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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Mixed feelings on this one.
I loved the mystery. It kept me guessing and interested.
Never really felt the chemistry between Jefferson and George though. I guess maybe too little time spent together coupled with Jefferson being a tad to indecisive and George being a might to reserved.
I also found myself a little bored at times, mostly when Jefferson was roaming around sight seeing on his own.
The ending was kinda abrupt, I was expecting a little epilogue with how things went when Jefferson got home.
Overall not one I'd read again.
I loved the mystery. It kept me guessing and interested.
Never really felt the chemistry between Jefferson and George though. I guess maybe too little time spent together coupled with Jefferson being a tad to indecisive and George being a might to reserved.
I also found myself a little bored at times, mostly when Jefferson was roaming around sight seeing on his own.
The ending was kinda abrupt, I was expecting a little epilogue with how things went when Jefferson got home.
Overall not one I'd read again.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hated to do it, but I had to just give this two stars- which might even be generous. I'm not as adept at book reviewing as a lot of people here, so I'll just get to the crux of what I didn't like about this book, the romance between Jefferson and George. Normally Lanyon is wonderful at creating chemistry between her characters- Adrien and Jake being the best examples- but in Jefferson Blythe there is just nothing there. I could barely believe they were friends much less lovers. I might have helped if they'd spent more time together, but George often disappears for long stretches and only ever really shows up to scold Jefferson. In the end what you're mostly left with is a not terribly interesting travelogue from a character who's not that sympathetic or that intriguing.
P.S. My experience was not helped by the fact that I bought the Audible narration. The narrator's nasal, breathy voice only highlighted Jefferson's whiny, childish personality.
P.S. My experience was not helped by the fact that I bought the Audible narration. The narrator's nasal, breathy voice only highlighted Jefferson's whiny, childish personality.
Not my favorite of Lanyon's books by far. Jeff is a fairly shallow character, and while there's an intriguing personal story there, it's buried under layers of lack of self-awareness and a lack of knowledge of the world at large.
That’s the way it is with a trip to Europe. Or should be, anyhow. It’s a tremendously stimulating, exhilarating experience, but it’s also demanding. You’ve got to be up for it. You’ve got to be alert, keen, tuned in, ready. You’ve got to want it more than anything else you could possibly do right now. If not, all the excitement will just be that much irritation, and the fun will curdle and turn flat and sour to your taste.
You took the words right outta my mouth!
I am going to be totally honest, it took me almost 40% to really get into this book. I usually take a bit of time to settle in to most Lanyon stories but this one took longer. BUT, the minute I got into it, felt the connection with Jefferson I realized I was going about this all wrong. This is new Lanyon, this is New Adult Lanyon and I shouldn’t expect the characters to have the maturity that Lanyon’s characters normally do, even when they get themselves into numerous and ridiculous life threatening situations. Once I smacked myself and got on board with that thinking I began to enjoy the book much more than I anticipated.
I will also be honest and say there was a bit of this that I skimmed because when I feel that it should have been engaging and a bit of a history lesson and being with Jefferson on his journey guided by his grandfather’s copy of Esquire Magazine's Europe in Style, it was tedious and felt more like info dumping. I get it, the whole trip and its purpose but for me, I really just wanted to be with Jefferson as he grew and accepted who he was and to witness George being an asshole because well…
You see, I seem to have a thing for the asshole jerks that Lanyon writes regardless of age. Case in point, the famous Jake Riordan owns my heart completely. Sure, he was awful and deserved a kick in the nards but come on, it’s Jake and George, well, and George grew on me like the callous on my third toe I get from long distance running. *shrugs* I liked George and liked him more and more but…
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
But I am so conflicted with this story. I loved Jefferson once I settled in and I really liked George. I loved the romantic moments that only Lanyon can provide and the mystery was good and yet, it wasn’t the best or my favorite from the author and that’s not because it’s New Adult. There was simply too much information going on that took me out of the story and made me frustrated.
But along with all the information, there is the smidge of romance and the traditional way Lanyon makes you wait for the good stuff, oh boy. That was worth it. To a point.
Argh.
Maybe it was my mood and maybe it was the book who knows? I am curious if this will be a series though because… reasons.
I have no real way to review this and not make you more confused so I will just say, it was good and then it wasn’t. It crushed my heart and then pissed me off with all the information – I personally – did not want and then it made me swoon and then… and then… ugh.
*** ARC provided by Carina Press via NetGalley ***
I love Josh Lanyon — especially the Adrien English series — and this is slightly different than his usual books. Instead of being about gay men in their prime, it's about a young man trying to find himself (which happens to include his sexual orientation, but also his future career) with an added twist of action and drama. As far as that goes, I quite liked it.
I think one of the downsides with Lanyon's plots and characters is that they're not particularly versatile — a lot of his characters have the same hobbies and like the same movies, clothes etc. — and it was more jarring than usual when it concerned a young, supposedly modern, man. Despite how hard I tried, I wasn't quite able to buy Jefferson's personality or his age, or get invested in his troubles. A part of that was his whining. Jefferson had a tendency to be very disrespectful and self-centered which, while quite common in certain young people, just made me less inclined to like him.
The plot also felt pretty flimsy and rushed, and I wasn't as involved as I usually am in one of Lanyon's books.
All in all, I still liked it. It's not my favourite, but Lanyon's books are easy and fun to read, so I do recommend it if you want a nice distraction from your everyday life. I just don't recommend it as enthusiastically as some of his other works.
I think one of the downsides with Lanyon's plots and characters is that they're not particularly versatile — a lot of his characters have the same hobbies and like the same movies, clothes etc. — and it was more jarring than usual when it concerned a young, supposedly modern, man. Despite how hard I tried, I wasn't quite able to buy Jefferson's personality or his age, or get invested in his troubles. A part of that was his whining. Jefferson had a tendency to be very disrespectful and self-centered which, while quite common in certain young people, just made me less inclined to like him.
The plot also felt pretty flimsy and rushed, and I wasn't as involved as I usually am in one of Lanyon's books.
All in all, I still liked it. It's not my favourite, but Lanyon's books are easy and fun to read, so I do recommend it if you want a nice distraction from your everyday life. I just don't recommend it as enthusiastically as some of his other works.
Jefferson is supposed to be in his 20s, but he felt like a 14 yo to me, and most of the time, not a very bright 14 yo :-/
I actually really enjoyed this book! I'd heard somewhat mixed reviews, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought it was a fun read.
I really liked Jefferson. I thought his journey, his confusion, and his ultimate acceptance was really great and felt very authentic. I just really loved him!
I liked George fine, though he did come off as frustratingly cryptic and distant. I get why, but he went a little overboard with it, I think...
Fun settings, great side characters, and while the whole caper was mildly unbelievable, it was interesting and fun and I wasn't too bothered.
I will say that I thought the artist cameo was a little random, given that nothing really happened at all there. And, while the ending wasn't quite as abrupt as usual, I was a little disappointed by the lack of clear resolution we got with the romance.
I really liked Jefferson. I thought his journey, his confusion, and his ultimate acceptance was really great and felt very authentic. I just really loved him!
I liked George fine, though he did come off as frustratingly cryptic and distant. I get why, but he went a little overboard with it, I think...
Fun settings, great side characters, and while the whole caper was mildly unbelievable, it was interesting and fun and I wasn't too bothered.
I will say that I thought the artist cameo was a little random, given that nothing really happened at all there. And, while the ending wasn't quite as abrupt as usual, I was a little disappointed by the lack of clear resolution we got with the romance.
Read the full review on Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous.
Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
Jefferson Blythe, Esquire is a standalone M/M novel from author Josh Lanyon that was far more than what I expected it to be. I went into this book thinking it was going to be about Jeff Blythe and how he discovers himself while traveling around Europe carrying with him an old copy of Esquire's Europe in Style. Yes, he does go several European countries--England, France, and Italy--but I knew there was more to the story when Jeff found himself shadowed by a particularly strange woman hounding him for some sort of egg that was promised her. Then he re-enters the life of George Sorocco, an old friend and neighbor of Jeff's and three years his senior at twenty-five. There's an awkwardness of sorts between the two of them, making it clear that not all is well in their friendship. When Jeff is chased time and again by bad elements, it's George who seems to ready to rescue him, making you wonder what George really does.
I enjoyed this story that had elements of romance, suspense, and mystery all rolled together and the fact that there's a lot more going on than you first suspected makes it an even far more intriguing read. Figuring why people are after Jeff was easier than trying to find out why there was all this tension between Jeff and George. It's difficult to choose which between the two had more of my attention since both the mystery and the romance had me hooked. I liked Jeff, neurosis and all, and while he and George may not immediately strike you as a pair made to be together, there's a great deal of history between the two--both good and bad--and after four years of very little to no communication, the connection between them still exists. Silly me saw the title of the book and assumed that Jeff was some sort of descendant of nobility, but that wouldn't have been as interesting as what actually took place in Jefferson Blythe, Esquire. Five stars! ♥
Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
Jefferson Blythe, Esquire is a standalone M/M novel from author Josh Lanyon that was far more than what I expected it to be. I went into this book thinking it was going to be about Jeff Blythe and how he discovers himself while traveling around Europe carrying with him an old copy of Esquire's Europe in Style. Yes, he does go several European countries--England, France, and Italy--but I knew there was more to the story when Jeff found himself shadowed by a particularly strange woman hounding him for some sort of egg that was promised her. Then he re-enters the life of George Sorocco, an old friend and neighbor of Jeff's and three years his senior at twenty-five. There's an awkwardness of sorts between the two of them, making it clear that not all is well in their friendship. When Jeff is chased time and again by bad elements, it's George who seems to ready to rescue him, making you wonder what George really does.
I enjoyed this story that had elements of romance, suspense, and mystery all rolled together and the fact that there's a lot more going on than you first suspected makes it an even far more intriguing read. Figuring why people are after Jeff was easier than trying to find out why there was all this tension between Jeff and George. It's difficult to choose which between the two had more of my attention since both the mystery and the romance had me hooked. I liked Jeff, neurosis and all, and while he and George may not immediately strike you as a pair made to be together, there's a great deal of history between the two--both good and bad--and after four years of very little to no communication, the connection between them still exists. Silly me saw the title of the book and assumed that Jeff was some sort of descendant of nobility, but that wouldn't have been as interesting as what actually took place in Jefferson Blythe, Esquire. Five stars! ♥