Release Day Review: Tea or Consequences by KC Burn (Giveaway)

Title: Tea or Consequences
Author: KC Burn
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Category: Mystery
Pages: 210

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Riley Parker: temp, twink, geek… sleuth?

Maybe Riley isn’t living up to his full potential, but being a temp executive assistant suits him. He’s never bored at work, he’s got friends who let him geek out, and he’s got a carefully crafted twink exterior… which might be getting constrictive now that he’s on the other side of thirty. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s comfortable.

It all unravels when he takes a job working for a tea-obsessed cosmetics queen, the owner of Gautier Cosmetics. During the launch party for a new product, Riley finds his boss dead under suspicious circumstances, and the homicide detective is none other than Tadeo Martin, Riley’s high school obsession who never knew he was alive.

Tad drafts Riley to get the scoop on the inner workings of Gautier, and for Riley, it’s like a drug. His natural inquisitiveness is rewarded with more and more Tad. Unfortunately, his snooping puts him in the running for two other roles: suspect and victim. The killer doesn’t care which.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Riley works as an Executive Assistant through a temporary service. He's working for the head of a family cosmetics' company. During a launch party, Riley finds his boss dead at her desk, and Riley's life becomes crazy. The detective sent to interview him is someone he went to school with, Tad, and who Riley had a crush on. Through the investigation, Riley meets with Tad over dinner to share information he's come across since he's decided he's in the perfect spot to investigate from within the company. Riley is confused by Tad wanting to meet over dinner and paying for dinner. He's attracted to Tad and is unsure if they have a professional relationship or if it's more.

This story was more of a mystery and less of a romance. I thought the mystery was well done, and it kept me guessing throughout the book. There were twists, turns and secret husbands to keep my mind engaged. And you may think you know who the killer is but you'll probably be surprised when everything comes out.

This story is told completely from Riley's POV, and in this story, it felt like a disadvantage. I liked Riley and I think he's really shortchanging himself by being in a relationship with Tad. Because we don't get Tad's POV, I'm not sure what his thoughts are but it really seemed that he was using Riley. He ran hot and cold; his words saying he only wants a professional relationship between them but his actions saying something different. I didn't like Tad and I don't think that opinion ever changed.

It's hard for me to say this is a HFN or HFE when the MC's didn't actually become a couple, or whatever, until 97% into the book. But, again, I really think this is a mystery book that just happened to have two characters come together at the end of this story.

Rating: 4 stars

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