ROMANCE

Sutphin Boulevard

Dreamspinner. (Five Boroughs, Bk. 1). Aug. 2015. 242p. ebk. ISBN 9781634763264. $6.99. M/M ROMANCE
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Friends for more than 20 years, Michael Rodriguez and Nunzio Medici struggled to escape their harsh upbringing in New York's borough of Queens to become teachers together at a high school in Manhattan. Their friendship has always been close but without benefits until a summer night when they go out dancing and end up in a three-way. Now, Michael and Nunzio want more than a platonic friendship but are afraid to risk losing the bond they already have. Meanwhile, Michael must deal with a crisis involving his estranged father, and to cope, Michael begins to alienate himself from family and friends, including Nunzio, spiraling down into self-destructive behavior. Michael knows he will lose Nunzio, what is left of his family, and possibly his job if he continues, but he can't find a way to change his actions or seek help.
VERDICT Hassell (After Midnight) doesn't sugarcoat his vibrant characters, making them as gritty as the Queens neighborhood in which they grew up. While the story begins with fun and parties, it quickly moves into depressing realities that tend to permeate the remainder of the novel. Although grim, Sutphin Boulevard is also refreshing in its honest portrayal of urban life. There are plenty of steamy sex scenes; overall, a welcome addition to romance collections in urban libraries.
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