Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Jace Townsend has lived in the small town of Pineapple Grove in South Florida all of his life. He now owns a local gallery and he loves the small businesses and the people that make up his home. The one thing missing is someone to love, as his last long-term relationship fizzled out. Jace knows the small-town, quiet life is for him, and finding a partner who feels the same is not easy. Of course, the one person who would not fit into this life would be the biggest movie star out there.

Trent Elrige has come to Pineapple Grove for a break. He loves being an actor, but all of the travel and a packed schedule has him burnt out and he’s looking forward to a real vacation and time to figure out his next move. A chance run in with a friendly dog and then the dog’s owner, Jace, has Trent intrigued. But, coming out and keeping his career is not as easy as it sounds and even though he’s falling in love with Jace, will Jace be willing to meet him halfway?

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.

The book is slower moving and relationship driven as the men spend time getting to know each other. I enjoyed reading about these guys, they had great chemistry, and Trent is eager to try all the things with Jace, but these guys didn’t fully leap off the page for me. It may have just been too easy going for me. The story takes place solely in Pineapple Grove and we only hear briefly of Trent’s life in California and I needed that little bit extra in some areas. There is a side plot involving defaced murals, and whenever this writing duo writes these types of plot lines, the person responsible is always immediately recognizable to me and this branch of the storyline didn’t really work for me. The ending also didn’t go as far into their relationship as I would have liked, and while we may see Jace and Trent again in the series, I would have liked an extension to their ending here.

I would suggest this book if you are looking for a new contemporary series and a book that is free of angst and lighter to read, involving a close group of friends in a warm Florida town. The town of Pineapple Grove looks to be an interesting place to live and I do look forward to visiting again.