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nathalyalvarez's review against another edition
4.0
Incluso si son pequeños, los diamantes siempre tienen algunas imperfecciones, pero tú haces que sean perfectos.
Beauty from Pain es uno de esos libros del que escuchas tantas cosas buenas de el que al final terminas leyéndolo sólo para averiguar de que trata.
Laurelyn Prescott es una cantante country que viaja a Australia con su mejor amiga tratando de escapar de una relación que no termino bien pero termina en otra relación con Jack McLachlan, solo que esta vez sin ataduras o límites y con un plazo de duración de tres meses.
Lo leí en basicamente diez horas lo cual es muy poco tiempo considerando que tengo un bloqueo de lector. Pero sólo demuestra lo mucho que disfrute leyendo.
Me gusta como nos fue presentado el protagonista; como un cazador en busca de una presa, no con esa fachada de hombre de negocios. Desde un principio ya sabiamos lo que él quería.
Me gusta como tenemos claros a donde va la relación pero no sabemos cómo pasará. Lo que quiero decir es que sabemos que Laurelyn va terminar con el corazón roto pero no sabemos cómo sucederá.
La mayoría de las veces me quejo de el patrón del millonario mujeriego que se vuelve bueno por la chica pero no esta vez porque leí cada detalle de cómo el fue cambiando por ella, como ella no fue nunca como las otras y aunque suene cliché, amo el hecho de que él fuera diferente con ella. Y el que él estuviera en negación hasta el ultimo momento lo hizo más increíble todavía.
Laurelyn no es el tipo de protagonista sumisa que esperaría, pero tampoco es del tipo luchadora. Ella tiene pequeños detalles que te divierten durante la trama pero le falto ese algo que hace que un personaje te sorprenda.
El final, no puedo decir que no lo espera. Lo vi venir desde el principio pero no pensé que todas maneras iba terminar llorando con el.
devansbooklife's review against another edition
5.0
Five Secret Stars.
I really enjoyed this book. I put off reading it for a while because I thought I was going to get a similar plot as FSOG and I just wasn't ready to relinquish my hold on Christian Grey. While this book has a lot of similarities, it differs in the most important ways; the connection. I really loved the female lead of this book, Laurelyn Prescott. She is smart, funny, humble, and knows how to play the game. She really works hard at keeping her heart at bay, but we all know the heart has it's own mind. When she agrees to the "terms" of the relationship with Jack Henry she truly feels that she can play along in pseudo relationship. But as times passes they both get more than they bargained for.
Jack Henry is a sexy, swoon worthy male that has more money than he knows what to do with. And because of his worth he tends to get more notoriety than he'd like. So having a "termed" secretive relationship is what has worked for him. Because most women just see dollar signs when they look at him. Until Laurelyn.
Moving on to Book Two!
I really enjoyed this book. I put off reading it for a while because I thought I was going to get a similar plot as FSOG and I just wasn't ready to relinquish my hold on Christian Grey. While this book has a lot of similarities, it differs in the most important ways; the connection. I really loved the female lead of this book, Laurelyn Prescott. She is smart, funny, humble, and knows how to play the game. She really works hard at keeping her heart at bay, but we all know the heart has it's own mind. When she agrees to the "terms" of the relationship with Jack Henry she truly feels that she can play along in pseudo relationship. But as times passes they both get more than they bargained for.
Jack Henry is a sexy, swoon worthy male that has more money than he knows what to do with. And because of his worth he tends to get more notoriety than he'd like. So having a "termed" secretive relationship is what has worked for him. Because most women just see dollar signs when they look at him. Until Laurelyn.
Moving on to Book Two!
nero1279's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.75
🎧AUDIO VERSION🎧⭐️⭐️ /5 performance by Bunny Warren and Robert Black.
No, no, no. You must use an Australian narrator for Aussie characters when a story is set in Australia. No one, and I mean no one, can imitate the true blue Aussie accent, anything less is simply tacky. Even a British accent would have been preferable. This fact alone almost caused me to stop listening.
ARTICULATION - the Aussie accent is atrocious
No, no, no. You must use an Australian narrator for Aussie characters when a story is set in Australia. No one, and I mean no one, can imitate the true blue Aussie accent, anything less is simply tacky. Even a British accent would have been preferable. This fact alone almost caused me to stop listening.
ARTICULATION - the Aussie accent is atrocious
BREATHING – projection appropriate, mouth noise is too high.
DELIVERY – solid and in the spirit of the text and author’s intent. Timing and pacing is a little fast at times.
EYE BRAIN MOUTH CONTROL – delivery was adequate at most times.
CONSISTENT – articulation for the Australian aspects is poor, breath and pitch control was not as strong as it could be.
ANALYSIS – understands the story arc and characters.
CHARACTERISATION – the Aussie accents are horrendous and for an Aussie listener, very off putting.
SEPARATION - the distinction between American and Australian accents was very poor.
STORYLINE 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Ok, once I got over the atrocious attempts at the Aussie accent, the story shone through. I can certainly see how this will make a great movie series for Passionflix. I certainly hope that Aussie actors are employed. The colloquialism used throughout the book were good, however the use of “roo’s arse” did make me LOL. Nope that is certainly not one we do not use. Also a drug store means something completely different in Australia 🤣 we call them Chemists. Yes, we commonly the word “brekkie” but referring to a sandwich as a “sanga” in such a casual conversation is not normal for Aussies. Wagga Wagga is never referred with the 2 names by Aussies. We are notorious for shortening everything, so it would be simply Wagga. As for the storyline, very cute and I’m glad I pushed through the narration.
nitzanschwarz's review against another edition
4.0
So, I found some notes from a review I planned to write way back in 2014 when I read this, and because I am not going to write that review, I might as well put them here:
*Beauty From Pain is another one of these book I saw everywhere, but never felt strongly enough about to pick up - until it was free on amazon for a short while. I thought - "what the heck?" but I went into the read being very apprehensive because a couple of other well known and loved books I've read beforehand really sucked for me.
*Luckily for me, Beauty from Pain was not one of those... it was actually a surprisingly good read!! (though I skimmed through some of the sex scenes).
*Loved the fact the book is really misunderstanding-free, and deals with their relationship and getting to the point of love.
*Sad ending though!
*I'm actually excited to read book 2, but I'm now afraid of reading the next book in the series cause I've read the characters don't feel like themselves .Yikes!
*Beauty From Pain is another one of these book I saw everywhere, but never felt strongly enough about to pick up - until it was free on amazon for a short while. I thought - "what the heck?" but I went into the read being very apprehensive because a couple of other well known and loved books I've read beforehand really sucked for me.
*Luckily for me, Beauty from Pain was not one of those... it was actually a surprisingly good read!! (though I skimmed through some of the sex scenes).
*Loved the fact the book is really misunderstanding-free, and deals with their relationship and getting to the point of love.
*Sad ending though!
*I'm actually excited to read book 2, but I'm now afraid of reading the next book in the series cause I've read the characters don't feel like themselves .Yikes!
silreadsalot's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved it! I actually cried and it's hard to make me cry! Can't wait for book two!
sofyy1102's review against another edition
3.0
"What a wonderful tittle! Is it about BDSM?", I asked myself once I set my eyes on this book for the first time. No guys, No BDSM, despite the very suggestive tittle. I guess in this particular case the author meant pain as in mental pain, not physical. I think I'm getting way too kinky, I seriously need to start reading less Erotica.
Anyway this book starts with a young woman flying to the land of the kangoroos, Australia. Her bff is also going with her. They both plan to stay at Ben's house, her bff's brother for 3 months.
Laurelyn ends up meeting the handsome Jack Henry, who has a very peculiar way of pursuing a woman *coff stalking coff* and an even better way of having a relationship.
After they both meet they agree on a relationship, a no strings attached relationship, no real names, no family or friends, or anything personal.
Obviously that didn't go as expected and feelings get in the way.
I really don't have not much to say about this book, I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure yet if I'm reading the second one or not. I didn't like the way this one ended, the author could've stuck to one book, I would've been satisfied, but she decided to end it in a way that there would be a second book, and there is... and a third one.
Another thing I didn't like was the fact that this book has two POV's. I know lot's of people like it, some people love it, yet I don't. I like more than one POV very, very occasionally. This wasn't one of those situations.
Despite not having liked the ending or the dual POV,I liked the plot and both main characters, they were both very entertaining and surprisingly, not annoying, something I keep finding in more and more books nowadays, annoying characters.
To read my review please click on the link bellow:
http://chibireader.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/book-review-beauty-from-pain-by-georgia-cates/
3.5 stars
Anyway this book starts with a young woman flying to the land of the kangoroos, Australia. Her bff is also going with her. They both plan to stay at Ben's house, her bff's brother for 3 months.
Laurelyn ends up meeting the handsome Jack Henry, who has a very peculiar way of pursuing a woman *coff stalking coff* and an even better way of having a relationship.
After they both meet they agree on a relationship, a no strings attached relationship, no real names, no family or friends, or anything personal.
Obviously that didn't go as expected and feelings get in the way.
I really don't have not much to say about this book, I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure yet if I'm reading the second one or not. I didn't like the way this one ended, the author could've stuck to one book, I would've been satisfied, but she decided to end it in a way that there would be a second book, and there is... and a third one.
Another thing I didn't like was the fact that this book has two POV's. I know lot's of people like it, some people love it, yet I don't. I like more than one POV very, very occasionally. This wasn't one of those situations.
Despite not having liked the ending or the dual POV,I liked the plot and both main characters, they were both very entertaining and surprisingly, not annoying, something I keep finding in more and more books nowadays, annoying characters.
To read my review please click on the link bellow:
http://chibireader.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/book-review-beauty-from-pain-by-georgia-cates/
3.5 stars
kate_and_books's review against another edition
5.0
Since a certain series was released the market was flooded with all similar books which all seemed to be along the same lines and predictable as well. Beauty from pain is far from being boring, predictable and repeating itself. I read this book in about of couple of hours. I gave the book 5 stars because it was based in Australia when an American women is out there to get away from her life in Nashville. The book states the POV of both parties which was also very refreshing. The h Laurelyn Prescott goes with her best friend to Australia to stay with the brother. The brother has the hots for her (but it is not mutual)
Jack Henry Maclachlan is a stinking rich wine making mogul who doesn't really do relationships but Laurelyn has caught his eye. He pursues her and makes her an offer 3 months of sex and money and everything else. laurelyn doesn't entirely agree in the beginning one condition is that they don't know one anothers full name and that after 3 months they both walk away without looking back. Needless to say it doesn't really work out that way....
Jack Henry Maclachlan is a stinking rich wine making mogul who doesn't really do relationships but Laurelyn has caught his eye. He pursues her and makes her an offer 3 months of sex and money and everything else. laurelyn doesn't entirely agree in the beginning one condition is that they don't know one anothers full name and that after 3 months they both walk away without looking back. Needless to say it doesn't really work out that way....
aoibhrua's review against another edition
5.0
SPOILER-FREE
Review originally posted on Aoibh Reads
Laurelyn Prescott is off on a 3month holiday with her best friend Addison, to stay with her brother Ben in Australia. After believing she had her heart broken, she is not looking to get with anyone… Enter Mr Jack Henry McLachlan. He doesn’t do relationships but he does agreements. He makes it clear from the start that each fling is solely exclusive sex with no emotional attachments and the women don’t get to know his name or anything private about him.
As soon as he sees Laurelyn he wants her. Proposing the best three months of her life, he does everything he can to get her. Going by her middle name Paige, she agrees to be his for three months and vows that if she starts to feel anything for him, she will run. But their agreement meets obstacles along the way, and as both get to know the true person behind the façade, they wonder is this just a three month agreement or is there more?
OH MY GOD THIS BOOOOOK! I AM MIND BLOWN AND ASTOUNDED AND IN SUCH A BAD BOOK MOURNING I CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT.
Where do I even begin with this fantastic piece of golden string of words?!
Laurelyn: She is brilliant! She’s 22 and not the typical shy and inexperienced scared little virgin. She’s not as experienced as Jack but she doesn’t let that intimidate her in the slightest. I do think she was a little bit brave and naïve to trust him so quickly at the start, going off alone with him before even knowing him. But then accepting their agreement, she had a new sexual confidence that she probably would’ve lacked if it had been a more emotional relationship. I got so annoyed when she believed Audrey!!! It was understandable but I HATE when people don’t just confront the person about the supposed lie. But it was integral to their story so I can forgive her!
Jack/Lachlan: Forget book boyfriend, hello book Husband. He was unbelievable! From reading the blurb about this book I expected him to be a lot more selfish and focused on his own needs, but he was always about pleasing both of them. His immense caring for Laurelyn was so endearing, as he bought her meaningful presents (not just buying expensive crap for the fun) and remembered what she said and how she did things.
Writing: If anything, this is a masterpiece of writing. There is a great element of show not tell and we’re not spoon-fed information. It was SO CLEAR he had fallen for her in just how he spoke and treated her, but we knew that before he even realised it and it was poignant. It was good how not every single sexual encounter was documented but the important ones were. It kept it seeming more real as with every relationship certain events stand out more than others. There was no huge back story plonked in randomly for both characters, but rather a suitable flow that dropped little relevant bits here and there.
Story: I loved the whole idea of this. A girl off on holiday and meets someone and gets to have a great time but with no long term catches or contact. What happens on holiday stays on holiday…right? GAHHHHH BUT NO! At 89% I was so annoyed, upset, frustrated I wanted to whack my head off a wall. WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT TO HIM!?!?! And then the story ends at 90%! (Thankfully there is a sneakpeek of book 2 so there’s a little less of a chance of having a heart attack.) Their whole building relationship made such a captivating read. Starting off with no strings attached, and then Jack admits their friends and he enjoys her company outside of sex (swoooon) and so on until she meets his family. And what worked so well was both of them were hesitant to admit their feelings; Laurelyn wasn’t head over heels for him at the start, or probably even in the middle- it was a gradual thing and that made it so raw and beautiful. She wasn’t some naïve clingy woman; she accepted the terms and knew what it was and wasn’t and even though she did fall for him she still abided by the rules and THEN THE UNFORGIVABLE HAPPENED BUT I'LL REMAIN QUIET COS SPOILERS!
~~Sidenote: I’ve seen this novel as being labelled as BDSM, Erotica etc etc… it wasn’t though. Obviously the story is all centred around a sexual agreement so yes, there is steamy sexy time. But it’s not taboo, there are no whips and chains. Jack wants her to be his but he’s not a dominant or anything. They’re both equals and a perfect match! The title may be misleading but it all makes sense at the end. This is a beautiful story and suitable for all 18+ ~~
Overall:
I can't recommend this enough. It had everything I want in a book. It was an original idea and the bigger main plot was obviously predictable, but the whole read was a rollercoaster of laughs and tears. It punched me at the end and I wanted to scream that I didn't have the second book - and I bought the rest of the series immediately and they jumped up on my reading list. If that doesn't convince you that you NEED to read this... then I don't know what will!
- Oh, and this book is free so you have no excuses!
See more of my reviews here
Review originally posted on Aoibh Reads
Laurelyn Prescott is off on a 3month holiday with her best friend Addison, to stay with her brother Ben in Australia. After believing she had her heart broken, she is not looking to get with anyone… Enter Mr Jack Henry McLachlan. He doesn’t do relationships but he does agreements. He makes it clear from the start that each fling is solely exclusive sex with no emotional attachments and the women don’t get to know his name or anything private about him.
As soon as he sees Laurelyn he wants her. Proposing the best three months of her life, he does everything he can to get her. Going by her middle name Paige, she agrees to be his for three months and vows that if she starts to feel anything for him, she will run. But their agreement meets obstacles along the way, and as both get to know the true person behind the façade, they wonder is this just a three month agreement or is there more?
OH MY GOD THIS BOOOOOK! I AM MIND BLOWN AND ASTOUNDED AND IN SUCH A BAD BOOK MOURNING I CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT.
Where do I even begin with this fantastic piece of golden string of words?!
Laurelyn: She is brilliant! She’s 22 and not the typical shy and inexperienced scared little virgin. She’s not as experienced as Jack but she doesn’t let that intimidate her in the slightest. I do think she was a little bit brave and naïve to trust him so quickly at the start, going off alone with him before even knowing him. But then accepting their agreement, she had a new sexual confidence that she probably would’ve lacked if it had been a more emotional relationship. I got so annoyed when she believed Audrey!!! It was understandable but I HATE when people don’t just confront the person about the supposed lie. But it was integral to their story so I can forgive her!
Jack/Lachlan: Forget book boyfriend, hello book Husband. He was unbelievable! From reading the blurb about this book I expected him to be a lot more selfish and focused on his own needs, but he was always about pleasing both of them. His immense caring for Laurelyn was so endearing, as he bought her meaningful presents (not just buying expensive crap for the fun) and remembered what she said and how she did things.
Writing: If anything, this is a masterpiece of writing. There is a great element of show not tell and we’re not spoon-fed information. It was SO CLEAR he had fallen for her in just how he spoke and treated her, but we knew that before he even realised it and it was poignant. It was good how not every single sexual encounter was documented but the important ones were. It kept it seeming more real as with every relationship certain events stand out more than others. There was no huge back story plonked in randomly for both characters, but rather a suitable flow that dropped little relevant bits here and there.
Story: I loved the whole idea of this. A girl off on holiday and meets someone and gets to have a great time but with no long term catches or contact. What happens on holiday stays on holiday…right? GAHHHHH BUT NO! At 89% I was so annoyed, upset, frustrated I wanted to whack my head off a wall. WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT TO HIM!?!?! And then the story ends at 90%! (Thankfully there is a sneakpeek of book 2 so there’s a little less of a chance of having a heart attack.) Their whole building relationship made such a captivating read. Starting off with no strings attached, and then Jack admits their friends and he enjoys her company outside of sex (swoooon) and so on until she meets his family. And what worked so well was both of them were hesitant to admit their feelings; Laurelyn wasn’t head over heels for him at the start, or probably even in the middle- it was a gradual thing and that made it so raw and beautiful. She wasn’t some naïve clingy woman; she accepted the terms and knew what it was and wasn’t and even though she did fall for him she still abided by the rules and THEN THE UNFORGIVABLE HAPPENED BUT I'LL REMAIN QUIET COS SPOILERS!
~~Sidenote: I’ve seen this novel as being labelled as BDSM, Erotica etc etc… it wasn’t though. Obviously the story is all centred around a sexual agreement so yes, there is steamy sexy time. But it’s not taboo, there are no whips and chains. Jack wants her to be his but he’s not a dominant or anything. They’re both equals and a perfect match! The title may be misleading but it all makes sense at the end. This is a beautiful story and suitable for all 18+ ~~
Overall:
I can't recommend this enough. It had everything I want in a book. It was an original idea and the bigger main plot was obviously predictable, but the whole read was a rollercoaster of laughs and tears. It punched me at the end and I wanted to scream that I didn't have the second book - and I bought the rest of the series immediately and they jumped up on my reading list. If that doesn't convince you that you NEED to read this... then I don't know what will!
- Oh, and this book is free so you have no excuses!
See more of my reviews here
chandlerainsley's review against another edition
2.0
50 shades set in australia but make it boring with kinkless sex