K.C. Burn

Plaid verses Paisley by K. C. Burn
Fabric Hearts series #2. M-M romance with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alone.
Dallas asks his brother for a room as a last resort to recover from an illness that changed his life. His brother stepped up and gave Dallas a job as well as support. It’s only after Dallas has started his new job, that he realizes he’s worked with his new boss in the past.
Will isn’t happy to see Dallas. He blames Dallas for losing his job at that last place, and doesn’t welcome the intrusion now. As they work together, their attraction to the other grows until confrontation is inevitable.

From zero to sixty in seconds. Super steamy as the two can’t keep their hands off each other as they figure out work relationships and future.… (mais)

Six months ago Devlin’s best friend and band mate died. Since then, he’s been existing in a kind of daze, sleeping on his mother’s couch and avoiding anything to do with his old band. He decides to go back to school but doesn’t really have much direction career wise. So, he takes a few random classes hoping to find inspiration. Archeology is one of those classes, and his sexy-nerd professor, Jack Johnson is just the distraction he needs to avoid dealing with his grief. Trouble is, Jack is such a fan of Devlin’s band that he sings in a cover band. Jack finds himself falling for the ex-rocker who likes to needle him in class, but Devlin has been clear that he wants nothing to do with any mention of his old life. With that...the foundation for our “misunderstanding” is created. I absolutely loved the character of Professor Jack Johnson. He was such an unexpected personality. I was impressed, and kudos to K. C. Burn for making it work. His personalities included the hot nerd professor, the punkrock singer and the mad fanboy. Every one of those personas somehow melded seamlessly. I wasn't as impressed with Devlin. His grief felt overdone, and I didn't understand his reactions. Obviously, other readers may really feel for him and sympathize. That’s not to say that I disliked Devlin, I just found it difficult to understand him. His mother, however, was a glowing secondary character that I loved instantly. I enjoyed this story, but it lacked something to make me say I loved it, which is unusual for a K,C. Burn story. I think in the end it was all just too predictable...but the majority of romance books are no matter if they are M/F or M/M. It was a good story, by a really good author, and I will read it again, I'm sure.… (mais)

Hayden, at the beginning, was so relatable as somebody whose fear of rejection and abandonment lead him to make some really toxic friends, which deepened his insecurities and made him afraid to show who he really was. Jez’s desperation to find a new life away from his abusive ex led him to beg his brother Miguel for a place to stay, who then asks Hayden to put Jez up, as Hayden has a house while Miguel is just renting a room, which allows Hayden to see the freedom he is missing and eventually make some needed changes in his life. There was so much to like about this little book, (13 short chapters). The complexity and depth of the characters were fantastic, and I cheered at how Hayden grew from somebody who was uneasy in his skin to being comfortable and willing to help others...and to stand up for himself and others like him. K.C. Burn put a new twist on the "opposites-attract" theme with the more straight-seeming Hayden falling for the flamboyant and unapologetic Jez. With his acceptance of Jez and then acceptance of himself, he (and we) discovers that they weren't so different after all. The story itself speaks a lot about not judging people. Not by who they hang out with, or their actions...or who they choose to love. Miguel’s character reveal really drove home how we tend to come to conclusions based on the bias of how we perceive things to be...not how they may actually be. I also enjoyed how, rather than jumping in and be the heroes of the day when going to deal with Jez’s abusive ex, the couple took a step back and let the police calmly deal with the situation....and that the police didn't just write it off...even when they were presented with reasons why they might have. The author provided an amazing sub-plot that tied everything up very nicely. In a nutshell... Set Ablaze is a novel that looks at acceptance of who we are and how the people we surround ourselves with can and do, influence and change that acceptance. Oh yes...it also had a very cute little dog:)… (mais)