Sutphin Boulevard

By: Santino Hassell

Narrated by: Rusty Topsfield

Michael Rodriguez and Nunzio Medici have been friends for two decades. From escaping their dysfunctional families in the working-class neighborhood of South Jamaica, Queens, to teaching in one of the city's most queer-friendly schools in Brooklyn, the two men have shared everything. Or so they thought until a sweltering night of dancing leads to an unexpected encounter that forever changes their friendship.

Now, casual touches and lingering looks are packed with sexual tension, and Michael can't forget the feel of his best friend's hands on him. Once problems rear up at work and home, Michael finds himself seeking constant escape in the effortless intimacy and mind-blowing sex he has with Nunzio. But things don't stay easy for long.

When Michael's world begins to crumble in a sea of tragedy and complications, he knows he has to make a choice: find solace in a path of self-destruction or accept the love of the man who has been by his side for 20 years.

©2015 Santino Hassell (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

Hmmm

Ok, I read sunset park first, and loved it. This story not so much. I absolutely loved the narrator for sunset park. I just didn't like the narration for this book. The story was ok, little slow in some parts. I definitely recommend the next book sunset park😍

Santino does it again

So I listened to this out of order, but as always. It was fabulous. The characters are easy to relate to, the story is conceivable and true.

3.5 stars

this book kept me entertained, but i missed the romance of this book. michael spent so much time trying to figure out his feelings that i wish there was the courting period, the dates, etc.

Too depressing

I really struggled to finish this. Nothing good happens too anyone in this book until the last chapter. There is drug, alcohol, emotional, and physical abuse. It's too much too carry through the entire book. This book is a real downer and I do not recommend it!

good

it's more on the realistic side of romance which I love. would have been better if Spanish wasn't so.... well

I Wish...

I wish that the people in charge of choosing the narrators of audiobooks consider everything about the stories. Age of the main characters, ethnicity, regional and international dialects, etc. I've listened to many audio books narrated by Mr. Topsfield and consider him to be an okay choice for many books. But there have been some, this one in particular that leave much to be desired. The characters in Suthpin Boulevard are from Spanish, heavily ethnic NY neighborhoods. The accents are definitely not Hispanic nor Brooklynese. It took me out of the story and lessened my enjoyment. Choosing a narrator that has a command of dialects would increase the marketability and authenticity of the audio productions and could also make a mediocre book extraordinary. I did read this story and was really excited to hear it, only to be disappointed. Please consider this for future projects.

Loved this

Compelling read. Hot and Also strong story particularly following family friendship trauma and addiction. Want to continue to follow the characters into the next one.

Caution!! Unpopular and dissenting opinion ahead.

Any additional comments?

I really didn't like much about this story. Well, that's not really true - I liked the writing, I just didn't like the main character, Michael.

I don't know if it's because the story is entirely from Michael's POV and Michael is self indulgent, self absorbed, and obtuse.

Maybe because he treats a twenty year friendship with Nunzio, and frankly Nunzio himself, with such callow disregard.

Maybe because he doesn't seem to provide any guidance for his younger brother while simultaneously condemning him for his life choices.

His constant whining didn't help. The angst that seems, largely, to come out of no where, which led to a completely self-indulgent spiral, kind of threw me. I don't know. I have to be honest, by that point my sympathy had dried up for the character.

Do I empathize with his situations? Yes. Did I understand where much of his guilt and angst came from? Yes. Do I have any sympathy for it? Nope.

Anyway. If this was just about narration I'd give at least 3.5 Stars for it. The audio was good. Good enough to keep me interested in seeing where this train wreck went. Rusty Topsfield did what he could, but I wasn't feeling the story and that bled out to mar my enjoyment of his performance. Sorry, Rusty.

It's well written for all I want to give only 1 star for all the bullshit, but the narration deserves more. Also the sex was awesome, which was another reason I stuck it through.

2.5 stars

I can't say if I'll continue with the series. Someone mentioned book two is largely the same, and I don't think I can go through all this again. We'll see.

Very entertaining listen...

Would you consider the audio edition of Sutphin Boulevard to be better than the print version?

I think I liked the print version a little more than the audio. While I ended up liking the narrator by the end, I had a tough time getting into this book at the start. I had already read the book, so I knew I would love the story if I just kept listening.

What aspect of Rusty Topsfield’s performance would you have changed?

I think it got better toward the end, but everything felt so intense at the start. I almost felt like I was listening to something suspenseful rather than something that was about a romance.

Any additional comments?

This really is a great story. I highly recommend it to fans of M/M romance. It deals with family drama, addiction and love. Santino Hassell has become one of my go to authors, if you haven't read anything by him, I suggest you do.

Warning

This story is good and all still purchased them. with the hope that the issue of the author . Needs to Get help . if anyone choose to buy them read up on the author to each their own. doesn't take away from the story in the message in the story. i might dislike what the author did but the chracters and narration guy was brilliant.