The Guy With The Suitcase - Book Review

"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."

BOOK REVIEW

by Art-em-is-Free

Pierce (The Brute) is a 20 year old guy with a suitcase. In there, is everything he owns. Rafe (The thief) is a 17 year old in dire need of some money. He has to pay for his own -expensive- medication. The circumstances under which these two characters meet are less than ideal; and this is an understatement. They are both homeless, both gay, both cast out of heir families for who they are.

Ethan's major writing advantage is that he builds characters people care about. This is always a sign of good writing. We are rooting for these guys from the get-go and every obstacle they face only makes us crave their happiness more. Their struggle to get off the streets and build a decent life for themselves is as admirable and heart-warming, as it is desperate. It kept me on the edge of my seat, for sure.

The true strength of the novel, however, lies in the humanity of the story. The unlikely story of two homeless gay guys who meet in the streets of New York and fall in love. Ethan deals with the difficult subject of homelessness in an honest, heartfelt way. The more you dig in their story, the more the two characters seem real and believable.

Romance-wise, the story builds slowly. But it's appropriate, given the circumstances. When it's the time for a well-deserved happy ending, the writer pulls it of in a genious way. However, the way the curtain falls, seems to me, that it should be a bit less on the Hollywood-happy-ending side. No spoilers: but the overabundance of resources - a direct contrast, which is miles away from the point these characters both started, is a bit too much. It would be better, I think, if Pierce and Rafe found their vocation and the story stopped there. Giving them an almost instant success is not very realistic.

The steamy male-to-male sex scenes are very earthy and, honestly, quite cute. There is no graphic sex for the sake of it. Just two young gyus falling in love, doing what guys do! If anyone has a problem with that, you've been warned! Just don't pick up a male-to-male romance if this is not up your alley. I sincerely think the novel deals with the subject in a way that anyone, who is ok with the LGBTQI community in general, can enjoy the reading.

Ethan's story is a self-published effort, so, you should expect a few weak spots here and there, but nothing a good editor wouldn't be able to fix. As I was finishing the story, I kept thinking that it's a real pitty Chris Ethan is not a full-time writer. Considering that he wrote this story and published it himself, the result is truly amazing. I hope Ethan will soon be able to quit his morning job! I can only imagine what wonders he will do by focusing entirely on his writing.

In short: this book's worth your cents! Rating: 3,5 out of 5 stars.

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!

You can buy the book here:

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Guy-Suitcase-Once-Upon-Book-ebook/dp/B018RE9K7E

Amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guy-Suitcase-Once-Upon-Book-ebook/dp/B018RE9K7E

AllRomance eBooks
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theguywiththesuitcase-2035484-149.html

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-guy-with-the-suitcase-chris-ethan/1123607641

Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-guy-with-the-suitcase

iBooks
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1110238489

Print
http://www.amazon.com/Guy-Suitcase-Once-Upon/dp/1945171111