Carly's Book Reviews: Copping An Attitude by Morticia Knight: Exclusive Excerpt #Review #Giveaway @MorticiaKnight

Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Copping An Attitude

(Sin City Uniforms, Book 2)

by Morticia Knight

Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, M/M, Romance

Vegas is filled with human cast-offs, yet officer Parker McLean sees something special in hustler Slade Wolfgang. Unfortunately, so does Slade’s pimp who wants to sell him overseas in the sex trade.

Hustler Slade Wolfgang has little choice over his fate. At the age of twenty, he’s had to survive any way he can since being thrown out of his home for being gay. 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. His evil keeper has even threatened to sell Slade overseas as a sex slave.

It’s another typical night on the Strip when Parker comes across Slade. His heart breaks every time he sees someone so young being exploited. Something in Slade’s eyes tells Parker the young man might be in real trouble though – especially after the recent spate of sex worker killings from 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 out there - and they’re still looking for Slade.

Reader Advisory: Scenes of violence and a brief scene of sexual abuse

Publisher's Note: Although part of a series, this book can be read as a standalone.

After he’d dressed in the hospital bathroom, he noticed his hand tremble before he opened the door. Parker stood before him with a wide grin on his face. Lonnie smiled back.

“They fit perfect. You look great.”

Lonnie wasn’t very confident that he looked all that great, but he didn’t say anything. He knew Parker was happy and that was enough.

“I’m going to pay you back, just so you know.”

“Lonnie—”

“Don’t argue with me. You said you wanted me to feel comfortable, and that’s something that would make me feel comfortable.”

Parker nodded. “Of course. We’ll figure it out.”

He opened his arms and Lonnie stepped into them. They held one another in silence, then Parker leaned down to take a kiss. It was quick, but thorough. He gestured with his hand toward the door.

“Shall we?” He winked. “I believe your ride is here.”

Lonnie rolled his eyes. “That’s so not necessary.”

“Hospital rules, gorgeous. Let’s go.”

Little flutters filled his belly at Parker’s words. He plopped down into the chair, keeping his bad arm raised so that it didn’t bang against the metal rest. He laid it gently down as the attendant wheeled him out. They got to Parker’s car, a sort of generic Toyota that was a model he didn’t recognize. There was something very homey about Parker. He was a regular guy. Lonnie had always wished for an easy, comfortable life that he could share with someone he cared about and he wondered if Parker might be that someone. He represented the anti-wild life. Lonnie had experienced enough of that for one lifetime.

The drive to his mysterious new home at Parker’s apartment had him practically bouncing in the passenger seat. Parker had a top forty station playing and they’d get along fine as long as Parker didn’t turn out to be a classical or country music fanatic. His parents had loved both.

It had worked out so that Parker had a couple days off. He’d offered to take some additional vacation days to help Lonnie settle in, but he was already worried that he was a nuisance to Parker. Even though he’d been incredibly tempted to take him up on it so they could spend more time together, he’d forced himself to say no.

“We’re almost there.”

Parker pulled into a shopping center then parked. Lonnie was completely confused.

“Why are we here?”

“Your prescription, remember? Plus, you can pick out whatever grooming accessories you need. I didn’t want to decide on those for you.” Parker reddened. “Especially, you know, the makeup.”

Lonnie groaned. “Parker, I’m not interested in that anymore—”

“It’s okay. If you want to wear it, that doesn’t bother me. Whatever makes you happy.”

“Wearing makeup doesn’t make me happy. I only ever put it on because Valeena said Julio wanted all of his workers to have an image. So I was the dark and mysterious emo guy.” A tinge of sadness filled him. “She showed me how to use it.”

He lifted his gaze to see Parker staring at him intently. It was such a wonder to Lonnie how Parker made him feel as if he were the center of the universe. But he wanted him to understand how it would be from then on.

“I’m not that person anymore, Parker. I’m not Slade.”

“I know that, honey. We’re still learning about one another, and I’m looking forward to finding out all I can about Lonnie.”

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the combination of strength and vulnerability displayed by both Parker and Slade/Lonnie. They both have reasons to be unsure of the other, especially Slade, who has been trapped in a horrible live since being rejected by his parents as a teenager. They have an undeniable chemistry together, but lots of baggage that needs to be dealt with before even considering a relationship.

The supporting characters are just as engaging and help make the story come alive! Morticia does an excellent job of balancing the horror of sex trafficking by creating a story that feels real without allowing the darkness to overwhelm hope.

Followers of the series will notice that COPPING AN ATTITUDE has a different feel that book one, but is just as well written. Knight's attention to detail is exceptional and followers will be happy to see characters from book one have returned. While it can be read as a stand-alone I would recommend starting at the beginning as it enhances the overall reading experience.

View all my reviews

M/M Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people's fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.

When not indulging in her obsession for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal spot to enjoy both hiking and beachcombing. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She now resides on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of visits to family in England and Scotland when she was a child.

She is currently working on the Sin City Uniforms Series and a BDSM spin-off to the Gin & Jazz series entitled The Hampton Road Club. A follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story in Rockin’ the Alternative will also be available in 2015 through Totally Bound Publishing.

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