The Perfect Comeback

By: Kacey Shea

Narrated by: Stephen Dexter, Virginia Rose

Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

I don't do boyfriends. Or dating. Or random hookups.

Not when fictional men do it so much better, and not when my heart has been through the wringer. So when retired MMA fighter Matt Haywood crashes into my life, I'm not impressed. Quite the opposite actually. I avoid him at all costs.

At least, I try.

His persistence wears me down, and it's me who ends up wandering into his gym looking for more. I have to admit he's nothing like I assumed. He's witty and smart. His physical condition could win awards. Problem is, somewhere between rolling around on the mats together, I let down my guard.

I thought I was over relationships. That I'd never risk my heart again. But he's out to prove it's never too late for a comeback.

Contains mature themes.

©2017 Kacey Shea Books LLC (P)2019 Tantor

Amazing audio version!

The narrators are fantastic! The story is everything you want in a rom com. I highly recommend this book!!

Dexter and Rose are a knock out!

Hi! I am Kacey Shea, the author of The Perfect Comeback. When Tantor cast Stephen Dexter and Virginia Rose in this steamy contemporary romance, I knew they'd be the perfect fit. I was not disappointed!
Stephen Dexter brings all the swoon to my tough and loyal, down-on-his-luck, retired MMA fighter. He captured Matt's character so well, from the humor to the more emotional scenes, I was blown away.
Virginia Rose nailed Mia's snarky humor, and vulnerability like no one else could! She's quickly become one of my favorite female narrators, and I'm so happy with this performance.
If you love a sassy, snarky heroine who is afraid to let anyone too close and a hero with a heart of gold who works his way into her life, then I think you're going to enjoy this book.

4.5⭐️s - Rose and Dexter add to Shea’s work

Virginia Rose 🌹 and Stephen Dexter 🥊 deliver strong with this one. Rose continues to climb up my list of top narrators; she has yet to disappoint, even when the material or character is rough going. Dexter is another narrator who consistently turns out excellent performances. He’s a truly versatile performer and his name on an audio is often enough to persuade me to check out a story, even when it’s a trope or plot line I would not typically seek out.

I throughly enjoyed Shea’s surprising H. He’s a former MMA fighter with a complicated past, which is perhaps not so unique; however, one of the aspects of Matt’s character - and the plot in general - that was refreshing was the fact that he’s struggling financially with no easy or overly convenient ‘out’ for him. This means he doesn’t have endless financial assets to ‘throw’ at the h, as is so common across the romance genre. And while I love the escapism of the billionaire, rockstar, or some other uber-successful professional trope, it’s sometimes nice to dive into the world of a H where things don’t always go his way professionally or monetarily. In the case of this H, these struggles add depth to his character. Matt isn’t too proud to do what he has to to make ends meet, while also refusing to compromise his own integrity. Dexter’s performance is a stellar showcase for that integrity and also for Matt’s vulnerability. As much as Matt is physically strong and has many appealing personality traits, he’s also clearly flawed and Dexter nails all aspects of the H’s character.

The h is...complicated. It takes a while for the reader/listener to warm up to Mia - at least that was my experience. Sometimes her attitude turns on a dime and she can be abrasive; however these flaws are ultimately an asset because they allow Mia’s character room for actual development, and in many ways she does grow and fulfill that development in the end. She is often hard on the H (and even her own friends), but once we see where she is coming from (context is clutch!), her behaviors become more understandable, even if some can continue to grate. To further aid the h’s appeal, Shea has given Mia some unique traits - she’s a video game designer with a minor zombie obsession, and both of these facts make for some fun plot moments. Rose’s performance adds still another layer, helping to salvage the h for those reader/listeners with any remaining reservations. Honestly, if I had read the novel without also listening to the audiobook, I think I would have continued to struggle with my feelings about Mia. Rose’s interpretation ultimately helped me to more fully appreciate this complicated h.

All in all, this is well-worth a listen. Between Shea’s plotting and the narrators’ performances, and despite a perhaps prickly h, there is a lot to enjoy.

*I received a free audio code from the author through a Facebook giveaway. Book was borrowed thru KU. *

So many reasons to love this one

First off I LOVE Mia! Her job rocks! She has amazing friends and isn’t afraid to be herself. I just didn't understand her fear. It seems that she goes out alot to that bar and I am sure she has run into this type of guy before. So that kinda perplexed me. Matt comes in second as my favorite. He realizes the pickle he is in and takes steps to correct the problem. He really comes into his own as the story concludes. He seems to really care about his job(s) and the people around him and is perplexed when Mia blows him off. Not sure why….I mean his biceps are ah-maz-ing! Plus he is really into Mia and it shows. I love listening to Stephen Dexter read his thoughts.

Secondary characters delightful, irritating and fun. Jared is the BEST! He seems to come to life off the pages. Matt doesn’t have a lot of people but his brother seems great.

I listened to this on audio. Both narrators did an amazing job!

Nope

Couldn’t get into it. The main character is annoying and I couldn’t get past the first couple chapters.