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A review by stang_gt3
Cop Out by K.C. Burn
4.0
*hums happily to herself* Just how I like them. Solid 4.5 stars of sweetness. I really enjoyed this story. It was a sweet read and I enjoyed the depth of emotions and confusion within the characters. There’s very little action in this book for a cop storyline, but it’s unnecessary when backed by strong characters and internal conflict. The entire cast of characters here were a lot of fun and added to the strength of this novel.
Detective Kurt O’Donnell is surprised to find himself waking up in the hospital after a tip to his partner goes bad and ends with a bomb going off killing his partner and severely injuring Kurt. Still he’s even more stunned when at the funeral a couple shows up that Kurt has no clue who they are and they’re sitting in the family pew. Introducing himself he’s curious to see they’re brother and sister, but the pregnant woman doesn’t seem as devastated as the man who looks completely wrecked. Piecing things together like the good detective he is Kurt realizes his partner was never honest with him about his life. But Kurt is determined to be a better partner to Ben than Ben was to him. He’s going to make sure Ben’s life partner is taken care of even if Ben never felt he could introduce him to Kurt.
Davy’s grief has destroyed him. He can’t seem to break out of the emotional slump he’s in. When Ben’s partner on the force suddenly starts dropping around and prodding him out of his emotional doldrums Davy doesn’t know what to make of things. Ben and always been so careful to keep there personal life separate from anything and everything that might even hint that he was gay. Over the years Davy has pretty much ended up cut off from all his old friends and isolated from everything in order to keep Ben’s secret. Now with that string cut he’s floundering not sure what to do. Thankfully Kurt’s around to help pick up the pieces.
This is a lovely gay for you story. The pacing is slow but absolutely believable because of that. Davy is hurting badly and Kurt goes into things with the purest of intentions. He just wants to help the life partner of his partner on the force. He’d do the same if his partner’s significant other had been a woman so why should it be any different discovering he’s a man. I loved how secretively protective over his new found relationship Kurt was. He treasured the time he spent with Davy and I liked how, for story purposes, it set up some fantastic tension between the two as their relationship changed/developed.
There’s a very interesting dynamic between Davy and Kurt in that Davy seems, for much of the book to be the weaker needier character, he’s more submissive and Kurt does a lot to take care of Davy. It’s what he likes to do. But Kurt’s the virgin in his scenario and I enjoyed seeing how that was flipped on its head when things changed. I love the idea of these two together though. They’re just so sweet and Kurt’s weekly texts made my heart just plain ache for the boy.
If I had one small criticism of this book it would be this. I can understand and get behind the gay for you storyline. In point of fact I very much liked it for these two. I liked that Kurt was completely oblivious to the fact that he might find a guy attractive. I enjoyed watching him discover what his feelings for Davy really were. My problem then is to make Kurt do a one hundred and eighty degree about face and suddenly have him. I think I feel like gay for you is cool, but turned for you is strange. *headdesk* I don’t know, maybe I’m just crazy, but I didn’t feel like this story was about Kurt suddenly coming to terms with the idea that maybe he’s been gay all along so much as it was suddenly well I’m certainly going to be gay from now on even if you’re not in my life.
Otherwise I loved the build up the relationship here. The secondary characters were all fun. I do love me a big boisterous supportive family and those Irish Catholic boys get that in spades. :D Simon, Kurt’s new partner at work was a wonderful support system and I enjoyed seeing the development of their relationship as well. It was nice to see Kurt having that person that when the bottom finally fell out as all the emotional suppression just couldn’t stand the tension any more Simon was there to catch him.
I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. I do hope we get to see a little Davy and Kurt action in that book as the ending here felt a little rushed. Our lovely boys have spent most of the book apart, by the time they finally get together and everything’s ok between them it’s all being wrapped up and I was already sad at leaving two characters I’d come to enjoy. Still I loved the introduction to Ms. Burn’s writing and her smooth style was lovely to read. Can’t wait to be back for more. ☺
Detective Kurt O’Donnell is surprised to find himself waking up in the hospital after a tip to his partner goes bad and ends with a bomb going off killing his partner and severely injuring Kurt. Still he’s even more stunned when at the funeral a couple shows up that Kurt has no clue who they are and they’re sitting in the family pew. Introducing himself he’s curious to see they’re brother and sister, but the pregnant woman doesn’t seem as devastated as the man who looks completely wrecked. Piecing things together like the good detective he is Kurt realizes his partner was never honest with him about his life. But Kurt is determined to be a better partner to Ben than Ben was to him. He’s going to make sure Ben’s life partner is taken care of even if Ben never felt he could introduce him to Kurt.
Davy’s grief has destroyed him. He can’t seem to break out of the emotional slump he’s in. When Ben’s partner on the force suddenly starts dropping around and prodding him out of his emotional doldrums Davy doesn’t know what to make of things. Ben and always been so careful to keep there personal life separate from anything and everything that might even hint that he was gay. Over the years Davy has pretty much ended up cut off from all his old friends and isolated from everything in order to keep Ben’s secret. Now with that string cut he’s floundering not sure what to do. Thankfully Kurt’s around to help pick up the pieces.
This is a lovely gay for you story. The pacing is slow but absolutely believable because of that. Davy is hurting badly and Kurt goes into things with the purest of intentions. He just wants to help the life partner of his partner on the force. He’d do the same if his partner’s significant other had been a woman so why should it be any different discovering he’s a man. I loved how secretively protective over his new found relationship Kurt was. He treasured the time he spent with Davy and I liked how, for story purposes, it set up some fantastic tension between the two as their relationship changed/developed.
There’s a very interesting dynamic between Davy and Kurt in that Davy seems, for much of the book to be the weaker needier character, he’s more submissive and Kurt does a lot to take care of Davy. It’s what he likes to do. But Kurt’s the virgin in his scenario and I enjoyed seeing how that was flipped on its head when things changed. I love the idea of these two together though. They’re just so sweet and Kurt’s weekly texts made my heart just plain ache for the boy.
Spoiler
He knew he’d screwed up and didn’t know how, or if he was able, to fix it. Yet he couldn’t lose the one connection he had left with the man he loved even if he couldn’t even really admit that to himself yet.If I had one small criticism of this book it would be this. I can understand and get behind the gay for you storyline. In point of fact I very much liked it for these two. I liked that Kurt was completely oblivious to the fact that he might find a guy attractive. I enjoyed watching him discover what his feelings for Davy really were. My problem then is to make Kurt do a one hundred and eighty degree about face and suddenly have him
Spoiler
unable to be aroused by woman and finding the thought of other guys attractiveOtherwise I loved the build up the relationship here. The secondary characters were all fun. I do love me a big boisterous supportive family and those Irish Catholic boys get that in spades. :D Simon, Kurt’s new partner at work was a wonderful support system and I enjoyed seeing the development of their relationship as well. It was nice to see Kurt having that person that when the bottom finally fell out as all the emotional suppression just couldn’t stand the tension any more Simon was there to catch him.
I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. I do hope we get to see a little Davy and Kurt action in that book as the ending here felt a little rushed. Our lovely boys have spent most of the book apart, by the time they finally get together and everything’s ok between them it’s all being wrapped up and I was already sad at leaving two characters I’d come to enjoy. Still I loved the introduction to Ms. Burn’s writing and her smooth style was lovely to read. Can’t wait to be back for more. ☺