Loved it but....

I think the storyline was awesome. I loved the characters, they were strong.
Spoiler alert: just got bummed that after the love of her life dies, she's literally attracted to the new guy a month later!
Also, the story was a bit rushed towards the end.
Other than that, it was gripping!

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If you like the romance genre, you may like this

Deferred Consumption is listed in the Mysteries & Thrillers/Suspense. I would probably list it more in the Romance category. There is very explicit sex and language.
The narrator, Shoshana Franck, did a very good job. She was wonderful with the accents, including Russian, Texan and New Yorker. Her male and female voices were good. She did not have to moderate her voice register greatly to create believable male characters. I could tell which of her main female characters were speaking by the tone and slight change in pitch. I would definitely listen to another audiobook by her.

The book revolves around Heather, is an investment banker in New York City, working for an old established firm, run by a jerk, David. David is in the process of taking over the firm from his older father. While his father was ruthless in his day, he did not work with terrorist like David was. Brody, Heather’s fiancée, is a tennis pro. He is setting off on a tour so they are trying to spend some time together.

As this is an audio and I had not read the book itself, I am going to butcher the names so let me apologize in advance. One of Heather’s clients is a Russian, Evanof, who she describes as a psychopath. He pursues Heather with a total lack of finesse despite her lack of interest or her fiancee. There is a third man who is critical in the story, Evan, who is one of the wealthiest men in the world. I really cannot give more details without spoilers.

My problems with this audiobook all had to do with the writing and not the narrator. The narrator was great. The writing was not that good. I enjoyed the book for the wrong reasons. It made me laugh where I am sure the author never intended to elicit a laugh. For example, Heather’s boss, David, walks into her office. The author describes him like this, “He moved into her space like a termite after a delectable chunk of plywood, preening and strutting like a peacock.” I had to replay this and listen to it several times. I do not believe I have ever heard someone described as a termite and peacock in the same sentence. Hopefully, I never will again.

The sex scenes had descriptions that I could have done without. I am not a prude but the phrase, “Tickled her love flower”, made me laugh, not feel a sense of desire. Another phrase that made me laugh out loud was, “Plugging his member into her depths like it was a job”. I may have the last word in the sentence wrong because I was laughing and may not have heard it correctly. I do not read a lot of romance other than the author Jamie Shaw, so this may be my fault do to lack of exposure.

I need to be careful not to include any spoilers but the book ended abruptly. I remember my twelfth-grade Humanities teacher describing this technique as “Deus Ex Machina”, “a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve” (definition credit to Merriam-Webster). As a novel, it was not satisfying. I found the characters two-dimensional. The story had subplots that never really developed. The writing never drew me in. If you like the romance genre, you may like this one. In any case, I feel the narrator Shoshana Franck is worth checking out.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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2 people found this helpful

A wonderful book

What made the experience of listening to Deferred Consumption the most enjoyable?

Heather is a succesful and confident business women who finds herself in the middle of the Russian's plan to destroy the USA. From the description, a reader could come to a conclusion that this is some espionage book, but it is actually a wonderful erotic thriller, with some very hot and steamy scenes. The plot is clever and intriguing and characters are well developed and likeable (well most of them :)). I am not a native English and a good narration means everything to me when it comes to audiobooks, and Shoshana Franck did an outstanding job narrating this book. 5 stars!!!

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Non Stop

Would you listen to Deferred Consumption again? Why?

Not for awhile, its a big story with lots of pace and I think I need a lot more quiet time to listen to it again. A real holiday book that needs your attention

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, the counterbalance between all three main characters keeps you on your toes

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

Not listened to her before but the intense nature of the story is really enhanced by her voice and I hope he is used in future books

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not so much cry but certainly a knowing smile, it cycles you through all the emotions. I just see an increase in the quality of the writing which gives it so much more on the emotions.

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Will Knock Your Socks Off

This is a sexy thriller full of intrigue and action. I loved listening to this book and letting it keep me up late at night. I couldn’t turn it off, it was that good! The characters are well thought out and feel three dimensional. They share rapid-fire dialogue that is full of wit and bite. I loved that the main female character was so bold. I felt compelled by her. The author has crafted an excellent story that excites and pleasures its listeners. Beautifully read and written, this is a top-rate, mind-blowingly awesome find! A++

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Loved it, could not stop listening!

Would you consider the audio edition of Deferred Consumption to be better than the print version?

I much prefer audiobooks, great for listening to on the commute to work or in bed at night. I am sure the print version is great too, but audio works so much better with my lifestyle.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely! It was a bit of a rollercoaster, plenty of twists and turns, which are my favourite books. A few plot changes I was definitely not expecting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Nothing is ever as simple as it first appears....

;)

Any additional comments?

I loved it. The narration was good - awesome accents, clear and professional audio. The story was the perfect mixture of romance and thriller...with a bit of sexiness thrown in too ;)

You always know a good book when you arrive home in your car from work...but choose to sit in the car outside your house for an extra 20 minutes because you want to know what happens next (I am hoping my neighbours did not see this!)

Looking forward to listening to more books by Shana James in the future.

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Deferred Consumption

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I already recommended this book to my friend, I am thinking about telling my sister also. I enjoyed the romance parts and my sister would love the thriller parts.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yea it did! I felt like there was a good plot with some unexpected turns that were enjoyable because I could not predict them. I love how this book has some horror thriller mixed in with a romance story. All the lying and the switching between characters keeps you guessing what is going to happen next and with the book moving at steady to fast pace it's a fun listen.

What does Shoshana Franck bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved the accents that were crisp and clean she did such a fantastic job at narrating. I don't think I would have imagined the voices the way she preformed them and that brought something special to the audio book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did have a strong reaction, I get attached to people in real life as well as characters in books. I was devastated when the love of her life die and rebounds so fast maybe the grief for her was comforting and healing to find someone new right away but I felt kinda like if I were related to the love of her life I would be upset she moved on so fast.

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Enjoyed it !

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

This audiobook is an unpredictable romantic thriller with a very exciting story that will keep your attention from start to finish. Young Heather is an investment banker that has an ideal relationship with her fiance, who is a rising tennis star. But her dream life will be challenged by a manipulative Russian investor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I recommend this audiobook to both romance and thriller fans, it has a great plot, likeable characters and I have highly enjoyed listening to it. Time well spent!

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Definitely a book I'll be talking about for a while!!

This book is a great mix between romance and a thrilling suspense book. It kept my interest and had just enough romance to keep it steamy. This author has a great style of writing which I enjoy and I plan on getting more of her books. I thought the narrator for this book was great as well. It was a long book to listen to, but it's well worth the time. Especially when you see how the book comes to an end! Definitely a book I'll be talking about for a while!

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UnBELIEVABLY Good!!!

I had no idea what to expect when I got this one using one of my monthly credits, because I had never read anything by Shana James before, but this writer is a beast! I did not want this book to end! I do agree that it seemed a little rushed near the end, but I suspect she was as excited to find out how the book concluded as I was as I was listening!

I don't even know where to begin to talk about how great this book was. I think that it is probably more a romantic suspense than it is just a suspense or thriller, but there so many gripping parts to the story that it could absolutely easily stand as a suspense alone.

One thing about the ending is that it will really make you examine your position about moving on after somebody has died. The thing that Shana James does so masterfully is the way she weaves the new guy in to the story, considering the drama that's going on in Heather's life. I mean, in the same scenario I think I probably would have done exactly what Heather did, so no judgement here. I mean what other choice does she have? Considering the situation. Excellent Book Club novel! I imagine the discussions could get quite heated. Lol

Anyway, I'm surprised more people haven't picked up on this one but I suspect that eventually they will. Phenomenal debut novel for Shana James and I'm glad that I was able to listen to it on audio book. Get this one! You won't be disappointed! I can't wait for the sequel!!!!!!

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