Sample
  • Balance

  • Off Balance, Book 1
  • By: Lucia Franco
  • Narrated by: Sarah Puckett
  • Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (369 ratings)

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Balance  By  cover art

Balance

By: Lucia Franco
Narrated by: Sarah Puckett
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Publisher's summary

Adrianna Rossi is no stranger to the rigorous demands required of her body. Years of pain and determination make her one of the best. Olympic glory is the ultimate goal, and she'll do anything to achieve it. Even if that means leaving home to attend World Cup Academy of Gymnastics, a training center that serves one purpose - producing champions.

Perfection, precision, and dedication are required of his athletes. When two time Olympian Konstantin Kournakova is persuaded into training the young hopeful, he immediately regrets it. She doesn't come close to his high standards. As the relentless pursuit of her dream keeps her striving, a passion is ignited within him.

Kova's power and domination, coupled with Adrianna's fierce tenacity, reveal there is more for her body to learn. Every interaction can be misconstrued, but there’s no mistaking the darkening of his gaze, the lingering of his touch, or the illicit image of his bare skin pressed against hers. Integrity is on the line. One toe off the beam and their forbidden desires could ruin everything they’ve worked for, throwing it all off balance.

©2021 Lucia Franco (P)2021 Pink Flamingo Productions, LLC

What listeners say about Balance

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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Balance

Wow this is the first book I have read/listen to by Lucia Franco. I really enjoyed this book. I was surprised the range of emotions I felt while listening. This has a slight bit of age gap taboo. I was not ready for it to end. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out. Sarah Puckett did a fantastic job narrating especially Kova's Russian accent.

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1 person found this helpful

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Balance

Holy $h!t, this book was so freaking Intense, damn I feel in love with it. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I need to know what happens. idk what to say but that you guys have to read this book. you won't be disappointed. this is a must read. it's so well written and the sex sense are so freaking good and hot, hot, hot 🔥. oh believe me I would so read/ listen to this book over and over again. that's how good it is. and the narrator of course did an amazing job. she's one of the best 👌 👍. well I hope you guys like the book as much as I did.

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Wow

I will start by saying I don't normally like age gap but the book sounded interesting so I gave it a chance and I'm so glad I did! I really enjoyed this book good taboo story the narrator did a great job

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Buckle Up and Get Ready For Teenage Angst!

Title: Balance (Off Balance Series Book 1)
Tropes: Taboo Romance, Coming Of Age, Sports Romance Age Gap Romance
Author: Lucia Franco
Narrator: Sarah Puckett 

Likes:
-Narration. Sarah Puckett did a phenomenal job!  Each character had there own unique voice (male or female) and accent. The Russian accent sounded authentic and even though I don't speak Russian that dialoged sounded so natural and not at all forced. Sarah gets 5 out of 5 stars for her narration!
-Tension. I felt the worry, stress, awkwardness as the FMC moves to this brand new place, on her own and has to learn how to fit into a new group of people. Also, I enjoyed the tension building between the 2 main characters as they start to feel a connection between them and don't know what to do with those feelings.

Dislikes
-Gymnastics descriptions
As someone who knows nothing about gymnastics besides a basic cartwheel or handstand, the long descriptions of FMC's routines did nothing for me. I feel like they could have been shortened a lot! I like that she described how she felt while she was doing these moves, but it felt very repetitive after awhile. But I can see why someone who knows gymnastics terms would appreciate it. 
-Spicy Scene Descriptions
In this first book the spice at times felt very long winded and sometimes awkward. Half the time I did know what position they were in or even how they were achieving a certain position.

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4 people found this helpful

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Wow

I had no idea what to expect when i went into this book but it definitely exceeded all my expectations! I love age gaps and this was so good!

I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the H but alas I’ll still read the rest because i wana know what happens!

Can’t wait to dive into the second book! Definitely recommend this!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Taboo & forbidden…yet an addicting storyline with a remarkable narration!!!

A story so taboo on multiple levels, YET it’s such an addicting and captivating storyline! It felt so wrong reading this book at times but I couldn’t get enough of it! It’s a forbidden and taboo age gap romance as Kova is a gymnastics coach and Adrianna, is his gymnast. Not only that, but he is 32 years old while she is 16 years old, and also a virgin. However, the characterization of Kova and Adrianna was so well done that I was just immersed into the plot and easily kept reading this book chapter after chapter! It takes you on a rollercoaster journey with shocking surprises along the way and keep in mind, the book does end on a CLIFFHANGER! This is book 1 of a 5 book series so be ready to jump into book 2, Execution! If you love all things taboo, lots of steamy romance, plus fantastic character development with an exhilarating storyline then this is the book for you!

The incorporation of the gymnastics element into this storyline was just remarkably done!! It was just the right amount of information included in the story to understand what Arianna and the gymnasts were doing which I loved as it enabled me to understand the sport without going over the top in detail! It kept me intrigued and interested in what was happening with their gymnastics while also keeping the plot moving. Flawlessly done! Also, I have to mention that the addition of the gymnastics terms as innuendos during the romance was pure gold!!! I absolutely loved that Lucia snuck that in there!

Sarah Puckett absolutely did a stellar job with the narration of this book!! She brought emotion, passion and power to everything she spoke while performing! Also, her Russian accent for Kova was perfection! My husband actually speaks Russian and he even commented how well she spoke and also that her pronunciations for the few Russians words were spot on! It just made the narration feel so realistic and like there was a 2nd voice even though it was a single POV! I can’t wait to hear more from her in the rest of this series!

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Wow!

Loved it! The narrator was top notch, she made these 2 really come alive.

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Fabulous!!

Sarah Puckett did a magnificent job with her narration and performance of this audiobook. Her Russian accent was so good! I could feel the sizzling heat between these two. I absolutely loved this book!! This was the first forbidden age gap novel that I had ever read and I devoured it in one sitting. The audio book version only made the experience better by bringing the characters to life. The writing is excellent. I was enthralled by the world of gymnastics, never knowing the limits these amazing athletes force their bodies to endure. This is an exciting, angsty love story that needs to be read and enjoyed. Lucia Franco is an amazing author. I have read it so many times over the years, it is that amazing! You need to read/listen to this book today!!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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❤️‍🔥 LOVE THIS SERIES!!! ❤️‍🔥

🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧 ✨TOP LISTEN of 2021✨
I read this book back in 2019 and I was in love from the start! Well now I have listened to the audio and I am in love even more! I am so glad that I can revisit Ria & Kova! Sarah Puckett did a fantastic job between giving a voice to Adrianna and doing the male voice with a Russian accent. Definitely a MUST LISTEN!

Woah! Woah! Woah! I am so into this story it is unreal! Like I am super mad that I can not move on to Execution right away! This story about a gymnast and her coach is so hot. So angsty. So freaking awesome! The age gap and forbidden relationship is just so entertaining! Lucia has got a very descriptive way of writing so that there were times when I was physically feeling the pain that Adrianna was feeling. I love this story! I can not wait to read more about these characters! And I am totally in LOVE with Hayden.... I want to punch Reagan in the face. I just finished the book this morning and I miss them all ready. I am so mad that it took me so long to get to this! Its been sitting on my Kindle for months! I am now spreading the word.... if you don't have it GET IT!!! If you have it but haven't gotten to reading it yet BUMP IT UP ON YOUR TBR!!!

Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Swoon 😍😍😍 (Hayden made me swoon way more than Kova did)
Angst 💔💔💔💔

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Omg🔥

Forbidden AF! That ended in a cliffhanger so definitely book 2 im going. This is my first book with this author and so far she has my attention!

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