Beauty From Pain (Beauty Series) Paperback – February 26, 2013

Jointly reviewed for : [...]Gitte: So this was my first Georgia Cates and wow...how did I not know? Yes, I hang my head in shame?! I loved this story, it was fabulously written and the characters and premise of the story was fab. But urgh...cliff-hanger!"There is evil f***ery afoot here." - JackYeah there really was and I bloody enjoyed it!Anyway, I loved the changing pov's, we get to connect with both our male and female character as we hear and understand their inner thoughts, which ultimately lead to their respective actions. I have to say I was so hooked I read this in one sitting. I just couldn't put down Jack and Laurelyn's story and just as the characters became more and more involved so did I."He holds me and his embrace speaks without saying a word."What did you think Jenny?Jenny: Agreed Gitte! How have we had this on our Kindles since Feb and yet not ventured into Georgia Cates territory until now! We headed straight into this Monday after being swamped with recommendations on our Blog and we weren't disappointed!First thought....Oh dear .....another cliffy! But I'm okay and will eagerly look forward to finding out what's afoot in Jack land and just what is going on in that man's mind! There's still so much I need answered that's for sure.The alternative POV's in Beauty from Pain really did allow you to become invested in the story....to get inside both heads and feel what each was going through. I have to say, George Cates really can tell a story. I completely connected with the characters, I felt their conflict, I felt their pain and I laughed at their wit."Oh, double swoon. His lips are when mine were. Lucky glass" - LaurelynAnd don't get me started on the heat and chemistry between Jack " thud, there goes my heart" Henry and Laurelyn. Yep! They burned up the pages of this book and I loved it too!Gitte: So we meet our heroine Laurelyn as she arrives in the Land Down Under, Wagga Wagga to be specific, with her best mate Addison. They are visiting Addison's brother Ben (yuk, I didn't like him at all) for three months as he is living there studying Wine and everything that comes with it at Uni.Laurelyn has a lot of emotional baggage from her past and she's an aspiring singer/songwriter which plays out through this story. She came across a tad cynical and "tired" of life but who can blame her really. That is until she gets a proposal thrown at her by a hot enigmatic millionaire who clocked her in the pub on her first night out.I have to say he freaked me out in the beginning. I thought he was going to be an evil stalker. Our Laurelyn isn't convinced at first either as the offer consists of three months of nookie and apparently being wined and dined in between; with no strings attached. No identity reveal is allowed or demands made. Except for one. Laurelyn, who is number thirteen to sign up for this, must never contact him again after her three months are up. Yeah I'd be a bit freaked out and sceptical too. However, then her friend Addison comes out with this classic line and it's all systems go:"The best way to get over somebody is to get under someone else."Well, that's true, and why not a gorgeous Aussie rich guy who makes you melt into a puddle on the floor? Their chemistry was hot....it was sensual and passionate and they can't keep their hands off each other."This relationship isn't romantic and won't ever be. It is arranged and temporary. I'd do well to not forget that any time soon." - LaurelynThey fall into an almost instantaneous "relationship" because there is no pressure and they aren't really trying to impress each other."This relationship...I get it now. I get why it works.....Because we have no pretences and clear expectations, I don't feel pressured to be anything but me." - LaurelynThere is funny banter as well as passion which really broke up this story and made me connect more because it was not all about the nookie. There's an age gap, daddy issues, music, secrets, mystery and suspense."I like being with you even when there's no sex involved. That means you're not a booty call." - JackOh and you know you are in the company of a hot alpha male when you hear:"No one else touches you. Only me. Do you understand?...I won't share you with anyone." - JackJack....not a creepy stalker that's for sure. He was pretty bloody lush. He's a man with a plan that's bullet proof right? Ummm wrong."Say my real name..."Both players knew the game but both players broke the rules and it made for one hell of a sexy, passionate and emotional ride...that ended....in a cliff-hanger!"She makes me want to break down and tell her everything. It's strange - I've never wanted to do that before. She makes me want to do lots of new things." - Jack"I don't say it, but I definitely think it-we've both just experienced something that can never be topped." - LaurelynSo yes I really enjoyed it, my main issue resulting in why this isn't a higher rating is that I had a problem with how long Jack's identity was kept an enigma. This, in my opinion, was a bit unbelievable as Ben should have known who he was, after all...he is in the industry and as he has an axe to grind you'd think he would be right onto that one. Spoiling what Jack and Laurelyn has, taking what he wants. But....bring on Beauty from Surrender (Beauty #2), I can't wait. At least we haven't got long to go right Jenny?Jenny: Yay for not having to wait too long Gitte! We follow Laurelyn as she arrives in Australia with her friend after taking some time out to get her head sorted after leaving baggage in the States and trying to figure out where her life is going. Despite being confident, beautiful, sexy and funny, Laurelyn's self-esteem has taken a bit of a battering over the years and she has issues to work through."Music is what feelings sound like out loud. I sing songs that speak from my heart. They tell my story, how I feel." - LaurelynGorgeous, sexy, alpha, independent Wine Magnet and multi-millionaire Jack doesn't do relationships. Jack prefers his no strings attached "arrangements" - it's better that way as he fiercely guards his privacy. He maintains women for companionship and sex for a specific time then moves on to the next one. His life doesn't lend to relationships and he has no intention of starting one."Looks like we both have secrets."Jack meets Laurelyn at an open mic night and this American beauty immediately beguiles him. And boy do these two have chemistry! They definitely have "it" between them...that something that sizzles and demands to be explored...and explore they do! The sex scenes were off the charts but never did they overtake the guts of the story, just the opposite. It complimented it and took it up a notch."She has bewitched me. And I want her. She's the one." - JackJack intends for Laurelyn to be his "number 13 arrangement" and promises her pleasure like she has never experienced and the best three months of her life if she agrees to it."If you say yes, I will pamper you every day like a princess." - JackSeeing as Laurelyn is only in Australia temporarily the arrangement seems perfect for both of them? While spending time together, learning about one another and growing with each other, on thing they didn't count on was their hearts entering into the equation. They both bring about a change in each other they didn't expect and as a reader your heart is in your mouth as you face the inevitable with them. The time when Laurelyn must leave and the arrangement has run its course."She's showing me a new side of herself. It's childlike and damaged." JackWhen I was caught up in this book and being swept along with the story, the characters and emotion, I really did enjoy Beauty From Pain. In fact I loved it. So why not 5 stars?I had one negative with Beauty From Pain. It is purely a personal one and I understand the majority of readers would not even find this an issue or pick up on it but I'm afraid I did.Being Australian myself I have to say the use of the Australian vernacular was a misrepresentation of Jack in this book. The use of 'Strine which is a type of Australian slang language wasn't a correct representation of how Jack would converse and after a while I found it grated on me and at times this took me out of the story .You see 'Strine is kind of ockerism as such and simply not the way Jack would converse. Not to mention there were words used that I have never heard fellow Aussies utter. The voice in my head, based on the vernacular used in Beauty From Pain did not match up with the Jack I pictured from the book and to me it was distracting.Overall though I found Beauty From Pain to be a well written, well paced, sexy, witty and enjoyable read. It was more than a millionaire meets beauty book. It had heart, heat and emotion and because of that I would absolutely recommend picking it up."She's a magnet and I'm metal."Jack......And the cliffhanger....wow! Bring on Beauty From Surrender is all I can say! I need me some more Jack Henry!

I hardly ever give a five star review. There are many requirements I have for a book to even try and score a 4 STAR review let alone a 5. I keep a list of things that I like or that bother me, and I also do character profiles to make sure there are no contradictions, inconsistencies and to make sure there is true reality in their story and behavior. After all, I have to believe it in order to read it.Fast forward to this book.....well....I have NOTHING negative to say about this book, and while I have given some five star reviews that had me complaining about character personalities or behavior, with the exception of Wuthering Heights, I am not sure I ever said that i have nothing to complain about before. Normally I take issue with the annoying female character, or sometimes certain behavior or inconsistencies, contradictions or even issues that flat out make zero sense and add nothing to the "story." That is not the case with this book, as I felt it flowed perfectly, the female character is one of only 4 I have ever liked, and found the journey both characters took to be quite interesting for both of them.It really is amazing the things that we experience or fear that truly mold who we are, how we think and just what we will do because of it. The lengths people go through to either forget, move on, prevent or destroy most times know no bounds.Summer flings? Not an uncommon thing, but rather a very common practice. While some do them closer to home, and others not so much, that started off this very believable story for me, as they are casual and typically are a "no strings attached" sort of hookup.Then it begins...girl gets hurt, leaves it behind, takes a "holiday" down under with her friend, gets spotted at a bar by a guy who is on a mission to make sure he remains unattached, free, out of love, and doing things on his own terms to make sure that happens. Nothing new to him, as he has done this twelve times before over the course of four years, but decides it's time to try something new. Instead of his "few weeks" worth of an anonymous relationship, let's try one for three months. Enter stage left...the girl from the states trying to run away from her reality and needs a distraction. Hello, Mate!Now, what do you get when you have a girl on a three month holiday and a guy who is determined to take his anonymous relationships up a notch by trying one for three months? You have two people spending more time together than they should given that it is supposed to be NO NAMES, NO FEELINGS, NO COMMITMENT AND NO CONTACT AFTER. And you get a guy who is her distraction and a girl who is his experiment. Sounds like a recipe for more than they bargained for...Now the rules become blurred and broken by the one person who set them up in the first place and he no longer begins to recognize this "casual affair" as a "fling with no strings attached," but instead it starts to feel "real"....two people truly showing each other the real person....the person who is afraid to fall in love, and the person who wants love but is so afraid to be hurt again she agrees to an arrangement to try and have fun, do something she would never normally do, and do it in the hopes it will help her erase all the bad and the hurt. He lets his guard down some, as he becomes accustomed to their "relationship" and his secrets start to surface and a piece of his past comes back to haunt him, once again reminding him why he does things HIS way....Slowly as they progress through their arrangement, while Laurelyn goes with the flow adhering to the pace that Jack is setting for them, Jack slowly starts to realize that he not only likes her, but he really likes her outside of the bedroom. He enjoys her company, he enjoys their conversation, he admires her and truly ends up feeling confused by how much he likes having her around....he's kind of gotten used to it and starts to realize when the time comes for her to head back to the states, he will not only miss her, but he really doesn't like the idea of it....Laurelyn does everything she is supposed to to try and keep things unattached, light and airy between her and Jack, even though she feels herself growing closer to him. She continues to come off like it is nothing more than the arrangement they made. While she knows she is starting to care for him, Jack's continuation of breaking rule after rule starts to force him to acknowledge some of his feelings that he has been having that keep creeping up on him. It is these alien feelings that force him to try and find ways to deny it.But then the time comes and it is time for her to go home, and after a "slip of the tongue" she realizes she has to leave on her terms no matter how much it hurts...even if it means lying to him.But Jack does keep his promise to her...he gives her the best three months of her life, and Laurelyn keeps her promise....LEAVING WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED.But now that she's gone, Jack realizes his feelings for her, especially after her "goodbye" and the fact she left something he gave her behind...it was that moment he realized not just what he feels for her, but that she was truly being honest with him...his money means nothing to her.truly one of the best reads I had the pleasure of enjoying this year.While it ended with a heartbreaking, gut wrenching cliff hanger, well, that is what some of the best authors do...they leave you wondering what happens next and craving more....and I do....Loved this book.

Great book, immensely dissatisfying cliffhanger ending. I mean come on. I do like that the hero wasn’t a billionaire. I’m kinda tired of that.

Loved the story and all the details that followed. I'm hoping the next book is just as good as book 1.

Rich untrusting millionaire tycoon seeks sexy lady to warm his bed at night and supply emotional support, a girlfriend, but not a girlfriend. Simple.I loved this book, and it left me wanting more. What happens when Laurelin leaves, will she and Jack ever see each other again? Is it HEA? I felt pulled in many directions with this novel, jack came across like a a$$hole sometimes, arrogant and just an idiot but then there were times where he was written as a genuine man wanting emotional connection with a woman. There wasn't a consistency with his personality. I thought the characters could have been developed more and the relationship they had developed more. I didnt really fall deeply into their relationship it was written, which was a shame. Authors, don't believe that the same plot structures as FSOG work, its a bit tired now. This has great bones, and if the next two novels are offered for free I will definately read. but it hasn't captured me enough to save on my Kindle and buy the next. It was a good read while it lasted.

At first I did think this book would be like all the others, rich controlling man and naive small town girl but it thankfully wasnt and instead turned into so much more. I loved it. It was a beautiful story of a friends with benefits kind of relationship that slowly became so much more as they started to be immersed in each others lives.Laurelyn has moved to Australia with her friend and the last thing she was looking for was a relationship. On her first night there she visits a bar, not know what or who lurks round the corner... Jack is at a bar looking for a woman who will share his bed for 3 months. He certainly doesn't want a relationship and when he sees Laurelyn, he knows who he wants. No names, no attachments and they would walk away at the end of it. Seems simple right?She does agree and then comes the case of not getting to attached to him. During this time Jack notices things about Laurelyn. Shes not like other girls wanting his money and instead wants to know about him, asks him questions and doesn't hesitate to give her opinion. The more time he spends with her, the more he wants to be around her and hes more interested than he wants to be. During this time together, they have great sex, travel and Jack finds himself smitten. After the trip, everything changes and they spend more time together and fall into the routine of a couple. Then comes the realisation, shes fallen for Jack. Does he feel the same?There is a shock ending (not really) and I did find myself wanting to throw my iPad mini through the window. Why cant they admit it?! HUGE cliffhanger alert and all the questions we wanted answering will be (hopefully) revealed in the second book which I cannot wait to read. Loved every minute of this book and cant wait to see what the second has to hold!

Laurelyn Prescott and her best bud Addison go on holiday to Australia for 3 months to stay with Addy's brother BenAddison cops off with her brother's best friend leaving Laurelyn to pair off with Ben - as if! Tall, sexy & buff Jack Maclachlan wants a companion with no strings for 3 months. He doesn't do proper names because once he's done with his companion he wants no contact.Queue Jack seeing Laurelyn singing in a bar. She has the decision to make, become his beck and call girl or move on.Jack is so caveman! And he knows about fine wine - he got it all going on.I got this book when it was free and it did make me want to buy 2 & 3 in the series. Ends on a cliffhanger!"Our precious time together feels like a candle with wicks burning at both ends. Once the flame meets in the middle, we're over. I'll never see him again, or hear his laugh or touch his skin. I'll never share a bed with him again. Am I prepared for it when that time comes?""You don't always know the true worth of a woman's love until it becomes a memory."Read all 3 books over 5 days. Loved the story.

So, I finished this book when I was working away and therefore, went straight onto book two. So I'm writing this review whilst I am halfway through the second book, which is something I try to avoid doing.Firstly, I'm really really loving this series. When I first started 'Beauty from Pain' I wasn't sure it was going to be for me. But then, I've been through a real run of books that haven't floated my boat, so I was beginning to wonder if I was needing some time away from my beloved Kindle.However, 'Beauty from Pain' pulled me out of my slump!'The pain is conceived out of beauty - my love for Jack Henry McLachlan. I embrace it. I clutch it as tightly as I can with both fists because I never want to forget the love I have for him. Loving him will forever be my Beauty from Pain.'Knowing I had to get up for work at 4am, I couldn't force myself to put Jack Henry and Laurelyn down until I'd finished the book at 2am! Cue a very sleepy, very clumsy, very grouchy Smitten. Oops!I loved the will they/won't they throughout this book... will they reveal their real identity, will they admit to falling in love, will he ask her to stay... Aaargh! Scrummy!"You don't always know the true worth of a woman's love until it becomes a memory."Jack Henry, and the sex scenes, are haaawt! We all love a sexy multi-millionaire... and now we have a sexy secret multi-millionaire, with a filthy mouth and an Australian accent!"Right now, all I'm thinking about is how I'm going to get you in my bed so I can show you all the ways I can make you come."Laurelyn takes a trip to Australia, with best friend Addison, for the Christmas holidays, to escape a previous relationship-gone-bad. Despite wanting nothing less than to meet a man, she can't help the lure she feels when she bumps into charming, handsome, Aussie `suit', Jack Henry McLachlan.But Jack needs a certain type of relationship. One where identity is kept secret, real names are withheld and contact is forbidden once their three months is up. Of course, Laurelyn agrees and their strange affair begins."Listen to me, Laurelyn. The best way to get over somebody is to get under someone else."Laurelyn is a great female lead. She has a playful, real character and isn't afraid to speak her mind. I can't stand miscommunications in books, and I was pleased that these characters seemed able to talk things through, despite the need for secrecy in their relationship."How can you think it's possible to have something this hot without one of us getting burned?"This book does end in a cliffhanger. I'm really glad that I waited until Beauty from Surrender' was released, to read these books as I know this cliffhanger would have irritated me if I hadn't. But now that both books are available, I'd definitely recommend this series, so far!Beauty from Pain StatisticsSteam Rating (out of 5): ♥♥♥♥♥Ending: CliffhangerSeries: ✓Reading Order:Book #1 - Beauty from PainBook #2 - Beauty from SurrenderCan this be read as a standalone? NoThemes:Rich heroSecret affairWarning. This book includes...Graphic sexual contentWriting: GoodReview by Smitten's Book Blog

"If I do this, something will go wrong and this man will hurt me. I know it as sure as I'm sitting here next to him feeling how much he makes me want to say yes."Where do I even begin? It is hard for me to remember the last time a book made me this giddy. Now don't get me wrong, I read a lot of books and I love a lot of books. But this is different. I sat at work and couldn't stop thinking about Jack and Laurelyn. My friend had already finished it the day before me so we eMailed, text, and chatted all day about it. I rushed to a quiet spot on my thirty minute lunch break so that I could read as much as possible. I rushed home immediately after work so that I could dive back into their story. Even now that I have finished, I can not get enough of Jack and Laurelyn. I have joined a Beauty From Pain support group on Facebook (no joke), and have found myself slightly obsessed with the teasers and fan art that the author has released. In short... Hello, my name is Christine and I am a Beauty From Pain addict."I didn't love you the day I met you, or even a month later. But somewhere between hello and the goodbye I'm unable to bear.So the question to be asked is, why did I fall so hard in love with this book and it's characters? There is no one real answer to this but I will do my best to explain. Let us start with the location, Australia. This was a nice change of pace from having it set in America; I enjoyed reading about the new locations and places. Also, the pace of the story was perfectly set, and it never felt rushed or hurried. I didn't question the time frame given or the feelings that had developed in that time period. I loved almost all of the side characters, mostly Jack's family. They were warm, loving, and I just wanted to give his mother a big hug."We've shared countless kisses. They were almost always heated and demanding, but this one is entirely different. It tells me things he can't or won't say because it goes against everything he intends for our relationship."However, above all of these reasons, it is Jack and Laurelyn that make Beauty From Pain such an amazing story. I simply fell in love with both of them. I will be completely honest and admit that it is rare for me not to find something annoying with the main female character. There is always some trait or action that causes me to find myself rolling my eyes. This never happened. There was not a single moment where I did not understand why the characters were acting, and or reacting in the way they were. Every situation was handled in an adult manner, and honestly it was the single most refreshing thing I have read in a very long time."She has bewitched me. And I want her. She's the one."It is so easy for adult contemporary romance/erotic novels to fall into the 'same ole same ole', but this story is so beautifully told that even if you look at the synopsis and think you know exactly how it will all play out, trust me... you are wrong. This story has depth that will have you so wrapped up in it, that you will not be able to put it down. In fact, I challenge anybody that would say they even remotely enjoy this genre, to read Beauty From Pain and not love it wholeheartedly. I would have to think it an impossible task. I honestly do not have even one single negative thing I can say about this book."..you don't always know the true worth of a women's love until it becomes a memory."And the ending? Would I classify it as a cliffhanger? Yes and no. Yes, it ends in a location that makes you want to rip your hair out and curl up into a fetal position until the next book is out. But no, because I went in pretty much knowing where the ending was going to have to be. I refuse to give anything away from the story but I think that there is no way that Laurelyn and Jack would ever have been able to have a happily ever after if this book would have ended any differently. This ending can only bring them closer together, and is exactly what they need to move forward.It also helps that book two, Beauty From Surrender, is due to be released on May 30th 2013. So, we do not have very long at all until we get to meet back up with Laurelyn and Jack. I am a on major countdown to this book, and I am already wondering how I am going to concentrate at work knowing that it is sat on my Kindle all day waiting for me to start it..."I've known pain my whole life, but this is a new kind for me. It isn't born of something wrong or ugly. This pain is conceived out of beauty - my love for Jack Henry McLachlan. I embrace it. I clutch it as tightly as I can with both fists because I never want to forget the love I have for him. Loving him will forever be my Beauty from Pain."ChristineRainy Day Reads