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Picture Perfect
When Ashton happens into a new bar, he's immediately taken with the young, male bartender.
Hayden is cheerful and flirtatious but his personal life is not so simple. Ashton is in an unhappy marriage. Hayden's boyfriend is possessive and controlling.
Can Ashton save him? Or does Hayden want to be saved?
http://phaze.com/book.php?title=Pictu...
Hayden is cheerful and flirtatious but his personal life is not so simple. Ashton is in an unhappy marriage. Hayden's boyfriend is possessive and controlling.
Can Ashton save him? Or does Hayden want to be saved?
http://phaze.com/book.php?title=Pictu...
42 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2010
71 people want to read
About the author
Jack Greene
30 books94 followersJack Greene loathes author bios, thinking they ruin the mystery. But if you must, picture a handsome twenty-something insomniac: junior partner in a law firm by day, guitarist in a punk band by night. He roams the streets on his Ducati when he can't sleep, gathering material for his books, and watches the sun come up over West Hollywood as he types away at his laptop. Peace only comes when he writes the words "the end".
Jack writes about men who fuck, and love, other men. Men who, like all men, sometimes don't behave like they should.
Jack writes about men who fuck, and love, other men. Men who, like all men, sometimes don't behave like they should.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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May 20, 2010I have already noticed in previous short stories, that Jack Greene loves the pretty men; if wearing makeup and with long hair even better. And these elf-like beauties are there to lighten up the day of some working class man who almost lost hope to find happiness; average men who usually are handsome and nice, but not exceptional; those men you are lucky to find, but if you are not careful enough, you don’t recognize.
Ashton is one of those men: probably thirty or something like that, he has a good job and a nice wife, but he doesn’t really like neither. He has always played buy the rules, when he was in college he tried to follow his dream to be a photographer, but he ended up marrying his boss daughter and being a salesman. When he meets by chance Hayden, the pretty bartender of a pub on the way from work to home, at first Ashton doesn’t understand why he is so attracted by him. Ashton is not gay, he is not in the closet and he is married, all good reasons to not being attracted by Hayden.
I have the feeling that Ashton doesn’t consider himself straight, gay or bisexual; Ashton simply loves beauty, with an artist eyes, and Hayden is a perfect example of beauty. What draws Ashton is not Hayden sassiness of flirting, but his perfect bone structure; and then yes, Hayden makes Ashton feel wanted, something his wife stopped doing many years before. Ashton’s wife conquered him in the same way, pursuing him, courting and wooing him; now that she stopped, Ashton feels lost, like he has no reason to be. Ashton is not selfish, but for sure he is a man who needs his ego stroked; he is well aware that he is nothing special, on the average, but it takes very little to make him happy, just few words and a welcoming embrace. And in Hayden he finds all of that.
Picture Perfect is not referred only to Ashton’s passion for photography, but also to his idea of happiness, a perfect picture of a relationship. Doesn’t matter if, digging in, problem are still out there, Ashton and Hayden can find a little piece of paradise in each other.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3VHW6/?...
Ashton is one of those men: probably thirty or something like that, he has a good job and a nice wife, but he doesn’t really like neither. He has always played buy the rules, when he was in college he tried to follow his dream to be a photographer, but he ended up marrying his boss daughter and being a salesman. When he meets by chance Hayden, the pretty bartender of a pub on the way from work to home, at first Ashton doesn’t understand why he is so attracted by him. Ashton is not gay, he is not in the closet and he is married, all good reasons to not being attracted by Hayden.
I have the feeling that Ashton doesn’t consider himself straight, gay or bisexual; Ashton simply loves beauty, with an artist eyes, and Hayden is a perfect example of beauty. What draws Ashton is not Hayden sassiness of flirting, but his perfect bone structure; and then yes, Hayden makes Ashton feel wanted, something his wife stopped doing many years before. Ashton’s wife conquered him in the same way, pursuing him, courting and wooing him; now that she stopped, Ashton feels lost, like he has no reason to be. Ashton is not selfish, but for sure he is a man who needs his ego stroked; he is well aware that he is nothing special, on the average, but it takes very little to make him happy, just few words and a welcoming embrace. And in Hayden he finds all of that.
Picture Perfect is not referred only to Ashton’s passion for photography, but also to his idea of happiness, a perfect picture of a relationship. Doesn’t matter if, digging in, problem are still out there, Ashton and Hayden can find a little piece of paradise in each other.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3VHW6/?...
June 19, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised by this short story. I read 2 other shorts from Jack Greene just before this book and they were distinctly PWP stories and, while steamy, really had no storyline to speak of. This short was unexpectedly different.
Ashton is in an unhappy marriage and he goes to the bar to have a single martini before heading home. He meets vivacious, cute bartender twink Hayden, and enjoys his company. He continues to come back a few times a week and Hayden and Ashton strike up conversation which turns into an unlikely attraction since Ashton is straight and married. I think that Jack Green has a distinct "type". His MCs that I've encountered so far are young, lithe, slender beauties that wear make-up and have long hair and they seem to all be "maidens" in distress. Hayden is no exception to this mold.
While the plot was not really deep, I did enjoy that the story took the time for the two men to get to know each other. My favorite Jack Greene story so far.
Ashton is in an unhappy marriage and he goes to the bar to have a single martini before heading home. He meets vivacious, cute bartender twink Hayden, and enjoys his company. He continues to come back a few times a week and Hayden and Ashton strike up conversation which turns into an unlikely attraction since Ashton is straight and married. I think that Jack Green has a distinct "type". His MCs that I've encountered so far are young, lithe, slender beauties that wear make-up and have long hair and they seem to all be "maidens" in distress. Hayden is no exception to this mold.
While the plot was not really deep, I did enjoy that the story took the time for the two men to get to know each other. My favorite Jack Greene story so far.
October 30, 2010
3.5 stars
Ashton and Hayden meets in a bar, where Hayden works. It's one of that chance encounters. Ashton is in unhappy relationship. Hayden is in an abusive one. In Hayden, Ashton feels wanted (and he appreciates Hayden's beautiful figure). While in Ashton, Hayden finds kindness and chivalry to protect him from harm. It's a nice sweet story. I like the fact that Ashton doesn't really muse over whether loving Hayden means he's gay or bisexual. He just appreciates the man and doesn't make fuss about it.
Ashton and Hayden meets in a bar, where Hayden works. It's one of that chance encounters. Ashton is in unhappy relationship. Hayden is in an abusive one. In Hayden, Ashton feels wanted (and he appreciates Hayden's beautiful figure). While in Ashton, Hayden finds kindness and chivalry to protect him from harm. It's a nice sweet story. I like the fact that Ashton doesn't really muse over whether loving Hayden means he's gay or bisexual. He just appreciates the man and doesn't make fuss about it.
March 15, 2013
I have been slowly going through Mr. Greene's backlist and have enjoyed all of his books, and Picture Perfect is no exception. While it contains many of the author's usual trademarks, it's slightly different from his latest releases. I am very fond of the witty and naughty side of his characters, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the mellow and emotional tone of this book.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something quick and character driven.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something quick and character driven.
August 30, 2010
It was a good book. I'm ready for Jack to write longer books.
August 24, 2012
Nice short story, good characterizations for such a short tale. It got a bit soppy towards the end but otherwise, it was a sweet read.
December 23, 2021
I can't believe I am saying this, but I liked this short novella IN SPITE of the leads being in a relationship with someone else. I avoid cheating as if it were the plague, but Jack Greene writes the sweetest and hottest short stories where, in spite of being so short, you can't help but root for the leads to have their HEA.
In this novella, one of them is in a loveless marriage (his wife is cheating on him and leaves him at the end, all in good terms) and the other is in an abusive relationship (poor guy has always been with machos who don't reciprocate, and the current one is, on top of that, a possessive asshole who hits him as well) so of course the leads deserve to have someone to love and to be loved. Yes, it is short but their romance flows very well and while not perfect, it was a good story with a bit of good smut.
In this novella, one of them is in a loveless marriage (his wife is cheating on him and leaves him at the end, all in good terms) and the other is in an abusive relationship (poor guy has always been with machos who don't reciprocate, and the current one is, on top of that, a possessive asshole who hits him as well) so of course the leads deserve to have someone to love and to be loved. Yes, it is short but their romance flows very well and while not perfect, it was a good story with a bit of good smut.
September 5, 2013
Light and floof. It wasn't bad, I suppose, but I'm not ravingly excited about it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews