Courtney Bishop is as sugary sweet as her famous blueberry muffins.Southern belle at heart, Cali girl by choice.She barged into my life and easily became my best friend.All was great as roommates and just friends, but then I fell for the girl who could chop firewood, deliver baby calves, and bail hay without breaking a sweat. She’s the perfect mixture of sugar and spice, and I love her.Being more … spice, and I love her.
Being more than friends and trying to build our future isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Moving forward and creating memories is all I want for us, but when the past continues to come back and haunt me, I’m not so sure she’ll stay for the ride.
Loving her is easy, but losing her will break me. Burning passion combined with an undeniable chemistry constantly pushes and pulls us together. In the end, I’ll prove we’re worth the fight, even when the game is far from over.
Checkmate, sweetheart.
*Recommend for ages 18+ due to sexual content and adult language.*
**This is book 2 in the Checkmate Duet Series–a friends to lovers romance. You must read book 1, Checkmate: This is Reckless first.
Highly recommended to read the Checkmate Duet, This is War and This is Love first, but not necessary. This can read as a standalone duet.**
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So! This book was something else! The main plot was of course on the romance. Some of those scenes are so over the top romantic, it was perfect! I’ll admit that there was a lot more focus on Mia’s sociopathic nature and the police investigation surrounding her actions than I had expected. It felt a bit more like a romantic thriller than the other books in the Checkmate Series. Regardless, this book was the just what I needed!
I have really started to like the laid back voice of the narrator of this series.
The story is part 2 of 2 and boy was I ready to listen to this one after the shocker at the end of book 1. Courtney and Drew do get their HEA but they have to work hard to get it.
Let me just preface this review by saying I literally devoured this audio in less than half a day. It was that good. The ending of Book 1, This is Reckless left me scrambling for the next book. Seriously, I could not get my hands on This is Effortless fast enough.
Over the course of This is Effortless, Mia continues to play games with Drew and Courtney’s relationship. Watching them face every obstacle thrown their way and seeing them coming out all that much stronger in the end gave me all the feels.
And can I just say how much I love these two together? Her crazy compliments his calm so well. They are opposites in many ways but together they just make sense. They have such a fun and playful relationship. Literal relationship goals.
Drew is the definition of a book boyfriend. His love for Courtney shines so bright throughout this book. He makes it well known that Courtney is numero uno and he will go to the ends of the earth for her safety and happiness.
This is Effortless has been my favorite book of the Checkmate Duet series thus far and I’m so excited to continue this series with Logan and Kayla’s Duet.
Lia Langola’s narration was (again) spot on for both Drew and Courtney’s characters.
This was the second book and it was perfect!! Absolutely a thrill ride and couldn’t have been better! The storyline was amazing and Drew and Courtney stunning. Loved everything about the book.
4.5 Stars
These two had me cracking up laughing out loud. They were hilarious!
Outside of the humor and their relationship barriers as a couple, this had suspense that kept me on my toes. Unpredictable on how it was going to end with added twists to keep me guessing.
Again the authors created another great story.
I love reading duets by Kennedy Fox. Their plot twists and cliffhangers are always crazy and leaving you wanting more. This Is Effortless picked up right where This Is Reckless left off, basically at 100 MPH.
The book left off where the cliffhanger was dropped. And the craziness kept on going and I could not put this story down. Courtney and Drew are happy and in love but Mia keeps popping up trying to pull them apart. I can’t say what I really think of her because it’s not what a proper Southern woman would say. No matter what they do, they can’t seem to shake her. Mia is clearly unstable and that’s just the perfect amount of drama. And all the steamy scenes? Lord have mercy. I love that I had to stop several times to say: “Whattttt??” or “No way!” or “Oh no she didn’t!”
I love Courtney and Drew. Kennedy Fox has a way of writing such unique characters from series to series. Courtney is a firecracker no nonsense Southern woman. Being a Bishop, she wouldn’t be the same if she wasn’t. I loved that we got to see more of the family. Drew is man goals. Doing what he needs to do to better himself, protect and love Courtney and be the best person he can be.
Logan and Kayla’s story is next. Logan is so dark and mysterious. My favorite.
This is the fourth book in the Checkmate Duet, and the second book in Drew and Courtney’s friends to lovers story. You need to listen to This is Reckless before this one. I loved to follow Drew and Courtney in their journey to love. The storyline is suspenseful, and captivating! Lia Langola did a great job with the narration. Looking forward to listen to This is Dangerous, Logan and Kayla, the next duet in the Series.
I loved Drew and Courtney even more after finishing their story. Loved how their relationship progressed from friendship to love. They had so much to go through to be able to get the HEA that they deserved but their love was more powerful. Just loved them as a couple. Lia did another amazing job bringing Drew and Courtney to life.
Audiobook Review:
What an excellent wrap up to a duet that had me totally hooked. I loved the love between Drew and Courtney. Even when they had his crazy ex-girlfriend doing everything in her power to tear them apart. From the very beginning of this book, which picked up right where book one left off, her craziness showed and just kept getting worse throughout the book. But the love between Drew and Courtney just held strong and even grew.
There were so many twists and turns in this book that I just didn’t see coming but that just made it all the more enjoyable. And once it came to the end, and everything that Mia was throwing at Drew and Courtney came to a close, I can’t say I was very sad by what happened to her. It honestly seemed like she wasn’t going to stop until something like that happened. But it all laid out in such a thrilling way. That was one of my favorite things about this whole duet and this part especially. The suspense and trying to figure out what really happened after the jaw dropping twist at the end of book one.
The narration once again lacked for nothing. Lia Langola gave her usual amazing performance in both Drew and Courtney’s chapters. I have loved her voice for a long time and this did nothing to lessen that love.
Gah, I loved this book. Lots of twists and turns, and certain people that drive you insane. It was the perfect conclusion to Drew and Courtney’s story.
I’d Like to Buy a Star, Please…
This is the back half of the Drew and Courtney love story duet, and WOW. It’s golden.
I fell in love with both Drew and Courtney from the beginning: talk about effortless. They’re both so worth loving in their own ways. Drew is the White Knight protector type that loves with all he’s got. He’s loyal and a man of honor. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also ripped and inked, but hey.
Courtney may seem brash on the outside, but that might have something to do with being raised on a Texas ranch with a litter of big ol’ Texas size brothers. She’s a southern gem who’s always had her heart set on Drew, even when he thought he loved another. She’s strong, fierce, proud, smart, independent, and can stare a rattlesnake in the eye (or make you think she can). Together, these two are beauty in motion, love in more than words.
This story is why we read romance. But don’t start with this–it’s part two. Start at the beginning of their story with “This is Reckless,” the first part of the duet. Then come enjoy the fabulous HEA.
Drew and Courtney’s story continue as Mia continues her Fatal Attraction ways but what she hadn’t counted on was the fact that Courtney and Drew are soulmates and their love is stronger than any force to break them up could be.
I loved these two characters as Courtney’s sass and spunk matches up against Drew’s protectiveness to make a perfect match. Once they transformed from friends to lovers they never looked back or had any doubts which was so refreshing.
It was great to meet Courtney’s family, catch up with Travis and Viola and learn more about Logan and Kayla who will be the next couple that we fall in love with. The narrator did a great job at bringing all the emotions of this romantic story out.
I swear, Kennedy Fox is climbing up my favorites ladder!
After This is Reckless’ ending I NEEDED this book! I was so anxious to finish this story because I needed to know that Courtney and Drew would be ok! I was rooting for these two since I was first introduced to them in This is War. Courtney and Drew were undeniably soulmates, though they had to face a lot of roadblocks before they could get to where they needed to be. Seriously loved these two!
I can’t wait to read more from this fab duo!
Enjoyed all the twists, turns and suspense. Was seriously concerned with the cliff hanger of book 1. All the details truly make this a wonderful story. Absolutely true love. Perfect hfn ending for them. This story gives you all the feels, highs and lows. Completely adore the Checkmate series. Just love them.
This story is just amazing! Book 2 picks up where book 1 ended and oh wow! it was a crazy and thrilling start to Courtney’s and Drew’s continuing love story. It takes you on a wild ride with the way Mia, Drew’s Ex, continues to harass Courtney and Drew, how it causes Courtney to have mild PTSD and feel paranoid and unsafe about the whole Mia situation and how through it all they are able to come out the other side stronger and more in love than ever. Courtney is my favorite heroine so far. She is tough, strong, and has a huge heart. She could have given up and let Mia win, but she didn’t and fought for her and Drew with everything she had. Drew was the perfect book boyfriend! He was protective and loving and would do anything to make Courtney happy, even get two dogs to and deal with her overprotective older brothers. Drewtney were too cute together! They had the perfect chemistry and it felt like they had been a couple for a long time. They were the ideal match and I could not get enough of them. This story was sexy, funny, thrilling, and addictive and the most wonderful conclusion to their love story. Kennedy Fox knows how to create a captivating story and characters that are easy to fall and root for their happy ending. The introduction of Kayla and Logan’s enticing and mysterious relationship has me intrigued and can’t wait to listen to their story. Let’s not forget Lia Langola’s wonderful narration of this book. It was phenomenal and she did a great job narrating dual POV bringing both Drew and Courtney to life. She does an awesome job with Courtney’s accent giving her that Southern charm. It was easy to fall into the story and not get lost in the who is who with Lia’s narration. She is an entertaining storyteller and has become one of my favorite female voices to listen to!
*received review copy in exchange for honest review*
*review for audible version*
This was one emotional ride. Drew and Courtney go through so much and it truly tests their relationship. After the first book in this duet ended I was a complete and utter mess. And it did not get any easier once I dived into this one. So many jaw dropping things happen that I can’t say because it would spoil the story.
By far this is my favorite couple, they just clicked for me. I couldn’t get enough of the banter and the scorching hot steaminess between them. I loved how Travis and Viola from the first duet were a big part of this story too. And I’m excited for the next duet in this series with Kayla and Logan. I just know it’s going to be epic and I hope that Drew and Courtney are apart of their story too.
I just loved this couple and the narrator. The ending was so satisfying. This couples story will stay with me, it’s just unforgettable.
I absolutely loved this story!!! It was fantastic! This is the fourth book in the Checkmate series and the second in the duet for Drew and Courtney within the series. You definitely need to read/listen to This is Reckless, the first book in Drew and Courtney’s duet. I think you will definitely get extra enjoyment if you have also read/listened to the first two book in the Checkmate series, Travis and Viola’s story as we get to know and see Drew and Courtney in those books and Travis and Viola are in this one. I loved the humor and banter between Drew and Courtney. They made me laugh out loud multiple times. This book picks up after the last one ends; Drew and Courtney are dealing with Mia’s crazy and trying to sort out what to do, how to catch her and keep each other safe. Drew and Courtney have a lot to deal with as they try and move forward. I don’t want to spoil anything so am avoiding a lot of details lol. I loved the way that Drew and Courtney continued to build their relationship and communicate with each other through these situations and just in general. They have a great base as they are best friends and roommates. There is plenty of action and intrigue to hold your attention from beginning to end. I loved the secondary characters and the teasing glimpses of Logan and Kayla. I am very excited to get into that duet next! This story is not short, it doesn’t feel long, and I loved the time that we got to spend with Drew and Courtney. We get to see them work through things and build their relationship together as they moved from friends and roommates to something more and into a forever love. We get time for the problems and solutions to be fully fleshed out and feel realistic and true because of the length of the book and the fact that it took two to fully tell their story. I absolutely adored this book and thought that it was a great conclusion to Drew and Courtney’s story. It was a fantastic read and I can’t wait to start the next book.
The narrator is the same as the other books in this series and she does a phenomenal job of making this story come alive. She does an excellent job with the accent for Courtney and the different voices between not just male/female (Drew/Courtney) but also all the other characters in the story. They all have different voices and you can tell by the change who is talking. It really makes the story that much great because of it. You can also hear the emotion in the voice with what’s going on. It truly added to the story for me and made it that much better.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Drew and Courtney’s last book in their duet is amazing! It finishes up with their HEA. It’s a ultimate friends to lovers book and I love that trope so much! I love Lia Longola’s voice and the way she does both of the parts! She could read the dictionary and I would be good with that! But honestly if you are looking for a good audio book series to listen to in the car or while you are working out, The Checkmate Duets are great!
This is the second book of this duet. I think I love Courtney and Drew best of the two couples so far. They had to deal with the witch from hell and fight their way to a HEA. Their love was tested over and over. I was sitting on the edge my seat at one point. And the book sets up a new couple. Logan and Kayla. I have a feeling this is going be a tear jerker.
This is Effortless continues on with Courtney and Drew’s story and after the HUGE cliff hanger of This is Reckless I was dying to know how their story was going to develop. The story picks up right where it left us in the previous novel in Vegas and Drew realising Courtney is missing and Mia is in his bed after taking advantage of him. I loved being thrown straight back into the drama of the story, Mia’s role throughout is what adds the suspense to the duet.
This story focuses on Drew and Courtney establishing their relationship outside of the confines they already knew, the house they share, the friendship they have and building from that into coupledom. There were so many moments that had me swooning over Drew, the things he would say and do to help Courtney feel loved and protected. Courtney herself struggles with a crisis of confidence knowing that Mia is coming for her and will seemingly stop at nothing to prove that Drew is meant for her. The couple decide to rescue a dog and this, although a cute storyline takes over a little at times and it wasn’t really needed, it didn’t add anything to the book really.
They need to see how the storyline played out with Mia and her mystery accomplice is what kept the story going. I felt that Drew and Courtney were in a great place outside of that but of course Mia continues to throw a spanner in the works. How that storyline came to end was full of drama and ended a little abruptly I have to say but a good one all the same. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first book in the duet but yet again Lia Langola did an amazing job on the narration for the audiobook. Her performance was perfection. I am looking forward to reading more on Kayla and Logan’s story there was a fair bit of their push and pull chemistry here and I am really curious to know more.