Since requesting this book, I have lost interest and will not be reviewing it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I read this so long ago. I loved the rest of the series and couldn't wait for more. I didn't love this one, but I did like it. Around the time that I read it, all kinds of things came out about the author. It really ruined my experience so I wasn't able to leave a review at the time.

4 Stars for this solid read made up of multiple stories. My favourite of the pack was Rerouted which fits the summary of the book "A record-breaking heatwave..." pretty well ;) On the other end was Derailed which I did not enjoy as much, but the other Gridlocked and Rerouted definietly made up for that. Recommended if you are looking for a collection of stories because you don't want to commit to a full length book

Did not finished it. I found it boring and I was just couldn't stand it, and had to moved on. Sorry.

I failed to review this earlier and now, considering the revelation about the Santino Hassell persona as a fraud and abuser, I no longer plan to review it

Never in a million years.
This fake author probably stole this story from another unsuspecting person.

Douchiest of douches.

NO

We will no longer be reviewing this title..........

Citywide is a collection of three novellas in the Five Boroughs world. We’ve come to know a big set of characters in this series and it was fun to visit several of them in one book because they didn’t need longer stories. I also really enjoyed the fact that these three stories follow one timeline, so they were perfect to read in order as the events from one bled into the other in terms of an overall plot for the world and set of characters. So I thought that was a really great way of tying the stories into the one anthology and I don’t see that done often enough so I really appreciated the extra thought.

I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t necessarily dying to read stories about any of these characters and maybe I would’ve been ok knowing that these things happened in the background of someone else’s story, if that makes sense? But nevertheless, they were enjoyable and I think a good addition to the series.

REROUTED

We open up with with Chris who is struggling with wanting zero drama in his life and obviously being the third in Jace and Aiden’s relationship once in a while would just bring too much emotional turmoil for him. But then he’s called in to QFinder’s headquarters to fix a computer problem and gets stuck there during a blackout with them until power is restored. I feel like the issues in this relationship revolved a little too much around miscommunication and people being a little sensitive instead of just coming out and speaking frankly about their feelings. So that wasn’t my favorite part of the story. However, I did like the characters and yes this was the hottest of the three stories. So extra points for that!

GRIDLOCKED

This one I had the most difficulty with. And it’s weird because I actually liked the sexual parts of their relationship a lot, but I wasn’t too keen on the actual relationship and characters. Tonya came across as someone who didn’t really like Meredith much and there was a quick turnaround to that without really digging into Meredith much and seeing what makes her tick. So I couldn’t get past the reservations as fast as Tonya seems to have done. I felt like there was a lot of Meredith chasing after Tonya like a puppy and taking some cold and dry treatment if that’s all she could get. Overall, I’m not sure how I can see them working out long term.

DERAILED

This may have been my favorite and the one I breezed through easier and faster. It’s a best friends to lovers and kind of a finally they admitted they want a relationship story. Angel has been in love with Stephanie since high school, they had some flings and they are on again off again sexual partners. Stephanie is dead set on not wanting a relationship and Angel may just be tired of waiting. This was a sweet one and I think the one that conveyed the most emotion and drew me out of all of these.

In light of some of the recent information that has come out about this author and your response to those allegations, I will not be reviewing, reading, or purchasing any more titles by this author.

Citywide features three novellas about three very different couples - M/M/M, F/F and M/F - from the Five Boroughs universe. 4 star rating overall.

I liked Third Rail and getting more of Chris, Jace and Aiden's story in Rerouted was perfect. I'm not the hugest fan of M/M/M but love their dynamic, the strong emotional connection and how the relationship just works for them. 4 stars and about a gizallion stars for chemistry.

Gridlocked - Meredith (Caleb's sister) and Tonya from the Queens squad finally act on their simmering attraction from the QFindr cruise and photoshoot. It's hot and steamy, but F/F is not my cup of tea - sorry. I needed more character development because it was hard to get past the stereotype of strong silent Tonya and emotional fragile Mere. 3 stars.

Derailed - LOVED this! This has all the character development and internal dialogue missing from Gridlocked and omigawd the heartache, the hope and the love between Angel and Stephanie is gut wrenching as they work through years of being friends, friends-with-benefits, lovers, and stand on the cusp of something much more. It was agonizing to watch Stephanie deny what she feels for Angel and I was fully vested in their story. 5 stars.

Well that was a great collection of stories and fans of the Five Boroughs series definitely must read Citywide. The three relationships are so very different and the feeling behind each story is really different too. Each one brought out something unique and wasn't what I expected.

Rerouted - 3.5 stars
I expected to be way more enraptured by this one. I love menage stories but stuff about this one didn't work for me. I don't know if it's because I've never been a huge fan of Jaiden - somethings about their relationship just don't ring true for me, or if it's because I can't help wishing for more for Chris I'm not truly sure.

The premise behind the story was interesting, I liked the reason Caleb called Chris in to QFindr HQ - that worked really well. I had a few issues about the blackout though - I lived in NYC in 2003 and people weren't quite that nonchalant walking around mid-town, but who knows, maybe in 2017 in a non-Bloomberg city things would be different?

Gridlocked - 4 stars
Totally enjoyed this one. I loved the passion between Tonya and Meredith. Mere really brings something great in Tonay, and vice-versa. Nuff said.

Derailed - 5 stars
Definitely the gem of the book, Derailed hand an absolutely perfect story-line. The chemistry between Angel and Stephanie is powerful and I wanted so much to see them both happy. Hassell really gets into the heads of both these guys and does a fantastic job growing the story. Between the HS memories of both characters, and what's going on in the present, the whole thing works so well.

Gotta say, I haven't enjoyed an MF story this much since I can't remember when - I might have to give the genre another look, well if Santino Hassell is going to write it. These two are so hot together and I could really see their love and passion. Just a fantastic story all around.

So overall I'd absolutely rec this one, just be prepared for the MMM, FF, and MF that comes with it.

Before I review each story individually I’ve got to say I have been looking forward to this novella for a very long time. The stories though short exceeded my expectations so much so that I was bitterly disappointed when I hit the end. I wanted more and that’s why my review is 4.5 stars. Now that’s out of way lets dive on in.

Unlike most of you, I’m probably the only weirdo that read the stories out of order. Hey, what can I say? I always thought Tonya and Meredith were long overdue to tell their story so of course I sought out their storyline first and consumed it with gusto! Gridlocked was an awesome read. Tanya and Meredith proved to be just as steamy a read as the guys. Their chemistry was so palpable they broke the Richter scale several times over. That’s what happens when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object. Though Tonya and Meredith were a fun read I wanted a concrete HEA for them (which is one of the reasons why I gave this read a 4.5 star rating).

I decided to put my dessert (the threesome) aka Rerouted on the back burner and return to my MF roots and read Angel and Stephanie’s story. This one ( Derailed) pushed every one of my polar opposite buttons. Angel went through so much and God, if I knew this much about him prior to reading this novella I would have chosen someone else other than Stephanie for him. I understood some of Stephanie’s reluctance to being tied down, however; when you’re emotionally invested, you don’t string the other party along. A shitty upbringing should serve as a cautionary tale, not a license to be inconsiderate. In the end, I was happy Steph finally pulled her head out of her ass and gave Angel the loving they both deserved.

After reading Derailed , I made my way back to the beginning of the book and finally started reading Rerouted. This story was everything I expected it to be. These three were explosive in so many ways. The sex as usual, was smoking hot but I found myself drawn to the strong emotional pull that kept these men in each other's orbit. I’m pretty sure I'm not the only reader to have fallen head over heels in love with Chris. Chris is one of those guys anyone would be fortunate to call friend or boyfriend. I found myself smiling whenever he appeared on page, and would constantly reread some of his deceptively simple but in reality insightful comments.

So here we are, the end of my review and I must say this too is bittersweet. I enjoyed every one of these stories however they all (except Derailed ) ended a bit abrupt which is sometimes unavoidable in novellas and why I wish these were longer stories.

I was a bit annoyed to realize that one really had to have read book 2.5 Corrupting Chris and book 5.5 Third Rail in the FIVE BOROUGHS series before starting this one, as one of the three novellas in this book build off of those two earlier stories about Chris, one of Raymond Rodriguez's Queens-based crew.

"Rerouted" picks up where Third Rail left off, with Chris estranged from the polyamorous couple Jace and Aiden whom he began to fall for in that earlier book. A city-wide power outage forces the threesome together again, and forces them to talk through (and act on) the deeper emotions that their earlier trysts evoked.

"Gridlocked" features another cross-class romance, this one between Raymond's Latinx ex-military non-binary friend Tonya and heiress party girl Meredith. The two had a brief tryst in an earlier book, and another one at the start of this story, but Tonya doesn't appreciate white girl Meredith's coyness and privilege. Tonya is blunt ("It was more efficient to make my point in the bluntest way possible and keep it moving. 'Being nice' was bullshit. And everyone expecting me to 'be nice' all the time was some misogynistic bullshit" [2771]), while Meredith is always wearing a mask or a persona; their class differences make it difficult for each other to understand their motivations or hang-ups. When Meredith's estranged father offers Tonya a security job, Mere feels betrayed, but Tonya, in her blunt way, refuses to turn the job down just on Mere's say-so that her father is a jerk. Tonya knows the importance of self-preservation, but she also begins to recognize how her actions might impact Mere, who, even if she is privileged beyond belief, is still a person with feelings.

The final story, "Derailed," tells of the friends-with-benefits arrangement of two of Ray's other friends, Stephanie and Angel. Angel's been in love with Steph for years, but Steph has always preferred not to get involved beyond sex, not wanting to limit herself to monogamy or to the confines of a romantic relationship ("Getting caught up wasn't my life plan. My goal was to only depend on myself, just like I'd been doing since I was a kid. Focusing on me, and me alone, wand not changing things to fit another person, had allowed me to put myself through college, get my own place, and feel successful without anybody's help. At all." [3438]). So Angel, for reasons of emotional self-preservation, has tried not to fall into Steph's bed whenever she calls, but he's not been entirely successful. And Steph's finding herself upset with Angel's attempts to distance himself, and thus keeps sending him mixed signals about her feelings for him. When the two end up on a retreat sponsored by Steph's job, their tensions come to a head. I wasn't all that convinced by one person's sudden change of heart; it seemed to come out of nowhere. But I appreciated the depiction of a couple who can't stop gravitating to each other, even if their relationship goals are not at all compatible.

Overall, 'Citywide' is an enjoyable and easy-to-read collection that I'm sure all fans of the series will love. My only complaint: it felt as if Santino Hassell was trying to fit as much of the complex emotions and situations into these short stories as he does in his full-length novels. It made the short stories feel cluttered at times.

But even so, I loved catching up with the Queens Crew again!


Story 1: Rerouted

I was really excited to read the conclusion of Chris, Jace, and Aiden's story. The couple of freebies up on Santino Hassell's website were absolutely titillating. These three are hot, hot, hot in the bedroom. 'Rerouted' adds some emotional context to their relationship, and I thought it was really sweet and cute. Though I'm glad the author made it obvious that it wasn't insta-love, I still thought Aiden and Jace's decision to go from an open relationship to a closed relationship for Chris was a fairly quick one. Even so, I'd love to visit these three again!


Story 2: Gridlocked

This short story was quintessential Santino Hassell - a not-so-easy romance in a sinfully sexy package. Tonya and Mere actually reminded me quite a lot of Raymond and David - especially their hot-and-cold routine. Mere is easy to love, while Tonya takes a bit getting used to. Because Mere and Tonya had already fallen halfway for each other before the beginning of the story, it at first felt like I was missing some key info. But things cleared up as the short read progressed, and I thought their relationship was cute, with a strong HFN ending.


Story 3: Derailed

I've been wanting more of Angel and Stephanie ever since the drama on the QFindr cruise. I knew these two would be a bit messy, but I was sure they had it in them to work things out for the better. And I wasn't disappointed! My heart hurt for Angel, but I also understood where Stephanie was coming from. And the two were so obviously meant to be together. Also, this was definitely the sexiest read in the collection! The ending felt a bit rushed, but I was glad to see the two get their happy ending.

I loved this anthology from SH. I’m a big fan of his & it was a nice big treat to catch up with these memorable secondary characters from the 5 Boroughs series. I hoped to review it for AAR too, but haven’t been able to squeeze it into my schedule. Honestly it was one of my favorite anthologies/novels of the year and I almost included it in my Best of 2017.

I loved the Chris/Aiden/Jace novella – steamy, romantic, naughty…But also because I liked all 3 of the principal’s. I’ve been following all 3 via SH’s shorts and the evolution of the relationship between Jace and Aiden is powerful. The addition of Chris is a sweet reward for all three after a lot of soul searching. A DIK/A for me.

I liked but didn’t love the Meredith/Tonya short,but it’s mostly because I didn’t love either character going into it. I had a hard time identifying with either of them. HOWEVER. I warmed up to them as a couple as Mr. Santino developed their relationship, and it was a tart and refreshing addition to the trio of stories. Different and good. B-

I LOVED the Stephanie and Angel novella. It’s been a long road to happily ever after for these two and the author stays true to form here. It isn’t easy, and it’s definitely painful…but it’s tender and moving when they finally confess their feelings. I sighed and smiled until the very end. Also a DIK/A- for me.

Santino Hassell has a way of creating characters that are unique but do feel like you have known them since forever. I was so excited to get to read about these people we barely scratched their surface in previous books. I love this entire universe and the people that live in it.

A collection of three short stories featuring secondary characters from the earlier books in the Five Boroughs series. As soon as I finished <i>Third Rail</i>, a short side story about Chris Mendez and his early encounters with Jace and Aiden, I knew I had to read this book in which their story continues. Add to that, the fact that several other characters in “the Queens squad” who have woven in and out of all of the other books in this series finally get their stories told. All in all, this is a very sexy, very satisfying read.

<b>Rerouted:</b>

IT professional Chris Mendez agrees to help Caleb, Oli, Aiden, and Jace at the Q-Finder offices after intermittent power outages have screwed up their network. Their regular IT guy is on vacation in Florida so Chris is top of their list of people to call. He’s also top on the list of guys Aiden and Jace want to play with. They’ve had a few nights together (in <i>Third Rail</i>), and Chris is the only guy they’ve ever let sleep over and the only guy who they’ve considered for repeats, but after every encounter he slips away and goes silent for weeks on end.

What they don’t know is that Chris really cares about them. He’s into polyamory, but not into open relationships, and since Aiden and Jace are still seeing other guys, his heart won’t let him be with them. He wants the commitment for all three of them to be all they each need. As the power goes out yet again, and the situation changes, the three men are thrown together alone in a deserted office with no power and nothing to do but indulge their fantasies, but somewhere along the way, they take the time for a much-needed heart to heart.

Will Chris get what he wants and needs? Will Aiden and Jace admit that they love him too? This is a super sexy, very solid story that went by too quickly. Loved, loved, loved it!

<b>Gridlocked</b>

Former Marine Sergeant Tonya Moldanado is working security for the company Q-Finder contracts for their big party, so she happens to be on-scene when Meredith Stone, Caleb’s and Aiden’s sister, is attacked. Tonya goes postal on the guy, unable to control her own reactions because she cares about Meredith as more than just a client. They’ve had sex previously but Tonya can’t shake the chip on her shoulder and her feeling of being not as good as uber-wealthy heiress Meredith, so they haven’t seriously pursued a relationship.

It takes one more night spent together to reach the point where both are ready to face the fact that they do indeed care for each other and want to try doing something permanent. This segment contains very graphic F/F sex scenes, and though they are not my thing, others may find it super hot. It’s definitely a great story, though, as it kept my interest, and it, too, passed too quickly.

<b>Derailed</b>

Throughout this book, I kept thinking that the stories couldn’t possibly get better, but when I got to this story of Stephanie and Angel, another two of Raymond’s squad, I was proven wrong—it’s outstanding. Though I used to read M/F, my preference is now M/M, but this segment had all the ingredients of an intriguing and superb M/F romance—certainly enough to “derail” me from M/M temporarily to appreciate this one fully.

For years, Angel has loved the free-loving Stephanie. She, on the other hand, has shunned relationships, and though bisexual, has not settled on any one of her male or female lovers. She and Angel have had sex, but every time even a hint of a long-term relationship comes up, Stephanie backs off and they cool their heels for a few months until fate throws them back together. In this segment, Stephanie’s workplace is having a retreat in the Hamptons and she’s invited Angel to pose as her fiancé. There’s a ton of back and forth emotional tug of war, a great deal of discussion and reminders of times past, and finally, a realization that what she’s always wanted has been right under her nose—she just needs to be brave enough to seize it.

It’s amazing to me that the author could pack so much into three short stories. Each story is individual, but woven together by the friendship of all the MCs. And each story feels as if it’s lengthy, and yet, conversely, it feels as if each just sped by too quickly.

If you are a fan of this series, by all means, don’t miss this one. And if you haven’t read the series, start now with <i >Sutphin Boulevard </i> and work your way through. You will not be disappointed!

3 Novellas, 3 HEA's, 3 great reasons to open up this book.

Rerouted (M/M/M) is Chris Mendez story of getting with Jace/Aiden and preceded by a freebie Third Rail which was released a month or so before this one. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36475156-third-rail) Hyped for months, I was so ready to read about this threesome becoming a triad. Chris is adorably dense, not realizing the pull he's got on the other two. Hotness happens. So do declarations. No big surprises here--and I wanted to know more about these 3 as people--but read this one if feeling lonely and in the mood to see an underdog get all he could ever want.

Gridlocked (F/F) is Tonya and Mere's story. Two women, badass in different ways, mutually icing each other out until it becomes clear that one started the icing out and the other just didn't know what to do. Interesting to read Santino's take on f/f. What came across the most was the passion these two characters had for each other. Not quite enemies to lovers and not quite opposites attract but the real antagonism between these two was completely tied up in their attraction and unwillingness to be attracted to each other, which is a sweet spot (no pun intended) he plays in a lot. As a quick foray into writing women, SH shows he can do it but this one is truly a quick dip and for a year of off-page angst, it is a satisfying quick turn to a HEA for these two.

Derailed (F/M) is Stefanie and (Sharky) Angel. No doubt, this was the star of the bunch. It was a complete story, the best characterization, the most chemistry between lovers. Granted, I happen to love a story of teenage love that seems unrequited and years (or a decade+) later, it turns out it was mutual all along. Nevertheless, Stefanie's reasons for deciding not to be in a relationship were good ones and watching Angel bash himself against her boundaries to different effect was... well, ultimately, it was satisfying to see what happened between these two.

SH has made several statements about the m/m community's tendency for bi-erasure; one of those ways is to include pairings with bi-dudes and to have them be accepted by their own community. Here, he includes bi-women, heteroflex men, genderqueer characters, and even a straight dude. It's a model of inclusivity and nice to read as a potential present... even if it isn't something all of us have. There's also some reference to new ways in which modern-day hate sparks up in life (and social media) and in the way it's told, gives a sense of hope that it doesn't have to be this way and with a little more inclusivity, maybe, you know, we got this.

Romance, heat and tons of attitude are the key elements that bring the Queen's squad stories to life in the sixth instalment of the Five Boroughs series.

The book is divided into three novellas that, even though they share characters and events, might work as stand-alone, but only if the reader hasn't read the previous book on the series, as this might bring a lot of spoilers.

In Rerouted, Chris is forced to re-examine the time spent with Jace and Aiden, his feelings towards the couple and a possible future together. Gridlocked bring us Meredith Stone getting always in Tonya's path, who's trying to stay away from all the drama Meredith means. But a security problem gives the opportunity to know each other better and lowering some of their defenses. In Derailed, Stephanie reevaluates her relationship with Angel when a company retreat shows her what they could have.

Rerouted was the story I was most interested in reading and yet it's the only one of the three that disappointed me. I found it lacking emotions and real chemistry between the characters. The relationship seem extremely forced. At a certain point I even felt frustrated with Chris because, to me, it feel like he was intruding in a relationship that worked perfectly. One of the things that save it for me was Jace. I felt intrigued by him from previous books and I got to know a lot more about him here.

Gridlocked was my favorite. Tonya had passed a little bit under my radar in the previous books, but now that I got to know her, she is an amazing character. Everything about her was great--her attitude, her emotions, the way she thinks and how it reflects in the way she acts. I wasn't particularly fond of Meredith but she was also nice. It was easy to connect with their emotions and sometimes I even felt ashamed for making assumptions about her that proved wrong. It was amazing and they are fantastic together.

Derailed was really good. Stephanie and Angel were such frustrating characters at times, it was so easy to see how perfect they were for each other and, yet, things didn't seem to work out. This is the only novella that is told from both points of view. I was more interested in Stephanie's POV because she was the most frustrating of them both, and getting inside her head and understanding why she acted and thought the way she did was really enlightening and it made her a more sympathetic character.

Overall, CITYWIDE was a really amazing book to read, with a lot of romance, love, sex and a fantastic group of friends that are always there for each other.

Citywide
Santino Hassell
Contemporary Anthology also m/m, m/f, and f/f
Hot
370 pages
Riptide
November 13, 2017
9781626496
$6.99 (ebook)
B
Part of a series

I’m a big fan of Santino Hassell’s Five Boroughs series so when he released a free M/M/M short (titled Third Rail) I, of course, had to read it. There was so much chemistry between Chris, Jace, and Aiden that I whipped through that story and was ready to read their happily ever after.

The events of Third Rail continue in Citywide alongside two other shorts featuring other Five Boroughs characters. The anthology takes place one summer during and after a heatwave and we get to see some of the side characters we’ve gotten to know throughout the series pair off. I didn’t feel I fully connected with all the stories, unfortunately. It could be in part that, due to the length, there wasn’t as much time to connect with the characters and their relationships. I’ll admit, I could barely remember who any of them were from the original series. The names might have looked familiar but I didn’t have the connection I needed to commit to each pairing (or trio, in one case) and invest in their happy ending.

In Rerouted, we see Christopher Mendez coming back into contact with couple Jace and Aiden, who he burned up the sheets with in Third Rail. Chris goes to the Q-Finder office to fix an IT problem and ends up trapped there with the guys during a massive blackout. Plenty of threesome sex ensues, but the real issue at hand is whether the trio plans to make their arrangement a permanent one. Chris loves his time with Jace and Aiden, and may even love them, but he’s been evasive to try and protect his own heart, since he is the odd man out in their encounters. Jace and Aiden are ready to keep him around, but need to decide whether they want to give up their swinger ways to be with just Chris.

I’ll be honest, I never fully connect to menage books that end with the the three people planning to continue as a throuple (three person couple). It’s harder for me to see the functionality long term, but I like all three of these characters and wanted it to work out for them. Sadly, I felt that the story didn’t have the spark that the throuple had in Third Rail. Also the conflict felt a little light to me, and not quite enough to keep them struggling towards their HEA/HFN. Still, it was good to touch base with these characters again and I enjoyed the story well enough.

Gridlocked was the story that threw in the least memorable of characters from the series. I remember Meredith as being friends with Jace, I think, and being a partying rich girl. Tonya, however, did not ring a bell. It also wasn’t clear to me when I starting reading the short that it was Tonya narrating, and I had to look back to the cover copy to remind myself who this character was. I never made it past this initial feeling of disconnect and did not care about Meredith and Tonya. It is also, apparently, the most forgettable of the three stories to me because I’ve already forgotten most of it. Tonya is working as a security guard at a Q-Finder party and protects Meredith from someone. There’s kissing. They hole up in bed, fight, and then back to bed. That’s pretty much what I can remember.

There needed to be more zing or chemistry or something for me to really root for these ladies, but that didn’t happen. It ended up being my least favorite story in the collection. Not terrible, just steamy and nice, without knocking my socks off.

Luckily, the last story, Derailed came to save the anthology and be the standout story. Stephanie and Angel (the one nicknamed Sharky) have been off and on throughout the series. They’ve always been around the background of the other love stories, sneaking off to hook up but never committing. When Stephanie lies to her coworkers about having a boyfriend, and needs him to appear for a work trip, she recruits Angel to help her out. For him, going along with her plan is pleasurable torture. He wants to be with her, and would be happy to fill the boyfriend role, but thinks Stephanie would never cast him in that part in real life.

Pretend relationships are one of my trope favorites, and the chemistry between Angel and Stephanie is off the charts. Although I definitely haven’t been on any work trips with as much unabashed sex going on as we see from Stephanie’s colleagues, I was willing to ignore that since it is in the tone of Five Boroughs. I loved the back and forth between the couple as they are trapped together on the trip, and playing a role they are both in denial they want to make real. It was also interesting to learn more about Stephanie’s past and her brother, and I assume we’ll see more of him in the future.

Although the three stories were a tad uneven in their impact, I do think fans of the Boroughs crew will eat this up. Hassell’s writing style, sexy and gritty, but real, shines through as always, and this makes a good stopover while waiting on the next full-length installment.