REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: Chance to Be King
AUTHOR: Sue Brown
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 132 Pages
Blurb:
After working nonstop for two years, actor Eric Pawlowski desperately needs a respite from his grueling schedule and the crippling migraines that come with it. Thinking that a few weeks in a secluded cottage is just the thing, his vacation gets off to a rough start when he almost mows down the only other guy who lives on the remote road. Fortunately Thomas is quick to forgive, and soon he, Eric, and Eric’s two dogs are palling around like they’ve known each other for years.
But when Eric witnesses Thomas coldly order a lost stranger off his property, he starts to question how well he knows him. Despite a mutual attraction that has Eric cursing every time a well-meaning member of the nearby small town interrupts their attempts to get intimate, Eric wonders if acting on his desire for Thomas will get him involved in a situation he shouldn’t be in. When his rented cabin catches fire in the middle of the night and the firemen call it arson, it confirms Eric’s suspicions.
To keep Eric with him, it’s up to Thomas to come clean about who he is… and his involvement in a decade-old web of tragedy and revenge into which Eric has unwittingly walked.
Review:
Sue Brown has a wonderful way with words, so I was very happy to have the chance to review this story.
Eric just needs a break. Being an actor in Hollywood isn’t always as glamourous as people think and in Eric’s case it’s just exhausting. Some time alone with his dogs is a rare treat and someplace isolated with no one demanding anything from him is a dream come true.
Thomas is the reclusive man who owns the cottage that Eric is staying in and while their first meeting is less than perfect, there is an instant spark that starts to smolder for them both.
I love a good mystery and Sue Brown manages to combine it with a hot romance that leaves you cheering the characters on, hopefully to a happy ending.
Eric is a good man who gets caught up in his crazy job and you can feel that he’s looking for an anchor in his life. Being out in Hollywood is almost impossible for someone who makes his living doing action movies and it gets to be a lonely.
Thomas is tormented by his past. He’s found a little peace in the small town he calls home and is surrounded by a town full of people who obviously care about him a lot.
But he’s a lost soul and when he meets Eric, he thinks that maybe he might find some happiness after all.
But a crazed man from his past who wrongly blames Thomas for something that wasn’t his fault threatens to take it all away and he takes it upon himself to keep Eric safe from the things that haunt him.
This novel is fast-paced but it carries you along without making you feel like you’re being rushed. The author’s quick wit brings the story depth and I love how she livens up the town by populating it with smart, funny characters.
I found myself heartbroken for poor Thomas and the things he suffered through and I loved Eric for bringing some light into his life.
This story is so sweet and romantic in some parts and nicely balanced with moments of fear and anxiety. I couldn’t put it down once a started reading it and I’m betting it will be the same for you.
I honestly can’t find anything to criticise in this book and it will go on my to be re-read list for sure.
Rating: 
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