Review: Just Jack by Christina Lee (Aqua Vista #1)


Note: A review copy was provided by the author via Gay Romance Reviews.

Just Jack is the first book in Christina Lee's Aqua Vista series, which is set in a small town in California. Its main characters are Jack McCoy and Aaron Edwards, the former a thirty-seven-year-old resident of Aqua Vista and owner of a service station called Jack of All Trades, and the latter a thirty-nine-year-old from San Jose who co-owns a business that has them buying and selling commercial properties. When Aaron experiences car trouble on his way back from Big Sur, he ends up at the only service station for miles. With his vehicle requiring more than expected, he decides to stay the night--a night that results in a hook-up with Jack, who is surprised to see Aaron again but isn't thrilled when the city slicker asks if he'd sell the service station. Jack isn't interested in selling the business his late parents started to just anyone, especially not an outsider; and he shouldn't be interested in spending time with Aaron, but they can't seem to stay away from each other.

Small town romances have always appealed to me, and when one of the main characters happens to come from the city, seeing how they interact with the other main character who hails from the small town piques my interest. Both Jack and Aaron were strong MCs, and while their story may not have exactly been a grumpy/sunshine romance, Jack was someone who didn't necessarily have the cheeriest of personalities. It was interesting to see these two try and navigate their relationship, even though Jack wasn't exactly looking for one considering he felt that Aaron wasn't going to be sticking around Aqua Vista, what with having his business, home, best friend, and mother in San Jose. The cast of supporting characters definitely brought additional layers to the story and gave me a better understanding of Jack and Aaron. Just Jack was a low angst M/M romance and gets four stars.

Date Read: 03 May 2025

Learn more about Christina Lee.

Purchase Just Jack on Amazon.

 

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