Pushing You Away

Noah & Katie, #1 (Lawton Ridge Duet Series, Book 3)

By: Kennedy Fox

Narrated by: Lia Langola, Tor Thom

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

I’ve been in love with my best friend Katie Walker for as long as I can remember. We may have shared our deepest, darkest secrets but that one I’ve kept to myself. Before I got the courage to confess my true feelings, my cousin Gabe moved to town and swept Katie off her feet. 

I should’ve admitted how I felt but I couldn’t - especially once they got married. 

When I caught Gabe cheating on his pregnant wife, I snapped. A deadly fight erupted and before I could comprehend what happened, I was charged with his murder and sent to prison. 

The day I’m released, I go straight to Katie’s house. But after pushing her away for a decade while I was behind bars - she slams the door in my face - wanting nothing to do with me.  

While she’s determined to pretend I don’t exist, this time I’m not going anywhere.  

Pushing You Away is a slow burn, angsty friends-to-lovers romance with lots of small-town, Southern drama. It's Book 1 in the Noah & Katie Duet and must be listened to in order.

©2021 Kennedy Fox (P)2021 Kennedy Fox

Amazing beginning of this duet!

Well Book #1 in Noah and Katie’s duet was just what I thought it was going to be.....EPIC. Add this to the long list of Kennedy Fox books that I will forever be addicted too! But after reading it and now listening to it with Lia Langola and Tor Thom’s narration made me love this story even more!

I don’t think I could accurately tell you exactly how much I was looking forward to listening to this story! And I was NOT disappointed in the least. It is heartbreaking, emotional, steamy, and like I said above EPIC! I know that book #2 is going to be the same! But honestly if you haven’t decided if you want to start listening the ex-con’s duets by Kennedy Fox, what are you thinking? Of course you should listen to them in audio with Lia and Tor’s narration, it adds to the story when you can hear the emotion behind this story and these two do an amazing job! Highly recommend!

Such a powerful story!!!

Gah!!! I have been waiting on this one for a while! After getting a bit of their backstory during Travis & Gemma's duet, I was ALL OVER THIS ONE!!! Didn't disappoint..... no it did NOT! And as per usual Kennedy Fox left me totally hanging.... wanting more.... and needing answers! I knew there would be a cliffy (duh! It's a duet) and I totally saw it coming.... but there was still one crazy surprise that happened right at the end..... Anyway for those who don't know.... Noah has been in love with Katie since they were pre-teens.... she was in love with him too, but neither of them fessed up and they just stayed friends. So when Noah's cousin Gabe moved to town and asked Katie out, she said yes.... a few years and a wedding later, Katie and Gabe are expecting a baby.... well Katie is....Gabe is just out doing what ever (and who ever) he wants. When Noah goes to confront him about it..... it ends with Gabe in the ground and Noah in prison. BUT that isn't the story! That is all about Noah FINALLY trying to win Katie!!! And boy do they take you for a ride.... not I am just waiting to get part 2 so I can REALLY rave about this duet!!!

Warning ⚠️

This is part 1 of Noah and Katie's story. it is a wonderful story of forgiveness and love. the ending will have you on the edge of your seat ready for part 2! Noah and Katie are such a sweet couple and show that second chances can be worth facing the challenges life can bring!

Noah and Katie!!!

An amazing first book in the duet. Narration makes this book even more amazing. Could not stop listening. Love Noah and katie!!! So many interesting twists and turns. True love, best friends and best friends brother tropes. These two have a lot to overcome. Can not wait for next book. Was not expecting the cliff hanger...

Noah in audio = ovary explosion!!!!

When I read this book I wanted the audio ASAP! If you like a best friends to lovers story read by two of the best narrators then Pushing You Away is definitely for you. Hearing Noah and Katie's story in audio made me fall in love with them all over again. For some reason I felt like Tor's voice sounded so much sexier in this one then others he has done and I loved it. Lia delivered perfection per usual. She has a touch of a southern accent but it isn't overkill.

Take a trip down memory lane with Noah and Katie as he is released from prison 10 years after being sentenced for the death of Katie's husband. He refused to see her while he was behind bars but is determined to explain to her once he is able to get her to talk to him. Soon they are reminiscing their teenage years and admitting what their feelings were for each other back then and still are to this day. There is no doubt I will be listening to this one multiple times.

Love this second chance romance!

I love this start of Noah and Katie's romance. When Noah lost his chance with Katie, and she married someone his cousin, Noah continues to be the loyal friend and check in with her and cares for her. This story gives some background to their friendship, but also sets up Noah's unflinching feelings for Katie. No matter how much time and life has put them through, Noah's love for Katie is steadfast.

As with many of the stories that Kennedy Fox has put out lately, there's forced proximity which encourages Noah and Katie to admit their feelings for each other. Tor Thom and Lia Longola did a fantastic job as always of narrating this story. I highly recommend the audio, and this duo is honestly perfection!

Emotional roller coaster with perfect narration

AUDUO REVIEW
Pushing You Away is the first book in Noah & Katie’s duet and this is the second set of books in the Ex Con Duet Series. Katie and Noah are childhood best friends, they grew up together and it was expected they would be together throughout their life but Noah’s cousin Gabe got in before Noah had a chance to let Katie know his feelings and that’s where this tragic story starts.
Noah ends up in jail for a tragic accident after confronting Gabe in a bar for having an affair and the consequences of that night leave Katie to raise her son alone.....
Fast forward 10 years and Noah is home but like all small towns the only people happy to see him are his father, his sister and her partner so will life ever be the same for the man who has never forgotten his first love and will Katie ever open up to the feelings she still has for the man who stole her heart all those years ago.....

This starts off as a tragic, sad, emotional story but as you turn the pages you get to know the characters and I’m sure like me you will be wishing and hoping they find away to get past the past. Pushing You Away touched me on so many levels and this beautifully written first instalment has left me needing book 2, Holding You Close.

Lia Langola and Tor Thom did a fantastic job bringing the characters and their tragic story to life. They were spot on with every e toon felt through out this great listen.

Loved it

Katie and Noah are fantastic and I don’t know how I’m not going to die while waiting for part two! This is a two part story and it ends in a cliffhanger but so worth it. Noah has been in Kobe with Katie since they were younger but never got the nerve to tell her and when his cousin comes to town and asks her out he looses his chance. Little did he know Katie felt the same but when he never acted she thought he didn’t have those kind of feelings. The an unfortunate accident leaves Noah in jail and he shuts Katie out. When finally released, he wants to make it up to her but she is not about to make that easy for him. I loved reading these two and watching their love story finally start to get its chance. That ending though... no spoilers from me you just have to read it. If you can’t handle cliffhangers then get it as soon as part two is out! Great characters and wonderful writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the narrators did a wonderful job. I love both of them.

Loved it - Great story and great narration

I love friends to lover’s story and Pushing You Away was an entertaining and emotional read and is Katie and Noah’s story. Noah has been in love with his best friend for years but circumstances and his cousin Gabe got in the way and she had no idea how Noah truly felt.

Noah goes to prison after a fight leaves Gabe dead and despite Katie's attempts to keep in contact with him, he refuses to see her. When he is finally released the first stop Noah makes is to Katie but she is not welcoming, far from it. However after so many years, Noah is determined that Katie know how he really feels and thankfully Katie decides to give him a chance.

This is a story that built slowly, with some angst and was well written and is book one in their duet, so you have been warned that this ends in a cliff hanger. Kennedy Fox drew me in and kept me invested from the first to the last chapter with this emotional read.

The performance by Lia Langola and Tor Thom was spot on for Katie and Noah and they did a good job in expressing the emotions that these characters went through.

I cannot wait to read the conclusion to Noah and Katie’s story in Holding You Close.

Loved this one so much!

This is one story that I absolutely adored. From the page to the audio, Pushing You Away is one intense and raw book with so many emotions and more bleeding through it. I felt that Langola and Thom did a brilliant job conveying those emotions and I could not get enough. I honestly did not sleep because I listened to this one through the night, it was that amazing! If you have not read or listened to this series, I highly recommend it!

😬😬😬😬😬

The Queens of cliffhangers have done it again and what a doozy this one is. So many questions need so many answers 😂 After Noah was released from prison, so many things would of changed for him, 10 years is a long time to be away, so many things were missed. Katie had every right to be mad at him and push him away but I’m so super glad she let her walls down when she realised life is short and they had already missed out on so much. Cannot wait to see what happens next. Pushing you away is a second chance, friends to lovers, boarding on romantic suspense with a storyline to book!

My Thoughts on Pushing You Away

This story was even better and more intense than I imagined. A best friends-to-lovers story with a very different twist. There was a lot of suspense and high emotions and it’s just the kind of story that keeps you totally hooked on the twists and turns and needing to know what comes next. Noah and Katie were both excellent characters, very well written, and likable. Katie was a strong single mom who was relatable. Noah was a kind, good hearted man who made a mistake that he regrets and served his time for. That ending though has me so ready for book two. And I can only hope that I get more Lia Langola and Tor Thom to narrate because once again they did an amazing job with this story.

S-ex-y con

Kennedy fox's books just keep getting better and better, I absolutely loved this story , after reading about both characters in the previous books I was so happy to listen to their story , what follows is a fair bit of drama but the most explosive relationship once Katie finally forgives Noah
An absolute must listen and I can't wait to start book 2 of their story

Loving Katie and Noah's story so far

After listening to Tyler and Gemma's duet, I was dying to get my hands on Katie and Noah's story. After the hints at their history, their ruined friendship following Noah's 10 year jail sentence I was hoping that this was going to be one angsty ride!

Noah holds so much regret over what happened the night that changed his life in everyway imaginable, finally getting the full story over what happened truly made me feel for him. Then living the next 10 years in jail, in shame and regret knowing the damage you caused to the only woman you can picture spending your life with seems such a cruel existence. So on the day of his release when he goes to see Katie and she slammed the door in his face I was ready to see how the table were going turn during this one.

Katie and Noah's history is too intertwined for them to avoid each other for long and Noah's persistence and determination to get just 5 minutes we Katie is handed to him when he is targeted with vandalism and violence feeling unwelcome and unwanted by a lot of townsfolk. My heart continued to hurt for Noah, he's trying to live an honest life and at every turn he is met with judgement and rejection. When Noah and Katie are put in a situation of forced proximity, their chemistry sizzled. My mind is spinning with worry over their budding relationship becoming public knowledge, with Katie's son finding out Noah's past in regards to his Father. And of course as ever that bombshell at the end about who is being the attacks... I have theories and I need book 2 stat.

Tor Thom and Lia Langola performed brilliantly as Katie and Noah. They managed to portray the longing and the regret, the determination and the connection these characters had towards themselves and each other. It made for easy listening and I am looking forward to another great performance in book 2.

Noah and Katie!

Noah doesn’t remember a time that he hasn’t loved his best friend Katie, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the chance of destroying the best relationship he had and then it was too late. When she ended up marrying his cousin Gabe and pregnant with his son things becomes a whole lot more complicated when Noah ended up incarcerated for Gabe’s death. A decade later he is back in town trying to pick up the pieces of his life and his relationship with Katie but that is easier said than done.

When Gabe passed away Katie lost the two most important people in her life when Noah cut off all contact with her. Now that he is back in town, she isn’t about to just let him back into her life but that isn’t so easy to do when someone isn’t about to let Noah’s past stay in the past and they don’t care if others get caught in the crossfire.

Everything that Noah and Katie have faced may have changed them but not their feelings for each. Just when they start healing from the past and have hope for the future, we get a cliffhanger that leaves us wondering what the future holds for this couple. The narrators complement each other and bring out all emotion and intrigue to perfection.

Fast-paced, full of suspense and drama

• Ex-con
• Friends to lovers
• Slow burn
• Small town romance

Another ex-con finding love with his old best friend, delivered with the signature tension, passion and emotion that is so inherently Kennedy Fox? Yes, please! That I’ve been dying to get my hands on Katie and Noah’s story since I’ve read the first book in the Ex-Con duet series only sweetens the deal. Their story definitely has some major – and for Kennedy Fox rather unusual – slow burn feel to it, which I hated almost as much as I loved it.

Theirs is a story of star-crossed lovers. Two best friends in love with each other, but too scared to do anything about it, before life stepped in and tore them apart. Now, after Noah’s prison sentence, they are slowly rekindling the profound bond they shared when they were younger, awakening all those feelings again that lay dormant under all the heartbreak.

Quick, fast-paced, full of suspense and drama, sweetness and ever-changing emotions. I swooned, I laughed, I choked up, then swooned some more, before cursing at that cliffhanger that I knew was coming with this being book one of a duet, ugh!

The audio book is done to perfection by the talented Lia Langola and Tor Thom. There’s just something about Lia’s male voices that makes me shudder – in a totally good way – and Tor, well, his rich voice is an experience all in itself. These two transported the emotions of their characters beautifully and made this story even more of an experience.

Love Katie and Noah!

Once again, the ending snuck up on me!

I'm not sure what it is about Kennedy Fox that hooks me so much.
Could it be the budding romance?
The cute kids?
The air of mystery?
The danger lurking in plain sight?

Whatever their recipe is, they have nailed it. I absolutely devoured this book.

Noah was so sweet. His imprisonment has had me curious since I read Gemma's book - so it's safe to say I have been waiting to hear the full story. His guilt, regrets, and love for Katie bleeds from the pages and I even teared up at one point.

I figured out the "villain" in this story early on, though I'm sure the girls have crafted something more elaborate than I could ever imagine.

Having loved reading this book I was eager to listen to it, so I could relive this wonderful book. As always, Lia did an absolutely fantastic job with narration. Tor was also fabulous, he gets better and better every time!

I'm so excited to read the rest of the story that I can't even be mad about where they have left us in the story!

All the freaking stars ✨

I love this couple

Great slow burn and although you know what's going to happen, boom the cliffhanger happens and you can't believe it. Ugh, I want the next part so bad! The flow was perfect. I didn't want it to end.

The narration was excellent but that is not a surprise with these pros.

4.5 Stars

4.5 stars I feel like I've been waiting for Noah and Katie FOREVER. (I haven't but it feels like it, I get attached easy, fight me) This story does not have the best of beginnings, but considering this entire series is called Ex-Cons..never mind. Noah and Katie used to be best friends, until something happened. Fast forward a decade and now Noah is back and Katie ain't having it. Or is she? This was such a vibe, and I was sucked into small town life real quick. I adored Katie and my heart broke a bunch for Noah. I want the best for both of them. It does end with QUITE the bang so to say I'm even more looking forward to Holding You Close might be the biggest understatement of the month. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of this and all opinions are my own. (less)