Easy for Keeps

A Boudreaux Novella - 1001 Dark Nights

By: Kristen Proby

Narrated by: Rachel Fulginiti, Sebastian York

Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Adam Spencer loves women. All women. Every shape and size, regardless of hair or eye color, religion or race, he simply enjoys them all. Meeting more than his fair share as the manager and head bartender of The Odyssey, a hot spot in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, Adam's comfortable with his lifestyle, and sees no reason to change it. A wife and kids, plus the white picket fence are not in the cards for this confirmed bachelor. Until a beautiful woman, and her sweet princess, literally knock him on his ass.

Sarah Cox has just moved to New Orleans, having accepted a position as a social worker specializing in at-risk women and children. It's a demanding, sometimes dangerous job, but Sarah is no shy wallflower. She can handle just about anything that comes at her, even the attentions of one sexy Adam Spencer. Just because he's charmed her daughter, making her think of magical kingdoms with happily ever after, doesn't mean that Sarah believes in fairy tales. But the more time she spends with the enchanting man, the more he begins to sway her into believing in forever.

Even so, when Sarah's job becomes more dangerous than any of them bargained for, will she be ripped from Adam's life forever?

©2016 Kristen Proby (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

5 Easy for Keeps Stars

Oooooooo I really enjoyed this little short story, I loved the little girl and her princess dresses. It was perfect and fits in well with the series.

And this is where the narration was PERFECT!

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

I need more 😫

I love the Boudreaux series, but this short story was just perfect. It was just the right amount to fill me up till the next book. I really enjoyed that they didn't take to long to work on the relationship and it didn't feel rushed. Sebastian York in that accent gets an A plus. Hot hot hot!!!

Pretend sexy & Too easy

Simple, boring. Proby doesn't do raunchy sexy well. She needs to stick to what she does well, and this story is an example of her limits, unfortunately. Similarly, the female narrator doesn't do raunchy well either. So when she played Adam at his raunchy best it came across, instead, as crass. I listen to plenty of erotica and steamy romance story, so I don't think raunchy and raw sex talk has to come across as crass. The female narrator was the primary narrator, so her lack showed up more than I would like. She was ok as Sarah but also had limited success as Sarah's 5-year-old daughter, Haley. She made Haley sound much older, though Sarah's dialogue didn't help. Too, Sarah sounded like a child being mocked, not an actual little girl. The female narrator also did poorly when pronouncing a well-known French café in New Orleans. Doesn't everybody know how to pronounce it just by hearing it so often? I guess not. I hate when narrators appear not to do their due diligence in learning how to pronounce foreign words (but this one is so common it's hard to think of it as foreign) from the native tongue of persons. Also, Proby's attempt at cuteness was also a fail for me. Maybe it's another limit.
I liked that Adam and Sarah were 30-somethings. I appreciate Proby creating a female character with admitted stretch marks, rolls, un-flat tummy and what was called "shapely," though Sarah was also self-conscious of these aspects, initially; wonderfully it was temporary. And I appreciate Proby's attempt at making a strong female heroine, though I didn't end up liking Sarah much. Her wonder woman act was over the top, more stupid than courageous, and a continuation of the white hero(ine) to the rescue of the person of color and the person of color always being in need of the white rescuer. Fortunately, Sarah's compassion came across as more sincere and realistic. And regardless, the attempt at a strong female character was good and needed in this genre.
Adam was constantly and ONLY described as hot and alpha. The alpha aspect also wasn't written well or performed well by the female narrator. It too came across as pretend alpha-ing, inauthentic, mockery. Most of the story was just Proby taking the all-too-common aspects of sex, alpha male, and a little bit of pain in sex that's so often part of the simplified romance genre and rehashing them. So there were plenty of cliché phrases, like not knowing where he begins and she ends, fast and hard (sex), etc. Many readers will be left thinking they could've written this story if they listen to enough simplified romance stories. Finally, the culmination was a predictable, over-used anxiety-producing and love-revealing trope. I had ended before I ever reached the end.
shape

a short, sexy and sweet read

Where does Easy for Keeps rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It was a midway quick easy read!

What other book might you compare Easy for Keeps to and why?

The other books in her Boudreaux series.

Which scene was your favorite?

I thought the dinner date for the three of them was sweet.

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

Yes, and it was almost possible, short and sweet as it was.

Any additional comments?

One of my pet peeves with this series is that the very talented female narrator Rachel Fulginiti, is marvelous with that Cajun accent. She didn't have to do the female character with much accent, as Sara was from Miami ... but her Adam in N'Awlins was perfect. In every single other Boudreaux book, Sebastian York who I utterly adore for an alpha male smart ass character, we can barely get Sebastian to try a Southern accent for anyone. I have heard every one and have the same complaint with them all. Now, in this 3.5 book that bridges Adam's maturing thru his own time and meeting and choosing Sara, he picks THIS one book to come thru with the Southern Charm and decent Adam voice! Why? One of the mysteries of life I guess. I'm still shaking my head over it. But, it made for a a more authentic experience and a better read to have the balance between narrators.

Short and all about sex

This was another example of why sex sales. There’s not story. It was about sex. Writers you can do better! Good luck with your endeavor! I love romance and it is the only genre I listened to. However, I’m given up because writers are writing trashy stories.

Five stars for Sebastian York as always!

I can only give this a pass because of Sebastian York. That man's voice just does it for anything he reads. The story was short and I have no problem with that, I have the problem with the fact that we never get any closer for what happened with the family in crisis. I mean, did they kill that bastard of a husband or what? Anyway, the main story is pretty on par for Kirsten Proby. The only other thing I can say about the book is I HATE the voice of Rachel Fulginiti. I can deal with her just reading the book, but when she tries to do a Cajun accent, she totally kills the vibe! Please just stop!

Love can knock your door anytime!

What made the experience of listening to Easy for Keeps the most enjoyable?

The story is awesome. This is the kind of romance I always want to read. The guy who thinks he doesn't want a relationship, the girl who thinks she doesn't have time for a relationship because she's only focused on her family and work, and then, they meet and all their priorities change. Amazing. I loved the story and of course, the audiobook made it all so much better <3

What does Rachel Fulginiti and Sebastian York bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is my first audio with Rachel and I totally LOVED her voice. Her accent was PERFECT!! So as her inflexions and emotions put into the performance. She totally DID it in the s e x scenes!! I have a few audios narrated by her, I should get onto them, because she's really talented. And Sebastian was as amazing as always. His voice matches with the personality of Adam's, all sexy and swoony. Besides, Sebastia does the dirty talkers even dirtier.

Any additional comments?

All in all, Easy For Keeps was great. Too bad it was too short because I would have love to read more about how their relationship got stronger but Kristen's plotting was just perfect for it to be a novella and she added some drama in the end, making it more interesting.
And I love the last chapter!! PERFECT!!

Adam's finally taken!

This was an awesome addition to the series. It's so sweet to see the playboy taken down by a 5 year old and he mom. Super sweet novella.

very enjoyable!

Any additional comments?

Adam and Sarah were incredible together. Sarah awakened his true alpha nature, first through his protective side, immediately upon meeting, and then, almost instantly after they start dating, his dominant and possessive instincts take over where she is concerned, and let me tell you, it was beyond HOT!
This is a cute, fun, hot quick read, it has everything you expect from Kristen Proby.

Great story, Kristen!

A widowed Mom and her precious 5 year old meet Adam.
Adam is a hot bartender, part owner of the Oddesy. He
only has time for a one night stand until he rescues
Sarah and her daughter. Love can open his eyes.
Rachel, great job as Sarah! Sebastian York always
brings a story to life with his narration!

I felt this story had more to give😌

I was looking forward to this book but felt there were a few pieces left unfinished as we did not find out what happen to the family she was caring for or no epilogue to there future I have most of Kirsten books and this is the only one I have been disappointed with