Shameful

By: Dicey Grenor

Narrated by: Monica Reed

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Thirty-nine-year-old Joanne accidentally meets Alex, a 16-year-old stud who gradually coalesces with her family. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem except Joanne feels vulnerable to Alex's charms since her husband has been away for months. Throw in Joanne's 14-year-old daughter, who falls for Alex immediately, and you got a recipe for disaster.

Joanne's best friend is an attorney who cautions about Texas's age of consent while Joanne's mother warns about the consequences of infidelity. But neither can derail Joanne's collision course once sparks begin to fly and ignite to full blown passion. Alex is the drink of water Joanne has been looking for and once she has a sip, she falls hard into a situation that cannot end well for anyone.

Or can it?

©2011 Dicey Grenor (P)2016 Dicey Grenor

Taboo, yet so entertaining

This book wasn’t as salacious as the title led me to believe. I think the age difference didn’t bother me as much as I thought. I finished this audiobook in one day. It was like watching an episode of reality tv---a train wreck that you can’t avert your eyes from. I found myself shaking my head in disbelief, but I was also enjoying it so much. I can see how this is a touchy subject for some people but I liked the romance.

Joanne has been a military wife for most of her marriage and her husband Chad’s increasing distance (emotionally and physically) has left her feeling restless and bored. When her 16-year-old daughter needed tutoring, Joanne hired 17-year-old Alex to get her daughter up to speed. What began as harmless flirting quickly turned into more. But there is a lot at stake, Joanne’s marriage to Chad, her daughter’s crush on Alex, the effects on all of her children, Alex’s family, financial stability and possible legal implications.

I have to say normally I would frown upon this behavior but this situation was truly complicated. The characters were all flawed and complex, yet at the root of it all was a need for attention, love and admiration. Joanne went so long not coping with her issues that she was in badly need of affection. For an overwhelmed wife and mother, nothing could be worse than a husband’s indifference. The situation was ripe for a cleanup man. Alex wasn’t a typical 17-year-old, he was more mature because of his family situation and he seemed to truly care about Joanne. It wasn’t an ideal situation but it was one that anyone married to an inattentive partner could understand.

I enjoyed their tryst but I was surprised that Joanne expected more mature behavior from Alex when she clearly didn’t exhibit mature behavior a lot. I found her behavior as selfish as her daughter but not as bad as Chad’s apathy. I was anticipating the major conflict, but not the ending of the story. I am not quite sure I enjoyed the ending, but there was some realness to the rage, hurt, and conclusion.

The writing was very entertaining. I’ve read other books by this author and this one was my favorite so far. The narrator didn’t really add to my enjoyment, but she didn’t detract from it either. She delivered the story but the author’s prose and storytelling was the main standout in this book. I hope to read more like this one from the author in the future.

Loved! Hot read!

Wow!!! I loved this audio book! It kept me entertained and woke me up every morning during my normally mundane morning commute. I looked forward to listening to Joanne's story every morning!

This story is not for the faint at heart! It is a HOT story about a love affair between a mother of 3 and a teenage boy! Dicey took me on this journey and I enjoyed the ride! I loved the ride! This book is for the person, like Joanne, who wants to escape their mundane life if only for a moment.

The sex scenes are so HOT that I needed a cool drink after listening. Lol!

This is a great audio book and I highly recommend it!

Great story and good narrator!

i enjoyed the story and liked the narrator's voice. There are not many authors that write taboo topics that aren't completely negative so I found this refreshing.

I gave it 3 stars because while I liked the narrator's voice she could have done better. i agree with another review that it was bit stiff and may have taken away from the story.

Good writing poorly narrated

The story is taboo, and it takes twists and turns through the psyche of a disturbed woman and her misguided romance. It is very well written! The narration, however, has the pace, cadence, and tone of an anchor reading the evening news. It sounds forced and artificial. The book in print would be better because the reader will imagine the characters with different voices rather than hearing how Monica Reed used the same voice register and speech patterns for all characters and the narrator alike.

Disappointed.