What do you think?
Rate this book
Pineapple Grove #1
Something About Jace
Gallery owner Jace Townsend loves his tiny hometown of Pineapple Grove, deep in South Florida. His life is filled with sunshine, blue skies, jogging on the beach with his dog, and the greatest friends a guy could want. What more could he ask for?
Love would be a great start. After his last relationship fell apart, Jace has begun to wonder if he’s ever going to find someone who would fit into his quiet life.
Of course, the last person who would fit into his life is a major movie star.
Trent Elrige is drowning. He’s constantly on the go from one movie obligation to the next. And after the last stalker got a little too close for comfort, Trent decides it’s time to take a step back and figure out what he’s doing with his life.
Pineapple Grove seemed the perfect spot to hide for six months and figure out his future. He just wasn’t expecting to be tackled by love so quickly.
But now that he’s found Jace, is he willing to risk everything he’s worked so hard for? And is Jace willing to walk away from his precious Pineapple Grove to be with Trent?
Love would be a great start. After his last relationship fell apart, Jace has begun to wonder if he’s ever going to find someone who would fit into his quiet life.
Of course, the last person who would fit into his life is a major movie star.
Trent Elrige is drowning. He’s constantly on the go from one movie obligation to the next. And after the last stalker got a little too close for comfort, Trent decides it’s time to take a step back and figure out what he’s doing with his life.
Pineapple Grove seemed the perfect spot to hide for six months and figure out his future. He just wasn’t expecting to be tackled by love so quickly.
But now that he’s found Jace, is he willing to risk everything he’s worked so hard for? And is Jace willing to walk away from his precious Pineapple Grove to be with Trent?
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 28, 2018
317 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Jocelynn Drake
141 books2,895 followersNew York Times Bestselling author Jocelynn Drake loves a good story, whether she is reading it or writing one of her own. Over the years, her stories have allowed her to explore space, talk to dragons, dodge bullets with assassins, hang with vampires, and fall in love again and again.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can be
walking her dog Ace, or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy books: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. For gay romance, she has completed The Exit Strategy and Shadow Elite series, and is now working on a spin-off of her MM paranormal series, Lords of Discord. She has also co-authored with Rinda Elliot the following series: Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, Pineapple Grove, the Weavers Circle. In addition, she has co-authored with AJ Sherwood the following series: Scales 'N' Spell and Wings 'N' Wands. She can be found at JocelynnDrake.com.
This former Kentucky girl has moved up, down, and across the U.S. with her husband. Recently, they’ve settled near the Rockies.
When she is not hammering away at her keyboard or curled up with a book, she can be
walking her dog Ace, or playing video games. She loves Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, and fast cars.
She is the author of the urban fantasy books: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. For gay romance, she has completed The Exit Strategy and Shadow Elite series, and is now working on a spin-off of her MM paranormal series, Lords of Discord. She has also co-authored with Rinda Elliot the following series: Unbreakable Bonds, Ward Security, Pineapple Grove, the Weavers Circle. In addition, she has co-authored with AJ Sherwood the following series: Scales 'N' Spell and Wings 'N' Wands. She can be found at JocelynnDrake.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
January 19, 2019
0.5 star rounded up to 1 star.
*Chants to self* I will not go into a rant! I will not got into a rant! It might be longer that the book!
Summary
-Insta -I enjoy Insta at times when it is well done. Not here.
-Didn't feel the Chemistry between the MCs at all.
- The Mystery was so-so, why was it even there?
-Drama Llama for the sake of it
-Sex, sex, sex and more sex. I love me some sex scenes, but i need to feel the chemistry and also i need a build up.
- Say cheese
The best part of the story was the Ripley the dog.
Read Josy's review here and Karen's review here. They explain my feelings for this book perfectly.
This would have been a DNF, if i was not in the company of these lovely ladies; Anne, Christelle, Josy, Karen and Simone, thank you so much for an awesome buddy read. You made it tolerable.
*Chants to self* I will not go into a rant! I will not got into a rant! It might be longer that the book!
Summary
-Insta -I enjoy Insta at times when it is well done. Not here.
-Didn't feel the Chemistry between the MCs at all.
- The Mystery was so-so, why was it even there?
-Drama Llama for the sake of it
-Sex, sex, sex and more sex. I love me some sex scenes, but i need to feel the chemistry and also i need a build up.
- Say cheese
The best part of the story was the Ripley the dog.
Read Josy's review here and Karen's review here. They explain my feelings for this book perfectly.
This would have been a DNF, if i was not in the company of these lovely ladies; Anne, Christelle, Josy, Karen and Simone, thank you so much for an awesome buddy read. You made it tolerable.
December 28, 2018
I knew I wanted to read this book, from the moment I knew "Trent" was one of MC's. No that's a lie...I knew I wanted to read this when I found out who the authors were ;) I have enjoyed every single book in the " Unbreakable Bonds " and the " Ward Security " series, so it was a given, that I was gonna read this new series ;)
Still, I was very curious about Trent's book, since I fell in love with him a little in Sadistic Sherlock. After reading this book...I am completely smitten !!
This new series is a little bit different than the other two. There is less "darkness" and (so far) it doesn't have much action. The overall feeling I got from it is... sweetness.
Trent, world-famous movie star, is finally enjoying some much-needed vacation time in Pine-Apple Grove, where he gets plowed over by a very enthusiastic Golden Retriever. He is swept off his feet and not just by the dog...it's owner is doing a pretty good job as well ;)
Jace is in shock when he finds out, that the man his dog ran over, is none other than Trent Elridge. But after the initial shock...it is mostly lust he feels...
These two set off some major sparks and so they want to give being together a try. Trent finding out all the ins and outs of "gay" sex was delicious !! It was as HOT as it was sensual.
But Jace is out and proud and Trent is famous and in the closet... So the question is, how will they make this work.
I really enjoyed reading this one, it was all fluffy goodness !! There is some mystery in the background story, but nothing major. It was a very sweet and uncomplicated read...just what I needed right now.
The reason I am not going for the full 5 stars here, is even though I love me some fluff from time to time, I love action and mystery just a bit more. It also felt like this book was a bit shorter than all the others.
That said, I highly recommend anything these authors write...I am a fan ;)
My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession
Follow Us on➦
January 19, 2019
***1.5 - 2 Stars***
only rounded up because of Ripley...
Sorry, no review from me this time. Believe me, you don't want to read my rant. Please read Karen's and Josy's reviews, they explained my feelings to a T.
***Ladies, aka Anne, Christelle, Josy, Karen & Shile, thank you for reading this with me, without you I would have given up soon.***
only rounded up because of Ripley...
Sorry, no review from me this time. Believe me, you don't want to read my rant. Please read Karen's and Josy's reviews, they explained my feelings to a T.
***Ladies, aka Anne, Christelle, Josy, Karen & Shile, thank you for reading this with me, without you I would have given up soon.***
dnf
December 29, 2018DNF at 20%
Wow, it's been a long time since I was this bored with a story. I was yawning on the first page. Not a good sign. I thought the characters were all a bunch of uninteresting people. I mean, to start a book with a small business owner meeting is. so. not. interesting.
And even when Jace and Trent met I was still so incredibly bored.
I don't think this series will be for me.
Wow, it's been a long time since I was this bored with a story. I was yawning on the first page. Not a good sign. I thought the characters were all a bunch of uninteresting people. I mean, to start a book with a small business owner meeting is. so. not. interesting.
And even when Jace and Trent met I was still so incredibly bored.
I don't think this series will be for me.
January 19, 2019
Oh well.... This didn't go as it was supposed to.
When Trent first appeared in Sadistic Sherlock, I really liked him and wished for a book about him. This wish was granted and I was really excited about reading it but sadly, it really didn't work for me.
Trent and Jace as characters were great but there was no relationship development. Every important scene between them was off page and only shown in flashbacks. What was on page was sex, sex, and more sex. Did I mention the sex? It was too much and because the conversations and tender moments weren't shown, I wasn't able to form a connection to the MCs and I honestly don't know how the MCs were able to build a relationship that went beyond insta-lust.
The mystery was... Well, I won't even call it a mystery. It was just added drama.
The ending was so seriously OTT, unbelievable, and ridiculous that I don't even know what to say. Also, there was no epilogue and this is a book that needs one because the lives of both MCs are about to change drastically and without talking about their plans how to handle that, without showing a glimpse into the future, I have a hard time believing in a HEA. There is so much that can go wrong after the I love you's were spoken out loud, so much that can put a strain on their relationship, that I needed to see at least somewhat of a plan on how they are going to handle the public scrutiny.
The best part about this book was Ripley, the sweet Golden Retriever who played matchmaker, and reading this book with my ladies (in no particular order) Christelle, Karen, Anne, Simone, and Shile. Without them, this would have most likely ended in a DNF. Thank you, ladies, for making this buddy read so much fun :)
After loving the Unbreakable Bonds series and mostly enjoying the Ward Security series by these authors, I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me.
When Trent first appeared in Sadistic Sherlock, I really liked him and wished for a book about him. This wish was granted and I was really excited about reading it but sadly, it really didn't work for me.
Trent and Jace as characters were great but there was no relationship development. Every important scene between them was off page and only shown in flashbacks. What was on page was sex, sex, and more sex. Did I mention the sex? It was too much and because the conversations and tender moments weren't shown, I wasn't able to form a connection to the MCs and I honestly don't know how the MCs were able to build a relationship that went beyond insta-lust.
The mystery was... Well, I won't even call it a mystery. It was just added drama.
The ending was so seriously OTT, unbelievable, and ridiculous that I don't even know what to say. Also, there was no epilogue and this is a book that needs one because the lives of both MCs are about to change drastically and without talking about their plans how to handle that, without showing a glimpse into the future, I have a hard time believing in a HEA. There is so much that can go wrong after the I love you's were spoken out loud, so much that can put a strain on their relationship, that I needed to see at least somewhat of a plan on how they are going to handle the public scrutiny.
The best part about this book was Ripley, the sweet Golden Retriever who played matchmaker, and reading this book with my ladies (in no particular order) Christelle, Karen, Anne, Simone, and Shile. Without them, this would have most likely ended in a DNF. Thank you, ladies, for making this buddy read so much fun :)
After loving the Unbreakable Bonds series and mostly enjoying the Ward Security series by these authors, I'm sad to say that this book wasn't for me.
October 18, 2019
I'mma' gonna' have a tiny rant here...
Ok let's start with what was good here...because sadly that list is short. This was a buddy read...because some things need to be endured...eeerrrrr...I mean shared. While there were some good moments at the beginning of this one...not great or amazing...but they were ok and truthfully for the first half I probably could have comfortably gone with 3 stars but sadly the last 30ish percent tanked for me and it tanked hard.
I could probably go on a bit rant here about all the things that went wrong for me but truthfully I'd rather spend my time writing a more positive review for one of the other books that I've listened to or read more recently so I'm just going to say one of the biggest obstacles on this one was 'the sex' and seriously there was sex...so much sex. I know I wasn't the only one skimming and rolling their eyes along with some ridiculously over the top moments and a side plot that was suppose to add some suspense, interest, drama? all of the above things escalated and I suddenly found myself in the middle of a...
and maybe this seems a bit harsh but in comparison to the 'Unbreakable Bonds' series.or even 'Ward Security' ...'Something About Jace' was a very solid disappointment. If you asked me 'Should you read this book?' my reply would be "read Unbreakable Bonds'...but that's just my take on things...
I just need to do one more thing to wrap this one up...a great big thank you to my buddy read gang (in alphabetical order)...Anne, Christelle, Josy's Review , Shile & Simone. You are all awesome and good or bad or anything in between any buddy read with all of you is always 5 stars!
Ok let's start with what was good here...because sadly that list is short. This was a buddy read...because some things need to be endured...eeerrrrr...I mean shared. While there were some good moments at the beginning of this one...not great or amazing...but they were ok and truthfully for the first half I probably could have comfortably gone with 3 stars but sadly the last 30ish percent tanked for me and it tanked hard.
I could probably go on a bit rant here about all the things that went wrong for me but truthfully I'd rather spend my time writing a more positive review for one of the other books that I've listened to or read more recently so I'm just going to say one of the biggest obstacles on this one was 'the sex' and seriously there was sex...so much sex. I know I wasn't the only one skimming and rolling their eyes along with some ridiculously over the top moments and a side plot that was suppose to add some suspense, interest, drama? all of the above things escalated and I suddenly found myself in the middle of a...
and maybe this seems a bit harsh but in comparison to the 'Unbreakable Bonds' series.or even 'Ward Security' ...'Something About Jace' was a very solid disappointment. If you asked me 'Should you read this book?' my reply would be "read Unbreakable Bonds'...but that's just my take on things...
I just need to do one more thing to wrap this one up...a great big thank you to my buddy read gang (in alphabetical order)...Anne, Christelle, Josy's Review , Shile & Simone. You are all awesome and good or bad or anything in between any buddy read with all of you is always 5 stars!
Read
December 29, 2018So much eye-rolling. DNF at 20%.
December 31, 2018
I don’t know if my expectations were just too high, but I find it hard to believe that these are the same authors of the Unbreakable Bonds series. This book bored me. I felt no connection to either MC. I didn’t believe in their relationship. The sudden about face to allow resolution was completely unbelievable and eye roll inducing. I can’t believe I finished.
January 2, 2019
Lots of fluff and hot sex. :)
December 16, 2018
From the minute he almost stole the show as a guest star in Dominic and Abe's Sadistic Sherlock I've been hoping we'd get Trent's book.
Jocelynn and Rinda use it to kick off their new Pineapple Cove series set in sunny Florida and it's a great introduction with a new set of characters to fall in love with.
They even manage to add in a bit of suspense with a secondary subplot involving art vandalism which ties in with Trent's love interest Jace's sister.
And speaking of Jace, he was a sweetheart and just the right person to spark Trent's interest and to allow the global superstar movie actor the freedom to be himself.
The tension in this is all relatively low key, concentrating on the relationship and the impact on Trent's career when he comes out as bisexual. It was handled with ease by these two talented authors and felt organic and not there just for the plot.
The sex is, as expected with these two, volcanic. I'm sure they deliberately seek ways in which they can get us dedicated fans of theirs to shout out loud in joy!
This book is no exception and the chair and mirror combo in this one rocketed to the top of the list of seriously sexy times!
I've five starred this one, as I have most of their books, because it was a read in one go and I finished it at 3am this morning and loved every bit of it :)
#ARC kindly received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Jocelynn and Rinda use it to kick off their new Pineapple Cove series set in sunny Florida and it's a great introduction with a new set of characters to fall in love with.
They even manage to add in a bit of suspense with a secondary subplot involving art vandalism which ties in with Trent's love interest Jace's sister.
And speaking of Jace, he was a sweetheart and just the right person to spark Trent's interest and to allow the global superstar movie actor the freedom to be himself.
The tension in this is all relatively low key, concentrating on the relationship and the impact on Trent's career when he comes out as bisexual. It was handled with ease by these two talented authors and felt organic and not there just for the plot.
The sex is, as expected with these two, volcanic. I'm sure they deliberately seek ways in which they can get us dedicated fans of theirs to shout out loud in joy!
This book is no exception and the chair and mirror combo in this one rocketed to the top of the list of seriously sexy times!
I've five starred this one, as I have most of their books, because it was a read in one go and I finished it at 3am this morning and loved every bit of it :)
#ARC kindly received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review.
October 7, 2019
2 Stars!
It's a little disappointing that I have to give this book such a low rating because I love these author's and their writing so much. But this one didn't work for me.
The chemistry was lacking with these characters as was a real story. I found the side characters to be more interesting and seemed like this book was just a gateway to get to theirs. Lincoln, Jamison, and Wesley, I'm talking about you.
These characters had a sexual relationship but not so much one on a personal level. It tried to a couple times but it was short lived. Keeping it a secret kept them in a house that kept them in bed. So not having anything really going on outside of that left the story unfulfilling and a bit on the boring side.
The book tried to have a mystery going on the side, but that failed flat. Really flat. It just wasn't needed and it was pretty obvious who the culprit was very early on.
I really hate that this one didn't work for me, but I'm looking forward to read about the men I mentioned.
Happy reading dolls! xx
It's a little disappointing that I have to give this book such a low rating because I love these author's and their writing so much. But this one didn't work for me.
The chemistry was lacking with these characters as was a real story. I found the side characters to be more interesting and seemed like this book was just a gateway to get to theirs. Lincoln, Jamison, and Wesley, I'm talking about you.
These characters had a sexual relationship but not so much one on a personal level. It tried to a couple times but it was short lived. Keeping it a secret kept them in a house that kept them in bed. So not having anything really going on outside of that left the story unfulfilling and a bit on the boring side.
The book tried to have a mystery going on the side, but that failed flat. Really flat. It just wasn't needed and it was pretty obvious who the culprit was very early on.
I really hate that this one didn't work for me, but I'm looking forward to read about the men I mentioned.
Happy reading dolls! xx
January 4, 2019
What a solid start to this new series by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot. I love when these two write together, it always works so well.
Something About Jace is about Trent Elrige - who featured briefly in "Sadistic Sherlock," who is a famous actor and had a stalker who Dominic stopped, and it was clear to Dominic that he wasn't 100% straight - going to South Florida to Pineapple Grove, a fairly small vacation town to have his own vacation for 6 months to get away from everything in his life at the moment, and it's there that he meets Jace Townsend while on the beach and Jace's dog Ripley crashes into him. It's all over from there for both of them.
Even though Jace doesn't see who Trent is at first as Trent is wearing sunglasses and a hat, he is still drawn to Trent and agrees to a date (although he's not sure it's a date until he gets to Trent's that night) even without knowing who he is. He is shocked when he learns that he was talking to Trent Elrige earlier, but he does get over it pretty quickly as Trent is just himself and he's able to see him as a person and not just a famous actor pretty quickly.
What follows is an incredibly cute, sweet, and romantic courtship - full with waiting to have sex and just hanging out and getting to know each other - and some really hot, sexy, passionate sexytimes once they do get to them.
There were times in this it was a little slow for me, and then at other times there wasn't enough - like it skips ahead a few months or weeks here and there, and with a longer book I feel like they could have had more scenes - but it wasn't too detrimental to my overall enjoyment of this book. I do also wish we got to see
This does end with a great HEA that was incredibly sweet - and almost cliche - and just made go "aww" and maybe swoon just a lil' bit...but only a lil' bit ;)
I was so happy to see Trent get his happy ending, and as we got to know Jace, him too. These two worked so well together and they just made me swoon. Their love and passion for each other was immense and I always love that when books get that across to the reader, how much the two MC's love each other.
Definitely recommend. While this isn't as strong as their Unbreakable Bonds series (that has more of a story to it and one of my fave couples is from that series (Lucas & Andrei ftw!) and this is more just a story of romance with the plot being about the romance) it is definitely a fun and enjoyable read, with mostly fluff (and the angst that there is, is understandable) and a great couple. Sometimes you just need a fun romantic read with little angst and this provides that. Definitely enjoyed it a ton!
***ARC generously provided by the Alpha Book Club in exchange for an honest review.***
Something About Jace is about Trent Elrige - who featured briefly in "Sadistic Sherlock," who is a famous actor and had a stalker who Dominic stopped, and it was clear to Dominic that he wasn't 100% straight - going to South Florida to Pineapple Grove, a fairly small vacation town to have his own vacation for 6 months to get away from everything in his life at the moment, and it's there that he meets Jace Townsend while on the beach and Jace's dog Ripley crashes into him. It's all over from there for both of them.
Even though Jace doesn't see who Trent is at first as Trent is wearing sunglasses and a hat, he is still drawn to Trent and agrees to a date (although he's not sure it's a date until he gets to Trent's that night) even without knowing who he is. He is shocked when he learns that he was talking to Trent Elrige earlier, but he does get over it pretty quickly as Trent is just himself and he's able to see him as a person and not just a famous actor pretty quickly.
What follows is an incredibly cute, sweet, and romantic courtship - full with waiting to have sex and just hanging out and getting to know each other - and some really hot, sexy, passionate sexytimes once they do get to them.
There were times in this it was a little slow for me, and then at other times there wasn't enough - like it skips ahead a few months or weeks here and there, and with a longer book I feel like they could have had more scenes - but it wasn't too detrimental to my overall enjoyment of this book. I do also wish we got to see
This does end with a great HEA that was incredibly sweet - and almost cliche - and just made go "aww" and maybe swoon just a lil' bit...but only a lil' bit ;)
I was so happy to see Trent get his happy ending, and as we got to know Jace, him too. These two worked so well together and they just made me swoon. Their love and passion for each other was immense and I always love that when books get that across to the reader, how much the two MC's love each other.
Definitely recommend. While this isn't as strong as their Unbreakable Bonds series (that has more of a story to it and one of my fave couples is from that series (Lucas & Andrei ftw!) and this is more just a story of romance with the plot being about the romance) it is definitely a fun and enjoyable read, with mostly fluff (and the angst that there is, is understandable) and a great couple. Sometimes you just need a fun romantic read with little angst and this provides that. Definitely enjoyed it a ton!
***ARC generously provided by the Alpha Book Club in exchange for an honest review.***
December 30, 2018
A sweet read but I wasn’t a fan of Trent at all. I couldn’t warm to his character and just couldn’t get into the vibe. Jase was all things cute and his friends were great. This book was a solid halfway for me.
December 21, 2018
Trent Elrige, a smoking hot Hollywood A-lister has come to quiet Pineapple Grove, a historical neighborhood in Delray Beach, Florida, for some much needed rest and relaxation. Trent isn't expecting to meet anyone, but when he runs into Jace Townsend sparks fly.
Jace loves his quiet life in beautiful South Florida where he spends most of his time with his sister, friends, and in his art gallery. But when Jace falls for Trent big questions come into play about how happy the two can be in the spotlight.
With a dual POV the reader gets to know both characters well. Something About Jace is a totally sweet, low angst, meet-cute romance between a star and a normal guy with lots and lots of (dare I say too much?) sex, and a happy ending.
My only complaints are I felt like it had too many time jumps and a mystery thread was tied off and then just never mentioned again, which I found kind of odd.
On the whole it's a cute book with great characters, I thought it represents the area setting well, and it's got a great set up for a series. I'll definitely check out book #2 when it's released.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Something About Jace provided by the authors in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Jace loves his quiet life in beautiful South Florida where he spends most of his time with his sister, friends, and in his art gallery. But when Jace falls for Trent big questions come into play about how happy the two can be in the spotlight.
With a dual POV the reader gets to know both characters well. Something About Jace is a totally sweet, low angst, meet-cute romance between a star and a normal guy with lots and lots of (dare I say too much?) sex, and a happy ending.
My only complaints are I felt like it had too many time jumps and a mystery thread was tied off and then just never mentioned again, which I found kind of odd.
On the whole it's a cute book with great characters, I thought it represents the area setting well, and it's got a great set up for a series. I'll definitely check out book #2 when it's released.
Advanced Review Galley copy of Something About Jace provided by the authors in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
January 28, 2019
Another series from Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott, quite different from their 2 previous series : there is no action/mystery, so don’t look for criminals, psychos, nor bodyguards.
It’s a sweet romance between an art gallery owner, Jace, whose life is satisfying in Pineapple Grove, if it were not for a lack of a loving partner, and Trent, a famous actor who hasn’t yet found a reason to risk his career by coming out as bi, taking a relaxing few-month-break in Pineapple Grove.
There’s insta-lust as well as a slow-burn if it makes sense : both Jace and Trent are drawn to each other but they also want to make their relationship meaningful, even if they are not sure it has a future once Trent’s break is over.
There’s also a lot of friendship thrown in the mix, and that’s the part I enjoyed the most. I laughed at Trent’s introduction to Jace’s friends : reminded me a lot when a plus-one is introduced to my band of cousins, minus the celebrity factor.
It’s cozy, with low-angst and some nice steam, just as followers of these authors are used to. An enjoyable sexy romance for a rainy day.
Maybe a tiny bit too cozy and fluffy for my taste, with a rushed ending and a “public declaration of love”, a peet peeve for me, especially here as it was unexpected, and with consequences, for Jace.
Pleasurable, but it didn’t held my interest as much as the “Unbreakable bonds” series, which had more sparks and emotion between the MCs.
It’s a sweet romance between an art gallery owner, Jace, whose life is satisfying in Pineapple Grove, if it were not for a lack of a loving partner, and Trent, a famous actor who hasn’t yet found a reason to risk his career by coming out as bi, taking a relaxing few-month-break in Pineapple Grove.
There’s insta-lust as well as a slow-burn if it makes sense : both Jace and Trent are drawn to each other but they also want to make their relationship meaningful, even if they are not sure it has a future once Trent’s break is over.
There’s also a lot of friendship thrown in the mix, and that’s the part I enjoyed the most. I laughed at Trent’s introduction to Jace’s friends : reminded me a lot when a plus-one is introduced to my band of cousins, minus the celebrity factor.
It’s cozy, with low-angst and some nice steam, just as followers of these authors are used to. An enjoyable sexy romance for a rainy day.
Maybe a tiny bit too cozy and fluffy for my taste, with a rushed ending and a “public declaration of love”, a peet peeve for me, especially here as it was unexpected, and with consequences, for Jace.
Pleasurable, but it didn’t held my interest as much as the “Unbreakable bonds” series, which had more sparks and emotion between the MCs.
July 14, 2019
Folks meet their “one” when they least expect it !
This is a wonderful story of a movie star and a local art dealer. Handsome and world famous actor, Trent, nearing 40, took time off to relax at a Florida beach town. There he finds Jace, running the beach with his dog. Jace loves his town, friends, gallery and life is good, except for a vandalism problem lately. Trent and Jace have some dinners, but Trent isn’t out of the closet and needs privacy from reporters. So, Jace must keep them a secret.
All of their kisses lead to more, and it is Trent’s first time he’s ever let himself be with a man. They have months of glorious times together, and Trent and Jace have never had this intensity of emotions, ever, and they are perfect for each other. Trent gets to meet Jace’s friends and sister, after awhile, but secrecy is crucial. Each man falls deeply, but what will happen when Trent goes back to work.
We feel their anguish, the pain of thinking they won’t get to work out. Jace is attacked; Trent cares for him, and then Trents agent calls. Well written and we are wrapped up in the angst. We want them happy, because each man deserves the best.
Highly recommended ! Enjoy !
=======
This is a wonderful story of a movie star and a local art dealer. Handsome and world famous actor, Trent, nearing 40, took time off to relax at a Florida beach town. There he finds Jace, running the beach with his dog. Jace loves his town, friends, gallery and life is good, except for a vandalism problem lately. Trent and Jace have some dinners, but Trent isn’t out of the closet and needs privacy from reporters. So, Jace must keep them a secret.
All of their kisses lead to more, and it is Trent’s first time he’s ever let himself be with a man. They have months of glorious times together, and Trent and Jace have never had this intensity of emotions, ever, and they are perfect for each other. Trent gets to meet Jace’s friends and sister, after awhile, but secrecy is crucial. Each man falls deeply, but what will happen when Trent goes back to work.
We feel their anguish, the pain of thinking they won’t get to work out. Jace is attacked; Trent cares for him, and then Trents agent calls. Well written and we are wrapped up in the angst. We want them happy, because each man deserves the best.
Highly recommended ! Enjoy !
=======
December 31, 2018
3.5 stars
This is a cute read featuring Jace, who is a small town business owner and Trent, the movie star we met in Ward Security series. In the beginning, when we were introduced to a bunch of Jace's close friend, I felt a bit overwhelmed and find it hard to keep track with everyone, but as the story went on, I start to appreciate his circle of friends who always have each other back. Trent was on a summer vacation and met Jace by a chance encounter by the beach. The way they get together seems too easy, they have this mutual attraction from the first meeting and subsequently planning for a date night on the same day. The problem they faced down the road was how to overcome the fact that Trent is a famous person and not even out of the closet.
I find the relationship development plot here isn't too engaging, my main concern is to see how Trent will come out and how will their future pan out. Jace seems too settled in his small town life and Trent is a jet setter. How will their life merge together? Overall, I find this is a cute summer romance, but what I'm interested more now is Wesley and a certain hotel magnate! I'm very much looking forward to it, enemies to lovers is my favorite troupe!
This is a cute read featuring Jace, who is a small town business owner and Trent, the movie star we met in Ward Security series. In the beginning, when we were introduced to a bunch of Jace's close friend, I felt a bit overwhelmed and find it hard to keep track with everyone, but as the story went on, I start to appreciate his circle of friends who always have each other back. Trent was on a summer vacation and met Jace by a chance encounter by the beach. The way they get together seems too easy, they have this mutual attraction from the first meeting and subsequently planning for a date night on the same day. The problem they faced down the road was how to overcome the fact that Trent is a famous person and not even out of the closet.
I find the relationship development plot here isn't too engaging, my main concern is to see how Trent will come out and how will their future pan out. Jace seems too settled in his small town life and Trent is a jet setter. How will their life merge together? Overall, I find this is a cute summer romance, but what I'm interested more now is Wesley and a certain hotel magnate! I'm very much looking forward to it, enemies to lovers is my favorite troupe!
January 23, 2019
Welp. For me, the Unbreakable Bonds series is the gold standard of m/m romance series, and I feel real and true disappointment that I haven't particularly enjoyed the authors' subsequent works. I am fully aware that their new books are supposed to be different from the Unbreakable Bonds series. But different stories can still be good stories, and I sadly didn't find this a good reading experience.
Something About Jace was both boring and busy. The suspense element was weak and unintentionally amusing at times (and don't even get me started on the stupidity of the owner of an art gallery not having a security system enabled while working alone late at night).
The characters weren’t very well formed, and their relationship was even less developed. The things that make a relationship, the things that I wanted to see unfold, the things that would make me root for them as a couple, mainly occurred off-page and were recounted in truncated form. There was too much sex and sometimes it was kind of weird, what with dilated holes (it's not a vagina about to give birth). Some of the sex was hot, sure, but I struggled to appreciate it because I felt that the relationship development was sacrificed for it.
So I'm taking a "L" on the book. What was NOT a loss? The buddy read with my lovely friends Christelle, Josy, Karen, Shile, and Simone. I appreciate you ladies for many reasons, but I especially appreciate your keeping me entertained and amused 💚
Something About Jace was both boring and busy. The suspense element was weak and unintentionally amusing at times (and don't even get me started on the stupidity of the owner of an art gallery not having a security system enabled while working alone late at night).
The characters weren’t very well formed, and their relationship was even less developed. The things that make a relationship, the things that I wanted to see unfold, the things that would make me root for them as a couple, mainly occurred off-page and were recounted in truncated form. There was too much sex and sometimes it was kind of weird, what with dilated holes (it's not a vagina about to give birth). Some of the sex was hot, sure, but I struggled to appreciate it because I felt that the relationship development was sacrificed for it.
So I'm taking a "L" on the book. What was NOT a loss? The buddy read with my lovely friends Christelle, Josy, Karen, Shile, and Simone. I appreciate you ladies for many reasons, but I especially appreciate your keeping me entertained and amused 💚
December 29, 2018
True rating ---->>> 2.75 stars!! I rounded up because the first 80% of the book was great and I was pretty engaged! BUT, things started to unravel nearing and after that point ... so many things didn't make any sense, some ends really needed tying up, there really wasn't much of a resolution to questions posed, and it all felt very rushed and to be frank, a bit ridiculous, just for the sake of resolving everything quickly! I got a bit of a whiplash from the double-take at how things were wrapped up and again, it felt rushed, abrupt, and was sorely in need of an epilogue!
OH and yeah, this could do with another run-through with an editor as well (due to some minor typos and inconsistencies)!!
I ONLY rounded up to 3 stars because it WAS a sweet and cute story, but I felt like the ending was sacrificed for the sake of reaching a quick and convenient ending; it felt like at some point the authors either just lost interest or gave up, and just wanted to wrap things up quickly but conveniently!! Meh, the last 20% was VERY underwhelming!!
I WILL keep an eye out for Wes and Nathan's story though, because that should be intriguing, but I'm glad I was wary enough to just borrow this from Kindle Unlimited, and remain so! I'll borrow the next one too!! Thank goodness for KU!!
Based on what I've seen of Rinda's writing in her own book (and how unimpressed I was; it was okay but it wasn't GREAT), I'm thinking it's Jocelynn's writing that might just have the magic and it's HER writing I'll be looking out for!!! I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Rinda as well though, we shall see if she redeems herself in her next solo book! Maybe, perhaps, we shall see!!
But yeah, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Jocelynn Drake :-D!!
I have ALL the books in the two series these two authors co-wrote, which I've heard truly wonderful things about and know I will ABSOLUTELY ADORE, so I'm excited for those! I'm expecting the books in those two series to be SUPER AMAZING!!! I want the books to be phenomenal (and I heard there'll be at least 2 more books for each of those series, so that's terrific)!!
IN the meantime, I'm withholding permanent judgement on this series until I read at least the 2nd book! So again, we shall see!!
OH and yeah, this could do with another run-through with an editor as well (due to some minor typos and inconsistencies)!!
I ONLY rounded up to 3 stars because it WAS a sweet and cute story, but I felt like the ending was sacrificed for the sake of reaching a quick and convenient ending; it felt like at some point the authors either just lost interest or gave up, and just wanted to wrap things up quickly but conveniently!! Meh, the last 20% was VERY underwhelming!!
I WILL keep an eye out for Wes and Nathan's story though, because that should be intriguing, but I'm glad I was wary enough to just borrow this from Kindle Unlimited, and remain so! I'll borrow the next one too!! Thank goodness for KU!!
Based on what I've seen of Rinda's writing in her own book (and how unimpressed I was; it was okay but it wasn't GREAT), I'm thinking it's Jocelynn's writing that might just have the magic and it's HER writing I'll be looking out for!!! I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Rinda as well though, we shall see if she redeems herself in her next solo book! Maybe, perhaps, we shall see!!
But yeah, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Jocelynn Drake :-D!!
I have ALL the books in the two series these two authors co-wrote, which I've heard truly wonderful things about and know I will ABSOLUTELY ADORE, so I'm excited for those! I'm expecting the books in those two series to be SUPER AMAZING!!! I want the books to be phenomenal (and I heard there'll be at least 2 more books for each of those series, so that's terrific)!!
IN the meantime, I'm withholding permanent judgement on this series until I read at least the 2nd book! So again, we shall see!!
January 9, 2019
My first trip to Pineapple Grove was relaxing.
I enjoyed my first visit to Pineapple Grove and getting to know some of the local residents.
Something About Jace is about Gallery owner Jace Townsend and Trent Elrige – huge movie star (who we met first in Sadistic Sherlock).
Jace loves his life in Pineapple Grove, spending time with his friends, running his gallery and being with his lovable dog Ripley, the only thing is missing is a man to share it with.
Trent has come to Pineapple Grove on a six month break to escape from his crazy life the last thing he expected was to fall for someone especially a man.
This is a slow burn a nice relaxing read spending time with 2 men getting to know each other, taking their time talking and for Trent discovering “gay sex” which was hot and sweet.
This is different from the other two series I have read by these two authors no action and adventures just sweetness. I am looking forward to continuing this series this year.
I enjoyed my first visit to Pineapple Grove and getting to know some of the local residents.
Something About Jace is about Gallery owner Jace Townsend and Trent Elrige – huge movie star (who we met first in Sadistic Sherlock).
Jace loves his life in Pineapple Grove, spending time with his friends, running his gallery and being with his lovable dog Ripley, the only thing is missing is a man to share it with.
Trent has come to Pineapple Grove on a six month break to escape from his crazy life the last thing he expected was to fall for someone especially a man.
This is a slow burn a nice relaxing read spending time with 2 men getting to know each other, taking their time talking and for Trent discovering “gay sex” which was hot and sweet.
This is different from the other two series I have read by these two authors no action and adventures just sweetness. I am looking forward to continuing this series this year.
January 9, 2019
I really like this duo of writers.
love what they've done so far.
This new series starts a lot less heavy than their previous series, less action also but it was very sweet.
I liked Trent when we met him in Dominic story and he was as expected here.
Jace was also adorable and as always with this authors, we have a number of secondary characters that really are lovable, funny and form a really tight, loving family...
I'm definitely in, as always with them...
love what they've done so far.
This new series starts a lot less heavy than their previous series, less action also but it was very sweet.
I liked Trent when we met him in Dominic story and he was as expected here.
Jace was also adorable and as always with this authors, we have a number of secondary characters that really are lovable, funny and form a really tight, loving family...
I'm definitely in, as always with them...
dnf
January 15, 2019DNF @ 31%
I’m finding this incredibly boring. Can’t continue.
I’m finding this incredibly boring. Can’t continue.
January 20, 2019
I liked this start to a new series better than the Ward Security spin off mess of incompetence. I think getting away from the Unbreakable universe was helpful to the creativity of this book. Both Jace and Trent are likable, the plot isn't a mess of convoluted, unexplainable behavior (except the added for drama "mystery") and both men have enough time together to really get to know each other which makes the big, over the top, grand gesture mostly acceptable even if I think Trent, as written, would not have done things that way.
Let's see how they do with the next one...
Let's see how they do with the next one...
December 20, 2018
3.5 Stars.
Well, the authors said this was a different kind of story than those oh the Unbreakable Bonds series and compared to those books, it’s positivly fluffy. Not so fluffy that it wasn’t a pleasurable read offering enough substance to keep it interesting. Jace is content in his smallish coastal Florida city, measuring his days by the cycle of tourist season. A-list actor Trent is tempted into dating Jace after years spent hiding his bisexuality, never being with any men since high school. They start off at a slow pace but once they hit the sheets, their feelings develop too. Of course, they never really discuss anything about the future, even when Trent gets past his fear of coming out just enough to tell a few people, including Jace’s friends. The non-discussion, non-talking device is always one that annoys me and the result follows a too predictable path.
Extra interest in the story comes from introducing Jace’s circle of friends as characters, defining the dynamics between them all, plus descriptions of the setting along the east Florida coast. There’s just a hint of a mystery and trouble for Jace providing some excitement. It’s also a catalyst for some of the relationship progress that Jace and Trent make. I do wish I’d felt more invested in Trent and Jace as a couple. The ending is more of an HFN and although nothing is left hanging from the plot, the ending is rather abrupt. I expected something smoother with more of an epilogue feel or perhaps more of a hint of the book to come. Maybe I’m comparing it too much to the series the authors co-wrote and both of the solo books they each just wrote. I’ll certainly read the next book but I’m hoping to feel more spark from it.
Well, the authors said this was a different kind of story than those oh the Unbreakable Bonds series and compared to those books, it’s positivly fluffy. Not so fluffy that it wasn’t a pleasurable read offering enough substance to keep it interesting. Jace is content in his smallish coastal Florida city, measuring his days by the cycle of tourist season. A-list actor Trent is tempted into dating Jace after years spent hiding his bisexuality, never being with any men since high school. They start off at a slow pace but once they hit the sheets, their feelings develop too. Of course, they never really discuss anything about the future, even when Trent gets past his fear of coming out just enough to tell a few people, including Jace’s friends. The non-discussion, non-talking device is always one that annoys me and the result follows a too predictable path.
Extra interest in the story comes from introducing Jace’s circle of friends as characters, defining the dynamics between them all, plus descriptions of the setting along the east Florida coast. There’s just a hint of a mystery and trouble for Jace providing some excitement. It’s also a catalyst for some of the relationship progress that Jace and Trent make. I do wish I’d felt more invested in Trent and Jace as a couple. The ending is more of an HFN and although nothing is left hanging from the plot, the ending is rather abrupt. I expected something smoother with more of an epilogue feel or perhaps more of a hint of the book to come. Maybe I’m comparing it too much to the series the authors co-wrote and both of the solo books they each just wrote. I’ll certainly read the next book but I’m hoping to feel more spark from it.
January 4, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Something About Jace opens the new Pineapple Grove series by authors Drake and Elliott and it was a nice introduction to this small Florida town and its cast of characters. Jace owns one of the art galleries in town and the other small business owners make up his circle of friends. The authors offer a warm set up for Jace and Trent, the town, and stories still to come.
Trent made an appearance in the authors’ previous book, Sadistic Sherlock, but you could certainly start here at the opener of this new series. This was a quiet book with little angst and little tension. Trent arrives in the town of Pineapple Grove looking for a break from his hectic Hollywood life. He runs into Jace, or rather Jace’s dog, and the men easily fall into a rhythm. Trent has no experience with men, with the exception of that one guy in high school, and Jace is trying to get back out there after a breakup. But Trent cannot be out and have a career, so he asks Jace to keep their relationship a secret.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Something About Jace opens the new Pineapple Grove series by authors Drake and Elliott and it was a nice introduction to this small Florida town and its cast of characters. Jace owns one of the art galleries in town and the other small business owners make up his circle of friends. The authors offer a warm set up for Jace and Trent, the town, and stories still to come.
Trent made an appearance in the authors’ previous book, Sadistic Sherlock, but you could certainly start here at the opener of this new series. This was a quiet book with little angst and little tension. Trent arrives in the town of Pineapple Grove looking for a break from his hectic Hollywood life. He runs into Jace, or rather Jace’s dog, and the men easily fall into a rhythm. Trent has no experience with men, with the exception of that one guy in high school, and Jace is trying to get back out there after a breakup. But Trent cannot be out and have a career, so he asks Jace to keep their relationship a secret.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
January 4, 2019
4 Stars
I rather liked this story, I’ll admit it was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once I felt the couple click I was all in. I’m a sucker for the Hollywood A-lister falling for an everyday, but genuine person, I mean a SUCKER!
However, I am not a huge fan of storylines that play the whole “secret” game.
All in all, I did get over most of my issues, and I loved Jace and Trent. The whole circle of friends in Pineapple Grove were fabulous, especially Wesley. I want him at the top of my phne tree, and luckily he is the focus of the next book. I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention the beautiful Ripley, I love golden retrievers and she was such a sweetheart loving Jace, best part for my dog loving heart.
I rather liked this story, I’ll admit it was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once I felt the couple click I was all in. I’m a sucker for the Hollywood A-lister falling for an everyday, but genuine person, I mean a SUCKER!
However, I am not a huge fan of storylines that play the whole “secret” game.
All in all, I did get over most of my issues, and I loved Jace and Trent. The whole circle of friends in Pineapple Grove were fabulous, especially Wesley. I want him at the top of my phne tree, and luckily he is the focus of the next book. I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention the beautiful Ripley, I love golden retrievers and she was such a sweetheart loving Jace, best part for my dog loving heart.
Want to read
December 29, 2018Can we talk about this cover? OMG. HOT HOT HOT.
January 11, 2019
✮4 Stars✮
January 16, 2019
I think this is a case of "it's not you, it's me". I think celebrity stories (other than athletes) just aren't my favorite thing. I don't like all the worries about coming out, the hiding, and all that jazz. But the story was well written, and I did like both the MCs, as well as the side characters/sequel bait.
The vandalism sub plot was a bit too understated for my taste, as well, and the one doing it was super predictable.
I'll still read more in this series, because I enjoy these authors, but I guess I'm still waiting on another "Unbreakable" type series from them. Nothing else has measured up, not even the Ward spin off series.
The vandalism sub plot was a bit too understated for my taste, as well, and the one doing it was super predictable.
I'll still read more in this series, because I enjoy these authors, but I guess I'm still waiting on another "Unbreakable" type series from them. Nothing else has measured up, not even the Ward spin off series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews