Compromised (Uniformity, #1) in Read with Pride Northwest

Aug 26, 2013 Shelby rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ok-maybe-try-a-second-book, m-m, law-enforcement-bodyguard-pi, total-e-bound

Nothing doing. There’s nothing in this story to have me wanting to rave, or rage, about it. I didn’t hate it, but I certainly didn’t love it either.

Daniel “Kash” is a Corrections Officer hiding his sexuality due to his work. Yet, he’s frustrated with his life. The job’s a job and it pays his bills, but he’s finding himself more and more burnt out. When his idiot partner goes down with a broken nose from one of the inmates at the prison Kash’s biggest fear is being saddled with someone worse. At Nothing doing. There’s nothing in this story to have me wanting to rave, or rage, about it. I didn’t hate it, but I certainly didn’t love it either.

Daniel “Kash” is a Corrections Officer hiding his sexuality due to his work. Yet, he’s frustrated with his life. The job’s a job and it pays his bills, but he’s finding himself more and more burnt out. When his idiot partner goes down with a broken nose from one of the inmates at the prison Kash’s biggest fear is being saddled with someone worse. At least Lang was a known commodity.

Zane Davis walks in the door and suddenly Kash’s life is brighter. Zane manages to make the workday fly by and might that be a spark of attraction there as well? He’s sexy and funny and Kash finds himself drawn to the younger man. But Zane’s got his issues to. He’s bi-sexual and never been in a committed relationship before. While he’s attracted to Kash and willing to try to make it work, he still loves his playboy lifestyle.

Meanwhile there’s a new inmate in the prison and Cody Ives doesn’t look like anyone’s idea of a lifer. Convicted of first-degree murder Cody has no chance for parole. Kash finds himself unconsciously growing closer to the kid and worrying about him. There’s something about Cody that makes Kash question the conviction, and the more he looks into Cody’s case history the more hinky it becomes. Still, Kash has to be careful, feelings for another man when you’ve already got a boyfriend are never smart, especially if that man is an inmate and could cost you your job.

I think my biggest disappointment with this novel is that I never really identified with any of the characters. I know I’m supposed to feel sorry for Cody and be torn with Kash between the two guys. Honestly though I don’t know why he stayed with Zane as long as he did, and despite Cody’s situation I never felt Kash’s draw to him sexually. Sure he wanted to help the kid out, and I knew Mr. Stone was going to make it a sort of love triangle eventually, but since I never felt deeply involved in the characters I never really cared what Kash’s decisions were. I didn’t like Zane when he was dating Kash, but outside of their relationship he was entertaining. I’d be curious to see what happened with him and a certain caseworker.

There was nothing wrong here with the writing or anything either. The pace moved along. There were enough things going on to keep my attention and in a detached fashion I was interested in how they were going to get a clearly innocent Cody out of jail. I certainly didn’t find this book offensive or a struggle to get through. I read it all in one sitting, I was just kinda bored. Like when you’re watching a long movie and you keep looking at your watch going is it over yet? Not bad enough to make you get up and walk out, but you’re constantly looking for that last scene to show up.

Still in the end I was interested enough to see how they figured out what really happened in Cody’s dorm room that night and there was one plot twist that I wasn’t really expecting that added a “oh that was nice” moment. In the end I was more curious about the details of the case than I was in the budding romance. Especially as there turns out to be no tension between Cody, Kash, and both of Kash’s exes. Everybody is just friends and the world moves on. All tied up in a pretty little bow.
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Aug 22, 2013 Kristie rated it it was ok

This was ok... the plot of the story was intriguing and I really did want to know how things would end up. The who done it, as it were. The problems for me were in Daniel's voice. I didn't feel the emotion necessary for me to care too much about the characters as individuals. I really only cared about the story of who did it, how was Cody framed, and how they resolved it. The ending was also pretty abrupt and left me feeling like I was missing something. In reality, I missed all the emotion need ...more

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