The
Guy with the Suitcase
by Chris Ethan
Pages: 208
Details: #1 Once Upon a Guy
E-book / Own
The
blurb:
Pierce
is homeless.
Young and strong-willed Pierce has been living in the streets of New York City
for six months, since his parents kicked him out of their perfect, Christian,
suburban house. Pierce is gay. And he is suffering the consequences for being
true to himself.
Rafe is homeless.
He is also sick. Impressionable, but far from innocent, Rafe ran away from home
almost a year ago. His sickness is slowly killing him. But Rafe is not a
hopeless case. He has learned to get by. Nights of paid passion turn to
sheltering warmth from the imminent New York winter.
And then there's a suitcase. Pierce's suitcase, which holds secrets from
everyone including its owner.
When their worlds collide, their lives intertwine and when the world seems bent
on bringing the two souls to their knees, fate has other plans for them.
Caution: Contains adult language, New York City streets, tough life choices,
sexual tension, stubborn brutes and swoon-worthy romance.
My
thoughts:
This book is not for the faint
of heart. Pierce and Rafe are put through far more than their fair share of
shit before they get to their happy ending. In fact, so many obstacles are
thrown in their way it is a minor miracle they survive it all, never mind find
their way to happiness.
When these two young men first
encounter each other it is anything but a good start. I think it is safe to say
that after that first ‘meeting’ it’s a minor miracle they end up as friends at
all. That first meeting is also a good indicator of what the first few months
they spend together will be like; tough, hostile and often hopeless with
initially far more downs than ups. But neither man is willing to just give up.
While the hopelessness of their situation as homeless youths threatens to bring
them down more than once, they persevere. Especially Pierce refuses to let the
system win.
As the reader you are aware,
almost from the start, that these two guys are not only attracted to each other
but also meant to be together. Pierce and Rafe take longer to come to that
realisation though; mostly because the two of them are just not
point of skimming over passages
just to get to the part where they do talk again. Not so in this book. For
these two men it made sense not to talk to each other about their feelings
considering how it was being honest with their families which landed them on
the streets in the first place.
I loved the message I found in
this story; perseverance pays. It may take a while but continuing to fight does
lead to results for Pierce and Rafe. I liked these two young men together,
fighting the system and beating it. And I loved that amid all the ugliness,
cruelty and indifference they encounter, they also met good souls, friends and
charity.
The ending was somewhat
fairytale-like and I’m not sure the story needed it, since these characters
were always going to make it. But, I’d come to care about Rafe and Pierce
enough to not begrudge them their miracle.
Overall this was a touching, at
times heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting story. It portrayed human
kindness and perseverance with as much care for detail as it did the horrors of
living on the street, getting the balance exactly right for this reader. I’m
looking forward to seeing what this author will offer us next.
Buy
links:
About
the author:
Chris Ethan is a book whore. He enjoys selling
his feelings for money and other pleasures and is blatantly unashamed to do so
for as long as he breathes. Chris Ethan is also a persona for Rhys Christopher
Ethan, author of fantasy and sci-fi. He uses Chris Ethan to share stories of
adult queer romance with those who need it. Before you delve into his books
however, be warned. He likes putting his characters through shitstorms and
hates anything conventional. But then there's that darned happy-ever-after.
Also, he likes swearing. Deal with it!
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers. 
