Chasing the Sun

Provincetown #2

by Jacob Z. Flores

Book Two A Spin-off of When Love Takes Over As a physician and prominent citizen of Victoria, Texas, Dr. Gil Kelly took a hard fall when his vengeful wife revealed his infidelity with other men. Closing ranks around her, the town’s elite ostracized him, and his relationship with his children was nearly destroyed. After spending his life focused on living for others, he has no idea how to live for himself. He wants to find love but now settles for anonymous sex that only further clouds his world with shame and guilt. Gil believes finding true love is an unobtainable dream, what his father used to call “chasing the sun.” Then he runs into Tom Martinez, his son’s childhood best friend, who returned to town a grown man and offers everything Gil needs. But Gil hesitates to fall into Tom’s arms, because after his high-profile divorce, the potential scandal of loving a younger man could separate him from his children permanently.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Family, Contemporary Romance, M M Contemporary

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world.

Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

You can follow Jacob’s musings on his blog at http://jacobzflores.com or become a part of his social media network by visiting http://www.facebook.com/jacob.flores2
or http://twitter.com/#!/JacobZFlores.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing as how I completely and totally fell for Provincetown and the writing of Jacob Flores in book one of this series, it was no hardship to jump into 'Chasing the Sun', the second volume. The fact that this book revolves around Zach's father, Gil, and Zach's best friend from childhood, Tom, just made me more interested in reading it. I'll be honest and say that I was a little biased against Gil going into this story. He hid his homosexuality his entire life, from his wife, his children, and when the truth was revealed, it did even more damage to Zach. Since I'm mad, crazy over Zach, I wanted him to have the relationship with his dad that he so needed. But, I was willing to open my mind and give Gil a chance. Good thing I did, or I'd have missed out on another wonderful set of characters and a fabulous book.

Tom has returned to his hometown after his parents died, to run the Mexican restaurant his parents owned. Tom is struggling with his own issues back home as everyone remembers him as a little boy, as "Tommy", and trying to get people to see him as the man he is now is sometimes challenging. Tom has always been older and wiser than his years. He is still friends with Zach and they talk every few weeks, or so, and because of that long-standing friendship, Tom is very familiar with the home Zach grew up in, the troubles Zach had with Gil, and, of course, the "revelation" five years ago of Gil's hidden homosexuality. I did feel bad for Gil at the way the town turned on him after his ex-wife spread his secrets. It's a small Texas town, and gossiping is a way of life, but having to live with being the outcast and the whispers everywhere he went must've been miserable. I was happy to see Gil decide to no longer be a victim and to take control of his life again.

Yes, this is a May-December romance, with twenty plus years between Tom and Gil. More than that, though, it's Gil's story of redemption, of repairing lost relationships, and learning to put the past behind him and to reach for what he wants. Tom has been in love with Gil for a long time and has spent the past five years waiting for Gil to stop with his hookups and be ready for a lasting love. Now they just have to get past the snotty townsfolk and deal with Gil's kids’, Zach and Sami's, reactions before they can finally have the life they both deserve.

I very much enjoyed this second installment of the 'Provincetown' series and I was extra happy to get a glimpse of my Zach and Van at the end. Thank you, Jacob, for another great read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was short but sweet, and very different from the first book fromt this series. Part of the Provincetown world, but this story does not take place in P-town. This is the story of Gil (he is the father of Zach from When Love Takes Over) and Tom. Gil and Tom have known each other for years, in fact Tom is his son's best friend since childhood.

The focus of the story is Gil coming to terms with the way he treated his family since they discovered he was gay. After being outed and an ugly divorce, Gil has withdrawn from his children and his social circle, many of whom he believes have sided with his ex-wife. Tom comes back to town and the relationship between them quickly becomes serious (is it insta-love if the two have known each other for 20 years?). With Tom's encouragement Gil sets out to repair the damage that was done, mostly between him and his children, and get back out into the world. Of course the biggest issue is Zach and how he will react. If you have read the first book of the series, you are aware that there are things Gil isn't the only one who has news to deliver.

This book can be read as a standalone, but works better if you understand what Zach thinks of his father going into it. I wish it had been a little longer since some things had to have a quick wrap up, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

[Kazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Stars rounded up

Chasing the Sun started off well enough. Sadly, it got lost along the way. I just could not get into the primary relationship as there was so much of Gil trying to rectify being an "asshole" in the past. Thinking that he was not like his father only to believe that he was. Too much silliness about his ex wife's bitchy friends. Tommy was a nice enough character but due to other factors he just wasn't fully realised and the relationship didn't develop. There were some nice moments but they just didn't quite pull this past an okay read.
Review at http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...

[Jenni Lea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Ok, to be honest I didn’t much like this. The first half was just awful and I almost DNF’d at 50%. But, knowing how much I loved the first book in this series I gave it a chance. It did get better. I especially liked the part when everything came to a head and they started on the path to repair their broken family. But I never connected with Tom and Gil. Here’s hoping the third book will be as good as the first and will restore my confidence in this series.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family, you can't live with them and can't live without them. I believe that Gil underestimated the power of forgiveness and the fact that most people are fine with a gay couple. Tom was a good foil for Gil the same way that Van was for Zack. Thank you Mr. Flores for putting it all out there in this series.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Gil Kelly’s infidelity with the gardener was exposed, literally and figuratively, he was ostracized not only from his wife and children, but also from society. In the town in which he was a well-known physician, he keeps himself isolated from former friends, fearing more public ridicule. To amuse himself and satisfy his need for male companionship, he meets men through an online gay dating site, sometimes getting lucky, sometimes dealing with a no-show.

As the story opens, he’s awaiting a date with Visiting Guy at a local coffee-shop when his son’s former best friend, Tom, approaches him and starts to chat. He finds it difficult to accept the fact that Tommy is now a man, a very hot, sexy man who is making Gil squirm in his seat. Gil’s been attracted to Tommy for years but has managed to avoid any close encounters until now. Unknown to Gil, Tom has also been attracted to Gil and the two manage to get past the awkward conversation stage and plan to meet for dinner at Gil’s house later in the week.

What happens at dinner, and afterward, sets the stage for the rest of this story as Gil and Tom explore a relationship despite their age difference. Tom is the best friend of Gil’s son Zach from whom Gil has been estranged ever since Gil was so spectacularly outted. Gil has been trying to contact Zach for months in the hopes of repairing their estrangement but once he and Tom become a couple, Gil steps up his efforts to reach him so that he can share the news in person.

Although Gil is able to meet with his daughter, Sami, and include her in his plans to let the busybodies in the town know that he and Tom are a couple, he’s still not able to reach Zach. Everything comes to a disastrous head at a society charity event as Zach happens to be there and is shocked by the news of his father and his best friend being lovers. Of course, there’s a great deal of turmoil, family drama, anger, confusion, and tears before the situation eases and the couple is able to face Zach together and resolve both short-term and long-term resentments.

This story is a continuation of the Provincetown series with the link being the fact that Gil is Zach’s father. Other than that, there’s no relationship to the other characters in the original story, When Love Takes Over, so in my opinion, it's not necessary to read the first story before this one.

What did I like best? I liked the age gap romance and the way the author made me care about Gil, though I was fully prepared to hate him after I read the first book. He’s been “chasing the sun”, always trying to achieve the impossible, all his life and he finally finds it with Tom. I also really enjoyed Tom’s determination and single-minded pursuit of the man he’d wanted for years. Both characters were engaging. The secondary cast of characters was not as vast, nor as varied, as in the first story and actually, not as likeable either. Gil’s ex-wife Donna and her gossipy society friends were catty and nasty and, though well done, the fact that they were so negative definitely didn’t endear them to me.

What didn’t I like? I didn’t care for the fact that there was no discussion of safe sex or condom use before the guys had sex for the first time. Although they verbalized a long term commitment, they didn’t discuss testing or recent encounters, even though Gil had been hooking up with men he met online. I found that difficult to overlook.

Overall, this was a pleasant and engaging story. Those who read book one will have a chance to read Gil’s side of the father-son estrangement. I’d recommend this for anyone looking for age-gap romance or for a sweet romance that they can cuddle up with on a rainy day. 3.5 stars

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed book 1 of this series, When Love Takes Over about Van and Zach. In this book we meet Zach's father who had married his mom in attempts to change his own sexuality or at least to avoid unacceptance. It was short, but it was sweet and I was very happy at the ending, though I would have liked at least 10 more pages for the big moment that was coming.

[♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️]

Overall book rating: 3 Stars
Audio book: n/a
Book Cover: no comment
MC1:Kelly
MC2:Tom

[Sammy Goode · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chasing the Sun does an excellent job of picking up and exploring the tangled mess that is Zach Kelly's family life from the preceding book, When Love Takes Over. If you have not read the first installment in author Jacob Z. Flores' Provincetown series it is important to do so in order to understand the intricacies of the relationships in book two and, more importantly, the wounded past between Zach and his father Gil, for that is what Chasing The Sun focuses heavily on.

In a nutshell, Gil Kelly left his family five years before, finally coming out of the closet he had been hiding in and was now still living in the town in which he, his wife and his two children, Zach and Sami have resided all of their married lives. The divorce was bitter and very public and Donna, Gil's wife, has made it her mission to make Gil's life a living hell ever since. It has been years since Gil and Zach have spoken to one another and Zach bears a deep resentment of Gil for the way in which he perceived his father always seemed to feel Zach never measured up. The truth is that it was Gil who was always trying to escape his own father's recriminations that he was always "chasing the sun" by wanting to be something he was not. Unfortunately in his desire to never repeat the sins of his own father, Gil, in actuality, made Zach feel like a second class citizen in their home. Always meaning to just encourage his son to be all he could be, poor Gil communicated his displeasure at Zach's attempts at most things by telling him to reach higher. Gil now lives under the heavy burden of guilt and remorse that threatens to eat him alive.

Now Gil has firmly closed the door on those feelings by declaring that if his children really wanted to know him and still loved him, they would come to him. It takes a visit from the now adult Tommy Martinez (Zach's closest childhood friend) to set Gil straight. In one of the many gems that Tommy;s character utters, he reminds the man that "If your child doesn't meet you halfway, then you go all the way to him, You are the parent, right?" Gil finally understands that he must reach out to his children and begin to repair what was torn apart at the divorce. But there is another reason Tommy has visited their home town and when it is revealed that he likes Gil, that he, in fact, has been waiting for Gil ever since the divorce in order to begin a relationship with him, Gil is shocked to realize that he, too has feelings for the younger man and wants to act on them.

There were many fine moments in this sequel that bear mentioning. First, the wisdom that Tommy brings to Gil that ultimately relieves him of the heavy weight of guilt he has been carrying with him since the divorce is realistic and profound. While Gil has been doing one nameless hook-up after another, he has pulled so far away from the community that he lives in, he no longer can see his friends from his enemies. Instead, he has focused solely on those who judge and condemn him for his being gay. Not only has this caused him to, in essence, hide again, but it has skewed his view of how he thinks his children perceive him and caused Gil to push them away. In fact, he only has interaction with Sami because she has pursued him, not the other way around.

Now Gil opens his eyes for the first time to the truth that he never really gave anyone a chance to continue being his friend. It takes Tommy forcing him out of his second self-imposed closet to allow him to realize that he is not as alone as he thinks he has been. Tommy is also instrumental in bringing Zach and Gil back together. He pushes Gil to leave behind his self-loathing and grab what is right in front of him. With perhaps the most important truth in this novel, Tommy encourages Gil to "always define ourselves and never be defined by what others see or expect." With this important realization, Gil steps out for the first time with a new found humility--not guilt--over the damage he has caused his family and resolves to apologize and try to repair what he has done.

This story was well written and the characters were certainly vibrant and well fleshed out. However, unlike its predecessor, Chasing The Sun tended to wrap things up in very neat packages and resolve deep issues a bit too easily. The fact that Zach's best friend was now his father's lover was a huge pill to swallow and yet it was glossed over in a mere few pages. There was a twenty year age gap between Gil and Tommy--a boy who Gil repeated recalls as a small child in his own home. I have to say the way in which the community seemed to embrace their new found relationship was a bit unrealistic. Yes it was inferred that their were still those in town who despised and judged Gil but for the most part, after a climactic showdown and closure scene between Donna and Gil over his infidelities and coming out, there was little in the way of any pressure on Gil and Tommy to feel the hateful judgment that was supposedly still present.

I hate to say it but everyone was just a bit too happy and not at all affected by this newfound love Gil had for Tommy and that was why I felt this novella fell short. This plot that was so well devised failed in its execution--it should have had much more page time. The near instant love between Gil and Tommy simply felt forced and unconvincing. Even if the age gap alone did not give Gil more pause, the idea that this was someone who had been a childhood friend, who was almost like a second son, this should have really had an impact on the decision to make their partnership public after only a few weeks.

Secondarily, the closure scene between Donna and Gil where she tells him how badly he wounded her and the deeps sense of betrayal she felt was too quick and dismissive. Suddenly after five years of deep-seated hurt, that one diatribe was the key to making them friends again? The revelation that over twenty years of marriage was all a lie is a huge issue. I felt the author shortchanged the very healing process that he, himself, stated as critical in order for them all to move forward.

All in all, Chasing The Sun suffered from too little story on the page. I felt this needed to be a full length novel with some twists and turns to make it more realistic and have a greater impact.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zach, Zach... Zach! I spent much valuable time trying to figure out when Zach was going to get his own book... because I just knew when Tom told Gil that Zach's secret was his to tell, that I knew what Zach's secret was... but, to my dismay... NO book for Zach, so, I proceeded reading the book and then I was introduced to Van and... *headdesk* LOL!!! Talk about "gray moments"! In my defense... I read Zach's book back in December of 2014. ;p

As for Tom and Gil's story? I am a huge fan of "family" and this story didn't start off well in that respect... but, when it comes to family, there is always hope! I enjoyed the way Tom and Gil's relationship developed. Not too fast... not too boring... not too much sex, just the right amount of emotions to show us how they both really felt about each other! I must admit that there sure was a lot of story packed into just a few pages... I would say it was short and sweet... but, there was the whole "Donna" (hehehe) issue that was off the charts crazy, but made the story all the better! :D

[mah1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was surprised at how little I liked this book. I've been reading books by the author lately and liked all of them, but this was a bit of a mess. Sad, because the premise was so great.

That might be part of the reason Chasing the Sun failed to live up to its promise. When the plot of a story is a guy falling for his son's best friend, I think the author has basically two coices: the quick, naughty story, or a complex, long book with character developement. Chasing the Sun hovered somewhere between the two.

While I can find no fault in the writing itself and there was a sweet ending, my other issue was that I was brought out of the story, because I wanted to shake the "kids" and tell them that there are actually shitty parents out there. I get it that when you are a teenager, you can be hurt by the infidelity of a parent, but jfc, there comes a time when you grow up and realize that your parents are people too.

But, for those who like a quick read with HEA, this will probably work.

[Trio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, yeah... I'm going with 3 stars for the story but 5 OH MY GOD insane stars for narrator TJ Jamesin (aka Tristin James). I was literally speechless at several points in this book... literally speechless. I'm torn, is it worth another $10 to listen to him read me the next book in the series? Well it is almost 8 hours long so I'm thinkin' oh hell yes ;)

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have come to the conclusion that this author's writing is just not for me. I loved the narration, but the story wasn't for me at all.

[b. binaohan · Rating 1 out of 5]

** spoiler alert ** After the terrible first book, I tried this one. I think I got about halfway through before getting too squicked by the plot.

Intergenerational romance is totally okay for me. What isn't okay, is reading descriptions of the object of lust as a young, innocent boy juxtaposed with him being sexualized as an adult. It just hits a lot of creepy pedophile buttons for me.

[Thomaidha Papa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews

Jacob Flores returns with a spin-off of When Love Takes Over and in this story we get to meet the oh so demanding father who was the cause of so much pain for Zach, Gil Kelly. However as all coins have two sides so does this character, so while our first glimpse of Gil was through Zach’s eyes and feeling, now we get to meet the real man and decide for ourselves.

I loved this book! That stated I have to say that this was not the story I expected. There is no Provincetown this time around and with the lack of the actual place there is also a lack of fun and games that accompanied the first story set there. This is more a story of growth and fight, and internal search and a game of wills if you like. This story is set back in Victoria, Texas and it’s the story of a grown man who has lived his entire life inside a lie and is finally chasing for his dreams.

I loved this story! I loved Gil! I’m always more than happy to read a story where the main character is not twenty, thirty or even mid-thirties as most are. Gil is in his early fifties, a man that has quite literally lived a whole life, a man who already has two children in their thirties. There is no midlife crisis about him, but in a crisis he’s still living ever since his sex life became public by the mouth of his very wife, when she caught him in the middle of tryst with another man. This is a story that has too many bitter feelings waiting to be solved in the corners of this character’s life, while in the meantime it’s one hell of a romance.

While Gil has exiled himself from society and runs the other way whenever he sees a former acquaintance out of shame there is one person that during these five past years has never stopped trying to close the gap. Tom, his son’s best childhood friend has never stopped trying to get close to Gil again whenever he’s in town. Now that Tom is returning back to Victoria for good he is giving it a shot again, and this time Gil lets his shame on the side for a bit and makes room for a man that he used to look as his own son. Well almost. After all one of the reasons Gil had been avoiding Tom was the fact that he long ago stopped seeing him as the little boy Tom once was, and more as the extremely charming man he has become.

I have to say that when it comes to man on man intimacy Jacob Flores has a peculiar way of taking you in a wild ride no matter the genre of the book. I quite love his men, they are not only hot, they are irresistible. One moment you are reading and getting attached to the personality and the struggling Gil suffers, the next you are in wonderland and panting along with them in a highly erotic beat, and the very next you get almost wrung out with the emotional state this character brings you while he’s trying to bring his life and family in order.

I loved his daughter she was such a strong character. I loved Zach when he came in the end. But most of all I loved how the author turned Donna around, how he made her pain a spotlight and gave her the outlet she got in the end. Yes, women can be bitches, big ones at that, but damn if this one bitch didn’t make me feel for her in the end. It was also the last point Gil got and made him shine as a character, made him one of the best and in my favorite list.

In the end I might not have gotten what I expected from Provincetown #2, but I got an even better deal. I loved every single line written and I’m absolutely sure you will too. Strongly recommended!

p.s.

I keep feeling that Tom resembles too much of Jacob and Gil somehow is based on Bruce…

Thommie

[Dani Elle Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars
What an incredible story. I totally got pulled into this right from the start and couldn’t stop reading.

The story starts out with an intensity that draws you in very deep into the characters and the story

behind them. For me it felt like it wasn’t until after chapter 5 that I had a minute to breathe and I realized I had totally forgotten what was happening around me.

In this second book of the Provincetown series we meet Gill and Tom. Gill is a former doctor who was shamed when he got caught up with a guy while he was married to a woman. He is also the father of two full grown children, Samantha, who’s married and mother of a daughter herself, and Zach the estranged son.

Gill lives in seclusion since he was outed as being gay and was shunned by the community and the town he lives in. He only gets his rocks off by meeting up with strangers he got in contact with through the internet.

His relationship with his children has only gotten worse over the years and he only lives in his own world.

Then he meets up with Tommy, the childhood and still best friend of his son Zach and for once he doesn’t feel the need to brush him off as he had done before when he had run into him. Tommy came back to town permanently to run his parents restaurant and is interested in Gill, but Gill‘s head is only on board with meeting up with a virtual twink he met online and he can’t stop thinking of a way to get to meet up with him to get his rocks off.

But surprisingly Tom touches something in Gill that spikes more than his sexual interest. He passes on the opportunity to meet up with the virtual guy to spend time with Tom and finds himself very interested and attracted to the younger man.

When they finally meet in all the right ways there is a undeniable base there. For both this is how it should be and as a reader you find that you indeed can look beyond all other things because of it..

In the second part of the book, at least that is how it feels to me, we see Gill making amends and trying to patch up things with his daughter after first attempting to get back in contact with his son.

Facing the community and the town he lives in while having Tom at his side opens up doors he assumed were closed and gives him insight on a whole new level with him finding that he still has friends and unexpected family. This story makes you feel like you accomplished something when you’re finish reading it.

You do want more. You want to know more about Zach and Gill and how things went from the meeting up point and that is the only critique I can find for this story.

Author Jacob Flores wrote an unexpected story, as I definitely didn’t expect this story to be about this after reading the first book, but he connected all the dots in the end.

review posted at: http://sidlove.com/2013/10/26/book-re...

[Adara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this story really grabbed me right from the start. I think I was more enthralled with the first five chapters because of their resemblance to one of the stories from Love Ahead: Please Excuse Our Mess that I absolutely loved. (The two truckers who knew each other by cb radio handles and who also happened to hook up coincidentally in person and had to choose between the 'in real life' guy vs. the one he knew so well over the radio/phone.)

The first five chapters felt like "Part 1", where we meet Gil (who happens to be the father of Zach Kelly, from When Love Takes Over, hence how this relates to the series). Gil is hoping to meet up with an online date for the first time in person. As he nervously waits, he's approached instead by his son's childhood best friend, Tommy Tom, who happens to be in town again to take over his parents' restaurant, and who wants to catch up. Rather than turn Tom away, as he's done in the past, Gil invites him to sit down and catch up, even knowing that it might cause his date to bug out. They make plans for dinner later that night, too.

It eventually comes out that Tom has been after Gil for years. But Gil wasn't ready to see it because of his guilt over his past. Accepting the attentions the younger man is less difficult that getting past seeing him as the boy he watched growing up. And I was really pleased that Tom offered to come clean about being the online date too, as opposed to keeping Gil on the hook online to see how he would treat the online persona once Gil decided to blow off the date in favor of staying with Tom. It would've felt too "conflict for the sake of it" if that had happened, and it didn't match the character's personality.

"Part 2" is letting the rest of the town know about them, including his own family, which is still strained to the breaking point because Gil ran away rather than face up to his outing by his ex-wife. Getting his relationship with Zach back on track is much more difficult than Gil realizes it will be, particularly when his ex-wife is being rather poisonous. (And no, this is not exactly an "evil ex-wife/girlfriend" trope. It may sound like it at a surface level, but keep reading to the end.)

The last chapter is a one year later epilogue which features Zach and Van from WLTO and Gil and Tom.

All in all, it was an enjoyable quick read. I'm really liking this series, and looking forward to Nino's story in the next book.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Chasing the Sun (Provincetown, #2) (Audiobook Version)
Author: Jacob Z. Flores
Narrator: T.J. Jamesin
Cover Artist: Michael Breyette
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Reviewer: Jay
Genre: Contemporary
Type: Romance
Pairing: Gay
Length: Novella (3 Hours and 39 Minutes)
Heat Rating: ♨♨♨
Book Rating: ★★★★¼
This book was purchased by the reviewer

I was unsure of how the author was going to deal with the mess that is Gill’s life. There are some tough topics here… A closeted gay man marries, has children, and is outed not being able to control his destiny but having it was thrust upon him. There is a younger/older relationship along with some intense family issue to be dealt with. The gamut of emotions are covered: regret, bitterness, hurt, sorrow, joy, acceptance, and love. The emotions are dealt with realistically, with substance, and give the reader a sense of resolution albeit both negative and positive.

The author does nice job providing perspective into the characters emotions and actions. While the angst level is higher than that found in When Love Takes Over, the plot remains interesting with an entertaining cast of characters. There is no Provincetown setting for this story but is does help us understand Zach better. I am enjoying these stories so stay tuned for further reviews on this series.

Complete Review at WoDF - Chasing the Sun (Provincetown, #2) (Audiobook Version)

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series. I inhaled the first, Provincetown When Love Takes Over. I was so excited to see when I purchased this second book that it would be about Zach Kelley’s Dad. In the first story, we knew very little about Dr. Gil Kelley. We had very negative feelings from Zach’s point of view, and wow when we get the truth Gil was so much more.

Imagine in the ‘ old days’ back 25 years ago, men partnering with men wasn’t accepted, as it is finally happening slowly now. So when Dr. Gil Kelly married his sweetheart and had two beautiful children and was accepted in the town’s high society, imagine his wife’s horror when she came home and found him tangled in her living room with the gardener!

The divorce was messy, and his infidelities scandalized the community. Gil went into hiding, still practicing medicine, but leaving all social life and family, since his wife despised him. His contact with his children was limited, as his ex-had poisoned their minds.

Again Mr. Flores has charmed the reader, first with the background to have us all rooting for Dr. Gil even with his choice of new lover--his son, Zach’s childhood friend! Oh, what a web you weave. This is a wonderful story of love, trust, and healing. I loved this story again, Jacob Flores, and you have me hooked. Thank you!

Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild

[Becky Condit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please leave comments on Lucky's 4 sweet pea review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....

"Do you plan on punishing yourself forever?”
“Maybe I’ll let myself off the hook when I turn eighty.” Gil attempted a smile, but it faltered on his lips.

This was a different type of book for me; One where the man left his family because of who he loved and paid a price for it.

Gil is a good man who made some mistakes in his life. The two things he regrets most though are walking away from his children when they needed him. He bears the responsibility of that in a huge way. When Tom Martinez walks back into his life, Gil’s perfect world of self-punishment falls apart. Tom may be Gi’s son’s age (and also his son’s best friend), but Tom knows what he wants and he refuses to let Gil walk away from it.

This is a difficult topic to deal with, and the author does a good job. I wish the story had been longer as some of the things were tied up a little too neatly and quickly considering all the years that they’d lingered, but overall I think Mr. Flores wrote a charming story. If you have a problem with age differences between the characters, this might not be your thing. But if you’re like Tom you should know that age is nothing more than a number.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for Joyfully Jay Reviews.

3.75 stars

Chasing the Sun is the second in Flores’ Provincetown series, though it actually takes place in Texas. The link here is that Gil is the father of Zach, the hero from the first book, When Love Takes Over. We hear about how strained the relationship is between father and son in the first book, and here we get to see things from Gil’s side. It turns out Gil is a man who is really suffering from his actions. He realizes he made big mistakes by cheating on his wife and not being open about being gay. And now he is paying the price. He has lost people he thought were friends, his ex-wife has become bitter and resentful, and his son won’t even talk to him. Flores does a nice job making us see things from Gil’s side, and how bad he feels for what he has done. His remorse feels real, and after five years, I wanted to see him get out of exile and become once again accepted and happy.

Read Jay's review in its entirety here.

[Brandilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite book of the series is book two, Chasing the Sun. I think, maybe, that is because it does not take place on the Gay Mecca of Provincetown, MA. It is not like the rest of the series, though it tied to the rest of the Provincetown series through book one main character, Zach. Chasing the Sun breaks a few rules. This story is an age gap romance. Dr. Gil Kelly is old enough to be Tom’s father, because Tom is his son’s best friend from school. Tom is the aggressor, but I enjoyed the fact that Gil did not resist for long. This story was more about Gil coming to terms with who he is and whom he loves and finding his way back to his family and friends, than it is about the romance between Gil and Tom. I did not like that the ex-wife was, of course, a bitch, but that happens. People get hurt when they are married for decades and then suddenly aren’t.

Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...

[Pam Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jacob again has done an amazing job with this story. His story line continues to flow with the first of the series and remains strong, The characters interact in an incredible way, bringing Gil, who is Zack Kelly's father(from the first novel) and tells the story of the past and the current emotional reuniting of Gil and Tom (Zach's best friend). In the past, Gil came out of the closet which caused his family to fall apart and Gil loses his friends and family, at least he thought he did. Tom and Gil fall in love...definitely changing Gil's life...Then Zack finds out about them at a public event....Emotional drama is at its highest esp when Gil's ex gets involved. Loved this story. Hot Sex, Love, and Family!! Heartwarming with a happy ending. This is a must read in the continuing series of Provincetown... Love, Hate, and Healing...Beautiful Read

[Pamela Su · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing story that meanders towards a sweet resolution.

It starts out really promising. I love age-gap romances so this was right up my alley. Gil goes from scandal to scandal. It was quite amusing.

After Gil and Tom get together, the romance starts to lose some cohesion as it's overshadowed by Gil's problems with his ex-wife and her super bitchy friends who continue to try to get Gil ostracized. I didn't feel the development of the romance between Gil and Tom.

I appreciated that Gil has to face his fears and his detractors. With Gil's background, it was refreshing to see Gil dealing with the challenges in his life to mend his relationships with his children and the town.

Overall, a good story but the romance didn't flourish as much as it could have.

[Enid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I downloaded this series as a whole, mostly because it is narrated my the amazing TJ Jamesin or Tristan James, I held reading this book essentially because Gil was a grade A a**hole. However, after reading this book I half-understand, half-forgive his past actions and decisions.

I truly loved Sammy's wit and general good humor. I respected Tom's loyalty to Zach in keeping his confidence. Also, I admired his perseverance and determination.

As far as redemption goes, this felt very real, very human.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading a enjoying the first book in this series to say I was disappointed with this book would be an understatement. Usually Jacob Flores fleshes out his characters well but throughout the book I could never connect with Gil or Tom. The first half of the book deals with them getting together which I found predictable as to who "Visiting Guy" was. The second half deals with family problems and their resolution but I was so disgruntled by the first half of the book I found it extremely hard to come to terms with the rest. Sad and sorry to say this is not one of Jacob Flores best books.
2 stars

[Lila Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

It was difficult for me to rate this book. It was a good stand-alone story, but unfortunately I loved the first book in the series. Therefore, I was expecting a lot more in this installment. The story was simply and with minimal angst. It started promising, but the plot was not strong enough. It is a short and sweet story with a good sex scene, but lacking a little amp.

Now I'm moving to book #3 and I wish for it to be better than this one.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to realise that Zach is Zach from the first part of the Provincetown series. And it's great to learn more about him and his background and family. I was a little bit dissapointed in the beginning that this book doesn't play in Provincetown. But the story and the great characters made up for it.
I'm looking forward to the next part.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got to the end of this before I realized the Zach referred to was the Zach that hooked up with Van.
This book dealt with Zach's father Gil and the fallout when he announced he was gay and had fallen for a much younger man. Zach's best friend, Tom.
An enjoyable read.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can assure you that not only is this a very emotional read, but it is SUPER hot!


Read the entire review at The Novel Approach: http://thenovelapproachreviews.com/20...