Chase the Sun (Free Fall #2) [Jaime & Conner] by Christina Lee & Nyrae Dawn

This was a sweet "coming of age" novel. I liked  both Jaime and Conner, they sound different when we first get to know them, but as the plot unfolds, it's easy to see they are perfect for one another, and the past they shared together only make it more clear why being together is the only thing that could make sense mostly to Conner but also to Jaime. 

Jaime and Conner grew up together in a small town, their knew each other from small age since Conner used to stay a lot at his uncle's house which is the one next to Jaime's family. Conner is a care-free kind of guy who likes to enjoy life to the fullest, it's the way he was raised by his hippie parents. Jaime on the other hand, is a family oriented guy, an introvert. He works for his father's garage, lives at home with his parents, helping out his mother who has MS. He doesn't go out much and when he does it's usually to a bar with his best friend or a gay bar in the next town to hook up. In the small town he lives in, being gay isn't something he can really flaunt. 

When Conner's uncle dies and leaves him his antic car, Jaime offers to repair it. They start messaging after 4 years of not speaking to one another, it's just that Conner left for California when he turned 18 not looking back and this is the first time that he actually does. Conner loves reconnecting with Jaime so it's no wonder he offers him to drive the car to him, spend a few days having fun with him. Jaime accepts. It's the perfect time, right when his parents are having issues.. So he agrees.

If you've read the first installment in the series, you've actually met Conner before, he is Lucas' friend from the bar. Also you've met Ezra who used to be Gabriel's roommate but now that Lucas and Gabriel are living together, Ezra took Conner in. Ezra, not really a people kind of guy, doesn't like the idea of Jaime staying with them. if it's hard for him just living with Conner - taking in a friend of his?? Yet he agrees and it's obvious he likes Jaime and also behind the scenes I think he sees the connection Jaime and Conner has and the way it's establishing between them. We got a few glimpses of Lucas and Gabriel as they all hang our together, but it's so little, I don't think it matters if you haven't read the first installment (though if you haven't YOU SHOULD!!). I should say there IS a small spoiler about Gabriel. It's really small because we know about it pretty early on in the book.. 

Conner was just realizing he might also be into guys when Jaime arrives so it's no wonder when he starts wondering about his out and proud friend.. Jaime is attractive, why wouldn't he think about him? Conner was always "fluid" in the way he sees people, attracted to whomever he find attractive - guy, gal - doesn't really matter. For Jaime it's different.. first he doesn't know Conner is anything BUT straight, and also in Jaime's world acting on his desires is something to be done behind closed doors and should be thought of before.. So when Conner just kisses him in a middle of a crowded place he doesn't know how to deal with it, especially because it seems to not matter AT ALL to Conner. Just having a little bit of fun - where's the harm? ;)

I won't say more about the plot, it's sweet and VERY steamy between these two. I guess being in your early twenties plus stretching your sexual boundaries makes it a must ;) I liked them together, I liked how they fit mostly. Jaime is shy most of the time, but when they are together, he takes the lead and Conner likes that. Conner loves seeing Jaime blushing in public but only because he finds it adorable. They are the same in many ways, they are two kids from a small town marveling at the big city, only, 4 years apart. Conner saw it on his own, and now he sees the wonder he used to have in Jaime's eyes. 

It's takes them long enough to find a way to build something TRUE between them, you'll have to wait right up until the end. I enjoyed those three last chapters were things got resolved. It was done beautifully. Not OTT, but in a very realistic kind of a way. I loved that. 

So why am I giving this book 4 stars and not 5? I'm not really sure how to explain it really.. Somehow it didn't flow for me as I wished it would. The first book in the series, I literally COULDN'T put down, this one? I did, many times.. Something about the way the story was told made me a little less, mmm, engaged? 

Don't get me wrong, I still recommend this book! If you're into New Adult MM Romance novels, you like them steamy and sweet and low on the angst this is EXACTLY for you. But for me, something was missing in the fluidity. 

Wonder if the next one will be of Ezra. That would be GREAT! :)

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 222 pages, 5-6 October 2016 / On GoodReads

 

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Free Fall is a New Adult MM Romance series by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn. There are currently three books in the series. The first one was one of the most touching and beautiful New Adult romance novel I"ve read in a LONG LONG time. These stories mostly talk about friendship and trust. They deal with quite unique issues in each one. Each can be read as a stand alone though there are reoccurring characters. 
I loved Christina and Nyrae together. 

Note - Though "Living Out Loud" is not a part of the series it contains a lot of the characters from it. Also, we've met Ben in "Paint the Stars" (Ezra's boyfriend from college). Xavier was mentioned in a novel by Nyrae Dawn ("Hundred Thousand Words"). 

Books:
1. Touch the Sky [Gabriel Stewart & Lucas Barnett] (Published 28 March 2016) ★★★★★
2. Chase the Sun [Jamie Tolland & Conner Murphy] (Published 9th September 2016) ★★★★
3. Paint the Stars [Ezra Greene & Daevonte Randall] (Published February 2017) ★★★★
-   Living Out Loud [Ben Emerson & Xavier Ramos] (Published 8 September 2017) ★★★★★