Beauty from Pain

Great story! Very Hot.

If you could sum up Beauty from Pain in three words, what would they be?

fan-F-ingtastic hooked me

What did you like best about this story?

The story, even though predictable like most love stories. It was entertaining and great love scenes. You get caught up in their story.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Bunny Warren and Robert Black ?

Anyone else. The guy would have to have the accent and the girl needs a southern drawl. But these two need to practice a bit more. Robert read the lines in spurts. No natural flow when he read. He has a good voice and sexy accent but it was exhausting listening to him rush through his lines. Bunny, is to nasal sounding. Her southern accent sounds forced. If the story had not have hooked me, and I hate to waste a credit, I would have stopped listening due to their voices. Hate to be harsh. Sorry.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

No names, Hot Sex, all my fantasies met, no pretenses. A perfect distraction......until I lost my heart.

Any additional comments?

Great book, bad narration.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Totally Beautifully written !!

Any additional comments?

I loved this book! This book had everything…romance, strong hero/heroine, lust, sex and angst. This book was beautifully written and I’m now a fan of Ms. Cates. I read this book in one sitting and found the plot intriguing - it left me wanting more. I even loved the secondary characters and enjoyed how Ms. Cates made them interesting without detracting from the main hero/heroine. The witty banter and sexual tension between them was wonderful to read. Whether Jack knew it or not, his protective instincts came out with her. Whether worrying about her getting a sunburn or watching her suffer a migraine, he couldn't help himself from wanting to take care of her. Laurelyn was the parent, so to speak, with her mom, so this was sweet to see. I really liked both of the characters and found it interesting that Laurelyn, who had a troubled past was more open to her feelings than Jack, who had a stellar upbringing with loving parents. I'm already listening to the next book and its just as good as the first :)

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

I didn't want to stop the pain!!!

First let me just say, don't start if you have to stop. I simply couldn't stop listening. This was a fun well written story from both POV's. Jack McLacklan is a wealthy Australian playboy who doesn't do long term relationships. Matter of fact, he doesn't even do real names. Laurelyn is a beautifully broken young American musician who travels with her best friend to Australia to take a break from her life. When Jack promises her the best three months of her life with no strings attached, she agrees. They are drawn to each other from the beginning and their story unfolds with humor and great sex. Lots of funny things happen along the way to keep the story interesting and fun. Of course as predicted, they both fall in love but are to stubborn to tell. Laurelyn ends up going home without Jack even knowing her name. AHHH, but don't be to disappointed you'll have many more hours of listening with the second book in the series. Don't start one without plans for the other, you'll like it just that much. There are several reviewers irritated with the Australian accent in the book but I didn't have much trouble with it once I was used to it. Just take the story for all it's worth and enjoy.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great Story, Narration? Not so much.

Any additional comments?

Narration? Um... I keep thinking of a Transvestite almost every time I hear Laurelyn's voice and every time I hear Jack's mom's voice. It's really annoying. The Jack narration is really good, I wish the female part was just as good. It's really hard to be drawn in to the story because of the bad female narration. This would be much better reading it than listening to it. I loved the story, I just felt like it should have been longer. The "scenes" in the book were short and then it would move on.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Yummy

I have to admit that I love the M/F narration. I will warn you in advance that this one will leave you hanging and you will have to go on to the next book, but the good thing is that you won't have to wait. I enjoyed this book. In my opinion it's not overally sexually explict (wish it was "hotter"). It is a decent love story and it holds your attention. I consider it a credit well spent.

25 of 30 people found this review helpful

Proposition Read

Would you listen to Beauty from Pain again? Why?

yes. once i found out more about the characters and the plot i was hooked. the premise of the book is definitely fantasy in the since that two people whom don't know each other, not even their real names, can agree to have a sexual relationship for three months. but then again i think, this is a novel and it did what it was supposed to-entertain. i enjoyed it a lot.
i liked Jack. his wealthy, quirky family. i could even understand his hesitance in being in a "real" relationship. and when he made his proposition to Laurelyn and got to know her a bit i knew it was all over for him. she wasn't the typical woman he encounters. she was genuine, emotive, sensitive, and had a great sense of humor. who wouldn't fall in love with someone like that.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beauty from Pain?

when Jack took Laurelyn to meet his family at the hospital and she sat with the kids while the adults went to see his father.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

i didn't like listening to two different narrators. it turned me away initially, but as i listened to the story i got accustomed to it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

not really. it flowed nicely and was entertaining.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Unfortunate accent

What disappointed you about Beauty from Pain?

I really wanted to get into this book but I just could not handle the male narrator's attempt at an Australian accent. It was so poorly done, I don't understand why they didn't get a native accented Australian to narrate as it was pivotal to plot. I DNF at about 30 minutes. Too bad, I guess I'll have to read it. If you can suspend judgement on the accent you will probably enjoy this…I am not Australian but am married to one so I know what it should sound like :P

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Female narrator was pretty good (southern accent) male narrator was not even close to an australian accent.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Story is really engaging right from the beginning.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great Romance Down Under!

This book was a truly an entertaining listen! Unexpected love at its finest. Well worth the credit or to just outright buy it. You definitely won't be disappointed.

While I enjoyed the male and female narrator changes, Robert Black's portrayal of Laurelyn's voice leaves a lot to be desired. It sounds real nasally; but, other than that one small criticism, it was an outstanding story. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment, "Beauty from Surrender".

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

EXCELLENT

I really enjoyed this book. We meet Jack McLaughlin a very rich wine magnate who has given up on conventional dating. When he meets Laurelyn Prescott an American on 3 month holiday in Australia, he propositions her. Laurelyn quickly gets under his skin. They have a beautiful romance but they both know there is an end date. I don't want to give too much away but it's an enjoyable story set in Australia. The narration is well done but the dialect takes a little getting used to. This is for adults only. Worth the credit or the cash.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

This was a great find! Love it.

I've had this book in my library for a while now. I wish I had listened to it earlier. It's really a great book. The narration is excellent. OMG! It kept my attention from the first and now I can't wait to listen to the second. I also got the rest of this author's audible books. That's just how good the first one was. Just get it if you like a great romance book!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful