Unbelonging

Unbelonging, Book 1

By: Sabrina Stark

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes, the place you belong isn't where you began....

With an accounting degree that's getting her nowhere, Chloe Malinski spends her nights waitressing and her days housesitting in a neighborhood that's infinitely beyond her reach or comfort zone. But she knows all too well that no one wants a pauper in their mansion, so she's gotten good - maybe a little too good - at faking it 'til she makes it.

With more baggage than any airline, Lawton Rastor made his money through prizefighting - and not the kind with padded gloves and some bowtie-wearing referee. He made it through the gritty, back-alley kind where sweaty money changed hands over beer and bimbos.

She's a poor girl from Hamtramck. He's a billionaire bad boy from Detroit. They should've never crossed paths. But when they do, thanks to Chloe's latest housesitting gig, the collision of sparks, secrets, and misunderstandings leaves both of them yearning to belong exactly where they shouldn't - with each other.

A full-length novel, this new adult contemporary romance is book one of the two-part Belonging Series. It features mature content, sexual situations, and adult language. It's not advised for anyone under the legal age of consent.

©2013 Sabrina Stark (P)2014 Sabrina Stark

This is almost a 5 star listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Unbelonging to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version. I listen to audiobooks because the narrator adds so much to (or detracts from) the audiobook experience.

What did you like best about this story?

Finally a "different"story! The main characters DON'T fall in love in a week. The secondary characters are well developed and they have substance. Other than Laughton (sp?) there isn't such a huge focus on everyone's perfect body. It fits the story that he would have a great body because he is famous. It's about who the characters are and not just what they look like. I prefer a steamier read and the use of anatomical terms, but this one was okay without the graphic descriptions. Euphemisms kind of drive me crazy. Let's call a spade, a spade or in this case let's call a vagina, a vagina.

What about Erin Mallon’s performance did you like?

Nice tone to her voice. It was pretty easy to distinguish the different characters from each other with a few exceptions.

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

Unbelonging: in secrets lie the truth (pun intended)

Any additional comments?

This is the first book I've listened to in over a year that I actually am anxious to find out what happens next.

WINNER!!!!!

Unbelonging grabs you from minute one and doesn’t let you go, but warning this is book one of two but I have now read both. I’m usually not a great fan of contrived drama but this book kind of had some. Why kind of….well because the secrets were necessary and not just because the characters were being stupid or written poorly. You could see the blow up coming and why but I was still intrigued as to HOW it was going to blow up and what the characters would do when it did. I was very impressed that although the characters were in their early 20’s this wasn’t a YA book, these people had real life problems and I really enjoyed getting to know them.

Chloe is a hardworking 23 year old. She is a recent college graduate but she can’t find a decent paying accountant job so she works as a waitress in a theme restaurant. To make money on the side she offers herself as a house sitter to the rich while they are away on vacations….she pretends to be a girl from an upper class family who doesn’t really need the money, but in reality she desperately needs money to support her grandmother. She is a highly likable character who tries to think through every move and no matter what happens she winds up in a heap of mess….reminded me of the Jane Jamison Character of Molly Harper, things just happen to this poor girl. She doesn’t want drama, she doesn’t like drama, yet drama finds her nearly every day!

Enter Logan…he lives down the block from Chloe’s most current house sitting gig, he doesn’t know who she is, all he knows is the girl walking the little yippee yorkie is HOT, and he wants her. Logan is a former fighter/reality TV star and he now owns many fitness centers and is filthy rich, but he’s at heart just a poor kid from the bad part of Detroit, and all the money in the world doesn’t make him feel like he belongs. He tries to play the playboy, two girls at one time, don’t take anything too seriously…etc…but his life is hollow until he meets Chloe, now he doesn’t know how to live without her.
At the end of this book Logan has made a colossal mistake in mistrusting Chloe…you can’t blame the guy really because it did look bad and Chloe has never been forthright in who she really is or where she really lives because well she can’t. In order to be a proper house sitter no one can know that the house is empty, her STRICT confidentiality is something she takes pride in; no one knows the owners are gone, take care of the dog/plants exactly how she was instructed (some plants drink in the morning and some at night you see…hehehe), and above all no guests allowed in the house and she isn’t going to change her moral code for some guy.

Really enjoyed the story and the narrator! Couldn’t wait to auto download book 2, which is the conclusion. Highly recommended!!!!

Great story .... great listen!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Unbelonging the most enjoyable?

The narration was great, the story is great ... kind of different from some of the love stories I have read in the past. I loved the development of Chloe and Lawton's romance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Chloe gave a refreshing view of how important family really is. How you make sacrifices to keep it together. I have to saw Chloe for that reason.

Have you listened to any of Erin Mallon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this is my first book. I do like her performance of male and females.... I didn't have to stretch to believe it was a male voice.

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

No extreme reactions. I loved how each aspect of the chapters had "color" to them. Something new and even the minor characters had something to add.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book highly. I am starting to the second. I got this for a reduced price ... way cheap and highly recommend the read!

If you can get past the Narrator; Not too bad.

I wish the Narrator didn't talk so breathy. It is really bad. Sometimes you think of turning it off because of her. But if you can overcome that, the story is ok. Nothing spectacular.

couldn't quit listening

I loved this story. Loved the characters. I like Erin' s narration. can't wait to get to the next book!

Great book

Kept me up all night just to finish! I'm going to start the next book now! Hdbdb dd fff cvf

One of my Favorites!!!

This series is my absolute favorite by Miss Sabrina Stark, I absolutely love chemistry between Lawton and Chloe. Its not your typical romance read, and the fact they have real life issues going on rather than just your typical billionaire read was what I found most compelling. You can relate to Chloe, and her personality traits. The narrator on this audiobook is absolutely wonderful, she does the male and female parts so well, its not awkward, and makes for a fantastic flow of the book. I loved reading, I especially loved listening to it.

Finally, a Somewhat Original Story!

What made the experience of listening to Unbelonging the most enjoyable?

I like that the heroine, regardless of her inner thoughts and turmoil, is strong enough to balance with the "alpha" male in this story. She has been through enough to keep it real with him instead of cowering and giving in to him when it really matters. Though the story lacks some depth, I will definitely purchase the second book, I have somehow become invested in these characters and I NEED to see how it plays out.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that Lawton, of course a beautiful, famous man, is not afraid to tell Chloe how he feels. The intimate moments between the two would have to be my favorite parts, They, along with most of the dialogue, seems real. I think many would say it was lacking in the depth department, but i think it was more like what people would say. No big flowery words that sound stupid coming from a man's mouth. Though I usually like my books WAY steamier, this one is a keeper.

What does Erin Mallon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Calm. Mallon's voice, though a little too much at times, brings a calm to the story. I would read through it and devour it, losing some of the story in the process. Even during intense parts of the story, Mallon's voice is consistently just... calm... without being monotone, and with a great male voice, too.

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

Yes, only because of the negligent, snarky boss at the restaurant. Been there, dealt with that, NO FUN!
Otherwise, the CLIFF-HANGER ending is pretty intense.

Any additional comments?

I am more surprised than anyone who knows my usual preference in books, that I really enjoyed this book. I am itching for part 2!

Possibly the man of my dreams...

Any additional comments?

Rating 3.5
I am rating this two part book as one since really it is just one long story.

First and most importantly Lawton is a win for me. He is kinda my dream man and that is probably why Chloe ticked me off so much and on a regular basis. I'm so tired of stories where it is based on misunderstandings and not feeling like they could be honest. There were a couple of times where I just wanted to stop reading the book because I was so cursing mad at Chloe and her obvious immaturity, but Lawton kept me going.
I loved that this had a fully developed story to be told and I really enjoyed following it to the end, however I would have loved more intimate scenes that would allow me to get a FULL understanding of Lawton's Texas sized "skills" ;)

Took away a half star because of Chloe pissing me off on a regular.

The voicer was fantastic and I loved the character choices she made. She kept me in the story.

Fighter romance

If you could sum up Unbelonging in three words, what would they be?

ups and downs

What other book might you compare Unbelonging to and why?

It reminded me a bit of the Play series except Lawton is a fighter and that was about rock stars.

Have you listened to any of Erin Mallon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really liked the end where Chloe told him to go away and left. I thought it was a really gutsy move. It did leave it wide open for a sequel however.

Any additional comments?

I thought Chloe was a bit goody two shoes. It seemed like everyone was using her and I found that a bit hard to swallow. I like my heroines tough and independent, which she was sort of, but I thought she did too many things she didn't want to do because of other people. It made me feel like she was a bit of a wimp and should get a backbone.