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The Distraction Trilogy #1
Distraction
Isaac Price is a hard working teacher, forced to move back to the town he hates in order to help his father as his mother's mind spirals from reality, devoured by Alzheimers.
Eloise Blackburn is a good student, struggling to get her life back on course after a year where she lost control of everything.
Both are desperately trying to escape, he from small town life and she from an overbearing and controlling father. In each other they find a kindred spirit and form a bond that slowly blossoms into love.
But in a world where everyone is quick to judge the outcome, yet never questions the journey, it doesn't matter that she's of age. It doesn't matter that they never intended for it to happen. All that matters is that they broke a taboo - a love between a teacher and a student twelve years his junior.
Unable to walk away from each other, do they dare to risk it all?
Forget labels. Forget rules. This is just a journey of two people who fall.
Book #1 of 3 -- The Distraction Trilogy
Eloise Blackburn is a good student, struggling to get her life back on course after a year where she lost control of everything.
Both are desperately trying to escape, he from small town life and she from an overbearing and controlling father. In each other they find a kindred spirit and form a bond that slowly blossoms into love.
But in a world where everyone is quick to judge the outcome, yet never questions the journey, it doesn't matter that she's of age. It doesn't matter that they never intended for it to happen. All that matters is that they broke a taboo - a love between a teacher and a student twelve years his junior.
Unable to walk away from each other, do they dare to risk it all?
Forget labels. Forget rules. This is just a journey of two people who fall.
Book #1 of 3 -- The Distraction Trilogy
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2015
49 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
A.E. Murphy
32 books1,075 followersA. E. Murphy is the Queen of sarcasm and satire, she likes long walks in the park, as much as ice cubes like to chill in a roasting oven.
She’s effortlessly independent and so good at adulting it’s unfair on the rest of the world. She only napped twice today and has only avoided the dishes for three days before making the child slaves do them this morning.
Winning!
Her favourite hobby is writing, her worst hobby is reading through that writing.
Also she has two cats that carry toys to the top of the stairs and drop them down so they can chase them. They do this repeatedly in the middle of the night.
Who cares if she has work the next morning?
Not the cats, that’s for sure.
And if it’s not the cats doing the waking, it’s the toddler crawling into bed with her and pulling individual hairs from her scalp with pudgy little fingers for comfort.
This is likely why she’s in a constant state of grump unless there’s chocolate and coffee.
P.S. Please leave feedback, if not on the book then on this ridiculous bio she wrote herself. It’s the least you can do seeing as she’ll forever talk in the third person now.
Alex loves her readers. Alex says thank you. Alex smiles.
She’s effortlessly independent and so good at adulting it’s unfair on the rest of the world. She only napped twice today and has only avoided the dishes for three days before making the child slaves do them this morning.
Winning!
Her favourite hobby is writing, her worst hobby is reading through that writing.
Also she has two cats that carry toys to the top of the stairs and drop them down so they can chase them. They do this repeatedly in the middle of the night.
Who cares if she has work the next morning?
Not the cats, that’s for sure.
And if it’s not the cats doing the waking, it’s the toddler crawling into bed with her and pulling individual hairs from her scalp with pudgy little fingers for comfort.
This is likely why she’s in a constant state of grump unless there’s chocolate and coffee.
P.S. Please leave feedback, if not on the book then on this ridiculous bio she wrote herself. It’s the least you can do seeing as she’ll forever talk in the third person now.
Alex loves her readers. Alex says thank you. Alex smiles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
March 25, 2015
It's taken me so long to write this one as after releasing Connected (Broken #2) I went through a stage of severe writers block. That shifted and here we are again, at last. Thank you so much to all of my readers for sticking by me and I hope you enjoy this one as much as the others, if not more.
Writing Isaac and Eloise's story was so refreshing in the sense that, it's totally different to anything else I've ever written. It's frustratingly beautiful and real, in my own opinion. There's no insta love, hidden secrets or dark pasts beyond that of the norm. I've really focused on creating a connection and bond between two characters who should never really have said connection and bond. I hope it shows and if it doesn't, tell me. I'm always open to criticism. The praise is just a bonus ;) hehe xx <3
Thank you so much for reading and giving this trilogy a chance despite the forbidden subject (teacher, student)
<3 <3
Writing Isaac and Eloise's story was so refreshing in the sense that, it's totally different to anything else I've ever written. It's frustratingly beautiful and real, in my own opinion. There's no insta love, hidden secrets or dark pasts beyond that of the norm. I've really focused on creating a connection and bond between two characters who should never really have said connection and bond. I hope it shows and if it doesn't, tell me. I'm always open to criticism. The praise is just a bonus ;) hehe xx <3
Thank you so much for reading and giving this trilogy a chance despite the forbidden subject (teacher, student)
<3 <3
September 2, 2016
update okay I finished it. Meh. I don't know yet. It got better but I had some major issues with how toxic their relationship was. Way too much push pull from the hero and unnecessary dates with OW/OM to try to get over each other. I'm glad the heroine didn't sit around and sulk when he pushed her away and punished him by going out and kissing another guy though. I'm petty like that and I like the hero to suffer when he's being stupid. The ending was ok it's HFN, which I know will turn into major angst in the next book but I'm still going to read it lol.
originally DNF
I was loving this book until the author pulled a fast one and threw an explicit scene with another woman the hero doesn't even fucking like in at 52%.
Please note: he still isn't with the heroine at this point as she is his student. You can tell they have feelings for each other but they haven't so much as kissed yet. The thing that bothered me is that the woman is another teacher he claims to not really want anything to do with. Not only that, he doesn't even like her and he can tell she's jealous of the heroine (her own student!) and yet he still tries to go through with it. Or all women why her?!
It was so completely unnecessary and revolting. I might pick this up later but right now I'm just too disgusted after reading about him making out and then getting half a blow job by another woman. Don't care that he stopped only after she used teeth *barf* he'd have been happy to allow her to continue had she not done that and hadn't imagined the heroine for a split second.
How disappointing because I really loved the broken series and was so sure this series would rank as high as that one for me.
originally DNF
I was loving this book until the author pulled a fast one and threw an explicit scene with another woman the hero doesn't even fucking like in at 52%.
Please note: he still isn't with the heroine at this point as she is his student. You can tell they have feelings for each other but they haven't so much as kissed yet. The thing that bothered me is that the woman is another teacher he claims to not really want anything to do with. Not only that, he doesn't even like her and he can tell she's jealous of the heroine (her own student!) and yet he still tries to go through with it. Or all women why her?!
It was so completely unnecessary and revolting. I might pick this up later but right now I'm just too disgusted after reading about him making out and then getting half a blow job by another woman. Don't care that he stopped only after she used teeth *barf* he'd have been happy to allow her to continue had she not done that and hadn't imagined the heroine for a split second.
How disappointing because I really loved the broken series and was so sure this series would rank as high as that one for me.
April 26, 2015
This is one of the best forbidden student teacher romances yet. It has all the usual elements of trying (and of course failing) to resist the attraction, sneaking around, getting caught, and so forth.
The sexual tension is amazing. That's really the standout here: how it builds and builds and they haven't even kissed until well into the second half of the book.
The sex scenes are not overly explicit, they don't cross over into actual erotica, but they're detailed enough to be hot and convincing.
The heroine, Eloise, starts out extremely bratty and immature. So much so that it's disconcerting that a 29-year-old man would fall for her so deeply. She comes across more like a 14-year-old than a 17-year-old. However by the end of the novel she is much more convincingly mature, perhaps due to the difficult life experiences that happen to her, including the relationship with her history teacher Isaac Price. By this point you could definitely see why he would fall for her.
By the end of it he's the one who has disintegrated jealousy, possessiveness and even violence (not towards Eloise however).
The book does become rather angsty and melodramatic towards the end. Going to university does not mean couples need to split up, many students start university with a girlfriend or boyfriend "back home". There's a lot of unnecessary wailing and weeping about that, which makes the final denouement a bit premature and unrealistic. Particularly given it's a trilogy, you would expect the author to reserve a particular event that happens in the final chapter for until the end of Book 3. Perhaps that means plenty more twists and turns are ahead. It will certainly be interesting to see how this series sustains itself across two more books.
There's another incident of violence towards the end, the outcome of which is so absurd that it might have been better for this to have been written differently. Even the most bungling forensic investigator (or doctor) isn't going to mistake a near-fatal knife stab wound requiring intensive care for someone "crashing into a table". That part just wasn't feasible, and I wish the author had made it a bit more realistic (perhaps a punch not a stabbing) because the rest of the book tends to be realistic in tone.
There were some minor quirks, such as the references to "Boston University" - there is a Boston College in the UK, but it in no way has the level of prestige that the other universities mentioned have. It's highly unlikely that a student of the calibre to win a place at Cambridge (equivalent to US Ivy League) would be applying to such a college.
It's also highly unlikely that someone with seven GCSEs of B and C grade would get into Cambridge, let alone someone in their final year of A-level history who confused "Mussolini" with "that Muselin guy". Not even a GCSE student, by their final year of GCSEs, would be making that kind of error. So I felt that Eloise was inconsistently portrayed as stupid at the the start of the book, when in reality she must be extremely bright.
And finally it is not actually illegal for a teacher to date a pupil/student aged 18 in the UK. It would probably be a sackable offence, but it is not actually illegal. It is an offence for a teacher to engage in a sexual relationship with a pupil of 16 or 17, even though they are above the legal age of consent. Since Eloise is 18 when they consummate their relationship, it is not actually illegal.
The sexual tension is amazing. That's really the standout here: how it builds and builds and they haven't even kissed until well into the second half of the book.
The sex scenes are not overly explicit, they don't cross over into actual erotica, but they're detailed enough to be hot and convincing.
The heroine, Eloise, starts out extremely bratty and immature. So much so that it's disconcerting that a 29-year-old man would fall for her so deeply. She comes across more like a 14-year-old than a 17-year-old. However by the end of the novel she is much more convincingly mature, perhaps due to the difficult life experiences that happen to her, including the relationship with her history teacher Isaac Price. By this point you could definitely see why he would fall for her.
By the end of it he's the one who has disintegrated jealousy, possessiveness and even violence (not towards Eloise however).
The book does become rather angsty and melodramatic towards the end. Going to university does not mean couples need to split up, many students start university with a girlfriend or boyfriend "back home". There's a lot of unnecessary wailing and weeping about that, which makes the final denouement a bit premature and unrealistic. Particularly given it's a trilogy, you would expect the author to reserve a particular event that happens in the final chapter for until the end of Book 3. Perhaps that means plenty more twists and turns are ahead. It will certainly be interesting to see how this series sustains itself across two more books.
There's another incident of violence towards the end, the outcome of which is so absurd that it might have been better for this to have been written differently. Even the most bungling forensic investigator (or doctor) isn't going to mistake a near-fatal knife stab wound requiring intensive care for someone "crashing into a table". That part just wasn't feasible, and I wish the author had made it a bit more realistic (perhaps a punch not a stabbing) because the rest of the book tends to be realistic in tone.
There were some minor quirks, such as the references to "Boston University" - there is a Boston College in the UK, but it in no way has the level of prestige that the other universities mentioned have. It's highly unlikely that a student of the calibre to win a place at Cambridge (equivalent to US Ivy League) would be applying to such a college.
It's also highly unlikely that someone with seven GCSEs of B and C grade would get into Cambridge, let alone someone in their final year of A-level history who confused "Mussolini" with "that Muselin guy". Not even a GCSE student, by their final year of GCSEs, would be making that kind of error. So I felt that Eloise was inconsistently portrayed as stupid at the the start of the book, when in reality she must be extremely bright.
And finally it is not actually illegal for a teacher to date a pupil/student aged 18 in the UK. It would probably be a sackable offence, but it is not actually illegal. It is an offence for a teacher to engage in a sexual relationship with a pupil of 16 or 17, even though they are above the legal age of consent. Since Eloise is 18 when they consummate their relationship, it is not actually illegal.
May 10, 2015
YouTube Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX5ak...
There's been a plethora of student-teacher romances, many of which followed a similar route, but this is genuinely unique and so full of chemistry, romance and passion that it is one of the best romances I've read in ages.
I liked the fact that this book has interesting subplots (Mrs Price's illness, the community, Eloise's parents and her future dreams), not to mention the coming-of-age element to it.
The romance is NOT rushed, but nicely paced so that you're on the receiving end of lots of tingles and warm-fuzzies due to the blast of chemistry hitting superseding the staid act of reading.
THE BEST PART OF THE BOOK IS THE PACE OF THE ROMANCE - IT'S AN AMAZING BUILD-UP.
THERE IS NOOOOOO INSTA-LUST but AWESOME ROMANCE
It's JAM-PACKED WITH CHEMISTRY as Eloise and Isaac become friends.
I also liked the fact that the author was able to build a foundation of friendship between the characters without it losing the chemistry, sparks and steam between them. It doesn't become a dry dull relationship, the taboo element keeps it HOT.
I love how they deny each other, are reluctant to claim their feelings, the sneaking glances, accidental touches, the eloquent words. It's stunning in it's simplicity, the nuanced dialogue and casual banter.
I LOVED THE BANTER
Great character build-up and supporting characters.
The Characters aren't your typical over-dramatic, angst-y, annoying types in NA/YA romance books. Eloise is your typical teen but not annoying. And Isaac is your typical 29-yo who likes the odd joke, and living the bachelor existence.
I highly recommend!
There's been a plethora of student-teacher romances, many of which followed a similar route, but this is genuinely unique and so full of chemistry, romance and passion that it is one of the best romances I've read in ages.
I liked the fact that this book has interesting subplots (Mrs Price's illness, the community, Eloise's parents and her future dreams), not to mention the coming-of-age element to it.
The romance is NOT rushed, but nicely paced so that you're on the receiving end of lots of tingles and warm-fuzzies due to the blast of chemistry hitting superseding the staid act of reading.
THE BEST PART OF THE BOOK IS THE PACE OF THE ROMANCE - IT'S AN AMAZING BUILD-UP.
THERE IS NOOOOOO INSTA-LUST but AWESOME ROMANCE
It's JAM-PACKED WITH CHEMISTRY as Eloise and Isaac become friends.
I also liked the fact that the author was able to build a foundation of friendship between the characters without it losing the chemistry, sparks and steam between them. It doesn't become a dry dull relationship, the taboo element keeps it HOT.
I love how they deny each other, are reluctant to claim their feelings, the sneaking glances, accidental touches, the eloquent words. It's stunning in it's simplicity, the nuanced dialogue and casual banter.
I LOVED THE BANTER
Great character build-up and supporting characters.
The Characters aren't your typical over-dramatic, angst-y, annoying types in NA/YA romance books. Eloise is your typical teen but not annoying. And Isaac is your typical 29-yo who likes the odd joke, and living the bachelor existence.
I highly recommend!
February 9, 2016
This story captivated me
As a fan of this author, I couldn't wait to read. The author truly took a great amount of time to write this story and the characters .....and she did it so well. I couldn't put this book down. Very excited to experience the next book. Kudos to a job well done.
As a fan of this author, I couldn't wait to read. The author truly took a great amount of time to write this story and the characters .....and she did it so well. I couldn't put this book down. Very excited to experience the next book. Kudos to a job well done.
April 3, 2015
I received an arc from the author in exchange for my honest review!!
Oh dude, this was such a hard read to rate and review. I even sat and thought about it for a bit, b/c I'm quite conflicted. The first half of this book was a SOLID 5 stars. Seriously, I loved the pacing of the book, I loved how the characters were established, and I LOVED the beginning development of Eloise and Isaac's relationship. You could really feel how they started off with intrigue -- a bit of a crush and attraction -- and moved slowly into a comfortable relationship with friendship. And I really loved their friendship....you could see how they just meshed so well and complimented each other. Their interactions were fun and sweet and I couldn't help but root for them, despite the awkwardness of the situation....
...and then they got together. And don't get me wrong, holy wow was it hot. I mean, whew... BUT. Their relationship just started to get more and more unhealthy. And that was so hard to watch, b/c part of you loves them together...most of the time...but there's this other part that sees what it's doing to them and just wants them to wake up and make the right choices. And that's how I spent the rest of the book. COMPLETELY conflicted. Isaac became so possessive and jealous, and I couldn't tell if I was supposed to be as uncomfortable with it as I was (was that the point that Ms. Murphy was going for?), or if I'm just not the kind of girl who likes guys who have moments where they're...borderline abusive? Maybe that's not what I mean, but it's just so dysfunctional....GAH!
In the end, I honestly didn't know how I felt. I kind of forgot it was a trilogy...and maybe I assumed it was one of those trilogies where the next books focus on other characters, but this one is a continuation of Isaac and Eloise's story....so I ended up feeling unfulfilled in the end.
On a strange side note, it was kind of funny to read a book by a UK author that felt so authentic. Everytime I do I'm reminded of some of the weird grammar quirks that they have from North American grammar.... I always have to catch myself from thinking they are mistakes, and not just how it works differently there (mostly with the verbs sat and stood). And while I totally understood the inappropriateness of their relationship while he was her teacher, I didn't understand the supposed illegality of their relationship....particularly when she mentioned it would be 2 more years before their relationship would be legal. The age of consent is 16, so I have NO IDEA what other law is being broken up to the age of 20. I would love to know the answer to that one, b/c google has been no help whatsoever.
So will I read more? I do believe I will. It's harder for me to decide than I had expected though....these two characters just put me through so much, and are still so dysfunctional that I'm not sure how it's going to play out...especially if there are still 2 more books left in their story. But the first half of this story really made such an impression on me that I'd like to see if they can get some of that back. Fingers crossed.
Oh dude, this was such a hard read to rate and review. I even sat and thought about it for a bit, b/c I'm quite conflicted. The first half of this book was a SOLID 5 stars. Seriously, I loved the pacing of the book, I loved how the characters were established, and I LOVED the beginning development of Eloise and Isaac's relationship. You could really feel how they started off with intrigue -- a bit of a crush and attraction -- and moved slowly into a comfortable relationship with friendship. And I really loved their friendship....you could see how they just meshed so well and complimented each other. Their interactions were fun and sweet and I couldn't help but root for them, despite the awkwardness of the situation....
...and then they got together. And don't get me wrong, holy wow was it hot. I mean, whew... BUT. Their relationship just started to get more and more unhealthy. And that was so hard to watch, b/c part of you loves them together...most of the time...but there's this other part that sees what it's doing to them and just wants them to wake up and make the right choices. And that's how I spent the rest of the book. COMPLETELY conflicted. Isaac became so possessive and jealous, and I couldn't tell if I was supposed to be as uncomfortable with it as I was (was that the point that Ms. Murphy was going for?), or if I'm just not the kind of girl who likes guys who have moments where they're...borderline abusive? Maybe that's not what I mean, but it's just so dysfunctional....GAH!
In the end, I honestly didn't know how I felt. I kind of forgot it was a trilogy...and maybe I assumed it was one of those trilogies where the next books focus on other characters, but this one is a continuation of Isaac and Eloise's story....so I ended up feeling unfulfilled in the end.
On a strange side note, it was kind of funny to read a book by a UK author that felt so authentic. Everytime I do I'm reminded of some of the weird grammar quirks that they have from North American grammar.... I always have to catch myself from thinking they are mistakes, and not just how it works differently there (mostly with the verbs sat and stood). And while I totally understood the inappropriateness of their relationship while he was her teacher, I didn't understand the supposed illegality of their relationship....particularly when she mentioned it would be 2 more years before their relationship would be legal. The age of consent is 16, so I have NO IDEA what other law is being broken up to the age of 20. I would love to know the answer to that one, b/c google has been no help whatsoever.
So will I read more? I do believe I will. It's harder for me to decide than I had expected though....these two characters just put me through so much, and are still so dysfunctional that I'm not sure how it's going to play out...especially if there are still 2 more books left in their story. But the first half of this story really made such an impression on me that I'd like to see if they can get some of that back. Fingers crossed.
September 28, 2017
5 stars!!!!!
June 30, 2015
Being a fan of forbidden love stories, I found myself in the mood for the thrill, the pulse pounding, and the anxiety that a good forbidden romance induces. Distraction definitely hit all the marks that I crave when reading a book in this genre. I was swept up in the lives of the characters, their problems, and their difficult love story.
This is first and foremost a student/teacher romance between a teacher who is twelve years older than his student. What I really enjoyed about Distraction was that both characters had their own issues going on aside from their blossoming romance. Their issues end up being the instigating factor in throwing these two characters together.
Isaac Price is less than thrilled to be returning to his hometown after making a life for himself in the city. Not only does he dread living in the dull small town that he was raised in, but his mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and has been forced to leave her teaching job. Isaac’s father, who is also the headmaster at the school, has asked that Isaac return home to fill in for his mother’s class.
Isaac’s life has become extremely tiring and stressful. Between school and helping to care for his mother, it leaves him little time to himself or for social activities. He is lonely. The pain and heartache that he faces every time he sees his mother’s memory deteriorate is absolutely heartbreaking.
Eloise Blackburn is almost eighteen, and she can’t wait until she’s out from under her father’s thumb. She is a hardworking young woman who is trying to keep her grades up in order to apply to universities, all the while putting in a lot of hours working at a local café.
There’s no denying that Eloise and Isaac are attracted to each other, but they both realize that it’s completely inappropriate. They are student and teacher, but they end up becoming so much more than that. They become good friends. Their relationship could never be referred to as insta-love. Their friendship grows over time as Eloise continues to visit her former teacher, Isaac’s mother, and quickly becomes a regular fixture in the Price home.
This is the perfect example of a slow burning romance. It slowly builds and develops, creating an intense chemistry and bond between the characters. Of course, with every good taboo romance there has to be that fear of being found out. The relationship between Isaac and Eloise could not only jeopardize Isaac’s career, but also taint his parents’ and Eloise’s reputations, not to mention what would happen if Eloise’s father was to discover it.
As a reader, I couldn’t help but want the characters to find their slice of happiness. I wanted to see them together, to defy the odds, to make their relationship work, to let their love win out in the end. It certainly gave me the perfect dose of emotional angst and butterflies that I was looking for. It left me wanting so much more of Eloise and Isaac’s story. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
*4.5 Stars*
This is first and foremost a student/teacher romance between a teacher who is twelve years older than his student. What I really enjoyed about Distraction was that both characters had their own issues going on aside from their blossoming romance. Their issues end up being the instigating factor in throwing these two characters together.
Isaac Price is less than thrilled to be returning to his hometown after making a life for himself in the city. Not only does he dread living in the dull small town that he was raised in, but his mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and has been forced to leave her teaching job. Isaac’s father, who is also the headmaster at the school, has asked that Isaac return home to fill in for his mother’s class.
Isaac’s life has become extremely tiring and stressful. Between school and helping to care for his mother, it leaves him little time to himself or for social activities. He is lonely. The pain and heartache that he faces every time he sees his mother’s memory deteriorate is absolutely heartbreaking.
Eloise Blackburn is almost eighteen, and she can’t wait until she’s out from under her father’s thumb. She is a hardworking young woman who is trying to keep her grades up in order to apply to universities, all the while putting in a lot of hours working at a local café.
There’s no denying that Eloise and Isaac are attracted to each other, but they both realize that it’s completely inappropriate. They are student and teacher, but they end up becoming so much more than that. They become good friends. Their relationship could never be referred to as insta-love. Their friendship grows over time as Eloise continues to visit her former teacher, Isaac’s mother, and quickly becomes a regular fixture in the Price home.
This is the perfect example of a slow burning romance. It slowly builds and develops, creating an intense chemistry and bond between the characters. Of course, with every good taboo romance there has to be that fear of being found out. The relationship between Isaac and Eloise could not only jeopardize Isaac’s career, but also taint his parents’ and Eloise’s reputations, not to mention what would happen if Eloise’s father was to discover it.
As a reader, I couldn’t help but want the characters to find their slice of happiness. I wanted to see them together, to defy the odds, to make their relationship work, to let their love win out in the end. It certainly gave me the perfect dose of emotional angst and butterflies that I was looking for. It left me wanting so much more of Eloise and Isaac’s story. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
*4.5 Stars*
April 10, 2015
Sometimes in life, love and obsession collide. They have a full frontal impact, and there is pain, there is glory, there is hurt, there is joy. This is a story with amazing character development. You see them grow as people. They fight what they feel, you feel with them. A.E. Murphy has an amazing ability to write in a way that it's not just that you know what the characters are going through, you find yourself going through the journey with them. When they are happy, you are happy. When they are feeling pain, you feel it deep in the depths of your soul.
The secondary characters are phenomenally developed, as well, lending to the story without taking away.
Some might feel concerned about the obsessive nature the relationship has a times. But it is the frantic nature that adds to the story. They are both fighting so hard to stay away that it pushes them together. Incredible! And hot..oh. so. freaking. hot. (moment of silence for me to ponder the hotness...)
This is a great read. You will be wanting to know 'what's next' because of the way it gives you a hint of the future.
I don't want to give you the details of the plot, but you start out not necessarily loving Eloise and Isaac as individuals; but through the growth that they have as people, you will love them as a copule.
The secondary characters are phenomenally developed, as well, lending to the story without taking away.
Some might feel concerned about the obsessive nature the relationship has a times. But it is the frantic nature that adds to the story. They are both fighting so hard to stay away that it pushes them together. Incredible! And hot..oh. so. freaking. hot. (moment of silence for me to ponder the hotness...)
This is a great read. You will be wanting to know 'what's next' because of the way it gives you a hint of the future.
I don't want to give you the details of the plot, but you start out not necessarily loving Eloise and Isaac as individuals; but through the growth that they have as people, you will love them as a copule.
April 18, 2015
There is a beautiful cadence to A E Murphy's work. I love the slow building that completely sucks you in and connects you to the main characters and really invests you in the outcome of the story. I would definitely recommend all of her books.
The one thing I didn't like is the slight Americanising of the book.e.g freshman and T.A. Etc. I read a lot of books and I don't expect American authors to Anglicise their books for a British audience but similarly I think a book set in England written by an English author should be true to it's setting.
The one thing I didn't like is the slight Americanising of the book.e.g freshman and T.A. Etc. I read a lot of books and I don't expect American authors to Anglicise their books for a British audience but similarly I think a book set in England written by an English author should be true to it's setting.
April 29, 2015
Well I absolutely love this book!
I'm such a sucker for a happy ending and this book is everything I hoped for and more!! I can't wait for the next one to come out... So I am offering myself for babysitting duties so you can hurry up and finish it
I'm such a sucker for a happy ending and this book is everything I hoped for and more!! I can't wait for the next one to come out... So I am offering myself for babysitting duties so you can hurry up and finish it
September 19, 2015
First book - great. Really enjoyed it,
Second book - fucking depressing. To the point where I am pissed with the author for making this a trilogy and leaving me to stew over the utter destruction (mind the pun) that happened in this book. Man that book must have been depressing to write.
Second book - fucking depressing. To the point where I am pissed with the author for making this a trilogy and leaving me to stew over the utter destruction (mind the pun) that happened in this book. Man that book must have been depressing to write.
March 4, 2016
Such a great story! What made it unique from othernstudent/teacher romances, was that both characters held back, and barely even realized what was going on before they did, and started trying to fight their feelings. This felt like an honest story, and that's a rare and wonderful thing.
May 27, 2017
My faces throughout this entire trilogy:
I've just finished reading this whole trilogy in like 4 days.
I just couldn't let it off my hand. It was THAT GOOD!
If I have to say, I think this is THE BEST TEACHER-STUDENT ROMANCE I'VE EVER READ.
EVER.
I would like to think of myself as a person who read almost every title possible in this genre, manga included, so I can say for 99.9% that this was the best.
It has it all: drama (and lots of it), a control-freak dad, deep main characters, bffs, and terminal disease.
I fell in love with Isaac more than with Elle, coz Isaac seems perfect but he has layers under layers of insecurities, jealousy problems, addiction problems, self-esteem problems that include a dark secret from his past. Yet above all of this, he's still a good son. He leaves everything when he hears of his mum's Alzheimer's and moves back to the town he so much hated and still hates.
By the second book, his love for Elle is suffocating at times and I can totally relate to Elle's decisions most of the time.
The third book was a bit too much for me. Elle's constant hesitating made me wish I could punch her in her face. I found myself screaming at my kindle stuff like "YOU IDIOT STUPID STUBBORN GIRL!!! HE'S CHANGED! HE'S A NEW MAN!!! GIVE HIM A FUCKING CHANCE YOU DIMWIT!!!!"
One thing I can say about this trilogy that it was not rushed. It was well paced (plot-wise) most of the time.
I just gulped down this trilogy and I wish for myself to come across a book as great as that again in the rest of my life. Though I believe that sadly that won't happen.
Beyond it being a teacher-student romance, it was a fine romance, a realistic and a fucked up one that stands for itself. So beyond this being the greatest teacher-student romance I've read, it is one of the greatest new age romances I've read so far.
Definitely 5/5 stars.
I've just finished reading this whole trilogy in like 4 days.
I just couldn't let it off my hand. It was THAT GOOD!
If I have to say, I think this is THE BEST TEACHER-STUDENT ROMANCE I'VE EVER READ.
EVER.
I would like to think of myself as a person who read almost every title possible in this genre, manga included, so I can say for 99.9% that this was the best.
It has it all: drama (and lots of it), a control-freak dad, deep main characters, bffs, and terminal disease.
I fell in love with Isaac more than with Elle, coz Isaac seems perfect but he has layers under layers of insecurities, jealousy problems, addiction problems, self-esteem problems that include a dark secret from his past. Yet above all of this, he's still a good son. He leaves everything when he hears of his mum's Alzheimer's and moves back to the town he so much hated and still hates.
By the second book, his love for Elle is suffocating at times and I can totally relate to Elle's decisions most of the time.
The third book was a bit too much for me. Elle's constant hesitating made me wish I could punch her in her face. I found myself screaming at my kindle stuff like "YOU IDIOT STUPID STUBBORN GIRL!!! HE'S CHANGED! HE'S A NEW MAN!!! GIVE HIM A FUCKING CHANCE YOU DIMWIT!!!!"
One thing I can say about this trilogy that it was not rushed. It was well paced (plot-wise) most of the time.
I just gulped down this trilogy and I wish for myself to come across a book as great as that again in the rest of my life. Though I believe that sadly that won't happen.
Beyond it being a teacher-student romance, it was a fine romance, a realistic and a fucked up one that stands for itself. So beyond this being the greatest teacher-student romance I've read, it is one of the greatest new age romances I've read so far.
Definitely 5/5 stars.
December 2, 2018
Ésta es la historia de Isaac y Eloise. Ella tiene 17 y está próxima a entrar en la universidad, él tiene 29 y es su profesor. Después de varios años fuera, él tiene que volver a su pueblo natal dado que su mamá está enferma y su papá no puede con todo. Ella está atravesando su "etapa" rebelde, de salir, tomar y fiestar, ¿qué adolescente no lo hace?
Desde el inicio hubo mucha química y tensión entre ellos, desde el momento que ella entró a la primera clase. Me gusta que haya alargado el momento de que pasara algo, pero cuando pasó fue como: OMG. El problema comienza, en que él es DEMASIADO celoso y posesivo, no sé si es por el hecho de que no puede tenerla completamente, o que tenía miedo de perderla, pero por unos minutos pensé: no te quedes con él, está demasiado obsesionado, te arruinará. Y aún lo pienso. Ningún lo siento justifica las cosas que él hizo.
PERO, algo que me gustó mucho es el hecho de que ella no se venda los ojos y no teme decirle las cosas a la cara, cuando ella lo llamó hipócrita y le dice: Si vas a decirle a tu papá de ellos, aprovecha y cuéntale de nosotros. Así tal vez seas menos hipócrita. La verdad duele, pero sinceramente lo sentí hipócrita.
Y bueno, ese final, hecho especialmente para OBLIGARTE a leer el próximo. Quedé demasiado en el aire.
The second the feeling goes, the second I feel finally satisfied, I become wraked with guilt and grief. The reality of what just hapenned hits me.
What the fuck have I done?
Desde el inicio hubo mucha química y tensión entre ellos, desde el momento que ella entró a la primera clase. Me gusta que haya alargado el momento de que pasara algo, pero cuando pasó fue como: OMG. El problema comienza, en que él es DEMASIADO celoso y posesivo, no sé si es por el hecho de que no puede tenerla completamente, o que tenía miedo de perderla, pero por unos minutos pensé: no te quedes con él, está demasiado obsesionado, te arruinará. Y aún lo pienso. Ningún lo siento justifica las cosas que él hizo.
PERO, algo que me gustó mucho es el hecho de que ella no se venda los ojos y no teme decirle las cosas a la cara, cuando ella lo llamó hipócrita y le dice: Si vas a decirle a tu papá de ellos, aprovecha y cuéntale de nosotros. Así tal vez seas menos hipócrita. La verdad duele, pero sinceramente lo sentí hipócrita.
Y bueno, ese final, hecho especialmente para OBLIGARTE a leer el próximo. Quedé demasiado en el aire.
August 31, 2015
Isaac and Eloise's story was overall a very good teacher student romance book, I had a few issues with the
3.5 *** 1/2*
I am not sure if it was my copy that I bought from Amazon or if the kindle version is flawed. The first chapter was very hard to follow. Duplicate wording or missing complete paragraphs on the page. When you to turn the page, you find 1/2 the page is a duplicate of paragraphs from the prior page- to finding the missing paragraphs from the page before. That went on for a good 10 pages. Never the less I struggles through it to find an enjoyable story.
****Isaac 29 yrs old teacher is forced to come home to help his father take care of his mother. Isaac's father who runs the school has Isaac take over his mother's class. Eloise 17 yrs old and is trying to turn a new leaf from her prior year at school. Eloise when she first meets him in class thinks that he is to old for her but thinks he is hot. The build up is slow and the interactions leading them to be together is written well. I chuckled and smile at his jealousy at times, and could believe almost all of it.
NOW- I didn't know that this is a cliffhanger so I am putting this out there that you need book 2 and it is not out yet.
3.5 *** 1/2*
I am not sure if it was my copy that I bought from Amazon or if the kindle version is flawed. The first chapter was very hard to follow. Duplicate wording or missing complete paragraphs on the page. When you to turn the page, you find 1/2 the page is a duplicate of paragraphs from the prior page- to finding the missing paragraphs from the page before. That went on for a good 10 pages. Never the less I struggles through it to find an enjoyable story.
****Isaac 29 yrs old teacher is forced to come home to help his father take care of his mother. Isaac's father who runs the school has Isaac take over his mother's class. Eloise 17 yrs old and is trying to turn a new leaf from her prior year at school. Eloise when she first meets him in class thinks that he is to old for her but thinks he is hot. The build up is slow and the interactions leading them to be together is written well. I chuckled and smile at his jealousy at times, and could believe almost all of it.
NOW- I didn't know that this is a cliffhanger so I am putting this out there that you need book 2 and it is not out yet.
April 17, 2015
4.5 Stars!
Among the many, many books of insta-love, insta-lust- this book of forbidden romance is nothing but a slow burn. You know the tingly feeling you get, it starts in your stomach, spread out through the chest to your entire body and finally clog’s your mind. Yep, that’s the one. It’s pretty amazing isn’t it? Distraction is just that with a bit of humor, kindness, attraction, angst, and of course a beautifully written forbidden romance.
Isaac and Eloise don't fall in love as soon as they lay eyes on each other. And that’s the realistic part of this story. They were going through their lives and suddenly the fog lifts and in comes the focus and attraction. I enjoyed how their relationship was built slowly and escalated from there on towards the end of the book. Grab a copy and get a taste of distraction.
One of my favorite book of 2015 ☺ Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!
Among the many, many books of insta-love, insta-lust- this book of forbidden romance is nothing but a slow burn. You know the tingly feeling you get, it starts in your stomach, spread out through the chest to your entire body and finally clog’s your mind. Yep, that’s the one. It’s pretty amazing isn’t it? Distraction is just that with a bit of humor, kindness, attraction, angst, and of course a beautifully written forbidden romance.
Isaac and Eloise don't fall in love as soon as they lay eyes on each other. And that’s the realistic part of this story. They were going through their lives and suddenly the fog lifts and in comes the focus and attraction. I enjoyed how their relationship was built slowly and escalated from there on towards the end of the book. Grab a copy and get a taste of distraction.
One of my favorite book of 2015 ☺ Eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!
February 18, 2016
Yassssssssss!
Give me more, give me more!
I effing love A.E. Murphy!
And her writing..... ugh, I adore her writing style, I can seriously just sit and read her books all day... they are as addicting as crack! (Not that I know personally how addicting crack is.)
I loved how the two main characters Isaac and Elle didn't get together in a snap of the fingers. Ms. Murphy wrote it in a way that seems realistic and makes me totally okay with a teacher and student falling in love. It was a build-up that was sweet and beautiful and. . . HOT. And when they finally crossed that line I was like, "Yassssssss, 'Bout time!"
This is by far THE best student-teacher romance I have read.
HANDS DOWN.
(AND IT WAS FREAKING FREE ON AMAZON. . . such a steal!)
I highly recommend!
5 STARS
Give me more, give me more!
I effing love A.E. Murphy!
And her writing..... ugh, I adore her writing style, I can seriously just sit and read her books all day... they are as addicting as crack! (Not that I know personally how addicting crack is.)
I loved how the two main characters Isaac and Elle didn't get together in a snap of the fingers. Ms. Murphy wrote it in a way that seems realistic and makes me totally okay with a teacher and student falling in love. It was a build-up that was sweet and beautiful and. . . HOT. And when they finally crossed that line I was like, "Yassssssss, 'Bout time!"
This is by far THE best student-teacher romance I have read.
HANDS DOWN.
(AND IT WAS FREAKING FREE ON AMAZON. . . such a steal!)
I highly recommend!
5 STARS
August 20, 2015
I'm giving Distraction 3.5 stars b/c while I did like it, it has a VERY slow start and the MCs don't even kiss until 57% into the book! From there on, things do get better. I like that the Hero sort of loses his cool and begins to act like the younger one towards the end and our heroine does some major growing up. I thought her father behaved out of character and I'm not sure about that whole twist, but I loved where it left off and I'm curious about where book #2 will take these characters. Also, readers should know that this book is extremely british (not a bad thing) and the writing and lingo take a little getting used to. I love the student/teacher trope I enjoyed this book, just not until things picked up in the last 3rd or so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2015
Really unique and very interesting story. Totally fell in love with the characters. Enjoyed how Isaac has his jealous and sometimes reckless moments. It makes him seem a little more real. His actions reflect someone who's never been in love and he is sure that she must be his and only his, he's very zealous. Elle has a great friend named Haley who was the ultimate cool friend, whenever she needed a friend, to go have fun drinking or dating and an alibi, Haley always had her back. Loved the romantic, storybook ending. They sure deserved it! Will probably read Destruction in September when it comes out.
March 28, 2018
A perfect Distraction!
How the hell did I not know about this series!?
When I read the synopsis for this book I didn’t really think it would be my cup of tea but I’m a huge fan of the author so I figured I’d give it a try.
Thank God I did!
Issac Price is a high school teacher that has to go home to help his parents out. It’s definitely not some where he wants to be, that is until he meets Eloise Blackburn. She’s his 17 almost 18 year old student.
She’s full of life, compassionate, beautiful and crazy smart.
They fight the attraction as long as they can. Then.. everything gets hot really fast.
Can’t wait to dive in to book 2 Destruction!
How the hell did I not know about this series!?
When I read the synopsis for this book I didn’t really think it would be my cup of tea but I’m a huge fan of the author so I figured I’d give it a try.
Thank God I did!
Issac Price is a high school teacher that has to go home to help his parents out. It’s definitely not some where he wants to be, that is until he meets Eloise Blackburn. She’s his 17 almost 18 year old student.
She’s full of life, compassionate, beautiful and crazy smart.
They fight the attraction as long as they can. Then.. everything gets hot really fast.
Can’t wait to dive in to book 2 Destruction!
September 3, 2016
I spent some 30% of the book thinking of just dropping it and not wasting my time, then I got somewhat into the story, but the ending just killed it all completely. Seriously?! If that was supposed to be romantic, I guess I don't know a thing about romance. Or I'm just too practical and logical... I couldn't quite connect with the heroes, the writing did not engage me... Maybe this just proves that YA/NA is really not for me.
July 19, 2017
I read this book after being recommended it by a fellow person in the book community and I'm so so glad that I did!
I normally struggle with reading books that are set in the UK but I had zero problems with this! The story development was fantastic, and I fell is love with Isaac!!
This may be a student teacher romance, but it wasn't you average student teacher romance. So many of them are done so it's all about the sex, but this book had so much depth behind it and I loved every second of it!
I normally struggle with reading books that are set in the UK but I had zero problems with this! The story development was fantastic, and I fell is love with Isaac!!
This may be a student teacher romance, but it wasn't you average student teacher romance. So many of them are done so it's all about the sex, but this book had so much depth behind it and I loved every second of it!
January 17, 2021
I think that this book was great. I loved the characters, the romance, and the end. I hated how childish Isaac acted sometimes, how bitchy the other love interests were for Isaac, and how little Hayley was in it. She was a riot. Eloise is pretty amazing too. I can't believe the end. I almost cried. Way to go!
June 4, 2015
This started off as an awesome story, but as Isaac and Elle's relationship grew, they became a bit reckless and Isaac started acting like a teenage boy. Which kind of got on my nerves. Otherwise, I enjoyed the story and I'd like to read the sequel.
March 31, 2018
I loved this book! I really like the taboo of student/teacher book. I thought this book was romantic, angsty, and funny! I found this story believable, and between Isaac and Elle a love they really don’t know what to do with. Between Isaac’s mom, and Elle’s Dad this ran the gamut of emotions!
April 14, 2019
well hello
this book is amazing i loved every momwnt of it, mr price is yummy i need to read more from him, i wont say much about the book other than a.e.murphy knows how to pull heart strings and make u fall in love with her character.
need to be more than 5 stars.
this book is amazing i loved every momwnt of it, mr price is yummy i need to read more from him, i wont say much about the book other than a.e.murphy knows how to pull heart strings and make u fall in love with her character.
need to be more than 5 stars.
Want to read
September 19, 2015Distraction is FREE until 21st September 2015!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
September 25, 2015
A little slow at first but hang in there!
September 27, 2015
Kept me entertained
This book was really good. I had my doubts at first and it started off slow but after 15% into the book it got really good. I definitely recommend this book.
This book was really good. I had my doubts at first and it started off slow but after 15% into the book it got really good. I definitely recommend this book.
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