Reviewed by Sid Love

TITLE: Attachment Strings
AUTHOR: Chris T. Kat
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
BLURB: Detective Jeff Woods and his partner have a new case. Someone has been making threatening phone calls to the mayor’s daughter, vowing to kill her disabled child. Though there have been accidents at the girl’s school—enough to take the threats seriously—the facts are few, and leads are sparse.

Needing a breather from the burden of the case, Jeff heads to a bar, where he meets Alex Fisher. Alex isn’t his type, but he’s young and cocky and perfect for a one-night stand. Or two. Soon Jeff starts thinking about how difficult and lonely it is being a cop, and that maybe Alex could fill a void in his life. But Alex has his own obligations: a disabled brother who is the target of threatening letters.

Jeff isn’t sure he’s ready to play house or overcome his prejudices, but he begins to think Alex might be worth it. Caught between his growing affection and his inner demons, Jeff struggles to focus on the case and protect Alex and his brother as the danger builds.

REVIEW:

This story sets itself in two genres at the same time – Romance and Mystery. While the mystery side horrified me with the cruel mishaps occurring in the story to the innocents, the romantic air that it carried definitely drifted me with it, managing to lighten up the effects of the previously spoken shock.

Attachment Strings begins with a typical cop scene examining a dead body that they’d found and it left me feeling as if I was watching a cop show on TV. But my heart almost came out of my throat as soon as I read what had happened. The dead man is a disabled person, who could barely function on his own but still had been surviving through the challenges he faced and someone had brutally killed him. For what? Why would anyone kill an innocent man like him? What possibly a helpless, handicapped guy could have done to someone to deserve such a death?

Jeff Woods, with his partner Parker Trenkins, are assigned to another case by their superior where the mayor’s daughter had reported to have received warning notes – letters that threatened her daughter’s life, who also is disabled. Jeff soon begins to suspect a connection and with the help of Parker, he begins to investigate. However, with so little clues, one could only do so much. Things only begin to get clearer when, while investigating, Jeff finds another such family who has been receiving similar death threats – Alex Fisher and his physically challenged brother Sean. But that isn’t the first time Jeff and Alex have met …

Alex isn’t the usual kind of guy Jeff would even glance at in a lusty way. Oh no, Alex is hot! But he is too blond, too young for his taste (pun intended). Yet, after meeting him at a bar for the first time, he finds himself amused by Alex’s ways and the meeting ends with them having some mind-blowing (HOT!) sex, after promising each other that this is a one-time thing… no strings attached and all that… blah, blah… Jeff is forced to alter his resolve every time he comes face to face with Alex.

But that isn’t even the biggest problem! When it becomes to get seriously complicated inside his head, the real dilemma begins. You see, he is perfectly aware of the fact that if he wanted Alex in his life, he will have to include Sean in his life too and that is a challenge, considering his own prejudices towards the little boy. Alex, on the other hand, has only Sean to call his family and he won’t abandon him alone for anyone. Not even for Jeff!

I guess, many people who’d read this book, would hate Jeff for his initial disgust towards Sean. God! That man is actually pathetic and proves himself to be a first-class A-hole when he first meets Sean – which of course, doesn’t go well with Alex. But to be honest, I do understand him and I kinda like that he isn’t the perfect guy. Nobody is. But more important than that is he is likable enough to be forgiven for that.

Moreover, true love never knows any boundaries; it knows no prejudices and nothing of the “common” sense one would speak highly of. It just defines you, and even changes you for the one man who promises to make your life beautiful. And Jeff finds that in Alex. Of course, there is a happy ending… this book deserved a happy ending like that!

I bet you are waiting for that big “BUT” that comes in my reviews at a later point. I wouldn’t lie – this story has its own flaws BUT the story has gripped me strongly to make me forget them! Like I mentioned in the beginning, this story has two sides – one didn’t appeal to me as much as the other did. Mystery lacked its real meaning but I latched on to the other romantic side and it didn’t disappoint me at all.

The author has a way with writing comical expressions in a story. The quips she has inserted in between the scenes has had me laughing hard for more than a minute. I especially loved the rapport she builds between Jeff and Parker – the two friends who absolutely love pulling each others’ legs. Her secondary characters stand out as much as the main – I even loved David, Parker’s boyfriend who appeared in the story for a short period of time and yet, stole the show! One tiny bit niggle though that the author misses, at times, to give unique voices to the characters. It was more than once that I found myself losing the track of who was speaking.

The ending chapters were marvelous and definitely needs applauding!  The author captures the thrill in a scene very well when she writes it. From the time when Jeff jumps into the deep, cold water till the climax of it, I found myself on the edge of the seat. The very ending, though, left me scowling since I was hoping for some more and no, it wasn’t just my hunger for the good writing. It was because I was on the Romance swing and I hoped to get a nice, couple-loving epilogue or even one with a family moment kinda thing. But what I got was a mystery novel ending and it personally didn’t gulp down well.

So, yes, Attachment Strings definitely comes recommended from me for it has everything in its store for you. A romantic tale, with a kick of mystery that will make you yearn for a second read. I, for one, know for sure that I will give this a second go.

I love me some Jeff and Alex!!

Sid’s Rating:  [4.25 STARS!]

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