Title: Cast Off
Series: Toronto Tales, 03
Author: K.C. Burn
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (200pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (4th September 2013)
Heat Level: Low – Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3 – 3½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Thirty-five-year-old Rick Haviland is a well-respected speech pathologist, but while his friends are all settling into relationships, he refuses to give up his no-strings-attached club boy sex life. For him, relationships are dangerous; he’s got a secret to hide. When he meets Ian O’Donnell, an account manager with a local tabloid, Rick figures his personal rules for relationships should be enough to keep him safe from more than a one-night stand.
When Ian comes out of the closet, tired of anonymous hook-ups and keeping secrets from his large Catholic family, Rick is right there, and he’s just the sort of man Ian might like to get to know better. Their attraction is immediate, electric, and mutual. Ian convinces Rick to break more and more of his rules and his defenses crumble. But someone watches someone who’d like to see this new relationship fail. When Ian’s job becomes a means to expose Rick’s secret, it could destroy both their careers and their hearts.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4157
Review: This story is part of a series and can be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed read in order. Rick has his life just the way he wants it, he has a successful career, and he loves his afterhours no-strings-attached club boy sex life. With all his friends settling down he is more determined than ever to avoid relationships, they might work for some people but not for him, so when he meets Ian he figures that his own personal rules will keep him safe and he can easily enjoy a couple of passionate nights without strings. Ian finally comes out of the closet and decides that maybe one-night stands and hook-ups are a thing of the past, now he can have a real relationship without fear of being discovered but the man he sets his sights on for more has a huge aversion to relationships. Ian works hard to were down Rick’s defenses and Rick’s walls start to crumble, but someone doesn’t want them to be together and when Rick’s secret is nearly exposed both men risk losing more than just their hearts.
This is a pretty good story that has a slight touch of mystery. Rick has a very painful past, which has turned him off relationships for life, when Ian begins to crack his protective shell it takes a lot of convincing before he will give it a go. Ian has always hidden his sexuality, but when his brother Kurt (Cop Out) comes out it breaks something inside him, and when he finally gets his head out of his ass he begins to look for a man for himself. Both men are great together and Ian’s method of wearing Rick down was very sweet and patient, they were smoking hot together but building their friendship up was a brilliant idea.
Rick is a man who you can understand after what he went through when he was younger, you can see why he avoids relationships, but you really hope that Ian can break down his walls. Ian is a wonderful character who has to maneuver carefully to get the man he wants, but sometimes he does some stupid stuff. There are some misunderstandings (Ian’s fault) and temper tantrums (Rick), we also see some mischief and mayhem from a jealous man who wants to destroy what Rick and Ian are building. They make a great couple as we see them during their courtship and see Rick softening and opening up to Ian.
Although I enjoyed this story I couldn’t help feeling like half of it was just filling, Ian doing some really dumb ass stuff which he seems completely oblivious about, Rick storming off in huffs instead of sticking around and confronting Ian, and then the stalker and the red herring, did the story really need all of that…. no, Rick’s secret was big enough without everything else thrown in.
I recommend this to those who love commitment-phobes, startling secrets, hot sex, a touch of mystery, mending bridges, discovering love and a happy ending.