2,5 starsI’m going to be a spoilsport but despite being ambitious, A Casual Weekend Thing wasn’t more than an average read for me.It seems to me that the author aimed at something perhaps not complex but rich. We have here many, too many plot lines, all revolving around the MCs and their hook up that lasts more than a weekend due to circumstances; plot lines revolving around the casual thing to finally join in the end in a big resolution. It’s a great plan (if I read it correctly) and it had the potential for a great book. Or a series.Cops, a partnership with sexy potential, a possible triangle, a mystery that deals with the difficult topic of pedophilia, survivors, interculturality, a painful brotherly relationship, grief, guilt, loneliness.....And a growing romance.The first half of the book bored me. It is almost exclusively dedicated to the hook up and nothing much happens except sex. I can appreciate hot, messy sex but their reactions were illogical and everything was already set : they feel something special but no no no, it can only be a casual thing and we didn’t move from this point. The scenes were then very repetitive to me and didn’t bring anything to the story’s development, nor to the characterization, nor to the growing romance, until finally the L word was spurted toward the end. As for the hotness, tough cops behaving repeatedly like blushing maidens doesn’t turn me on.I perked up when the mystery picked up and I liked the second part better but there were again way too many WTF moments and shortcomings to really enjoy it..Overall, it felt as if the author had this big plan, and conflicts resolved themselves out of the blue, or people acted illogically, or we were given details that were irrelevant, because everything had to fit in and everything had to go according to the initial plan. It felt shematized, forced and/or far-fetched.I probably would have overlooked many flaws if I had been emotionally involved in the story but I wasn’t, my heart flat lined all along.I’m willing to plead guilty for numbness and lack of focus but then again, it’s the chicken-and-egg situation.It was correctly written though; I liked this idea of Christopher, always ready to bolt, always running, I liked Ray, I appreciated that the author handled drama with restraint.To sum it up, I liked the plan but none of the plot lines was sufficiently nor satisfyingly developed, least of all resolved.
