Title: The Guy With The Suitcase
Series: Once Upon a Guy, Book One
Author: Chris Ethan
Genre: Gay Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Length: Novel
Synopsis
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.
Excerpt
He felt like punching himself. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he focusing on all the cons? What had happened to him? He used to be such a positive person. A healthy man with a passion for his body and an empathy for the planet he lived on. He was a recycler, an energy and water saver, and a vegan bodybuilder in the making. To an outsider’s eye, he would be the epitome of a hipster, coming from a middle-class Christian family from Upstate New York. But he was nothing like his parents. They were the reason he’d become so pessimistic. Before they kicked him out, he was his own man. Now, he was a nobody at the mercy of the kindness of strangers.
No. Pierce dismissed the negativity for now. He was going look at everything good about his life at that particular moment. He had a job. In a few months, he’d have a room, hopefully sooner if it paid well. His own room. Maybe next year he could resume college too. If to have all that he had to sleep wherever he could for another month or so, he would brave the winter. He would sleep in the subway. He would sleep at Central Park. He wouldn’t even care if he’d get pissed on or mugged again. If that’s what it took to kick start his life, he would do it.
A shout permeated his ears and he turned to find the source. He couldn’t see anything, but a second scream guided him down the road he was walking and in to an alley between two apartment buildings. Two men were knelt on the ground pinning someone from the hands and legs while a third guy was unbuttoning the victim’s trousers, shutting his mouth with his hand.
The victim was also a guy. Pierce knew because he tried to ungag his mouth and grunted.
“Shut the fuck up, boy. When you give up your ass, you ain’t screaming.”
“Hey!” Pierce shouted at the guys before he could control himself. The guy who was doing the unbuttoning turned and, seeing Pierce, stood up. Pierce etched closer. The only streetlight in the alley hit the victim’s face and Pierce recognized it. It was Rafe.
Review
Talk about an opening, wow, I was certainly pulled into the story from the first line. To see Pierce find himself in that situation, with such an unscrupulous jerk making that kind of request, well, let’s just say it made me very curious to see where the story was going to go. This novel certainly tackled some tough subjects, not just with the homeless issue either, which was, at times, hard enough to read, emotionally. The story itself is beautifully written and doesn’t gloss over what things are like for Pierce and Rafe.
I love the way the two men’s stories entwined from their initial meeting to all the subsequent ones. The way chance worked in a city of that size was very nicely done, and none of it felt forced. The conversations were smooth and at times amusing, and through them we come to learn a bit more about each of the characters. The idea of being vegetarian and homeless was such a unique challenge, and I love the way it was handled and the way Pierce tried to hold on to that aspect of this life when he could while coming to learn it wouldn’t always be an option. Like the suitcase it was part of his past life that he held on to.
There were so many raw and gritty moments in the book, so many times when I cringed for the characters or wanted to look away from the pages because it was all a little bit too real. A gripping, powerful read for certain.
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Giveaway
Prize Bundle: The Guy With The Suitcase Mug, Chris Ethan pen, and $5 Amazon Gift Carda Rafflecopter giveaway
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!Social links:
Website: http://www.rcethan.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rhys_Ethan
Facebook: http://facebook.com/rcethan1
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