Say It Right by A.M. Arthur

Say It Right by A.M. Arthur

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: After his parents kicked him out for being gay, Marc Villegas lived on the streets before getting a second chance. Now he's giving back by working at a shelter for LGBT teenagers—because helping fight their demons keeps his own at bay. Including his infatuation with the former best friend he's sure is straight.

Anthony Romano hasn't seen Marc since Marc left home eight years ago. In his confidant's absence, Anthony turned to heroin. Now at rock bottom, he has an offer from Marc to help him get clean. Detox is hard and ugly, but not as hard as admitting the truth: he's in love with Marc. Always has been.

Marc swore he'd never date an addict, but he never dreamed the one in question would be the man he's always wanted to be with. As the two explore their feelings for each other, Marc faces a difficult choice. Say yes, and it could cost him his sobriety; say no, and it could cost him his heart.

Review: Say It Right is the second book in the All Saints series, but they are companion novels focusing on a different couple in each one. I do recommend reading Come What May first though, so you get all of the background information needed to fully understand Say It Right. 

I liked Come What May, despite it not being my most favorite. However, I was excited to read Say It Right and I'm so happy that I did because it was even better, in my opinion, than the first book. Say It Right focuses on Marc, who helps run an LGBT Homeless Shelter for Teens, and his childhood friend, Anthony. Marc was kicked out of his home when he was a teenager because he told his parents he was gay. Since that moment, he has not seen or heard from Anthony. When the two are reunited as adults, things have definitely changed in some ways. Marc is still attracted to Anthony, but Anthony has been on drugs off and on for years, not able to stay clean for long.

I don't want to go into too much detail about Marc and Anthony's pasts and experiences, because that makes up a large part of the book. I won't say it's important for these things to be a secret, as suspected a lot of what was to come, but it's still nice to read it instead of me just telling you. Anyway, I really loved both Marc and Anthony. The two of them had been through some rough things in the past, but they were friends who wanted to reconnect...and maybe even become more than friends.

I appreciated the realistic nature of this book. Anthony wants to be clean, but it's not easy. They want to be together, but Marc doesn't know if he can trust Anthony. There is a lot more to deal with than in a normal, everyday relationship and I think that Arthur handled all of this well. When the two made strides forward, it felt real, especially because there were steps backwards too. 

As for more All Saints books, I'd love to have them! I'm not sure if there will be a third or not, but it would be most welcome from me. I also wouldn't say no to more Marc and Anthony!