After enjoying this novel so much I couldn't wait to listen to the audiobook and it did not disappoint, it was incredible to listen to and I was sad when the story ended. Sam Stark, an own voices trans narrator was the perfect choice for Dallas' character and Bryant Walker did a great job of bringing Beck to life.
Following on from Bad Dogs, I was immediately drawn back into Beck, Dallas, Roman and Scout's lives as they make a home in the house they rented together, this found family of slightly broken people who need each other to survive.
This is Beck and Dallas' story and oh my god did it pull at my heartstrings in so many ways. (There are some wonderful quotes I will pull out and add when I publish this on my blog) These guys made me care so much, I hurt with them, struggled with them, rejoiced with them and hoped against everything that they would beat the odds. Beck especially because he is still caught up in the gang that got hold of him years before when as a boy he needed the connection he thought they were offering.
Dallas was so much stronger than he realised, I could never have gone through what he had been through and I am so glad he and Beck found each other when they did. Dallas' dysphoria around his body was raw and emotional and Beck couldn't have been a better friend and then lover, knowing what he needed and researching what he could do to help him, really showed the depth of love they shared.
These 4 strays and their dog, take on 2 more strays and a kitten, it is heartbreaking to me what some children, and adults go through because of their family or community. Calvin, a young boy finds in Beck and Dallas two people who can give him things he sorely needs. Dallas' experience as a trans man means he can support Calvin in ways his brother Theo can't. And Beck, well Beck gives Calvin someone to look up to and emulate in ways he needs.
This found family hold each other up and always have each other's backs. I really hope we get to see more of them because Theo definitely has a story of his own to share.
I am grateful to Riley Nash for giving me another layer of understanding about trans people and for giving a voice to people like Dallas and Calvin and the other Strays.
Please heed the trigger warnings that the author notes, there are some very tough subjects which he handles beautifully but which need to be taken into consideration when choosing this book.
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About the book
It's hard to imagine dating when I secretly share a bed with my best friend every night. When we can barely spend an hour apart. When he'll kill anyone who tries to touch me.
We finally escaped the trailer park, but maybe we weren't ready for freedom. My best friend Beck doesn't know how to leave the gang he's always known, even if it costs him his life. And I don't know how to find my purpose and confidence as a trans man.
We're too lost in our fears to see what's right in front of us. But when I almost lose him, it only takes five words for us to fall: I heard about a game.
I run. He hunts me. And if he catches me… there are no limits in the dark.
Daylight is a different matter, full of the ghosts of everything we've lost. Until we stumble across someone who needs us, who forces us to take the broken pieces of our pasts and put them together into something strong. The courage it takes to become who we were all along.
A best friends-to-lovers romance featuring a trans MC, opposites attract, possessiveness, and primal games.
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