Denim (A Material World #4) by K.C. Wells - A Review

Release Date: June 8, 2018

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Available through KU

Blurb

Harry has no illusions about himself. He looks in the mirror and sees a fat, ugly bloke who’s gone stale at the age of thirty-five. He wasn’t always like this–in his early twenties, he was into clubbing, dating, just like any other gay guy in London–but since he moved in to look after his mum, and her subsequent death, he’s let himself go. Besides, there’s no one to make an effort for, so why bother, right? 

Then a construction site worker starts whistling at him every morning on his way to the office…

Tony thinks Harry is one of the sexiest bears he’s ever seen. But when he finally gets to talk to Harry, Tony soon realizes that getting to know him is going to take some effort. Not that the prospect puts him off‒Tony loves a challenge, and he’s not about to give up on Harry.

Review

Denim is a most adorable story. It is almost a study in contrasts, especially when the story begins. Harry is so very down on himself. He can’t see the good or the beautiful in himself and refuses to believe anyone else might see him differently.

Tony, on the other hand, is a good-natured bloke with the biggest heart. And he knows a beautiful bear when he sees one. He doesn’t give up easily either, which is just as well because it Harry is slow to acknowledge him and even slower to take him seriously when he expresses an interest in Harry.

What follows is a most wonderful description of Harry crawling/being coaxed out of his shell and starting to believe—in Tony. In himself. And eventually, in the two of them together. It is impossible not to fall for Tony—hard. He’s determined without being pushy. He has a big and loud mouth which doesn’t quite manage to disguise his generous heart. His concern for and interest in all of who Harry is had me smiling most of my way through this book.

When the story starts, Harry is rather glum. He doesn’t really like himself and that makes him stand-offish. It is only as Tony teases him out of his shell that we realise that Harry has a heart at least as big as Tony’s. But it transformations don’t happen over-night and some of Harry’s decisions as he started to fall for Tony were hard for me to read. I have to admit I found myself screaming “stop being stupid” at him on more than one occasion. Which of course only meant I cared even more, and smiled even bigger when he at last came to his senses (with Tony’s assistance…of course).

Before the previous paragraph makes you think this is an angsty read, let me reassure you. While there are a few soul-searching moments in this story, overall I would call this a delightful, charming, heartwarming, and uplifting story. And that is before I mention the picture perfect epilogue.

Suffice to say that Denim is a very worthy addition to the A Material World series. And while this story completely stands on its own, I do recommend the three earlier titles as wholeheartedly as I do this book.

My reviews of the previous titles: Lace | Satin | Silk

Silk (A Material World #3) by K.C. Wells

65000 words

Publisher: Island Tales Press

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Blurb

Matt Dorning likes his life just the way it is. Escorting provides him with enough money to live in his favorite city, New York, and he’s been doing it long enough that he knows the rules: don’t give it away when there’s always someone who'll pay for it; always leave them wanting more; and never, never lose your heart to a client.

Lucas Sawyer is about to challenge all Matt’s rules. He’s a beautiful man who shouldn’t need to pay for sex, and yet Matt knows he’s the latest hooker in a long line. Lucas lives a life Matt can only dream of, but it doesn’t appear to make him happy: there’s something going on beneath that poised, self-assured exterior. And Matt also knows that his time with Lucas won’t last forever - escorts have a certain shelf life where he’s concerned.

So what happens when the man who doesn’t ‘do’ relationships, starts to question his life? Lucas is about to embark on a journey of self discovery…and Matt’s life is about to get messy…

Although this is part of the Material World series, it is a stand alone novella. Expect sex, silk, and sensuality.

Review

I’m facing a bit of a dilemma. You see, I absolutely adored this story. For me it is most definitely the best in the ‘A Material World’ series so far. So, I could easily gush about this book for several long paragraphs. On the other hand, I would love for you to discover all the joys this story brings for yourself. We’ll see what happens once I start my review proper.

Because there is a lot to gush about in this book. Both Lucas and Matt are wonderful and very easy to like characters. The interactions between them, right from the first moment they meet, were inspired, entertaining, and for the most part brought a huge grin to my face. Even when communication appears to break down, as it is bound to do with two men who don’t really know each other too well yet, it wasn’t in a frustrating — I want to smack their heads together — sorta way. In fact, I have to admit that I fell hard for both Matt and Lucas almost as soon as they were first introduced to me.

Sexy times between these men, you ask? Scorching is the first word that springs to mind, but it is closely followed by tender, sweet, and heartwarming. As Matt and Lucas’s ‘relationship’ changes from purely business to something more, even if neither of them can figure out exactly what form that ‘more’ might take initially, so does the intimacy between them. In my mind this was a perfect example of the sex scenes enhancing the story and pushing it forward.

Of course life is never just plain sailing, and neither are relationships in romantic novels, so Matt and Lucas do walk into one or two roadblocks on their way towards each other. Lucas, the einzelgänger, has to come to terms with the fact that he does want and need a partner in his life after all, while Matt needs to figure out if and/or how his escorting is going to fit in with having Lucas in his life. The issues are real and while the solutions appear obvious, both men need to come to terms with the changes in their feelings and lives before everything falls into place.

While the relationship between Lucas and Matt definitely falls under the ‘May to December’ header, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t a main thread in this story. The age difference is mentioned once or twice but at no point does it provide a roadblock as far as these two men are concerned. I do love it when a story does not follow a predictable path.

The secondary characters in this book were fabulous. I can’t honestly say that surprised me; K.C. Wells is in a league of her own when it comes to writing memorable side characters. In this case I would love to add both Angela (Matt’s sister) and Grandma Diane (Lucas’s grandmother) to my list of people I wouldn’t mind meeting in real life — provided they’d bring Matt and Lucas along. J

I don’t usually say anything about the cover of the books I read in my reviews. I’m not a very visual person and just don’t tend to pay a lot of attention to them. In this case though, even that is worth at least some gushing; not only are the men on this cover stunning and hot, they are also exactly how I imagined Lucas and Matt.

I guess I ended up producing a gush fest after all. Maybe that was unavoidable. To summarize it all: If you’re looking for a story that’s going to make you smile and laugh out loud, a tale where you’ll fall in love with both MCs, and a addictive feel good read, I highly recommend Silk. I do hope there’ll be more ‘A Material World’ books in the not too distant future.

Related Reviews: Lace | Satin

Satin (A Material World #2) by K.C. Wells

180 pages

Cover artist: Meredith Russell

Buy links: Amazon.com | Amazon UK

Available on KU

Blurb

Can a touch of Satin bring a straight copper to his knees?

Detective Joel Hunter is on surveillance when he first lays eyes on Satin, the singer with the amazing voice, which is as beautiful as she is. But when the stake-out comes to an end, he can’t resist going back to the bar. He gets a shock when he learns what lies beneath the satin dress, but an even bigger one when he realizes he’s attracted to the owner of that sultry voice - Ross Dauntry. 

Ross can’t figure out why the cop keeps coming back, even after he’s learned the truth. Is Joel attracted to him, or to Satin? Because the answer is important, and one way or another, Ross needs to know…

46,000 words. A standalone novella of satin and sensuality... 

Although this story is in the same series as Lace, you will not find Dave and Shawn in these pages - Joel and Ross provide enough heat of their own. 

Review

Before I get into my review proper of this charming, delightful, and sexy story I want to say that while Satin may be the second book in a series, there is no reason why you couldn’t read it as a stand-alone. That’s not to say that I don’t urge you to read Lace too, but you can do on either side of reading Satin.

The problem with giving five stars to a book is that officially you can’t go any higher. And I have to admit that no matter how much I adored Lace, I loved Satin even more. I felt closer to the main characters in this book, I got a bit more drawn into their dilemmas. In fact, and I might as well be honest about it, I fell a little bit in love with both Joel and Ross while reading Satin.

I loved that the big issue in this story wasn’t Joel’s bisexuality. It may take him a short while to get his head around the fact that for the first time ever he wants to act on the attraction for another man he feels, he doesn’t obsess about it or try to deny it. No, the angst in this story is the result of both men’s past experiences with (failed) relationships. Ross doesn’t trust Joel’s reasons for being attracted to him and, after that issue has been result doesn’t believe he will stick around. Joel, on the other hand, has a hard time believing that it is possible to fall hard, fast, and deeply for someone he’s only known for a few weeks. It takes these two men a while before they get their acts together and talk and listen to each other for long enough to realise that they’re actually on the same page. But their journey towards that point is intriguing, at times very hot, and both humorous and angsty in just the right proportion.

As I’ve come to expect from this author the secondary characters were a refreshing, necessary and delightful addition to the story. Just as it wasn’t a surprise that the writing smoothly pulled me along, or that the story captivated me. By this stage I’m pretty sure in the knowledge that when I pick up a book by K.C. Wells I’m about to start a story I will lose myself in. Satin once again confirmed all those qualities.

Related review: Lace