<b>4.5 star friends to lovers done the SH way. *Gritty and grimy and powerful.*</b>

I loved Ashton. I've never met anyone like him and probably never will. He broke my heart. <blockquote><b>“I’ve been thinking a lot, and I realized I can’t do this anymore. I can’t be who everyone likes me to be—the outrageous gay boy with the crazy wardrobe and sex life. I won’t lie and say I don’t enjoy some of it— I love being on here. I’m just . . . starting to worry that if no one ever sees the real me, there won’t be a real me anymore. The real Ashton will get lost and disappear.”</b></blockquote>
I pretty much hated Val. I hated his decisions. I hated his actions. I was so pissed a couple of times that I had to walk away from the story.

Yet, I kept going right back. Out of five books in this series, this one hits my #2 favorite spot. <b>Second only to the original first book that kicked off the series.</b>

Okay... I'm trying here.

A Day In the Life of Kristie Reading Concourse:

If you read my reading progress, you'll see how I much this book had an impact on me. A day in the life of Kristie reading…

*Give Charles his book!
*Let me bash some heads in… immediately followed by the OMG I just love him so much and he makes every scene perfect.
*My heart is in my throat and I can't see very well. Fricking Santino... writing all these words that make me have feelings and turn my cold, black heart into a sappy mess.
*And now I'm back to wanting to take a flaming hot cast iron skillet and smashing it on a certain asshole dick's face. So much rage. I need to scream. Scream loud.

And then I was just done. Done Done Done.

Done.

Between the 60% mark and the end I could not stop reading to even post a reaction because I needed to know how it ended.

And I loved it. I love Santino’s style so much. I always feel deeply rooted in his books because he writes in a way that makes me feel things. Reading Concourse I felt all the feelz. I also appreciated the difficulties both characters have to go through. Coming from vastly different backgrounds is hard on friendships, not to mention relationships that are intimate. Finding balance between the two worlds is key to having a lasting relationship. I think the struggle both characters go through is represented well. But what was also important to me was the way both Val and Ashton dealt with their own personal issues. To be a good couple, each person needs to have an inner strength that can stand up to anything that might come at them while in a relationship, and Val and Ashton both have some very important things to work through before they can be together and feel free to move forward. So, seeing the progression of them as individuals, as well as a couple, sold me on my love for the book. That, as well as the friendships they both have and develop.

All the love for Steph, Charles (who seriously needs his own book), Mere, and Angel … they are all such important characters in the story. And a thousand and one heart eyes for Nunzio. That man is simply perfection. He’s got all the heart and knowledge and life experience. When he’s of a mind to drop some of that on you, pay attention. His presence in the story is not only needed and necessary, but made perfect sense and he steals every scene he’s in.

There are some things that I’d have liked to see more of, but all in all I’m so pleased with how Concourse begins and ends, and everything in between.

I have a lot of love for this series and this one almost moved to my favorite.. Almost.

Cuando supe que Santino Hassell iba a sacar una novela sobre Ashton me emocione mucho, porque él fue un personaje que disfrute en First and First. Ashton Townsend me parecía un personaje muy interesante. Sobre todo, porque sabía que él tenía que ser algo más que una fachada de celebridad perfecta y despreocupada. Y no me ha defraudado.

Concourse ha sido una novela enternecedora, con personajes atormentados por sus errores e inseguridades y un romance oculto lleno de pasión y amor verdadero.

Trama: Intrigante, ágil e conmovedora. Nuevamente Santino Hassell fue capaz de equilibrar el drama y el romance en la historia. Estos dos elementos están entretejidos armoniosamente a lo largo de la novela por eso nunca se vuelve ni demasiado dramática ni demasiado sosa como cualquier otra novela de romance. Es cierto que no hay giros ni elementos inesperados, pero simplicidad de la trama no decae. Además de que el estilo de escritura de Santino es realmente precioso y se denota en la novela que está muy bien escrita.

Personajes: Ashton y Val son los personajes principales. Son amigos que se conocen desde que eran niños y que han estado enamorados secretamente el uno del otro durante años, intentando reprimir sus sentimientos para no arruinar su amistad. Sin embargo, sus sentimientos no se pueden ocultar por siempre, aunque ambos lo intenten. Ambos personajes tienen personalidades muy fuertes y quebradizas, al mismo tiempo. Están bien construidos y creciendo a lo largo de la historia mientras enfrentan sus sus problemas, errores y decisiones y sentimientos.

Por un lado, está Ashton. Su vida es una farsa, una fachada creada por él mismo y posteada diariamente en Instagram. Él no sabe y quiere dejarlo, pero no encontrado el valor para hacerlo. Cree que es una persona que no vale más que lo que refleja su personaje. El verdadero Ash es un hombre inseguro y un poco dependiente, que quiere ser aceptado y querido. También es un buen hombre: cariñoso, sincero, protector con quienes aprecia. Él quiere dejar de ser tratado como alguien débil y necesitado. En su lugar, prefiere ser recordado por alguien que dejó marca, que vale algo, y no como una celebridad gay sin sentido.

Por otro lado, está Valdrin. Él es todo lo contrario que Ashton representa. Siempre ha estado consciente de todo los que lo separa. No pertenecen al mismo mundo, no tienen el mismo estatus ni círculo social. Ashton tiene una vida de privilegios mientras que Val vive en el Bronx y siempre ha tenido que esforzarse por lo quiere. Él es un buen hombre, protector, cariñoso, gentil y siempre ha sido orgulloso como para aceptar ayuda o la caridad de nadie. Es un hombre trabajador. Le gusta el boxer como deporte, pero no como carrera para hacer dinero. Y su única debilidad es Ashton, desde siempre.

Tengo que hacer mención de los personajes secundarios porque he disfrutado mucho con ellos. Sobre todo, con Hana, Matt, Mer y Nunzio. Han sido el apoyo adecuado para la historia.

Romance: Adorable. Su relación no es la más sencilla ni rápida. Es lenta y llena de avances y retrocesos. Tanto Val como Ashton han mantenido sus sentimientos ocultos por muchos años, pero siempre se han querido. Existe un vínculo de amistad muy fuerte entre ellos, hay respecto, preocupación y cariño. Ashton ama a Val porque es la única persona que lo ve como es, que lo trata como si su vida valiera y nunca lo ha despreciado. Mientras tanto, Val sufre muchos conflictos con respecto al amor y el deseo que siente por Ash. Hay muchos obstáculos, secretos del pasado y prejuicios en su relación, pero ambos se las han arreglan para estar juntos.

Ashton y Val son una pareja con mucha química. Cada uno de sus encuentros están cargados de tensión y desbordan sentimientos. A lo largo de la historia comparten escenas enternecedoras, tiernas y divertidas. Además de que las escenas sexuales entre ambos son super hot y reflejan mucha pasión y deseo. Sin embargo, lo que más destaca en su relación es la forma incondicional y sincera en que Ash y Val son un apoyo perenne en la vida del otro.

En conclusión, Concourse es una novela muy recomendable. Tiene una trama interesante, un romance adorable y personajes muy especiales. A pesar de ser el quinto libro en la serie Five Boroughs puede ser leído como una obra independiente sin problemas.

Hmm, where to start? I guess at the beginning. During the first half of the story, I had difficulty maintaining my interest in the MCs. Both characters are highly emotionally dysfunctional, though they are from two totally different backgrounds. In fact, Val’s mother was Ashton’s family’s housekeeper while they were growing up. Val carries resentment against Ashton’s family for not supporting her care financially when she became terminally ill. The only way Val was able to earn enough for the extra bills was by taking a job from Ashton’s father to be Ashton’s bodyguard after one of Ashton’s one-night flings published a sex tape that rocketed him into instant stardom—the kind of notoriety most people don’t want.

The thing is that Val never told Ashton he was being paid and even years later he’s still serving as Ashton’s unofficial bodyguard. He’s also his friend and he’s really being protective because he can’t bear the thought of anything happening to this young man he secretly loves. Too bad he can’t admit it, even to himself, never mind to Ashton. And keeping the big secret is eating him up alive.

I must say that, on the one hand, I can see why he wouldn’t want to reveal the secret, but on the other, it really wasn’t such a big deal and would have been much easier on both of them if explained sooner. Of course, then, we wouldn’t have the big drama spread out over the course of the story. But Val’s words and his thoughts never line up and he’s constantly screwing up with Ashton by saying the wrong thing.

I found it very difficult to continue to read Val’s self-inflicted angst. That kind of character rubs me the wrong way. The fact that the big reveal dragged out to the latter part of the book made me want to smack Val upside the head—more than once! And then, when it finally happened, it felt anticlimactic, and frankly, I don’t think dragging it out added value to the story. It put me in more of an appositional mode, and I just couldn’t get into deeply caring about the two finding their place in each other’s life.

Ashton is portrayed outwardly as a very shallow character—the epitome of poor little rich boy, and yet, I liked him. The author gave enough of his background and fed us enough of his inner turmoil to engage me. The poor guy is like the poster child for heartbreak.

So it’s probably obvious I’m left with very mixed feelings after reading this book. On the one hand, I had to put it down a lot because it didn’t keep my interest as much as the others in the series did. And that was for most of the reasons cited above. On the other hand, should I really be comparing this to the others in the series when the characters are completely different? Their lifestyles, families, education, and socioeconomic status are not remotely the same. We’ve moved uptown with this story and left the Brooklyn contingent behind. There’s some crossover in characters but this story could actually be read as a standalone.

That all being said, I decided to settle on 3 stars because I liked it. I didn’t love it, but sometimes that’s the hallmark of a good author—not everyone is likeable so why should our characters be? Even if I don’t compare it to the others in the series, the fact that the characters never totally engaged me is enough for me to say okay, yes I liked it, but I didn’t find it outstanding.

How to start this? Well, I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book…

It was unnecessarily long, no? For a while I just felt stuck in the same old conflict, the guys unable to just communicate with each other . So, okay, Val was afraid of losing Ash, but… In this case, for some reason, it bugged the ever-loving shit out of me :(

There was a lot of awesome but I felt equally bored as well. Quite slow paced and not very angsty... just back and forth drama.

And it’s not like it was lacking plot precisely, I just felt like going in circles for the most part.

What kept me going was Ash.

I adore Ashton.

He’s that sweet, beautiful person, inside and out, with the sad eyes and cracked heart you want to wrap your arms around and take care of ** sigh **

I guess I just get him and want him to be happy more than anything! I have to admit, as an outsider he seems to keep putting himself through so much crap for no justifiable reason. But I know from personal experiences how easy it is to feel unworthy... So.

Gah - He’s so adorable and funny when he’s feeling safe and happy. And he’s got his heart at the right spot :)

Sadly, Val didn’t speak to me :(

I more tolerated than liked him, which made this book little fun at times.

I understood why he did what he did for a while, but the longer he drew it out the more annoyed I got with him. He jerked Ashton around, more or less, and I wasn’t happy with it.

Felt like shouting at him: GROW SOME BALLS ALREADY!!

Sigh. I didn’t get what Ashton SAW in Val. He never came across as the friend Ash made him out to be, the only glimpses we got of their pre-lovers relationship weren’t exactly hero-worship worthy. But okay, if he makes Ash happy so be it :)

As a whole, I liked the story and the writing was superb. And if you end up digging Val I think you’ll be having more fun with this than I did.

So, yeah, I would recommend.

▽
Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.

I'm a self-admitted junkie for anything Santino Hassell writes. And I get it. My expectations of brilliance are a lot to put on a guy who's already given me both Michael & Nunzio, and David & Raymond. But geez, Hassell, it's your fault for creating these fine and foxy couples who give me all the feels.

Ash and Val were good. And if this had been my first Santino rodeo, it may have merited 5 stars. But, they only get 4. Sorry, boys. Still a damn fine read. Just, you know, Not MNDR level.

Thanks to NetGalley and Riptide Publishing for a chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

I think I’m in love with you. And I don’t know what to do.”
Ashton’s heartbeat tripled, slamming against my chest as if it were my own. His fingers dug into my back.

“I don’t know what to do either,” he breathed. “No one has loved me before.”
And damn if that didn’t crush me.
I was all over this book as soon as I heard about it- I mean:

Santino + best friends to lovers + unrequited love

I think this book was written for me. LOL

Concourse by Santino Hassell is the story of two best friends. Ashton- he’s a social media celebrity. He “lives” a glamorous life full of club appearances, sexual escapades, and fashion. Except, Ashton isn’t the vapid man portrayed in front of the cameras. 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.

Valdrin hates the world Ashton comes from; he hates his selfish family even more. He was there along his side growing up and has seen first hand the emotional damage they’ve caused him. He also has feelings for Ash that he fights against for multiple reasons but those feelings burn hotter and hotter making it nearly impossible for him to resist. What follows is a story about self-discovery, strength, friendships, and love.

My highlights:

-The characters. Nobody writes flawed characters like Santino. There were different points in the story where I almost disliked each man, but both times Santino Hassell evoked feelings empathy and compassion towards them. In my opinion, both characters displayed character growth as the story progressed.

-Narration. The story is told from alternating POVs which I felt was necessary for this story to be properly narrated.

-The dialogue. Be still my heart! I highlighted the hell out of this book; there were so many quotes that caused my heart to pitter patter. The romance junkie in me was in heaven.

-Angst. There was push & pull, family drama, financial issues, responsibilities, insecurities. One of my favorites aspects of this author writing is his ability to make his stories relatable. His characters deal with one thing or another than we’ve all dealt with at some point in our lives.

-Steam level is moderate, but the scenes it does contain are smoldering.

-Cameos. We do get some face time with past characters, but my favorite cameo was Nunzio’s. I freaken love that guy!

-The end was very sweet and gave me some warm fuzzies.

Can this be read as standalone? Technically yes, but you’ll be seriously missing out if you skip the previous books in the series.

All in all, I think this was a great addition to the Five Boroughs world- complex characters, gritty writing, lots of emotions, finished off with a happily ever after- that’s all I can ask for. 4.5 Stars ♥

Val and Ashton’s story marks the fifth book in the Five Boroughs series, and once again Hassell does not disappoint. This is a friends-to-lovers story that has a good amount of angst and complications going on, as well as Hassell’s usual snark and entertaining voice.



Val and Ashton met and became friends under unusual conditions: Ashton, the youngest son of a wealthy Manhattan family, and Ashton, the son of the nanny hired to watch over Ashton. The two literally come from two different worlds, yet somehow none of that mattered when it came down to it, and they hit it off. Years later and they’re still friends, but so much has happened, and their friendship threatens to break for good – or change forever. It’s not as easy as simply moving from best friends to forever lovers; Val is still trying to figure out his sexuality and his future, Ashton is trying to get a handle on his life – balancing the fake with the real – and there’s a secret between them, one that Val’s kept for years because he knows it would hurt Ashton to find out the deal he made with Ashton’s father . . .


Val is a demisexual (he needs a deeper emotional connection to someone before feeling sexual attraction), though he doesn’t realize this until Ashton brings it up. He’s spent years assuming he was broken for not wanting sex, for not looking at men or women like everyone else does – except for his complicated attraction to Ashton, which terrifies him a bit. Not because of the attraction itself, but because he doesn’t want to ruin their friendship and he doesn’t want to come across as just another man wanting a piece of the beautiful, famous A-Town (a nickname the gossip mags gave Ashton).



With both of his parents gone, Val’s entire focus has been on boxing, working up to hitting it at the pro level so he can use the big money to pay for his younger sister’s college. The problem is while he’s technically great at the sport, he doesn’t have the head or the drive for it, and he’s quickly wearing himself down trying to bust his ass to go pro, even though he doesn’t love it, and trying to do part-time jobs to bring in some money until then. He’s only good at boxing though, has never had any other dreams or goals, and doesn’t know what to do if he can’t make it in the sport. Worse, he doesn’t want to admit those fears and uncertainties to anyone, so he keeps it all in and just pushes on, even as he’s slowly slipping further and further down.


Ashton isn’t ashamed of his life, or anything he’s done – not the men, not the parties, not the Instagram life – but he’s starting to realize that life is draining on him, that he’s tired of the fakeness sometimes, that he’s tired of always playing the rich-slutty-gay-boy that society has labeled him as. While, yes, he definitely comes from a place of privilege that Val does not have, he’s struggling with some of those same basic fears of failure and an unclear future. People only want him around for his fame, for his family’s name, for his body – who could possibly want him for something more, what career could he possible land with his sordid track record of being in the spotlight? No one takes him serious, they only see the glitzy, sexy mask he’s worn for years. But he’s tired of it, and it seems like Val is the only one who really sees past it all.


The road from Ashton and Val’s friendship to a HEA is not easy or quick. There’s a fair amount of angst and obstacles, and each man must work out some of their baggage before reaching out to the other. I loved watching their story unfold, as it had its sweet moments, its sexy moments, and its “Shit, this kind of hurts, stop it!” moments. So basically, Hassell's usual mix. :)



I will say though, I thought the ending was too rushed. I would have preferred to see more page time, even in an epilogue setting, showing each of them finding themselves and what they want to do before moving forward as a couple. I wanted them to be a bit more solid in their newly found agency, not just their new relationship.


I loved the glimpses we got of the rest of the Boroughs gang – Numzio (*sigh*) and Steph, etc. I loved the teases Hassell gave of Mere and Tonya (please, give them a book!), and the hint of a possible triad starting up (M/M/M with an established couple), not to mention the “It’s complicated” of Steph and Sharky (Angel). Basically, I love this entire group that Hassell has put together and I want ALL THE BOOKS. No pressure, or anything. #greedyreader



Another great read from Hasssell, this time that of a demi boxer and an androgynous Instagram model finding their way from long-time friends to something so much more. Concourse could easily be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend this entire series.



4 1/2 STARS!

I absolutely loved this book, perhaps my favorite of the entire series. I knew there had to be more to Ashton from the moment we are introduced to him (well... perhaps from the moment he first talks), and I am so glad to be able to read his story. His struggle, of getting lost on what others think of you and forgetting who you really are or what you are worth is a familiar, if not universal, one. I loved the way it was told, with delicacy but strenght. Even though he doubted himself and his worth he was still a very strong character that you are liable to pity to a certain extent but never mistake for a whiny weak one. A+ Mr Hassell.
P.S.: I'm gonna need a bit more on Chris/Jace/Aiden, about right now.

Book 1 will always be my favorite, but this is a close second.

I absolutely adore Ashton and Val.
They were so opposite, yet perfect for each other. The fact it took them so long to get their shit together, but at the same time, had they realized sooner, I do t think it would have worked out.

I admire Val so much. He wants to please and take care of everyone, so he works himself so hard. Between jobs to put his sister in school and not wanting to let down his fighting coach who has done so much for him after his father disappeared. But all that can't last for long, he's going to wear himself thin.
Another thing that I really liked was the fact that he wasn't already a big name in fighting. He was an up-and-coming fighter who actually only did it to please his coach. He had the talent, but just not the heart and true aspirations to become a big name in the industry. It was very humbling.

Ashton is such a sweet guy underneath it all. My heart truly broke for him. His family was just a bunch of Roch dicks who were only worried about their appearances and not the well being of their son. Most of Ashton's actions were due to lashing out because he just wanted love and approval from the people who are supposed to love him.
His and Val's "relationship" was a strange one from the get-go. Val's family treated Ashton better than his own, and Val was basically his BFF for most of his teenage and adult life. Val got to see the real Ashton nd it pissed him off that he had to pretend to be something else in front of others. It REALLY pisses Val off when Ashton's own brother basically pimps him out for a huge deal for the company.

Ashton has to go through some pretty emotional stuff to find himself. It's heartbreaking but necessary for him, because he truly comes out of his shell by the end there. I can't tell you how many times I teared up in this book. I think Sonny did a great job with Ashton's character. I normally don't like stories about rich kids, but this is way, way more than that. Ashton wasn't really portrayed as an entitled rich kid who got away with everything. He was the rich kid who everyone tried to control like an object, and he finally learns how to break free.

Val too, he really grows in the story after he makes some decisions he should have made long ago. I loved that his sister put her foot down with Val and his wanting to take care of everything, she was one of my favorite characters in this book.

I said it before and I'll say it again. We NEED a Charles book!! I'd even love if it was about his escapades on the cruise! I would love to read about his cabaret!

”I think I’m in love with you. And I don’t know what to do.”

“I don’t know what to do either. No one has loved me before.”


The fifth book in Santino Hassell’s Five Boroughs series gives us a friends to lovers and opposites attract story that will take you on quite the rollercoaster ride.

My apologies in advance for what will most likely be a quote heavy review….but damn, I think I highlighted half of this book!

Ashton grabbed my heart and broke it from the moment he appears on page. His desperate yearning for affection, acceptance and love is palpable throughout the entire book. He’s spent his whole life being the black sheep of his family and having the world see him as nothing more than a vapid, shallow, sex-crazed socialite.

Except for Valdrin….Val saw the real him. Val was the only person who didn’t get an act or a show...he got all of Ashton, including his heart...as scary as that was.

And when I was drunk and lonely and falling apart, Valdrin was the only one I needed. The only one I wanted. In the darkest part of the night, when I was raw and on edge, after the parties wound down and everyone else went home with a partner, that reality hit me hard.


Valdrin has always felt something for Ashton. For a long time he didn’t understand it and couldn’t put a name or label to what he felt. He wasn’t one for casual sex or attraction, but when he was with Ashton...his heart and body came alive.

...my heart had always pounded for the androgynous boy with the false smile and sad eyes. Still did.


But too many things stood in Val’s way...a secret from his past, the uncertainty of his future, family obligations and Ashton’s celebrity lifestyle. As much as every part of him yearned for Ashton, he wasn’t sure he could...or should...give himself to the one man he truly loved.

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.


I have to be honest and admit that I struggled with Val. While I understood Ashton’s issues, motivations and actions...I couldn’t fully wrap my head or heart around Val. He always felt slightly out of reach. I don’t know what it was, but it took me most of the book to warm up to him...to fully connect to his character.

The emotional turmoil both of these men were going through wasn't easy. At one time or another, both men got in the way of their own happiness.

Ashton spent so much time perpetuating the image that other’s cast him in, that he didn’t know how to break out of that box when he wanted to be taken seriously. He didn’t know how to show people that there was more to him than what the paparazzi camera captured and what people believed his “image” to be.

...I felt like I was wasting away. Spending my time living a life that looked great on Instagram, even as I rotted from the inside out since it gave me nothing of substance.


Playing pretend wasn’t always a bad thing...until everyone realized how fake my whimsical cheer was.


Ashton was smart, caring, sweet, affectionate and had so much love to give to those around him. He just didn't trust that anyone wanted more from him than his money, his status, his body or his connections.

Val just wanted Ashton to be happy. And as much as he wanted that happiness to be with him, Val spent the first half of the book fighting his feelings for Ashton. Partly because he didn’t understand his demisexuality, partly because he didn't know what a rough around the edges blue collar Bronx guy could offer someone as magnetic and sweet as Ashton...and partly because he was terrified that no matter what happens between them, the secret from his past would ruin any chance of a future they may have.

The yo-yo of actions vs. emotions from Val in the first half of this book was very frustrating. I understood some of his hangups and his fears, but I wish he didn’t run so hot and cold in the beginning.

But even with my frustrations, the moments of brutal honesty between Val and Ashton melted my heart. They had so much to work out individually, but when they were together it was as if the outside world didn't exist.

And the slow burn that was constantly bubbling below the surface had me giddy with waiting for the dam to break and all that energy to come rushing out. Ashton and Val had years of pent up lust and love just waiting to burst free...and when it did, there was no holding back the passion between these two.

”I do want you. And it’s all going to go to hell soon enough, but I can’t help it. The idea of you being with anyone else drives me insane.”

“Then have me. Kiss me. Fuck me. Do whatever you want with me. I want to be yours!”


Santino Hassell continues to dazzle me with the raw realness of his characters. They have faults that are frustrating yet relatable, they do things that are confusing yet understandable...they’re a dichotomy that I’ve come to expect when I pick up one of his books, and Ashton and Val are no exception.

Love is messy and scary and exposes all of your fears and insecurities, but it’s also the most fulfilling and rewarding emotion.

The journey may not always be the easiest, but the risks are worth the reward, and Santino Hassell continues to create characters and tell stories that give voice to the ever winding complexities of finding a happily ever after.


♥ ♥ I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to Mr. Scene Stealer himself, Mr. Nunzio Rodriguez <--- YEP, he's a Rodriguez now!! He's always been such a positive bright light in this series, and it really warmed my heart to see him so happy and settled. And of course I loved his sage advice and awesome observations! ♥ ♥

"You seem like a good guy who's devoted to LGBT issues and has a love of multiple patterns and fabrics in a single outfit."

I love a good friends to lovers romance, and I really connected with Ashton and Valdrin. Seeing as they were friends from childhood, parts of their relationship (the loyalty, longevity, the way they always gravitated back to each other over time) reminded me of Mikey and Nunzio's*** romance, but this is where the similiarities end.

They came from vastly different backgrounds, and the fact that Val's mom was Ashton's nanny created a unique, awkward dynamic between them which resulted in the two of them becoming unlikely best friends while at the same underlining their huge difference in class. I thought the conflicts that arose from this was well-portrayed which made a lot of the family drama very believable despite it being eyeroll-inducing problems of the filthy rich.

Ashton and Val, who are polar opposites in every respect, felt well-fleshed out to me. Weirdly enough, I connected with Ash more than I did Val. I was afraid that I'd hate Ashton for being vapid and shallow, or worse, that I wouldn't give a toss about his "little rich boy" problems, but I thought the author did a good job of letting us see past his fake smile and fancy clothes. His loneliness and his desperation for love and approval came through quite clearly and painfully at times, and I couldn't help but root for him and his happiness. I also confess that I was completely enamored by his androgynous looks and genderbending gear.

Val was harder to relate to despite being the "regular guy" in the story, I think mostly because I didn't know what to make of his boxing, which was a huge part of his life - or more specifically, I didn't understand until much later his motivations (or lack thereof) behind pursuing a career in boxing. However, I loved the way his character was written, and it had hands down the best demisexuality rep I'd read in a book thus far. This was completely unexpected and all the credit (and thanks) to the author for this gift. I'm still recovering from the feelzzz.

On a weird note, however, I found some of the sex scenes to be awkward. I usually give little to no mention of sexy times in my reviews, but the author writes incredibly hot and (often when called for) emotionally charged sex but and for some reason, I didn't feel that emotional connection between Ash and Val. Considering all the factors involved (their long friendship and buried feelings for each other, Ashton's sexual propensities coupled with Val's demisexuality lending more weight to their intimacy), I couldn't help but feel there was something lacking. They were still hot as hell though :P

The other thing that fell flat for me was the ending. Possible spoilers ahead, so feel free to skip this paragraph. I enjoyed the scene in Ashton's hallway and the conversation that followed, but I almost wish they'd given each other time apart to rediscover themselves (not just Ashton, but Val too). I loved seeing Ash strike out on his own and find a sense of purpose and I wish he had more time to find himself. I would've loved to have seen them reconnect a little further down the line - six months, even a year later, instead of right away. They had so much to overcome despite their feelings for each other, that I think that bit of time would've made for a more meaningful and satisfying HEA.

Overall though, I thought it was a wonderful opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers romance. Another winner for the 5B series.

***Speaking of Nunzio... he stole each scene he was in, reminding me that he will always be my Five Boroughs true love. His presence was warm, sincere and most importantly, made sense to the story (ie. it didn't feel like simple indulgence). I dug it.

I have a confession. Concourse is the first book I’ve read in Santino Hassell’s Five Boroughs series—Boo, Hiss! *holds up hands in surrender.* I know, I know. I’m late! I don’t have previous books to compare Concourse to in the series so here’s my outsider take on it, and do with it what you will. :)

So…here goes!

Ashton (long, luxurious blond hair. I might be having some hair envy here!) is an previous model and current Instagram star. He gets paid to make appearances at parties in and around Manhattan. His current assignment, however, is from his elder brother, Dylan (Grrr!) The family business is in trouble, and Dylan wants Ashton to sway a client into investing. Not too many people have treated Ashton with anything other than sexual predatory interest or in the case of his family, disdain. That excludes his best friend and crush, Valdrin.

Valdrin is a boxer, but recently, he’s realizing his heart just isn’t into it. What his heart is into? His best friend and Internet sensation, Ashton. But the last thing he wants is Ashton to think Val’s only after one thing: sex. So Val hides his feelings, and with a secret that could threaten to tear apart their friendship, he’s determined to keep his distance. It’s only a matter of time before passion collides, however. It leads to one question:

How is Val supposed to resist the one man who means the world to him?

This was delightfully angsty read for me. I love a good friends-to-lovers story, and boy, the mixed signals and messages, the attempts to hide their feelings and the inevitable breakthroughs and breakdowns. I couldn’t look away from this relationship, from these breathtaking and heart-wrenching men. While this is the first I’ve read in this series, I’ve come to expect a very modern romance in Hassell’s books with enough back and forth to keep me riveted. This one is no different.

There is so much vulnerability to both characters and Ash especially. He’s used to people wanting him for a quick f&ck. But he’s such an affectionate person. He just wants someone to reach back—he wants Val to reach back. Now, does Ash handle his quest for affection and worth and love the best way? No, but I could understand his motivations, how he thought and what he wanted, and oh, how I so wanted it for him!

But Val has his own vulnerability to work through too. He doesn’t want Ash to think Val’s like his “fanclub” or to be misunderstood. So Val hides it, does his best to run from it. The secret he’s holding amps up the tension and excels the plot forward.

So yes, they both have some major flaws and problems to work through. It’s nitty-gritty and real. Do Ashton and Val make some poor decisions along the way? Heck, yes. Would some of their problems have been solved with some well-placed convos? Sure. But their flaws and insecurities hold them back, and it’s the journey to leaping through those self-imposed barricades that kept me reading.

I read through this book so quickly, and I need to go back and read Nunzio’s story ASAP. Concourse is so well done, and it’s rife with tension and lost opportunities and life-changing decisions. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.

4.5 stars!