This Is Effortless

Checkmate Duet Series, Book 2

By: Kennedy Fox

Narrated by: Lia Langola

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Introducing book two in the new Checkmate Duet Series from a secret duo of best-selling authors! This friends-to-lovers romance will have you swooning and laughing from beginning to the end! Are you ready to play the game?

Courtney Bishop is as sugary sweet as her famous blueberry muffins. Southern belle at heart, Cali girl by choice. She barged into my life and easily became my best friend. All was great as roommates and just friends, but then I fell for the girl who could chop firewood, deliver baby calves, and bail hay without breaking a sweat. She's the perfect mixture of sugar and spice, and I love her. Being more than friends and trying to build our future isn't as easy as it sounds. Moving forward and creating memories is all I want for us, but when the past continues to come back and haunt me, I'm not so sure she'll stay for the ride. Loving her is easy, but losing her will break me. Burning passion combined with an undeniable chemistry constantly pushes and pulls us together. In the end, I'll prove we're worth the fight, even when the game is far from over. Checkmate, sweetheart.

Recommend for ages 18+ due to sexual content and adult language.

©2017 Kennedy Fox Books, LLC (P)2017 Kennedy Fox

I Love This Audio Book !!!

I love Kennedy Fox books and after listening to the Check Mate This Is Reckless audio book I was counting down the days until This is Effortless was out !. When I got a chance to listen to this story I put aside everything else I was doing I dived into this story and It was fantastic!
In this book, we pick up where we left off in This is Reckless. Drew wakes up to see that ex girlfriend is in his bed and Courtney is no where in site , honestly for a few seconds I was filled with dread thinking .. did Mia kill her ? lol , because honestly, I feel like she is crazy enough to do that .Thankfully drew is able to get by Mia twisted advances and find Courtney, when I tell I was relieved to find that she was okay I was mean I literally shouted out in relief.What I loved about Drew and Courtney relationship is that no matter what happened and trust me so much happens and now matter what Mia throws at them and she throws a lot ,they stay together and that just shows you how strong there relationship has become. I loved the romance in this book it was sexy , fun and filled with swoon worthy moments. Honestly, these two were too cute for words at multiple parts of this story. I felt like I couldn't get enough of Drewtney ( If you are wondering that is a combination of Drew and Courtney ) and I felt like they got such a perfect story . Besides the romance there were so many other things going on in this story , mainly with Mia , Oh My Gosh I felt like Mia went completely of the rails , have you ever watch Fatal attractions with Glenn Close ? .. she was that type of crazy and when I found out she was working with all this time I was honestly shocked because it just threw me for a loop and I just love that in my stories I love that Kennedy Fox always finds away to keep you on your toes.
Checkmate This is Effortless was wonderful , it was sexy , funny , addicting and unique In away that only Kennedy Fox can create . I also want to take this moment to praise the narrator Lia Longola who can do no wrong in my eyes , she narrates this story perfectly and I hope she narrates every Kennedy Fox book ever. I also loved that we got to check in with Travis and Viola and at the same time we got hints on what to expect in the Logan and Kayla's story . I am sad to end Drew and Courtney story , but at the same, I cannot wait to see what Kennedy Fox have in store for us next . If you have not started Drew and Courtney story yet you definitely should and If you have and you are wondering if you should pick up the next book , the answer is yes , pick this book up as soon as you can .

A perfect contemporary romance!

Let me start by saying I had not read or listened to the first book, This is Reckless, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of This is Effortless. It was obvious to me that there was a backstory, and I will go back now to see where it all started!

This is Effortless is an extremely well written story by Kennedy Fox. The character development was perfect and I really felt like I knew them. Lia Langola brought out the emotion in her very expressive performance.

I love this whole series.

I Kennedy Fox stories. I can't wait to have Logan and Kayla's story on audibles.

GET BOOK ONE FIRST... IT'S A FANTASTIC DUET LISTEN

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook through Audiobook Boom at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review.

I decided to buy the first book, "This Is Reckless," before listening to and giving a review on "...Effortless." It was a good move because the first book ends on a huge cliffhanger and really introduces you to the h/H and their relationship BEFORE their "reLAYtionship."

This duet listen was far better than I expected. The story was well written and easy to believe. What hit me the most about the H was a cop having tattoos AND long hair. Be still my heart.

Lia Langola... your rendition of voices in this duet shows your true talent. Wonderful listen!

TWO BIG THUMBS UP!!

Great listen!

This book had me hooked and had to listen to it all the way through.

hooked

loved it. some days I don't have time to sit down and read so the audio version of it helps so much! Lia Langola does such a great job on the narration. she brings the characters to life and her voice conveys so much emotions that she very much IS the character. overall, great job with the narration and definitely want to hear more from the narrator.

Kennedy Fox & Lia Langola – an explosive combi!!

Thankful. So, so thankful. That’s what I am to have had THIS IS EFFORTLESS, the conclusion of the duet story of Courtney and Drew, already waiting in my Audible app for me to dive into. And that I did.

These two are just super sweet and hilarious together and I fell even deeper under their spell. They share a chemistry that is off the charts – inside and outside of the bedroom: I loved their easy banter and just hanging out together almost as much as their dirty and sexy times. Just … swoon!!
These two are ridiculously perfect for each other, even though Drew took his sweet-axx time to realize that. Now, they have a rock-solid relationship, real and full of devotion and love, not even a psycho-biatch like Drew’s ex, Mia, can shake their strong bond, no matter how depraved her actions are. And that woman is seriously demented! I can hardly remember another character I hated as much as I did her! That lunatic seriously had it coming to her!!

I adore Courtney. I loved her before, but now even more so. She is just so easy-going while being incredibly sweet without even realizing it. She is honest and real.
Mia’s obsession with Drew even freaked me out as a reader; I wouldn’t have wanted to be in her shoes at all. And while her insecurities surely peaked through from time to time, she altogether stayed strong and didn’t back down. She finally achieved her goal of making the love of her life fall for her too; she would be damned to ever let him go again!

Drew, oh Drew. All badaxx alpha male, with all his tattoos and long hair, and still he was utterly smitten with his blueberry muffin baking Southern girl. He loved fiercely and would do anything in his power to keep her safe. Courtney seriously is one lucky lady to have bagged this Deputy!

It was absolutely effortless to fall for those characters – and that trip to the countryside (Drew on the back of a horse! *giggles*) to her old-fashioned parents and her overbearing brothers made me smile from ear to ear.

A feel-good best friends to lovers romance with a healthy dose of suspense thrown into the mix. And the passion… not to forget the passion! Always sizzling below the surface whenever those two were near one another. Sigh.

Logan and Kayla will be up next and with all the bits and pieces of their cat-and-mouse-game we got in these books already – and not to forget that ending!! – I just cannot wait! …although I don’t really know yet how to take Kayla’s persistence in finding homes for her fur babies, no matter what. All her poking and prodding until Drew and Courtney gave in became a little bit too much at times for me. Don’t get me wrong, I adore her dedication to her babies but … ugh. I can’t really explain it.

And last but not least… I listened to the audio version instead of reading an ecopy. How could I not? It was once again narrated by the fabulous Lia Langola. I said it in my previous review and I’m saying it again: The way she brings the characters to life is incredible! You can always tell them apart and then there’s the voice she gives Drew… Oh, hell, I’m swooning again. Yep, I’m totally crushing on the voice a female narrator gives a male hero. Don’t judge me – rather buy an audiobook read by Ms. Langola and hear for yourself!

…which brings me to my dilemma: To wait for THIS IS DANGEROUS to be released on audio – which better be narrated by her as well – or to dive right into the ebook? I might just go on with Violet and Travis’ story first instead. Decision, decision … oh well.

My Two Pennies

Another incredible narration by Lia Langola, the emotions that are expressed throughout the story have you feeling these characters even more. I was engaged from the very beginning to the last words spoken. Now on to the book itself, let me start off by saying you need to read book one This Is Reckless otherwise you won't get the full experience of their story. The cliffhanger was killing me and I couldn't wait to find out what happened, we all know by now that Mia is whacked out of her mind. Throughout the story I was kept on my toes and interest was held because I adore each and every one of them, I mean who doesn't love Courtney and Drew?. I was slightly disappointed for a little when a door was just closed and we move along. Overall I'm still hooked on and can't wait to see if anything is brewing between Kayla and Logan. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

WORTH YOUR CREDIT!!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of This Is Effortless to be better than the print version?

I have never read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Drew! Although I thought that since he was a cop, there would have been more involvement from the police side.

Have you listened to any of Lia Langola’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but she was absolutely amazing!!!! I want to find more of her books because she is that good!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Almost all of it!!!

Any additional comments?

I didn't listen to the first book, so I would recommend doing that first. I felt that I was missing out on a few pieces of the story.

Very enjoyable - worth your time

Any additional comments?

A very entertaining, engaging and enjoyable story. It pulled me in immediately and held my attention until the end. Would I recommend it? Yes. If you haven't started the series though, I would definitely start with at least the first book of this part of the series. With how this book started, I can imagine the first book had one heck of a cliffhanger.

Even though this is the second book in this part of the series I had no problem diving right in. There are a few references made about previous events in the first book but it wasn't anything that left me lost or not understanding what was going on in this book.

Plenty of suspense, a bit of humor, major amounts of hot & steamy romance, a little angst and a healthy dose of drama all rolled up into a really good story.

An interesting, fun and well rounded cast of characters. Both Drew and Courtney were immediately likable . Even though I was not familiar with any of them, the secondary cast of characters were all likable as well. Except of coarse the psycho.

Relationships are hard enough throw in a crazy ex (literally) and your relationship will be tested. Nothing worth fighting for is effortless. Their love may be effortless but it will be tested. If they can survive the nightmare that is Mia they will have a chance at their HEA.

I did expect a little more "crazy " from Mia in some ways. Maybe there was more of her "crazy" in the first book and I missed it. As well as a little more police intervention/action since Drew is a cop.

Be prepared to keep you earbuds in. There is a major amount of steamy romance inside these pages.

I enjoyed that the story continued with an good solid epilogue diving further into Drew and Courtney's HEA. It also set the stage for the next installment which sounds like it will very interesting and pretty darn good.

This is the first time I have heard Lia Langola narrate a book. A narrator can make or break a book, in this case she made it. She has a great voice that is easy to listen to for long periods of time. Her narration is clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Really good character voices and accents. Of coarse her female voices are perfect. Court's southern accent was great and gave her that much more personality. Her male voices were very enjoyable as well. There was enough difference between male and female character voices to make them easily distinguishable. I really enjoyed how she didn't try to do too deep of a male character voice. Many narrators try to do that and it ends up making the men sound like idiots or creeps. Her voice for Mia was perfect. Just how you expect a crazy, unstable psycho to sound. She brought the story and characters to life through her narration. I'm looking forward to listening to more from her in the future.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.

My Thoughts on This is Effortless

This was an excellent wrap up to a duet that had me totally hooked. I loved the love between Drew and Courtney. Even when they had his crazy ex-girlfriend doing everything in her power to tear them apart. From the very beginning of this book, which picked up right where book one left off, her craziness showed and just kept getting worse throughout the book. But the love between Drew and Courtney just held strong and even grew.

There were so many twists and turns in this book that I just didn’t see coming but that just made it all the more enjoyable. And once it came to the end, and everything that Mia was throwing at Drew and Courtney came to a close, I can’t say I was very sad by what happened to her. It honestly seemed like she wasn’t going to stop until something like that happened. But it all laid out in such a thrilling way. That was one of my favorite things about this whole duet and this part especially. The suspense and trying to figure out what really happened after the jaw dropping twist at the end of book one.

The narration once again lacked for nothing. Lia Langola gave her usual amazing performance in both Drew and Courtney’s chapters. I have loved her voice for a long time and this did nothing to lessen that love.

Drew and Courtney!

Drew and Courtney's story continue as Mia continues her Fatal Attraction ways but what she hadn’t counted on was the fact that Courtney and Drew are soulmates and their love is stronger than any force to break them up could be.

I loved these two characters as Courtney’s sass and spunk matches up against Drew’s protectiveness to make a perfect match. Once they transformed from friends to lovers they never looked back or had any doubts which was so refreshing.

It was great to meet Courtney’s family, catch up with Travis and Viola and learn more about Logan and Kayla who will be the next couple that we fall in love with. The narrator did a great job at bringing all the emotions of this romantic story out.

Love ❤️

I loved Drew from the very beginning and was super happy to have an ending to his and Courtney’s story. After the cliff-hanger in This Reckless and all the crap Mia Montgomery put them through, I was super happy to see then come out of the other side unscathed (mostly). This is Effortless boarder lines on the romantic suspense side, with the super super hot steamy scenes thrown in – remember, don’t listen to Kennedy Fox around children! Courtney just might be one of my fave Kennedy Fox characters, being a Bishop may just of given her extra brownie points though; I did love hearing her story. It had the perfect ending and I cant wait to see what comes next from the dynamic writing Duo.

A satisfying ending for Drew and Courtney

This is Effortless continues on with Courtney and Drew's story and after the HUGE cliff hanger of This is Reckless I was dying to know how their story was going to develop. The story picks up right where it left us in the previous novel in Vegas and Drew realising Courtney is missing and Mia is in his bed after taking advantage of him. I loved being thrown straight back into the drama of the story, Mia's role throughout is what adds the suspense to the duet.

This story focuses on Drew and Courtney establishing their relationship outside of the confines they already knew, the house they share, the friendship they have and building from that into coupledom. There were so many moments that had me swooning over Drew, the things he would say and do to help Courtney feel loved and protected. Courtney herself struggles with a crisis of confidence knowing that Mia is coming for her and will seemingly stop at nothing to prove that Drew is meant for her. The couple decide to rescue a dog and this, although a cute storyline takes over a little at times and it wasn't really needed, it didn't add anything to the book really.

They need to see how the storyline played out with Mia and her mystery accomplice is what kept the story going. I felt that Drew and Courtney were in a great place outside of that but of course Mia continues to throw a spanner in the works. How that storyline came to end was full of drama and ended a little abruptly I have to say but a good one all the same. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book in the duet but yet again Lia Langola did an amazing job on the narration for the audiobook. Her performance was perfection. I am looking forward to reading more on Kayla and Logan's story there was a fair bit of their push and pull chemistry here and I am really curious to know more.

Loved it!

The continuation of Courtney and Drew’s story is so, so good.
Drama, sexy, happiness, love, death and crazy about sums it up.
These two are just THE BEST.
As always, Lia did a absolutely amazing job with narration.

Love this couple

Wow, Mia was crazy. I liked the storyline (no spoilers) and Drew and Courtney are still my favorite. Excellent progression of their relationship - amazing connection. So much heart. Fun special guests. Can't wait for Kayla and Logan- what is his deal???

Lia Langola was still just as fabulous as a narrator as in previous books.

4.5 Stars

This is my favourite of the CheckMate duets so far. The dynamic between Courtney and Drew was on point and the cameos made me smile. What Drew and Courtney go through in this story was staggering and I loved how they (mostly) communicated every step of the way this time. This picks up right here This Is Reckless leaves off and it's action action pretty much from there. I loved how it ended and I really am excited to read the next duet. Lia Langola is an ace on narration and I really enjoy her superb work bringing these books to life. I volunteered to listen and review a complimentary copy of this. All opinions are my own.