Cop Out

Toronto Tales, Book 1

By: KC Burn

Narrated by: Tristan James

Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Kurt O'Donnell is used to digging up other people's secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had.

His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality. Then a sensual encounter neither man is ready for confuses them further. To be with Davy, Kurt must face the prospect of coming out, but his job and his relationship with his Catholic family are on the line. Can he risk destroying his life for the uncertain possibility of a relationship with a newly widowed man?

©2011 K. C. Burn (P)2014 Dreamspinner Press

A sweet cop out

I got this book because I love listening to Tristan James, and he did not fail me. Having said that the love story goes nowhere - fast or slow. Kurt and Davy, meet and become friends; then Kurt figures out he wants Davy but he's "Not Gay" this drives a wedge between them and the second half of the book is all about Kurt figuring his life out. Davy comes back into the picture because Kurt gets hurt and they live happily every after, the end...........*sigh* another author of gay romance stuck on the het romantic trope (find/lose/find) For men in uniform I much prefer the Cut and Run series.

Monologue

Hard to difference the characters because the narrator has the same tone. His nasal, deep voice make it difficult to switch from character to character. Not happy with the book because of that.

Nice fiction although quite unrealistic.

What made the experience of listening to Cop Out the most enjoyable?

The voice of the narrator was kind of sexy. I thought his imitation of the Irish accent was charming/funny.

What other book might you compare Cop Out to and why?

I haven't read or listened to any other book like it.

Have you listened to any of Tristan James’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Who was the most memorable character of Cop Out and why?

The main character of course. The other are "very" secondary.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed it, but it seems hard to think that someone, especially a cop, has reached that age without giving any kind of thought about having sex with another man. It also seems unrealistic that he dealt with it with such ease. It was enjoyable though.

Not one of my favorites

I struggle to finish this book I love the narrator love this performance of the characters

Loved it!

*Audiobook edition*

Okay, I won't beat around the bush. I loved this.

But will you love it too? I don't know.

This book fits my very particular and specific tastes. I'll read almost anything, M/F, M/M, paranormal, historical, sci-fi... you name it, I'll read it. However, my true love remains a good old fashioned gay-for-you. I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times- give me a gay virgin and I'm a happy camper!

"Cop Out" was 100% in my wheelhouse.

If you are looking for a cop story with a lot of detective work or a romantic suspense plot, look elsewhere. The fact that one of the MCs is a cop is more background information than anything else. There is no mystery and little focus on the job.

If you are looking for a book with lots of sex, also look elsewhere. While the sex scenes in this book were squirm-in-my-seat hot, they were very infrequent.

If you are looking for a fast-paced read, pass this one up. It is an agonizingly slow burn romance with a plot that takes its sweet time to develop.

However, if you are like me and you love the struggle, the inner tension of a GFY, the slow, slow burn of a romance, and some amazing chemistry between two men going through some extreme life changes, then you should not let this one slip through your fingers.

What really made this perfect for me was the narrator, Tristan James. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I'm very picky about my narrators. This narrator was awesome. He had a perfect voice for the part and I'd rank him as one of my favorite M/M narrators to date.

An excellent GFY and another 5 star audiobook for me.

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

I didn't even mind the angst.

If you could sum up Cop Out in three words, what would they be?

Emotional, engaging, sexy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kurt. I loved how much he grew from the beginning of the story to the end.

Which scene was your favorite?

Well, the scene in Davey's living room where they wound up on the floor was fantastic!

Who was the most memorable character of Cop Out and why?

Ian. I can't wait for his story.

Any additional comments?

Detective Kurt O'Donnell is having a very bad week. First he and his partner are blown up on their way to a scene, then Kurt wakes up in the hospital with the details of the event blurring in his mind. Out of the hospital and trying to heal both mentally and physically, Kurt attends his former partners funeral only to find out that after 3 years working side by side almost daily, putting his life in the hands of his partner, he didn't know the man at all.

Davy spent 10 years under the thumb of a controlling lover. He wasn't abusive per say, but he kept Davy hidden away all but ashamed to admit his sexuality, going as far as to urge Davy to cut all his friends out of his life. Still, Davy loved the man and mourns the loss when he is killed on the job. What's odd and unnerving is when his dead lover's partner on the force starts showing up unannounced with groceries, dinner and movies.

The two grow closer and more comfortable with each other with each passing day, both of them almost ashamed that they actually look forward to spending time together watching hockey games, eating dinner and drinking a few beers. When Kurt starts to explore the idea that his arrow may not be so straight, Davy pulls away and cuts off all contact. That is until Kurt is hurt during a drug bust and Davy rushes to his side, but is it too little too late?

This story was so engrossing that I didn't even mind the angst. You really get to see Kurt and Davy meet, become friends, grow closer and slowly, excruciatingly almost, fall for each other. The elephant in the room, Kurt's dead partner, Davy's dead lover, threatens to suffocate the slow burning flame growing between them though. I really felt like I was there, riding shotgun with these two, the depth of story telling and engaging the reader with the plot and twists was that good. Tristan James narration only added to the appeal of the story. He is multi-vocal and holds an army of tones and accents in his arsenal. My favorite from him is always the Irish accent, it's so perfect and he also has the ability to change each character, even if only a fraction, so you always know who's head you are in at the time.

If you like stories with action, suspense, intrigue and slow building love, then this is a must listen!

Taking Care of Your Partner's Partner

This was a new plot for me in GFY but it worked well in my opinion. Detective Kurt O’Donnell was injured in an explosion that killed his work partner Ben. As a good partner, Kurt decided to extend himself to Ben's family but quickly realized that he didn't know anything about Ben's family. So Kurt went in search of Ben's family and this is when Kurt realized that Ben wasn't who he thought he was.
First of all, Kurt had no idea that Ben was gay nor did he know about the partner Davy. Second, when he got to know Davy and how Ben treated Davy, Kurt felt guilty and tried to help Davy pick up the pieces of his devastated life.

The mourning of Ben made Kurt and Davy get close and soon Kurt, who is straight, found himself having sexual fantasies about Davy. But Kurt couldn't act on them because he is catholic, plus the fact that he wasn't gay. Besides, after what Davy went through with Ben, a closeted detective was not something Davy wanted to experience again. Is being friends enough?

I liked Kurt and I especially liked how close his family was. I loved Kurt's new work partner and that relationship was obviously more valuable and way more supportive than what he had with Ben. I liked how compassionate Ben was overall, especially considering that he sent texts for over 6 months with no reply. I am ambivalent about Davey. I just didn't feel like I got a good sense of who he was. He was just really weak but that was understandable since his partner for 6 years was just murdered, who wouldn't be feeling so low? He obviously had friends and a real life before because they all popped back in once the barrier (Ben) wasn't in the picture. So I know he must have been a great guy before his self-esteem was smashed. Maybe we will see more of him in the next book

Tristan James has the BEST voice - really sweet

Kurt was the partner (cop) to Ben who was in the closet and essentially married to Davy. When Ben dies, Kurt learns of these secrets and helps Davy cope with his grief.

Beyond the help, Kurt and Davy lean on one another and become friends – then Kurt’s feelings change, though he’s never been attracted to a man before.

But it’s not that easy, Davy doesn’t want to be in the closet anymore and is Kurt really ready to identify as bi or gay?

**

This is such a compelling story! At first I was frustrated by Ben’s secrecy when the book takes place in Toronto where gay marriage has been legalized for years, but Davy and Kurt acknowledge that and put the onus on Ben and his own paranoia.

There was some uncomfortable moments when Kurt and Davy get together for the first time but that, too, is explained a bit later on.

It’s a very slow burn and actually very low steam story but the deep emotional connection forged between Davy and Kurt is real and makes the scenario feel very organic and authentic. I especially appreciated the time frame – nothing was rushed.

Audio

Tristan James, however, MAKES this. He’s amazing! His accents and his sensual voice are such a pleasure. He brings emotion and depth to this and really takes it to a higher level.

I really enjoyed this when it came out and my re-listen was even more enjoyable. Highly recommended!

4.5 of 5 stars

Not what I expected, but good

Minor spoilers, here.

First of all, I've seen this described as a "gay for you" (or GFY) book, and while it can definitely be put into that category, I feel like there should be a distinction drawn between the GFY character saying "I'm straight but I'm attracted to one dude" and "I THOUGHT I was straight but this dude made me realize that I'm gay (or bi)," because those are two radically different conceits. This book is in the latter category, which is far more realistic, or as realistic as a GFY story can possibly be. Kurt's sexual awakening takes up the bulk of the second half of the book, and while that wasn't what I expected, it wasn't a bad thing either.

In fact, this book works much better if you think of it as about that, and not as a romance, although it IS a romance, never fear. I was all set to give it five stars until about halfway through the book when things drastically changed. The first half focused on Kurt's increasingly less platonic relationship with Davy, but Davy as a character is largely absent after the midway point and Kurt is left to deal with his burgeoning sexual crisis largely on his own (the book is told entirely from Kurt's point of view). It was still a great book, but it was such a jarring change in tone from the first half that it left me with a slightly sour taste for a while.

Tristan James did a great job. He's a narrator I've heard before, and although his voice itself is not particularly memorable to me, neither does he ever detract in any way from my enjoyment of an audiobook, even if his voice for Davy and his gay friends was a bit too effeminate for my taste. Altogether I really enjoyed this book and would listen to it again, and recommend it to anyone who finds the plot interesting.

Loved It!

Simply and stunningly beautiful! Loved everything about it! KC Burn has a new fan and Tristan James proves yet again that he's the best narrator in the business!