Just Add Argyle by K.C. Burn ~ Audiobook

Title: Just Add Argyle

Series: Fabric Hearts 03

Author: KC Burn

Narrator: David Ross

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 7 hrs 32 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (21st July 2017)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: Tate Buchanan is a troublemaker who can’t keep a job, no matter how many times his lucky argyle sweater gets him hired. Add to that a learning disability and an impetuous nature that sends him into altercations to protect the defenseless, and he hardly manages to make friends, let alone find a man who’s interested in him for more than one night.

Most people think EMT Jaime Escobar is a player, but the truth is he wants a serious partner – he just can’t justify wasting time on guys he knows aren’t a match. But when he treats a gorgeous redhead after a fight, he finds the spark he’s spent so many years looking for.

Jaime wants to take the next step with Tate, but it’s clear Tate’s not going to curb his impulsive behavior – his next fight sends him to the hospital. Jaime’s relationship with a near criminal isn’t something his family is ready to accept, not any more than Tate is willing to be kept a secret. Jaime will need a lot of understanding – and some luck of his own – to keep them both. But this is one fight he’s going to see through to the end.

Product Link: Audible AU | Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Just Add Argyle is the third book in KC Burn’s series Fabric Hearts. I recommend that you start with book 1 and 2 in the series, if you already haven’t. This is a quirky little world that Burn has created and to do it justice you definitely should start from the beginning.

Honestly, with a series title called Fabric Hearts I expect to enter the world of a happy little sewing circle, not a bunch of guys who have a penchant for certain fabrics but working for a gay porn website. That was probably a crass summary but I stand by it. The narrator of this series is David Ross. I’ve not heard many books he narrates. I enjoyed the tone he gave the story although I must admit that for this book I wasn’t completely sold on the narration.

The story is about Jaime Escobar and Tate Buchanan.

This story is a little different to the previous installments of the series where neither character has no direct connection to Idyll Fling. We met Jaime way back in book 1, Tartan Candy. He is the cousin to one of the heroes. As a secondary character he always had a certain amount of energy that made me feel he needed to find his own man and get a chance of HEA. Jaime is an EMT and has a massively kind heart. He meets Tate Buchanan on a call out and is immediately drawn to the man.
Tate is something of a good Samaritan with the tendency to be a bit scrappy. He has a learning disability which meant he could not finish school and the only jobs he could get were low paying service jobs. Not that that is a bad thing, but Tate has a lot of potential. He doesn’t have much self esteem either and in some major need for a lot of love, kindness and tenderness.

Tate and Jaime are a sweet couple. They have a lot of heart and kindness to spread. I am just so glad that Jaime got his HEA.

Plaid Versus Paisley by K.C. Burn ~ Audiobook

Title: Plaid Versus Paisley

Series: Fabric Hearts 02

Author: KC Burn

Narrator: David Ross

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 7 hrs 57 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (30th June 2017)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: Two years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene – the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn’t know what’s on Dallas’ agenda, but he won’t be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.

Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother’s mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.

But Dallas doesn’t realize how deep Will’s distrust runs, and Will doesn’t know that the man he’s torn between loving and hating is the boss’ brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?

Product Link: Audible AU | Audible USAudible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Plaid Versus Paisley is the second book in KC Burn’s series Fabric Hearts. I recommend that you start with book 1 in the series, Tartan Candy if you already haven’t. This is a quirky little world that Burns has created and to do it justice you definitely should start from the beginning. Honestly, with a series title called Fabric Hearts I expect to enter the world of a happy little sewing circle, not a bunch of guys who have a penchant for certain fabrics but working for a gay porn website. That was probably a crass summary but I stand by it.

The story is about Will Dawson and Dallas Greene.

In the world of Idyll Fling, a porn network which we were introduced to in Tartan Candy, Will Dawson is the king of the IT department. In fact, he is the only member of the IT department that keeps the site running despite the fact it is abundantly obvious that he needs help. However, Will was burned at his last job where he was a supervisor who lost his job and given to someone else, specifically to Dallas Greene.

Dallas had always looked up to Will and is confused as to why Will obviously hates him and refuses to allow Dallas to do his job. Dallas went to Florida where his half-brother Stefan runs Idyll Fling. Dallas has been through hell – including illness and rejection from his family. He had never really fit into his privileged family and when everything falls apart all he can do is pray that his half-brother will be willing to help. It is a totally heartbreaking part and I love Stefan for stepping up to the plate. I don’t know what one would expect as the stereotype of a guy who runs a porn website, but Stefan is just the biggest sweetheart. I liked him in Tartan Candy but in Plaid Versus Paisley he is hands down the best secondary character in the series.

There is a lot going on beneath the surface with Will and Dallas. Will is obnoxious at first and full of hate, while Dallas is broken and nervous, waiting for something to happen in a second. He is also paranoid as fuck and there were a couple times I wished I could slap him. These guys have a rocky journey, but it is all worth it. On top of that, there is also a heck of a lot of sexual tension and steamy sex.

The narrator of this series is David Ross. I’ve not heard many books he narrates, I think Tartan Candy was the first I heard, I enjoyed the tone and voice he gave the characters. I was especially able to connect to sadness surrounding Dallas.

Tartan Candy by K.C. Burn ~ Audiobook

K.C. Burn - Tartan Candy Cover AudioTitle: Tartan Candy

Author: KC Burn

Narrator: David Ross

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 7 hrs, 21 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (10th October 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts

Blurb: Finlay McIntyre (aka Raven) is a successful adult film star with a penchant for kilts, until an accident cuts short his stardom and leaves him with zero sexual desire, lowered self-esteem, and no job. He knew his porn career wouldn’t last forever, but he wasn’t prepared for retirement at 28. While trying to figure out the rest of his life, Raven agrees to attend a high school reunion. That’s when a malfunctioning AC unit in his hotel room changes everything.

Caleb Sanderson, an entrepreneur with his own HVAC business, has no idea what to expect when he steps into Raven’s hotel room to fix his AC unit. They’re attracted to each other, but Caleb, closeted, can’t afford a gay relationship, not with his mom pressuring him to produce grandchildren. If he wants to keep Raven – who no closet could hold – he’ll need to tell his family the truth. But Raven has a few secrets of his own. He refuses to reveal his porn past to Caleb, a past that might be the final obstacle to Caleb and Raven having any kind of relationship.

Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is a first time I’ve heard or read by KC Burn and I must admit that I was intrigued.

Raven is an ex porn star, with a penchant for wearing kilts, whose career was cut short by a car accident. Now he’s between careers and toying with ideas in his head about the future. For now though, he’s an escort to one of the subscribers to the company he had made movies for. The guy’s a dick, to the short, but he does meet hot air con repairman Caleb. It’s a mix of love and lust at first sight. Caleb is certainly the first guy Raven has been interested in since his accident. Raven is also scared that Caleb will run a mile if he knew that he had been in porn. Well guess what, that’s a recipe for disaster. There’s a lot of sweetness in this book nonetheless.

I enjoyed the book for the most part but I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had expected and I guess I’m a little disappointed about that. Ok, I’m a fickle person. I saw “Tartan” in the title and thought “oh, Scotsman”… well, not a Scotsman but there were definitely kilts. I suppose years of reading historical romances and the Outlander series had me thinking of hot highlanders. But that wasn’t why I was disappointed, I think that was more to do with the story falling a little flat for me, I think because a major component of this story at the climax (pun intended) actually had everything to do with miscommunication between the two main characters.

What's In A Name? by Pat Henshaw ~ Audiobook

Pat Henshaw - What's In A Name Cover AudioTitle: What’s in a Name?

Series:  Foothills Pride 01

Author: Pat Henshaw

Narrator: David Ross

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 2 hrs, 49 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (21st October 2016)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Barista Jimmy Patterson thinks it’s a good idea to get rip-roaring drunk on his birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the burly owner of Stonewall’s Bar rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.

Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender’s first name since he’s worn a different name tag every time Jimmy’s seen him. “Guy” Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes Jimmy out on a date.

While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name, he’s distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and more like a hate crime.

Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: What’s in a Name? is the first book in the Foothills Pride series, a series which I read but now happily revisit by listening to the audio. The best part of this experience for me is that I found that the narrator, David Ross, did his job brilliantly and he really enhanced the feelings of the characters in this book.

Jimmy is a sweetheart and it’s difficult not to instantly feel sorry for this self-confessed twink. To top it all off, he’s attracted to the big bear of a man behind the bar at the only gay bar in town. The mystery is no one knows his name. They just know him as whichever name tag he was wearing when last seen or taken notice of. This makes Jimmy determined to work it out.

It’s certainly different having the entire plot predicated on a character trying to guess something about the other main character. In fact, I really enjoyed how the chapters were set up and it was really well paced too. Every couple chapters, when it gets to the end of the night after Jimmy and “Guy” have been out, it’s a short period of calm as we see what Jimmy has come up with. Then between all these guesses, Jimmy chronicles the drama that is unfolding around him, drama that “Guy” is more than willing to get involved in as long as Jimmy is kept safe. “Guy” is a teddy bear in every way possible and I found him instantly likable. His refusal to give his real name is more mischievous than annoying.

The pacing of this story is also quite good – not too fast and never tediously slow. I usually listen to audio books at 1.25x speed, mostly because I’m impatient and speeding up a tad gets us to a fairly normal talking speed for most narrators. The point is though, some books I want to speed up more because I’m just too impatient and I didn’t here. (I feel like I just admitted a naughty secret there). Not quite as funny as I remembered from when I read the book, but the danger element is certainly there to move the plot forward.