The Real Beat

Rare Fates Trilogy (Book One)

TO CATCH A LYON HEART

In a world where fated lovers have become rare, Siobhan Blackwood’s parents would like her to marry their stable hand, commoner Sean McDonald. But Siobhan has been dreaming about a mystery man her whole life, and she is determined to find him.

Niamh Buchanan is the youngest daughter of the High King and Queen of Rialland. When Siobhan and Niamh meet the first day of their fourth and final year of school, they quickly become friends and Sean is smitten with Niamh.

Siobhan, ever the hopeful romantic, plays matchmaker between her stable hand with her best friend, despite strict laws against royals marrying commoners. But when Niamh is slated to meet her intended future husband, everything changes for Siobhan, Sean, and Niamh.

Nonbinary introvert and web designer Ash Hall has finally signed up for an intro tap class at the age of thirty-two. They have dreamed of learning tap since they first saw Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, but dance classes were a luxury a poor kid with alcoholic parents could never afford. Ash is immediately taken with Gates, their classically handsome ex-Broadway dance teacher. Ash struggles to repress their crush, as relationships with cis men have never worked for them. But when Gates reciprocates those feelings, Ash is immersed in a romance they never thought possible, one of respect, caring, and intense intimacy. Just as the new couple starts to discover how much their futures align, Gates’ ex-fiancé and sexy Broadway dancer, Liam, saunters into town. It is clear Liam wants Gates back, and his actions set off a cascade of drama as Ash and Gates try to dance through life together.