Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella

Daniel is a dog walker who is looking for a little romance in his life. It seems like every guy he meets just wants a one-night stand and Daniel is looking for something more serious. With nudging from his best friend, Daniel signs up for a dating app hoping to find a special guy and arranges a date for Valentine’s Day.

Lymond is a professional assassin, so relationships are not really an option for him. But when his brother signs him up for a blind date, he reluctantly agrees.

Things are not going well for the date as the guys clash immediately, yet the attraction is strong between them. But when it looks like someone is after Lymond and their lives are on the line, Lymond is determined to protect Daniel with all he has. To their surprise, both guys can imagine more between them. But with Lymond’s job putting him at risk, the men have to figure out if a relationship is even possible for them.

Center of Gravity is a fun story that combines two very different men who find a surprising connection between them. Things start off rough for Daniel and Lymond at the restaurant for their date, but even as they clash in personality, the chemistry between them is clear. Cochet manages to combine sweet, sexy, and a bit of suspense in this short novella, keeping things moving along nicely. Although it is not a long book, I felt like we get more than enough to believe this is the start of something real between Daniel and Lymond. I particularly liked they way their dynamic is a bit of a role reversal. While Lymond is an intimidating killer and Daniel is a sweet dog walker, from a sexual and relationship end, Daniel is more of the caretaker and I liked seeing Lymond’s surprise in and enjoyment of this dynamic.

This novella was originally published in the Heart2Heart anthology as “The Assassin and the Dog Walker.” The story has now been republished as the prequel to Cochet’s upcoming Compromised series. Although it has had further editing, it has not been expanded or revised from the original version.

I really enjoyed this story and thought it was a great lead in to a new series. Lymond’s brother’s story is up next and Cochet sets a few seeds for that book here, so I am really looking forward to continuing the series.