PRE-RELEASE REVIEW: “Nights Like These” by Chris Scully
ABOUT:
Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.
Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high-paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.
REVIEW:
This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the writing style.
I don’t typically mind a first person POV if the character is one that I find believable and am not totally put off by being in his head. Miles is one of those characters. He’s 40, penniless, and in a bad situation. Having been laid off from his career job and bled dry by his younger lover, he’s now an hourly, low-paid, night-shift security guard. I kinda liked how Miles was a bit distant and not the type to get close to people. There’s something attractive to me about a bristly, closed-off character. I’m not sure why (mirror? projecting?)
Miles runs into “Mr. Perfect”, Colton, the head of security for the company that his company contracts for. Colton is dreamy and alpha and gets past Miles defenses. I like the two of them together. I like stories where one guy gets under another’s skin and breaks down the barriers. Reading about the relationship between Miles and Colton was fun. Unfortunately, it was only about 20% of the book itself, and I wanted MORE.
The rest of the story is a corporate art theft plot that was “meh” in my mind. I called it from the beginning and was bored with it by the end. Not awful…just predictable. And overshadowed the romance I was hoping for.
The handful of side characters were not bad, interesting enough…but just not enough of them.
All in all the book was ok, but didn’t blow my socks off.
RATING: 3 STARS
BOOK INFO:
Title: Nights Like These
Author: Chris Scully
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 200
Release Date: January 26, 2015
Purchase Links: Dreamspinner
