ARC Review: A Beautiful Distraction by Kelsie Leverich

A Beautiful Distraction is the newest installment in Kelsie Leverich's Hard Feelings series. I was really excited to read Rafe's story after reading the blurb, and I just knew he was going to be a character that I loved. While I did really like his character, this book was not really what I had been expecting and I was left with mixed feelings about the story.

Rafe is home after another deployment and without things to fill his mind, he is left dwelling on the woman who broke his heart. He fills his time with drinking and women, and he is quick to use his fists when he gets angry. He goes to a club with his friend one night and meets Fallon. Not only is she the club owner, but she is a beautiful dancer as well. He is instantly drawn to her. Fallon has a set of rules that she lives by after her horrible past. When she meets Rafe as he is defending one of her girls, her rules go right out the window. The attraction between them is so strong that she ends up giving into the passion that they are both feeling. Rafe makes Fallon feel more than she has in a long time, and that scares her. Rafe is still trying to get over his heartbreak and hasn't felt anything like what he does for Fallon in a long time. Can they both get over their pasts and take a chance on a future together?

I liked Rafe. He was a really great guy and he felt things so strongly. He looked out for those he cared about and also for those that couldn't look out for themselves. I liked that even though it wasn't always the best way or what he should do, he always seemed to stand up for what was right. He was a total hot head, but he had good intentions behind everything he did. He was sweet and kind, while being completely sexy and commanding. I loved that he wouldn't let Fallon get away with keeping him at a distance, and he was determined to show her that what they had was worth taking a chance on. Fallon was harder for me to like and relate to. At times she was really nice and strong, and at other times she was a bit of a bitch. I thought that she pushed Rafe away a bit too much and she was a little cold at times. I know that she was scared, but it got old after awhile. Especially considering how great he treated her and how he was open and honest with her. He really wore his heart on his sleeve with her, and so it frustrated me to see her continue to do the things she did with him. I thought that they had good chemistry and they had their steamy moments. I liked that Rafe was able to open up to her and really tell her who he was and even share the things that he wasn't proud of. I feel like Fallon didn't really open up to him as much though, and it almost seemed like her sharing with him was more out of default than her choosing to share. He caught her at a weak moment and wouldn't allow her to escape without explaining. I think it hurt the emotional connection that they were forming that she didn't explain herself without being basically forced to. I just didn't find their connection to be as strong or believable because of it.

I also thought that this story was really slow. The first 30% was extremely slow and there were several times that I put the book down and had to walk away. It was really hard for me to get into the story, and there were times that I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish. It started to pick up a bit after the 30% mark, but it still had its slow moments after that. This one just never fully captured my attention, and as much as I liked Rafe there just wasn't a lot that kept me interested. I didn't really find the relationship developing between them to be what I had hoped for and I think that is mostly because of Fallon. I just wasn't able to connect with her and I think that kept me from really being able to root for their relationship. I also thought that everything was a little bit too conveniently connected. With each new character or problem introduced, somehow they were all tied together. It just was a bit too coincidental for my liking. I couldn't believe that it would all happen like that for real, so it really just didn't work for me. As much as I had wanted to love this story, it just never happened. I kept reading and ended up giving this one the rating I did because I really did like Rafe. He was the only reason I stuck with this one and was definitely the highlight of the story. I did like the way things ended up and I thought that it was a good ending. I just wish that I had been able to enjoy the whole book and all of the characters more than just me liking Rafe. I think if you are a fan of this series or Kelsie Leverich you will enjoy this book, and if you like sexy uniformed heroes you might give this one a shot.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | The Book Depository |