It’s hard to plan the perfect wedding for your best friend when you can’t keep your eyes off the groom's cousin. Cole’s perfect—except for one thing: he’s as straight as the last man who broke my heart.
Or so I thought.
But Cole’s hands and lips tell another story. Still, we’ve got a problem—he’s supposed to marry a woman. There’s no ring on his finger, but if he doesn’t follow his father’s orders, it’ll cost him one hell of an inheritance. If Cole decides to keep our time together hidden, we won’t be hearing any wedding bells.
I can’t bring him out of the closet, but I won’t meet him in it, either.
COLE:
It’s all or nothing for Taylor.
I spent my whole life thinking I was straight—until I set eyes on my cousin’s wedding planner. Taylor’s as gorgeous as he is male, and even though seeing a man this way is new for me, when we wind up in bed together he feels right.
He’s too important to keep secret.
But I don’t know what’ll happen if word gets out about us. My father’s a powerful man, and he’s got a match lined up for me—a female one, at that. Coming out to him isn’t something I had in the cards. If I choose Taylor, I’ll be putting my inheritance and my family’s business on the line.
If I have to keep Taylor a secret, I can’t keep him at all.
Prior to reading this book, "Beast" was my favorite book of Jason's. It is now my 2nd favorite. Not completely sure what it was specifically about this book that made me care about Taylor and Cole more than any m/m couple whose story I have read in the past, but boy did he do a number on me with this one. I mean PLEASE at one point he had me threatening to dip Cole's father in honey and tie him down on an ant hill. Now THAT is some pretty awesome character development and writing!!! It's a good thing this book was an HEA cuz nobody better mess with my Cole and Taylor. LOL It goes without saying that the writing in this book was not only at the exceptional level I expect from this author, he managed to take it up to a whole new level. The secondary characters were not just adequate they were memorable! Every time the author takes his writing up another notch I think, "OK this is as good as he can do..." Then he just does it again and in a different way. I LOVE the fact that he takes a chance to write books like "Beast", "Pink" and "Pretty" that while not being his "norm" allow him to grow and give us something we would not otherwise expect!!!
The vibrant wedding planner and the eager straight guy ! Taylor owns his successful Wedding Planner business, and Melissa is on the verge of being a "bridezilla." Her cousin and groomsman, Cole, is assigned by the groom to help her. Taylor and Cole are stunned by the other man's looks. Each man is good looking, but Taylor is a pretty man. It strikes Cole like lightening, right out of his straightness, he wants the beautiful man. He's open, willing and pursues Taylor. Taylor is leery, because he's been dumped by straight guys before.
So they see each other, and the scorching sex is the best either man has ever had.
The deep feelings, and tender thoughts are overwhelming. One issue is that Cole's wealthy father expects him to marry Hannah to meld two companies together, and he meddles. Neither Cole or Hannah are interested, and now Cole is set on Taylor. Ollie is a side character who is a creep, and Melissa is self centered, but they bring a realism, because not everyone we know is a perfect friend.
This story is entertaining, sexy, and full of optimism. * It takes us to a different place than our ordinary life, and that's why I loved it. It reminded me of a Soap Opera, with over-the-top characters, an unusual tale, and a true love.
I liked Cole's openness, and I appreciated Taylor's hesitance.
This is my second time reading Jason Collins, and my second DNF. His writing just really doesn't jive with me.
I also don't like how staged the meeting between Taylor and Cole seemed, how awkward the whole handshake police thing was, how instantly Cole went from 100% straight to being completely into Taylor. Taylor instantly seemed annoying to me. I personally wouldn't want to hire a professional wedding planner (and regardless of them being friends, if he's being paid, he should be acting professionally), only to have them a) convince me that I need to size down my dress and b) freak out over flowers
WOW, Jason Collins really nailed it with this one! The wedding planner trope is always a favourite for me, and I think few authors do the gay-for-you thing better than Jason Collins. Put together these two tropes and the usual hotness from this wonderful author, and you get a perfect mix wrapped up in a book I read in less than a day, and I couldn't put down. Loved all the characters, and the story, and everything!
I've started 2021 on the right foot with this one! Devoured it and still hungry for more! I've not read a lot by this author thus far but plan to remedy that this year. For sure. Enjoyable lead couple and most secondaries were fun. (Morgan was a bit moody but I'm sure I'll get to learn his issues soon enough.) The plot was strong. There was not an abundance of drama and angst. Solid ending.
Cole falls in love with his cousin’s wedding planner when he is sent to supervise the bride’s spending. Taylor has been burned by straight guys before and finding out that Cole is already betrothed to someone else makes him confident this is not going to end in his favor. Will Cole follow money or his heart.
There were a lot of things I liked - I liked Taylor. I thought it was fun how serious karaoke was at the bar, I liked much of the premise. I had a lot of questions though- why did the dad flip so fast in the hall, how much time passed, why was the dad in a hotel in the same city as his office, why was he in an Airbnb and not working for so long, what exactly was the timeline of the story (days, weeks, months, years), how did he get through the song, other than once at the start I never heard about the budget again, and more....
I really enjoyed this story. It is a mixture of fun, heartbreak and heartwarming. Taylor, a wedding planner has had a bad experience that left him with no confidence. Yet he has an instant attraction to Cole. Cole, who is supposedly straight is attracted to Taylor but he has a few complications in his life and he has never been attracted to nor been with a man before. Cole took his time coming out but it was more because he had trouble in his own mind admitting to this as a permanent relationship. Cole’s dad adds to the complications. I had a little trouble with the way Cole’s dad could so easily have such a change of heart. The secondary characters add a lot to this story. Morgan and Avery are friends anyone would love to have. Melissa is entertaining. Ollie was fun to watch how he could seem to say all the wrong things. To me this is a fun read. It has a mix of emotions and situations that kept hooked. I feel this is the perfect story for me to sit back, relax, read and enjoy.
Delightful story of finding love when you least expect and with whom surprises you. I loved the characters and you could feel their struggle to find their place with each other. I liked that both men had to grow and accept the possibility of real love with each other. Both men had surprises and challenges, but both also had amazing hearts and lots of love to give. I really enjoyed the supporting characters, they were really well done and added so much to the story.
Cole and Taylor are really special together. Their connection was immediate and intense, unexpected and led them on an incredible journey. Their is heart, chemistry, and the special something that is worth all the world to have.
Oh my lord! Cole and Taylor drove me crazy and made me want to cheer for them by turns. Cole is straight, with the exception of his overwhelming attraction to Taylor. I liked that he didn’t beat himself up or deny his attraction to himself even if it took him a bit to be open about it. Taylor has been the dirty little secret before and swears he won’t go there again… and then he starts making excuses for Cole’s behavior. They want one another so badly that they drift into bad territory. Once Cole gets his head on straight he has battle pushy family and friends. His grand gestures were lovely and Taylor didn’t hang on to his hurt, forgiving easily. The ending left me smiling.
What does a Wedding Planner and a manager of a small firm have in common? Nothing except a hot, not understanding how or why, electric chemistry. You see, one is straight and one is gay. I enjoyed the story of Cole, the manager and Taylor, owner of small wedding planning business. I loved friends Morgan and Avery as well as Melissa the bride and Kyle, the groom and cousin to Cole, as well as Ollie, another cousin. The relationship angst, hot and steamy sex and the outcome of what will happen. I would definitely recommend.
I loved this book more than I thought I would. Taylor was downright delightful. He was funny and honest. I loved that Cole was remarkably open about his feelings for another man. These two just did it for me. I’m so happy I have this book a chance!
My god, that was awful. From horrible characters to contrived plot challenges, I finished it only because I needed to see how bad the whole thing was.
1. Ollie, the bride’s cousin, said horrible, horrible things on a regular basis. Why was there so much of him in the book? He’s a tertiary character who gets way too much ink. He’s also completely sleezy and misogynistic.
2. While I like insta-love stories, both Cole and Taylor were one-note characters. Taylor got hurt by his ex. Cole is trying to stay out of his father’s clutches. That’s seriously all there is to these characters, and their love story was unbelievable and inauthentic.
3. The whole plot is based on the two of them avoiding conversations with sex. And Cole’s family members telling Taylor that Cole would leave him to marry Hannah. And Taylor believing everyone else. And Cole not explaining thinks like he’s not claiming Taylor before Melissa’s wedding so he doesn’t upstage the wedding. UGH. Very shallow.
4. After spending 90% of the book opposing Cole’s decision to live his own life, it’s completely unbelievable that her father does a 180 and helps him win Taylor back. WTH?!?!! This plot is CLEARLY not character driven.
Honestly, the only likable, authentic character was Cole. And maybe Avery. The premise of the book was interesting and I really wanted to love Taylor. But the characters and the plot where so awful that they should all be embarrassed that they were in this book to begin with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I picked up Pretty by Jason Collins, a previously unknown to me author because I liked the cover design and I have a weakness for femme guys. I took a chance here and while I didn’t entirely dislike the book, there was still a lot to be desired. The characters and the overall plot line worked well enough, I normally enjoy the ‘gay for you’ type stories and as I mentioned I like guys that are on the feminine side, (although I would argue that Taylor still read as fairly masculine). What didn’t work so well was the pacing of the story; it was lightning fast. We get the insta-love connection, which I can normally overlook, but every other obstacle and conflict are resolved way to easily to make any sense. Cole isn’t gay; no problem, he’s ok with being flexible now. Daddy is putting pressure on him to get married; no worries, he has suddenly changed his mind. Taylor had previous bad relationship experiences; all forgotten, moving on. I know this book was short, but a bit of actual problem solving and compromise would’ve been nice. Not a bad effort, but maybe this author is just not for me.
Delightful! Taylor is a wedding planner who carries a heavy set of baggage from a previous boyfriend. The boyfriend was deeply in the closet and once he got a good career deal, dumped Taylor and married a woman. Taylor carries that baggage slung around his entire body. He meets Cole when he accompanies his cousin, Melissa who is using Taylor's services. Cole's father, Marshall plans for him to marry a business friend's daughter, Hannah while considering a merger of the two companies. Cole's inheritance depends on him marrying Hannah. Cole thinks Taylor is the prettiest man he has ever seen and is attracted to him. How badly does Cole want his inheritance? What does Marshall think of Cole's new love interest? What does Hannah want? I really like the characters, Avery and Morgan. Melissa was a bit of light on personality. Cole was emotionally lazy. I adored Taylor, his friends Avery and Morgan. The ending was very abrupt. It's like the author was given the 5 minute warning and finished in 2. The rest of the story was good. Nice job. I hope to read about the rest of the friends.
A light, frivolous read - enjoyable if your expectations aren't too high
Back when I was young (in the dim mists of time), all I needed was to see a slender, femme guy and, as long as he was into muscles, I was a goner. So I was intrigued by this series' name (The Femme Fox), which, it turns out, is the author's fictional LGBTIQ hangout bar. Pretty is a breezy, light read with snappy, engaging, and really funny dialogue. It's two main characters, Cole (the top) and Taylor (the femme bottom), are instantly likable and remain so throughout. Outside of what is conveyed through dialogue, however, the author's characterization amounts to using 1 ply cardboard cutouts - thin and not very unique. Plus, there are some really L-A-M-E plot points (The ease with which Cole "goes gay" for Taylor, the arranged marriage, the Snydley Whiplash villain of a father). That said, the sex (and there's plenty) is hot and doesn't stale between the first and last encounters. It's a fun book, but set your expectations appropriately.
This started out with potential- I knew it was on the short side so it would be Insta-love and not the good kind. From there it was full of holes, red flags and homophobia that really grated on me. After the ‘friend of Dorothy’ comment where the main character is made to feel completely uncomfortable at a strip club I started to skim the book to get it over with quicker. I also don’t get how the Bridezilla is supposed to be Taylor’s friend but he was always only introduced as the ‘wedding planner’. Ollie and the two fathers were incredibly homophobic and then had 180 degree turns in opinion. But there was also a major lack in description too. Hopefully it’s a one-off and the authors other books are more solid.
I received this book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review
Taylor, a gay wedding planner, meets Cole, a remote sales manager who is purported to be straight. Taylor is a beautiful man and Cole falls for him. Jason draws the reader into the story as Cole’s father ignores Cole’s wishes because he wants a merger with his rival’s company by having Cole marry his rival’s daughter. The manipulation of Cole’s father will make one angry and that is the evidence of Jason’s exceptional writing skills.
A great love story of two wonderful characters, Cole and Taylor. I really enjoyed not only these two characters but also their supportive friends. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop even though not everything was smooth sailing. I really like overall how Cole handled everything and he was exactly what Taylor needed to start breaking down the walls he’s built around his heart. I don’t want to give too much away of the story but I must say that after everything I like how Cole’s dad handled everything in the end. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Pretty by Jason Collins is a contemporary m/m romance that is fun, sweet and sexy. It has the confusion of a sexuality awakening, the craziness of wedding planning, and a threat of a Bridezilla. Taylor and Cole are fun characters and their story made me smile with their sweetness and sexiness. There is also a layer of angst/drama that had me hating on some secondary characters. Overall, this is a fantastic read.
Taylor is a wedding planner but one thing he didn’t plan on when taking on Melissa and Kyle’s wedding was Cole. Oh, the feels, the immediate attraction as the electricity flows between them......ummm wait a minute, isn’t Cole straight? Well now! Let the fun begin, and the angst.
I love feel good romances which is why I know I can always depend on author Jason Collins to give me my heart’s desire. And he came through for me!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Taylor and Cole's story had a good blend of sweetness, steaminess, romance, humour, and drama that comes about from keeping secrets and controlling family members. I liked how Cole embraced his attraction to Taylor quite easily, and the chemistry between them was terrific. Jason Collins once again uses the GFY trope in a positive and engaging setting. If you're a fan of this trope and feel-good stories, definitely check this out!
Taylor and Cole take you on an emotional, romantic, sweet, steamy read that will pulls you in and keeps you there. Is a slow burn that takes you along with these two and their emotional read that will make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes. Amazing read that I couldn't put down. Can't wait to read the next
Good story line in my opinion. It was different. The narrative was well crafted. I loved the characters of Taylor and Cole. The path to true love did not come easy for this couple but it was a decent ride until the end. I think that the author keeps getting better and better. I received this as an arc and freely left this review.
Pretty, by Jason Collins. I absolutely loved this story! Taylor and Cole were fantastic! I loved all the characters and would love to read more about them. This book had a fantastic storyline. I couldn’t put it down. It was so hard! Definitely a must read book!
Another amazing story! I just love Cole and Taylor together. I just love this ride that I am taken on with this story. We have the sweetness and the drama that kept me interested. Jason Collins just pulls you into these stories.
I really enjoyed this book. I just loved the way neither character cared about who was "straight" or "gay". They just liked each other for who they were as a person. Well written story. Arc for an honest opinion
Cole is supposed to marry the woman his father choose, but he does not agree. Taylor knows nothing good comes from loving someone who will leave. Cole's reaction when meeting Taylor was great. I wish he would have stood up to his friends though.
A nice sweet romance, cute and funny, very little angst, a perfect Sunday afternoon/evening read. Taylor, a pretty guy, meets Cole, a handsome heir to a fortune, as long as he marries. Sweet love ensues but rich daddy objects and interferes with drastic results for Taylor.
The only thing I would of changed was how fast Marshall changed his tune about Taylor when he saw how upset his son was. It wasn’t believable to me. Otherwise, very good!