Title: Set Ablaze

Author: K.C. Burn

Narrator: Darcy Stark

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hrs, 48 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (16th August 2018)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: California firefighter Hayden Hurst is starting to realize there’s more to life than fighting fires and drinking with his buddies. He has room in his home and his life for someone special, but no one has stood out among his hookups. And while he’s out at work, admitting he’s gay is very different from showing up at social functions with a man. He’s afraid that’ll be too much for his less-than-accepting “friends”.

Broadway dancer Jez Bouchet hasn’t been mistaken for straight since he was gay-bashed at 17. After getting a lucrative job offer in Hollywood, he uproots his life in New York and drives to Los Angeles. His brother, who is Hayden’s best friend, arranges for him to crash at Hayden’s place.

The attraction between Hayden and Jez is unexpected but fiery, and they succumb before they’re even sure they like each other. But Jez hates Hayden’s homophobic friends, and Hay-den knows Jez is too flamboyant for him to fly under the radar. Then there’s the complication of Jez’s brother.

Despite those hurdles, they fling themselves into a relationship. But Jez has secrets: a tiny spoiled dog and a determined stalker. If he doesn’t come clean, he might torch their burgeoning relationship before it has a chance to bloom.

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Set Ablaze is a standalone book by KC Burn and narrated by Darcy Stark. I was looking forward to this because I’ve enjoyed other books by Burn in the past, I really gel with Burn’s writing and there isn’t an audiobook performance that I didn’t enjoy.

The story starts with firefighter Hayden Hurst, he’s very much a closeted man who is afraid of what the macho, homophobic men in his world of firefighters think of him. When his best friend, who is also a fire fighter from another from another station, wants Hayden to take in his baby brother as a tenant, Hayden feels that there is no reason to say no. Then he meets Jez – again, because he did know Jez briefly when they were kids. Jez challenges everything about Hayden and his closeted lifestyle.

Jez refuses to be anything other than the man he his. His life was made hell because his family could never accept the fact that he is gay. He has been beaten for it, he has been ignored by everyone but his family and his life has been generally shitty. Except he was able to make a better life for himself in New York. It wasn’t until he moved back to California for a new and exciting job that he sees why he left California in the first place, as well as realising that he has been seeing his brother in the wrong light, he falls for the closeted Hayden, and then discovers that Hayden has a few homophobic a-holes for “friends”.

In terms of the audiobook, the narration was fantastic and probably one of my favourite things of the whole audio experience. I feel that this is one of those books that I would enjoy more listening to the audio than if I had actually read the book. I’ll get to the reasons why soon enough. Overall, there wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about the performance of the book, although I felt that it was held back (I can’t think of a better word) by my feelings about the plot of the book.

I liked the book for the most part. The closeted firefighter was an interesting, I loved getting to know Hayden. Jez was also interesting because this is a man who has clawed his way back from adversity and is someone that he wants to be and loves himself as a person. My biggest issue, however, was some of the threads of the plot seemed rather weak. I don’t want to give spoilers, but the men that surround Hayden, in particular, Jez’s brother and his motivations, aren’t particularly strong. Which wouldn’t normally matter for many minor characters. But these guys influence everything in how Hayden sees himself and his place in life and for that reason they needed to be stronger, or at least they needed to make more sense a lot quicker. Yet, in saying that I like how the story arc went and it was, overall, enjoyable.

If you’re into an angsty, closet case type of story, this is probably a good one for you.

Title: Banded Together

Author: K.C. Burn

Narrator: Darcy Stark

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hrs, 30 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (24th April 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: Punk’s not dead, but it’s time to redefine life.

Devlin Waters thought he’d have music forever. But the tragic death of his best friend ended the twenty-year run of his punk band, Negative Impression. Unable to process the loss, Devlin dis-tances himself from everyone and everything that reminds him of the band. But forty-one is too young to curl up and wait for the end. In a search for a second career, he finds himself at uni-versity with a bunch of kids young enough to be… his kids. His sexy archeology professor, however, makes Devlin think about life beyond his grief….

Dr. Jack Johnson does not appreciate Devlin’s lack of respect, his inability to be serious, or his chronic lateness. Worse, he hates that he’s attracted to a student. When he realizes Devlin is the rock star he crushed on in his youth, he drops his guard—against his better judgment.

Before they can move forward together, Jack must admit to Devlin that he’s not only an admir-er, but he also sings in a cover band. How will Devlin react to his ultimate fanboy when his own music has died?

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Banded Together, by KC Burn is a pretty complex story that, when it comes down to it, is something awesome. I really don’t have any need to dance around the point. I like the author well enough and find it very easy to connect with Burn’s writing, although I don’t include Burn on my automatic read list (yet?).

This is a story of loss, moving on and finding a different and completely fulfilling type of love. With the mental anguish and grief which is front and centre in this story, I really loved how Stark captured these feelings. This is a great example of how an excellent narrator can keep the person in the world of the story and feel that direct connection with the main characters. Darcy Stark is a new narrator to me, I’ve not listened to the other audio I have with his narration, but that is another KC Burn book that I am looking forward to. In terms of this book, the narration was totally on point.

Devlin Walters and Dr Jack Johnson appear to be polar-opposites on the surface. Devlin is a 41-year-old ex-punk star, popular all over the world, who has turned to completing his archaeology degree after life changing events. Dr Jack Johnson is 35 and a lecturer/academic in archaeology at the university Devlin attends. He’s a little surly when it comes to students who he feels do not take their studies seriously. But on the inside Devlin is broken man, and Jack isn’t so much a prim-proper academic.

Devlin and his best friend from the age of three formed a band, they added a couple more bandmates and became world famous. However, his world shattered when his best friend died some months ago. He’s pushed everyone away, even his mother who he is now living with. Devlin is struggling with life after such a massive loss and no longer feels the music inside. When he decides to go back and finish the studies he started his first positive emotion in months is his fascination with his very hot professor.

Jack isn’t just a quiet professor with a brilliant brain, he also happens to be the singer in a cover band that performs Devlin’s songs. In fact, Jack had a major crush on Devlin when he was a teenager and Devlin was a worldwide star. However, since he has changed his appearance and out of his performing person, Jack doesn’t realise who Devlin is.

This is a slow burn romance. The men both approach a relationship with trepidation, but it is Jack who is helping piece back Devlin’s heart together. Devlin needs to learn not to shut out those that love him and come to terms with the fact that he might not want to be in the limelight again. By the end I was very satisfied and had shed more than a few tears.

Jack is a character that I relate to, at least professionally. A lot of stuff he says in terms of students is something that I’ve felt and discussed with other academics when I taught at a university. With that foot in the door, Jack was so easy to understand and get. Even though I’m a scientist, I’m interested in archaeology and my sister is a historian/archaeologist, so those profession specific thoughts is something else I found easy to relate to.

I recommend this book to those that love a slow burn romance with a touch of angst, also people that like when two men find out that they have a lot more in common than they first thought.