Cast Off

Toronto Tales, Book 3

By: K. C. Burn

Narrated by: Tristan James

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Thirty-five-year-old Rick Haviland is a well-respected speech pathologist, but while his friends are all settling into relationships, he refuses to give up his no-strings-attached club-boy sex life. For him, relationships are dangerous; he's got a secret to hide. When he meets Ian O'Donnell, an account manager with a local tabloid, Rick figures his personal rules for relationships should be enough to keep him safe from more than a one-night stand.

When Ian comes out of the closet, tired of anonymous hook-ups and keeping secrets from his large Catholic family, Rick is right there, and he's just the sort of man Ian might like to get to know better. Their attraction is immediate, electric and mutual. Ian convinces Rick to break more and more of his rules, and his defenses crumble. But someone watches, someone who'd like to see this new relationship fail. When Ian's job becomes a means to expose Rick's secret, it could destroy both their careers and their hearts.

©2013 KC Burn (P)2014 Dreamspinner Press

I absolutely loved this story! Loved Tristan Janes

Loved Tristan James narration. I loved his characterizations of all of Ian's family and Rick too.

Best of the series!

Would you consider the audio edition of Cast Off to be better than the print version?

Haven't read it, but I absolutely loved the Audio book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cast Off?

Ian calmly listening to Rick tell his story, then refusing to walk away.

Which character – as performed by Tristan James – was your favorite?

Ian. I loved how he was always so cool, calm and collect. But when he does finally lose it Rick doesn't know what to do without his always calm and in control Ian.

If you could take any character from Cast Off out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Ian, he was such a doll setting up all those "dates" with Rick.

Any additional comments?

Rick Haviland doesn't do attachments. He does one night stands and occasionally, finds a friend that is willing to share the benefits of a hook-up only kind of relationship. But as soon as a guy starts acting like a "keeper", their name is scratched off the list. Meeting Ian O'Donnell changes everything. Rick keeps his past tucked away, never revealing his whole self to anyone, not even his best friends. That shadow that looms over Rick is what has kept him from getting to close to anyone, but Ian slowly breaks down all Rick's barriers and he finds himself wanting more with someone for the first time ever.

Ian is no stranger to keeping secrets, he hid his sexuality from everyone he knew until recently. When his brother, Curt, who is also Ian's best friend, came out to their family Ian was pissed. Not at Curt mind you, but at himself for not having the courage at the time to do the same. From the start, Ian wants more than just a casual hook-up kind of relationship with Rick, but he recognizes the look of sheer terror in Rick's eyes at just the mention of anything to do with any type of commitment. So Ian works the friends angle instead. The man is actually courting Rick, and Rick doesn't even realize it. But darkness in your past is never forgotten and not easily washed away. When Rick's past invades his present, it could destroy them both.

This is probably my favorite book of this series. Ian was definitely the stronger of the two men, both physically and emotionally. That being said, I liked that he was the one that kind of had blinders on when usually, it would have been the other way around. Ian is so focused on Rick that he doesn't see when another guy is blatantly flirting. And then Rick decides to ignore what he sees when someone is slashing his tires, keying his car and setting his porch on fire. Both men are forced to pay attention when Rick receives an envelope of very revealing images. While the images could destroy both men's careers as well as Rick's entire world, they force Rick to be completely open and honest with Ian about his past. Again, I really liked the way this played out. Rick is convinced that Ian will duck and run, cast him off just like everyone always does when they learn the truth. But Ian is already completely committed, he digs his heels in a stays.

Opposites definitely attract in this book, narrated by Tristan James, and he really brought the characters to life. He nails the Irish brogue perfectly any time he speaks it, and he has these subtle shifts in his voice that alert the listener to a change in the characters attitude or mood. You also don't have to wonder who is speaking as James clearly changes tone and inflection from one character to another. The series as a whole is very well written, the various characters are all part of the same family and close knit circle of friends. So I would not only recommend you giving this one a read or a listen, I would recommend doing so in order so you can fully appreciate the books as the Author intended.

B rating overall....

My Review:
Overall.... 4.00
Performance... 3.75
Story.... 4.00

This was an interesting story. There were things about it that I really enjoyed, although there were a few things that didn't quite work for me.

What was great...
*the whole story line of Ian and how he dealt with his brother's coming out really worked for me. I felt for the poor guy who's been hiding in the closet for so long. But I also really liked how when he decided to come out that he was fully committed to doing that...and in turn to Rick.
*the backstory of why Rick is so commitment phobic worked for me
*I liked Rick and Ian together and how Ian decides to use stealth to sway Rick into getting into a relationship.

What didn't work for me...
*Rick as the aging party boy got kind of old. If he was that worried about it, all he had to do was stop with the act.
*The stalker story line was a little weak. There were possibilities where it could have gone a different way and been really good, but then the author didn't take the story there, instead choosing the easier route.

Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook. There were a few ups and downs and I wasn't a fan of when the narrator took Rick into his over the top flamboyant style...but that was Rick's character. I just think I would have enjoyed that aspect more if I'd read the book on my own rather than listening to it.

good story. good narration

The first book in this series builds on Kurt's connection to his family. I enjoyed how that connection played an important role in how he handled the conflicts he encountered. The second book in this series included characters from the first book, but didn't focus on family quit as much. This book draws more from the first one because it focuses on Kurt's older brother Ian. I enjoyed this book a little more than the second because of the focus on family. The author really seems to shine when creating emotional stories about the importance of family connections whether you are born with them or you build them.

The narrator has a wonderful voice, and the performance is decent although there are a few odd pauses and emphasis on the wrong parts of a sentence from time to time.

Not nearly as good as the first in the series.

I'm beginning to think Cop Out was a fluke. I loved that book and was SO excited to read all the others in the series. Sadly, neither of the two other books lived up to the first.

I'll start with the positives. I have a thing for the audiobook narrator for this series, Tristan James, and his wide range of voices. Though he was slightly off his game in this book (kind of lacking emotion), I still enjoyed his take on this story. I also liked re-visiting the Toronto Tales world, seeing the MCs from the first in the series, and seeing Ian's big family again. It felt sweet to me, like coming home.

I think that the story was pleasant enough, with lots of potential, but it had some missteps that made my rating go way down.

First of all, I hated the whole "mystery" element. It was dumb and, in the end, really made light of a serious series of criminal acts. It also came out of left field, and I was left with more than a few questions about logistics and motivations. I won't say much more because I don't want to give away spoilers, but it just didn't work for me.

Aside from that, I wasn't feeling Rick and Ian together. I'm all for slow burn romances (they are my favorite) but this book dragged on and on for me. It took forever for anything real to happen between the two MCs, and I was a bit bored, to be honest. I thought that all of Rick's hangups were irritating, and I know he was supposed to be a sympathetic character but I didn't really "get" him. In reality, I really felt bad for Ian for having to maneuver through all of Rick's crap.

Though it wasn't a bad story, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I was expecting to. Rick was too immature and Ian was too "blah" for me to get emotionally connected.

*Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Not as good as the last book but not bad either.

What made the experience of listening to Cast Off the most enjoyable?

Tristan James. He's my favorite narrator of all I've listened to so far and he made even the slow, draggy parts pleasant. I liked how he made each character sound distinctive and how he injected emotions into some of the scenes without overdoing it (unlike the narrator for Hot Head who overdid it... Still have bad memories about that one)

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well... My favorite character is actually Parker from the second book who had a brief cameo in this one. Yes, Ian and Rick were likable enough... But to borrow Ian's own words, they were both Drama Llamas in this one.

What does Tristan James bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Just excellent narration all around. If I was reading this on my own, I would have put it aside during some of the boring parts (of which there were quite a few) and probably would have taken longer to finish it. But with Tristan James narrating, I listened to it in one sitting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sometimes a one night stand can turn into a keeper.

Nice sequel

This is the 3rd book of the series. However, I read the first book (Cop Out) and I think this book is really the sequel to the first book as it involves Kurt's brother Ian, who makes appearances in Cop Out. I haven't read the 2nd book, but reading the 1st helps with this one. Now the review. I really enjoyed this book and Tristan James as the narrator is just wonderful. Since this also involves a big Irish family, his wonderful brogue makes an appearance. I also like that we get both MCs POV. The relationship between Ian and Rick is a complicated one because of Rick's past. The blurb implies that Ian's "coming out" is a big part of the story, but it really isn't. It is primarily a story of Rick overcoming the "rules" he has imposed on all his relationships and taking a chance with Ian. And the author does a cute little twist at the end so it is not totally predictable. I connected with both MCs and enjoyed their journey to finding love. Worth a credit.

Bi-sexual novel of extremly elegant taste.

It doesn't matter what sex you are. This books material can fit into your life. Married or unmarried in can help any relationship. A must read for anyone.
W. Sparks

Tristan James is wonderful again!

Ian is Kurt’s brother who recently came out when Kurt announced his new relationship. He and Rick had hooked up once, before they know who they were to each other, and now things can either be awkward or avoided. Rick wants to avoid it, Ian wants to make it something more.
Ian tells Rick he wants to be friends, not just a f**k-buddy, so the two go out on platonic “dates”, making Rick crazy and justifying to Ian that there’s more to Rick than meets the eye.
In the background there’s a little drama about someone trying to scare Rick – is it an ex? A stalker? Someone dangerous? Just neighbor kids?
Because of the insistence on nothing physical, the steam doesn’t pick up til near the end, but what we get is pretty hot!
Rick is a fun character, although I was a bit bothered by his constant pushing away of Ian. At what point is enough proof enough?! But… I can mostly understand why he did it, I just think it was a bit too much.
Ian is just a great guy and so good at keeping Rick grounded. They make a great pair.
Tristan James is wonderful again, giving us the Irish family members as well as a lovely deep, growly voice for Ian and a perfect, snarky voice for Rick.
This was absolutely my second favorite – by a mile! – and a close runner-up with number one as far as favorites in this series.

Highly recommended!
4.25 of 5 stars for the book and the audio

Shallow But Sweet

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes. I enjoyed listening to this one. The narrator was really great. His voice was sexy.

What could K. C. Burn have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It was a little shallow. But I guess this is really typical of the genre. I guess I was looking for more because the characters were really interesting. Well, Rick was.

Which scene was your favorite?

Eh, I guess when Rick opened up for the first time.

Did Cast Off inspire you to do anything?

Not really? What?