Love is Heartless by Kim Fielding

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

Book 2
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow! This is such a fantastic story. Both a well-crafted murder mystery and a beautiful romance, this story manages to be exciting, sweet, sexy, and funny.

I loved Nevin. The suave detective appears to have it all together. He drives an antique car, wears hand tailored clothes, and he enjoys a new lover every night. No repeats. But he also comes with a whole lot of baggage. After his family abandoned him, he grew up in foster care, bouncing between difficult placements. It’s not that he won’t do relationships – he just can’t. But there is a softer side to Nevin. He loves his job protecting vulnerable adults. He cares for his friends.

In so many ways, Colin is Nevin’s opposite. As an adult, he is still uncomfortably tied to his parents. He works for his affluent father. He talks to his over-involved mother every day. He leads a very safe and sedate life after breaking up with his long-term boyfriend. Colin has a good reason for his caution and dependence which is hinted at, but not explained until late in the story. When he meets Nevin, Colin is miserable and just starting to develop an independent identity of his own. Volunteering with a seniors’ charity makes him happy, but it also draws him further into Nevin’s murder investigation.

The murder mystery is wonderfully complicated. The focus of the story is more on Colin and Nevin, but the underlying police procedural adds suspense and intrigue. I guessed the murderer’s identity too early, but it wasn’t until the very end that I was certain.

Nevin’s awkward dance around his first ever potential relationship is more comical than angsty. Colin responds to Nevin’s angst with calm understanding, which settles the relationship but also makes Nevin’s fear of commitment more amusing. I loved the way Colin draws out Nevin’s softer, more vulnerable side and I loved the many emotions this creates for Nevin.

This is the second story in a series. I haven’t read the first one, so while I didn’t completely understand the few references to Jeremy and Qay, it didn’t interfere with this story in any way. However, I enjoyed this one so much that I’m going straight back to read the first one. I loved this story and I recommend it highly.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Love is Heartless (Love Can't Series #2) by Kim Fielding to read and review.