Author: Samantha Young
Genre: New Adult, romance
Published on: July 16, 2018, self-published
Once upon a time Skylar Finch was the lead singer of a hugely successful American pop-rock band. But fame made her miserable. When years of living a lie suddenly ended in tragedy, Skylar fell off the map.
Eighteen months later she’s sleeping in a tent in a cemetery in Glasgow, making just enough money to eat by busking on the streets. She manages to avoid recognition, but not the attention of one of Glasgow’s ambitious A&R executives.
Killian O’Dea works at Skyscraper Records, Scotland’s most successful record label. Raised by his uncle and owner of the label, Killian’s upbringing would have been devoid of affection entirely if it wasn’t for his loving sister. Killian is unflinchingly determined to bring the label more success than ever, and the young homeless woman who busks on Buchanan Street is going to help him do that. Her music speaks to him in a way he refuses to over-analyze. All he knows is that if it can touch his dark soul, it’ll set everyone else’s alight.
Skylar makes it clear that she doesn’t want to sign with him. But when she experiences the dangerous reality of a woman sleeping rough, Skylar has no one else but Killian to turn to. An undeniable connection forms between them. But Skylar doesn’t want the career Killian is trying to forge for her, and when her past comes back to haunt her Killian will be faced with a decision that could ruin him. He must either free Skylar from his selfish machinations and destroy everything he’s ever worked for, or lose a woman who has come to mean more to him than he ever thought possible…
I’ve read a few Samantha Young books before. My favorite was On Dublin Street. It was a gripping, steamy romance. I looked forward to reading another novel like it. Then I came across As Dust Dances. The heroine of this book is Skylar Finch. She was the lead singer of a popular American pop-rock band called Tellurian. Skylar vanished overnight after an unspecified tragedy. Over a year later, Sky winds up on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland. She’s been homeless the whole time. Skylar keeps herself alive by busking. She’s halfway across the world, so she figures no one will recognize her.
One day, Skylar’s enthralling music catches the attention of Killian O’Dea. He happens to be an executive at one of Scotland’s biggest record labels. Killian watches Skylar a few times until he approaches her. It’s not clear whether he knows who she is. When Skylar finds out Killian wants to sign her to his label, she refuses. For some reason, Skylar wants nothing more to do with fame. Killian can’t believe Skylar wants to remain homeless willingly. There are thousands of other indigents out there who wish they had another choice.
Skylar is resolute in her decision, until a fateful night. She doesn’t think low of other homeless people, but she thought she was smarter. A bunch of thieves follow Skylar to her secret abode and attack her. Sky narrowly escapes, and in desperation she calls Killian. He rushes to pick her up but is not above demanding something in return. Skylar agrees to audition for Killian in exchange for his help. To Killian’s credit, he becomes furious when he sees the state Skylar is in. Killian regrets not trying harder to pull her off the streets.
Killian sets Skylar up in a safe place. He honors her request to keep her identity secret. Skylar spends some time to heal until she can record new music. Although her injuries are healing, her mind is another story. It's evident Skylar isn't over the tragedy that put her in Scotland in the first place. Considering that, I understood why she was so reluctant to become a musician again. To her fortune (or misfortune) Skylar has a gift. Killian reveals her voice has a four-octave range. I didn't know what that was, so I researched it and came away impressed. This makes Skylar comparable to Hayley Williams and (very likely) Grace VanderWaal. They are among my top favorite singers.
Skylar meets new people as well. One of them is Autumn, Killian's younger sister. She’s a sweet, cheerful young woman with a sunny disposition. Skylar can't help bonding with Autumn. She's one of those hard-not-to-love kind of people. As for Killian, he likes Skylar but cares more about her talent at first. This is part of why he wanted Skylar to sign to his label. Killian really wants to be a big-deal record label executive. He's worked hard to get to where he is. Will Killian put his career first, without caring whether it hurts Skylar? Or will he choose the woman who has come to mean a lot more than he expected? You’ll have to read As Dust Dances to find out. It was riveting. I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary and New Adult romance. It's another great hit from Samantha Young.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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