Audio Review ~ Settling the Score: The Summer Games ~ R.S. Grey #AudioChallenge #COYER #ShelfLove

Settling the Score by R.S. Grey
The Summer Games #1
Narrated by: Shaun Grindell and Amanda Dolan
Release Date: July 29, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #AudioChallenge, #BloggerShame, #COYER, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For twenty-one years, her Friday night have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true: The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...The committee passes out condoms like candy...The games continue long after the medals have been handed out. As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent - too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain. It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there - shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs." Contains mature themes.

I picked up Settling the Score thinking it sounded like a lot of fun. I wasn't wrong. But it also had a serious side and it served as an outstanding introduction to Grey's writing!

Andie Foster is goal keeper for the U.S. Olympic team and she's just arrived in Rio. She's planning on kicking ass at the games but she's also interested in taking part in the, um, fun she's heard is ever present in the Olympic village. At her first party, though, she meets a guy who could give her all that fun...or break her heart.

Freddie Archibald is a swimmer for the UK's Olympic team. This isn't his first rodeo but it is the first one where he's found someone who actually captures his attention. Unfortunately, his mother has just made an untimely announcement.

Highlights:

• Andie and Freddie - they're well drawn characters. I felt as though they were relatable despite my not being an athlete or a celebrity. ;) They dealt well with their celebrity and were good friends, loyal, and fun.
• The sports - I appreciated  that although this was a romance, Grey didn't use the Olympics simply as a setting. We trained with, competed alongside, and even hurt with Andie and Freddie.
• Secondary cast - I really liked Andie's friends as well as Freddy's friend, Tom, and his sister, Georgie. They gave depth to the characters and the story.

Lowlights:

• The tension-inducing character and the resolution
  Even though I thought the tension was well done and felt genuine, the character used was a bit overly dramatic and the resolution was too easy as well as kinda silly.
• Narrator
  The narrators are listed as Shaun Grindell and Amanda Dolan. Grindell was excellent and is becoming a favorite for British characters for me. I was excited to try a new female narrator but apparently Amanda Dolan is another name used by Lidia Dornet. While I like Dornet/Dolan's voice just fine, her range was a little lacking for the number of characters and I was just a little disappointed since I'd thought I was getting a new-to-me narrator.

Oh, and on a technical note, there were a few places where it was clear Dolan's lines had been edited - it wasn't smooth and the volume changed.

Hmm, it kinda looks like Settling the Score was an average listen but honestly I adored it! I'm looking forward to listening to more from R.S. Grey!