Say It Right (All Saints, #2) by A.M. Arthur

Jun 08, 2016 ☆ Todd rated it liked it

Book 2 of Arthur's latest series was an entertaining read, but I must admit that I preferred book 1, "Come What May," a bit more than this story.

At 24, Marc has been sober for nearly 5 years, having overcome homelessness, prostitution and his battle with shooting up heroin, then co-founding an LGTB homeless shelter with Tate from book 1.

Former high school soccer star Anthony, Marc's ex-best friend, also had his life upended when Marc was kicked out of his home at 16 for being gay. Without Marc, ...more

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Sep 14, 2016 Chris rated it liked it

I wanted a bit more from this book - liked it but sadly didn't love it. I really enjoyed the whole group of characters but Marc actually annoyed me with his whole frantic lack of trust, his no touching and then his off the charts reaction to bad news. I just felt he over dramatized everything and for me, it was wearing thin. Anthony was a pretty good character, and the love of Marc's life but again I couldn't quite buy into his story. This story just dragged a bit for me - so many dramas, so lit ...more

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Jun 11, 2016 CrabbyPatty rated it really liked it

Shelves: gaybookreviews, arcs-received, stars-3-anda-half, netgalley, 2016-reads, hurt-comfort-healing, carina-press

3.5 stars. We first meet Marc in Come What May, where he and Tate are co-founders of All Saints House, a shelter for at-risk LGBT youth. Marc is the moody, lonely, quiet guy you just know has a dark secret, something that explains why he is so committed to the homeless shelter and All Saints' mission.

And while Marc's backstory is compelling, the story of Anthony and Marc felt predictable - two childhood friends, one comes out and is discarded by his "loving" family onto the street; the other rem ...more

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Aug 29, 2016 Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs-blog-ng

3.5 Second-chance Stars!

Say It Right is the second book in the All Saints series and each can be read as a standalone. All Saints is a homeless homeless shelter for LGBT teens and Marc is one of the founders of this inner city non-profit. A homeless teen himself years ago, he knows what it's like to be turned away from his family, society, because of his sexual orientation. When a knock comes on his door and he's confronted with a face from that past 8 years ago, he's forced to decide whether to ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 Breann rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-romance, favorites, 0-the-romance-reviews, oh-the-angst, mm

SAY IT RIGHT is just as good as the first in the series. It has a bit of a darker tone, but an unputdownable read.

Anthony and Marcos were the best of friends from elementary school all the way to high school. When Marc came out to his family he was kicked out onto the streets. Marc and Anthony weren't able to keep in touch and he really was all alone, doing what he had to do to survive.

Fast-forward years later, and Marcos is clean, off the streets, and running a shelter for homeless LGBT teenage ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Melissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: dark-theme, highly-recommend, cuddles, family-drama-galore, hoopla, abuse, athlete-coach-jock-etc, audio, borrowed, in-the-closet

I was able to finish this as I got ready for work this morning. Woohoo!!!

I had to be in the right frame of mind to read this story. My first attempt I couldn't get into it, so I switched to a different A.M. Arthur book. This isn't an easy story. It deals with being rejected by family and kicked out on the street for being gay, being homeless, drug use, prostitution and violent gang rape. If you don't like high angst and drama in your books, you won't like this one as it is very heavy.

Me? I love ...more

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Sep 10, 2016 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2016, friends-to-lovers-trope, 5-star-reads, lgbtq-romance, fully-reviewed-books

Say It Right is the second story in A.M. Arthur’s All Saints series, all about the staff who work at a teen LGBT shelter. Some of them, including the hero of this book, Marc, have personal experience with the difficulties encountered by many teens when they come out to their family. With backgrounds of addiction and dependency, working the streets and surviving day to day, most of the teens who come through the shelter and the adults who work there have had their share of hardships. Yet the auth Say It Right is the second story in A.M. Arthur’s All Saints series, all about the staff who work at a teen LGBT shelter. Some of them, including the hero of this book, Marc, have personal experience with the difficulties encountered by many teens when they come out to their family. With backgrounds of addiction and dependency, working the streets and surviving day to day, most of the teens who come through the shelter and the adults who work there have had their share of hardships. Yet the author manages to take this background and still create an uplifting story with a sexy and heartwarming friends to lovers romance.

When Marc came out to his family, they kicked him out. Not only did he lose them, but he had to leave his best friend Anthony, an aspiring soccer star with whom he’d been friends since they were young boys. Marc’s experience on the street was grim, but with the help of a former priest Father Davis, who worked as a drug and alcohol counselor, he got clean and sober. Father Davis helped him get an electrician apprenticeship, which led to other home repair skills and odd jobs, and he was able to give back by getting a job with All Saints House. When Anthony’s sister comes to Marc for help, Marc is shocked to find out that after he was gone Anthony spiraled into depression and addiction himself. With a heavy heart, Marc is able to find Anthony and get him off the street. Bringing him home to his house isn’t the best plan, but it’s the only one he has for the man who used to be his best friend. But Marc has an ultimatum for Anthony – he’s got to get clean or get out. He can’t afford to backslide into his own addiction problems. He can help Anthony, but it will take a long time for him to trust him. As Anthony pulls himself out of the mire, he finds things to look forward to. Marc is part of a supportive community, and they are willing to help Anthony too. As Anthony’s life improves, he is able to reveal the truth to Marc – that he is bisexual and had feelings for Marc in high school. And Marc has his own truth – that he’d secretly been in love with Anthony in high school too. Can these two young men find healing and hope with each other?

I’d read the first of the series and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to Marc’s story, having been introduced to him as a secondary character in Come What May. In this story, we get a fuller picture of the difficulties he’s faced and how far he’s come with the help of friends, especially Father Davis who saw beneath the addiction to the strong and capable man underneath. It’s admirable that Marc is willing to work at All Saints House after his own personal experiences, but it’s his way of paying it forward. Having Anthony around again is both a blessing and a curse. The man Anthony is now is not the boy Marc once knew. And Marc can’t afford to ruin all the hard work he’s done for his own sobriety. But as Anthony gets over the initial withdrawal and Marc can see the effort he is putting in to stay clean, the other thoughts come back. The ones about the attraction he had towards Anthony as a teen. When Anthony starts to act and appear more like the person Marc knew and confesses his bisexuality, it’s easier to think of starting a relationship with him. But Marc is smart. He sets a time limit of 6 months for Anthony to stay clean before they’ll go on their first official ‘date’. The result is a slow burn romance between the two as they share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They become intimate but as friends, not as lovers. It doesn’t mean there aren’t a few slip ups here and there, but the wait is definitely worth it. There are some steamy scenes between them as Anthony’s life is finally moving in the right direction and Marc can admit to himself that a future with Anthony could be in the cards. I really enjoyed seeing how Marc and Anthony coped with the challenges of rebuilding their friendship and a relationship. The story is told from both points of view and it was heartening to see Anthony take control of his life once again. As well, the circle of friends and support that surround Marc and Anthony add some lighthearted and amusing scenes. The situations come across as very realistic and despite the serious topics, I didn’t find the story depressing or melancholy. Rather, it’s a testament to human strength and compassion as these two longtime friends find each other again, and start to build a future together.

This review appears at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

...more

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May 24, 2016 Aerin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: m-m, arc

Say It Right is a dark, heavy, gritty book, exactly what you'd expect from characters who are both drug addicts. This book wasn't easy to read, and the struggles the characters face are heart wrenching, but it's so, so worth it! I loved this book for everything that it had the potential to be, but wasn't... it wasn't too angsty, the characters were not tortured or made to face hard to believe struggles, and it wasn't dramatic.

We met Mark in the first book in this series; along with Tate and a t Say It Right is a dark, heavy, gritty book, exactly what you'd expect from characters who are both drug addicts. This book wasn't easy to read, and the struggles the characters face are heart wrenching, but it's so, so worth it! I loved this book for everything that it had the potential to be, but wasn't... it wasn't too angsty, the characters were not tortured or made to face hard to believe struggles, and it wasn't dramatic.

We met Mark in the first book in this series; along with Tate and a third partner, they opened All Saints LGBT shelter that helps keep homeless LGBT teens off the streets. Mark has a dark past that was hinted to and we know he is HIV positive, but Mark is a very closed-off individual, and not much was revealed about him. Mark became a homeless teen after his parents kicked him out for being gay; this seems to be a frequent topic in MM books and something that unfortunately happens too often in real life. Mark lost his family, his safety and his best friend Anthony (Tone) who's very straight and who Mark has been crushing on for years.

After a couple of years spent on the streets doing whatever he needed to keep himself fed and alive, Mark got a second chance. He stopped using drugs, stopped drinking and bettered his life the best he could, but the scars run deep and certain things are hard to forget.

Anthony hasn't seen or heard from Mark since he left home over 8 years ago. Mark's absence was something Anthony couldn't deal with, because Mark was the most important person in Anthony's life, and without him the truths he had to face were too harsh. Anthony turned to heroin to forget and numb the pain, and became an addict that two stunts in rehab couldn't help. Now Mark and Anthony's sister find him on the streets and Anthony gets a second chance he intends to grab with both hands and never let go. Being with the man he's always wanted is not going to be easy, and Mark makes it clear that Anthony needs to prove himself worthy of his trust and has to stay clean of drugs.

I loved how the characters interacted with each other; their relationship takes a long time to flow from friends to lovers, and that's so understandable all things considered; I truly expected nothing else because anything else wouldn't have worked. Both Mark and Anthony are flawed and each has a ton of baggage from the past, but they're written so beautifully and seem so real, you can't help but be fully invested in their relationship and lives, and root for them all the way to the end.

What I love most about this series is the awareness it brings to the situation homeless LGBT teens face every day, how many struggles they go through, and how much even a little bit of our contributions can help. This book makes you want to do something to help, reach out to others, contribute in whatever means you can, be it by volunteering or donations. There's this feeling of hope that I'm not used to getting from Arthur's books; little things that happen, like Anthony beating his addiction and bettering himself, a homeless teen being accepted back into his family, friends helping each other and having each other's backs, make this book light and hopeful even during the dark and heavy times.

I stand by my statement I've made after reading Come What May that this is the best series Arthur has written so far. I'm looking forward to the next book, I think it's going to be amazing! ...more

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Aug 31, 2016 Erica Chilson rated it liked it

Shelves: wickedreads, m-m, 3-star, mm, abuse, addiction

I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads

3 Stars.

Say It Right shouldn't be read as a standalone, being that it is the second in the All Saints series. Yes, some series are easy to read as a standalone, but the connection to the past book is necessary in the overall enjoyment of the read. The same cast of characters are shown, and their presence keeps the reader rooted in the story.

A.M. Arthur is known for writing emotionally shattered characters with tortured backgrou ...more

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Sep 29, 2016 Vallie marked it as finish-later

Shelves: mm, series

This book suffered the unpleasant consequence of being the first addiction story I picked up after I read the excellent Counting Daisies by Nikola Haken. There is nothing bad about the book as far as I can tell in the 15% I have read so far. One of the main protagonists has a history of drug abuse and the other one is introduced as an active drug user who undergoes detox. And I understand that this is not a textbook on drug addiction. But having the bar set so freaking high by Counting Daisies, ...more

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Aug 15, 2016 Jordan rated it really liked it

Shelves: alphabookclub

Wow, this book was hard to swallow.

Drug addition has never been anything I've had to deal with in my life, and I feel pretty fortunate about that, but reading this book gave me a peek into what it might be like for some people, and that was really difficult for me to read about.

I really, really disliked Anthony as a character, at first anyway. But his determination to stay clean for Marc was kind of inspiring. Anthony wanted a real life. A life where he had friends and a stable job and could co Wow, this book was hard to swallow.

Drug addition has never been anything I've had to deal with in my life, and I feel pretty fortunate about that, but reading this book gave me a peek into what it might be like for some people, and that was really difficult for me to read about.

I really, really disliked Anthony as a character, at first anyway. But his determination to stay clean for Marc was kind of inspiring. Anthony wanted a real life. A life where he had friends and a stable job and could come home to the love of his life and relax without worrying about what he'd have to do to score. He was so determined, and yet the temptation was still always there in his mind. That broke my heart a little bit. He kinda grew on me.

And Marc was the type of character that you look at and think wow, look how far he's come. He was inspiring and sweet and perhaps even more determined than Anthony to get his childhood best friend off of the streets and keep him clean. He was in love with Anthony, but he couldn't let him in when he was still at risk for using again.

These two men had both let drugs into their life and it nearly destroyed them. This book was dark. I was rooting for Anthony to stay clean and I wanted so bad for him to have his HEA with Marc, but I was also a little skeptical that it was going to happen because Anthony thought about going out and buying drugs every few pages.

I'd love to say that Marc's faith in Anthony was unwavering, but it wasn't. He doubted him all the time, and that brought an element of reality into this book that you usually don't see. These characters were real, and this story was real.

The chemistry between Marc and Anthony was definitely there. It was sizzling under the surface for most of the book. Occasionally Marc would slip and let something happen between the two of them, but for the most part it remained out of reach. Anthony's determination to stay clean and keep his promises to Marc came before their love and need for each other, and I think that's one of Anthony's many redeeming qualities as a character.

I really enjoyed this book, but it was dark, and a little difficult to read because of that. I would definitely recommend it, but only to people who enjoy a little bit of that darkness in their novels (plus, the HEA didn't really balance it out, so I still had a little bit of a depressed bleh feeling after finishing this one).

Reviewed by Jordan at Alpha Book Club.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the author or the publisher in any way. ...more

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Sep 15, 2016 Emalie rated it really liked it

~ Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

I'm going to jump right into the review with saying that some people might feel like the romance of this book develops too slow, but I personally found that it had the right pace which worked perfectly with the way the story was told.

After reading the first book of this series - and liking it - I was quite happy when I saw that it would get a second installment and was available for review on NetGalley. I have to be honest now and say ...more

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Sep 24, 2016 Susan rated it it was ok

Shelves: mm, hurt-comfort

What a disappointment.

I remembered when I was reading this that I didn’t really like Marc in the first book and I didn’t like him in this one. He was so cold. This dude did not enjoy life. I never figured out what it was Anthony saw in him.

Marc runs the LGBT shelter together with his friend Tate. Marc was thrown out of the house when he was 16, lived on the streets for 3 years, was addicted to heroin, tricked to stay alive and got HIV. That’s him in a nutshell.

Anthony was Marc’s best friend gro What a disappointment.

I remembered when I was reading this that I didn’t really like Marc in the first book and I didn’t like him in this one. He was so cold. This dude did not enjoy life. I never figured out what it was Anthony saw in him.

Marc runs the LGBT shelter together with his friend Tate. Marc was thrown out of the house when he was 16, lived on the streets for 3 years, was addicted to heroin, tricked to stay alive and got HIV. That’s him in a nutshell.

Anthony was Marc’s best friend growing up. He couldn’t handle it when Marc was thrown out of his home and he couldn’t see him anymore, so he acted out. Eventually he ran away from home several times and now he’s 24, addicted to heroin and living on the streets until Marc saves him, even though they haven’t seen each other in 8 years.

Marc takes Anthony home and tells him to get his life together. Anthony is struggling, but he’s doing okay. They both loved each other when they were kids, although neither ever said anything to the other person. So when Anthony tells Marc he has always loved him, Marc is shocked. He tells him he loves Anthony too, but that they can’t be together. They will go on a date once Anthony is 6 months clean. So they just have to wait for Anthony to get his shit straight before they can act on their feelings…

Things I did not like:
- These guys had absolutely no chemistry. There is one sex scene in the entire book and it wasn’t that great. I get that Marc didn't like to be touched because of a traumatic experience, but it created a distance I didn't like.
- Marc is HIV positive and they have unprotected oral sex.
“Next time we do that, you’re coming down my throat.”
Wait, what? Doesn’t this author do research? There is ALWAYS a risk, no matter how small. I don’t care that Anthony was on Truvada.
- Anthony is struggling what to call himself. Gay…? Bi..? So a friend of Marc, who Anthony has gotten friends with too, takes him to a gay bar. To ‘experiment’. Anthony and Marc already declared their love for each other, but are not officially dating yet. Anthony almost receives a blow job from some guy, until the dude offers him poppers and he leaves. I did not get this at all. Anthony knows he and Marc will become an item, so this was most definitely cheating in my book. If the guy hadn’t offered poppers, he would have gone through with it.
- The fabricated drama near the end. Marc (view spoiler) felt VERY out of character for him.

These things really bothered me, and together with my severe dislike for Marc, this book was not a success.

(Although Tara still wins our discussion of who’s book is more depressing, she has dying dogs.) ...more

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Oct 29, 2016 Sandra rated it really liked it

Shelves: flowers-and-chocolates, m-m-yeah-baby, naughties, bullies-abuse-hate, contemporary, new-adult, arc-netgalley, social-issues, angst-and-drama, carina-press

This is apparently book 2 in the series, but I had no issues reading this as a standalone.

If you've read the first book, you probably remember Marc who's a former homeless ex-junkie, selling himself to survive. Having pulled himself together with a lot of help, he now runs the LGBT shelter with Tate.

Eight years ago, Anthony led a mostly charmed life, in unrequited love with his best friend Marc, until Marc was gone, kicked out of his home at 16 for being gay. Lost without his best friend, his co This is apparently book 2 in the series, but I had no issues reading this as a standalone.

If you've read the first book, you probably remember Marc who's a former homeless ex-junkie, selling himself to survive. Having pulled himself together with a lot of help, he now runs the LGBT shelter with Tate.

Eight years ago, Anthony led a mostly charmed life, in unrequited love with his best friend Marc, until Marc was gone, kicked out of his home at 16 for being gay. Lost without his best friend, his confidant, Anthony turned to alcohol and heroin.

Now Anthony is a junkie himself, and after a couple of failed attempts to get clean, he's on the verge of an overdose.

A late night visit from Anthony's sister spurs Marc to find Anthony and get him off the streets. But there are rules. Anthony must stay clean, or Marc will kick him out. And after 6 months, if Anthony stays off the drugs, they may go on a date.

This is a rather somber story, and both men keep secrets. Marc hates being touched, for reasons that aren't clear to those around him, and Anthony struggles without the drugs to kill his pain.

There wasn't a whole lot of physical affection between them for quite a while, which made it difficult to connect with the love story, and even though they eventually got together, there was what seemed to be manufactured drama toward the end, with Marc lashing out almost inexplicably toward Anthony, which nearly derails their budding romance.

While I can to some extent understand Marc's issues, I had a hard time forgiving him for the pain he puts Anthony through.

The main focus of the story is on drug addiction and recovery, and those parts were really well done. The author let us see deeply into Anthony's struggles with sobriety, and Marc's fears of relapse himself, and the lingering pain from the abuse he suffered. Also explored are the realities of life on the street, and the difficult choices so many young people have to make to survive.

As I said, this is a rather somber story, and while we get a happy ending, it's a hard fought for one.

** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return. ** ...more

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Jun 13, 2016 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy, contemporary-romance, m-m-romance, 2016-reads, angst, lgbtqia, second-chance-at-love, tortured-hero, tearjerker, netgalley

4 Stars

This was an emotional and heart-wrenching story that grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. I loved the reunion between Marc and Anthony and how they were able to overcome all their issues to finally get the happiness they deserve. I thought the author handled the addiction elements with respect and really made me (as a reader) understand where the characters were coming from. It was also great to see cameos from other A.M. Arthur stories pop up.

I received an eARC of this book f ...more

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Jul 27, 2016 Tammy rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio-books

Enjoyed it so much I'm already starting the next book in this series!! ...more

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Dec 26, 2017 Chelsea rated it liked it

Shelves: audible-collection

Ex best friends meet back up once Anthony comes to ask help of Marc to find her brother who since they last seen each other have gone done a bad path. Now that their back each others life they have to talk about what happened between them. Then leads the path toward getting Anthony clean and working on finding something to do. Plus there own personally relationship I didn't like how Marc made a deal with Anthony to keep him clean. However I did get the reason behind it. It just seemed Marc was u ...more

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Oct 11, 2016 Izzy rated it liked it

Rated C

Say it Right is the second in the A.M. Arthur’s All Saints series, and although characters from the first book have page time, it is a standalone title. The cover might portray differently, but the two main characters are Hispanic – namely, Marc Villegas and Anthony Romano.

Marc has poor, Catholic, Puerto Rican parents who threw him out onto the streets at sixteen for being gay. He has never understood why his best friend Anthony didn’t stay in touch or help him. He turned to heroin and p ...more

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Mar 13, 2017 h o l l i s rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, 2017-reads, all-the-feels, heroes-to-root-for, lgbtqia, romance, alphamales-i-want, sexytimes, dark, overdrive

These are hella emotional and full of hard-dose reality situations, but man. SAY IT RIGHT definitely succeeded for me where it's predecessor, COME WHAT MAY, fell short.

We're introduced to Marc in book one as Tate's co-director of the All Saints youth LGBT homeless shelter. We don't know much about him despite the fact that he's been single for a while, is HIV positive, and doesn't like to be touched. Oh and there was someone from his past who he had loved and lost.

"You're what's normal to me. M These are hella emotional and full of hard-dose reality situations, but man. SAY IT RIGHT definitely succeeded for me where it's predecessor, COME WHAT MAY, fell short.

We're introduced to Marc in book one as Tate's co-director of the All Saints youth LGBT homeless shelter. We don't know much about him despite the fact that he's been single for a while, is HIV positive, and doesn't like to be touched. Oh and there was someone from his past who he had loved and lost.

"You're what's normal to me. My life without you was a waking nightmare. Everything was off balance and wrong. You're right, Marcos. You and me. We always have been."

That loss was Anthony. And on New Years Eve, eight years since they last saw each other, Anthony's sister comes knocking on Marc's door for help to find her missing brother. Once a clean, successful, athlete with dreams of being a great soccer player, Anthony is now a junkie, sobering up only to fall off the wagon over and over again. But with Marc back in his life, giving him the tough-love detox treatment, suddenly he has a reason to be clean. To finally own up to why, out of nowhere, he turned to drugs. And the reality is not what Marc expected it to be.

"Guide him in his journey to sobriety. Help him become a man who doesn't remind you of hell. Help him grow into a man worthy of your heart."

I loved the build between these two. Friends forever, with a reluctant and messy separation before their reunion, the struggle Marc -- who is sober after his own years on the streets -- faces when confronted with his wreck of a friend, the baggage they each carry and carefully and slowly reveal, the journeys they take, the goals and the promises, and the temptations.. it was heartwrenching and beautiful and amazing.

"The people who really, truly love you, Marcos? We love you even more for trusting us with the truth, and for surviving so we can keep on loving you with our whole hearts."

Arthur really struck gold with this story and I was so so loving it. Right up until the 90% mark when things go off the rails a bit. It doesn't last long, and there was a silver lining to it, but it did kind of sour my enjoyment which made me kind of sad. Because up until that point this was definitely four star material. It isn't full of major super sexytimes or relentless flirty banter, and there's lots of reasons for that, the obvious being Anthony's recovery and Marc's reluctance to be involved with a junkie, but the slowburn and the emotional payoff is so so worth the journey.

3.5 "would you ever want me" stars ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Caroline Brand rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, 4-star-read, drug-abuse, reviewed-for-prism, 2016

REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE

4.5 Stars

There are only two books in this series so far, there is scope for many more but this is my favourite for the time being.

This was pretty raw and intense for the most part. It was a story of hope for both the MC’s who had both been dealt a pretty shitty hand in life which was then exacerbated by addiction amongst other things.

We met Marc in book one. He is Tate’s best friend and partner in an LGBT homeless shelter for kids. That shelter and the kids it hel REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE

4.5 Stars

There are only two books in this series so far, there is scope for many more but this is my favourite for the time being.

This was pretty raw and intense for the most part. It was a story of hope for both the MC’s who had both been dealt a pretty shitty hand in life which was then exacerbated by addiction amongst other things.

We met Marc in book one. He is Tate’s best friend and partner in an LGBT homeless shelter for kids. That shelter and the kids it helps mean everything to Marc – if something similar had been available when his family kicked him out for being gay then his life may have been very different. There wasn’t a shelter available and Marc spent time living on the street and doing what he had to do to feed an addiction that was slowly killing him. His story is sad and harsh but it is also very relevant – this stuff happens, this stuff is still happening and it’s not ok.

Before Marc’s parents kicked him out he was living a pretty regular life. His best friend Anthony was always at his side and if one was in trouble the other was too. Anthony was the first person Marc came out to and it didn’t change their friendship – they really were a solid pair. Anthony tried to help Marc when he ended up on the streets but circumstances prevented it and saw Anthony’s family moving to a new area.

They don’t see each other for eight years…

Anthony was never entirely honest with Marc as a teenager and when his best friend is ripped from his life and just disappears Anthony’s life implodes. Gone are the chances of scholarships, gone are the hours playing sports and in their place is addiction. Anthony has tried to get clean, he’s been to rehab, he’s sorry for the hurt he’s caused his family but he is back living on the streets just one or two highs from death and that’s when Marc finds him and brings him home.

Marc and Anthony back together trying to rebuild a friendship that used to mean everything to both of them means a walk down Honesty Avenue and it’s not pretty. Both are sitting on pretty big secrets, things they have never told another living soul and have consequences that they have to live with daily. There is no magic cure here, the story unfolds slowly as does the romance. The healing takes time and is painful but if they can hang on it will all be worth it.

The author is building a great cast of characters in this series and I have my fingers crossed that we will get Will’s story soon. ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie rated it really liked it

Shelves: bi, abusive-awful-childhood, mm, 2016-reads, arcs, hea-hfn, netgalley, steamy, series, drug-use

3.5 Stars

**copy provided by author:publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I'll be honest, A.M. Arthur is one of my favorite authors, and I absolutely loved "Come What May", book one in the All Saints series. This book, not so much. I thought the story was wonderful. Two best friends who haven't seen one another in 8 years are suddenly thrown back together. They have both lived on the streets, both been heroine addicts, now Marc can't turn his back on his former best-friend, th ...more

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Sep 22, 2016 Diverse rated it liked it

Shelves: september-2016

Say It Right is book 2 in AM Arthur’s All Saints Series. I actually didn’t read book 1 and I can safely say it was totally fine to read as a standalone.

This book mainly focused on the MC’s and while I’m sure there is a lot of story with the secondary characters nothing is taken away from these characters and their story.

Now…. This story. This is a very heavy book. It’s about drug addiction, abuse, loss, recovery, more loss, reconnecting, and disconnecting. There’s a weight to this book that ev ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Alisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: hard-knock-life, broken-damaged-boys, netgalley, m-m-read, drugs-alcohol, zz-2016

3.5 stars

This second book of the All Saints series was about Marc who we initially met in book one. He's the co-manager of the homeless teen center that Tate works at. The two men are good friends and Marc was in a few scenes in the first book. At the time this book starts Marc is 24 and he's been sober for 5 years. He has been homeless and prostituted himself for drugs in the past which is part of his devotion to the kids at the teen center.

Marc lives a very limited life. He works and that is ...more

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Sep 17, 2016 Karlijn rated it liked it

Shelves: hurt-comfort-mm, mm, abuse-mm, hfn-mm

3.5 stars

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May 04, 2016 bookfaerie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I was very hesitant to begin this story as I seem to have read a grand series of books lately involving HIV positive MC's and/or drug addicts. This book has both and I wasn't sure I really wanted to read another book about these two dynamics. However, I really wanted to put this series behind me before the end of 2017 as I've had these books for what seemed like forever. So, I picked it up, began reading and was pleasantly surprised. While I believe the author wrote true and realistic to both of ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Mike Oaks rated it really liked it

Coming home

Book two is the tale of Marc and Anthony. Marc is still working at his shelter. Anthony, Marc's childhood best friend is brought back into his life. As they sort out their feelings and secrets they slowly grow closer than ever. Drama with work, family and a savior are what drives the second and third act. A few characters stroll through the book that leave me wondering if we'll hear their story in future books in this series. Overall I liked this book as well as the first one. Another ...more

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Sep 22, 2016 Mari Cardenas rated it really liked it

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***

Say It Right is the second book in the All Saints series and while it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading Come What May first, it's an outstanding book and one I can't recommend enough!

Marc and Anthony were the best of friends since they were six years old until Marc's parents threw him out of his house when they were sixteen, and Anthony's parents refused to take him in. After that, Marc disa *** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ***

Say It Right is the second book in the All Saints series and while it can be read as a standalone, I suggest reading Come What May first, it's an outstanding book and one I can't recommend enough!

Marc and Anthony were the best of friends since they were six years old until Marc's parents threw him out of his house when they were sixteen, and Anthony's parents refused to take him in. After that, Marc disappeared and Anthony's life spiralled out of control, allowing drugs to numb him against the pain of losing not only his best friend, but the love of his life, even if he never was brave enough to admit to it.

Marc's life after his parents threw him out wasn't a walk on the park. He's had to do things he's not proud of, however, now he's a recovering addict, has been sober for five years and runs a shelter for LGBT homeless teens with his friends Tate and David. The last thing he expected was a blast from the past in the form of Anthony's sister, who is looking for her brother after he refused to go to rehab.

Finding Anthony was the easy part, helping him recover and stay clean might prove a bit more difficult and regaining Marc's trust and perhaps have a chance at love may very well be impossible.

This book was definitely darker than Come What May. It deals with addiction and everything that it entails. It definitely wasn't an easy read.

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. While I liked Anthony a lot, I couldn't feel the same connection to Marc. He appeared a bit dettached, especially at first. I get that Marc had a hard life, that he had to go through a lot of things, but I would've thought he'd be a bit more empathetic considering all the history he shared with Anthony.

I loved to see Anthony's journey into recovery. His strength and realization that he needed to do this for himself and not just because it was Marc's condition for them finally having a chance at love. It wasn't an easy road, he was tempted into falling back to his old patterns and yet, he managed to get to a point where it was manageable.

It was nice to see Marc opening up to Anthony later in the book, even when he didn't fully trust him and give into the love they felt for one another. It was slow burn, as it took a bit for Marc to allow Anthony in, but once he did, it was obvious they belonged together.

Just when I had warmed up to Marc, though, there was a scene near the end that left me reeling. It felt unnecessary in the sense that it just brought back to the forefront that they were still a work in progress, and I didn't particularly like the way it was resolved, but oh well, that's neither here nor there.

Overall, Say It Right was a mildly angsty, heartbreaking read, with a lot of build-up and a somewhat satisfying resolution, well-written and with cameos from some of A.M. Arthur's other books, especially Tate and Jason. Recommendable!

Rating: 4 Stars! ...more

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Sep 03, 2016 Sarah rated it liked it

I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

The causes and consequences of LGBTQI youth homelessness are important and timely issues that need to be explored and written about. This story draws attention to LGBT youth homelessness as well as to the abuse and addictions too often experienced by street kids.

So while I’m keenly interested in the ideas and topics that this story address, I really struggled with the execution of the story itself. For me, there was too much g I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

The causes and consequences of LGBTQI youth homelessness are important and timely issues that need to be explored and written about. This story draws attention to LGBT youth homelessness as well as to the abuse and addictions too often experienced by street kids.

So while I’m keenly interested in the ideas and topics that this story address, I really struggled with the execution of the story itself. For me, there was too much going on in this story for the author to do any one character or issue justice. Both main characters are recovering heroin addicts. To this huge problem, the author adds domestic abuse, sexual abuse, gang rape, prostitution, the deaths of homeless kids and a string of other, massive issues. The result is that every problem feels watered down and simplified. Only Anthony’s initial detox is given enough detail to feel real and honest, but even then he manages his subsequent recovery by attending a few meetings and having a new sense of purpose.

This isn’t the first book by this author where I’ve had reservations about the way very serious issues are treated with superficial quick-fixes. Previously, I was annoyed by a rape written off as a sexual assault and not reported. Here again, serious domestic abuse is written off and not reported to the police or other authorities. As someone who works closely with traumatised youth, I worry that books like this actually normalise serious criminal offenses, leaving victims who don’t bounce back to normal after a couple of conversations feeling weak. Adding sensational crime after sensational crime to a story without earnestly exploring the difficult road to recovery faced by victims feels irresponsible and in this case, almost salacious.

Enough ranting. The relationship between Anthony and Marc is sweet (except for one scene of domestic abuse which obviously doesn’t count because he didn’t mean it). I enjoyed the way the childhood friends reconnect and make each other stronger. However, they meet at the start of the novel, they actually set a deadline for when their romantic relationship will start and then readers must wait until the very end of the book for any relationship to begin. And while I would have loved to learn more about the kids at the shelter and Marc’s group of friends, we are instead treated to a diary-like record of Marc and Anthony’s day to day existences. I got bored. The pace picks up again near the end as Anthony starts working and develops his interests, but from 20% to 70%, I found this story to be a very slow, very mundane hard slog.

It may just be that too many of the issues in this author’s books hit too close to home for me right now, but I am going to be taking a break from her books for a while. I’m possibly reading too much into a romance story so prospective readers probably need to order a sample and make up their own minds about this book. ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Frederic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, m-m

Say it right is a book that I will be revisiting for sure. It is a masterpiece of M/M romance, I rarely had the pleasure to read a story that was so well crafted. It is not innovative but it is written in a way that is making it unique. AM Arthur was able to stay away from the clichés and melodrama and craft a unique and emotional book. When there are so many sensitive topics that are explored, it would have been easy into these traps.

I feel that it is important to mention the themes/issues that Say it right is a book that I will be revisiting for sure. It is a masterpiece of M/M romance, I rarely had the pleasure to read a story that was so well crafted. It is not innovative but it is written in a way that is making it unique. AM Arthur was able to stay away from the clichés and melodrama and craft a unique and emotional book. When there are so many sensitive topics that are explored, it would have been easy into these traps.

I feel that it is important to mention the themes/issues that are part of this book. The story is evolving around heroin addiction, a character that has HIV, a rape, and prostitution. As shocking as it may seem AM Arthur was able to convey these topics with tact and respect. In the end, we have a deeply emotional story.

Mark and Antonio were best friends while growing up. When Mark was 16, he came out as gay and his parents threw him out of their home. He ended up living on the street. Not long after, Antonio moved out into another city and they never spoke to each other again. 10 years later, Antonio’s sister showed up at Mark front door and asked Mark to help her out to find her brother. He learned that Antonio became a heroin addict and his family did not hear any news from him in the last 6 months. Antonio’s sister thought that he might have decided to come back to their hometown to find Mark. Together they search throughout the city and found Antonio passed out. Mark decided to take him in his place and took care of Antonio. Mark was in love with him when they were teenager, but being an ex-heroin addict himself, he vowed to never be in any kind of relationship with another addict. We are following them throughout some of the hardest moments of their life.

I was so happy to see that Tate and Jonah were back into this story and read about their thriving relationship. Tate and Mark are very close and it was a powerful thing to read about their friendship. I realize how important it was to be surrounded with people that are accepting us unconditionally and will do all that they can to assist us when we are struggling.

The shelter for homeless LGBT teenager is again at the heart of the story. It is so amazing to read about the different characters that are giving themselves to offer some support and security to those that needs it the most. We tend to forget all the sacrifices that some individuals are doing to make the world better place.

I was deeply touched and if I only had one book to recommend in 2016, that would be the one.

*I was gifted this book by Jeep Diva in exchange for an honest review ...more

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Sep 11, 2016 Steph ☀️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm_contemporary, gay-book-reviews, part-of-a-series, addiction, drugs

***4.23 stars***

Just a FYI, I bought the audiobook for the first book in the series, Come What May, and I really did joy it. However, after reading this book in the series, it clearly blows it out of the water. I have waited to hear Marc’s story since the first book; especially given the indication about his past and the circumstances surrounding it. Seriously, well done A.M. Arthur *applause*!
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I had so many mixed emotions while reading this. I was very angry for Marc, in how his parents reacted ***4.23 stars***

Just a FYI, I bought the audiobook for the first book in the series, Come What May, and I really did joy it. However, after reading this book in the series, it clearly blows it out of the water. I have waited to hear Marc’s story since the first book; especially given the indication about his past and the circumstances surrounding it. Seriously, well done A.M. Arthur *applause*!
description

I had so many mixed emotions while reading this. I was very angry for Marc, in how his parents reacted to his news about being gay. Not only that, but for how the parents of his best friend treated him as well. Seriously, two lives wouldn’t have been ruined if Anthony’s parents would have accepted and acknowledged a certain fact; even if Anthony wasn’t aware of it yet. I so wanted to seek retribution on their behalf regarding their parents. Then I had to remind myself, that his is just a story. On the flip side, playing devil’s advocate here, if things didn’t fall as they did, then All Saints House might not have come about giving hope and a place for other displaced teens.

A.M. Arthur did a great job with the back story of each character and the chemistry between them. To see how they once cared for one another (not knowing), then to have life events take separate them; causing pain in their lives, to eventually come back to one another (in a not so great and conventional way), was beautiful. Let me just say I was their personal cheerleader throughout the book! description

Oh, and the details about addiction and recovery…wow! The effects not just on the addict, but on their family and friends as well. Really, you can tell a lot of time and thoughtfulness went into this sad, but inspiring story. Don't fret, there are some good things that happen for both Marc and Anthony, that gives them hope.

In the end, both Anthony and Marc get their HEA, which they so deserved!

Marc rested his forehead against Anthony’s, their noses touching. “You and me.” “Against the world.” "Like we were always meant to be.”

If you're like me, you are wondering what book three we will be like. I am hoping it will somehow involve Will Madden. One can hope…

I am one of many reviewers at Gay Book Reviews and can be found here: http://gaybook.reviews/author/steph/

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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