Long the Mile in Riptide Publishing

Nov 27, 2013 Mark rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, gay-fiction, christmas

Normally we read about a rags to riches story, however with Ally Blue in Long The Mile we go from riches to rags. What a great idea and this provided for a really great Christmas read. But why not turn the tables and see what happens when your life goes from top to flop.

Judah was a rich businessman with more money then you could shake a stick at, however his story begins when he leaves prison after doing a stretch for insider trading. His attitude obviously matched his materialistic gains and af Normally we read about a rags to riches story, however with Ally Blue in Long The Mile we go from riches to rags. What a great idea and this provided for a really great Christmas read. But why not turn the tables and see what happens when your life goes from top to flop.

Judah was a rich businessman with more money then you could shake a stick at, however his story begins when he leaves prison after doing a stretch for insider trading. His attitude obviously matched his materialistic gains and after coming out of prison sets about finding a new job. He has a prison record now and the inevitable happens, nobody wants to employ him. No job, can’t pay his rent, ends up on the street. He becomes one of the very people he has snubbed for so many years.
After leaving prison Judah has a brief encounter with Toby who asks for charity at his doorstep and was particularly cruel to him and sent him packing. Now on the street which is dangerous enough Judah is attacked and Toby is nearby to chase off the attackers and call an ambulance. Here they’re story begins.

Unable to find a job and having no income Judah finds himself on the streets and turns to Toby for help now they are at exactly the same level. Here the attraction starts to grow and blossoms into a wonderful love.

What I really liked about this story was the message that when you have nothing even the most simple things in life like a roof over your head, food to eat, etc. become the greatest of pleasures. Judah had to come to terms with this just as Toby had to when he had fallen on hard times. But the message here is to never give up and to keep on fighting and remain positive in some way. They both end up first of all at the homeless shelter run by Father Bill. A wonderful caring man that anyone would just feel comfortable around. Also MayBelle who works in the centre as a cook, Loved her! Heart of gold and cared for everyone. Another character you could just cuddle.

After being homeless for just over a year, Toby lands a job as a B&B manager and his life starts to improve. Judah is torn between his love and joy for Toby but his own failings to be able to find employment himself. This drives a rift between them, mainly of Judah’s doing, but I could totally understand where he was coming from. So Judah takes off after one argument and leaves Toby absolutely bereft. Judah needs to put himself back on his feet first before he can really enter a full relationship with Toby. I could understand Judah’s reason for not wanting to be a kept man or sponging off Toby for everything, even if it was no problem for Toby as he loved him so much.

Well, needless to say time passes and just when Toby thinks he’ll never see Judah again he turns up just before Christmas and there is one of the loveliest reunion scenes I have read for a while!
Judah now has a job bussing tables and is bringing in his own money. The other thing I learnt from this little book is you should never be ashamed of having good honest work, no matter what it is. For somebody like Judah to find joy in this work after being some big time manager rolling in money was also a nice touch.

Only one small thing bothered my a little bit and that was the time jumps. Sometimes we found ourselves a few months down the line, but no real clue or smooth transition to get us there. However, it never really detracted from my enjoyment of this book and the wonderful writing.
I loved the characters, Toby was adorable, upbeat, positive and although when he was on the streets and felt a little depressed at times, he never gave up. Judah was infuriating at times, but then so are some people in RL. Nobody is perfect, but he comes around in the end and you realise there is a greater depth to him than first anticipated.

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Jan 09, 2014 Pat rated it liked it

A cursory glimpse at life on the streets for two formerly successful men illustrates both the steady eroding of pride and the human spirit as well as the importance of friendship - especially when one is down and out. What it doesn't show is the array of avenues open to former convicts and street people who are seeking help.

When inside trader Judah Jackson gets out of prison with a set of clothes and three hundred dollars cash, he's optimistic that he'll be able to get a job and remake himself ...more

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Nov 20, 2013 Shirley Frances rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2-review, 2013, glbt, holiday

A touching story of two men finding each other in a moment in their lives when nothing is certain.

Judah is a proud man who has lost everything he ever worked for. Driven by fear of the uncertain and the state his life is in, he lashes out at Toby when he ran into him. Try as he might he can't get his life back together and everything comes crumbling down around him. Now he's homeless, broke and most of all lonely.

Toby has been homeless for a year and even though he has learned to accept his situ A touching story of two men finding each other in a moment in their lives when nothing is certain.

Judah is a proud man who has lost everything he ever worked for. Driven by fear of the uncertain and the state his life is in, he lashes out at Toby when he ran into him. Try as he might he can't get his life back together and everything comes crumbling down around him. Now he's homeless, broke and most of all lonely.

Toby has been homeless for a year and even though he has learned to accept his situation and appears content and cheery, he is conflicted and his spirit is dwindling. He sees all Judah is trying to hide - the fear, the uncertainty. And recognizes it for what it is. He extends a hand to Judah and offers him a shoulder to lean on.

Together they embark in a friendship that leads to romance, but Judah continues to struggle. He has come to rely on Toby, but fears losing himself.

Ally Blue did a wonderful job in bringing Judah and Toby's story to the page. The concept behind the story is not a common one, but a very real one regardless.

She brought each character's doubts, emotions and thoughts to the page in such a way that I could not help myself but to feel for them both. Each honest interaction, passion-filled exchange and conflicted emotion helped to develop the connection between Judah and Toby. Both men grew as characters throughout the story while still dealing with their current situation and what it all entailed. Although it took Judah more time and his struggle brought tears to my eyes, his growth was essential for him to have any type of success, especially in his relationship with Toby. I admired his resilience and wanted to shake some sense into him all the same.

Needless to say that their chemistry was awesome. They each brought something different every time they came together. But mostly I enjoyed the vulnerability they displayed. It made their connection that much more believable.

All in all, a sweet, heart-warming story of new beginnings for two men who never thought they'd ever get a chance to achieve that kind of happiness. A great story for the holidays!

I received this title in exchange of my honest opinion as part of my participation in the blog tour. ...more

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Oct 25, 2013 Alina rated it it was amazing

Great story, dealing with very tough subject matter.

I didn't see Jonah as an asshole at all. I cannot imaging how it must have feel being jobless and ho,eless, especially after being in prison and losing literally everything you've once had. Toby was wonderful and supportive and the ending was happy and very satisfying. ...more

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Dec 22, 2013 Amber rated it liked it

Not a bad book but not something I'm going to rush to re-read either. I really like the idea of the story line of two homeless men falling in love but the characters felt a little flat to me. Toby is a little bit too upbeat and almost naive. Johan is a too much of prick alot of the times. I don't feel alot of chemistry from either one. ...more

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