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London Lads #1

Chase the Ace

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2nd Edition

Newly single in his late twenties, and bored with his quiet life in a London suburb, Daniel Cross soon discovers the lure of social media. Excited at the chance of tracking down his old mates from a schooldays sports club, he launches a personal quest to find out what kind of man each boy has become.

Dan’s first mistake is chatting online to a complete stranger—friending the wrong Carson brother on Facebook. But Nick Carson isn’t offended and offers to accompany Dan on the trip to find the others. It’s the first step to friendship and something more for both of them.

For Dan, the reunions with the “ Gang of Four” range from startling and heartening to disturbing. Nick’s company is a constant support, though neither of them are prepared for the exposure of personal secrets they’d thought long hidden. Dan begins to suspect he’s really looking for a direction in his own life—and the excitement and purpose he craves may be closer to home than a quest with its roots in a boyhood dream.

First Edition published by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2012.

90 pages, ebook

First published December 16, 2012

2 people are currently reading
130 people want to read

About the author

Clare London

147 books432 followers
Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,644 reviews565 followers
December 30, 2019
2.5 Hearts

Overall as a story, this was just ok. Not horribly bad but not phenomenal either.

Dan, having just gotten out of a relationship feels like he’s in a rut, and in an effort to perhaps do something fun and interesting, he decides to look up his teenage friends from a summer program they had all attended over a decade ago. When he gets help from an unlikely travel companion (an older brother of a past acquaintance) it’s all the more better since Nick apparently bats for the same team!

As Dan and Nick search out each person, they learn a bit more about each other and what they each want out of their own lives, all the while enjoying some side benefits. This touched on being out and proud, not apologizing for one’s lifestyle choices, and homophobia. Though I’m not complaining about the smex (ever), the level and intensity of it was incongruous to what seemed like a relatively benign, easy going road trip. However, things got deep and intense very quickly, and there were a few instances of surprisingly out of nowhere drama that made this all the more a quite disjointed story.

Had I read this on my kindle, I might’ve just skimmed on through, but actually the narration from Seb Yarrick is probably what saved me from being exasperated and annoyed. He really brought the characters to life and I enjoyed what I assume were various authentic accents. A simple “read” for a lazy weekend, made all the better by the audio.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for a honest review
Profile Image for Heller.
973 reviews117 followers
January 2, 2013
2.5

Road trip. Daniel is on a quest to find some friends of his youth. He contacts someone he thinks he knew from that time but who turns out to be their older brother, Nick, who decides on a whim to join in the quest.

It was a nice story as we meet the men and see the lives their living now but I didn't really have any real connection to who they were as young boys to really care who they turned out to be, tbh.

There were a few things I had some issues with

Profile Image for CrabbyPatty.
1,709 reviews195 followers
February 20, 2017
After the break-up of his five-year relationship with Eric, Dan decides to track down his friends (The "Gang of Four" - Dan, Gerry, Mark and Alex) from a summer sports club back when he was 16. He finds Nathan, another kid from the club, via social media only to learn that he's been communicating with Nick, Nathan's older brother. Armed with Nathan's old address book, Dan and Nick start off on an impromptu road trip to locate the gang.

Along the way, Dan meets each of his friends ... with mixed results. Dan and Nick have a series of "dark, sweaty, sexy nights" during their journey, which leads Dan to wonder if perhaps Nick is the answer to his own personal quest for something real and permanent.

While I liked the premise, the story felt ... disjointed. There is very little character development of Gerry, Mark or Alex and although Dan spends most of the book with Nick, Nick's character seems undeveloped as well. There doesn't seem to be enough of a motive for Dan to search for his friends from 12 years past (especially since there has been no contact during those years) and for Dan to set off on a journey across England with Nick - someone he's known for a few hours and some conversations via Facebook - seems odd. I was perplexed that Nick believes Mark's relationship with Edward is perfectly fine and given the issues Dan and Nick have left undiscussed, the HFN ending seems rushed and incomplete.

I enjoyed London Lads #2 How the Other Half Lives and generally like Clare London's work, but this book just does not work for me for a number of reasons. I give Chase the Ace2.5 stars.

I received an ARC from JMS Books LLC in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
Profile Image for Mollien Fote Osterman.
722 reviews11 followers
August 28, 2017
Title: Chase the Ace
Author: Clare London
Series: London Lads, Book 1
Narrator: Seb Yarrick
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: June 22, 2017
Genre(s): Male/Male Romance
Listening Length: 2 hours and 55 minutes
Page Count: 98 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:



A London Lads Story

Newly single in his late twenties and bored with his quiet life in a London suburb, Daniel Cross soon discovers the lure of social media. Excited at the chance of tracking down his old mates from a schooldays sports club, he launches a personal quest to find out what kind of man each boy has become.

Dan’s first mistake is chatting online to a complete stranger—friending the wrong Carson brother on Facebook. But Nick Carson isn’t offended and offers to accompany Dan on the trip to find the others. It’s the first step to friendship and something more for both of them.

For Dan, the reunions with the “Gang of Four” range from startling and heartening to disturbing. Nick’s company is a constant support, though neither of them are prepared for the exposure of personal secrets they’d thought long hidden. Dan begins to suspect he’s really looking for a direction in his own life—and the excitement and purpose he craves may be closer to home than a quest with its roots in a boyhood dream.







Review:
This is the first book in the London Lads Stories. There are at least 5 books in this series and each one is a short story. As far as I can tell the stories are not related and each book can be read independently in any order. I listened to this story as an audiobook after reading the fourth book, Peepshow and had no issues understanding either story. This story is about Dan Cross. Dan recently ended what he felt was a dead end relationship with his partner of a few years. On a quest to find out what happened to boys he spent a summer with at a sports camp, Dan joins the world of social media trying to connect with the boys that he knew in his teens and lost touch with after the death of his parents. Thinking that he has connected with one of the boys, Dan is surprised to meet Nick Carson. The older Carson brother who is not the friend that he was looking for. Nick, however, agrees to accompany Dan on his quest. A quest that has a hidden agenda for Dan. Dan wants to find out which of his friends was the one to give him his magical first kiss when they played a game called Chase the Ace. Dan was blindfolded at the time and has no idea who kissed him all those years ago. As Dan and Nick travel through England Dan finds his old friends and discovers the different paths that each of them took. He also feels an unexplained attraction to Nick. Something that he was not expecting. For a short story, this book had depth. The pacing was even as the two men made their way around the country learning about lost acquaintances and discovering a long kept secret. I was not really expecting this ending and was pleasantly surprised. There was strong character development during this story. Both characters had an interesting dialogue going as they crossed the miles. I enjoyed the narration given by, Seb Yarrick. I felt that I was in the back seat listening to Dan and Nick converse as he brought these interesting characters to life.




PLOT: 4 Stars
CHEMISTRY: 4 Stars
PACING: 5 Stars
ENDING: 5 Stars
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4 Stars
NARRATION: 5 Stars



Review Copy of Chase the Ace provided by the Dreamspinner Press LLC I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Reviewed by Mollien from Alpha Book Club
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Profile Image for Risa.
448 reviews4 followers
February 21, 2018
Eine Reise in die Vergangenheit schildert Clare London im ersten Band der Londoner Jungs.

Zur Handlung. Daniel Cross, seit kurzem Single, kommt dank Facebook auf die Idee, seine drei Schulfreunde aus Teenagertagen zu suchen. Er möchte gerne wissen, was aus ihnen geworden ist. Irrtümlich befreundet er sich dort aber nicht mit seinem ehemaligen Kumpel, sondern mit dessen Bruder.
Nick Carson kennt Daniel noch von der Schulzeit seines Bruders. Als er mit ihm auf Facebook chattet, klärt er den Irrtum anfangs nicht auf. Denn Daniel ist ihm sehr sympathisch und als er bei ihrem ersten Treffen erfährt, dass dieser seine alten Freunde aufspüren will, bietet er ihm seine Hilfe an. Sein Vorschlag wird dankend angenommen und die beiden machen sich mit Nicks Auto auf die Suche.

Auf ihrer gemeinsamen Reise kommen sich Nick und Daniel schnell näher. Sie finden zwar die drei ehemaligen Schulfreunde, doch die Jahre sind an denen nicht spurlos vorbei gegangen. Daniel muss teilweise schockiert feststellen, dass ihm die Jungen von damals fremd geworden sind.

Die Geschichte bleibt trotz allem ziemlich unspektakulär. Über Daniels Schulfreunde erfährt man nicht viel, es wird nur kurz an der Oberfläche gekratzt. Das mag an der Kürze der Story liegen, trotzdem hätte ich mir ein paar Sätze mehr zu dem Schicksal der drei Männer gewünscht.

Die Story erhält von mir 4 Sterne und eine Leseempfehlung.

Mein Dank geht an Dreamspinner Press für das erhaltene Rezensionsexemplar.
Profile Image for Chris.
1,143 reviews13 followers
February 6, 2018
Langweilig und bieder kann jeder. Für Daniel Cross ist das jedoch nichts. Er will etwas erleben und nach dem Ende seiner Beziehung und gefangen in einem eher langweiligem Job, ist er auf der Suche nach dem Abenteuer. Die sozialen Medien gehören dazu und eröffnen ihm die Möglichkeit den Kontakt zu Freunden aus seiner Schulzeit herzustellen. Daniel ist neugierig was aus seinen Kumpels geworden ist.

Ein Zufall führt Daniel mit Nick Carson zusammen, den er fälschlicherweise für seinen alten Kumpel Nathan gehalten hat. Doch Nick stellt sich als sehr liebenswürdig, freundlich und ähnlich abenteuerlustig heraus. Und er bietet Daniel an, ihn bei der Suche nach den übrigen drei Mitgliedern der Gang of Four zu helfen. Gemeinsam mit Nick begibt er sich nun auf die Suche nach seinen alten Freunden, die ihn in unterschiedlichen Landesteile und auch Lebenswelten führen wird.

Trotz der Kürze der Geschichte lernt man Daniel und Nick ziemlich gut kennen und auch mögen. Sie sind sehr unterschiedlich und passen doch ganz gut zusammen, auch wenn sie sich natürlich erst finden müssen. In der kurzen, gemeinsamen Zeit durchleben sie die unterschiedlichsten Gefühle und müssen sich auch unangenehmen Wahrheiten stellen, die sie sonst doch lieber verdrängen.

Für Daniel ist das Wiedersehen mit seinen früheren Freunden eine sehr emotionale Angelegenheit. Er erlebt Spass, Befremden, Trauer und auch Enttäuschungen. Und am Ende der Reise stellt ausgerechnet Nick die richtigen Fragen, die sich Daniel selbst vielleicht niemals gestellt hätte. Und doch hat die Geschichte ein sehr gutes Ende und es wird auch eine sehr wichtige Frage, die Daniel sein halbes Leben mit sich herumgeschleppt hat, überraschend beantwortet.
Profile Image for Ami.
6,210 reviews489 followers
June 30, 2017
2.75 stars rounded up

Review for the second edition

So the first edition was back in 2012. I assume that nothing is changed except the year. And THAT makes it awkward. Because the story is changed to 2016, Daniel is 30 years old, and he NEVER dips his toes of social media? Like ANY of them? In 2016? Yeah, that's a stretch! Heck, even my near 70 years-old father is active on Facebook and Twitter.

I liked the idea of the road trip, and Daniel looking for his old friends. And it was rather fun (as well as bittersweet) to find out what happened with the rest of the Gang of Four. Which was a reason for me to round it up.

Having said that, everything with Nick was pretty much insta-attraction. For me, that makes the story slightly forgettable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tam.
Author 21 books101 followers
January 4, 2013
4.5 Stars

This cute short with a touch of underlying pathos really struck a chord for me. Dan is recently single again and kind of reassessing his life. He’s found Facebook, and seriously, we’ve all done it, creeped on people we went to high school with or grew up with, and has found a kid he went to a summer day camp with one year. Dan was part of a group of four who kind of bonded because they were all gay and he’s finally got the address of one of the old gang and the other kid has agreed to drive him (well, they aren’t kids now, early thirties) only… it seems he’s been chatting with his old friends older brother Nick, who never revealed that he wasn’t Nathan. Ooops. However, after coffee they decide to set off on an adventure together.

As the story goes along, you find there is more to the story of why Dan wants to find his old friends than just looking up the old gang, although that’s part of it. As they travel around Southern England, he finds the men and sees how their lives really are, and if that is different, or better, or worse than he imagines. It goes from Stepfordesque house-husband, to a man in denial to a campy drag queen.

I think what really worked for me, is that I could relate to Dan, although I’m much older *cough*. I am in the next 12 months reaching a crossroads in my life. I have been focused on being a single mother for the last several years, and I’ll soon just be single and the mother of an adult who will be off at university creating her own life separate from me. What does that mean for me? Do I want to change the way I’ve lived my life? I’m not about to quit my job and join the circus (unless it was Cirque du Soleil), but looking at high school friends, other coworkers, we really can’t help but compare our lives and go “Is that better? Should I try to be more like that? Would that be more rewarding? Am I really happy with the way my life is?”. So Dan’s “quest”, as he called it, really hit home for me. For other readers who are absolutely secure in their place in the world and deliriously happy, it may not resonate as much.

I thought the relationship between Dan and Nick was good. They liked each other, they were madly attracted, but they also had their little spats. They were two different people, different personalities at different places in their lives, and MAYBE with differing goals on the surface, but there was enough to be compatible. I also liked the hint of a D/s edge which I would love to see explored more. I find that hot. The only slight niggle for me was Dan’s sister. Gawd. She was kind of annoying, and people who seem to relish in embarrassing others in front of strangers irk me. BUT, on the upside, while Dan didn’t tell her off necessarily, he didn’t just go along with it either. But she was a small part.

So as I said, the themes here hit me at the right time so that I could really relate, others may not, but there are some funny scenes, and some poignant ones. Sometimes I do wonder what happened to those people I was friends with many many moons ago. Some I don’t even remember their complete names, but I think curiousity about how people are getting along in the world (and perhaps unconsciously(or consciously) comparing our own lives) is pretty normal.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,860 reviews91 followers
July 4, 2017
3.5 stars road trip stars rounded up to 4 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.

It's a road trip...

'Chase the Ace' is the first book in Clare London's series 'London Lads' and I can say without a doubt that these books can be read as standalones. Especially since I've read both book 2, How the Other Half Lives and book 3, A Good Neighbor years ago and while it has been quite a while I do remember the stories and there's really no connection between any of them other than location.

'Chase the Ace' is the story of Daniel Cross. Daniel is in his late 20s, newly single and curious about some good friends he'd had at summer camp when he was younger. There was a group of four of them and Daniel decides that he wants to track them down and see how they are...ok, there's a little more motive for his search than that but I'm not doing spoilers so you'll have to read the book.

It's when Daniel starts chatting on Facebook with Nick Carson and they decided to meet to talk about old times that he discovers he's been talking with the wrong Carson brother but as they talk and get to know each other Daniel realizes that Nick doesn't mind at all and neither does Daniel.

Plans are made and Daniel and Nick head out on a road trip to find Daniel's former camp mates. As they travel from place to place as well as learning more about each other, each man begins to find out more about themselves as well, but it's the end of the journey that will determine whether Nick and Daniel will continue on lives travels together or got their separate ways.

'Chase the Ace' is a short little to no angst story at just under 100 pages and less than 3 hours for the audiobook and I have to admit that was one of the reason I asked for it. I wanted a story that I could listen to in the morning while I had my coffee but something that had a sweet low angst story with a nice romance and this once covered all those bases nicely. Add to this the fact that Seb Yarrick was the narrator for this audio book and from the looks of things he's not only new to me but new to audiobooks in general as 'Chase the Ace' shows as being the only book narrated by him listed on audible.com and I have to say I'm impressed. I enjoyed his interpretation of the character voices for this one and he definitely held my interest and added depth to my impression of the characters as well. I know I'll happily be looking forward to future books narrated by Seb Yarrick.

********************
An audio book of 'Chase the Ace' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kudrat Kaur.
216 reviews5 followers
February 3, 2017
This book needs another editor because the writing is still a work in progress, or a beta that will help the author along. It comes down to this being one very awkward book to read regarding its writing, style and characters.
The characterisation of, basically every character we are introduced to seems underdeveloped. The circumstances, the situation itself play a big part in getting the reader’s sympathy. It’s necessary to make the readers realise what drives Daniel to go search for his friends from so long ago. Yet, although it’s said it isn’t felt. It felt insincere, and even if it wasn’t – the motivation needed more than brevity. It needed to be expanded upon, and properly explained.

He’s about to search for his friends. Why? Why is it important for him to do so? Why now, and not before? What finally tipped him over to search online and find a former summer camp acquaintance? We get answers, but it’s not given its due. It feels like another detail that’s stated, but not explained thoroughly.

Regarding his online conversations: What gave him the courage to just say “Hi”, and what made him think that this person would know where his friends were? Meeting someone you’ve talked to online can also be nerve wrecking, and Nick’s profile had warning signs written all over it. Yet, he decided to give it a shot. I know he’s not a tech-expert, but basic social media 101 in this day and age – it’s hard to see why that’s lacking.

Seriously, what about the interaction between “Nathan” and Daniel before they meet in that bar? How is it possible that Daniel didn’t realise during their exchanges that this person wasn’t Nathan? How did Nick not realise sooner that Daniel was actually looking for his brother, if he did – then it’s also kind of creepy that he kept writing regardless of this misunderstanding?

There’s so much going on before this quest to look for his friends should even start, but it’s not there. Instead it’s briefly mentioned with his sister and her counterpart. Then, when Daniel does meet Nick for the first time – half the time he’s just checking him out, and although Nick seems like a nice enough guy being in that situation should have at least a “be careful” written next to it.

Leaving the obvious plot point that was right there aside, as well as the awkward phrasing and writing style (as well as how short their encounter was before Daniel decides to enlist Nick’s help to ‘trek’ across the country in search of friends he hasn’t seen in over a decade).

The friends Daniel goes on a quest for each have their own stories, their own tribulations and lives they’ve led.

I wanted to know more about that – either the way they’re just given cameo appearances (although this book’s major plot point is Daniel going on a ‘quest’ for these exact people to find something he doesn’t even exactly know he’s looking for) is to give us a teaser when/if they get their own books, or the author just missed completely obvious cues to delve further. Probably the first, but this review isn’t about the next possible books, it’s about this one. And this one just wasn’t there. The primary objective of this all is to find his friends, get to know them again, find out what’s going on with them in the hopes it will shed light on why he’s doing this all in the first place.

The first friend has obviously overcome many trials and tribulations to be where he/she is, but. just. so little time is spent with them.

The one encounter that really gets to be though is Mark and Edward’s relationship. Seriously, it had warning bells ringing in my head from all over. Pretty sure that’s an abusive relationship (as in, obviously so) – YET THIS IS BEING NORMALISED AS DOMESTIC AND HAPPY?

Did Daniel and I even meet the same people? Or is he so completely lacking in human understanding?

Just – either I’m way off, but this is going to really bother me. It’s not healthy – this relationship of theirs.
Alec’s situation is worth considering further, and I’m really curious to see what the hell happened there.

But honestly, this book is about him meeting and reconnecting with his friends but it feels like he went through a checklist of meetings.

The ending was cheesy, anti-climactic and it felt as though the author was pushing a circle block into a triangle shape (like that game kids play). Or like a Disney film in which the most unrealistic thing ever is “completely obvious, duh. What else?”.

Right, so I wouldn’t recommend this story on its own. Unless this is like an intro to the other London Lads or something (which it seems as though it might be, not entirely sure) – but my rating is still the same. It doesn’t stand enough on its own merit, and the author simply missed quite a lot of plot points they could have delved into further and really gotten the reader invested in. Honestly. Any of them.

1.5 Stars rounded up
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted on Alpha Book Club
Profile Image for Janna.
580 reviews31 followers
January 29, 2013
Originally posted at Rarely Dusty Books

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Contemporary, Road Trip, Self-Discovery, Drag Queen, Gay Bashing, Denial, Reunions, Old School Friends, Quest, Secrets, Sexual Dominance, England

~~~~~
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
~~~~~

This is an engaging novella about a quest, a journey of self-discovery, that had me intrigued from the first to the last page. Main characters are Dan and Nick, who didn't know each other but hooked up by mistake via Facebook and decided to start Dan's personal quest together. Their road trip takes them to three old school friends with whom Dan formed a 'Gang of Four' during Summer camp years ago when they where all still young. Dan wants to find out how the lives of his gay friends have turned out, especially since his own life has come to a crossroad after he broke up with his boyfriend (and other boring habits). Nick turns out to be on his own personal quest too.

The three little reunions get us introduced to a drag queen performer, a happily married man (albeit to a suffocating husband) and an aggressive gay guy in denial who is married to a woman. These side characters were portrayed very well and in a colorful manner. All three represent some sort of unexpected scenario for Dan, none of them seem to be very idealistic to him. His quest started out as an attempt to find some answers about these guys and especially about what happened one day during that summer when they were playing the card game Chase the Ace. And although the three men don't seem to have the answer for him, their life stories make Dan realize that he is really looking for a direction in his own life anyway. And in that sense his road trip turns out to be rather successful.

Not unimportant is Nick's presence during Dan's journey of self-discovery. There is an undeniable attraction between the two from the start, on which they act too. This leads to very hot nights. Nick's dominance in bed is unexpectedly sexy and I would've loved to see more of that. But they have great chemistry outside of the bedroom as well. Their interactions are pretty entertaining and I liked their heated disagreements too. As I said, Nick turns out to have his own discoveries to make during their road trip as well, which all leads to a gratifying wrap up for both of them.

This story is set in England, in the area of London, although I can't say that the characters strike me as typical British. But this might be different for an American reader perhaps.
I really like the writing style of this author, and she outshines in writing dialogues and three-dimensional characters. It makes this novella not only an entertaining but also a pleasant read. This, combined with the engrossing plot, the hot chemistry and the well-executed topic of the quest, definitely results in a recommended read!
~
Profile Image for Lena Grey.
1,609 reviews25 followers
January 5, 2017
“No memory is ever alone; it's at the end of a trail of memories, a dozen trails that each have their own associations.” ~ Louis Lamour

Daniel Cross, of 'Chase the Ace' by Clare London, thinks that there has to be more to life than what he's experienced. New to FaceBook, he's fascinated by the wealth of information he can procure. He begins searching for a group of friends he knew when he was young. Daniel remembers the good. Feeling nostalgic, Daniel wants to connect with them again, hoping to capture some of the good feelings they had together. Unsatisfied with his life, he is also wondering what they've made of theirs so he attempts to track them down. This magical mystery tour leads to some vivid revaluations of how things really were and how their lives are now. He expects that they would be different, but the myriad of emotions and expressions of lifestyles he encounters throws him for a loop.

I liked Daniel; he is a sweet, sensitive man who is unsatisfied with himself. He has never been able to match the feeling that one secret kiss, which happened years ago, gave him. The puzzling thing is, none of his friends would ever admit to kissing him, so his quest to find them now, is mostly motivated by his desire to find the kisser and see if the magical feeling is still there. Because he continues to look to his group of friends for the answer, he's in danger of missing what is right in front of him.

Nick is hot! I loved everything about him. Even though he knows that it's his brother, not himself that Daniel is looking for and contacts for a meeting, he takes it all in stride and still does what he can to put him at ease. He and Daniel are made for each other and fall right into a friendship, then a relationship. Daniel is in awe of Nick's desire to accompany him on his trip and in many ways it's good that he did. The trip is as emotionally overwhelming as it is enlightening and he really needs the support. What Daniel doesn't know is that Nick knows the answer to the question the whole time.

'Chase the Ace' is a short but satisfying story with several quests woven within the plot. Daniel is on a quest, not just to find his friends; he is also on one to find himself and settle the discrepancies between who he is and what he truly wants. His friends are on a quest to find a lifestyle they are satisfied with. Nick is on a quest to find true companionship. The truth is, we never quite find we realize that real satisfaction in life comes from the journey we take together, not just the destination.

I'd recommend this book to those whom would enjoy a poignant, meaningful story, with suspense and mystery, hot men, and even hotter sex. Thank you, Clare, for reminding us that memories aren't always recalled with the accuracy we think they are; sometimes, they are infinitely better.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Profile Image for Carra.
1,732 reviews31 followers
February 5, 2017
I love a good story where the main character is on a journey to find themselves or figure out some part of their life. That’s what we have here in Chase the Ace, and Daniel takes us on an actual physical journey under the premise of looking up friends from a sports club he was in as a teen. He’s joined by Nick, and together they find some unexpected things as well as each other.

Daniel was a good character-an average guy with everyday problems just trying to find some direction in his life. I did find it a bit odd that at his age he wasn’t very familiar or adept with social media, but figured he was portrayed as an exception and not the rule. When he discovers Nick online, he doesn’t realize he has the wrong person-he’s found not his old friend but that friend’s brother instead. It all works out though, and they wind up taking this journey together. I was surprised at how quickly things got physical between them since up to that point there was not much mention of the attraction that was apparently brewing, but given the shorter length of this story I went with it.

This story shows us that things don’t always turn out like you expect, and that everyone needs to forge their own paths in life. Daniel sees this with how each of his old friends turned out. Gerry was my favorite (I think it would be hard not to like him), Mark’s situation kind of creeped me out a bit (though if that’s what worked for him, then hey-who am I to judge?), and Alex I wasn’t a fan of at all (but I did feel quite badly for him). As for Nick, he does play a role in all this that you won’t expect, though I did begin to have an inkling of what that was before Daniel realized what that role was.

Chase the Ace gets 4 stars from me, and I think it’s a good start to this new series. I’d recommend this to any M/M romance fan, and it’s meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.
Profile Image for Serena Yates.
Author 104 books769 followers
January 30, 2017
Social media and how they can help us communicate are at the center of this novel just as much as Londoner Daniel’s quest to find his old friends from a sports club when he was sixteen. As inept as Daniel is at actually using Facebook and other social media, he totally depends on their help, at least initially. I laughed out loud when he “friends” Nick, who is the brother of Daniel’s school mate. But Nick is a great guy and “recruiting” him, albeit involuntarily, to help with the quest turns out to be the best thing that has happened in Daniel’s otherwise pretty boring life for a while.

The various reunions that follow are fascinating, and their effects on Daniel vary depending on his previous relationship with each man, but also on the choices those men have made in their lives. Each situation is well described, the men involved felt very real to me, and the things Daniel learns about them, about himself, and about Nick make Daniel think and change. As is the case with the best quests, this one teaches Daniel as much about his own life as about the lives of his former mates.

If you like quests of a personal nature that lead to unforeseen consequences, if a man about to turn thirty gaining clarity about his life and his goals is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read with lots of humor, a few surprises, and a great unexpected romance, then you will probably like this entertaining yet thought-provoking novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.
Profile Image for Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥.
1,224 reviews146 followers
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January 5, 2017

No Rating



I don't even know where to start. I honestly don't understand the plot. That's my biggest issue with the story. I find it hard to believe that a summer camp at 16 which was only one time impacted your life so greatly that it took all these years later to search for these guys. I get something drastic happened to Daniel right after that, but to out the blue decide to look for these guys after a decade seems so unbelievable to me. I didn't really connect with either guy at all. I feel like I walked into the middle of the story, and if this past event was going to play such a big role in the story then I'd like a prologue to go with it.

I also find it hard at this day and age that Daniel didn't have any idea how to work social media. It just seemed to be thrown in together. The whole Nick pretending to be Nathan for as long as he did was a dick move to me. They didn't know each other for real, and yet they embark on this journey. I wish it would have gone differently, but it is what it is. I almost DNF it, but wanted to see how it ended. I cannot recommend this one, because I didn't find any enjoyment in any part of the story.
Profile Image for Morgan  Skye.
2,775 reviews28 followers
September 18, 2017
Strangely, I’ve read three of the five books in the series, and only just now read this one – the first! I’ve been really enjoying the others in the series, and they don’t seem to rely upon any prior knowledge from other books – though some of the MCs do meander through now and again.

I was really, really surprised by this story, for more than one reason.

First, the other books focused primarily on one set of MCs and – though there are others involved – the stories don’t tend to really include them beyond their immediate interactions with the MCs. In this story we have the main story of Nick and Dan and their slow burn love story – but we also get three other stories – all very different – of the guys Dan had known as a boy. (More on this later.)

Second, the other stories are really funny and light hearted and though this started out as a “meet/cute” wrong guy/right place kind of story – it ended up feeling quite somber and heavy than it began or how the others in the series felt.

Third, I’d thought that this book would hold maybe a beginning account of some of the other MCs in the future books of the series, but it doesn’t. Dan’s boyhood friends aren’t the other MCs despite their very interesting stories to tell.

I have to admit that if I’d been reading this, I might have been tempted to either skim or not finish it. I’d also have been reluctant to look at others in the series because this one didn’t really keep my attention very well. (I’m really glad I read these out of order!)

The romance between Nick and Dan was slow building then quickly took a left into dark and domineering and then swerved again into weirdly secret and kind of bizarre. I won’t give any spoilers but I was constantly surprised by how their relationship developed and not always pleasantly so.

The original “quest” – Dan’s desire to meet with a group of boys he knew one summer – felt odd to me right from the start. I wasn’t sure that having known these guys for one summer would leave such a lasting impression. We get a bit more explanation as the story winds up but I’m still not sure why Dan felt so strongly about taking this trip.

The nature of the quest – stopping to meet these men – helped to give the story a rather disjointed and bumpy feel – we meet – briefly – three other men – hear their unique stories – and then move on. It was disconcerting. If they’d continued in their own stories it might have made sense, but since they don’t it felt kind of strange. I get that the “growth” Dan experiences as he sees three very different ways of being 30 and being gay is the point – but I’m not sure I really felt like it all came together into one cohesive story by the end.

The narrator, Seb Yarrick, did an amazing job of giving all these unique characters a voice and he absolutely helped keep my attention throughout. I really enjoyed his performance and most of the stars I give this are due to his contribution.

I’m not sure why this story felt so different to me than the others, but it did and though I really enjoyed the other books in the series – this one didn’t have the same appeal.

I’d give 2.5 of 5 stars for the story and 5 of 5 for the narration, so overall 3.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up).
Profile Image for Heather.
1,550 reviews9 followers
February 7, 2017
*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.*

Clare London's Chase the Ace is the first novella in the London Lads series. Daniel recently discovered social media and decided to track down a group of friends from his teenage years. In his quest to find the three men, he became social media friends with another man who was not a part of their "Gang of Four", but was at the sports club at the same time. Only when meeting up with the old acquaintance does Daniel find out that he friended the acquaintance's brother. He's surprised, but Nick is insistent that he still wants to help Daniel find his old friends. They find the three old friends and Daniel is surprised by the lives they lead, and finds out that none of them hold the secret he's looking for. But Daniel may be surprised to find out that Nick can help provide him information about that day he's seeking answers for.

This story is told from Daniel's POV. Daniel is approaching 30 and is taking stock of his life. He's out of a long-term relationship that he found boring and has decided he's going to focus on other aspects of his life and has no interest in settling down. When he was in his teens his parents were killed in an accident, so it's just him and his sister who is very, very involved and overprotective of his life and his new found interest in social media. Though I usually enjoy interactions with family, Daniel's sister was annoying and treated him like he was a two-year-old. Nick seemed like a nice guy, but because this book doesn't include his POV, I don't really feel like I know him. But, maybe that's ok because this is Daniel's journey. This was less a road trip and more a trip down memory lane with some self-discovery and romance involved.

This was a quick read of self-discovery and finding old friends and making new ones.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Ro.
3,111 reviews16 followers
July 12, 2017
I had read this book back in 2012 when it was published by Amber and I thought it was cute. The second edition has been revised some and there are some minor changes from the original ebook but the story is basically the same.
Daniel has broken up with his long-time boyfriend and after some time on social media he has embarked on a quest to find the Gang of Four, four friends who hung out at a club when they were 16. He starts talking on Facebook with someone he thinks went to the club, but turns out to be a big brother. So the two of them start off on the quest to check out the four.

I admit to questioning what 30-year-old man in 2017 is that unfamiliar with social media but it doesn’t play a huge role once the quest starts. The mistaken identity wasn’t a big deal to me but it was for Daniel for a while! I really thought it was interesting for Daniel to go back and see what happened to his old buddies and I thought his real reason for doing so made sense. So many of us are looking for direction.

Honestly, I would love to see Alec with a story, because he’s heart breaking. While you know what’s coming with the ending, it was sweet and worthy of Daniel.
Seb Yarrick narrates this story and I thought he did a good job differentiating voices. I never lost track of who was speaking, something that is important to me since I listen to books while driving. He has a British accent and a voice that at times is a little sharp but works for the story.
Profile Image for Kochka94.
1,183 reviews9 followers
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May 1, 2023
Un jeune homme venant de quitter son partenaire après une histoire de plusieurs années décide pour de retrouver son groupe d'amis gays d'adolescence, histoire de revivre un moment important et de pimenter un peu sa vie. Il est aidé et véhiculé par le frère ainé d'un membre du groupe, qu'il a pris au départ par son pote de l'époque.

L'histoire aurait pu être sympa mais je n'ai pas réussi à accrocher, rebutée que j'étais par l'écriture froide et pas assez naturelle. Dialogues peu crédibles, personnages caricaturaux, je ne sais pas si c'est du à l'écriture ou à la traduction mais le résultat est finalement le même.

Le seul point positif est que c'est une longue nouvelle de moins de 100 pages, donc, ça va assez vite.

Next.
Profile Image for Cathy Brockman.
Author 5 books95 followers
July 3, 2017
This was a cut short story that moved pretty fast. I loved the chemistry between Nick and Daniel. I liked both characters I liked the way Daniel learned something with each of his three friends about different lifestyles and how it showed him some things about life. The surprise at the end sealed the deal.
Profile Image for Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews.
2,698 reviews139 followers
October 12, 2018
I finally had a chance to read one of Clare London's London Lads books, as I've just read Chase The Ace. I liked the message of the book a lot. I didn't love the entire story but I love the ending! Love it! And I am thrilled to have found this short story!
731 reviews2 followers
December 19, 2018
chouette histoire courte, une nouvelle quoi, sur Dan qui part à la recherche de ses amis d'un été quand il était adolescent et de sa rencontre avec Nick qui va l'aider dans son périple. Mais ce parcours est il vraiment pour retrouver ses amis ou une recherche sur ses attentes de la vie
Profile Image for GlamLawyer .
1,590 reviews
August 4, 2017
I'm sorry but that was all over the place and not in a good way. The plot was odd and the characters flat. I'm not sure what the idea behind thst book was.
Profile Image for Books on Stereo.
1,391 reviews172 followers
August 1, 2020
Title ⤵️
Chase the Ace

Author ⤵️
Clare London

Rating ⤵️
🌟🌟🌟

Thoughts ⤵️
A quick, delightful MM contemporary novella.
Profile Image for Stéph62Hapiot.
955 reviews6 followers
October 29, 2022
2,5

Se lit vite mais il m'aurais fallu plus de développement pour apprécier la romance et j'aurais aimé en savoir davantage sur les personnages, surtout Nick.
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