Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Hide to Seek
SERIES: London Lies
AUTHOR: C.F. White
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 250 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2020
BLURB:
Jackson Young has gone into hiding. Fighting to get his name cleared and his truth heard, he’s followed Fletcher Doherty to Ireland for a safe haven from those who want to silence his story.
As they work on Jackson’s biography, their growing attraction gets harder to resist. Fletcher’s made it clear though—their professional boundary isn’t to be crossed, especially with so many loose threads from each of their pasts left hanging.
But as he learns more about the once coveted celebrity’s rise to fame, and the manipulation and control that came with it, Fletcher finds it increasingly difficult to distance himself from their intimate moments. Lust fuelled attraction is easy to ignore, but an emotional connection is harder to deny.
Surrounded by Fletcher’s meddling family, and ex boyfriends who still harbour feelings of being jilted, Jackson has to play the part of his lifetime. Can he prove that he does have talent and win Fletcher’s heart as well as his trust?
And can he do it all before their idyllic hideaway is compromised?
Hide to Seek is the second book in the London Lies trilogy and is a slow burn, hurt/comfort, romantic suspense series.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the second in a series and should not be read as a standalone. Also there are a couple of scenes of harm to animals that may upset some readers.
Fletcher and Jackson have arrived at Fletcher’s family’s farm. Jackson has never been on a farm in his life. He finds it fascinating – although one of the dogs seems to take an immediate dislike to him 🙂 Jackson has three sisters – only one of whom is still at home with the parents. She’s twenty and has her eye on Jackson 😉 The other two sisters are older and have kids. Fletcher’s parents are salt of the earth types and his mam at least is thrilled to have Fletcher home, so she makes allowances for Jackson – although she also makes it clear that there will be trouble if Jackson does anything to hurt Fletcher.
As they start to work on the book, there are some issues that get in the way. Fletcher’s first “boyfriend” Declan shows up and keeps trying to get with him. He’s not excited to see Jackson there – and he knows about Fletcher’s old crush on “Jax” from when they were kids. Declan owns the pub and hotel in town and he is hoping that Fletcher is home to stay. But that isn’t really what Fletcher wants. Jackson and Fletcher end up fighting because Declan shares some truth with Fletcher about his family and the current state of affairs. Jackson isn’t sure what’s going on, but he still really wants Fletcher. After they are together though, he ends up discovering that their escape hasn’t been as well hidden as he’d thought and there are further threats – and not just to Jackson now, but to him and maybe even more. Fletcher’s put in a position he never wanted to be in – where he could have everything he ever wanted, but at what price? And who all would actually have to pay for it? And when danger comes knocking, he’s not sure what his next step should be and if Jackson is going to be worth it?
The suspense and stakes are even higher in this next installment of this series. Fletcher and Jackson on the run face themselves and their past in different ways. Coming home to Fletcher family brings up things for him that he is tired of – namely his father’s disappointment in him after finding out he was gay in the most graphic of ways 😉 Jackson is trying to understand and work with Fletcher, but he’s still got so many issues and so much guilt around him that he has a very hard time letting go of his old self and being real with Fletcher. He’s not sure that he’s doing the right thing at all. And frankly his past is so painful that sharing it all is putting him in a dark place. Fletcher wants to do the right thing too, but he’s got a lot of conflicting motivations as well with his family and with the potential “offer he can’t refuse” hanging over his head. It’s fascinating to watch these two as they try to forge a way ahead, all the while know that there are a lot of obstacles still in their way and the stakes have never been as high as they are now. I really enjoyed this look into Fletcher’s past and his family. His sisters and his parents were an interesting lot as well as Declan, Fletcher’s “first love” ? Well his first something 😉 Fletcher’s loyalty and his stubbornness came to the fore even more in this book. Jackson is very very bent, but maybe not quite broken yet. And Fletcher wants to make sure he stays that way. I’m curious to see where the next installment takes them as they are up against a very formidable foe. Their lack of resources is going to be an interesting match against those with limitless resources and most likely highly placed “help” that will make things rough for Jackson and Fletcher. I got a much firmer sense of both Jackson and Fletcher in this second installment as motivations and past history reveal who each man really is and what each truly wants and more importantly, needs. Definitely recommended for fans of mystery and suspense with a good dose of steamy sexy times while on the run 🙂
RATING: 
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