Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: Jace’s Trial
SERIES: Trials in Abingdon #1
AUTHOR: JM Wolf
PUBLISHER: Encompass Ink
LENGTH: 300 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 20th, 2018
BLURB:
Life is a trial full of obstacles that stand between you and your goals. Do you have the courage to face your own trial?
Jace Garrison was a musical prodigy at Juilliard ready to take the world by storm. Everything he could ever want out of life was unfolding right before his eyes, until everything came crashing down at once.
With his muse gone, along with everything he loved, will Jace find the courage to move on?
Former Navy SEAL Gerard Ramhart had always played by his family’s rules and traditions. Until he fell in love with Riley Garrison. Unfortunately, before Gerard had the courage to propose to the man he loved, Riley’s life was taken away. Gerard was left devastated, with only his memories of Riley and the pain of losing him to keep him going.
One year after Riley’s death, Gerard finally makes it to Riley’s hometown in Abingdon, Virginia and meets his son Jace for the very first time. Two men grieving over the loss they shared, and during their time of heartache, something blossoms. Can Gerard help Jace find the will to live the life he’s meant to have? And can Jace find his muse and accept his feelings for Gerard, despite the fact that Gerard once belonged to his father?
TRIGGER WARNING:
This book contains content of physical and mental abuse, grieving, and bottled emotions.
REVIEW:
This was a complicated book to review for me because while reading this story I kept thinking about another story with a similar storyline and my brain would just start comparing the two. Jace’s Trial wasn’t a bad book and new to me author JM Wolf did a pretty good job but there were things that kept pulling me out of the story which was unfortunate. This is one of those stories where things are over explained, over analyzed, and over dramatized when things could have been simplified by developing more emotion between the two MC’s. This leads me to the biggest issue I had with the story and that was Jace and Gerard and the emotional connection I didn’t feel between them. Like I mentioned earlier I kept thinking about another story and this is no fault of the authors but the other story was just done better. My brain kept comparing the two books and Jace’s Trail always came up lacking.
Jace and Gerard are both grieving the loss of father and lover, Riley. Lonely, hurt, and sad both men are not prepared for the attraction or connection they feel for each other. Unsure of what it means both men cling to each other and finally start to allow themselves to heal.
I liked Jace and Gerard. I liked what they did for each other. I liked the premise of this story; love after loss, hopeful, healing, and new beginnings. I wanted to love it though and unfortunately I didn’t.
Like I mentioned the writing got a little much, I think some things could have been cut out or cut down and I also think some things could have been added in certain areas.
I didn’t hate the story however and I think I’d be interested in more of the series. I’m not counting this series out. I can definitely see the potential for this to be something great.
Crossing my fingers for book 2…
RATING: 
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