Distracted

Romance

By Madeline Sloane

Publisher : Madeline Sloane

ABOUT Madeline Sloane

Madeline Sloane
Madeline Sloane is a writer with more than 20 years experience in journalism. Her educational background is in Anthropology and she is an instructor at a private, liberal arts college.She’s working on several new books, each with a connection to Eaton, a small, fictitious Pennsylvania to More...

Description

Stephen Spence is just another assignment for Erin, a D.C. editor who specializes in motivating authors.  But Erin doesn’t think Spence has writer’s block. She thinks the self-absorbed artist is just lazy; that Spence prefers to paint and play with his bimbos and boats. Soon after Erin arrives at his Outer Bank’s home, Spence sets sail for the Florida Keys. Determined to keep him on task, she has no choice but to join him as crew aboard his catamaran. Her quest to keep  him on track is next to impossible because this sexy guy is easily distracted and, to her dismay, Erin discovers that distraction is contagious.

Erin Andersen has been given a tough assignment: Help sexy artist Stephen Spence finish his book on time. The problem is Spence enjoys life too much to slow down and, to her dismay, Erin discovers that distraction is contagious. The independent, young editor travels from the busy streets of Washington, D.C., to the rustic coastline of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, then boards a sailboat to explore Florida’s sunny Key West before packing up and heading for the green mountains of idyllic Eaton, Pennsylvania in her quest to keep the handsome and happy-go-lucky artist on track. We all have our weaknesses and Erin’s is the soft, sweet smile of a Southerner.


A Cute Romance

4.0 out of 5 stars

By Ruth Ann Nordin “Historical Romance Author,” January 28, 2011

This review is from: Distracted (Kindle Edition)

This was a cute romance. Erin is supposed to help Stephen hurry up and get his book done, which turns out to be an impossible task. Stephen’s tendency to put things off and enjoy life is cute and funny, but in real life, this guy would annoy me to no end. (And I’m laughing as I write that.) He’s hard to commit to anything. Now, like I said, in fiction, this is funny, and since it’s fiction, it works. And Erin has to be relaxed enough to roll along with it.
So instead of doing the book he’s supposed to, he talks her into traveling on his boat, eating out, and having sex. I didn’t think there would be sex in this book because on Smashwords, it’s not labeled as being for mature readers, though to be fair, ‘sexy’ is in the keywords. It’s just that I’ve seen some clean romances labeled as sexy and assumed there was a lot of kissing and maybe some necking going on, which is what I’m used to finding. The only reason I bring this up in the review is to let the reader know I think this is a book for a mature audience. I don’t have a problem with sex but I know some people would rather not read it.
Overall, it was a fun read with lots of great humor because Stephen has a certain charm about him that is hard to resist. And surprisingly, he is able to bring in a good income. I couldn’t imagine how because of the way he procrastinates, but the author explains it so I won’t give that one away.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

4.0 out of 5 stars

By Lucinda J. Knier, January 22, 2011
This review is from: Distracted (Kindle Edition)

Madeline Sloane brings romance to the table with her first book! “Distracted” is cleverly written; the dialogue is well-delivered, easily readable and certainly enjoyable. I like how Ms. Sloane changed locales throughout the book as well, giving a diverse look into different regions of the eastern coast, including rural north central Pennsylvania. Additionally, the intimate knowledge of boats Ms. Sloane wrote about made it easy for me to envision being on board and watching the romance play out before my eyes.
I think what was most enjoyable was that Ms. Sloane didn’t “dumb down” the story; her style is refreshing, tantalizing, and current. I’ll be looking forward to her next release!

A Refreshing Read

4.0 out of 5 stars

By Susan Ward, February 2, 2011

This review is from: Distracted (Kindle Edition)

What a refreshing read, unlike so many romance novels of the past, which made the female lead out to be some kind of second-class citizen who could never stand up for themselves. (Many of these books I’d throw against the wall in disgust.)  Madeline Sloane’s book, “Distracted,” is a pleasant surprise. Erin, her leading lady, is a highly educated, well-rounded young lady whom, for the most part, has a good head on her shoulders. Her only distraction seems to be the one person (Stephen) she was hired to light a fire under to produce the promised novel. I enjoyed traveling along with Erin and Stephen from D.C. to the Outer Banks, and from the Florida Keys to mountains of Pennsylvania, on their journey as they find themselves — and each other — during one tantalizing adventure after another. I look forward to Ms. Sloane’s next novel.