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30 of 32
people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars A Perfect Christmas Story
R.J.
Scott has outdone herself once again with this newest book. Zach Weston is a
17 year old throwaway, beaten severely by his homophobic father and kicked
out of his home at gun point when he refused to join the army. Alone,
starving and cold, Zach is rustled out of a beautiful Christmas dream while
sleeping on a snow covered bench by Officer Ben Hamilton. It's...
Published
23 months ago by Donald P. Bradshaw
|
 |
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A
feel-good, curl-up-beside-the-fire read
At the risk of seeming Grinch-like
at this time of year, I found The "Christmas Throwaway" by RJ Scott
[Silver Publishing, 2010] a bit too saccharin for my taste.
The premise of the story is that
Zachary Weston, an almost-eighteen-year-old castaway, thrown out by an
abusive, homophobic father, takes refuge in a small town with a small police
force and young cop...
Published 22 months ago by Gerry
A. Burnie
|
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Christmas Story, December
6, 2010
By
R.J. Scott has outdone herself
once again with this newest book. Zach Weston is a 17 year old throwaway,
beaten severely by his homophobic father and kicked out of his home at gun
point when he refused to join the army. Alone, starving and cold, Zach is
rustled out of a beautiful Christmas dream while sleeping on a snow covered
bench by Officer Ben Hamilton. It's Christmas Eve and Ben takes pity on the
poor boy by taking him home for hot food and a warm bed instead of to jail.
Zach's life will never be the same after Momma Hamilton embraces him. But
what can Ben do for this boy?
This book surpasses even my
favorite R.J. Scott book Oracle. Anyone interested in The Trevor Project
needs to read this amazing and heart warming book of love, acceptance and
compassion. I whole heartedly recommend this book you won't be disappointed.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A feel-good,
curl-up-beside-the-fire read, December 23, 2010
By
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At the risk of seeming Grinch-like
at this time of year, I found The "Christmas Throwaway" by RJ Scott
[Silver Publishing, 2010] a bit too saccharin for my taste.
The premise of the story is that
Zachary Weston, an almost-eighteen-year-old castaway, thrown out by an
abusive, homophobic father, takes refuge in a small town with a small police
force and young cop (Ben Hamilton) who happens to be gay.
Moved by the young lad's plight
and the spirit of Christmas, Hamilton takes him under his wing and under the
protection of his family--most particularly his nurturing mother. Zachary is
readily accepted by all, except for Jamie--Ben's married brother--who quite
reasonably has some reservations about bringing a total stranger under his
mother's roof. Other members of the supporting cast are Ellie, Ben's younger
sister; Mark his long-standing, best friend, and Melanie--Mark's wife and the
town doctor.
After considerable toing and
froing the inevitable happens, and Ben and Zach fall in love. The issue of
Zach's previous home life is also resolved--quite surprisingly in the end.
Overall assessment
Journalistically, this is a
well-written story. The premise, although somewhat lacking in originality, is
also well-developed with some interesting plot twists here and there. Where
it suffers, however, is in a noticeable lack of any real tension or drama.
The characters are just too cloyingly nice to one another, and what tension
there is comes across as mildly contrived.
Nonetheless, it is a feel-good
story with likable characters and a happy ending, and if are looking for a
good curl-up-beside-the-fire read, then this is a book for you.
Three-and-one-half stars.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely story, December
15, 2010
By
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Wonderful feel good Christmas
story, makes you wish for more cops like Ben in real life to help kids like
Zach. I also really liked that writer did not turn it into romance too
quickly, it would have just robbed the story of the "right Christmas
spirit" to borrow RP's expression :-).
It was nice to see Ben remembering
that he is a cop who decided to help abused kid first, even if the age
difference between them is significantly less than what I saw in many
romances and when romance eventually develops over the years, it is so very
lovely.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, November
28, 2011
By
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
"The Christmas
Throwaway" by RJ Scott is one of the most sweetest books I've read i
love all things gay and this book is just amazing. Zach is rustled out of a
beautiful Christmas dream while sleeping on a snow covered bench by Officer
Ben Hamilton. It's Christmas Eve and Ben takes pity on the poor boy by taking
him home for hot food and a warm bed instead of to jail. Zach's life will
never be the same after Momma Hamilton embraces him. Ben as of now is
straight but this boy can change his mind.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Quick read-Good Story, October
7, 2011
By
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
Just happened to see this book
listed and decided I liked the story line because I do not believe kids
should be mistreated for any reason--and the thought of a kid being kicked
out of his home because he did not live up to his father's expectations is
totally unbelievable that a parent would do something like that--I believe
there are some people out there who are truly nice like the family that takes
the main character in. Brought me to tears several times--I highly recommend
this book
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Christmas Throwaway -Great
Story, August 30, 2011
By
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The Christmas Throwaway is a
wonderful story with sympathetic characters, interesting situations &
very good plot development. The main guy is a young teen thrown out of his
home because he is gay. His feelings & emotions are realistic & those
who befriend him also are well described. Empathetic & understanding too.
One wishes that any thrown out young person could also find a loving home as
the hero in this story does, I enjoyed reading it very much. ~ Eldon
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking, June
25, 2011
By
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When I first got the book I
thought that maybe it would be short and sweet and kinda dull, but after I
started to read it I fell in love with the charachters and the story. The
whole fact that there are people out there even if it is in a story warmed my
heart. I fell head over heals in love wtih Zach. And when Ben came into the
picture I just fell more in love with him. The way the story is, it really
makes you want to go on with the story. I couldnt put it down. I highly
recomend this book, and have let a few of my friends read it and they too and
fallen in love with Zach and Ben.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Strong characters and heartfelt
emotions elevate this tale., January 18, 2011
By
Robert Carnevali "Typical, middle-aged guy" (Trenton,
NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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I have to give this about four
stars. I really liked the story. It has some nice character development and
verbalizes some strong emotions from the characters very well. The pacing
seems a little off at later points in the novel, but it still works well as a
whole and has some scenes that truly stand out.
Zach is 17 years old and gay. When
"treatments" didn't work, his father threw him out. It's two days
before his 18th birthday, Christmas Eve, and all Zach wants to do is try to
grab a little sleep on a bench in a churchyard. It's snowing, cold, and he
has only minimal clothing (thankfully they're in Virginia and not Wisconsin).
Officer Ben Hamilton comes along, finds Zach, and doesn't have the heart to
bring him into the station or even force him on his way. He takes him to his
mother's house where he is cared for by his family, and it's there that Zach
starts to find a place for himself in the world.
A rather simple tale, but nicely
executed. I mentioned that the pacing seems off later in the novel. The story
does move at a leisurely pace, with many chapters covering only a few days,
but then makes some jumps later where it's many months later. That's about
the only negative I can find to this story. The positives greatly outweigh
the slight unevenness in the telling.
There have been only a few stories
I've read where there was nothing notable worth mentioning. Even in stories
you may consider not very good, there could be passages that strike a nerve.
A piece of prose that's creative, a play on words that's particularly clever.
This story has that in its opening. An interplay between Zach dreaming of a
warm cozy Christmas while he's freezing on a bench, and the voice of Ben
telling him he can't sleep there. It works and it sticks in your memory.
The author does an admirable job
of making Zach feel like a 17-year-old. He's been traumatized and trust
doesn't come easily to him. He suffers panic attacks and is deeply flawed.
Yet he still possesses that youthful naivete that tells him in two days, when
he turns 18, he'll be an adult and all will be well. Those around him know
better, and it takes him time to figure it out himself... that he has nowhere
to go, but doesn't need to since these loving people care for him and will
help. Ben is wonderfully written as a caring cop who soon realizes he has an
attraction to Zach, but is also too responsible to allow anything to become
of it. He's about six years older, after all, and a police officer. Even when
Zach turns 18, he refuses to act on his attraction. Zach is someone in his
care, and as long as he's caring for Zach, he'll never take advantage of the
situation.
It's a sweet loving tale and is
quite enjoyable and memorable. I'm glad it's a part of my library.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Present, January
1, 2011
By
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This was my first ebook purchase
... not knowing what to expect, I couldn't stop reading! The story was
magical to me, I wanted to be both characters. I only wished it was longer.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Touching and beautiful
Christmas Story, December 2, 2011
By
Tom W "Tom" (Atlanta, GA)
- See all my reviews
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So I guess a couple of things you
should know about me are that I was CFO for a residential treatment center
for abused adolescents for the past ten years, and that I am a gay man. Some
of the kids were gay, some not. All had suffered some level of abuse -
mental, physical, sexual. These were 12 - 17 year old kids, most of whom were
abandoned or neglected, beaten, raped, prostituted out. We were one step down
from psychiatric hospitalization, and some of the stories I could tell
you...you cannot imagine. Really.
And I loved so many of these kids.
The boys and the girls. But there were a few special kids, and one in
particular, who was a throwaway,a young person tossed out of their homes for
being gay, or for getting on a parent's nerves, or whatever, but tossed out
with nowhere to go and usually no money. Mom and dad not in the picture
anymore, thank God, but he and his sister were...thrown away... like some of
us would throw away garbage. This particular young man had a lot of issues,
and his life was hard, but he and I bonded over my dog (we could bring our
pets in and he learned empathy from working with pets, and he loved my lab
Samantha). He was 15 or 16, and just opening up about his sexuality, and just
a beautiful and kind and sweet young man and if I could have adopted him I
would have in a freakin minute.
Anyway, that is my background.
So, in this fantastic, stunningly
crafted tale of humanity and hope, Zachary is a 17 year old throwaway. A
young man tossed out of his home for being gay, beaten and broken, a little
over a week before he turned 18, with just a few dollars in his pocket and
the clothes on his back. The week before Christmas, Zachary's dad drives him
out from home at gunpoint.
Ben is a police officer, working
back in his hometown, fresh out of college, coming back home to work to make
a difference and to keep the people in his town safe. And he chances upon
Zachary, asleep on a bench in front of the local church, exhausted and tired,
on Christmas Eve. When he sees this fragile young man, something in him makes
him take the young man home for a meal, a shower and a warm bed, rather than
rousting or arresting him.
When Ben takes him to his mother's
home, Zachary sees what family can be - loving, fun, sharing, looking out for
one another rather than being afraid, beaten and controlled. Will Zachary
find the strength to take a stand for himself and what he wants in life? And
will the budding attraction between Ben and Zachary bloom into something
special?
RJ Scott has written a touching,
heartbreaking and heartwarming story of hope, giving and receiving, and
Christmas miracles. I was so deeply touched by the delicate, sentiment here -
pure Christmas spirit without the glitter or schmaltz, tenderness without
overkill. I read this novella last year, and loved it. When I brought it back
up from my archive this year, I was reminded how truly special this story is.
And, to finish my story from
earlier, this beautiful young man who I began to love, like a son, ran away
right before Christmas from our facility, and I only saw him one more time.
He was prostituting himself, living with an older man who was his pimp. When
I approached him, he was strung out, looking for a fix, and recognized me.
His come on stuttered to a stop, and he took off before I could get the
words, "Let me help" out of my mouth.
Not all throwaways find a home.
If you can, spare a prayer for him
this Christmas.
Tom
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas Read, January
4, 2011
By
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I bought this book for my kindle
2. I loved the book. Dont liet the price fool you. It is well written and you
can feel the emotion expressed by the characters. I recommed this to anyone
that wants a book you cant put down. I read this in two sitting.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Heartwarming Story, January
2, 2011
By
Josie (UK) - See all my reviews
I loved this book, its perfect for
not only Christmas, but all year round. The story is simply a small town
sherif picks up a young runaway on Christmas Eve, and instead of arresting
him he takes him home to his mum, gives him a home and helps him decide what
he wants to do with his life. Love blossoms between them but in such a way
that doesn't impact the integrity of the story. It's a heartwarming story and
I can't wait to read more by this author
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, December
29, 2010
By
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First off I have to say kudos to
the author for handling a difficult subject matter with dignity. You most
certainly gave Zach a wonderful voice and it was refreshing to read a
wonderful storyline that will stay with me for quite some time.
I won't go into details because
that would only ruin the novella for others. But with solid writing, good
pacing and memorable characters with heart, how could any fan of m/m romance
go wrong?
I look forward to reading more
from this author.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved The Book But, December
19, 2010
By
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I really did like the book and it
was a nice tear jerker book. Brian who is a rookie cop in town finds Zach
asleep and freezing on a bench on Christmas eve. Brian takes Zach in and
offers him warm place to sleep, warm clothes and a hot meal. Zach was thrown
out into the streets by his brutal military dad who tried to beat the gayness
out of Zach. Brian who is also gay takes Brian under his wings and eventually
they fall in love, you could see that coming. Anyway, I enjoyed the book so
much that I read it all in one sitting but the only complaint I would have is
the last few pages of the book went to the graphic sex which I don't think
did anything for the book in general. I think that part made a perfect book a
bit trashy but I still gave it five stars.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet enough to cause cavities, March
4, 2012
By
Beck "Witchypoo.beck" (Australia)
- See all my reviews
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This was a really sweet little
story. I loved the premise & the characters. It was nice that despite the
word length, Scott allowed the romance to develop over time & didn't rush
the HEA. I liked that the bad guy got what he deserved & the good guys
won. It was a tad saccharine. It was a tad cliché. But I enjoyed reading it
despite that. I wouldn't say the book was brilliant but it was a nice
feel-good, quick & easy read.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A satisfying read, November
14, 2011
By
Romancing the Book (Spokane, WA)
- See all my reviews
This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
Reviewed by Emmarae
Review copy provided by purchased
for pleasure
Zach's father tried to "turn
him straight", and he didn't do it gently. Ben finds him skittish and
hungry sleeping in the snow on a bench. I liked that Zach was a tall guy in
this. Though he was gaunt from abuse, he wasn't the stereotypical
"little guy" victim. His character grew up a lot in the book, and
the author allowed him to mature before entering into a relationship with his
rescuer. I had some problems with this book, but it was still a lovely read.
The book is a little too shiny for
a story of abuse. The author wrote some great character into Zach, but at
times things didn't match up to someone who'd endured years of physical and
mental abuse. I was a bit confused because we learn Zach's story in bits and
pieces. That's usually fine, but I found myself backing up to check things
often. Ben's family is fabulous and really carry the book.
I guess the book was short and
things had to be glossed over. I liked the family part of this book a great
deal more than any relationship between Ben and Zach. They went well
together, but the chemistry wasn't there for me. I guess it's hard to build
chemistry or sexual tension with an underage victim of abuse. That would have
been a huge turn-off. You can have confidence that Zach's character matured
before anything happened between him and Ben. The sex is graphic, however
without the chemistry the it wasn't as erotic as you might be expecting. I
think this story would appeal more to people who read non-erotic fiction if
the end was softer.
I do like the ending though. The
book isn't two months of recovery followed by a torrid affair with a cop. A
great foundation is built with a loving home for most of the book, then each
chapter jumps forward in time to significant events. All the loose ends are
addressed. I love a great family story. In the end, you're left with
assurance that Zach will develop into quite the man, and they'll live happily
ever after surrounded by friends and family in a picture perfect town. Which
is what we all want in fiction, isn't it?
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas winner!, October
17, 2011
By
travelcrazy (Johannesburg, South
Africa) - See all my reviews
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RJ Scott has created a
heartwarming gay romance involving two characters of different ages. Zach is
a teenager who has run away from an abusive, and Ben the caring cop who takes
him under his wing ang gives him shelter over Christmas. Ben's loving family
and the small town where the action takes place are as much characters in
this novel as the two main protagonists. As is appropriate for the age
difference, the two men delay consummating their relationship, and so the
sexual tension is high, but does not translate directly into gratituous
sexual action. The manner in which their love develops is truly touching. A
winner of a book, and just right for a Christmas stocking!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful movie, June
8, 2011
By
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
I got the Kindle edition of this
book, and loved it. It was a perfect story of love, and the generous spirit
of giving. The characters all seemed very real to me, and I like that the
romance wasn't rushed. I highly recommend this story.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heart warming, April
26, 2011
By
S. Cheung "City South" (New
York, USA) - See all my reviews
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Very good story involving a
runaway kid and the young policeman who found him outside a church on
Christmas Eve and actually took in. The writer developed their relationship
and growing affection in a good pace. I could almost find myself being
accepted as a member of that loving family. The "sex" part doesn't
appear until a bit later in the story. I somehow wish the other minor
characters would have more stage time in the store: the doctor, her husband,
for instance. I recommend this book if you are looking for something that is
not sensational and yet comforting.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars pretty good, March 21,
2011
By
Colette (Cali USA) - See all my reviews
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I enjoyed the read. I felt the
author did a pretty good job with the story. Nothing really to complain about
here.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Romance around Christmas. A
True Christmas Miracle!, December 23, 2010
By
jmore865 (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
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This was my first RJ Scott book.
First the story is very realistic in that it could happen. Also Ben not just
jump into romance because he wanted it. He wanted it to last and be real. I
think if more people were open to giving and love then they may receive
something even better in return. This book was an easy read and I could not
put it down. I rad it all in one night. I will be looking for more RJ Scott
books tonight.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A story with the right
Christmas spirit!, December 12, 2010
By
R.Parklane (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
For me this story is not so much a
romance as a story of compassion and love for mankind. The beginning of the
story is beautifully written and really tugs at my heart. Zach's dream as he
sleeps in the freezing cold in a church yard is beautiful writing. Who will
take pity on this homeless underage teen and truly save him? Enter Ben, a
young police officer with a big heart. Ben could have delivered this underage
teen to the authority. But no, he brings Zach into the folds of his loving
family and helps Zach to heal. Right this defies credibility. Noone will go
to that extend to help a stranger in real life, reasons brought up
realistically by Ben's own suspicious brother. But this is the type of story
we need. Zach's fears, innocence and plight as a gay teen is convincingly
expressed here. I also like the developing romance between Zach and Ben which
spans a few years. The spirit and the message this story tries to convey
surely deserves a 5 stars.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, good feelings..., February
7, 2011
By
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A sweet story with all the
trappings of romance. Would that runaways and street kids all had this kind
of resolution to their problems. Just a good escapist story. I enjoyed it.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars good read, January 22,
2011
By
Robin Kelly (Colorado) - See all my reviews
Enjoyed this one very much. I read
a great deal while traveling but only write reviews that are five stars as I
don't have time for anythingless. This book I found to be very well put
together, and researched, there might have been a few bumps or places I might
have said maybe, but in general and as a whole, I love it and will recommend
it to others. I am a member of the Aspen Book Club in Colorado, the Brooklyn
Hatters Book Club, "The Manhattan Book club" the European book club
and the Linnenbach Readers (Book) club. I have to say that I am on the move,
on the road so often that read has become an outlet and using Amazons reader
a great way to reduce the hours, 5 cheers to this author, I am very happy
with this book and will recommend it to others.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Not much to add, except ..., January
7, 2011
By
C. Bittay Dintino (Lakehurst, NJ
USA) - See all my reviews
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I found this to be a sweet story
that was a quick, entertaining read. No heavy plot here but the writing is
solid and the main characters, Zach and Ben, are quite lovable. Four stars
because it left me saying, "Awww, I really liked that" at the end.
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3.0 out of 5 stars didn't quite work for me, October
27, 2012
By
amf0001 (New York, NY United
States) - See all my reviews
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Zach Weston comes from a horrific
place and is rescued, really like a puppy, by Ben, the newbie cop with a
heart of gold. It's not that it's badly written, it wasn't. It's just that it
was too sweet for me, even with the Christmas theme. And I was worried about
how young and vulnerable Zach was, and how insta love Ben was. This is a very
sweet (almost treacle) gentle romance but it didn't quite work for me.
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2.0 out of 5 stars T'is the season for
disappointment, October 18, 2012
By
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I really, really wanted this to be
the Christmas book of the year, but I'd also like peace on earth and good
will toward men. That isn't likely to happen either. For a first effort this
story is a good try, perhaps a very good try. That said, it is clearly the
work of a young author who is still lacking in the ability to create a
believable time line. The books print is either double or triple spaced so
the reader may well be disappointed in both the quality and quantity of read.
A good editor would have worked on this problem before allowing it to be
published, but that didn't happen. There are grammatical errors throughout
that can be easily overlooked, but the deathblow comes at the end. Had this
story been written by a gay male the book would have read much differently
and the timelines would have been vastly different. Instead, our young lady
author offers us her vision of what a first gay love might be like. If only
she knew, this would be a much more complex story and perhaps a move
believable one. I urge the writer to keep going, but to include more research
the next time. A lot more. Looking for light read? Go for it and let's
encourage this author.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Must Read, September
22, 2012
By
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
I absolutely loved this book! If
you like LGBT type literature, this one is for you. It's a heartwarming story
that is beautifully written - a true love story!
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5.0 out of 5 stars A FABULOUS BOOK!, May
29, 2012
By
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This book is really one of my
favorites after I read it. The beginning had me all teary. Zach's background
is really sad. A crazy homophobic father and a weak mother... and all those
beatings he got that are engraved on his back had me teary so many times. The
author really did a good job at grabbing my emotions. The compassionate love
between Zach and Ben was so deep and heartfelt. It doesn't matter if they are
six years apart because for Zach, Ben will always be his comfort and the one
to always be there for him. Definitely recommend this book to readers out
there :)
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4.0 out of 5 stars Was OK, March 16, 2012
By
Kenneth Hendricks "Choctaw" (Lumberton,
MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This book was an OK afternoon
read, being as it was not really very long. I found it pretty typical, if
rather in the form of a "wet dream" book. It was not at all
realistic, and I doubt that in realy life any of the people in this book
would have been so accepting as the deputy's family and friends were. But it
was sweet and it was a love story in the form of a gay romance novel. Not
what I would actually call literature, but a cute read.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Short but Sweet, February
27, 2012
By
Pope Skippy XVI "Garrison" (Texas)
- See all my reviews
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I truly wish Kindle would publish
the approximate length of the book, or at least the number of pages in the
paperback version in every book they sell. Many of these are like they ran
out of paper and didn't feel like going to get more. So the book ends.
Argggh.
That said, this was a very sweet
book with all the main characters being likable. The story of Ben and Evan
was touching. I wish I had had a mother like that. And some people might not
believe that a small town like that could be so tolerant and have that many
gay people living there. I've been fortunate to live in a few of them.
I think that from now on when
everybody else is watching reruns of It's A Wonderful Life, I'll just go to
my room and re-read Christmas Throwawy.
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3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, February 26,
2012
By
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
Short read, sweet but no real
conflict. Characters interesting enough but found myself skimming through
most of it and wasn't really excited. Won't read again
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3.0 out of 5 stars Her Gay Cop Son?????? Really??, February
18, 2012
By
A'Liz (St.Louis,MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
I was so excited when I finally
gave into the urge & bought this book. Christmas is my favorite holiday
for one so I was looking forward to reading their story & how they
celebrated it. The beginning started off perfectly fine to me but there was
one sentence that threw the story off. "Her gay cop son" I'm not
exactly sure why that sentence irked me so but I did Not like the way it was
said at all. Maybe it would have sounded better if he'd said "Then she
has me, her son that works as a policeman..who also happens to be gay".
I just feel like they could have put a lot for feelings\emotions into it to
make it come off sweetly if you ask me but they pretty much just threw it out
there to where it really didn't mean anything. Then things kind of went
downhill at times for me after that. The story over all was very sweet but it
could have been written a lot better in my opinion.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming Tale When You Need
a Feel Good Book, September 18, 2011
By
Tom (Just one Tom) (Upstate, NY)
- See all my reviews
The book which can be found at
this link The Christmas Throwaway is a very
memorable feel good Christmas story for holiday cheer at any season. The kids
"crime" is being gay. His punishment is exile. The young cop's duty
is to rescue the homeless kid but he goes a step further to show the younger
man what a warm, loving family is like. But the big-hearted cop must be
careful because his trust in the throwaway is based on instinct. So is it
wise to expose his family to a total stranger when bringing him home becomes
the only housing he can find appropriate for Christmas?
As sweet as a holiday candy cane
when your sweet tooth demands a treat. Extremely memorable and highly recommended.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Only Wish it was Longer, February
11, 2011
By
Jon (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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I really liked this work. I found
it as a related work to another purchase of mine and bought it simply based
on the theme (cue Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero"). I found it easy
to kind of jump into the town Scott sets this in and walk along with the
characters. The characters are more than two-dimensional but at times seemed
a bit too idealistic that sometimes came close to breaking the story but it
always bounced back. The main thing is I got to like them and I wanted that
happy ending (which I knew was probably coming but I still enjoyed it).
Personally, I think RJ Scott
shorted these characters by the length of the work. The pacing seemed too
fast, like it was compressed to fit a certain length and maybe a bit
stretched in some areas as opposed to reaching a length organically. I would
like to have seen a bit more back story because sometimes things just seemed
too good to be true and were only tempered by some other things (for example
it just seems taken for granted that Ben and his mom take Zach in and Ben's
sister just goes along with it whereas Ben's brother questions it).
Bottom line: If you like good
romance where they are not in bed on page 2, you like idealistic romance, or
even if you just want to believe in finding your own hero/savior for a little
while, buy it. Would love to see a sequel.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming story, January
22, 2011
By
R. Salinas (Seattle) - See all my reviews
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This was a great book. It's
written in a way that makes you truly feel like you know the characters.
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Christmas story, January
15, 2011
By
This is a sweet little book to
read at Christmas. For me it wasn't the best book, but for it's genre it
deliviers a heart-warming tale. Some of the pacing seemed off, and I felt it
dragged at times.
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3 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Ho-Ho-Hum, February
21, 2011
By
jasonhad (Oregon) - See all my reviews
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Formulaic tale of conveniently
two-days-from-legal waif and hero. To be read only with a glass of
unsweetened lemonade to counteract the saccharin story line, and an alarm
clock at hand. The characters are two-dimensional, the writing is worthy of a
tenth grader - at whom, we guess, the book is aimed. Of course, he would have
had to have been held back a year or two . . . and never read a paperback
romance novel.
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2 of 8 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Very Cliched! Not One Unique
Thought!, July 27, 2011
By
Jane (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Christmas Throwaway (Paperback)
This book feels as if the author
has read too many romance novels and has gleaned a cliched line from each
story......ad nauseum!
To begin with at the opening
chapter...it lost me! The story didn't make sense when a gay cop finds a kid
sleeping on park bench and doesn't report him missing. doesn't take him into
the police station.......doesn't even take him home....doesnt't know anything
about him..except he has a gut feeling...so what does he do???
He takes a stray kid he knows
nothing about to live spend the night with HIS MOTHER and HIS SISTER (having
no background check on him at !!!!........while he goes back to work!!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!!! And he kept him there! The mother acts like he is a long
lost buddy...the sister doesn't even question him! Sister is very
cliched...mother reminds me of the mother of Andy Hardy (I watch TCM)
From there the story gets weaker
as it is the day before Christmas and everyone pulls a gift from under the
tree and gives it to him...and they still don't know anything about him!
It overly syrupy, no drama...but I
guess this is a Christmas story...but really!
Also there were so m any cliched
phrases...."chased his lips" "felt his heat", while all
the time this kid is okay to live with his Mother and sister but not him!!
I couldn;t even get into the
passionate moments as every line was cliched.
Nothing unique about this
story...flat...dull.
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0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Nice story, not good quality, January
1, 2012
By
Elizabeth (VA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This story is very sweet and in
many ways just the type of story that I enjoy reading, but I was disappointed
in the quality of the writing. It read as very flat and simplistic with
Britishisms creeping in which are grating given that the characters and
setting are American. Also, there seemed to be a lack of understanding of the
area in which the story was set that makes me curious why the author didn't
just set it in the UK where she could have gotten things right without researching.
The plot was very pat and predictable without delving into any really
difficult emotional places even when doing so would've been more than
justified.
If this story were not presenting
itself as professional fiction that must be paid for, I would say that it was
lovely and great, but given that it *is* supposed to be a professionally
written story worth paying money for I have to be a lot more critical. I've
read far, far better in the wonderful world of fanfiction.
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7 of 25 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Boring, December 26,
2010
By
Soft Cover "C" (Washington
DC) - See all my reviews
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Slow and boring. Gay son, military
dad and weak ass mom. Dad beats and puts son out. Nice gay cop finds boy
sleeping in church lot on Christmas Eve. Takes boy home with him, boy worries
about younger sister eventual sister comes to live with them too. Cop wait
for boy to turn 19 and boy sorry now young man expresses his desires to be
with cop. Love, happiness the end.
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