Okay, onto my short and sweet review!

Concourse is the latest installment in Santino Hassell's Five Boroughs universe.

We were first introduced to Ashton in First and First (my least favorite book of the series) at Liberty X the swanky sex club. I have to admit when Santino mentioned the party boy would be getting his own book I was intrigued. Sidenote: I still think Charles should get his own book!

Ashton comes from the land of socialites and sex tapes. He's a notable Instagram star. Think of him as the male version of a Kardashian. Um, can I just say how disappointed I was that Ashton's sex tape wasn't mentioned in more graphic detail? I was hoping to know what made him so sought after in the bedroom. WHAT WAS ON THAT VIDEO? I was equally surprised reading Val's POV, he never once mentioned watching it. Was he trying to maintain Ashton's virtue? If so, how incredibly sweet! Weird, but still sweet. And swoon worthy.

Valdrin Leka aka Val is an amateur Albanian boxer who grew up with Ashton. He's the child of Ashton's nanny. Needless to say, Val was only thought of as an extension of the help in the mind of the Townsend clan mainly Ashton's father and brother. Since Ashton was the risque teen type, Ashton's father and brother ensured Val looked after him. For his service, he was paid handsomely, and the money was used to help his family.

Problems arose when Val began to develop feelings for Ashton, and so begins our story.

Verdict? A home run!!! Classic Hassell writing. Strong and gripping with a touch of NYC nostalgia. Not overly angsty but just the right amount. This was great especially since I found Hassell's last book Insight to be incredibly lackluster. I needed redemption. It's hard to stay positive when an author you adore writes something that hurts your soul because you know they can do better. Well, S.H. shut me up! My snarkiness has been silenced.

This book also had way more sex than previous books in the series, but I AM NOT COMPLAINING. Well written sex scenes? Yes of course. As a matter of fact more, please!

The Five Boroughs series continues to stay on solid ground. This story was worthy of 4.5 stars.

I normally am a big fan of Hassell, but this one didn't work for me. The conflict between Ashton and Val seemed contrived and could have been cleared up with a simple conversation. Ashton wasn't a sympathetic character to me, and they didn't have much in common. I've enjoyed other books in this series, but I just couldn't get into this one.

I'm glad that even I'm a one star believers, I didn't just read and believed the one star reviews this time.
Well I guess it's right when you say that you need a certain 'mood' to read a certain book.
Am I right, or right? Of course I'm right.. :)
We met Ashton in the previous books. a spoiled rich Instagram celebrity, didn't care for anyone in his life. Lies!
Ashton was lonely and desperate for love. He need to feel love, and all he had were some a**holes who just wanted his body. But not with Valdrin, his long term best friend and long term crush, but Val's also son of his nanny, the help.
It was kind of silly, of course, the way Val was keeping one secret for so long. But maybe I can understand, Val's probably a Taurus, they keep secrets to their graves and torture themselves instead.
Happened with Val. It hurts seeing Ash with another men, but what else can he do? Kinda doormat there, Val. But once again, I feel Val.
I liked their relationship from the start, the chemistry was there. I like seeing Ashton's development from a total bitch to a total sweetheart for Valdrin.
Note : if you're expected a cheating or orgy, you'll be disappointed. Ash is a sweetheart for Val.
There's also no real angst in this book, just a healthy amount of it, no need to worry for nothing :)
I liked this story. I liked Ash and Val together. Hey, I even liked Luis!
Is he going to have his own story? Who knows...

Honestly, I enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would.

Ashton and Valdrin have know each other for a long time. Their time over the years hasn't always been easy. Ashton craves attention from his family which causes him to act out and Valdrin works hard to keep him safe despite his aversion to wild parties.

They both have strong feelings for one another but neither are willing to risk their friendship until it becomes to hard to hold in their feelings.

They are faced with many obstacles on their road to happily ever after. Valdrin is keeping a secret from Ashton he's sure will end their budding romantic relationship. And Ashton is struggling to find his purpose in life.

I like how this series embraces the diversity of New York. It has those coming from poor and rich backgrounds, the ones that don't have to work and the ones struggling with several jobs, entrepreneurs, teachers, dock workers, philanthropists and so on. The main couples have been a mix of ethnicities also. In Concourse, Valdrin is from Albanian descent and working multiple jobs to stay afloat. Ashton is from old money and became famous for a bit of 'acting out' and social media.

Honestly, I do not like reality tv or the rich and famous celebrity gossip type stuff. I don't keep up with them in real life and usually don't like to read books with these types of characters. Because of how I am, it seems certain that I would not like Ashton, but I adored him. The author does an excellent job of showing how human he is. He's not just the diva he shows his fans. I've always had a thing for book boyfriends who are fighters, boxers or MMA so my love of Valdrin isn't a surprise. These guys are just perfect compliments to each other. They are almost opposites in many areas but similar in heart.

I completely fell into the life these guys were leading and couldn't put the book down. I love when I have a reading experience like that. Concourse is sweet, sexy, romantic and entertaining. I recommend it for sure.

There is no character that Ashton reminded me so much of as a queer version of play boy rock star Mal Ericson, in Kylie Scott's Play. My take out from this is that all my favourite characters should be turned queer.

Ashton is a rich former model socialite who now has a following of far too many people on Instagram. His life consists of being paid to go to parties and other events as well as product placement on his blog. People can't seem to get enough of him. And yet, that life is steadily losing its appeal for him. I don't think I would have loved him so much had it not been for that.

Valdrin is actually the person whom we start the story with, and that was probably a good idea as it took more for me to get to love him than it took for me to love Ashton. Valdrin is the son of Ashton's nanny. Growing up together had a lot of ups and downs but the end result is that Valdrin took money from Ashton's father to look out for him, something he was already doing anyway. The reason he was willing to be paid for it was for his mother's medical bills before she died.

Why oh why oh why he never actually came out to Ashton and admitted this is beyond me. Oh, right, without this we wouldn't have had a plot. And the lack of communication between Valdrin and Ashton did lose a couple of stars for me. But what brought it back up again was the brilliance of the character writing of both of these characters, and how they moved me to tears more than once. Any book that can do that for me deserves a higher than average rating.

Another part of that I was surprised to love was a part towards the end that used the trope where the-lover-overhears-a-conversation-that-wasn't-meant-for-them-and-everything-works-out. It was a ham-handed and overdone couple of paragraphs but, for some reason, it really charmed me. Perhaps because Valdrin was usually such a soft spoken and laconic character.

Finally, I came across this book largely for the demisexual representation, and that was solid. Okay, like I said, I really took a longer time to warm up to Valdrin, but yeah by the end I pretty much loved everything about his character.

Ashton and Valdrain. MY LOVES. I've been dying to read Ashton's story ever since we first met him in First and First. This is a best friends-to-lovers story and I loved reading Ashton and Val's story.

Ashton Townsend comes from a wealthy family, has androgynous features, gets paid to hang out in clubs, a bit of an Instagram celeb, and his claim to fame is a sex tape that got released some years back. Val Leka is Ashton's childhood friend. Val wouldn't normally run in the same social circles as Ashton and his family, but Val's mother was hired on as the Townsend's nanny, and they soon became best of friends growing up.

Val boxes and is training for the Olympics, just one of the many steps towards becoming pro. He's got the natural talent, but his heart isn't in it. He needs to money that being a professional boxer would be able to provide, but even his boxing coach can see that he doesn't quite have that same drive that the other guys have.

Ashton doesn't think he can amount to much. He provides the socialite crowd and his thousands of Instagram followers a sunny view into the fabulous lifestyle of Ashton Townsend. Except, behind-the-scenes, he struggles with that front he puts on. Val knows the truth and would rather hang out with the guy he grew up with and not the one who fakes his life in front of others.

It hurts me to see Ashton and Val fight or get into disagreements. I love this couple and I love that the Queens crew, Nunzio, and Meredith, and Charles are brought into this story. Even at the mere mention of Aiden and Jace made me want more about them (and Chris, of course).

I think I still love First and First more. This is really the first of the Five Boroughs books where class plays into the characters' love life. Before, the love interests have been on fairly even footing as long as you don't count Caleb and David together since they were already broken up, I believe, by Sunset Park. There's definitely the struggle Ashton and Val face regarding wealth, and it's just one, but an important, dividing factor between the two. They've never been on a level playing field when it comes to money, but they have a connection between them. They've known they love each other for ages, yet neither one can admit it. I love how this story ended and Ashton and Val's HEA. Val hating Caleb because of Ashton's Instagram post back on Valentine's Day is hilarious to me. That post just stirred up all tons of stuff. First with Oli, now with Val. They're all just precious, misinformed cinnamon rolls.

And that's the main thing I had an issue with in this book. I'm just not a fan of the ~misunderstanding trope where one, or both, of the love interests just flat-out refuse to let the other know some secret from their past. Val's is pretty damning when we learn about it from his POV, but the entire time I'm reading this book, I just wanted Val to talk to Ashton and get it all over with.

There was one part in this book that I guess I'll point out that just personally made me uncomfortable reading? It concerns a new character, Luis. He's another boxer at the gym Val trains at and, while he's not necessarily looking to cause trouble for Val, his "joking" comments towards Ashton about gangbangs is super uncomfortable to read. All the characters laughed it off, but... I guess it's just not my thing. So, I'm not looking forward to Luis possibly being a love interest in one of the future books at the moment. Of course, I hated Caleb in Sunset Park and he became my favorite character after reading First and First, so I have hope for loving Luis at some point. Just...not now.

What I did love in this book is that Val is demisexual! Val knows he doesn't feel anything sexual towards other people, but when he's near Ashton, he gets very turned on. He's struggled with his sexuality for a long time and only recently has started to realize what that means. It's always been the two of them together, so it wasn't until they drifted apart, that Val really started to understand what that may mean. I'm just so excited that there's this book has demisexual rep! <333

I was worried near the end of this book just for a few seconds. The book could have turned hideously dark, but THANK GOD IT DIDN'T. I always tend to think the worst is going to happen (betrayed too many times by YA books, I think). But a reminder, this is a romance novel and Ashton and Val get the loveliest HEA. So, just something to keep in mind.

Santino Hassell has a way of writing characters who feel raw and places them in very human, relatable settings. Concourse is no different. Despite some of the things I pointed out, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and I can't wait to read Charles and Clive's books!!!

***Thanks to Riptide Publishing for providing me an ARC through NetGalley***

As Hassell has done continuously throughout the Five Boroughs series, he takes characters we think we know and sharpens the focus until we see them as they truly are ... or have the potential to be. We met Ashton in First and First and Interborough: “He used to model and is now just semi-famous for being filthy rich and having a sex tape or two.” In Concourse we meet the real Ashton, who knows"

"After all my family had done, the dismissing and the slut shaming and forcing me into modeling as a kid to “make use” of my appearance, I would still do anything to feel . . . like part of their family."

It's honest-to-gawd heartbreaking how Ashton acts like he's "only good for being someone’s fuck toy" and doesn't realize, as Nunzio tells him, “You have value, kid. And you can make more of a difference than you know.” Seems the one person who truly knows Ashton is Valdrin but their relationship is thorny, to say the least. In a nutshell, I love and hate that we get Ashton and Val's POV throughout - mostly because of the Big Secret Val agonizes about through most of the book, while Ashton worries about the way Val treats him, not knowing it's because of the Big Secret. This is probably my biggest niggle with Concourse - the torturous reflection and reexamination was just .... exhausting.

Other reviewers have said it much better and in glorious detail, but finally Val and Ash work their way to a happy ending, and while I'm still exhausted, I look forward to the next book in the Five Boroughs series!

"I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him in for an out-of-breath kiss. I loved the feel of his lips and pounding heartbeat against my own after sex. I loved how he folded himself around me with contented sighs. I just fucking loved him."

It can be difficult to review a book that is part of a series for a number of reasons, one of which is to do with how one feels about the other books. That’s especially true of Concourse. Although I love the Five Boroughs series as a whole, it’s uneven; and while I enjoyed the writing, the friends to lovers trope, and the happily ever after this time out, I didn’t particularly care for the principals. They’re interesting and unique but so extremely opposite that I struggled to believe in them as partners in a romantic relationship. I’ve wavered over the final grade, and much as I felt while reading it, I’m still not sure I’ve got it right. Concourse is entertaining, steamy and contains the perfect mix of angst and happiness. I do love Mr. Hassell’s writing… but I didn’t love the main characters this time out, and for that reason, it’s not a DIK.

Concourse features Ashton Townsend and Valdrin – Val – Leka. Val’s mother was nanny to the Townsend family and the boys grew up together despite their very different stations in life. Ashton, black sheep of the family with his androgynous beauty and fragile, gentle spirit, spent the majority of his time with his beloved nanny and her two children. Val, a boxing prodigy who lost his father when he was young, always looked out for and protected Ashton – despite Ashton’s sometimes self-destructive lifestyle choices and his disdain for the rest of the Townsend family. When Concourse opens, the boys have become men, and though they live very different lives and move in radically different circles (Ashton is a professional celebrity and Val is an amateur boxer), they still look out for each other.

From the start, it’s clear that Val loves Ashton, and Ashton loves Val, but they can’t or won’t use the “L” word to define their relationship. They’ve only crossed the line sexually one time – but it was profoundly moving for both of them. For Val, the sex was intense, passionate and, he fears, addictive. But he’s keeping a secret from Ashton and in his heart he knows it will end their relationship if Ashton ever discovers the truth. Unable to deal with his feelings and attraction to Ashton (and believing he took advantage of him), Val retreats. Even after they reconcile when Val realizes he can’t stay away, they’ve never regained their comfortable relationship with each other. For Ashton, the sex was a revelation. Constantly in the public eye, chased by the paparazzi, fodder for the gossip columns, and rumored to sleep around, Ashton doesn’t believe he’s worthy of Val’s love. Everyone in his life – family, former lovers and until recently, his friends – has let him down or taken advantage of him. Except for Val. He wants a repeat of that night every night, but afraid that Val will distance himself again, he tries not to need or want more from Val than he wants to give.

Much of Concourse is taken up with Ashton and Val dealing with anxieties and self-doubt – that they’re good enough for each other, that their lives have meaning, that they’re good people (Mr. Hassell capably juggles these questions), and though I sympathize and can empathize with their struggles, after a while it just felt like their separation was overly drawn out. Both men feel at their best when they’re with each other so it’s a relief when Val finally gives in and permits himself the pleasure of a physical relationship with Ashton. The lead-up to the start of their sexual relationship is tense, emotional and fraught with doubt on both sides – but it’s romantic, sexy, dirty and wonderful once they finally get down to doing it. And doing it. And doing it. They can’t keep their hands to themselves and though a lot of their intimacy is off the page, it just feels right. Ashton feels a connection with Val he’s never felt with any of his past lovers and Val is finally intimate with the only man he’s ever loved or wanted. I just wanted this time to last and last and last… but as I mentioned early on, Val has a secret, Ashton still struggles to love himself, and happily ever after is still a long way away.

Though his secret weighs heavily on Val (and it’s the reason he keeps Ashton at a distance), I’m not sure it packed quite the wallop Mr. Hassell intended and/or was strong enough, once revealed, for me to understand why Val waited and waited to tell Ashton. His long silence is damning. I hate it when miscommunication is the main conflict between principals in my romance novels, and Concourse is a great example of why it’s so frustrating for the reader. I won’t spoil the secret here, but suffice it to say that if Val had been honest with Ashton from the start, Ashton probably would have understood – and even offered to help him.

Secrets aside, Concourse gripped me right from the start, though I struggled to identify with the principals as a couple. Val is a wonderful mix of tender and fierce, but he’s such a private, self-contained person, I just couldn’t believe he would fall for someone like Ashton – who, at least on the page, is everything Val seems to dislike: high-maintenance, publicly vapid and shallow, sexually adventurous, and self-destructive. He craves the spotlight while Val exists in the shadows. And Val is nothing like any of the people in Ashton’s close knit circle of friends… I just don’t know. So while I enjoyed their love story and road to happily ever after, I’m still not sure I believe these total opposites could fall so hard for each other.

That I can still say I liked this story, despite disliking the main characters, speaks to Mr. Hassell’s gift as a storyteller. Even when I didn’t like (or understand) his principals – Ashton in particular is a polarizing romantic lead – I still loved their steamy and swoony love scenes, crazy chemistry, and rocky road to happily ever after. I inhaled Concourse despite my problems with it, and though it’s not the strongest in the series, it still fits nicely into the Five Boroughs world.

And one last thing – I would be remiss if I finished this review without mentioning the book jacket. I rarely mention them in my reviews because I usually forget a cover shortly after I start reading, but the opposite holds true here. The Concourse cover and model are so spot on to the Ashton of my imagination, I keep returning to it. I’ve always admired the Five Boroughs covers, but this one… it’s beautiful, appropriate and perfect for this not-so perfect love story.

PS Five Boroughs fans: Nunzio makes a couple of killer cameos in Concourse. I love him. BIG TIME.

4 Stars!

I loved Ashton! My heart broke for him so many times for how his family and other people treated him. *cuddles Ashton* He just wanted to be loved, even if he went about it the wrong way. I didn't particularly care for his lifestyle or that he let himself get in trouble just to get attention from his parents, brother and even Val, but he did show a good growth throughout the book, finally taking control of his life. I loved Val, too, but there were times in which I wanted to give him a good shake, LOL. I think he didn't give Ashton enough credit and his hot-cold routine got old fast for me. Val and Ashton had amazing chemistry and when Val wasn't trying to keep Ashton at arm's length, they were sweet and affectionate with each other. Nevermind that Mr. Hassell's sex scenes are hotter than all hell!

I loved seeing Nunzio here and that he was instrumental in the last part of the book and I hated Dylan, Ashton's brother, with a passion.

This was a fantastic opposites-attract read, written in Mr. Hassell's characteristic raw and, gritty style. It was passionate, intense, fast-paced with lovable characters. The one thing that would've made it better for me was for them to have more time as a couple on-page, but other than that it was very enjoyable.

Highly recommendable!

*** Copy provided to the reviewer by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley for my reading pleasure. ***

My Dad (miss you forever Dad) grew up in the Bronx in the 1920s and 30s, so I have to give Santino Hassell props for portraying that borough in all of its colorful glory. But Concourse is the book that makes me realize that Hassell and I are about the part ways. I think he's a strong writer and he creates great characters, but the angst quotient is just more than I can tolerate.

Plotwise, we have Ashton and Valdrin, who have known each other since childhood when Val's mother was Ashton's nanny. Ashton is a flamboyant poor little rich party boy Instagram celebrity, whose parents never loved him, and Val is a struggling boxer with too much pride. Ashton loves Val but won't tell him because he thinks Val is straight (or demisexual), and because he knows he's not good enough for Val. Val loves Ashton but won't tell him because he doesn't want to be another one of the many men who use him for sex, plus lots of Secret Reasons. There's a lot of kissing, backing off, more kissing, more backing off, a few brief chapters of bliss before more angst, until they finally figure it out in the end.

Hassell creates memorable characters. I like the 5B and QFindr crowds, and the cameo appearance by Nunzio from Sutphin Boulevard is a good reminder of this series' strengths. I'm intrigued by Val's boxer friend Luis who casually mentions he'll be hanging out in Staten Island (the next borough for our tour?) But the bottom line is that I am a reader who wants the conflict to come from some other source than the MCs misconceptions, stubbornness and lack of communication (view spoiler). I've reached the ripe old age where I know that life is too short to not be honest with someone, and I want the same in my romance characters.

So why 4 stars? Besides the soft spot in my heart for the Bronx, I like Hassell's writing and his unique three-dimensional characters. I feel like I've been introduced to a very real, vibrant world that I would never have known anything about, living in suburban middle America. I may not stick with Hassell for the full series but I'm glad I experienced the first five books.

3.5 Stars

No one else writes such perfectly flawed, real, relatable, passionate characters like Santino Hassell. Val and Ashton have their problems, sure, but they're also like magnets that are always crashing together no matter how each tries to get away or stay apart.

~~ Maybe one day his effect on me would fade, and I’d actually be able to keep my hands off him, but that time hadn’t come yet. It was as impossible as ever. As soon as I was around him, as soon as he touched me and grazed his mouth to mine . . . I wanted him. ~~

Written from both Ashton's and Val's POV, the thing I loved the most was that the reader gets to see Val, who is demisexual, as not broken because he needs a connection to feel desire.

~~ There would have to come a point when I drew boundaries about all this touching, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it yet. Not when he was the only person whose touch I actually felt. Not just his fingertips or his lips or his hugs, but I felt tendrils of warmth and excitement and a desire for more. There had been a spark here or there with a few other people who had drifted in and out of my life, but never the consistent thrill that I got from being with Ashton. Maybe because no one else had ever meant as much to me. ~~

Sure, there were things that drove me nuts, particularly how you could see how perfect they'd be for each other if they'd just stop sabotaging it all, but I kept coming back for more.

That's what Santino does, he keeps me coming back for more.

I love the way Santino writes. I imagine, it's very similar to how he speaks in real life, and I dare say that it's just about perfect. I love his terminology, I love how his writing is real. I love the passion. I love it all. I may have a slight author crush on him, I'm not afraid to admit it.

I gave this book 5 stars because the story was so good. I loved Ashton's character. I loved Val. I loved their friendship. I loved their relationship. I loved it all. I am sure you would like to hear maybe more of why, but honestly, I can just tell you that I loved ALL of it. I love a good friends to lover's story and I love the way Santino writes. I may have said that already, but it bares repeating.

I haven't read the earlier books in this series but this book seemed to be easily read as a stand alone.

I enjoyed this book and I thought the writing was superb. The only reason this was a 4 star read for me was that I have a bit of trouble connecting with high drama, can't stop repeating the same behavior that is causing me problems, high maintenance characters. With that said, I ended really liking both Val and Ashton it just took me a lot of the book to get there.

Ashton is a social media celebrity (which is already a difficult concept for me to connect with) so the fact that he leads a life of club hopping, sexual encounters and blog reports didn't make it easier. Ashton is portrayed as a vacuous man that goes from one party to the next and picks up men to have sex with that aren't necessarily good for or to him. The only one that sees the real Ash is his best friend Val. The problem for me with the beginning of the book is that Ash uses that friendship to count on Val to "rescue" him from one bad situation to the next. Val cares deeply for Ash but he hates his lifestyle (more because he knows it doesn't really make Ash happy then because he's judgmental about it). He also hates Ash's family not only because he feels they took his mom from him but because of the way they have and do treat Ash. He also has a secret he thinks will ultimately tear him and Ash apart.

The truth is that Ash is a man who craves love, acceptance and understanding. He only gets that from Val but Val pushes Ash away when they get to close so Ash acts out to bring Val running back into his life. Both men drove me a little crazy by being their own worst enemy.

What lies inside is a man longing for affection and understanding. The only person who's ever seen the real Ashton is his childhood friend Valdrin, the nanny's son. There were times when I didn't like either Ash or Val but I always sympathized with them and while I wanted to shake them I could even understand why they made some of the decisions that they did. Ash had a very low self esteem and it broke my heart even when I wanted him to grow up a bit and take responsibility for the way the world viewed him. Val also had his issues and I think the push/pull he had towards Ash went on a little too long.

What I loved about this book was the way a beautiful friendship was portrayed and how both characters went through a wonderful self-discovery that ultimately led to growth and love. The alternating POVs let the reader get into the mind of both characters which was very necessary to understand the motivations driving their behavior. There were some absolutely beautiful and emotional dialogue in this book that will make your heart warm, bring a sigh out and a tear to your eye.

Ultimately, although the lives of these two men is so far away from anything I am familiar with I was drawn to them, rooted for them and sympathized with them. I may not have always liked them or agreed with their actions but I felt for them and wanted them to find happiness not only with each other but within themselves.

This was my first Five Boroughs book but I will definitely be going back to read the previous books in the series. An emotionally moving, character driven and satisfying book that left me wanting more!

A little too faux, too label-y, too 'tries too hard', too un-relatable to

This novel is meant to be gritty, if you go by SH's official blurb about his writing, but for me, didn't hit the mark, as it read more like a guide to, and glossary of, all things social media. No doubt it's meant to be trendy and perhaps true in some ways to SH's NYC, but for this English Average Jane reader, it didn't resonate. I'm not sure what age range it was aimed at, but it seemed to be ageist to a degree.

The Ashton character came across as a mix of various celeb-kids who make the headlines for all the wrong reasons and live to star in reality TV shows, though conversely, he lacked joie de vivre and seemed as if he lived in a haze/bubble of indifference, and also, had a distinct lack of self-respect. The other, a boxer, was described as a hard-done-by type who toiled for a living, holding down several jobs - not that we really saw him driving his cab or doing his other jobs or actually doing much boxing, come to think of it. I was a bit confused, tbh, why they were considered lead material, unless I totally, absolutely missed the mark and SH was trying to go for flawed characters that he could 'fix', but if so, they both lacked warmth, likability and any real kind of ambition or zest for life. Even the ending, six months down the line, didn't read as committed or heartfelt. At some point, for me to believe in Ashton, he should have been given some depth, rather than the repeated, 'I like sex' that I kept reading. Perhaps, their 'world' should have been explained a little, as it really did not tie in with the Five Boroughs books (that I've appreciated, but not necessary liked, to varying degrees).

This book takes place in a reality that I think would be alien to most regular Joes/Janes and readers of romance, and, tbh, the multitude of sexually-labelled characters in it was superfluous and a bit tiresome.

The tale came across as rather 'affected', with plenty of trendy words that luckily didn't necessitate a scramble to the good old urban dictionary, as JR Ward took the majority of readers of romance there when she debuted several years ago. It's meant to be linked to the Five Boroughs series, but tbh, the only link that I could see was Nunzio from book 1, who made a sort-of 'planted' appearance to enable Ashton's life to be turned around.

There was a sort-of storyline in it, one that should have been sad and a little shocking, but it felt as unreal as the characters. I think that had these guys come across as a lot more real, a lot more believable, I could have empathised with them. As it was, I had to force myself to finish the book for the purposes of reviewing.

Unfortunately for me, the book came across as faux, and is perhaps the final nail in my SH coffin.

ARC courtesy of Riptide Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I'm going to be honest. There was a moment I thought about not finishing this book. I wasn't in love with the characters. I didn't feel any connection to them. The first quarter of the book seemed too slow, as a matter of fact, it didn't even seem like Santino Hassell's writing. But I'm glad I ignored that voice in my head, or I would have missed out on some very special moments.

Just as I was about to put this down, there's this lovely conversation between Ashton and Nunzio that turned this book around for me. It sealed the deal on just how awesome of a character Nunzio is in this series and more importantly, showed me an Ashton I could love, and I really did love him by the end of this book.

The friends-to-lovers romance between the flamboyant socialite Ashton and the demisexual Val is complicated not only by the differences in their social class and overall world, but by big secrets that could crush both tender and stubborn hearts. While I didn't connect with Val all that much, I really felt I got Ashton. He's smart and sensitive and plagued with self esteem issues that really cover up who he really is. Val understood him, and Ashton craved that understanding. And it wasn't just one way -- Ashton understood things about Val, too. Their friendship was a solid foundation to their love story that just couldn't be ignored by either character.

The story also puts a light on the nastiness that is homophobia. I thought it worked well to increase awareness without sacrificing realism or being preachy. The escalation from words to physical attack put me in someone else's shoes for a moment and increased my personal awareness. I liked that about Concourse.

But really, the star of this tale was Ashton. I just totally fell for him, and I thought the epilogue was one of the best I've read this year. It left me smiling so hard and that's a terrific way to end a book!

Overall, I did enjoy Concourse, in spite of a few pacing issues at the start. I was glad that I stuck with it because it was really worth my time.

An ARC was provided for review.

My eyes are read and puffy I cried so hard for Ashton...... the misunderstood boy craving love ❤️
Valdrin only wants to protect this misunderstood boy.......

I think this story was a big kick in the butt to the social media and people who believe that all you see in the media is true. The fake picture people get on social media is more than some of them even reflect on. The persons real life is so much more than you see on Instagram.

In addition I think this is a story about love that's so strong it will survive despite all the obstacles.

The writing style is easygoing and with just the right amount of dialogues to make me enjoy this book so much I forget my surroundings.

This author has a way of packing his stories with so much feeling that I'm a mess after reading. I cried for the lonely little boy that never felt loved, and the boy that felt bereft of his mother because her job kept her away from him.

The story has a good build up and I feel like it is written with much emotions and those emotions comes through without being mushy or some sort of cliche.

I could go on and on but I will only conclude with if you haven't read m/m romances before this is one of the authors I will recommend. 5 shiny stars ✨

4.5 Stars

Ashton and Val come from completely different worlds. Ashton is a rich Manhattan socialite. A good-time party boy, while Val is from the Bronx and struggles, working three jobs to support himself, while also helping to put his sister through college. Although they had such completely different upbringings, they were brought together as kids, when Val's mother takes a job as Ashton's nanny. They have each secretly harbored feelings for one another, but have never voiced the depth and seriousness of those feelings. Val has tried to distance himself from Ashton, because it hurts him so badly to see Ashton with other guys, while Ashton tries to garner as much attention from Val as he is willing to give him.

I wasn't sure about either of these characters. Neither seemed very likable at the beginning of the story. I hated Ashton's lifestyle with a passion, yet my heart absolutely broke for him. All he wants is affection and love, something he's never gotten from anyone but Val and Val's family. I felt bad for Val, as well. It was so obvious to me how in love with Ashton he was and how much Ashton's lifestyle hurt him, but Val doesn't understand why he feels the way he does for Ashton, and he also doesn't feel like he's good enough for Ashton. Once he finally gives into his feelings, though, he goes all in. When things finally blow up, my heart absolutely broke for Val. Watching him beg Ashton to believe he really does love him and try to convince him of how sorry he was, tore my heart out of my chest and had me sobbing.

This was an enjoyable read. Although I didn't care for either Val or Ashton at the beginning, by the halfway point of the story, I was completely head over heels in love with them and their story. The chemistry between Val and Ashton was off the charts, with sexual tension that bubbled at the surface until it erupted like a volcano when they finally gave into it. The story is well-written and paced well. Santino drew me in and held me captive until the last sentence. He took me on an emotional rollercoaster, from hurt, sadness, anger and heartbreak to laughter, forgiveness and love. Very recommendable!

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement.*