The Shameless Hour

By: Sarina Bowen

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Nick Podehl

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

She's not looking for a hero. He's not looking for a hookup.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men's hockey team, sex is a second language. She's used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don't (often) bother her. So she can't understand why her smoking-hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there's something in those espresso eyes that makes her second-guess herself.

Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor - but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright nasty fraternity stunt, it's Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn't want Rafe's help, and she's through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can't be extinguished.

©2015 Sarina Bowen (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

A pretty good story

If you could sum up The Shameless Hour in three words, what would they be?

Loved Raf and at times I did like Bella but sometimes this book felt kinda white feminist-y. Because I listened to the audiobook I'm mostly judging my review based off the narration read to me. The narrators were pretty great aside from when they spoke words in spanish. I pretty much cringed every time they said words in spanish because they were spoken just like a person with 3rd grade knowledge of spanish. Speaking of the spanish, a lot of it was incorrectly written and since Raf was Dominican, I was sort of hoping for Dominican Spanish cuz I mean, they were from NYC, I can't imagine him speaking spanish all textbook like, but alas, the author didn't recruit any native spanish speakers otherwise she would have known that. Like I said, I loved Raf regardless of the lack of research she put in to make him authentically Dominicano. He was a virgin when he met Bella and he was so sweet and a nice change from the man-whores I read in books. He actually wanted a relationship and was there for Bella through the thick and thin.

I think my biggest disconnect was the fact that it took Bella and Raf so long to get together so it didn't really feel like a romance until the last 30%. They were literally just friends(not even friends with benefits) until the 70% mark. For that reason I put the book down several times because I was always waiting for something to happen between them and yet, nada! I will say that the book did a decent job at unveiling the ugliness of slut shaming but I think with Bella being a girl with few girlfriends, it sort of made her that type of girl who doesn't feel like she gets along with other girls. But I liked that Bella was a girl in charge of her own sexuality and wasn't a darn virgin like most girls in NA romances. I get so tired of the silly virgin. It was nice that the author switched the roles of the guy and the girl. The good boy and the bad girl. I wished I read more books with that combination.

So why a 3? Like I said the book was sort of white feminist-y at times. Here comes this working class Latin kid who is in awe of this pretty, blonde, rich white girl who pretty much has the world in her hands. And then she has a latina maid which Raf didn't even blink an eye at. It just made me uncomfortable to see all the PoC in this book aiding the white girl with her giving so little in return. Overall, I enjoyed it though. Not sure if I'd listen to the rest in the series though. I picked this one up because of the Latin hero and because there are no other PoC in the series, i'm not sure it would interest me.

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

No

Sexy addition to the ivy series!

I loved the Bella got her own story with an unlikely, sexy and hard working hero! I loved the role reversal for female/male stereotypes as well. The narrators as expected were amazing as always! Perfect addition to the series!

OH MY BELLA!! SHE GOT HER SELF A REAL MAN!!!

I loved this one too!! I did NOT like the slut shaming! I did NOT like the drugging! But I loved the story and I love Bella and Rav! This series has been a real pleasure...I needed it! Sarina is going on my fave author list...and I highly recommend this whole series and this author highly!!

love it

this book was entertaining from start to finish! love the author's writer voice. bravo

Love Becca & Rafe

Another awesome listen by Sarina Bowen. I really enjoyed this story. We met Becca in The Understatement of the Year. Love her & her different approach to life. She does want she wants and doesn't care what anyone thinks about it! Poor Rafe believed in Allison and their relationship. Glad she showed her true colors before it was too late. Love how Becca & Rafe's story came together. Was bummed that the book ended. Would love to spend more time with them. Excellent narration by Saskia Maarleveld & Nick Poedhl.

How do you mispronounce characters names?

I enjoyed the story a lot. I love all of Sarina Bowens stories so I knew I'd enjoy this one.
The story gave a lot more depth into the character of Bella after meeting her in the other stories. It also hit on important topics that college students (and really everyone) may deal with in their life.


I've said in past reviews that for this series keeping same two narrators was annoying after awhile and it was definitely true for this one.

The thing that bothered me the most was all the mispronunciations from Saskia Maarleved. Sometimes she say the male leads as "Raff" with a short a sound just like Nick Podehl does and then other times she say "Rafe" with a long a. It just bothered me that nobody caught that.
She also mispronounced Rikkers name wrong and the pizza place Capris wrong.

I'm not trying to come down on the audio narrator but more on production for not catching it. Nothing takes you out of a story than things being read wrong.


I still liked the story though!

Loved this!

I loved this story! I loved that we get to see Bella find her happy ending after seeing her in the last book. This is the fourth book in the series but it can be read as a standalone. I loved watching Rafe and the way he was with Bella. He has so much respect for her and makes sure that he treats her that way always, even when he has to step in and make her do something for her own good to make sure she's okay. I loved how he treated her with care without stepping too far out of bounds and showing that it did not change how he looked at her. This story was awesome and I loved these characters.
The narrators did a phenomenal job with the voices and accents and emotions that just brought this story to life! I truly enjoyed listening to it and this will not be the last time I do so. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The best of this series

Due to my college experience I could relate to this story so much. I had "challenges" with a fraternity that were much like Bella's experience. Going through it with Bella was very cathartic for me. After decades of hiding what happened to me and feeling dirty and ashamed, I feel like I am ready to let the experience stop hurting me. Thanks, Bella!

loved the story, tolerated the narration

They really did Rafe dirty with this narrator. Still very much worth the listen but I recommend getting a visual of the male lead, Rafael, BEFORE you hear this voice.

Medical misinformation, shaming patient seeking medical help.

Medical misinformation:
No female witness for a pelvic? Two men? Ivy League school…no. Among the highly litigious elite, this wouldn’t happen. No doctor should ever diagnose a person until the results are back. Sure, when something looks bacterial, American doctors hand out antibiotics like chiclets…one cannot look at the vagina or cervix and see an early gonorrhea infection. Adding medical misinformation is the worst thing any author can do. This also adds slut shaming.

They wouldn’t be able to even disclose if they thought it was one infection…especially as the symptom at this time would be watery, yellow or green discharge. THE LAB WILL RUN THE TEST! I have run so many of these tests and sometimes during the micro portion of an exam we will see the cause, but more often these things are diagnosed with kits…not two doctors looking at what would be a potentially slightly inflamed area and thin discharge (if the discharge has no green tint, it would appear normal depending on current hormones in a cycle).

This doesn’t move the story along, as the diagnosis irl would have been discussed in a call or appointment when results are confirmed. This is slut shaming of the authors own character. A goal of physicians is not to shame patients out of seeking help. This is YA and will make young women fearful of seeing an OBGYN.

The rest of the book can be great and cute, BUT instilling fear of seeking medical help should zero out the stars. The author will never see this, but from a retired medical professional, this is deplorable.

One star for the rest of the book, but it should be a net zero.




Also, would it have been so difficult to ask someone Dominican on some aid in the Spanish department? This is 7th grade Spanish for Midwestern kids in the 1980s.