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The Lockhart Chronicles #1
Private Relations
Jesse Lockhart works as a male escort. If that weren't whorish enough, he also has a day job at a PR firm.
He likes sex, and he likes money. Never did he think that his past would return to haunt him, but then he's called to defend his old high school in the court of public opinion. To date, no one knows that Jesse slept with his old English teacher -- encounters that may or may not have been consensual.
Now, ten years after graduation, Jesse is face-to-face with the man who crossed a line no teacher should. A teacher that, in the course of a decade, is now serving as principal at one of the East Coast's most prestigious boarding schools.
Can Jesse confront his past and succeed at his job in the present? And, most importantly, can he keep his two work lives separate, before his secret is revealed to all?
He likes sex, and he likes money. Never did he think that his past would return to haunt him, but then he's called to defend his old high school in the court of public opinion. To date, no one knows that Jesse slept with his old English teacher -- encounters that may or may not have been consensual.
Now, ten years after graduation, Jesse is face-to-face with the man who crossed a line no teacher should. A teacher that, in the course of a decade, is now serving as principal at one of the East Coast's most prestigious boarding schools.
Can Jesse confront his past and succeed at his job in the present? And, most importantly, can he keep his two work lives separate, before his secret is revealed to all?
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2014
22 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Hall
12 books14 followersJ.M. Hall is a 20-something PR executive based in New York City. A Philadelphia native, he began writing fiction during his time at the University of Miami before embarking on a career in corporate communications. During the day, he can be found getting top-tier press for his clients in outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fortune and USA Today.
At night, he can be found at his computer, crafting his next story. PRIVATE RELATIONS is his first novel, and he is already hard at work on his next novel, TEENAGE DREAM.
Follow him on Twitter at @JMHall628
At night, he can be found at his computer, crafting his next story. PRIVATE RELATIONS is his first novel, and he is already hard at work on his next novel, TEENAGE DREAM.
Follow him on Twitter at @JMHall628
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 28, 2015
**Received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review**
I enjoyed Private Relations. It's the story of Jesse, a 27yr old man, who freelances at a PR firm by day and works as a highly paid male escort at night. His firm is recruited to do damage control when a sex scandal involving a teacher and student breaks at his former high school. This brings Jesse face to face with his past as it forces him to deal with unresolved feelings for the school's principal - Bobby, a man who Jesse himself had an affair with while a student there. Bobby was his English teacher at the time. Right! So I read the blurb and I said gimmme!
The first thing you have to know is that there are essentially three story arcs happening in this book. The Jesse/Bobby arc, the Jesse/Vanessa arc (high school sweetheart who's made a re-appearance in Jesse's life) and the murder mystery of prostitutes being killed by the "Long Island Ripper" (I know, I know). Unfortunately, I was only interested in the Jesse/Bobby arc. This is partly my own fault. When I read the blurb I immediately classified the book as M/M romance, so when Vanessa showed up I was kinda like 'Harpo, who dis woman?' It didn't help matters that Jesse was so conflicted over his feelings for her and Bobby. I never warmed up to her, ended up dismissing her, and kind of groaned and half-skimmed her sections every time she came up. I had to put up with a few M/F sex scenes...the things I endure. :-)
The Jesse/Bobby arc was more my cup of tea. I was like a thirsty man in the desert with their scenes. I just wanted more. The unresolved feelings and sexual tension were well done. Yes, yes, Jesse was underage when Bobby popped his cherry. They have moved on. Shouldn't we? (Answer - yes, yes we should). But seriously, even though I liked their interaction, their arc was not flawless. For one thing, Jesse's indecision was giving me whiplash. I know his emotions were in turmoil but the reader is not supposed to get a headache trying to keep up with his thought process. One minute Bobby took advantage of him, then he didn't, then he was the same as Simone (the female teacher involved in the scandal) then he wasn't, then Jesse loved him, then he loved Vanessa. I felt like I needed a Xanax! Autumn said to Jesse, 'You are melodramatic and indecisive' and I said literally said out loud,"Oh my God, yes! You mean he's supposed to be this annoying?" The attempt to show that Bobby was different from Simone didn't really pan out for me. Yes, he didn't take Jesse while he was under the influence, but ehhh that was about it. It was kind of 50/50 for me on that one.
The murder mystery came a little too late to interest me. By that time, I just wanted to know whether Jesse and Bobby would resolve their issues. I realize that this is Book 1 of a series, but that ending and epilogue kind of raised my blood pressure. That's not really how an epilogue lines up the next book in my humble opinion.
Housekeeping:
Editing needed a little work. There were errors, but I felt it was a solid effort for a first book. An editor should have also caught the repetitive use of 'If it's one thing I've learned.' I actually thought of making it a game to count how many times the characters said but I thought of it too late. :) Also, the pitfalls of writing in first person is that the narrator comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue (Marty Stu) character and that happened here. I really didn't see what made Jesse such a great and/or successful PR person. The stuff he did seemed pretty basic to me, especially because the case was pretty much handed to him on a platter due to his/Bobby's connection. Actually, the fact that . He kept saying how good he was at everything, sex included, and eh I'm yet to really see it.
So, the good things. Jesse was an interesting character. I loved his adventures, loved the descriptions of my hometown (New York). I could see all the places in my mind's eye and appreciated the detail. I like him with Bobby. I did get the sense that Bobby really loves him and now that they are 'equals' I would love to see them make it work. Let's get Eric a boyfriend, shall we? Vanessa, eh, whatevs. If the twist for Book 2 is what I think it is, I will like her even less. Autumn needs to find her dreamer and fix things with him.
All in all, a solid first book. Congrats, author. Looking forward to Book 2.
I enjoyed Private Relations. It's the story of Jesse, a 27yr old man, who freelances at a PR firm by day and works as a highly paid male escort at night. His firm is recruited to do damage control when a sex scandal involving a teacher and student breaks at his former high school. This brings Jesse face to face with his past as it forces him to deal with unresolved feelings for the school's principal - Bobby, a man who Jesse himself had an affair with while a student there. Bobby was his English teacher at the time. Right! So I read the blurb and I said gimmme!
The first thing you have to know is that there are essentially three story arcs happening in this book. The Jesse/Bobby arc, the Jesse/Vanessa arc (high school sweetheart who's made a re-appearance in Jesse's life) and the murder mystery of prostitutes being killed by the "Long Island Ripper" (I know, I know). Unfortunately, I was only interested in the Jesse/Bobby arc. This is partly my own fault. When I read the blurb I immediately classified the book as M/M romance, so when Vanessa showed up I was kinda like 'Harpo, who dis woman?' It didn't help matters that Jesse was so conflicted over his feelings for her and Bobby. I never warmed up to her, ended up dismissing her, and kind of groaned and half-skimmed her sections every time she came up. I had to put up with a few M/F sex scenes...the things I endure. :-)
The Jesse/Bobby arc was more my cup of tea. I was like a thirsty man in the desert with their scenes. I just wanted more. The unresolved feelings and sexual tension were well done. Yes, yes, Jesse was underage when Bobby popped his cherry. They have moved on. Shouldn't we? (Answer - yes, yes we should). But seriously, even though I liked their interaction, their arc was not flawless. For one thing, Jesse's indecision was giving me whiplash. I know his emotions were in turmoil but the reader is not supposed to get a headache trying to keep up with his thought process. One minute Bobby took advantage of him, then he didn't, then he was the same as Simone (the female teacher involved in the scandal) then he wasn't, then Jesse loved him, then he loved Vanessa. I felt like I needed a Xanax! Autumn said to Jesse, 'You are melodramatic and indecisive' and I said literally said out loud,"Oh my God, yes! You mean he's supposed to be this annoying?" The attempt to show that Bobby was different from Simone didn't really pan out for me. Yes, he didn't take Jesse while he was under the influence, but ehhh that was about it. It was kind of 50/50 for me on that one.
The murder mystery came a little too late to interest me. By that time, I just wanted to know whether Jesse and Bobby would resolve their issues. I realize that this is Book 1 of a series, but that ending and epilogue kind of raised my blood pressure. That's not really how an epilogue lines up the next book in my humble opinion.
Housekeeping:
Editing needed a little work. There were errors, but I felt it was a solid effort for a first book. An editor should have also caught the repetitive use of 'If it's one thing I've learned.' I actually thought of making it a game to count how many times the characters said but I thought of it too late. :) Also, the pitfalls of writing in first person is that the narrator comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue (Marty Stu) character and that happened here. I really didn't see what made Jesse such a great and/or successful PR person. The stuff he did seemed pretty basic to me, especially because the case was pretty much handed to him on a platter due to his/Bobby's connection. Actually, the fact that . He kept saying how good he was at everything, sex included, and eh I'm yet to really see it.
So, the good things. Jesse was an interesting character. I loved his adventures, loved the descriptions of my hometown (New York). I could see all the places in my mind's eye and appreciated the detail. I like him with Bobby. I did get the sense that Bobby really loves him and now that they are 'equals' I would love to see them make it work. Let's get Eric a boyfriend, shall we? Vanessa, eh, whatevs. If the twist for Book 2 is what I think it is, I will like her even less. Autumn needs to find her dreamer and fix things with him.
All in all, a solid first book. Congrats, author. Looking forward to Book 2.
December 22, 2014
** I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Overall I really enjoyed reading the book and I could not put it down. I like how the point of view was from Jesse the entire time and did not flip flop between characters. I also like how Jesse took the negative turmoil in his life and tried to overcome it. It was nice seeing how it turned him into the character that he became. On the other hand, there are some items that I could change. I did not like how the crime part felt as though it was thrown it at the end, it would have been nice to see that theme throughout the book. Additionally, there were a few too many plot twists (ex. Jesse and Veronica, Jesse and Autumn, Jesse and Bobby). I would like to see in the next book more description of the character. I want to know what they look like when I picture the book in my head while I read along.
This is a book that I would recommend to my friends.
Overall I really enjoyed reading the book and I could not put it down. I like how the point of view was from Jesse the entire time and did not flip flop between characters. I also like how Jesse took the negative turmoil in his life and tried to overcome it. It was nice seeing how it turned him into the character that he became. On the other hand, there are some items that I could change. I did not like how the crime part felt as though it was thrown it at the end, it would have been nice to see that theme throughout the book. Additionally, there were a few too many plot twists (ex. Jesse and Veronica, Jesse and Autumn, Jesse and Bobby). I would like to see in the next book more description of the character. I want to know what they look like when I picture the book in my head while I read along.
This is a book that I would recommend to my friends.
January 26, 2015
I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this book. I saw male escort and thought, wow - that could be interesting. That it was! Jessie works at a PR firm by day and as an escort by night. The story opens with him about to meet a client. He is supposed to be having sex with the wife while the husband watches. The wife just happens to be his first love Vanessa who he hasn’t seen in years. And it is not a coincidence – she found him online.
When he heads into his day job he finds out his old prep school has been caught in the middle of a scandal; more specifically, a sex scandal between a student and teacher. The principal has come to New York to meet with Jessie and his boss. Jessie is in for another big shock when he finds that his old English teacher, Bobby Allen, is now Principal of New Hope Academy- the same English teacher who seduced him as a student.
There was so much going on in this story, it was hard to put down. Jessie and Vanessa, Jessie and Bobby, Jessie and his life in PR and his friendship with his boss, and Jessie’s life as an escort. Each a different part of the same man, each part complex, and each part only what he wants others to see.
Jessie and Vanessa had a complex relationship that ended with an unplanned pregnancy, an abortion, and lots of regret. Jessie and Bobby’s relationship was, surprisingly, the one I liked the best. It was far more complex than a young teacher seducing his 16 year old student. The relationship is something Jessie has to figure out and come to terms with throughout the story. Having to see Bobby again and the similarities of the sex scandal at the school open up old wounds and lots of unanswered questions. The student in the case is Bobby’s nephew, who knows all about Bobby and Jessie. As Jessie digs into the past of the female teacher and discovers more about how she used the boy for her own twisted game, the more truths he discovers about his relationship with Bobby. This relationship and its complexities was really fascinating.
As if all of that was not enough, there is a prying reporter and someone is murdering prostitutes in New York.
The only thing I did not like about the book was how abruptly it ended. I do look forward to knowing how Jessie’s story continues in the next book.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*
When he heads into his day job he finds out his old prep school has been caught in the middle of a scandal; more specifically, a sex scandal between a student and teacher. The principal has come to New York to meet with Jessie and his boss. Jessie is in for another big shock when he finds that his old English teacher, Bobby Allen, is now Principal of New Hope Academy- the same English teacher who seduced him as a student.
There was so much going on in this story, it was hard to put down. Jessie and Vanessa, Jessie and Bobby, Jessie and his life in PR and his friendship with his boss, and Jessie’s life as an escort. Each a different part of the same man, each part complex, and each part only what he wants others to see.
Jessie and Vanessa had a complex relationship that ended with an unplanned pregnancy, an abortion, and lots of regret. Jessie and Bobby’s relationship was, surprisingly, the one I liked the best. It was far more complex than a young teacher seducing his 16 year old student. The relationship is something Jessie has to figure out and come to terms with throughout the story. Having to see Bobby again and the similarities of the sex scandal at the school open up old wounds and lots of unanswered questions. The student in the case is Bobby’s nephew, who knows all about Bobby and Jessie. As Jessie digs into the past of the female teacher and discovers more about how she used the boy for her own twisted game, the more truths he discovers about his relationship with Bobby. This relationship and its complexities was really fascinating.
As if all of that was not enough, there is a prying reporter and someone is murdering prostitutes in New York.
The only thing I did not like about the book was how abruptly it ended. I do look forward to knowing how Jessie’s story continues in the next book.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*
February 29, 2016
First, a warning: this book starts with a bang and I mean that literally. I was in public reading this when the action went hot and heavy and WHOAH. If you like your thrillers erotic, well, this delivers from chapter 1.
But more than just the sex, this is also a book with ideas underpinning it that we as a society don't discuss often enough. It is a student/teacher relationship in the past that sets the wheels turning, and Jesse's ambivalence about the effect of someone in a position of power having once seduced him is the kind of uncomfortable reading we need to do a lot more often. What it means to fall in love for the first time, how consent is negotiated - that a book takes these topics head on, yet presents no easy answers, is a bit of a revelation. I don't need to name all the current events that have brought issues of consent to public deliberation; suffice to say it makes you think. Fifty Shades this ain't.
The topic of paid sex also gets a good look here - not simply for the titillation, but also contrasting against Jesse's day job and asking, what is everyone really selling? Is it correct for people to judge some people because they sell sex, when the rest of us are offering our real integrity for the right fee? It felt like there was a lot more that could have been done with this aspect, but I'll wait and see what the others in the series have to offer.
If the politics of sex isn't your thing then enjoy this for the twisty plot and lucid descriptions, especially of the bedroom antics. I held back from the full 5 stars simply because I am expecting the series to get better and better and the ending was somewhat abrupt: I'll admit it, I have high hopes for this author. Let's see what he thrills us with next.
But more than just the sex, this is also a book with ideas underpinning it that we as a society don't discuss often enough. It is a student/teacher relationship in the past that sets the wheels turning, and Jesse's ambivalence about the effect of someone in a position of power having once seduced him is the kind of uncomfortable reading we need to do a lot more often. What it means to fall in love for the first time, how consent is negotiated - that a book takes these topics head on, yet presents no easy answers, is a bit of a revelation. I don't need to name all the current events that have brought issues of consent to public deliberation; suffice to say it makes you think. Fifty Shades this ain't.
The topic of paid sex also gets a good look here - not simply for the titillation, but also contrasting against Jesse's day job and asking, what is everyone really selling? Is it correct for people to judge some people because they sell sex, when the rest of us are offering our real integrity for the right fee? It felt like there was a lot more that could have been done with this aspect, but I'll wait and see what the others in the series have to offer.
If the politics of sex isn't your thing then enjoy this for the twisty plot and lucid descriptions, especially of the bedroom antics. I held back from the full 5 stars simply because I am expecting the series to get better and better and the ending was somewhat abrupt: I'll admit it, I have high hopes for this author. Let's see what he thrills us with next.
November 6, 2014
** I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
'Private Relations' is one of those books that touched me on such an emotional level that I could not put down. The storyline was exceptional. I loved how it played out. There were some revelations that Jesse faced and I was so engrossed with his character that I felt like I was going through them with him. He is quite the complex character on the outside, yet I felt him grow as a person. The characters were well defined and were a great cast of personalities. The hot and steamy scenes were well written. I truly enjoyed the descriptive nature of J.M. Hall's writing. And an author I will follow. I will definitely read more of Jesse's story. I was left with quite a few questions, but in a good way. I look forward to reading the next book in 'The Lockhart Chronicles'. This book is a great add to your tbr list. Recommended read.
'Private Relations' is one of those books that touched me on such an emotional level that I could not put down. The storyline was exceptional. I loved how it played out. There were some revelations that Jesse faced and I was so engrossed with his character that I felt like I was going through them with him. He is quite the complex character on the outside, yet I felt him grow as a person. The characters were well defined and were a great cast of personalities. The hot and steamy scenes were well written. I truly enjoyed the descriptive nature of J.M. Hall's writing. And an author I will follow. I will definitely read more of Jesse's story. I was left with quite a few questions, but in a good way. I look forward to reading the next book in 'The Lockhart Chronicles'. This book is a great add to your tbr list. Recommended read.
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November 11, 2014Unfortunately, Private Relations wasn't my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews