Something Real by Nellie Christine
Released: January 2017
M/M Contemporary
Self Published
Reviewed by Mandi
Elijah has rules when he dates men. Very strict rules including, no kissing, no snuggling afterwards, no second dates etc.. Safe to say, you get one wild night with him, and then no more. These rules have kept Elijah’s heart safe and that’s how he likes it. Besides being a sex rule maker, Elijah also loves to sing and is very talented. Music doesn’t pay the bills for him, so he works in the mail room of a law firm which isn’t really a fun job. One day while stepping off the metro train, he sees an iPhone on the ground.
That iPhone belongs to a man named Grayson, who works for the record label his father owns. His father is a no-nonsense guy who isn’t the easiest person to work for or be related to. Grayson has started at the bottom of the company but really wants to prove to his father and co-workers that he has a lot to offer at the label. Losing his new iPhone isn’t going to make a great impression. But luckily when he calls it, a man named Elijah answers and they meet for coffee so Grayson can get the phone back.
It’s not until Grayson is on a blind date and Elijah is performing at the restaurant that their connection really becomes cemented. Grayson ditches his date (it wasn’t going great anyway) and Elijah and him hook up. But what about Elijah’s rules? He really thinks he has something with Grayson but is a little afraid to open himself up. When Grayson wants to pursue Elijah’s musical talent for his record label…things become interesting.
This book has a strong start – I like Elijah’s stand-offish attitude paired with Grayson who wears his heart more on his sleeve. They have good chemistry to start and very hot smexy times. No complaints here *wink* My problem started when they part ways after their first night together. They each have a lot to think about obviously, but they are apart for quite some time. I like that we meet their friends and see their individual lives, but I think they spend too much time away from each other in this book. Instead of building a relationship, we only see them truly together a few short times. Granted, they text back and forth, but it wasn’t enough for me.
While I was invested in their chemistry, the music aspect didn’t work as well. To me, Grayson never really felt like a music guy. We see him at work but I wasn’t convinced he was in the music industry. It’s just how it read to me.
And finally, I had issues with the end. It became kind of immature the way Grayson and Elijah’s friends were acting and the big drama felt a little high-schoolish.
I liked these two together, but I needed more to truly be convinced of their HEA.
Grade: C
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