Sutphin Boulevard

Before I started this book I knew I should expect dark and gritty. I knew I should expect roller coaster feelings. I knew I should expect out of this world hot sex scenes... I got all of this. What I did not expect was to be hit so hard by this story.

Have you ever read a book and found a character and said... Oh, hell! I've been there. I've seen this. I've felt that. I've thought that exact same thing... And then realize how difficult, and how painful is to find yourself in that character, because mirrors show you everything, and sometimes what they show you isn't pretty. Sometimes what they show you, hurts. But, also, what they show you makes you grow, and makes you understand, and sometimes it's a huge wake up call.

Sutphin Boulevard is told from Michael's POV. This amazing guy, with his witty remarks, and his I give zero fecks attitude won me over, but not for the usual reasons. You see, I feel like queer literature in the M/M romance subgenre is full of white knight heroes. You know, the awesome gay guy that everyone loves. He's usually funny, cute, very composed, sexy as hell, and most of the times, pretty much... flawless. This is good, I don't mind... But I want complex. I want to read about a man that has many facets. I want to read about a man that is strong but at the same time falters. I want to read about his life, his thoughts, his fears, his ambitions, his dreams, his passion, his love. When I read a book, I want to be able to relate. Hassell gave me a character I could relate to. He have me a character that relfected not only bits of me, but bits of those I love. Those who, like Michael, have been lost, and have struggled. Those who, like Michael, thought that they had it all under control, when in reality they were disappearing in a world of thoughts and fears, and regrets.

While this is Michael's journey, he doesn't travel alone. Nunzio and Michael have been friends for twenty years. Ever since they met as kids they have been inseparable. Nunzio is Michael's rock, his strength (and vise-versa). Nunzio is much more relaxed, he's caring, and he's a loving guy, but he's also incredibly strong. He is gorgeous, and incredibly patient. Having loved your best friend for so long, and keeping it to yoruself until the time is right, when he realizes that there is much more between the two of you than friendship, takes a lot. I loved how selfless, yet centered Nunzio was. I loved that despite that deep love that he has for Michael, he knew when to step aside, and let Michael go so he could fix whatever needed to be fixed. You see, Michael is dealing with addictions, and at some point Nunzio knows that he needs to step aside for a bit (while still being there in some way) so Michael can put himself together. There no heartbreaking, pre-fabricated scenes with tons of I love yous and tons of promises... But there is one man, asking for time and patience to put himself together and fight his way back to the top, and there is another man silently taking in those words and having an enormous amount of faith in the person he loves the most. That is love. That is true love. That is the kind of love that we all should aspire to. The kind of love that with simple actions and words tells us all we need to know. When you drown, when you get lost somewhere and are trying to find you, the world still spins. People continue with their lives and it's in no one else but in yourself to collect the pieces of who you were and try to place them together to become who you will be. After a very dark and painful experience, Michael understands this. There is no magic recipe to dissolve or eliminate his problems, no magic words. There is only himself, and his determination. He is his own savior, his own white knight. I loved this, and I loved it because this is how things are in real life. I loved this because it's the only way it would really work. It's the only way that the change would become permanent.

Even though everything we learn about Nunzio is through Michael's eyes, we really get to know him well. The writing is so brilliant that it delivers every little detail and emotion that BOTH of the MC's are experiencing in an outstanding way. Their relationship is strong, and beautiful. It carries that unspoken trust and strong bond that long term friendships have, and that when they turn into that raw, desperate, passionate, love, it becomes explosive. The sex scenes are hot. So. Incredibly. Hot. The way they touch each other, breathe each other, feel each other. The way they want to possess and live the other person is absolutely mesmerizing.

There is much more to this book than romance. While romance plays a part here, the truth is that what we find here is the story of a man as a whole, with all its parts. Michael is Puerto Rican. As a Mexican woman, I must say that I loved the portrayal of the Latin culture in this book. I have to say that this is by far the best I've read in this genre. The portrayal of family relations was very accurate where cultural representation is concerned. There were so many things I read in this book that took me back to my childhood or teenage years and filled me with all kinds of emotions because it was painted so well. It felt real.

This is not your typical M/M Romance book. Santino takes risks, all the risks you can imagine. He tells this story with a beautiful, powerful and captivating prose, and strong, defined characters.

Discover New York through the eyes of diversity, through the eyes of a Puerto Rican man that bares his soul to you through Hassell's words. Discover his battles. Discover the man he loves, Nunzio, and his enigmatic blue eyes. Discover two men that hold on to each other, and save each other multiple times without even consciously knowing it. Let them break you and put you back together.

Live their journey. It's so much worth it.

If you love MCs who are oblivious and self destructive, then this is the book for you. It was painful for me. I couldn't imagine how anyone would not know their friend, who has been sleeping with them, is in love with them from all the obvious remarks. The fall down the drug abuse path was also slow and painful. Maybe this is how normal people live? I think it was just too much for me. I really never did like the main MC, even after he started putting himself back together.

Of course, we always want the best friends to become more than best friends. However, these are supposedly butch guys and the most butch turns out to only want to bottom with his best friend. I enjoyed the story. It made me hard. But it was predictable from the first word.

4.5 stars
I really like friends-to-lovers stories and I was eager to read this title from Santino Hassell. Michael has been friends with Nunzio since he was a young boy and they've shared many experiences over that time. They even work together teaching high school as adults. Nunzio has kept his attraction to Michael a secret all those years and it takes Michael quite some time to catch on to how Nunzio feels about him.

Michael has a lot going on in his life. His mother recently passed away and his alcoholic father has come back into the picture. He's also trying to get over a broken relationship of two years and is starting to realize what feelings Nunzio has for him. He's worried about losing his friendship if they take the relationship to a new level. Michael isn't the best communicator and ends up self-medicating just to deal with all the stuff that is happening to him. When the situation with his father comes to a head, Michael can't cope any more and ends up in a really bad place. Will he also lose Nunzio in the process becomes the question.

This book really kept me turning the pages. It's dark and gritty. Sutphin Boulevard shows what I thought was a very realistic view of these men and their challenges with careers and families. Sometimes when I read M/M romance, it seems like it's not much different from M/F with just the names changed, but in Sutphin Boulevard, I loved how the dialogue rang so very true to the way men talk to each other. I found myself thinking "yes"! this is how guys talk!

The story is told from Michael's point of view in first person, so that really helps the reader feel his pain. Some readers may get a bit uncomfortable as he descends to a very dark place, but I loved the grittiness and truth of Michael's troubles. Michael's brother Raymond is an interesting secondary character that I'm looking forward to learning more about, along with David, Nunzio and Michael's coworker.

There were a few slow spots in the book that could have been tightened up a little, and I would have liked to know more about Nunzio.That detracted a little from the rating of this title for me. This is very much Michael's story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this title and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series, Sunset Park which will be release in a few days. Santino Hassell is a new author for me, and I'll be keeping an eye out for his new titles.

I feel so incredibly honored to have been able to read this book. Having grown up in the inner city, it was so refreshing to read a novel where I was submerged into a culture and setting that I was absolutely familiar with. The characters were real, relatable, and leaped off the pages coming to life in front of me.

The plot was gritty and raw and filled with the type of angst that teaches you things and makes you remember how life can spiral out of control in the blink of an eye but it's important to remember that we're human and help is always there when you need it.

I've never read this author before but I can absolutely guarantee that I will be reading him from now on. This type of power and edge is what I never knew I needed in a m/m romance. Hassell writes with an S on his chest ready to take on evil and change the world. And if it isn't enough to write a thought-provoking story, he writes these characters that are way too hot to handle.

Michael and Nunzio are ridiculously scorching hot together. At one point I was wearing a sweater, literally started to sweat, and had to change into something cooler. Their friendship is absolutely perfect and the romance that begins to blossom between them is paced so well there was no way you could ever think they weren't meant to be.

I am 100% a fan forever. I can't wait to read more from this author. And I'd honestly consider it a privilege because he is just THAT good.

If a book could have an actual personality, then this one would be the equivalent of a classic bad boy – a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises to show that life isn’t always easy on him, but with bedroom eyes and a whiskey voice that go a long way towards making you forget it. The combination of family drama, pent up desire, pain, angst, and sexual tension will have your insides coiled tighter than a spring and your panties a hot mess after reading this one. Dayum!

Michael and Nunzio have been best friends for years. They’ve also been co-workers and partial roommates, but never lovers or friends with benefits… that is, until a night of dancing and alcohol set them on a course from which there is no return. This book is all about the shift in the dynamic of their friendship where we learn that one of them has wanted this for a long time, and the other has been fairly clueless. Since the book is strictly told from Michael’s POV, Nunzio’s thoughts and actions remain shrouded in a bit of mystery. The questions, the doubts, the dizzying high of off the charts sex, and the low of alcohol induced responses to other life stressors – these things will mix and mingle to create a vortex that will suck you in to the story and not let go until you reach the other side feeling a little worse for wear.

This book wouldn’t necessarily fall into the typical definition of a romance – it’s much grittier and true to life than most of its counterparts; however, it will absolutely pull all kinds of emotional responses from the reader – from pissed off at times to stupidly happy at the good feelz. You’ll be rooting for Michael and Nunzio through all those very real and sometimes very ugly challenges that riddle their journey.

The secondary characters were as vivid as the MCs in this story which means I’m completely hooked and waiting for book number two. If romantic fluff is primarily your thing, you won’t find it here. For everyone else, you won’t be sorry for checking this one out. Highly, highly recommended!!!

A good friend recommended this book and since I trust her judgement I went for it. I'm glad I did because I certainly enjoyed the book. This is a first time author for me and I liked the writing style. I liked Nunzio way more than I liked Michael. I think Nunzio was so well written, you could fell his hurt, his love and his wanting on each page. Michael did wear my nerves thin a few times between his head up his ass most of the book, and all of his drinking. I thought he needed a kick in the ass more than once. Now I completely understand why he was drinking, I completely understand why he didn't jump at the chance with Nunzio but that doesn't mean I didn't want him to open his eyes earlier. But I Get It!!! Book two is out and I can't wait to get started on it because I need to know how Michael and Nunzio are doing.

Good goody goodness, this was fantastic!! Raw, gritty, hot, sweet and funny as hell. Loved it even more because I grew up in the neighborhood described in the book. The author has captured every broken gritty thing about South Jamaica. When I saw the title of the book on some blog, I did a double take - Sutphin Boulevard - hey I know that street!! King Park, the Baisley houses, the dreaded E train to Queens! He also nailed the Kafkaesqe world of teaching in NYC. The absurdities and the desire to reach kids in a comical atmosphere that dulls the senses. But what caused me to sob for the last 10 minutes of the book was Michael's relationship with Nunzio. When he wakes up to what he says "Nunzio is his fxxxxxxx soul mate." The writing was stellar - the author told a tale of loss, friendship, death, addiction and love. And I fricken loved it. Told from Mikey's POV, the story took its time - others think the pacing was slow - no! Just right with the reader getting the nuances of the family, Michael's struggles, his back and forth with Zio. So downloaded the author's other reads and eagerly pre-ordered the next in the series, Sunset Park. Can't wait for Raymond's story.

This isn’t your typical friends to lovers type of story. Like the city it takes place in, it’s gritty, rough, and unforgiving. Set in Michael Rodriguez’s point of view we get a very detailed view of his mind… and all the shattered pieces that linger there. This is a man who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and he really shouldn’t. Mentally he can’t handle it, physically it’s killing him. His family is a mess, his job is drama filled, and his best friend Nunzio is the only anchor he has… and he’s losing that too.
I was born in Flushing Queens NY. Queens is a borough I know well. I love that Santino is a New Yorker and was spot on with his geography. Nothing worse than reading poor researched books. It’s the little things, you know?
This story is a tear you apart, chew you up, spit you out kind of story. There’s great pain and great triumph. There’s hate and there’s love. No matter what you get you get it epically.
Sutphin Boulevard is not a fairytale, it’s reality. I loved that most about it. There wasn’t that, okay I forgive you let’s hug it out crap. It was no, it’s not okay, work out your s***! That was fantastic!
Santino Hassell’s writing is stunning, his descriptions are beautiful, and he writes the human condition like poetry. This is a book you want to own!

After Strong Connection and Fast Connection of course I had to read Santino’s other works and I decided to start with this series.

From the get go you know this is going to be super hot and as the book continues you realize that these characters have a lot of heart and that they also have some pretty heavy stories to tell.

This is sort of a friends to lovers story but it has like many many layers to it. Things are hard to deal with for most of the book and we as spectators can see how these characters are making a mess of their lives but we can’t do anything about it!

I loved this book because the way Santino writes feel right, like that’s the way people talk and react to events in their lives, we mess up from time to time and it’s good that we have people who care enough about us to be there and help us.

Sutphin Boulevard is one of the best books I have read this year. I love the way the author tells the story about two friends that in the midst of their 20 year friendship encounter a lot of good times but also the tragedy of not being accepted.

Michael and Nunzio learned to love each other from the heart but also had to fight to realize that there was more than a friendship behind their good times.
I love the realism of the culture difference and the way he portraits what Michael, specifically, is feeling about being gay but also what lots of people consider a minority. The way all is written is excellent.
I have to say too … that I laughed about the whole Puerto Rican phrases and comments … Love it!!!!
Great job!!!
Looking forward to reading about Ray and David’s story … Mi Dios!!!

I became quite obsessed with this book quite a while back now; the unusual title, simplistic cover and detailed blurb really grabbed my attention. But I wasn’t entirely sure about it as Santino Hassell was a totally unknown author to me; the ebook price was unfortunately just a little over what I could afford at the time so I popped it on my wish list, not sure if I wanted to take the risk. Santino recently had this on sale and I snapped it up (I thank him immensely for doing that) then absolutely devoured this little gem of a book. I don’t know what I was worrying about in all honestly as this author had me thoroughly hooked by the end of chapter one. This was a rare 5 star read for me, you all know how stingy I am with those stars but this one deserves it so very much. It’s extremely hard to believe that this is Santino’s first Contemporary Romance but I think the guy nailed it!
I’m not sure what I was expecting from it, I think based on where the book takes place I imagined the dialogue and actions of Mikey and Nunzio to be quite in your face, arrogant and a little bit “queenish” but that was so far from what I got and I think that’s what made me enjoy this so much more. Both the main leads are in their early 30’s so I think this made a vast difference to the story. In fact I know it did, Santino has younger characters that play major roles in Sutphin Boulevard and the difference is quite stark. I am expecting the second Five Boroughs book to feel much different from this one.
This is a friends to lovers story but written in a different kind of way. Rather than from the one who has harboured those feelings, it is written the other way around which puts a really interesting angle on it. I felt a little frustrated at times that I never got Nunzio’s point of view, I really would have loved to have known what was running through his head. He had a pretty strong story of his own to tell. However, Santino wrote in such a way that you do get a good measure of what Nunzio feels and sees in regards to Mikey, and you understand pretty early on that Nunzio is simply waiting on Mikey to catch up.
Sutphin Boulevard felt REAL. From the descriptive imagery, realistic dialogue and emotional connection this is a book that is incredibly hard not to get sucked into. For me it kind of started off as one thing yet ended in entirely something else. It’s hard to explain. I mean you are thrust into Mikey and Nunzio’s life and very quickly you’re reading scenes that are extremely hot and have you reaching for that fan. There you question immediately if the whole book will just be a repeat of this and whilst I enjoy this kind of thing I don’t particularly like to read a book that is just full of sex and not a lot of story. But it’s seriously effing hot in places. This has a story, a very meaty, angsty story with some steam along the way that fits perfectly. It’s funny really; I don’t tend to skip M/M scenes of intimacy but in M/F I kind of do as they get a little tedious. This author managed to keep his scenes fresh throughout the whole book and while it isn’t jam packed the scenes certainly seem to come along at the right times in terms of the flow of the story.
“He stared at me wild-eyed and shattered with his lips damp and parted.”
Character wise I think Santino gave us two very real main characters that were just trying to get through their lives. Their age gave them a certain amount of wisdom and their relationship with each other was something I particularly enjoyed reading about. The development was there and despite this being written in a singular point of view I felt I had enough of each character to like them. It wasn’t a love at first read kind of thing but I don’t need that, I enjoyed watching these characters unfold.
As I said earlier this book felt like it started one way then delved into something else and I think this “made” it something more than your average romance. There are some pretty tough subjects under the surface of this story and while I felt there was perhaps a little lack of development with one particular subject (Nunzio’s history) it certainly made up for it with the rest. You don’t necessarily see the spiral coming but you most certainly feel that Mikey is teetering on the edge of something and when it comes it’s really heart breaking. This part of the story deals with sensitive subjects but it’s done really well, not overly steeped in syrup either for which I am immensely grateful. It has that tough love kind of vibe going on through those 4 chapters. I liked the profession of the characters; maybe that’s what made it feel so real, watching the struggle that they both had in their profession.
There’s a good emotional connection going on with this book. The author manages to hook that fairly early on and it’s something I absolutely crave in a book. I need to feel that emotion right alongside my characters. There are some intensely raw and beautiful moments scattered throughout and sometimes I just had to pause and re –read. I also happened across some fairly innocuous sentences that made me smile too. I mean one sentence had the word “straphangers” in it, I don’t know why but I read that paragraph a few times, I loved the image that it created. I also found a word or two that I had no idea what meant, again I love finding those. For example, the word “pedagogy” I had to look it up.
In short I loved this book! It has an extraordinary quality to it that’s hard to pin down. I wish I had taken the chance on this author long before because quite honestly I don’t think I will look back now. The next Five Boroughs is out soon, Sunset Park, which is Raymond and David’s story and I am extremely eager to get my hands on it. I loved the writing style of Santino and while I know the story will be very different I’m looking forward to getting lost in another Contemporary Romance from this author. Thanks Santino, you gave me something wonderful to get lost in for a few hours.

Santino Hassell’s writing has been described as ‘gritty’. And it is that, no doubt. But, it’s also full of beauty and heart and wit. And romance. I swooned HARD for these guys. The writing feels authentic, not researched. Santino Hassell is simply a great storyteller, and great storytelling begins with great characters. Lisa and I couldn’t stop talking about this book for weeks after we finished it. One of the things we both kept coming back to was that final scene, and how utterly perfect and gorgeous the writing was. Another thing that was repeated numerous times, though, in varying degrees of flail, depending on the scene being discussed, was how much we just LOVED these characters. They are so real, and there is so much meat to them…we honestly just couldn’t get enough.

Sutphin Boulevard is Michael’s story…Michael’s journey…but I have to start with Nunzio. Gahhhhh, you guys. This man is so far beyond sexy there isn’t even a word for it. Some of the descriptions of him in the book are perfection – made even more perfect by the fact that they are views of him through Mikey’s eyes…

"Nunzio’s pale blue eyes flashed the way they did when he was ready to light the fire on his Sicilian temper and go explosive on someone who had pushed him – or someone he cared about – a little too far."

"Nunzio had always been the charming one of our duo. The one who could get an allegedly straight frat boy to drop his pants with no more than a suggestive comment and a raised brow."

Aside from being sexy, and fiery, and beautiful, though – even more importantly – he’s also the best person Michael has ever known.

I have so much love for Nunzio – for both of them – but, Nunzio is the tortured hero. The one holding everything together, until it becomes too much even for him. This line…

“I wish I knew what to do to help you. Both of you.”

Heart-wrenching. I loved every single minute he was on the page, and would have loved to be even more inside his head…but to feel his hurt directly through him, instead of just through Michael’s observations, may have put the angst level over the top.

Okay, let’s talk about Michael. As I said above, this is his journey, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s a rough one. Things haven’t been right since leaving his life in Manhattan, and moving back to his childhood home in Queens after his mother passes away. His brother Ray, who, at twenty-five, still can’t get his act together, also lives there and is a constant source of frustration and stress for Michael. We get hints throughout the book that Michael can’t handle his life, at least the turn it has taken in the last year, very well. The way he leans on Nunzio for support, and his constant need to escape, are evident from the beginning. But, once his father shows up out of the blue and announces that he’s moving back in, and that he’s dying, things go downhill from there.

Born of his feeling trapped by his situation at home, Michael’s downward spiral is so tough to read. Clearly on the path to self-destruction, but feeling powerless to stop it, his apathy at times was maddening. How could he not care that he was about to lose his job? How could he put everyone through all of this agony, when even he admitted he knew full well what he was doing? How was he so blind to the rightness of his relationship with Nunzio, when he himself had observed so many times how centered Nunzio made him feel, and how he was the only one who could make him feel that way? Addiction, folks. That’s how.

Santino Hassell nailed the alcoholism/addiction aspect of this story – and, it was a huge part of the story. The emotions, the excuses, the denial, the apathy – not to mention Nunzio’s (and Ray’s) struggle and helplessness at watching it all go down – was soooo realistically and beautifully written.

Michael’s inability to handle the changes in his life, the biggest one, of course, being the shift in his and Nunzio’s relationship, leads him to heavier substance abuse. The heavier substance abuse causes him to withdraw and refuse to face what’s going on with them. His crippling fear of ruining their friendship almost takes everything away from him. Michael knows that he can’t live without Nunzio. He knows deep down that Nunzio is everything – that their relationship is everything – but, he can’t piece it all together because there is so much other ‘clutter’ in his life. He does finally have a moment of clarity in rehab, however, and we get this unforgettable line:

"My thoughts had rerouted to an option I’d never even considered before: my best friend, my one-and-only, my f*cking soul mate, Nunzio."

Where their friendship is the stuff of legends – completely rock solid, honest, and unbreakable – their romance is even more so. When I tell you these guys are ON FIRE, I mean their chemistry will melt your brain. The sex scenes in this book are BE-YOND hot.

Before wrapping up, I want to quickly touch on a few other important things…

A bit more about Michael: He’s so much more than the angst train he’s on throughout much of this book. He’s passionate, he’s sexy, he’s smart, he’s a fabulous teacher who is great with his students (the classroom/teaching scenes in this book are completely fantastic), and in the moments when he allows himself to be happy with Nunzio, we see how free and alive he can be.

David: Such a complex character. I can’t wait to get to know him better in the next book. Michael refers to him as a “poor, confused baby gay,” and I think that’s him through most of this story. Trying to fit in at McCleary. Trying to work through his mixed attraction and hero-worship of Michael and Nunzio. And, making bad decisions and poorly-handling his current relationship. The author does a good job of keeping him just this side of endearing, while also using him as a source of conflict in the book – but, we don’t truly get to see David, I don’t think, until the brilliant rehab scene when he and Ray go to visit Michael. That scene showed his potential as a friend, and how he could be a positive in Michael’s life. Fabulous stuff.

This book is amazing. Go forth and 1-Click!! You’ll be so glad you did! And now, I’ll leave you with this final thought:

That cover, tho…

Michael AKA "Mikey" works as a teacher with his best friend, Nunzio at a high school. They are hoping to make a difference in kids lives. While he has been going through a lot lately, Nunzio is at Mikey's side.

Nunzio has feelings for Michael that he has never acted upon. They both are afraid to destroy over 2 decades of friendship. The trust and adoration is there. Can they learn to go forward as more than friends?

Such a very sweet and yet emotional story. We see what can happen, and not happen when two friends move beyond the casual. I found this extremely compelling and I am not afraid to say I was hooked and could not put it down.

A good friend recommended this book and since I trust her judgement I went for it. I'm glad I did because I certainly enjoyed the book. This is a first time author for me and I liked the writing style. I liked Nunzio way more than I liked Michael. I think Nunzio was so well written, you could fell his hurt, his love and his wanting on each page. Michael did wear my nerves thin a few times between his head up his ass most of the book, and all of his drinking. I thought he needed a kick in the ass more than once. Now I completely understand why he was drinking, I completely understand why he didn't jump at the chance with Nunzio but that doesn't mean I didn't want him to open his eyes earlier. But I Get It!!! Book two is out and I can't wait to get started on it because I need to know how Michael and Nunzio are doing.

Good goody goodness, this was fantastic!! Raw, gritty, hot, sweet and funny as hell. Loved it even more because I grew up in the neighborhood described in the book. The author has captured every broken gritty thing about South Jamaica. When I saw the title of the book on some blog, I did a double take - Sutphin Boulevard - hey I know that street!! King Park, the Baisley houses, the dreaded E train to Queens! He also nailed the Kafkaesqe world of teaching in NYC. The absurdities and the desire to reach kids in a comical atmosphere that dulls the senses. But what caused me to sob for the last 10 minutes of the book was Michael's relationship with Nunzio. When he wakes up to what he says "Nunzio is his fxxxxxxx soul mate." The writing was stellar - the author told a tale of loss, friendship, death, addiction and love. And I fricken loved it. Told from Mikey's POV, the story took its time - others think the pacing was slow - no! Just right with the reader getting the nuances of the family, Michael's struggles, his back and forth with Zio. So downloaded the author's other reads and eagerly pre-ordered the next in the series, Sunset Park. Can't wait for Raymond's story.

This isn’t your typical friends to lovers type of story. Like the city it takes place in, it’s gritty, rough, and unforgiving. Set in Michael Rodriguez’s point of view we get a very detailed view of his mind… and all the shattered pieces that linger there. This is a man who is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and he really shouldn’t. Mentally he can’t handle it, physically it’s killing him. His family is a mess, his job is drama filled, and his best friend Nunzio is the only anchor he has… and he’s losing that too.
I was born in Flushing Queens NY. Queens is a borough I know well. I love that Santino is a New Yorker and was spot on with his geography. Nothing worse than reading poor researched books. It’s the little things, you know?
This story is a tear you apart, chew you up, spit you out kind of story. There’s great pain and great triumph. There’s hate and there’s love. No matter what you get you get it epically.
Sutphin Boulevard is not a fairytale, it’s reality. I loved that most about it. There wasn’t that, okay I forgive you let’s hug it out crap. It was no, it’s not okay, work out your s***! That was fantastic!
Santino Hassell’s writing is stunning, his descriptions are beautiful, and he writes the human condition like poetry. This is a book you want to own!

After Strong Connection and Fast Connection of course I had to read Santino’s other works and I decided to start with this series.

From the get go you know this is going to be super hot and as the book continues you realize that these characters have a lot of heart and that they also have some pretty heavy stories to tell.

This is sort of a friends to lovers story but it has like many many layers to it. Things are hard to deal with for most of the book and we as spectators can see how these characters are making a mess of their lives but we can’t do anything about it!

I loved this book because the way Santino writes feel right, like that’s the way people talk and react to events in their lives, we mess up from time to time and it’s good that we have people who care enough about us to be there and help us.

Sutphin Boulevard is one of the best books I have read this year. I love the way the author tells the story about two friends that in the midst of their 20 year friendship encounter a lot of good times but also the tragedy of not being accepted.

Michael and Nunzio learned to love each other from the heart but also had to fight to realize that there was more than a friendship behind their good times.
I love the realism of the culture difference and the way he portraits what Michael, specifically, is feeling about being gay but also what lots of people consider a minority. The way all is written is excellent.
I have to say too … that I laughed about the whole Puerto Rican phrases and comments … Love it!!!!
Great job!!!
Looking forward to reading about Ray and David’s story … Mi Dios!!!

I became quite obsessed with this book quite a while back now; the unusual title, simplistic cover and detailed blurb really grabbed my attention. But I wasn’t entirely sure about it as Santino Hassell was a totally unknown author to me; the ebook price was unfortunately just a little over what I could afford at the time so I popped it on my wish list, not sure if I wanted to take the risk. Santino recently had this on sale and I snapped it up (I thank him immensely for doing that) then absolutely devoured this little gem of a book. I don’t know what I was worrying about in all honestly as this author had me thoroughly hooked by the end of chapter one. This was a rare 5 star read for me, you all know how stingy I am with those stars but this one deserves it so very much. It’s extremely hard to believe that this is Santino’s first Contemporary Romance but I think the guy nailed it!
I’m not sure what I was expecting from it, I think based on where the book takes place I imagined the dialogue and actions of Mikey and Nunzio to be quite in your face, arrogant and a little bit “queenish” but that was so far from what I got and I think that’s what made me enjoy this so much more. Both the main leads are in their early 30’s so I think this made a vast difference to the story. In fact I know it did, Santino has younger characters that play major roles in Sutphin Boulevard and the difference is quite stark. I am expecting the second Five Boroughs book to feel much different from this one.
This is a friends to lovers story but written in a different kind of way. Rather than from the one who has harboured those feelings, it is written the other way around which puts a really interesting angle on it. I felt a little frustrated at times that I never got Nunzio’s point of view, I really would have loved to have known what was running through his head. He had a pretty strong story of his own to tell. However, Santino wrote in such a way that you do get a good measure of what Nunzio feels and sees in regards to Mikey, and you understand pretty early on that Nunzio is simply waiting on Mikey to catch up.
Sutphin Boulevard felt REAL. From the descriptive imagery, realistic dialogue and emotional connection this is a book that is incredibly hard not to get sucked into. For me it kind of started off as one thing yet ended in entirely something else. It’s hard to explain. I mean you are thrust into Mikey and Nunzio’s life and very quickly you’re reading scenes that are extremely hot and have you reaching for that fan. There you question immediately if the whole book will just be a repeat of this and whilst I enjoy this kind of thing I don’t particularly like to read a book that is just full of sex and not a lot of story. But it’s seriously effing hot in places. This has a story, a very meaty, angsty story with some steam along the way that fits perfectly. It’s funny really; I don’t tend to skip M/M scenes of intimacy but in M/F I kind of do as they get a little tedious. This author managed to keep his scenes fresh throughout the whole book and while it isn’t jam packed the scenes certainly seem to come along at the right times in terms of the flow of the story.
“He stared at me wild-eyed and shattered with his lips damp and parted.”
Character wise I think Santino gave us two very real main characters that were just trying to get through their lives. Their age gave them a certain amount of wisdom and their relationship with each other was something I particularly enjoyed reading about. The development was there and despite this being written in a singular point of view I felt I had enough of each character to like them. It wasn’t a love at first read kind of thing but I don’t need that, I enjoyed watching these characters unfold.
As I said earlier this book felt like it started one way then delved into something else and I think this “made” it something more than your average romance. There are some pretty tough subjects under the surface of this story and while I felt there was perhaps a little lack of development with one particular subject (Nunzio’s history) it certainly made up for it with the rest. You don’t necessarily see the spiral coming but you most certainly feel that Mikey is teetering on the edge of something and when it comes it’s really heart breaking. This part of the story deals with sensitive subjects but it’s done really well, not overly steeped in syrup either for which I am immensely grateful. It has that tough love kind of vibe going on through those 4 chapters. I liked the profession of the characters; maybe that’s what made it feel so real, watching the struggle that they both had in their profession.
There’s a good emotional connection going on with this book. The author manages to hook that fairly early on and it’s something I absolutely crave in a book. I need to feel that emotion right alongside my characters. There are some intensely raw and beautiful moments scattered throughout and sometimes I just had to pause and re –read. I also happened across some fairly innocuous sentences that made me smile too. I mean one sentence had the word “straphangers” in it, I don’t know why but I read that paragraph a few times, I loved the image that it created. I also found a word or two that I had no idea what meant, again I love finding those. For example, the word “pedagogy” I had to look it up.
In short I loved this book! It has an extraordinary quality to it that’s hard to pin down. I wish I had taken the chance on this author long before because quite honestly I don’t think I will look back now. The next Five Boroughs is out soon, Sunset Park, which is Raymond and David’s story and I am extremely eager to get my hands on it. I loved the writing style of Santino and while I know the story will be very different I’m looking forward to getting lost in another Contemporary Romance from this author. Thanks Santino, you gave me something wonderful to get lost in for a few hours.

Santino Hassell’s writing has been described as ‘gritty’. And it is that, no doubt. But, it’s also full of beauty and heart and wit. And romance. I swooned HARD for these guys. The writing feels authentic, not researched. Santino Hassell is simply a great storyteller, and great storytelling begins with great characters. Lisa and I couldn’t stop talking about this book for weeks after we finished it. One of the things we both kept coming back to was that final scene, and how utterly perfect and gorgeous the writing was. Another thing that was repeated numerous times, though, in varying degrees of flail, depending on the scene being discussed, was how much we just LOVED these characters. They are so real, and there is so much meat to them…we honestly just couldn’t get enough.

Sutphin Boulevard is Michael’s story…Michael’s journey…but I have to start with Nunzio. Gahhhhh, you guys. This man is so far beyond sexy there isn’t even a word for it. Some of the descriptions of him in the book are perfection – made even more perfect by the fact that they are views of him through Mikey’s eyes…

"Nunzio’s pale blue eyes flashed the way they did when he was ready to light the fire on his Sicilian temper and go explosive on someone who had pushed him – or someone he cared about – a little too far."

"Nunzio had always been the charming one of our duo. The one who could get an allegedly straight frat boy to drop his pants with no more than a suggestive comment and a raised brow."

Aside from being sexy, and fiery, and beautiful, though – even more importantly – he’s also the best person Michael has ever known.

I have so much love for Nunzio – for both of them – but, Nunzio is the tortured hero. The one holding everything together, until it becomes too much even for him. This line…

“I wish I knew what to do to help you. Both of you.”

Heart-wrenching. I loved every single minute he was on the page, and would have loved to be even more inside his head…but to feel his hurt directly through him, instead of just through Michael’s observations, may have put the angst level over the top.

Okay, let’s talk about Michael. As I said above, this is his journey, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s a rough one. Things haven’t been right since leaving his life in Manhattan, and moving back to his childhood home in Queens after his mother passes away. His brother Ray, who, at twenty-five, still can’t get his act together, also lives there and is a constant source of frustration and stress for Michael. We get hints throughout the book that Michael can’t handle his life, at least the turn it has taken in the last year, very well. The way he leans on Nunzio for support, and his constant need to escape, are evident from the beginning. But, once his father shows up out of the blue and announces that he’s moving back in, and that he’s dying, things go downhill from there.

Born of his feeling trapped by his situation at home, Michael’s downward spiral is so tough to read. Clearly on the path to self-destruction, but feeling powerless to stop it, his apathy at times was maddening. How could he not care that he was about to lose his job? How could he put everyone through all of this agony, when even he admitted he knew full well what he was doing? How was he so blind to the rightness of his relationship with Nunzio, when he himself had observed so many times how centered Nunzio made him feel, and how he was the only one who could make him feel that way? Addiction, folks. That’s how.

Santino Hassell nailed the alcoholism/addiction aspect of this story – and, it was a huge part of the story. The emotions, the excuses, the denial, the apathy – not to mention Nunzio’s (and Ray’s) struggle and helplessness at watching it all go down – was soooo realistically and beautifully written.

Michael’s inability to handle the changes in his life, the biggest one, of course, being the shift in his and Nunzio’s relationship, leads him to heavier substance abuse. The heavier substance abuse causes him to withdraw and refuse to face what’s going on with them. His crippling fear of ruining their friendship almost takes everything away from him. Michael knows that he can’t live without Nunzio. He knows deep down that Nunzio is everything – that their relationship is everything – but, he can’t piece it all together because there is so much other ‘clutter’ in his life. He does finally have a moment of clarity in rehab, however, and we get this unforgettable line:

"My thoughts had rerouted to an option I’d never even considered before: my best friend, my one-and-only, my f*cking soul mate, Nunzio."

Where their friendship is the stuff of legends – completely rock solid, honest, and unbreakable – their romance is even more so. When I tell you these guys are ON FIRE, I mean their chemistry will melt your brain. The sex scenes in this book are BE-YOND hot.

Before wrapping up, I want to quickly touch on a few other important things…

A bit more about Michael: He’s so much more than the angst train he’s on throughout much of this book. He’s passionate, he’s sexy, he’s smart, he’s a fabulous teacher who is great with his students (the classroom/teaching scenes in this book are completely fantastic), and in the moments when he allows himself to be happy with Nunzio, we see how free and alive he can be.

David: Such a complex character. I can’t wait to get to know him better in the next book. Michael refers to him as a “poor, confused baby gay,” and I think that’s him through most of this story. Trying to fit in at McCleary. Trying to work through his mixed attraction and hero-worship of Michael and Nunzio. And, making bad decisions and poorly-handling his current relationship. The author does a good job of keeping him just this side of endearing, while also using him as a source of conflict in the book – but, we don’t truly get to see David, I don’t think, until the brilliant rehab scene when he and Ray go to visit Michael. That scene showed his potential as a friend, and how he could be a positive in Michael’s life. Fabulous stuff.

This book is amazing. Go forth and 1-Click!! You’ll be so glad you did! And now, I’ll leave you with this final thought:

That cover, tho…

Michael AKA "Mikey" works as a teacher with his best friend, Nunzio at a high school. They are hoping to make a difference in kids lives. While he has been going through a lot lately, Nunzio is at Mikey's side.

Nunzio has feelings for Michael that he has never acted upon. They both are afraid to destroy over 2 decades of friendship. The trust and adoration is there. Can they learn to go forward as more than friends?

Such a very sweet and yet emotional story. We see what can happen, and not happen when two friends move beyond the casual. I found this extremely compelling and I am not afraid to say I was hooked and could not put it down.

This book is absolutely amazing! As a fan of Santino Hassell’s previous work, when I saw Sutphin Boulevard, I knew for sure I had to read it. The book starts off with the long time best friends, Michael and Nunzio, going out on the town after Michael breaks up with his boyfriend. Nunzio encourages Michael to go out and have rebound sex, but when they pick up a guy, the night ends up with Nunzio in the mix. Michael cannot deny he loves what happened with Nunzio, but refuses to think of it as something more than just sex. Since Michael has had bad luck with relationships, he doesn’t want to mess up his friendship with Nunzio by moving in a romantic direction. Then Michael starts having family troubles, and he uses this as an excuse to avoid his changing relationship with Nunzio. It’s safer to think of it as sex, though it’s clear he fears there’s something else. To complicate matters, Michael has been living in a haze, drinking every day to escape his reality. When another family tragedy hits, Michael goes downhill, eventually hitting rock bottom. Despite all of the hurt and suffering, there’s an extremely emotional happy ending.

I couldn’t be happier with this book. Though it’s written in first person in Michael’s point of view, Santino Hassell writes it in a way that lets you see all that Michael is blind to. Through the haze of alcohol and anxiety drugs, Michael fails to see what it so painfully obvious—that his best friend is in love with him. Or the truth may be that he sees it and feels it but he doesn’t want to admit it to himself. There are times in the book that Nunzio gets Michael in bed. Their sex is extraordinary, but every time Nunzio touches him in a sensual manner, Michael gets spooked and tries to imagine it’s not happening. I often felt like screaming at Michael, telling him to wake up, but I completely understood how someone in his situation might deteriorate. When Michael finally gets help, I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat that wouldn’t go away. I experienced all his fears and pain until he finally started to realize what was important to him and what he truly wanted and needed. The only drawback to reading this book is that now I have to wait impatiently for book two. I highly recommend Sutphin Boulevard to those who love deeply emotional M/M erotic romance with plenty of angst.

Reviewed for Love Bytes

Santino Hassell is a wonderful writer with great dialogue, great turns of phrase, and intersting characters.

That said, I could not settle into this book. I wanted to wack Micheal up side the head so often. I wanted him get get it together much earlier in the book so the real work of a real relationship could begin.

I am very interested in his brother's book but this book and its angst on high just irrated me.

This contemporary M/M romance is the first instalment in Santino Hassell’s new ‘Five Boroughs’ series set in New York City, intended to comprise of five novels.

Before reaching for this book, I purposely avoided reading the blurb and dove straight into it with minimal previous knowledge. Being a hard core and near obsessive fan of ICoS (co-written by Santino Hassell with Ais Lin), I automatically presumed it would be another dark and violent modern dystopian fantasy tale. This time however, instead of encountering an array of deadly characters placed in a fictional setting, I was acquainted with a bunch of high-school teachers, living and breathing the urban environment of the Big Apple. After the initial frown of surprise, I jumped into Queens, immediately became captivated and never looked back.

There are four significant aspects of this novel I particularly appreciated:

Firstly – Masterfully written characters, containing some interesting personality types.

Michael Rodriguez is a tragic and deeply flawed character. While carrying a lot of guilt and grief, he cares enormously about his friends, family and students and unrealistically aspires to shoulder all responsibility for everyone around. Eventually he snaps under the pressure and follows the path to self-destruction. Michael’s avoidance issues lead to using sex, alcohol and substance addiction as coping mechanisms to deal with reality and life’s expectations.

Nunzio Medici, Michael’s best friend and subsequently his lover, is the person who indirectly saves him. This sexy, charming, dirty-talking Sicilian has a big heart and highly developed protective instincts. Fiercely loyal; his competitive, arrogant and self-confident bravado is merely a front, put on in order to hide his sensitive and affectionate core.

David, also an intriguing character, is the person who accidentally brings Michael and Nunzio together. I enjoyed his transformation from a meaningless hook up to a colleague and, finally, a friend.

However, it was Michael’s brother, Raymond, who stole the show for me. Seemingly immature, unreliable, jobless, forever stoned, women chasing and X-Box playing Ray really comes through when it matters, showing personal integrity and emotional intelligence nobody expected of him. And he’s funny!

Secondly – I appreciated the amount of grit and darkness featuring in the book. In between the events taking place and steam coming out of the bedroom, some serious meaningful issues – dysfunctional family dynamics, domestic violence, parental rejection due to sexual orientation, depression, alcoholism and prescribed medication dependence – are being tackled in the background. This is not just another silly romance.

Thirdly – Authenticity. It’s obvious that the issues the Author writes about are well-known and personally important to him. That’s why it all screams true and believable to me. There are no exaggerated or phony qualities about it. And I’m saying that as a person with first-hand knowledge of education setting and experience in working with people battling addictions and mental disorders.

Finally – The Erotica. Sex is passionate, incredibly intense and completely mind-bending. The opening threesome rebound porno-like session is undoubtedly the hottest sex scene I’ve ever read. What makes is even more fervent, is the fact that it isn’t just about sex. The random, alcohol-induced encounter with the third-party becomes for Michael and Nunzio a turning point; the beginning of something meaningful and poignant. It forever alters their twenty-year-old friendship and lays foundation for what is to come between them later.

It’s puzzling, that apparently Santino finds writing sex scenes embarrassing and uncomfortable (there has been talk of blushing on social medias) because damn, they read so well and are written effortlessly and with a flourish.

While it is not a regular occurrence for me to get teary, this book had me overwrought with emotion and on the verge of crying on couple of occasions. The scene where Michael, at the height of his internal numbness, apathy, confusion and alcohol addiction, pushes Nunzio away is simply heartwrenching. Another soul-stirring moment happens when Michael, having been hit by his epiphany, leaves Nunzio a moving, pleading message that marks the beginning of his road to recovery.

I don’t have much to say in terms of criticism here. The only thing I need to mention is that with Michael remaining the focus of the story and being the narrator, I personally missed Nunzio’s perspective in the book. He is such an enthralling character; getting a more in-depth glimpse at his motivation and internal unravelling would have made the story fuller and the novel holistically perfect. I would have loved a dual POV narration, with both Michael and Nunzio presenting the events respectively. That would have also solved another one of my minor issues, which is… the book’s length. I confess I was slightly disappointed in that respect. Being spoilt rotten by ICoS, I expected something more wordy and was surprised to find the book has only 265 pages.

To my mind, Sutphin Boulevard is a phenomenal and clever read. It is a book about life choices – positive and detrimental ones – but more importantly, it is a book about relationships. Relationships between family members, friends, lovers, colleagues, students and teachers. Nunzio’s words: “Teachers are supposed to be smart or the world turns out stupid” perfectly encapsulates the essence of the entire book for me.

I give this novel 4.5 rating and highly recommend it. I will be impatiently awaiting the next installment in the ‘Five Boroughs’ series and for Santino Hassell to unfold Ray’s story.

https://kasiabb.wordpress.com/

I have so many things to say about Sutphin Boulevard. I am going to do my best to talk about why I loved it so much without making this review All About Me.

The single most useful word I’ve come up with to describe this book is REAL. If you have any experience with addiction, personal or peripheral, you will likely recognize Michael Rodriguez's danger, his descent, his tailspin, and his recovery… as I did. It all rings very, very true. My own early life experience led me down this path beside a loved one, and I have never read a description of life on the inside of this vortex that felt more familiar to me. It’s not a pretty place to be, but it's not solely bleak, either. Most accounts forget that there are bright spaces within the gloom. Not this one.

The writing is consistent with Hassell’s now familiar voice. Firm and unapologetic, it embraces the intensity of life rather than sugar-coating it, and walks that line between elegant and dark that has such a ring of truth about it. The rhythm and flow of the dialogue, the slang, and the tone he manages to convey, even in print, work together to make the reader feel incredibly present. It's kind of amazing. The chemistry between Michael and his best friend, Nunzio Medici, is, well, pretty delicious, and becomes the catalyst for the ways in which their lifelong friendship is tested while the pair attempts to learn how to love one another in a new way.

But it’s really Michael I want to talk about. Michael and his wounds. Michael and his pure love for his friend and his failing effort to manage the mental contortions he forces upon himself in his struggle to reconcile what he wants with what he believes he must endure.

Michael is an embattled soul. His journey is deeply emotional, and takes him to some pretty dark places within himself, but Hassell’s use of other characters, primarily Nunzio, to position Michael within his darkness alleviates so much of the pain, both for Michael himself and for us as readers. Michael is suffering on so many levels. He is battling things that we all face: the uncomfortable juxtaposition between our inherited families and our chosen families; the conflict between who we are, who others expect us to be, and who we ultimately decide to be; the inherent inconsistencies in the human condition; and finding ways to deal with our stress levels and with loss.  

Hassell deftly balances Michael’s darkness with Nunzio’s light, and it’s part of the author's magic that we are able to connect with Nunzio and understand the depth of his love, his constancy, and his commitment to Michael despite never being allowed into his head. The trust between the pair runs so deep that I automatically understood that even if Michael *never* managed to pull himself together and participate in his own happiness, Nunzio would adjust his expectations accordingly and continue to give Michael whatever parts of himself would be accepted. That’s love, folks, and it's beautiful.

Despite the intense subject matter and the uncertainty inherent in Michael’s struggle, the outcome is neither facile nor forced. The resolution that Michael and Nunzio build for themselves feels natural, healthy, and permanent. I think maybe the reason that the ending is my favorite part of a book in which there’s so much else to love is that I feel like I know Michael and Nunzio (in some ways I have been Nunzio), and really, this is exactly the kind of outcome that I truly wish for everyone whose lives have been touched by addiction. Only in true love (of any stripe) can any of us find the comfort and safety necessary to build a future. And I think that's pretty wonderful.

A surprise gem. This is a terrific story, gritty without being grungy. A story written for adults –and I'm not just talking about the sex. Mucho gusto!

Sutphin Boulevard grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. It’s emotional, gritty and very sexy. The setting details, both in terms of environment and culture, were excellent. The characters are likeable, unique and interesting, a refreshing change from the cookie cutter types so prevalent in the genre. Thank you, Santino Hassell for a great read.

Santino Hassell is relatively new to me as an author (don't ask, I can't imagine how that happened), but his newest release ... do NOT miss this book. This is the kind of book you will read again and again and always find something anew to enjoy.

The writing is amazing, the story is beautiful and painful in the very best ways, and the characters will crawl into your heart. Be ready for them to take up residence for a while.

A fantastic story with a realistic cast of diverse characters that reflect the city they live in perfectly.

This book reads incredibly honestly, like a story plucked from real life and plopped down in front of the readers in magic readable format. The characters have so many complex layers, the setting is so appealing but gritty, and the tone is both dark and comedic. And then there's the sex. The sex is real good. A+, 5 stars, blushing when the scene creeps up in your consciousness while you're waiting in line at the grocery store...good.

Santino has created this beautiful and dark and multifaceted world that I can't wait to read more about in the coming releases. Every character has their appeal. It's great.

All in all, highly recommended for fans of many genres -- romance, dark fiction, comedy, and lovers of angst. Get in on this ASAP!

Terrific! SH's writing style is like a breath of fresh air - intelligent, modern and utterly captivating. I liked everything about this book: the story, the setting, the dialogue, the emotions it evoked, and most definitely the characters. It's very different than In the Company of Shadows, but it has that same "can't put it down" quality as ICoS. Highly recommended.

I totally loved that book. I loved Michael and Nunzio.
And I loved Raymond and David whom were great and well written secondary characters.
From the first chapter, the chemistry between the MC is palpable. From the beginning, it’s evident that those two boys love each other and there won’t ever be anyone else for them, even if they’re in denial.
I understand the desire to keep the relationship platonic when you can lose so much in one moment of abandon.
And I’m so glad they shared that moment because it made for a beautiful story.
Those characters are so lovable that my heart bled with theirs; I was sad with them, distressed, nervous, and annoyed with them. I cried when they’re sad and yes, I smiled because the people on this book are good people and I was happy when they were happy.
In short, this book is full of emotions and as an emphatic human being, I had a great time reading it.

I really enjoyed this book! This author is new to me and I'm working my way through his work. A little gritty. A little drama. A lot of interesting, lovable characters! I love when I find new authors to follow and share with friends.

Wow what an intense, emotional and raw read. It was all so real
And I loved how the characters developed. The style of writing was gripping. Perfect mix of emotion and super sexy scenes. Must-read.