Breaking Up with Barrett

The English Brothers, Book 1

By: Katy Regnery

Narrated by: Lauren Sweet

Breaking Up with Barrett is the first of six books about the Philadelphia-based, wildly handsome English brothers who are all on the lookout for love.

(Except Alex. He's a womanizing manwhore. And maybe Stratton because he's wicked hot but super awkward around girls.)

Barrett English, aka "the Shark", is the fair-haired firstborn of the English brothers and the CEO of the oldest, most prestigious investment banking firm in Philadelphia. He rules the boardroom with an iron fist, refusing to take no for an answer and always getting his way.

Emily Edwards, a first-year doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania, grew up in the gatehouse on the outskirts of Barrett's childhood estate. The daughter of his family's gardener and housekeeper, she was always looking through the window of privilege but forced to remember her place at the very periphery of the kingdom.

When business partners suggest that a fiancée might soften Barrett's image over business dinners, he approaches Emily for the job of fiancée. And while love isn't necessarily on Barrett's radar, he begins to realize that Emily always has been. But will his take-no-prisoners boardroom tactics work on the heart of the woman he loves?

©2014 Katharine Gilliam Regnery (P)2015 Katharine Gilliam Regnery

Refreshing

This was such a refreshing book. I loved both characters, and how both of them thought for each other. I am anxiously awaiting the next reads in this set.

Recommended

I thoroughly enjoyed Barrett & Emily's story. They are such a good couple. As they say Emily 'softens' Barrett's 'rough edges'. She humanizes him. I look forward to Fitz' story next.

Lauren Sweet is an excellent narrator for this story.

A great start to this series

A great start to this series and an awesome 'rags to riches' story.
I loved the cat and mouse games that are so cleverly played out between Emily and Barrett. This is a love story that goes back to their childhood and endures until they are old enough and mature enough to recognize it and do something about it.
Beautifully narrated and a very entertaining listen and page turner

i love this book

very good book and very good narrator love it!
very good book and very good narrator love it!

An enjoyable friends-to-lovers tale!

Where does Breaking Up with Barrett rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was good. Narrator Lauren Sweet did a decent enough job, but there was one scene that I wished I’d switched over to my e-book copy to read. It was the first sex scene between Emily and Barrett. First time sex scenes can come off kind of cheesy if the narrator doesn’t get the tone just so. And unfortunately, that was the case here. Her instincts didn’t match how I would have read the scene with my eyeballs. Not her fault of course, but it did diminish those moments between these friends turned lovers a little bit for me. I made sure to go back and reread my e-book copy of that scene and the subsequent intimate scenes between Barrett and Emily.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Barrett. I almost melted in a puddle when he thought back to his 8-year old self meeting baby Emily for the very first time. I like how he formulated a plan to be around her more in order to see if he was right about finding his soul mate all those years ago. And I loved how he didn't hesitate to tell her how he felt: “And if you want to know what’s real, here’s the most elemental truth I know: you’re the love of my life, Emily Edwards. And whatever it takes, I’ll do it. Just to be with you.”

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was a quick read so I finished it within 24 hours of starting it.

Any additional comments?

I'm hooked so I'm definitely eager to read the next English brother's story, Falling for Fitz (The English Brothers #2).