Reviewed by Tammy

TITLE: Just Add Argyle

SERIES: Fabric Hearts, #3

AUTHOR: KC Burn

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 218 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2017

BLURB:

Tate Buchanan is a troublemaker who can’t keep a job, no matter how many times his lucky argyle sweater gets him hired. Add to that a learning disability and an impetuous nature that sends him into altercations to protect the defenseless, and he hardly manages to make friends, let alone find a man who’s interested in him for more than one night.

Most people think EMT Jaime Escobar is a player, but the truth is he wants a serious partner—he just can’t justify wasting time on guys he knows aren’t a match. But when he treats a gorgeous redhead after a fight, he finds the spark he’s spent so many years looking for.

Jaime wants to take the next step with Tate, but it’s clear Tate’s not going to curb his impulsive behavior—his next fight sends him to the hospital. Jaime’s relationship with a near criminal isn’t something his family is ready to accept, not any more than Tate is willing to be kept a secret. Jaime will need a lot of understanding—and some luck of his own—to keep them both. But this is one fight he’s going to see through to the end.

REVIEW:

Tate Buchanan has worn the label of a troublemaker for so long that he thinks that is what he is.

When Tate is fired from another job he’s let go too early in the evening for him to safely return to his house. He knows his mother will be awake at that hour, she won’t have passed out yet from all the drugs and alcohol yet! To avoid a confrontation and because the library is closed for the day Tate decides to go to a rest area to wait out the time until he can safely go home. Except when he walks into the park Tate discovers his friend Kris being assaulted by two men who are considerably bigger than both. If there’s one thing Tate can’t stand it’s when someone, especially gay men are being assaulted or picked on so Tate picks up a piece of wood and goes in swinging to protect Kris, luckily, he only ends up getting a black eye before the police arrive.

When Jaime Escobar and his partner Angelica arrive at a call-out, Jaime isn’t sure what to make of the scene, one little guy against two bigger men and one of the bigger ones is unconscious on the ground! As the EMT’s Jaime and his partner check over the victims first, Kris was very lucky Tate had intervened before he was raped, Tate was lucky in so far as he only had a few bruises besides a black eye. Several days after that call-out Jaime still can’t get Tate off his mind so he decides to see if he can find him by returning to the scene of the fight. He doesn’t find Tate bit he does find Kris who takes Jaime’s phone number to give to Tate.

Tate can’t believe the gorgeous EMT wants to meet him but when they meet Jaime asks him on a date! Tate and Jaime have been dating for a while when Tate gets into a huge fight and Jaime must bail him out of jail. When Jaime learns that Tate was defending a gay youth from an assault that was so brutal it resulted in the youth being hospitalized he is so proud of him but he wish’s Tate would use something other than his fists. Several days later Tate ends up in surgery because of the fight and suddenly, he’s fighting for his own life. Jaime goes to Tate’s place to inform his mother what has happened to Tate and discovers exactly why Tate has never allowed him near the place!

Jaime moves Tate into his place regardless of the fact that they’ve only been dating for six weeks, he decides they haven’t done anything “normally “ so far so why should they start now!!

It’s during Tate’s recovery that Jaime discovers that Tate has a learning disability called dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is very rare but the belief is that it’s caused by excessive consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. This disability is a brain-based condition that makes it hard to make sense of numbers and math concepts. Some kids with dyscalculia can’t grasp basic number concepts. They work hard to learn and memorize basic number facts and as he is listening to the description everything falls into place for Jaime. The reason so many people call Tate stupid even his own mother is because of a learning disability (caused by his mother!) that with help Tate can overcome its limitations and then the sky is the limit as to what Tate can do!

I can’t recommend Just Add Argyle enough!! The story is intense, the depth of emotion behind the writing is just, WOW! You are going to need your tissues by the end of this story. I love story’s where two people from such different backgrounds find a way to be together regardless or maybe because of, their differences.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon