The Way She Reads

When I read the blurb for Chase the Ace I expected the story to be something like a comedy of errors / road-trip kinda adventure, and up to a point, that’s exactly what I got. This book however, is more than that. It is a charming and wonderful story about finding your future via a re-examination of the past.

I loved how the story started on a very light note, leaving me with a huge smile on my face. I grinned when Dan figured out Nick is the older brother of the man he’d wanted to reconnect with, continued doing so while Nick and Dan got to know each other a little better, and smiled even harder during their meeting with Gary. I enjoyed myself as the two men give in to the sexual tension which had been apparent from the moment they met. It all seemed so light-hearted and innocent.

But there’s more to this story than a sentimental revisiting of the past. Ultimately this is a story about two men having to be honest about exactly what they want from life. Although neither man officially qualifies as a youngster anymore, I’d still qualify this as somewhat of a ‘coming-of-age’ story especially as far as Dan is concerned. It is through seeing the lives his former friends are now living that he comes to realise what he wants for himself.

I loved how Nick’s role in the story turned out to be bigger than I at first suspected. And I really loved that both these men came across as recognisable and totally real. They aren’t perfect, they say silly things, react in less than sensible ways, and are all the more sympathetic for it.

Long story short; Chase the Ace turned out to be more substantial than I’d thought and all the better for it. Clare London’s writing was as smooth as I’ve come to expect and the story left me happy when I finished it. A very promising start to my reading year.