Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: End of the Line
SERIES: Rail Riders
AUTHOR: Nicky James
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 10 hours and 56 minutes
RELEASE DATE: November 16, 2023
BLURB:
When a boy who has everything meets a boy who has nothing, life will never be the same again.
Leopold Van Eschen is in big trouble. All the money in the world won’t save him from what he’s done. On the run, desperate to get away, Leo finds himself seeking help from a bunch of vagabonds he meets in a railyard.
Leo has no idea his whole world is about to change.
Killian has been homeless and living on the fly for nine years. The closest thing he has to family is a group of fellow freight-hoppers. With the wind at his back and the whole world stretched out before him, he’s happy. It’s not an easy life, but you can’t put a price on freedom.
A chance run-in with a wealthy stranger turns Killian’s world upside down. Leo’s cute and desperate to get away. Without knowing a thing about him, Killian and his friends help Leo escape the city.
It doesn’t take long before Killian realizes the boy he’s slowly falling for has dark secrets.
Who is Leo running from?
What happened to make Leo want to give up a life of wealth to live the life of a vagabond instead?
**End of the Line is the first book in a queer romance series. It’s a story of two men from vastly different worlds who fall in love while on a journey of self-discovery. It’s a story of friendship and found family. No cliffhangers. 100% HEA**
REVIEW:
Leo is covered in blood. He may have been born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, but that doesn’t mean his life has been easy. And now he’s running for his life. He manages to get some cash and his only thought is to get out of town. Bus? Train? But he’s being pursued. He risks his life climbing the fence into a railyard and is nearly hit but trains not once but twice.
Killian is leaving to hop the trains with his friends and head west. He sees Leo and knows he’s not going to make it onto the train so he hustles down and pulls Leo back before he ends up under the train. Killian’s ragtag group of friends are none too thrilled. Dodger in particular seems reluctant to take on someone as soft and green as Leo. Tyler and Willow are more welcoming, but having one inexperienced rider is going to slow them down. Plus in Leo’s $500 shoes and expensive clothes he’s not exactly prepared for life on the rails.
As they move further west, Killian finds himself intrigued by Leo. He wants to know more, but there is the code. Eventually it comes out that both are gay and that neither felt accepted by their family. Killian ran away at 16 and has been living on the road ever since. Leo has had everything done for him growing up, so he’s thrilled by the simplest things – like going to McDonald’s. When he came out though, his father told him it was a phase. And he’s been “engaged” to a woman he’s only met twice and of course has no interest in.
After the events in Montreal, Leo is haunted. It’s clear that he is dealing with something big. He starts to open up to Killian and then to the whole group. And then things start to go wrong and Leo feels even more guilty – not only for Montreal but for potentially putting his new friends in danger also. It’s the last thing he wants. He and Killian have managed to fall in love on this cross country adventure but the odds are stacked against them. Can they make it to the “end of the line” and stay together?
I don’t know how I managed to miss this series from Nicky James. When I saw it was out in audio with Nick J. Russo narrating, well I grabbed it. Nick and Nicky are a perfect combination and this is another example of why. The story is a rollercoaster ride. The alternating POVs of Killian and Leopold really add to the story. The anxiety and guilt that Leopold feels about how he escaped and what may have happened is palpable. Killian’s protective instincts take over the first time he lays eyes on Leo and his attempts to get away in the railyard. He takes Leo under his wing immediately and teaches him the ropes. I loved how Killian cared for Leo straight away – watching out for him trying to ease his burdens. There were some wonderful twists and turns in the story that I did not expect! The ending was actually not anything like I thought it would be – but was a perfect fit.
As usual Nick J. Russo did a masterful job of bringing all these characters to life. I felt for both Killian and Leo. They each had some pretty heavy baggage. In each other they found a kindred spirit. They cared so much about each other and their story was a rather unconventional romance. I felt Leo’s pain and Killian’s panic and ultimately their love for one another. Beautifully performed. Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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