Book Review: Cop Out by K.C. Burn

Title: Cop Out
Series: Toronto Tales, Book 1
Author: K.C. Burn
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: review copy from publisher
Published: November 2011 by Dreamspinner Press

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?

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Absolutely wonderful, nuanced romance with fully developed characters and believable emotions.

The Set Up: Toronto Detective Kurt O’Donnell is injured in a bombing that killed his secretive partner. Kurt wants to help his murdered partner’s family which leads to the discovery of Davy, his partner’s secret boyfriend. Davy soon becomes more than a friend to Kurt but is this a relationship either men are ready for?

Why I Read this Book: Goodreads list junkie here and this book often turns up on Best of MM Romance lists so I had to read it.

What I Liked: I fell in love with both characters. Kurt is charming, humorous and full of heart. He’s a sincerely nice guy whose job has isolated him. Davy is a deeply vulnerable man but who doesn’t use his vulnerability to trap Kurt. I love the interaction between the two leads and their relationship development was lovely. The best part of their characters is the growth and change, both as individuals and as a couple. This book is told over a period of nearly two years and the characters and relationship need this time to develop believably and with integrity. I love how the author didn’t rush the intimacy as it wouldn’t have been what the injured Davy or the confused Kurt needed. This time allows the men to become the people they need to be in order to have a mature, fulfilling relationship.

What I Also Liked: I also love the secondary characters. Kurt is a baby of his big Irish Catholic family and his family is full of charmers. His new detective partner and partner’s wife are lovely characters as well. Davy’s friends, who he lost touch with, aren’t quite as nuanced but they still fit. Davy and Kurt’s romance happen in the context of their lives which include others and I love that realism.

What I Didn’t Like: There isn’t one thing that I would change about this book. Yes, there are some painful parts where Kurt and Davy hurt each other or themselves that are hard to read but even this makes sense for their characters and their emotional development.

IMO: This book deserves to be on the Best of MM Romance lists as it is on mine now.

J9’s Rating: