Susan

BR with my girl Elsbeth

3.5 stars

This started out really really strong.
It had a nice slow build up. We get to know Slade and the situation he is in, with him being a sex worker.

I adored Slade. My heart broke for him.

There was no use in crying. He’d figured that out three years before when his staunchly religious parents had kicked him out once they ’d caught him kissing his boyfriend. He’d been seventeen and still had three months to go before he graduated, so he’d taken a job at a fast-food place to try to survive. One free burger a day and a few bucks to put in his pocket—but not enough to even rent a motel room every night.



Parker is a cop, who one day encounters Slade working the streets. Parker can’t seem to get the hustling boy out of his mind after he tried to arrest Slade. He is drawn to the boy and wants nothing more than to take care of him.

After Parker saves Slade from a severe beating, he follows his instincts and takes care of him. After Lonnie (Slade’s real name) is released from the hospital, Parker takes him home.

After that it’s sappy sappy sappy. I don’t mind sappy, but I felt like this could have used a bit more time to develop. A better establishment of the relationship before the ‘big finish’ would have been nice. I felt like the first half was nice and slow and the second was like we were in a race to end the story as quickly as possible.



I still liked it, but the second half could have been better.