Rafe: Super yummy military guy with a protective streak and will fight to protect those he loves. Fallon: Strong, tough dancer who owns a burlesque club and doesn't let anyone in behind the walls she built to protect herself after being let down by the ones who should have stood for her. A Beautiful Distraction is a great read. It kept me hooked from the beginning. Instantly attracted to each other, Rafe and Fallon must deal with their demons and take a risk on love. Throw in a great family, some undesirable exes and you've got a story that will keep you occupied from beginning to end. This was the first book I've read by Kelsie and I am definitely going to be adding her backlist to my TBR pile. *4.5 Stars Overall* Hard feelings abound when a family-oriented hero, who will risk all to protect women, meets an independent heroine who believes she is incapable of love. The third book in the Hard Feelings series, A Beautiful Distraction can be read on a stand-alone basis as each novel centers around the love life of different characters. Add in Abby Craden's sensual narration, and you have the perfect recipe for a solid audiobook for lovers of contemporary romances. First Sergeant Rafe Murano is reeling from devastating break-up. Although he knows he shouldn't have, he fell in love with a married woman, and it nearly broke him. To his credit, he didn't know she was married when they started the affair, but then again he should have walked away as soon as he learned of that fact. For a man who believes in family first and who puts his all into everything, including his love, it leaves him bereft of all good feelings. Consumed with grief, he drinks himself numb and spends his nights with one or more different women trying to forget his pain. But he never allots more than one night to each. That is until he meets Fallon.Fallon Kelly has never known unconditional love. She was raised by a rich family who had very strict expectations of acceptable behavior, and a well defined road-map for her life. A family who abandoned her at an early age when she failed to follow their approved path. But, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger and Fallon rises from near poverty to the independent businesswoman that she is today. The owner of her own elite burlesque club, Fallon is used to entertaining "headliners" (rich businessmen, politicians and well-known entertainers and athletes), and has very strict standards for those that will be allowed in her club, as well as, the standards that she expects from her employees. For example, anyone caught fighting in her club is automatically precluded from ever returning. She also adheres to a strict code of personal conduct, vowing never to fall in love or even to allow a man to spend the night. That is until she meets Rafe.When Rafe is caught punching a headliner in defense of one of her dancers, Fallon breaks all her rules, and helps him escape from her club before the police arrive. Recognizing his overwhelming need for an escape, Fallon decides to provide him with a "beautiful distraction," but they soon find that one night is not enough. Can a family man like Rafe, a man who loves with everything he has, ever accept a woman like Fallon who has built walls around her heart; and can his natural sense of protection when it comes to women ever allow him to accept Fallon if she continues dancing?With over 100 audiobooks under her belt, Abby Craden is an experienced narrator, and it shows. Her distinctive style was perfect for this title. Blending just the right mix of aristocratic and sensual undertones, Ms. Craden's portrayal of Fallon was dead on. Additionally, the slightly deeper, raspy voice that she lent Rafe sounded like a true broody male and adhered to its description in the book. Perhaps where Ms. Craden's performance excelled the most, however, was in her highly titillating reenactment of the highly sensual, love scenes. Wow, did that sound genuine, and it greatly enhanced the steaminess thereof! I would have given the narration an A, but for the fact that Ms. Craden's voices for a few of the secondary characters were not very different from the main ones. Additionally, one of the secondary characters is described as having a New Jersey accent, and I'm not even sure that any attempt was made to capture this. All that said, the roles affected were very minor, and therefore do not detract much. I also advise anyone considering listening to this title to sound sample it before buying. As although I enjoyed Ms. Craden's portrayal, it is fairly unique and I know that sometimes raspy intonations are not loved by everyone.All in all, I enjoyed this book. Both the story and the narration are solid. Without providing any spoilers, I will say that there are a couple of things that I may have written differently, including one that I'm not sure that a protective hero like Rafe would have accepted. But I chalk these up to author's prerogative, and do not think they greatly detract from the story. If you enjoy contemporary romances with characters that need to resolve past issues in order to find love, plus like your bed scenes of a hotter nature, then you should give A Beautiful Distraction a listen! Grades/Ratings:Narration: BBook Content: B+Steam Factor: For Your Burning Ears Only Violence: Minimal (some fist fighting)Publisher: Blackstone Audio Title: A Beautiful Distraction: Hard Feelings, Book #3Author: Kelsie LeverichNarrator: Abby CradenUnabridged Length: 9 hours and 16 minutesGenre: Contemporary RomanceSource: A big thank you to Audiobook Jukebox for providing this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
What do You think about A Beautiful Distraction (2014)?
Beautiful Distraction was beautifully written. I loved this book!
—Sona
4.5 stars....I loved Fallon and Rafe. And I loved their story.
—nada
