REVIEWED BY DANIELLE

TITLE: Long the Mile (part of the Home for the Holidays series)

AUTHOR: Ally Blue

PUBLISHER: Riptide

LENGTH: 140 pages

BLURB:

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find what you really need.

When Judah went to prison for insider trading, he lost everything he thought was important: his business, his money, his power. But when he gets out, homelessness strips him of the one thing he has left: his self-respect. When another homeless man saves him from a beating, he begins to learn to rely on the goodness of those around him.

For Toby, life on the streets has become familiar. Comfortable. So comfortable he wonders if he’s given up on changing his life for the better. Then comes Judah. Formerly rich, newly homeless, all his pride and attitude gone along with his material possessions. Helping Judah feels good. Their unexpected connection—physical and beyond—feels even better.

Their shared situation nurtures a growing closeness that blossoms into something deeper. But when change comes knocking, it will take all their strength to keep fear and insecurity from tearing them apart.

20% of all proceeds from this title are donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York, whose mission “is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood.” To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

REVIEW:

This story isn’t the sweet holiday story that you expect when you think of holiday themed stories, at least at the start of the book. Still I can’t deny it grabs you by the throat. There is something about the whole mixture of the characters, the charity and the places that are named in the story that makes you believe and want to read more.

Also that is at least one of the fails of this story. It goes too fast at certain times.

We meet Judah, and obnoxious man in the beginning and we watch him struggle from prison to a life in public again, losing all that he had and even losing more after a couple of months when he even has to give up his place to live.

Then we have Toby…sweet, gentle, kind Toby who’s almost too good to be true. But he grabs you and doesn’t let go! Toby, who has been living on the streets for quite some time. What a wonderful character, he radiates off your screen.

For some reason these two different men connect and get together in all the ways possible. Unfortunately this is written quite quickly and I would have liked to have seen it built a bit more.

I cannot deny the connection that is there.The characters have great chemistry and you can easily bond with one or both of them. It’s fascinating to see them struggle but even more to see the beauty of living through their eyes.

The church where the homeless of the city can find shelter and a shower or a bed on occasion deserve to have special mention as do Father Bill and Mary Lou. They are amazing, loving people and to me, the author did a fabulous job on showing us that side of the care for homeless people, bringing it up close and personal.

The research that is done is thorough and I think is one of the plus sides of this novella and the characters are as well. Yet I do believe the built up for the story, the emotional connection could have been expanded as there are some periods in the story that goes so fast that you regret missing some parts.

And while I’m happy that this has a HEA, it’s written quickly and too simply and I think that are a few missed opportunities there. How did Judah come to realise some things? And the easy way Toby takes him back in his life? These are just a few examples of what I would loved to have seen expanded.

This was my first story by this author and I am curious to check out a longer story to see how that was written out.

It is a comfortable read and she addressed a very current issue and turned it in a romantic holiday story with a message.

Overall if you want a short holiday novel that isn’t the standard smooch level that some others have and you want to read something in this theme but with a message then you want to pick this up. Then you will also support a great cause by with your.donation.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: Riptide , Amazon, Are