Caught in a Trap (Romantic Comedy)

By: Elaine Raco Chase

Narrated by: Janice B. Moss

She invented him! At least she thought she had!

Kit Forrester lived a life of lies - so what was one more? When her first vacation ever sank like the Titanic - she couldn't tell her friends THAT! So she did what she always did: She lied. And told everyone about her fabulous five-day cruise. Her days of fun in the sun and moonlit nights with the man of her dreams - Rafe Morgan, tall, handsome, incredibly sexy and successful. And well, now they were engaged! There was just one six-foot-two, 230-pound problem - Rafe Morgan did exist, and he wanted answers.

Retired Navy SEAL and Texas business tycoon Rafe Morgan was sure he was being set up by his suddenly acquired fiancee. He had spent 20 years in the navy and was trained to handle anything - until he came up against one volatile New York redhead with wicked curves and the world's hardest ass! And then he saw her sex lair and was more than willing to be Caught in a Trap. And to set one of his own!

Content warning: This book is intended for mature adult readers (18+) who are not offended by profanity and explicit sex scenes. While this is a romantic comedy, some readers may find some subject matter difficult to read - unfortunately such events are true. Spoiler alert: Please be advised that no comic books, superheroes, duct tape, handcuffs, ropes, or chocolate milk were harmed during the writing of this novel.

©2014 Elaine Raco Chase (P)2015 Elaine Raco Chase

This is NOT a romantic comedy!

While there are some amusing points in the story, this is not a comedy.

This is a light read with some steamy scenes to make it a good beach read.

Stars: Overall: 5 Narration 4 Story 5

AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall: 5 Narration 4 Story 5


It’s a difficult balance to address real world issues and manage to add in the humor and joy from everyday moments, even when life isn’t particularly joyful. Chase’s dialogue is among some of the best I have read or heard: you feel as if you are there listening to the conversations as they happen, with her characters growing and developing with each word they utter.

Kit has lived a difficult life, but she has worked diligently to rise above the abuse of her early years and make friends and a life for herself. Kit is an interesting conundrum: pointedly honest in her view of the dangers in life, and less than aware of her own strength, intelligence and beauty, she’s never been wholly honest about her own past, using silence and dissembling in an effort to keep herself safe. She’s intriguing, as you want to know more about her, and can’t quite believe that she created a cruise ship love affair rather than talk about her own less than wonderful vacation.

The only problem is that Kit’s ‘pretend’ man is very much alive. And Real. And curious about this mystery woman that has claimed him as a fiancé.

When circumstances bring them face to face, Rafe is intrigued by the woman who claimed to be his fiancé, and decides to play along with the pretext she has created. Early interactions with the two of them, and their encounters with friends and family give listeners a need to know more about them both, and just where the pretend relationship will move to more.

Both Rafe and Kit have some serious backstories that they are dealing with in their own ways. I’m not always a fan of the ‘two broken people come together and heal’, but in this case, the potent and deep-rooted sense of protectiveness that Rafe displays for those he cares for, even when he is attempting to exercise his own demons away provided a sense of solidity and surety that Kit had been missing for her life. The slow reveal of backstories and private wounds added layers of depth and meaning to both character’s personalities and the insecurities they do their best to hide present the aftereffects of abuse in ways that may surprise many, but are never easily resolved.

Narration is provided by Janice B. Moss, and she presents a lovely voice picture of the characters. Her solid narrative voice is punctuated with small (with one exception) adjustments of pitch, tone and accent to delineate the characters. The exception? A “villain’ of sorts with a deeply exaggerated southern drawl, laden with nasal-overtones, volume substituting for content and an underlying disdain that hits on every nerve, making my skin crawl. Contrasted to the other character voices, the emotional subtext between the interactions between Rafe and Kit and the solid delivery of the words on the page, the story flew by.

There is plenty to love and learn from in this story: Chase uses humor to set scenes and moments, while allowing quiet moments to add gravitas to revelations and internal quandaries of her characters. Descriptions of setting and fashions bring readers a visual sense of setting and the ‘priorities’ of the characters, using these elements to add to characters in subtle ways that we all notice, but few realize. Deftly mixing serious, lighter and sensual moments keeps the reader needing to know what will happen next, as the story unfolded steadily. Another clever story from Elaine Raco Chase that is much more than one would ordinarily expect from a Rom Com, and will keep readers coming back for more.

I received an AudioBook Copy of the title from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Could’ve been better but cute

The storyline, predictable,so it definitely could’ve been better. Glad it’s part of the Escape collection because I would’ve requested a refund. The narrator was not impressive. At times that she sounded like a school-aged kid learning how to read and other times she enunciated words with deliberate force, just made me shake my head. Plus side, he’s Southern drawl was funny cute, it that’s a thing. If not for my curiosity and my innate need to finish what I’ve started, I would have stopped listening in the beginning.

3.5* FOR HER THERE WAS NO HOPE.. BUT HE HAD A PLAN

Kit had an abusive childhood where she had to scheme, hide, plan, outwit and lie in order to keep herself sane, safe and survive the Hell she was in. Now, as an adult, she's free from that tortuous world she is smart, strong, confident, comfortable and she has a successful career but she longed for more.... a dream and one that included a Knight in Shining Armour that could make her inner demons go away.

Unfortunately, old habits die hard and when her friends come around to hear all about the cruise she'd just been on Kit found herself once again lying and invented a wild sexy romantic love story involving an imaginary boyfriend called Rafe Morgan. However, rather than the gossip dying down her lies got spun around the office and before she knew it people were congratulating her on her engagement. Days later at a Cocktail Party a smiling, sexy, handsome, alpha hunk comes striding towards her, swoops her backwards over his arm and passionately kisses her and declares he's missed her..... and his name.... Rafe Morgan.

The dooda really hits the fan this time and what ensues is witty banter, suspicions, fun, secrets, instant chemistry, misunderstandings, a pact, a game of cat and mouse and a love story as cunning and mega rich Rafe slowly ensnares the woman of his dreams. He did this by asking Kit to trust him, move in with him for just 5/6 weeks spinning her a lie about doing it all to make some other woman jealous but it was really Kit that he was deeply attracted to. There's loveable secondary characters ready to welcome her into Rafe's family (including ex Navy SEAL Rafe himself) but Kit, being a realist, dared not dream, she knew all good things must come to an end for her, she was just a pawn in Rafe's game to make a woman jealous and so, for her, time quickly ran out.

Worth a credit? A light, totally implausible, contemporary romance (but hey this is romantic fiction) which had some sad, heartbreaking and nasty memories for both of them about child abuse and the devastating mental and physical damage of war. But thankfully the compassion, humor and tenderness between them brought the plot nicely back to present day attractions, passions, lust and hope. Dual POV's about a man who felt he had found his soul mate and he just needed to convince her of that by any way he could. The narrator was ok - just ok. Undecided about the credit but definitely a sale purchase.

narrator ruined this for me

it is rare that I cannot finish a book but the narrator when doing the voices particularly the southern voices was so bad that I just could not continue. story may have been ok but I could not continue to listen. If Ms. Moss just read the story it would have been better

Very Enjoyable

I almost returned this book after only listening to the first few paragraphs. The Texas drawls/southern accents were horrible and as a Texan listening to this I was offended by the voices. When I realized those characters (thankfully) did not appear throughout the book I continued to listen. The book is very good and the story flows nicely. While there were some funny moments, I wouldn't call this story a romantic comedy. Perhaps the comedy came from the characters with the Texas drawls but their voices were so annoying and distracting that I tune out much of their dialogue, There was a lot of drama but not so much that the romantic parts were over shadowed. I liked all the major characters and most of the minor characters. This audible is a good listen (aside from the southern accents) and I would definitely recommend it.

predictable but entertaining

Enjoyed the book very much. The storyline has been done a million times, but adding the friends and family gave it its own twist.
Easy to listen to.

An expanded and updated version of a 80s silhouette book

Liked the story but hated the performer's attempt at a Texas accent. It really detracted from the story. Sounded like someone who'd never been south of the Mason Dixon Line. Not every southerner is an ignorant sounding buffoon. I have lived in Texas and never heard that horrible of an accent. She slaughtered a good story. Would never want to hear this reader again.

Caught!

So fun... so deep. The depth of this story is stunning, yet the overall rom-com feel of it prevails! The heroine has such a horrific backstory, and it brings such serious situations to light. Even the heroes backstory as a seal makes you think. Let’s just say this laugh out loud story is full of thought provoking and emotionally charges topics.

The narrator was a little inconsistent, and tended to make a male voice by speaking slowly. And the southern drawl/accents were truly atrocious! But overall a very tolerable performance and enjoyable experience.

Lots of heat, barely any sex... but those experiences were quite detailed, but only as the story needed and not used to fill space or drive the story.

I’ll keep it on my list to listen again some day.

Over the top drawl

Loved the story but the southern drawl is so excessive it screams fake and detracts from enjoying the story.