Long before the world bowed down to the band Whispered Words, they shattered me to pieces when they walked away.

Now, after five years apart, they're back to fix what they broke. If I let them...

Before our fall, Callum, Rad, Kieran, and Asher were mine. My everything. My rock stars. My future.

Until they weren't.

All it took was one night. One massive lie. One false accusation. And they were gone. Leaving me with a broken heart, a restraining order, and a baby on the way.

After being presented with a new job and an inheritance, I move on with my life and build an empire of my own. But there's more to my life than meets the eye. A stranger lurks in the shadows, stalking my every move. Planning nefarious things I can't even comprehend.

And then there's them….

The four boys who broke my heart. They're back in my life in the most unexpected way. I'm not the girl they once knew. I'm their band manager now. Their boss for the next six months.

Can we survive? One by one, our secrets crumble to ashes. Confessions shatter us, and lies become irreparable truths.

My name is River West, and this is the story of how Whispered Words broke my heart, repaired it, and made me whole.

Sweet Strings is book two in a duet and will end in a HEA. It's a why-choose romance full of love, spice, rock n' roll, and reunions. Intended for mature listeners.

©2023 Aly Beck (P)2024 Podium Audio

Fall back in love with Whispered Words

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
>>>> This is the story of Whispered Words and the girl they so desperately loved, forgot, ruined, and pieced back together. Only this time, I’m getting my happy ending. No matter what. <<<<

📚 Book Review 📚
Five-star plus!!

I adored this second half of River’s story. It is easily worth more than five stars. I cannot even begin to put into words how much I loved the duet. Book one broke me, and book two was everything I needed to rebuild my heart. Second chances, atonement, forgiveness, and the overarching threat of a stalker, followed by the most satisfying HEA you could ask for.

I needed the guys of Whispered Words to atone for their leaving River in Central City without a word and pregnant with their child. Their redemption arcs were better than I could have hoped for. Aly more than delivered; she exceeded expectations. Asher was on my permanent shit list after orchestrating the betrayal that prompted the guys to leave River, but he was able to prove himself and show his worth.

His manipulations destroyed a bit of all of them. Coming clean to his bandmates and River was the first step in healing the festering wound that was pulling the band apart, and that left River raising their daughter alone. The hurt and regret they all felt once they discovered Lyric’s existence never could be healed entirely, but they jumped in 100% and showered her will love once they learned of her. She became their entire world.

I thought I wanted a scorched earth response with River ruining Whispered Words' career, but I was surprised how I actually appreciated her more adult response. She kept them alive in Lyric’s life, showing her videos, playing their songs, tell their stories. She protected her heart and made them earn their forgiveness but didn’t require them to crawl through a field of broken glass. The way they were with their daughter, Lyric, was so beautiful. Seeing their softer side made forgiveness easier.

It is slower burn than the first book, as forgiveness takes time. Time and motherhood have only increased River’s beauty in her men’s eyes, a fact they are only too happy to share with her. They are almost reverent (but still hot).

I am going to miss River, Lyric, and Whispered Words. This will definitely be a duet I grab in paperback. Highly recommended!

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Same as the first book, this was so well done! I loved listening to the second half of one of my favorite duets. I felt every bit of the angst and joy. Both narrators were amazing.

I highly recommend this audiobook duet.

Genre: Contemporary Rockstar Romance
Tropes/Features: Second chance, forced proximity, redemption arc, atonement, forgiveness, betrayal/secrets, surprise child, rockstars, stalker
Narrator: Multiple 1st Person POV
Narration Type: Dual-style
Narrator(s): Lance Greenfield and Avery Reid
Relationship Type: Why Choose – MFMMM, medium burn, spicy
Book Type/Ending: Part Two of duet, HEA
TW/CW: Available in book

Loved River, Kieran and their daughter

I loved the other boys too especially Callan. I wish River could have confronted everyone like Tess and Gloria in person, but this was an amazing story and so worth the money! Great narration too.

Best of the two!

Absolutely loved this book. I do hate books where the FMC just takes the guy back immediately and in this one there is the perfect amount of groveling. She is strong and independent. I so related to her in many aspects of life in general. This was definitely a long book and did feel like it dragged in some places but still worth the read/listen.

SO GOOD!

This is my favorite rockstar why choose romance duet! It was narrated beautifully and I loved every second of this!

Epic ending to an amazing duet!

This duet has had me feral from the minute I discovered it. Stayed up til the book was available to read, but when it came out on audio, I forced myself to take it slow and savor it. One of my favorite duets ever, I couldn’t pick a favorite character if I tried.

River's forgiveness is terrible...

while I like the stories, I think the catalyst of their breakup should have had different activities. River's belief that she's healing/ed in Book2, yet she takes them back is incredibly worrying, and bad characterization.

SPOILERS.

To have one band member orchestrate further S.A. between River and her stalker ex who had already raped her once (something the band knew bc they helped her to the hospital!)

YES, THEY HAD A SEXY WEEKEND TOGETHER, THEN WALKED IN ON HER ASSAULT FROM HER RAPIST EX, AND BELIEVED IT WAS HER CHEATING. And it was all planned by one of the band members. and despite River having PTSD from the all her experiences, she's still very quick to forgive and get back with them. And as a survivor myself, it's gross to see.

Story Line is the best!

I love this book! Been waiting for all her books to go on Audio! Hopefully all her totles will cone to audiobooks

Very well read.

Could have given every character their own voice actor. It was a bit boring to hear the same two people the whole time.

Finally Done!

I struggle through the first Audible book and let me tell you this one was no different!! This book felt like it lasted forever with the (guy narrated) the way he read it! And with all of the repetitive inner dialogue was killing me... UGGG... the 1st book is 19 hrs. long & the 2nd one is 23 hours long... There was just so much repetitive inner dialogue with this book.

I would have liked it more if this male narrator wasn’t reading!!

I liked the story but there were some flaws..

1. Repetition of information in short spans of time that made me want to yell “come on we know already.”

2. Really cringy dialogue but could have been tolerable but the male narrator made it 1k times worse.

3. MALE NARRATOR WAS THE WORST NARRATOR I HAVE EVER HEARD!

4. I DIDNT like that the guys gave the daughter the same nicknames as the mom but just added “little” in front of it. I.e “little pretty girl”

5. Her other relationship with friends, family etc. seemed breezed over. I felt there could be more details of that since they were supposed to have gotten her through a very difficult time.


Positives:

1. I liked the female narrator a lot. I would for sure listen to her narrate other books. She did the best she could and I even thought her male voices were tolerable and normally I can’t stand dual narration.

2. Their daughter Lyric was written so perfectly.

3. I liked the redemption arc but honestly felt like the guys should have been in the dog house for a lot longer for what they did.

Story: 3/5 (had promise)

Spice: 3.5/5 (was group sex scene but I felt there should have been more)

Dual Narration: Male -100/5 ; female 5/5

Overall it’s a decent read. I don’t regret just thought it could have been way better.