Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Stained
Author: Chris T. Kat
Heroes: Blair/Jack
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 112 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Blair Clark has reached his breaking point. Forced to leave one job because of sexual harassment, he’s having difficulty finding another. Since no one believes what happened, Blair’s left with a stain on his employment record that he can’t get rid of. He’s had to move back home with his mother. As if that’s not bad enough, he realizes his crush, Travis, is simply using him. His romantic life looks as hopeless as his job search.
Jack Ross is sure he’ll never find anyone who’ll love him for who he is. All anyone sees is the port-wine stain on his left cheek—not the man behind it. Even his mother thinks he should get rid of it. But the procedure is difficult and painful.
When Blair applies for a secretarial position with Jack’s firm, both men learn that beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder. It’ll take a lot of trust to chase away their insecurities, but if they take a chance on one another, love will find a way.
Review:
Blair hasn’t had the easiest life in the last few months. Fired from his job after no one believed he was being sexual harassed, he’s had to move back home with his mom and he’s crushing on Travis who won’t give him more time than it takes to get off. No matter how many jobs he applies for, he never gets an offer until he applies for Jack’s firm. He doesn’t think he’ll get the job so he’s quite shocked when he’s offered a position, especially after the way he reacts to the stain on Jack’s cheek. The more Blair and Jack work together, though, the closer they get until Blair finally decides to end things with Travis. Unfortunately, Travis doesn’t take things well and his need to get back at Blair might just cost Jack everything he’s worked for.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Chris T. Kat’s writing. I’ve read just about every story by her and I could never get enough. I just love the ‘feels’ in her books and the fact she’s not afraid to write about non-traditional characters. In this one, Jack has a port-wine birthmark on his face which means he’s been ridiculed pretty much all his life and a majority of the time, people react badly to his birthmark when they first meet. In this one, Blair is no different but Jack is used to it. I adored Jack because of how confident he was. He didn’t let everyone’s rudeness and reactions affect how he acted. I really admired that. For Blair, he’s had a raw deal and I felt really sorry for him because of the situation he’s been in. It took guts to complain about a boss sexually harassing him and he had to deal with the consequences of no one believing him.
I have two complaints about this book. For one, I didn’t really pity Blair. I felt really bad for him but, to me, he was always the victim and I felt like he could have stopped being the victim at any time. Instead, he just let things happen and then when they blew up, he could barely function. I just wish we saw more of the backbone he had when he accused his boss of sexual harrassment and would have realized that he could handle things, he just needs to get out of his own head and DEAL with them. Aside from that, I was a little disappointed in how the whole Travis thing was resolved. I would have liked more of an explanation on what will actually happen to him and honestly, I feel like Blair will never get over that part of his life unless he finally confronts Travis and realizes he’s not a victim.
In the end, I still really enjoyed this one. I love that Chris T. Kat always has unique characters and writes about things that some people consider stigmas. I absolutely adored Jack and loved the way he was with Blair. If you’re looking for a sweet story that has a ton of emotions definitely give this one a go!
Overall Impression: I really liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
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