Title: Wild Horses
Series: Steel City 01
Author: Kate Pavelle
Genre: Contemporary, Kink
Length: Super Novel (350pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (1st July 2013)
Heat Level: Low – Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Homeless pickpocket Kai Alwright steals a cell phone and some cash one day only to find the owner texting him, appealing to his better qualities. The request to return the phone stings Kai’s pride; he rides his rusty bicycle all the way to the stables north of the city, where Attila Keleman, the phone’s owner, offers him a new start in the form of a job and a roof over his head. Soon Kai discovers a natural talent for work with horses, and he makes every effort to separate his new existence from his promiscuous past on the streets.
Attila is a reclusive horse trainer whose dressage trophies gather dust, and whose broken heart has been walled off. His undiagnosed Asperger’s makes life around people a challenge, but though he prefers the company of horses, Attila finds Kai’s presence tolerable—even refreshing.
When a client who rides at the stable with her daughter finds out Attila is “still gay,” she tries to run Kai off—and she doesn’t stop there. Mortified, her adult daughter runs away and falls victim to a dark figure from Kai’s past. Kai joins Attila in a rescue mission that tears the civilized masks off their hidden pasts.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3963
Review: Kai finds himself homeless on the streets of Pittsburgh and has finally found himself desperate enough to pick pockets. On his first attempt he gets sixty dollars and a cell phone and is surprised to get a text off the phone’s owner requesting the return of the phone. Kai finds his pride stung and he sets out to return the phone to its owner. Attila is a reclusive horse trainer, he prefers horses to humans, but when he meets Kai, the man who picked his pocket, there is something about the man he likes, and he gives him a job and a roof over his head. When one of Attila’s clients discovers Attila is still gay and refusing her advances, she causes trouble and her daughter runs away, only to fall victim to a figure from Kai’s past. When Kai and Attila both try to find her, they discover that they both have secrets from their pasts that clash.
This story is a great story of trust, finding love and your place in the world. Kai is twenty-four and has fallen on hard times. He is reduced to living on the streets and picks his first pocket. When the man whose pocket he picks sends him a message, it resounds within himself and he decides to do the right thing, and return the stolen phone. It leads him to a new life and a new purpose. Attila has his life in his phone, so when his pocket is picked, he sends a plea for his phone to be returned. When he gets his phone back, he also gets a man who is dehydrated and passed out. Seeing how Kai is with his wild stallion, Vermillion has Attila offering him a job and the two of them begin to get close. But, Kai is still skittish. So, when a client threatens him, his first thought is to run to protect Attila. But, Attila has gentled him enough that Kai confides in him.
I really enjoyed this story. It is pretty easy-going with how it is written and you quickly are pulled into their lives. Attila is quite a standoffish figure, but Kai quickly gets under his skin. Kai is like a wild animal, which has been treated badly, and he finds it hard to trust. Putting these two men together creates a wonderful story of building trust and love, with just a touch of tension. It is a dance between them, as they learn everything about each other. But, they both hold a secret part of their lives back. There are quite a few characters in this story that bring in conflict, doubts, and friendships. They also show Kai what family is all about.
The relationship aspect is really good, with some touching descriptions as they make love. They fall into an easy friendship before embarking on a sexual relationship and even then, they don’t rush it. I really loved how everything worked between them. It wasn’t instant love and they built up the trust between them, even if they held a little part of themselves back. The background story of the day-to-day running of a horse stable was really interesting and you fall in love with Vermillion (Cayenne) who is the horse equivalent of Kai. Just like Sensational Snowfall, (Sen) is the equivalent of Attila.
I recommend this to those that love easy enjoyable reads, finding trust and love, a touch of tension, conflict, danger, and a very happy ending.