65,000 words | Contemporary Romance | Gritty slow-burn with humour, trauma, and dog hair

Amy’s life is a mess—and not in the cute, quirky way. She’s a sarcasm-wielding corporate burnout with a mountain of unresolved issues, a stalking ex, and a rescue dog with more emotional intelligence than her last three dates combined. One rainy night, she locks herself out mid-meltdown—with the dog still inside.

Enter Tomasz: her brooding, infuriatingly fit neighbour. A former decathlete turned recluse, Tomasz has his own ghosts—and zero interest in saving anyone, least of all the hot mess next door. But when their worlds collide (with a lot of barking and some broken glass), a reluctant friendship forms. One built on silent understanding, late-night runs, and trauma they’d rather not talk about.

As attraction simmers and boundaries blur, both Amy and Tomasz must confront the lies they’ve told themselves—about who they are, what they deserve, and whether love is a risk worth taking when survival has always been the goal.

Set in the heart of London’s emotional grind and powered by caffeine, playlists, and a stubborn refusal to heal quietly, Distorted Beat is a romance for the romantically hesitant, the emotionally feral, and anyone who’s ever fallen in love while falling apart.