Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Copping an Attitude
SERIES: Sin City Uniforms #2
AUTHOR: Morticia Knight
PUBLISHER: Knight Ever After Publishing
LENGTH: 194 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2023
BLURB:
Survival is all Slade understands until Parker saves him from the terrors of the streets. Too bad the streets won’t let Slade go…
Hustler Slade has had little choice over his fate. Barely twenty years old, he’s had to survive any way he can after being thrown out for being gay when he was still in his teens. As soon as he hit Vegas, Slade was lured into the hopeless world of prostitution where he’s become a virtual prisoner to his pimp, the ruthless Julio Estevez.
It’s another typical night on the Strip when officer Parker comes across Slade. His heart breaks every time he sees someone so young being exploited. Yet something in Slade’s eyes tells Parker the young man might be in real trouble—especially after the recent wave of sex worker killings by a rival prostitution ring.
The two men’s lives become intertwined when Slade is almost beaten to death. The danger grows, but so does the relationship between Parker and Slade. Parker helps Slade to heal from the horrific attack and their bond deepens. But the human traffickers are still on the prowl—and they’ll stop at nothing to steal Slade back.
Note: Copping an Attitude is the second book in the action-packed Sin City Uniforms series. It was previously published under the same title with a different cover. It has been revised and re-edited, but the story remains the same. You can expect an age gap, hurt/comfort, found family romance with a dose of suspense and angst. While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. Triggers include: forced sex work, physical abuse, homophobia and threats of death. Please look inside for a complete list.
REVIEW:
Thrown out of his home, forced to live on the streets, and owned by a pimp, Slade does what he must to survive. When Parker, a Vegas cop, encounters the feisty, yet scared, young man, something within calls out to him. From that moment, Parker is determined to save Slade.
Copping an Attitude is part of the Sin City Uniforms series and can be read as a standalone. It is a gripping, well-written story that many will adore. However – heed the trigger warnings in the blurb. As a result, it wasn’t my reading taste, but I appreciated lots about it – hence why I gave it four hearts.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Slade and Parker. Technically, I found some typos, but other than that, it was sound. Worldbuilding is brutally graphic in picture painting, deed, and dialogue. Kudos to the author for not shying away from any aspects, some of which made my skin crawl. Having read book one of the series, parallels between the story formulas can be drawn. The people and scenarios may differ, but drama-wise, there are, e.g., unrequited love, medical intervention, kidnapping, rescue, forms of PTSD, understanding and more. And it works – so the reader knows they’re in for an emotional ride.
The world in which Slade resides is quite rightly intense and uncomfortable reading. Occasionally, my heart was in my mouth, hoping that something good would finally happen to Slade. And this is one of the elements that this story gives – hope that something good can come of a bad beginning.
Parker is a genuinely exceptional human being with endless empathy and understanding. Slade is a young man thrust into an ugly world who has an inner strength of steel.
It is essential that there are stories that highlight all areas of life. As many forms as possible need to reach out and remind the world of its deteriorating state – and that there are good people willing to help. Copping an Attitude is a good story, but for the majority, it isn’t pretty.
So, I guess it is a case of what your mood determines before you pick up a book. If your go-to reading is escapism into the fantasy world, you may wish to bypass the journey of Slade and Parker. If not, then you could find this a superb read. By the end of this story, I will admit that I was enlightened more than entertained. I can appreciate the meaning and the need for narratives that show the ugly sides of life, even if they’re not my choice of downtime reading.
RATING: 
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