Plaid Versus Paisley

Fabric Hearts

By: KC Burn

Narrated by: David Ross

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Two years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene - the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn't know what's on Dallas' agenda, but he won't be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.

Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother's mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.

But Dallas doesn't realize how deep Will's distrust runs, and Will doesn't know that the man he's torn between loving and hating is the boss' brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?

©2016 KC Burn (P)2017 Dreamspinner Press

3.5 stars, nearly 4

Plaid Versus Paisley is the second book in the Fabric Hearts series but can easily be read as a standalone. There are cameos of the previous couple, but it’s never done in a way that left me confused or in the dark. This audiobook happened to be my first experience with the author and narrator, and I’ll certainly read and listen to both again.

The book has a bit of an enemies to lovers vibe, though it’s a different take on that trope. While Will and Dallas are undoubtedly at odds when they first begin working together in Florida, only Will thinks of them as enemies. This element added some uniqueness to the plot initially, but it eventually wore on me. In fact, Will drug this romance down for me as a whole, which was odd considering how much I liked the other characters.

Right from the start I liked Dallas and was hooked by his story, eager to learn what drove him from Connecticut to Florida. I really enjoyed the secondary characters as well, many of them injected humor and a fun vibe into the storyline. But Will. Though I tried to empathize with his situation, I struggled with him. I thought his reactions and presumptions were a bit ridiculous. His negativity and pessimism made him a difficult character to like and I often wondered why Dallas was so drawn to him beyond the physical attraction. That said, I did like how the reader got to see glimpses of another side of Will the longer he was with Dallas and- once they worked out all their issues- I thought the two of them made a great couple. The romance itself had a bit of an awkward, abrupt start, but it did morph into a pretty sweet romance with a good dose of heat to balance it out. I liked seeing both Will and Dallas come into their own over the course of the book and I appreciated that the book played out over an extended timeline. This gave the author an appropriate amount of time to develop the characters and advance the relationship at a regular pace, which was nice. Considering I liked the writing style and many of the secondary characters in Plaid Versus Paisley, I do plan to continue with the series.

As for the narrator, I found his diction and pacing good. Mr. Ross did use an odd rhythmic tempo that took some getting used to, but he delivered a solid performance with his narrative and added to the scenes. I think Plaid Versus Paisley is a good choice for readers looking for a sweet and spicy romance that has some conflict in it but isn’t overly angst-ridden.

*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*

I Heart this series!

Where does Plaid Versus Paisley rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A little over mid ways.. It's on the top of my sweet romance series.

What other book might you compare Plaid Versus Paisley to and why?

It, of course, compares to Tartan Candy book one but I think it also compares to many of the Dreamspun desires as it is a sweet, sexy romance.

What about David Ross’s performance did you like?

His smooth easy to listen to the voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Will is a Tech manager for a porn studio. He is overwhelmed with all the work and rarely has time for anything else. His boss keeps on him to hire more help, but Will doesn't want to risk some young man coming in and stealing his job. Again. So he keeps all the work to himself burying himself deeper and deeper.

Dallas is down on his luck, having lost his job, boyfriend, and kicked out of his family. He has just had surgery and is broke and homeless. He turns to his half-brother, Stefan. Stefan gives him a place to stay and hires him to help his tech manager at his porn studio, not knowing the extent of their past.


Plaid Versus Paisley is a book #2. Though this is Will's story, I suggest you read book #1 first (I didn't) and was lost at times. From the description of Tartan Plaid book # 1, it doesn't sound like Will is mentioned, but I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first one first.
Having said that. I really liked this book. I loved Dallas especially. At times Will grated on my nerves, but a good character should evoke emotion in their reader. I did understand his change in personality and why he would not want anyone else in his workspace. Sparks flew the moment these two reconnected, and that made the flames hotter when they connected physically.
I love a good enemies-to-lovers book, and that's why I chose this one. I wasn't disappointed either. It is also Older/man younger man and workplace romance two more of my favorite sub-genres.
If you like any of those genres and love a good romance with some hot man-sex, (Oh, I forgot to mention they work at a porn studio, so there are lots of hot studs), you will like this book.

Old Crush

Dallas has hit rock bottom but his brother will give him a home and a job. It will also give him a chance to reconnect with Will who he crushed on before. But as they start to work together there is a whole of unknowns that have to be explored. I love the fact that Dallas is so stubborn and persistent. And once again a strange mix of people become family for each other.

Loved!

Book & Author: Audiobook - Plaid Versus Paisley
Author: KC Burn
Narrator: David Ross
Rating: 5 Stars

I happened to read this book when it came out and even reviewed it here at Diverse Reader. I am just as impressed with the story after listening to it as I was after reading it. The characters in this story are ones that I’ve often thought back on, the special moments that have always stuck with him and being to revisit them again after all these months was great. They are just as strong characters as I remember and I immediately was drawn into the story.

You give me a story like this one, that has two characters who each are their own person, who have a personality that draws me in, a heart that gets me to care, a passion that keeps me on the edge of my seat...you give me those things, like KC Burns did in this story, and you'll have me hooked for the journey of getting to the HEA.

Dallas came from privilege, but it was the opposite of the life he wanted. He was drowning in that life. Hospitalizations and being kicked out by his family he runs to his brother, Stefan. His doubt and uncertainty in that relationship was clear right from the start, and I broke a little bit for him.

Will, on the other hand, lost his job, and his boyfriend blames Dallas for where he is now. Working at a porn studio. But what got me about him was his fear of losing it all again. Trying to do it all is killing him, but he refuses to back down.

Then Dallas was thrown into his lap, and he has no choice but tries to make the best of it, but to him, that’s avoidance at all costs.

The heat between those two guys was off the freaking charts. The UST was short lived with Will’s anger being the spark that ignites them. And man can they light the sheets up! Or the desk, the server room, the storage room. You name it; they made it hot. Dallas had a way of pushing Will. Sometimes slow and measured, sometimes with a kick in the pants. He needed to win Will over, not just in the job but in romance as well. And he knew he needed to be strong to stand tall for that fight. Will fought it, and feared it, and wanted it all the same.

David Ross is a really great job with these characters. I love a narrator that can show me who the characters are through the tone and voice alone and he succeeded in doing just that. His flow and pacing were spot on. It was my first time listening to him, and it won't be the last. David really added some layers to the story which is one of the things I love about audiobooks.

*I received a copy of this book through http://diversereader.blogspot.com/*