Audio Review ~ Friction ~ Sawyer Bennett

Friction by Sawyer Bennett
Legal Affairs Series #8
Narrated by: Sebastian York, Kendall Taylor
Release Date: November 25, 2015
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Audible credit
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TakingControlTBR
Goodreads

Synopsis
At the powerhouse law firm of Knight & Payne, winning comes first and ethics a distant second. Leary Michaels uses her female charms to daze opponents, and it's always worked well--until now. On her most personal case yet, she finds herself going up against a defense attorney just as skilled, shameless, and seductive as she is.

Reeve Holloway has never met a woman as sure of her own sexuality, or as ruthless in wielding it, as Leary is. But he won't be toyed with. What Leary starts, he'll finish--in the courtroom, the bedroom, or any-damn-place he wants. The sex is uninhibited, electrifying, and absolutely against the rules. Reeve's job is to ruin Leary's case...even if it destroys her in the process and costs him the woman he's come to love.

Although this is #8 in the Legal Affairs series, it can absolutely be read standalone. And I hope you read it because it's a lot of fun but also incorporated a meaty story. And the narration was wonderful!

Leary is my kind of heroine and attorney. She is wily, intelligent, uses all her skills and isn't afraid to jeopardize her law license for a worthy cause. If I'd know there might be law firms like Knight & Payne in real life, I might have gone ahead and pursued law school. :D

Reeve, while serving the 'dark side' of law, was an admirable adversary for Leary. He's witty, determined, and while getting to know Leary, he learned he had a higher moral code - ethical standard - than he'd thought.

The banter between these two, particularly when they first met and began their interacting, was like watching sparklers - mesmerizing and fun! As things developed further, things became more intense and I really had to wonder if a relationship between opposing counsel was doomed.

I completely enjoyed Bennett's choice of litigation - a medical malpractice suit - where a huge insurance company doesn't want to pay out. I also appreciated how Bennett tied the case to Leary, making it so personal and therefore more difficult to keep emotions out of things both in the courtroom and out.

The narrators rocked! This was my introduction to Sebastian York and although he doesn't have much inflection, his gravelly voice rolled over me live a velvet blanket and he embodied Reeve. This was also my introduction to Kendall Taylor and her portrayal of Leary was spot on. I'll certainly be looking for more listens from these two.

This is only my second experience with Bennett, my first being her debut, but I find I was right about her writing. It has matured, tightened, and made her storytelling that much more compelling. I'm eager for more!