End of the Line

Rail Riders, Book 1

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

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**

©2021 Nicky James (P)2023 Nicky James

What an amazing ride

Well Nicky James has done it again. She's taken an idea and created a new and exciting story of rail jumping. Leo and Killian are well written characters. The storyline draws you in immediately and I was invested from the get go. The whole gang are an interesting group and Nicky’s characters have this depth that you can’t help but be drawn into the story. The narration is wonderful and he brings all the characters to life.
I look forward to listening to the rest of this series. If you have enjoyed Nicky's books before then you will not be disappointed in this one.

Another winner from Nicky J!

I've been waiting for this series to get into audio because I'm fascinated with the idea of railriders and their lives.
This did not disappoint!
It was fast paced and adventurous while also being sweet and romantic.
I liked how they had a quick connection and how their relationship progressed.
It was a great listen as usual from Nick J Russo and I'm so excited for the rest of the gang!

End of the Line. Great book

great writing, great performance. I couldn’t stop listening. The book kept me engaged throughout. The narration was spot on.

Enjoyable Start To A New Series

From the start this story drew me in with Leo on the run and finding his place with Killian. The setting was so different and watching Killian introduce it to Leo (and the listener) was fascinating. As with other Nicky novels, I loved the secondary characters as well and I'm looking forward to more stories in the series. Nick J Russo does well voicing this cast, especially Leo.

Amazing story

I love Nicky James' writing and particularly appreciate the variety of stories she tells. End of the Line is amazing, one of her best. It has a unique premise and a captivating storyline with a little bit of everything - some action/adventure, suspense, romance, hurt/comfort. It's perfectly crafted and expertly executed. The found family dynamic James creates between Leo, Killian, and their fellow rail riders is so strong. I adored it and am so glad several stories follow this fascinating group of created family. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately, I didn't love Nick J. Russo's vocal performance on this title. Russo is a skilled narrator, and he hits it out of the park when he's on. But he can be inconsistent and his interpretation of the characters here is a miss, at least for me. TBH, Russo isn't the strongest with accents and he tries for it here with Leo, but it's not quite right to start with and then he drops the accent fairly often. All in all, it made for a confusing listening experience. Russo's fundamentals are otherwise solid and he captures the scenes' emotions and dynamics. But because I found the accent issue distracting, I'd probably revert to just text for this story on rereads.

I want a rider tattoo!!!

I love this book! I love it when it came out and I love it when now a year or so later! I have all the books in this series and can't wait to have Nick bring them to life! I completely forgot some great moments and some emotional ones that he just brings to life in a way that makes me forget where I am and what I'm doing because my brain is currently running away from a herd of stampeding cows. killer and greenie are so cute together I love them together and how they got there was a fight! one thing I kept forgetting about when I read it was Leo's accent. but now hearing it so much makes more since.

also Leo's dad!!! ugh we love a growing father.

I'll catch you on the rails for the next one!

Loved it

This book was sooo good!!! I loved learning about the rail riding culture..it’s fascinating and can’t wait to read other books about it.
Leo and Killian’s romance blossoms rather quickly…almost instalovey, which I don’t mind in this setting, considering they are together pretty much 24-7. For a Nicky James book this is a rather light story…only the teeny tiniest bit of angst towards the end.
Narration was spot on by Nick J Russo.

Wonderful!

From start to finish it was a wonderful read that I couldn't stop. I felt like I was with them the whole time and the early 20s love was great to see in a book. I loved it and will read it again, and can't wait for book 2!

Excellent performance

I loved this story in ebook format and Nick J Russo does his usual stellar job of bringing the characters to life it was good to be catching out with the crew again!

Excitement, love, & found family! A fabulous ride!

Nicky James has once again transported me to a world I never knew I wanted to read about. Having Killian in effect teach us about this world, as he taught Leo, was engaging and I just kept wanting more.

Killian and Leo’s journey to love was based on an immediate but believable connection, despite their major differences and the fact that Leo was literally running from his life. But what a *new* life he found! Killian opens up an alternative way to live for Leo, and it was so heartwarming to hear them discover love as they traveled together.

This compelling story, and the amazingly researched world building, had me riveted from the very first chapter. I instantly fell for both men and loved the found family that supported them. It’s always a joy to read or listen to a book when the characters draw you in as these do. The exciting, suspenseful action, wonderful character growth, and fascinating rail riding realm also kept me glued to my speakers.

As is always the case, Nick J Russo delivered a brilliant performance. He more than made this cast come to life. He made them all the more memorable. Both he and Nicky James have left me eager to continue exploring this adventurous lifestyle. I can’t wait for the next book.