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Wish We Were Here: A 90s MM Romance
One car. Two strangers. Thirteen hundred miles. What could go wrong?
When Ash rolls into town with a backpack full of cash and a bullet wound, the last thing he’s looking for is a connection. All he needs is a ride south, fast.
Enter Sam, a young man struggling with his identity, freshly dumped by the girlfriend he drove up the coast to visit. He doesn’t know a thing about the gorgeous stranger begging him for a ride back to Miami, but when Ash offers to cover all expenses, it's hard to say no.
What starts as convenience turns into late-night confessions, shared hotel beds, and feelings neither of them are prepared to name. As they rack up the miles, casual recklessness turns into something intimate and real.
But Ash is lying—about who he is, what he’s done and why. And when his secrets catch up with them both, it’ll put their fragile new connection to the test.
WISH WE WERE HERE is a whirlwind strangers-to-lovers MM romance set against the grungy backdrop of the mid-90s. Featuring a bisexual awakening and a guaranteed HEA, it’s a standalone love story shaped by tender nostalgia.
When Ash rolls into town with a backpack full of cash and a bullet wound, the last thing he’s looking for is a connection. All he needs is a ride south, fast.
Enter Sam, a young man struggling with his identity, freshly dumped by the girlfriend he drove up the coast to visit. He doesn’t know a thing about the gorgeous stranger begging him for a ride back to Miami, but when Ash offers to cover all expenses, it's hard to say no.
What starts as convenience turns into late-night confessions, shared hotel beds, and feelings neither of them are prepared to name. As they rack up the miles, casual recklessness turns into something intimate and real.
But Ash is lying—about who he is, what he’s done and why. And when his secrets catch up with them both, it’ll put their fragile new connection to the test.
WISH WE WERE HERE is a whirlwind strangers-to-lovers MM romance set against the grungy backdrop of the mid-90s. Featuring a bisexual awakening and a guaranteed HEA, it’s a standalone love story shaped by tender nostalgia.
370 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2026
About the author
Risa Cruise
5 books97 followersRisa Cruise (she/they) writes queer romance that centers messy, tender and deeply human narratives. Originally from Massachusetts, they mysteriously wound up in Australia, where they currently reside with their partner and two rescue cats. Neurodivergence fuels both their chaos and their creativity, and they have a soft spot for exceptionally flawed characters with big feelings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
June 26, 2026
I got new shoes on my ride, rollin' down 95 / And you can see in my eyes, that I'm lookin' for a cutie pie (Your Body – Pretty Ricky).
I liked this book so much I don’t even want to review it. "Girls just want to have fu~un." Really though, the long duration of time it took for me to finish this book had nothing to do with the quality and more to do with me trying to prolong my time spent reading it. It isn’t often, but every now and then I feel some empathy for content creators who have made it their entire personality to review every piece of content they come across. Take that Anthony Fantano guy for example, he calls himself the “busiest music nerd on the internet” and you have to wonder if the guy even enjoys music. Like, fundamentally. Do you think he listens to a song and dances around countertops to it (I doubt he even has rhythm), or is he just doing the math in his head on the artistic merits of the lyrical quality or whether or not the song is a “light 5” or a “light 6” based on his fuck ass rating system. Takes the fun out of enjoying art, doesn’t it? Always forcing yourself to break everything down into a pros and cons list instead of just basking in the pure enjoyment of it all. It’s like when heterosexual men start a podcast together (one sentence horror story) and end up “filing away” their conversations so that they can have the optimal amount of content to shell out on the pod. It’s sad, really, turning your relationships into content and all that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like anybody’s forcing me to review any of these books, and the truth is that I’m here because I think this is fun, but there’s a reason why my reviews are more a jumble of thoughts with an eventual circling in on the topic at hand; it’s because I never want to be mistaken for some kind of wannabe influencer whose only interest is in coming up with something mean and snarky to say about the song they heard, the movie they watched, or the book they’ve read. Well, I feel like I’m plenty snarky, but none of that’s put-on at all, this is unfortunately just how I talk in real life. Anyway, Wish We Were Here is a lovely road trip adventure that doubles as a queer-awakening odyssey with an No Country for Old Men, “Old West in a modern-ish setting” appeal. It’s a very interesting book! It's funny because I remember reading this text post one time where the person was talking about quality writing, and their professor claimed that one word people should never use to describe whatever it is they’re analyzing is “interesting” because it’s a placeholder term that means nothing.
And hey, what can I say, sometimes something is what it is and there’s no way around describing it as such! Sure, Wish We Were Here is a lovely and heartfelt examination of queer history in a decade that isn’t often looked at in depth (the 90’s) and it feels like a love letter to all the queer folks who don’t have the right words to express themselves outwardly, but if you were to ask me what my truest thoughts about this book were, my shorthand answer would simply be that it’s… interesting. I mean, anything’s better than putting a numeric rating to something and calling it a “light seven” or whatever egghead over there is doing. Um, I guess this my cue to start talking about the damn book already? After getting dumped by his girlfriend because he decided to spontaneously visit her at college (“So, I came to her college on a surprise visit, to see my girl, that was so exquisite. It was a school day, I knew she was there, the first semester of the school year”), an aimless Sam gets approached by some twink named Ash who’s in desperate need of a ride to Miami. Why? I couldn’t tell you, all the information we’re given is just that Ash has a big ass bag of cash and… a gunshot wound!? Woah, that’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one. But thankfully Sam is a good-natured dumbass and has no survival instincts whatsoever because now we can go off on our wonderful journey across several states! We've got Sam who's coming to terms with his bisexuality (not something that’s easily done, even in times as recent as the 90’s) and then there's Ash who's this cagey closed-off dude that has long since become bored with sex, but can’t deny that Sam it just too hot to pass up. It’s like Daft Punk says in their hit summer song, “Get Lucky:” “like the legend of the penis!” On a serious note, one of the reasons why I love road trip stories is because of their simplicity. And yeah, I know I’m totally a broken record in this regard, but you can give me a book full of the wittiest dialogue with nary a bit of context in sight and I would walk away a happy man. It’s like when you’re in a Creative Writing class and the teacher tells you that the best starting exercise to improve your writing is to put two characters, usually with opposing views, in a car together and see where the words take you. Sure, that sounds pretty basic, but if you’ve read a few new releases in the BookTok sphere like I have, then you know a lot of authors are in need a refresher course.
“Wait, what the fuck? You’re like, fucking fucking?”
“Yeah, man. It’s the nineties. Get with the times.”
So yeah, road trips are great because they break down the characters to their absolute basest motivations without the need for giving us all of their baggage upfront, and I adored how Wish We Were Here let each of Ash’s and Sam’s respective backstories come to light at a natural pace. Remember how I’m always talking about wanting lore-drops to show up through dialogue rather than a character just spewing a bunch of details at us in a never ending monologue? This book is what I’m talking about, this is how it should be done! Besides, unless you’re as good a writer as Anne Rice was, then you should be careful with whether or not you want your entire story to be backstory after backstory. Either be Lestat hunting wolves or I'm not interested! Everything about Wish We Were Here comes together perfectly, from the character arcs of both Ash and Sam complimenting each other’s despite their differences to the setting specifically taking place in the 90’s. Yeah, even though the explicit systemic homophobia felt throughout the narrative isn’t necessarily specific to this period of history, taking us back to the 90’s isn’t just some Stranger Things-esque nostalgia bait in order to evoke My Own Private Idaho, but rather to capture a specific moment of uncertainty in queer history that isn’t often given a spotlight. Like every time for all of time with queer folk... it was a tumultuous time, and I welcome the change of pace. For one, do you really think you could have a story featuring two (2) dudes with luscious locks taking place in any other decade!? No sir, because in the 2000’s we saw society’s collective “Twink Death” in the form of every pretty boy butchering their hair all short and ugly! No but really, the only real issue I had with this book is that I don’t think the sex scenes really serviced the narrative as much as the author seemed to think they did. Don’t worry, I’m not one of those weirdo puritans who are always harping on about how “there shouldn’t be any sex scene in anything because they make me feel icky” or whatever, in the last week alone I’ve read books called Necking with a Vampire and His First Deep Snow, so this isn’t my first rodeo! I’m just saying that with Ash’s specific feelings towards sex that are shown to us throughout the novel, I can’t help but think that it would have been more emotionally satisfying had the narrative placed a heavier emphasis on something other than their sexual chemistry.
I really do believe that writers need to be careful when they write it so their protagonist are so heavily dependent on the love of another, because unless that’s the point of the story, it seems decidedly less romantic more so straight up co-dependent. You know, like how Woody has to learn to find happiness in other ventures outside of his relationship with Andy in both Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2! This was especially underlined after reading the epilogue (number one epilogue hater, right here) and the entire chapter is just Sam and Ash fucking. It makes me imagine a worse version of Six of Crows that would have had Inej and Kaz “overcome” their aversion to sensual touch through their love for each other, but thankfully author Leigh Bardugo knew better and let her characters find a happiness that suited them specifically. But again, this is just a nitpick, I don't consider any of this a professional critique by any means! It's not like I'm ego tripping talking about, "I don’t have to prove my track record to Halsey, I have been the most relevant and impactful music critic of my — and any — generation for over 10 years now. You can’t really debate that. There’s no music critic bigger than me who’s had more impact than me for as long as I have, consistently. And if I die tomorrow, nobody’s going to outdo that run." or something insane like that. Besides, with everything out on the table now, honestly I’m just kind of strict with my road trip stories in that I truly believe none of their narratives should go past the “road” and “trip” parts. What happens after they get home? I don’t know and I don’t care. Nonetheless, this is a great book, and I've got to say... I feel weightless after having finished it. I’m floating! Seriously though, I might need to go out and try scooping up everything Risa Cruise has ever written or will ever write. See, my issue with loving something is that I can’t just love it normally because great books always alters my brain chemistry. I just watched Toy Story 5 and loved it (way better than Toy Story 4), but it had me scouring Tom Hanks’ Wikipedia page in search of another movie to watch of his since I’ve already seen every other Toy Story (Toy Story 2 is my favorite)! There's no better compliment than voluntary research, right? So yeah, I’ve found a book was so darn good that it instilled an insatiable hunger and a need to consume everything of its like, and that book is called Wish We Were Here.
And we ain't gotta make love, and we can just cuddle up / But if you want me to beat it up, then damn it, I'll beat it up.
I liked this book so much I don’t even want to review it. "Girls just want to have fu~un." Really though, the long duration of time it took for me to finish this book had nothing to do with the quality and more to do with me trying to prolong my time spent reading it. It isn’t often, but every now and then I feel some empathy for content creators who have made it their entire personality to review every piece of content they come across. Take that Anthony Fantano guy for example, he calls himself the “busiest music nerd on the internet” and you have to wonder if the guy even enjoys music. Like, fundamentally. Do you think he listens to a song and dances around countertops to it (I doubt he even has rhythm), or is he just doing the math in his head on the artistic merits of the lyrical quality or whether or not the song is a “light 5” or a “light 6” based on his fuck ass rating system. Takes the fun out of enjoying art, doesn’t it? Always forcing yourself to break everything down into a pros and cons list instead of just basking in the pure enjoyment of it all. It’s like when heterosexual men start a podcast together (one sentence horror story) and end up “filing away” their conversations so that they can have the optimal amount of content to shell out on the pod. It’s sad, really, turning your relationships into content and all that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like anybody’s forcing me to review any of these books, and the truth is that I’m here because I think this is fun, but there’s a reason why my reviews are more a jumble of thoughts with an eventual circling in on the topic at hand; it’s because I never want to be mistaken for some kind of wannabe influencer whose only interest is in coming up with something mean and snarky to say about the song they heard, the movie they watched, or the book they’ve read. Well, I feel like I’m plenty snarky, but none of that’s put-on at all, this is unfortunately just how I talk in real life. Anyway, Wish We Were Here is a lovely road trip adventure that doubles as a queer-awakening odyssey with an No Country for Old Men, “Old West in a modern-ish setting” appeal. It’s a very interesting book! It's funny because I remember reading this text post one time where the person was talking about quality writing, and their professor claimed that one word people should never use to describe whatever it is they’re analyzing is “interesting” because it’s a placeholder term that means nothing.
And hey, what can I say, sometimes something is what it is and there’s no way around describing it as such! Sure, Wish We Were Here is a lovely and heartfelt examination of queer history in a decade that isn’t often looked at in depth (the 90’s) and it feels like a love letter to all the queer folks who don’t have the right words to express themselves outwardly, but if you were to ask me what my truest thoughts about this book were, my shorthand answer would simply be that it’s… interesting. I mean, anything’s better than putting a numeric rating to something and calling it a “light seven” or whatever egghead over there is doing. Um, I guess this my cue to start talking about the damn book already? After getting dumped by his girlfriend because he decided to spontaneously visit her at college (“So, I came to her college on a surprise visit, to see my girl, that was so exquisite. It was a school day, I knew she was there, the first semester of the school year”), an aimless Sam gets approached by some twink named Ash who’s in desperate need of a ride to Miami. Why? I couldn’t tell you, all the information we’re given is just that Ash has a big ass bag of cash and… a gunshot wound!? Woah, that’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one. But thankfully Sam is a good-natured dumbass and has no survival instincts whatsoever because now we can go off on our wonderful journey across several states! We've got Sam who's coming to terms with his bisexuality (not something that’s easily done, even in times as recent as the 90’s) and then there's Ash who's this cagey closed-off dude that has long since become bored with sex, but can’t deny that Sam it just too hot to pass up. It’s like Daft Punk says in their hit summer song, “Get Lucky:” “like the legend of the penis!” On a serious note, one of the reasons why I love road trip stories is because of their simplicity. And yeah, I know I’m totally a broken record in this regard, but you can give me a book full of the wittiest dialogue with nary a bit of context in sight and I would walk away a happy man. It’s like when you’re in a Creative Writing class and the teacher tells you that the best starting exercise to improve your writing is to put two characters, usually with opposing views, in a car together and see where the words take you. Sure, that sounds pretty basic, but if you’ve read a few new releases in the BookTok sphere like I have, then you know a lot of authors are in need a refresher course.
“Wait, what the fuck? You’re like, fucking fucking?”
“Yeah, man. It’s the nineties. Get with the times.”
So yeah, road trips are great because they break down the characters to their absolute basest motivations without the need for giving us all of their baggage upfront, and I adored how Wish We Were Here let each of Ash’s and Sam’s respective backstories come to light at a natural pace. Remember how I’m always talking about wanting lore-drops to show up through dialogue rather than a character just spewing a bunch of details at us in a never ending monologue? This book is what I’m talking about, this is how it should be done! Besides, unless you’re as good a writer as Anne Rice was, then you should be careful with whether or not you want your entire story to be backstory after backstory. Either be Lestat hunting wolves or I'm not interested! Everything about Wish We Were Here comes together perfectly, from the character arcs of both Ash and Sam complimenting each other’s despite their differences to the setting specifically taking place in the 90’s. Yeah, even though the explicit systemic homophobia felt throughout the narrative isn’t necessarily specific to this period of history, taking us back to the 90’s isn’t just some Stranger Things-esque nostalgia bait in order to evoke My Own Private Idaho, but rather to capture a specific moment of uncertainty in queer history that isn’t often given a spotlight. Like every time for all of time with queer folk... it was a tumultuous time, and I welcome the change of pace. For one, do you really think you could have a story featuring two (2) dudes with luscious locks taking place in any other decade!? No sir, because in the 2000’s we saw society’s collective “Twink Death” in the form of every pretty boy butchering their hair all short and ugly! No but really, the only real issue I had with this book is that I don’t think the sex scenes really serviced the narrative as much as the author seemed to think they did. Don’t worry, I’m not one of those weirdo puritans who are always harping on about how “there shouldn’t be any sex scene in anything because they make me feel icky” or whatever, in the last week alone I’ve read books called Necking with a Vampire and His First Deep Snow, so this isn’t my first rodeo! I’m just saying that with Ash’s specific feelings towards sex that are shown to us throughout the novel, I can’t help but think that it would have been more emotionally satisfying had the narrative placed a heavier emphasis on something other than their sexual chemistry.
I really do believe that writers need to be careful when they write it so their protagonist are so heavily dependent on the love of another, because unless that’s the point of the story, it seems decidedly less romantic more so straight up co-dependent. You know, like how Woody has to learn to find happiness in other ventures outside of his relationship with Andy in both Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2! This was especially underlined after reading the epilogue (number one epilogue hater, right here) and the entire chapter is just Sam and Ash fucking. It makes me imagine a worse version of Six of Crows that would have had Inej and Kaz “overcome” their aversion to sensual touch through their love for each other, but thankfully author Leigh Bardugo knew better and let her characters find a happiness that suited them specifically. But again, this is just a nitpick, I don't consider any of this a professional critique by any means! It's not like I'm ego tripping talking about, "I don’t have to prove my track record to Halsey, I have been the most relevant and impactful music critic of my — and any — generation for over 10 years now. You can’t really debate that. There’s no music critic bigger than me who’s had more impact than me for as long as I have, consistently. And if I die tomorrow, nobody’s going to outdo that run." or something insane like that. Besides, with everything out on the table now, honestly I’m just kind of strict with my road trip stories in that I truly believe none of their narratives should go past the “road” and “trip” parts. What happens after they get home? I don’t know and I don’t care. Nonetheless, this is a great book, and I've got to say... I feel weightless after having finished it. I’m floating! Seriously though, I might need to go out and try scooping up everything Risa Cruise has ever written or will ever write. See, my issue with loving something is that I can’t just love it normally because great books always alters my brain chemistry. I just watched Toy Story 5 and loved it (way better than Toy Story 4), but it had me scouring Tom Hanks’ Wikipedia page in search of another movie to watch of his since I’ve already seen every other Toy Story (Toy Story 2 is my favorite)! There's no better compliment than voluntary research, right? So yeah, I’ve found a book was so darn good that it instilled an insatiable hunger and a need to consume everything of its like, and that book is called Wish We Were Here.
And we ain't gotta make love, and we can just cuddle up / But if you want me to beat it up, then damn it, I'll beat it up.
July 11, 2026
1.5 🌟
when you think you can look past the instalust and then they start acting on it & you realise that was incredibly wishful thinking and there’s only one way this can go.
honestly the first 20% of this book was actually okay, i was interested by what was going to happen and both main characters were likeable enough. i did pick up straight away this would probably not be anything crazy good for me, but maybe i’d get a mid 3 stars from it, which is fine. the plot started off intriguing enough and the 90s nostalgia was fun. but this progressively got worse as it went, it nosedived so quickly into 1/2 star territory, i blinked and i found myself wanting to laugh whilst crying at my own doom.
the insane instalust, the drawn out inner monologue that came across as long-winded nonsense, and the lack of anything significant actually happening - yeah it’s a going to be a no from me.
not to mention yet another instance of the spice solidifying there nothing between these characters but lust like the spice genuinely made it worse for me cause i didn’t care about it, at all.
then the love declarations were the final nail in my coffin unfortunately.
“you’re rewriting my entire friggin’ brain chemistry so how can i be nothing to you?” - three days, it’s been THREE DAYS.
look, i clocked this book was gunna have a very short time span but this isn’t some whirlwind romance, it’s completely lacking chemistry, tension or emotions. to be blunt it lack any depth at all.
i genuinely breathed a sigh of relief when i got to the epilogue.
i don’t want to talk about this being my third bad read in a row. what a sad state of affairs for me. there is nothing much else to say, this unfortunately ended up being a huge disappointment for me. & i promise i’m not a hater i just had a bad run with books i’ve wanted to like and they’ve all sucked 😭
anyway, i’m going back to pierce because at least he won’t let me down with any nonsense.
______
going back to some mm romance - a road trip/90s setting with some hurt/comfort; this is gunna be exactly what i need 🙏🏻 (update, it was everything i didn’t want 🥲)
when you think you can look past the instalust and then they start acting on it & you realise that was incredibly wishful thinking and there’s only one way this can go.
honestly the first 20% of this book was actually okay, i was interested by what was going to happen and both main characters were likeable enough. i did pick up straight away this would probably not be anything crazy good for me, but maybe i’d get a mid 3 stars from it, which is fine. the plot started off intriguing enough and the 90s nostalgia was fun. but this progressively got worse as it went, it nosedived so quickly into 1/2 star territory, i blinked and i found myself wanting to laugh whilst crying at my own doom.
the insane instalust, the drawn out inner monologue that came across as long-winded nonsense, and the lack of anything significant actually happening - yeah it’s a going to be a no from me.
not to mention yet another instance of the spice solidifying there nothing between these characters but lust like the spice genuinely made it worse for me cause i didn’t care about it, at all.
then the love declarations were the final nail in my coffin unfortunately.
“you’re rewriting my entire friggin’ brain chemistry so how can i be nothing to you?” - three days, it’s been THREE DAYS.
look, i clocked this book was gunna have a very short time span but this isn’t some whirlwind romance, it’s completely lacking chemistry, tension or emotions. to be blunt it lack any depth at all.
i genuinely breathed a sigh of relief when i got to the epilogue.
i don’t want to talk about this being my third bad read in a row. what a sad state of affairs for me. there is nothing much else to say, this unfortunately ended up being a huge disappointment for me. & i promise i’m not a hater i just had a bad run with books i’ve wanted to like and they’ve all sucked 😭
anyway, i’m going back to pierce because at least he won’t let me down with any nonsense.
______
going back to some mm romance - a road trip/90s setting with some hurt/comfort; this is gunna be exactly what i need 🙏🏻 (update, it was everything i didn’t want 🥲)
June 24, 2026
This was incredible 😭
Damn, I love a good road-trip book.
Add two slightly broken boys who slowly learn to know and care for each other, a forced-proximity hurt/comfort dynamic, 90s nostalgia, heavy themes, loads of grief, and just as much joy, and you’ve basically created the perfect read for me.
I loved everything about Ash and Sam’s journey: the fights and prickliness, the reluctant getting-to-know-you phase, the underlying desire and restraint, the actual conversations, the backstories that slowly unfold, the tears, the strength, the resilience and eventually the vulnerability. It was all so beautiful 🥹
Ash is one of those characters you meet and immediately want to adopt. What he went through - and what he continues to go through throughout the course of this book - was utterly heartbreaking. I wanted to wrap him up in a blanket, give him a safe place to exist, and, of course, give him Sam, the one person who truly manages to make him happy.
Sam has his own struggles too. He’s drifting through life, unsure where he belongs or what he wants to do. But after meeting Ash one thing becomes crystal clear amidst all that uncertainty: he wants, he needs, Ash in his life.
Watching Sam fight for Ash so fiercely and without any doubts was incredibly moving because Ash has never really had that before. Someone who wants him for him, not for his body. Someone who chooses him. Someone who wants to love him, commit to him, and build a life with him. SO BEAUTIFUL 😭
And I need to mention the steam.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read sex scenes that felt this intimate, vivid, emotional and hot as hell. It wasn’t just bodies coming together, dicks in holes and all that. It was every touch, every kiss, every groan, every reaction. They were absolutely hungry for each other, but it never felt like they were only craving the physical. They wanted every part of the other person. Nothing felt mechanical; it all felt effortless, emotional and deeply connected.
Their HEA was absolutely everything and I’m 100% convinced they’re endgame. I think I’ll have to check out the author’s other books now because wow, did I love this one 🧡
Damn, I love a good road-trip book.
Add two slightly broken boys who slowly learn to know and care for each other, a forced-proximity hurt/comfort dynamic, 90s nostalgia, heavy themes, loads of grief, and just as much joy, and you’ve basically created the perfect read for me.
I loved everything about Ash and Sam’s journey: the fights and prickliness, the reluctant getting-to-know-you phase, the underlying desire and restraint, the actual conversations, the backstories that slowly unfold, the tears, the strength, the resilience and eventually the vulnerability. It was all so beautiful 🥹
Ash is one of those characters you meet and immediately want to adopt. What he went through - and what he continues to go through throughout the course of this book - was utterly heartbreaking. I wanted to wrap him up in a blanket, give him a safe place to exist, and, of course, give him Sam, the one person who truly manages to make him happy.
Sam has his own struggles too. He’s drifting through life, unsure where he belongs or what he wants to do. But after meeting Ash one thing becomes crystal clear amidst all that uncertainty: he wants, he needs, Ash in his life.
Watching Sam fight for Ash so fiercely and without any doubts was incredibly moving because Ash has never really had that before. Someone who wants him for him, not for his body. Someone who chooses him. Someone who wants to love him, commit to him, and build a life with him. SO BEAUTIFUL 😭
And I need to mention the steam.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read sex scenes that felt this intimate, vivid, emotional and hot as hell. It wasn’t just bodies coming together, dicks in holes and all that. It was every touch, every kiss, every groan, every reaction. They were absolutely hungry for each other, but it never felt like they were only craving the physical. They wanted every part of the other person. Nothing felt mechanical; it all felt effortless, emotional and deeply connected.
Their HEA was absolutely everything and I’m 100% convinced they’re endgame. I think I’ll have to check out the author’s other books now because wow, did I love this one 🧡
“I’ve never felt like this about anyone ever. So fuck it, I’m gonna call it love.”
“No,” I say, squirming closer, my leg popping over his hip. “You don’t. It’s hormones. It’s chemicals. It’s fake.”
“Shut up.” His hands slide down my chest, finding my waist. “It’s love, idiot.” “Infatuation.”
“Nope.”
“Do you think this is the gay retelling of Pretty Woman or something? I’m a whore, remember?”
“You’re mine,” he says, “is what you are.”
“Hey. Shh.” I rub our noses together. “It’s over now. All the bad stuff. Only good days ahead, yeah? Just me and you, figuring this shit out.” 🥹🫠💕
April 24, 2026
New book by the Sugar Pill duet author? YES PLEASE!!!
Review:
“You’re a bandit like me…
Eyes full of stars
Hustling for the good life
Never thought I’d meet you here.
This could be love…
We could be the way forward
And I know I’ll pay for it…”
—“Cowboy Like Me” by Taylor Swift (Evermore track 11)
In fact that entire melancholic and graceful song could be this book. Oh, my babies. These two. Soft as butter. But life can be harsh as bleach and chew you up and spit on you till your sense of worth is in the gutter with no view of the sky unless you turn your face up to the stars (yes, that’s an idea from another song, by Rush…) Unless you find someone worth making the effort for, worth taking a chance on, worth turning your face upward to see just one last time.
Sam meets Ash when Ash overhears him talking about his upcoming trip in a bar and asks to hitch a ride with him to Miami. Learning the man has seizures doesn’t really phase Sam. Finding him puking in the hotel bathroom later with blood from a gunshot wound gushing from his side takes…a little more thought.
But they set off on a road trip, one with an inauspicious beginning with the surprise appearance of Sam’s very recent ex-girlfriend, yet…in each other, Sam and Ash find…a friend. A connection unlike any either has had, that defies the odds and thinking one is straight and what the other believes he’s worthy of…which is nothing…
Sob.
Ash’s secrets are dangerous and bleak, and have trained him to think he’s worth only what someone will pay for him. (Yes, I love Moulin Rouge, that’s shades of Satine…) Sam’s bi-awakening—well, really more of a bi-admission, given his own past—and gentle trust crack Ash’s thick armor, but only so far, because Ash knows that once Sam knows the truth, and not only about Ash’s “career,” but the reason he needed a ride in the first place, Sam will be gone, and so out of reach Ash might as well be the dirt beneath his tires.
Except…well, you know. Love is bigger than all of us and doesn’t care what you’ve done and where you’ve been, only who you are and want to be now, and how you touch the one you care for. And these two deserve it so much.
Yup. In a nutshell, I became a total sap, reading this book.
Respect to the author. This is a book featuring a sex worker in which the impact of that work on the character seemed authentic and thought-through. It wasn’t some romanticized, “oh, I love sex so much that I’m into sex work and I get paid to have sex how great!” BS, but a depiction of the toll it would eventually take on someone in this particular situation’s ability to enjoy sex, to understand what loving intimacy might be, to even feel like he owned himself at all. The description of it having become rote to Ash resonated, and his learned habit of checking out during that act was so believable I teared up. Most important, instead of the sex seeming meaningless or same old, same old, when these two got together, it was different and resonated.
While of course I got squicked out by the info on the past, because Me and my “ew germs” issues, well…instead of being upset or put off, I felt like I was reading about a true and vulnerable and soul-hardening experience that needed to be worked through to believe these two would have a chance to form something real together, to accept a relationship both emotional and physical that Ash actually desired and asked for. It worked. Risa Cruise is a talent.
I also wanted to murder everyone who ever impacted Ash’s life into him having to survive that way. F them all. And cheers to his found-family who always had each other’s backs. Those phone calls, and them being there for him at the bleakest of bleak moments…sublime.
Luckily for me, Sam has the moral code of a true hero, although tarnished (I don’t forgive him for the “whore” comments…) and he finally understood the treasure that had walked up to him in a bar and asked him to take on a passenger to Miami. Sam’s care, first for a stranger, and then for the man who opened his eyes and heart to embracing his potential full self, revealed his strong moral code and added joy to an at times grim story.
There’s OP drama from these two meeting up with some of Sam’s old friends from high school, uninvited and shut down, and simple drunken blowing out of proportion things happening in a club. There’s also violent OM drama during a separation, again uninvited, and shut down, but with resulting injuries and consequences. Both scenes show Ash finding agency to make his own choices and say No.
The 90s timeframe evokes nostalgia, and melancholy in that it feels like things were turning around for the better, with acceptance and treatments and so forth. And now, the US is mired in…*waves arms around* Nazi-esque utter crap and our current “leaders” threatening LGBTQ rights to distract from other equally harmful actions that I have no doubt we’ll feel the fallout for on Earth within our lifetimes.
A few big misses:
The honesty around the presentation of Ash’s background and sex work resonated so well that his ease of acceptance of a physical relationship with Sam felt too disingenuous. This man has been touched, in his own words, by “hundreds” of men and has learned to dissociate emotionally during physical intimacy, which he has had little control or choice about. He has learned to act through it, has had so much experience that it’s dulled sex for him, even as he acts present and turned on to survive. I wish they’d had to work through that, because it didn’t feel real that, just because he woke up to wanting someone himself for the first time in years, that it all went just fine, was totally enjoyable from jump, no problems, no stumbles. It was idealized on that front, and I think that did a disservice to what the author set up and revealed.
There’s also the issue of Ash being a legit criminal. No, we don’t feel sorry for the PO💩 he stole from, but, there’s no denying he evolved from a life of hustling into an actual thief, and that was a choice he made. It isn’t really delved into, and the way its resolved was kinda bizarre and unsatisfactory because it potentially left an even worse PO💩 a lot richer with zero consequences, and that was upsetting.
Then, there’s the inconsistency of Sam having actually had a sexual relationship with a man for years and then doing the whole “I’m not gay even though I want you” BS as if he’d never touched a guy before. He legit has experience, and his reaction in one moment felt both inconsistent to what we learn and frankly, really 💩ty given none of this is new to him either. Hrmph.
But you know what, I just loved being on this road trip so much that even with these totally editable flaws, I don’t feel like taking a star off. Sue me.
Overall, this is a rewarding journey about two compatible and complementary souls who find their Person and, with some stumbles, hiccups, missteps, yet sincerity, honor what they find and choose hope and to try instead of giving up. I believed in them. It was lovely and special that they got to share some firsts together too.
Read the TWs; this book includes realistic details of friends who’ve died of AIDS, violence in sex work, and living with epilepsy, among other things.
HFN that feels like HEA. Sex worker with dangerous secrets hitchhiking MC, recently dumped and at a crossroads MC, road trip. No OM action; OM drama in the present day, but entirely uninvited and shut down. Totally safe for me, info on Ash’s past notwithstanding, and I did feel it was necessary to include details to understand him. The author did not resort to comparisons during intimacy; information was revealed in effective moments. Highly recommended.
My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.
Review:
“You’re a bandit like me…
Eyes full of stars
Hustling for the good life
Never thought I’d meet you here.
This could be love…
We could be the way forward
And I know I’ll pay for it…”
—“Cowboy Like Me” by Taylor Swift (Evermore track 11)
In fact that entire melancholic and graceful song could be this book. Oh, my babies. These two. Soft as butter. But life can be harsh as bleach and chew you up and spit on you till your sense of worth is in the gutter with no view of the sky unless you turn your face up to the stars (yes, that’s an idea from another song, by Rush…) Unless you find someone worth making the effort for, worth taking a chance on, worth turning your face upward to see just one last time.
Sam meets Ash when Ash overhears him talking about his upcoming trip in a bar and asks to hitch a ride with him to Miami. Learning the man has seizures doesn’t really phase Sam. Finding him puking in the hotel bathroom later with blood from a gunshot wound gushing from his side takes…a little more thought.
But they set off on a road trip, one with an inauspicious beginning with the surprise appearance of Sam’s very recent ex-girlfriend, yet…in each other, Sam and Ash find…a friend. A connection unlike any either has had, that defies the odds and thinking one is straight and what the other believes he’s worthy of…which is nothing…
Sob.
Ash’s secrets are dangerous and bleak, and have trained him to think he’s worth only what someone will pay for him. (Yes, I love Moulin Rouge, that’s shades of Satine…) Sam’s bi-awakening—well, really more of a bi-admission, given his own past—and gentle trust crack Ash’s thick armor, but only so far, because Ash knows that once Sam knows the truth, and not only about Ash’s “career,” but the reason he needed a ride in the first place, Sam will be gone, and so out of reach Ash might as well be the dirt beneath his tires.
Except…well, you know. Love is bigger than all of us and doesn’t care what you’ve done and where you’ve been, only who you are and want to be now, and how you touch the one you care for. And these two deserve it so much.
Yup. In a nutshell, I became a total sap, reading this book.
Respect to the author. This is a book featuring a sex worker in which the impact of that work on the character seemed authentic and thought-through. It wasn’t some romanticized, “oh, I love sex so much that I’m into sex work and I get paid to have sex how great!” BS, but a depiction of the toll it would eventually take on someone in this particular situation’s ability to enjoy sex, to understand what loving intimacy might be, to even feel like he owned himself at all. The description of it having become rote to Ash resonated, and his learned habit of checking out during that act was so believable I teared up. Most important, instead of the sex seeming meaningless or same old, same old, when these two got together, it was different and resonated.
While of course I got squicked out by the info on the past, because Me and my “ew germs” issues, well…instead of being upset or put off, I felt like I was reading about a true and vulnerable and soul-hardening experience that needed to be worked through to believe these two would have a chance to form something real together, to accept a relationship both emotional and physical that Ash actually desired and asked for. It worked. Risa Cruise is a talent.
I also wanted to murder everyone who ever impacted Ash’s life into him having to survive that way. F them all. And cheers to his found-family who always had each other’s backs. Those phone calls, and them being there for him at the bleakest of bleak moments…sublime.
Luckily for me, Sam has the moral code of a true hero, although tarnished (I don’t forgive him for the “whore” comments…) and he finally understood the treasure that had walked up to him in a bar and asked him to take on a passenger to Miami. Sam’s care, first for a stranger, and then for the man who opened his eyes and heart to embracing his potential full self, revealed his strong moral code and added joy to an at times grim story.
There’s OP drama from these two meeting up with some of Sam’s old friends from high school, uninvited and shut down, and simple drunken blowing out of proportion things happening in a club. There’s also violent OM drama during a separation, again uninvited, and shut down, but with resulting injuries and consequences. Both scenes show Ash finding agency to make his own choices and say No.
The 90s timeframe evokes nostalgia, and melancholy in that it feels like things were turning around for the better, with acceptance and treatments and so forth. And now, the US is mired in…*waves arms around* Nazi-esque utter crap and our current “leaders” threatening LGBTQ rights to distract from other equally harmful actions that I have no doubt we’ll feel the fallout for on Earth within our lifetimes.
A few big misses:
The honesty around the presentation of Ash’s background and sex work resonated so well that his ease of acceptance of a physical relationship with Sam felt too disingenuous. This man has been touched, in his own words, by “hundreds” of men and has learned to dissociate emotionally during physical intimacy, which he has had little control or choice about. He has learned to act through it, has had so much experience that it’s dulled sex for him, even as he acts present and turned on to survive. I wish they’d had to work through that, because it didn’t feel real that, just because he woke up to wanting someone himself for the first time in years, that it all went just fine, was totally enjoyable from jump, no problems, no stumbles. It was idealized on that front, and I think that did a disservice to what the author set up and revealed.
There’s also the issue of Ash being a legit criminal. No, we don’t feel sorry for the PO💩 he stole from, but, there’s no denying he evolved from a life of hustling into an actual thief, and that was a choice he made. It isn’t really delved into, and the way its resolved was kinda bizarre and unsatisfactory because it potentially left an even worse PO💩 a lot richer with zero consequences, and that was upsetting.
Then, there’s the inconsistency of Sam having actually had a sexual relationship with a man for years and then doing the whole “I’m not gay even though I want you” BS as if he’d never touched a guy before. He legit has experience, and his reaction in one moment felt both inconsistent to what we learn and frankly, really 💩ty given none of this is new to him either. Hrmph.
But you know what, I just loved being on this road trip so much that even with these totally editable flaws, I don’t feel like taking a star off. Sue me.
Overall, this is a rewarding journey about two compatible and complementary souls who find their Person and, with some stumbles, hiccups, missteps, yet sincerity, honor what they find and choose hope and to try instead of giving up. I believed in them. It was lovely and special that they got to share some firsts together too.
Read the TWs; this book includes realistic details of friends who’ve died of AIDS, violence in sex work, and living with epilepsy, among other things.
HFN that feels like HEA. Sex worker with dangerous secrets hitchhiking MC, recently dumped and at a crossroads MC, road trip. No OM action; OM drama in the present day, but entirely uninvited and shut down. Totally safe for me, info on Ash’s past notwithstanding, and I did feel it was necessary to include details to understand him. The author did not resort to comparisons during intimacy; information was revealed in effective moments. Highly recommended.
My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.
May 25, 2026
This was excellent!!! I was so enraptured with this and the time spent reading completely flew by. Transformative writing with a real sense of time and place. Taking place during the 90s, Sam and Ash are on a road trip to Miami. Initially strangers, they become friends and then eventually get romantically involved. Both are trying to escape in their own way, even if Ash more overtly so is. They find that sense of belonging in each other and it was just…really moving. I was so touched by this. Sam and Ash are so vibrant with distinct narrative voices and I loved my time with them. I felt ALL the emotions. It’s so cute and romantic but deeply melancholic too. Reflecting on the AIDS crisis with so much thought and care. It reminds me of the brilliant movie, The Living End (1992) directed by Gregg Araki. While The Living End is a story of anger and power, this book is more solemn and sweet. Such different works but to me feel like companion pieces. One of my favorite lines from The Living End: “Or better yet, we can hold Bush at gunpoint, inject him with a syringe full of our blood... How much you wanna bet they’d have a magic cure by tomorrow?” I can’t recommend this book and movie enough. Happy pride, forever. 🏳️🌈
June 18, 2026
'I’m jealous he’d rather fuck random girls than me. And, okay, I’m also random, but slightly less random.'. Slightly less being....about two days or so.
Enjoyed the dynamic between Sam and Ash.
This was nice. I kept taking breaks and I have no idea why but each time I got back to it, I was immediately drawn back in.
They fell in love within about a week but somehow I bought it.
Had a massive dumb moment when they got separated and one was catastrophizing and I was thinking - just text him? Then I remembered it was the 90s and that wasn't really as feasible as it is now.
Enjoyed the dynamic between Sam and Ash.
This was nice. I kept taking breaks and I have no idea why but each time I got back to it, I was immediately drawn back in.
They fell in love within about a week but somehow I bought it.
Had a massive dumb moment when they got separated and one was catastrophizing and I was thinking - just text him? Then I remembered it was the 90s and that wasn't really as feasible as it is now.
July 6, 2026
3 ⭐️
This book is so difficult to review and I'm really having a hard time rating it. I want to give it 5 stars, but I also want to give it 1 star 🥲 So I'm splitting my rating into 2 parts:
0–50%: ABSOLUTE FUCKING CINEMA.
I have everything good to say about this part and nothing bad to even think of. It's perfect. Like, actually perfect. I caught myself picking up my Kindle during working hours just so I could read this (hoping my boss never sees this review 🙈)
The tension between the MCs was I.N.S.A.N.E. I was getting jumpy over every little touch and every tiny hint of a spark between them. It's been so long since a book made my heart RACE this much. The dynamic was also phenomenal. I loved both characters so much.
I wouldn't say the relationship development is slow-paced, but you really have to gooooo through it, you know? It's not an immediate "Oh, I saw him for the first time and wanted to jump him right there and then."
They build the "attraction", let's say, brick by brick and slowly realize that DAYUM, the guy is actually pretty fucking hot.
Which brings me to the fucking highlight of the book: ✨THE INTIMACY✨
THAT was what really sold it to me. I can't put into words how fucking GOOD the sex scenes are. So intimate. So hungry. So careful, yet so freeing. I can't really explain it. It's not just two guys fucking, it's two guys making love (even though they don't realize it at the time and don't want to admit it).
Yeah, like I said, hands down fucking perfect. Would 5-star this shit without thinking.
50–100%: Sooooooooooo drrraaaggggggeddddddddd.
I was stuck at 60% for literally DAYS because of how boring it suddenly became. Basically, at the 50% mark, both guys already have feelings for each other, they just don't know it's mutual. They sleep together, act like a couple, do everything like a couple, kiss, hug, hold hands, flirt, go on dates (they don't call them dates, but obviously I have eyes), touch, have sex, take care of each other, lalalalala.
You're basically just waiting for the bad things to happen. For everything to unfold. You know it's coming. I know it's coming. We all know it's coming.
But my goodness, IS IT DRAGGED. IT TOOK FOREVER.
And when things actually DID happen and their silly little love bubble went to shit (because you can't escape reality and you can't fake things forever, ✨surprise surprise✨), I cannot tell you HOW HAPPY I WAS. Which is crazy to say because I'm reading a romance, so OBVIOUSLY I want the characters to be in love and happy. But in this case, I was so bored that I wanted SOMETHING. ANYTHING, REALLY. Like a starved man.
Also, the amount of internal monologue I had to chew through 🙄🙄🙄🙄... I honestly skimmed a lot. I just didn't care.
So all in all, I'm so fucking sad I can't rate this 5 stars. It physically hurts me, but I just can't. I LOVED THIS BOOK WITH PASSION and at the same time I also fell asleep to it like 5 times.
Sigh. What a blessing and a curse it is to be a reader.
This book is so difficult to review and I'm really having a hard time rating it. I want to give it 5 stars, but I also want to give it 1 star 🥲 So I'm splitting my rating into 2 parts:
0–50%: ABSOLUTE FUCKING CINEMA.
I have everything good to say about this part and nothing bad to even think of. It's perfect. Like, actually perfect. I caught myself picking up my Kindle during working hours just so I could read this (hoping my boss never sees this review 🙈)
The tension between the MCs was I.N.S.A.N.E. I was getting jumpy over every little touch and every tiny hint of a spark between them. It's been so long since a book made my heart RACE this much. The dynamic was also phenomenal. I loved both characters so much.
I wouldn't say the relationship development is slow-paced, but you really have to gooooo through it, you know? It's not an immediate "Oh, I saw him for the first time and wanted to jump him right there and then."
They build the "attraction", let's say, brick by brick and slowly realize that DAYUM, the guy is actually pretty fucking hot.
Which brings me to the fucking highlight of the book: ✨THE INTIMACY✨
THAT was what really sold it to me. I can't put into words how fucking GOOD the sex scenes are. So intimate. So hungry. So careful, yet so freeing. I can't really explain it. It's not just two guys fucking, it's two guys making love (even though they don't realize it at the time and don't want to admit it).
Yeah, like I said, hands down fucking perfect. Would 5-star this shit without thinking.
50–100%: Sooooooooooo drrraaaggggggeddddddddd.
I was stuck at 60% for literally DAYS because of how boring it suddenly became. Basically, at the 50% mark, both guys already have feelings for each other, they just don't know it's mutual. They sleep together, act like a couple, do everything like a couple, kiss, hug, hold hands, flirt, go on dates (they don't call them dates, but obviously I have eyes), touch, have sex, take care of each other, lalalalala.
You're basically just waiting for the bad things to happen. For everything to unfold. You know it's coming. I know it's coming. We all know it's coming.
But my goodness, IS IT DRAGGED. IT TOOK FOREVER.
And when things actually DID happen and their silly little love bubble went to shit (because you can't escape reality and you can't fake things forever, ✨surprise surprise✨), I cannot tell you HOW HAPPY I WAS. Which is crazy to say because I'm reading a romance, so OBVIOUSLY I want the characters to be in love and happy. But in this case, I was so bored that I wanted SOMETHING. ANYTHING, REALLY. Like a starved man.
Also, the amount of internal monologue I had to chew through 🙄🙄🙄🙄... I honestly skimmed a lot. I just didn't care.
So all in all, I'm so fucking sad I can't rate this 5 stars. It physically hurts me, but I just can't. I LOVED THIS BOOK WITH PASSION and at the same time I also fell asleep to it like 5 times.
Sigh. What a blessing and a curse it is to be a reader.
April 22, 2026
6 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
i have no words. i just loved them so much and i need everyone to read this.
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
i have no words. i just loved them so much and i need everyone to read this.
June 23, 2026
5⭐ Ash & Sam - I love them so much your honor 🥰
This had me locked in from start to finish—I was obsessed with the 90s setting, their connection, and how they actually acted their age!! The drama felt believable, and that epilogue was so satisfying.
It was my first road trip romance, and now I need more ASAP.
It’s also my first time reading this author; I’ve got the *Sugar Pill Duet* on the way in the mail, and I’m more excited than ever for it to arrive ✨
This had me locked in from start to finish—I was obsessed with the 90s setting, their connection, and how they actually acted their age!! The drama felt believable, and that epilogue was so satisfying.
It was my first road trip romance, and now I need more ASAP.
It’s also my first time reading this author; I’ve got the *Sugar Pill Duet* on the way in the mail, and I’m more excited than ever for it to arrive ✨
June 28, 2026
3.5 stars ⭐️
The first part of the book was really good, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. But when it came to the second half, it felt a bit dragged out, with too many inner monologues and some unbelievable parts like how Ash’s cash got stolen, and how he kept going with a bullet wound for a whole week, even while having sex and all.
Ash and Sam’s relationship was nice, and I liked both characters. I especially felt sad about Ash’s backstory, and I’m glad Ash and Sam got their chance to be together.
The first part of the book was really good, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. But when it came to the second half, it felt a bit dragged out, with too many inner monologues and some unbelievable parts like how Ash’s cash got stolen, and how he kept going with a bullet wound for a whole week, even while having sex and all.
Ash and Sam’s relationship was nice, and I liked both characters. I especially felt sad about Ash’s backstory, and I’m glad Ash and Sam got their chance to be together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2026
Wow, Risa Cruise is a really good writer. I hadn’t read her before, but this ARC from Gay Romance Reviews caught my eye, and I’m so glad I took the chance. I love discovering a new author who can just write.
This is very much an MM romance—no genre confusion—but it also feels like a little more than that. As someone who is deeply (unhealthily?) obsessed with the genre, I don’t mean that as a slight to mm romance but the writing gives it a bit of a contemporary lit vibe. There’s a road buddy element layered in that gives it a different texture, and it really works.
What stood out most to me was how thoughtfully the time period was handled. This isn’t set that long ago, but the book does such a good job of showing how different things were. For example, how concepts like bisexuality still felt new or strange for a lot of people. There’s a line where Sam reflects on the idea that maybe the world is changing, “like humanity being on the cusp of something truly remarkable,” and that really landed. Because yes, in some ways that’s true… and in other ways, we’re watching the backlash play out in real time. It felt intentional, and it hit hard.
As a Gen Xer, I loved the setting. This was my era, and some of the details felt almost eerily specific. The South of the Border reference? I actually visited there around the same time with a boyfriend on the way to Myrtle beach because of all those signs along the way. Those endless signs, the buildup, the… reality of it. Exactly right. It’s such a weird little cultural artifact, and I was oddly delighted to see it captured so perfectly. And TMI alert, that boyfriend was also the only uncircumcised man I have ever been with which made me feel like this book was speaking directly to me in a way I was not expecting.
The characters were wonderful. Sam, especially, was just delightful. Easy to love, emotionally open, and grounding in a way that made the whole story work. Ash was great too, though a bit more aloof; less immediately warm, but still compelling.
Because these characters were my age in that generation, I found myself wanting more at the end. I would have loved a modern-day epilogue—did they make it? What did their lives look like decades later? And Gabe… I wonder if he made it, knowing he was on the cusp of a time when things were finally starting to improve for people living with HIV. I didn’t want to let these people go.
Quick note on the cover: I’m generally not a fan of cartoon covers, but this is how you do it. It didn’t distract from the story or feel overly goofy. (Though Ash absolutely had longer hair, I imagined him River Phoenix meets Kurt Cobain.)
All in all, this was a lovely, well-written, unexpectedly poignant read. Definitely a new author to watch for me.
This is very much an MM romance—no genre confusion—but it also feels like a little more than that. As someone who is deeply (unhealthily?) obsessed with the genre, I don’t mean that as a slight to mm romance but the writing gives it a bit of a contemporary lit vibe. There’s a road buddy element layered in that gives it a different texture, and it really works.
What stood out most to me was how thoughtfully the time period was handled. This isn’t set that long ago, but the book does such a good job of showing how different things were. For example, how concepts like bisexuality still felt new or strange for a lot of people. There’s a line where Sam reflects on the idea that maybe the world is changing, “like humanity being on the cusp of something truly remarkable,” and that really landed. Because yes, in some ways that’s true… and in other ways, we’re watching the backlash play out in real time. It felt intentional, and it hit hard.
As a Gen Xer, I loved the setting. This was my era, and some of the details felt almost eerily specific. The South of the Border reference? I actually visited there around the same time with a boyfriend on the way to Myrtle beach because of all those signs along the way. Those endless signs, the buildup, the… reality of it. Exactly right. It’s such a weird little cultural artifact, and I was oddly delighted to see it captured so perfectly. And TMI alert, that boyfriend was also the only uncircumcised man I have ever been with which made me feel like this book was speaking directly to me in a way I was not expecting.
The characters were wonderful. Sam, especially, was just delightful. Easy to love, emotionally open, and grounding in a way that made the whole story work. Ash was great too, though a bit more aloof; less immediately warm, but still compelling.
Because these characters were my age in that generation, I found myself wanting more at the end. I would have loved a modern-day epilogue—did they make it? What did their lives look like decades later? And Gabe… I wonder if he made it, knowing he was on the cusp of a time when things were finally starting to improve for people living with HIV. I didn’t want to let these people go.
Quick note on the cover: I’m generally not a fan of cartoon covers, but this is how you do it. It didn’t distract from the story or feel overly goofy. (Though Ash absolutely had longer hair, I imagined him River Phoenix meets Kurt Cobain.)
All in all, this was a lovely, well-written, unexpectedly poignant read. Definitely a new author to watch for me.
April 26, 2026
FREAKING INCREDIBLE PERFECTION ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IVE EVER READ
April 21, 2026
4.5⭐️ I don't even know exactly why, but this got me in my feelings, the epilogue made me a bit emotional for them🥹
I really loved both of the main characters, their backgrounds and stories. Ash has a rough past and has been through a lot of hardship, which is why it’s hard for him to believe in the good things in life and in their relationship. And Sam is just so wonderfully open, easygoing, and fun -but also has depth, and perfect at showing Ash that they both deserve a happy ending.
This was full of such lovely, sweet, and steamy moments between them -but I was also stressing out at times. It was a bit like being able to tag along on their road trip as a reader and follow their adventures. Also, the spice... daamn the spice 😮💨 chemistry was so good. And all the tender moments between them 🥰
This was somehow so simple, but so good at the same time. And the '90s setting? YES, please.
I also appreciated that the characters acted their age; there was just the right amount of drama. The book has also great supporting characters, and they were well integrated into the story.
Thanks also to the author for adding the translations👏🏼
I can't wait to read more of this author's books in the future—I've loved everything so far.
🦋🦋🦋🦋
“Butterfly. Can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“You don’t have nothing, Ash. You have me.”
“It’s over now. All the bad stuff. Only good days ahead, yeah?”
I really loved both of the main characters, their backgrounds and stories. Ash has a rough past and has been through a lot of hardship, which is why it’s hard for him to believe in the good things in life and in their relationship. And Sam is just so wonderfully open, easygoing, and fun -but also has depth, and perfect at showing Ash that they both deserve a happy ending.
This was full of such lovely, sweet, and steamy moments between them -but I was also stressing out at times. It was a bit like being able to tag along on their road trip as a reader and follow their adventures. Also, the spice... daamn the spice 😮💨 chemistry was so good. And all the tender moments between them 🥰
This was somehow so simple, but so good at the same time. And the '90s setting? YES, please.
I also appreciated that the characters acted their age; there was just the right amount of drama. The book has also great supporting characters, and they were well integrated into the story.
Thanks also to the author for adding the translations👏🏼
I can't wait to read more of this author's books in the future—I've loved everything so far.
🦋🦋🦋🦋
“Butterfly. Can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“You don’t have nothing, Ash. You have me.”
“It’s over now. All the bad stuff. Only good days ahead, yeah?”
July 11, 2026
I actually finished it about a week ago, but life decided to throw enough real-world chaos at me that I couldn’t sit down to write a review. A week later, I still remember this story so vividly. That’s always the sign of a good book for me.So here it goes.
Sam is already having one of the worst weeks of his life.
He drives hundreds of miles to visit his long-distance girlfriend, only to discover she’s basically standing there like, “why the fuck are you here? I thought we were silently breaking up.”
What a bitch and not a good kind .
A call would have been nice .
I genuinely felt awful for him. Not because he was dramatically heartbroken, but because …Rude…. He made the effort. He showed up. And suddenly he’s driving all those miles back a bit dejected not much though 😅.
I adored Sam.
He comes from this wonderfully warm, cool, close-knit family that I honestly wanted to move into . There’s pressure to take over the family car dealership, but he is not able to figure out what he needs in life
Then there’s Ash. God. Ash absolutely wrecked me.
He’s beautiful in the kind of way that has never done him any favors.
He didn’t become a sex worker because he loved the job. He became one because poverty cornered him before adulthood ever had a chance. After surviving years of horrific physical and emotional abuse from his mother, he ran away at seventeen with nothing. Someone offered money for sex, and survival doesn’t usually come with many alternatives.
That broke my heart.
One desperate mistake—stealing cash from a powerful client while trying to escape his life—leaves him with a bag full of money, a gunshot grazing his torso, and nowhere to go.
Which brings us to my favorite trope:
✨ One emotionally confused man.
✨ One gorgeous disaster bleeding through his shirt.
✨ One very long road trip.
Then…
Late-night conversations. Shared motel rooms. attraction grows before either of them knows what to call it.
Ash is openly attracted to Sam almost immediately, and it’s a first for him, for the first time in his life there’s attraction. That alone made every little moment between them feel so much more meaningful.
And Sam…
He’s spent years quietly hiding his bisexuality There’s definitely internalized fear there, but once he finally understands what Ash means to him?
He simply chooses him.
By the time they reached the ending, I was smiling like an idiot.
After everything Ash had survived, watching him finally find a safe corner of the world where he could simply exist—and be loved there—felt so GOOD!
Sometimes that’s exactly the kind of ending you need.
Sam is already having one of the worst weeks of his life.
He drives hundreds of miles to visit his long-distance girlfriend, only to discover she’s basically standing there like, “why the fuck are you here? I thought we were silently breaking up.”
What a bitch and not a good kind .
A call would have been nice .
I genuinely felt awful for him. Not because he was dramatically heartbroken, but because …Rude…. He made the effort. He showed up. And suddenly he’s driving all those miles back a bit dejected not much though 😅.
I adored Sam.
He comes from this wonderfully warm, cool, close-knit family that I honestly wanted to move into . There’s pressure to take over the family car dealership, but he is not able to figure out what he needs in life
Then there’s Ash. God. Ash absolutely wrecked me.
He’s beautiful in the kind of way that has never done him any favors.
He didn’t become a sex worker because he loved the job. He became one because poverty cornered him before adulthood ever had a chance. After surviving years of horrific physical and emotional abuse from his mother, he ran away at seventeen with nothing. Someone offered money for sex, and survival doesn’t usually come with many alternatives.
That broke my heart.
One desperate mistake—stealing cash from a powerful client while trying to escape his life—leaves him with a bag full of money, a gunshot grazing his torso, and nowhere to go.
Which brings us to my favorite trope:
✨ One emotionally confused man.
✨ One gorgeous disaster bleeding through his shirt.
✨ One very long road trip.
Then…
Late-night conversations. Shared motel rooms. attraction grows before either of them knows what to call it.
Ash is openly attracted to Sam almost immediately, and it’s a first for him, for the first time in his life there’s attraction. That alone made every little moment between them feel so much more meaningful.
And Sam…
He’s spent years quietly hiding his bisexuality There’s definitely internalized fear there, but once he finally understands what Ash means to him?
He simply chooses him.
By the time they reached the ending, I was smiling like an idiot.
After everything Ash had survived, watching him finally find a safe corner of the world where he could simply exist—and be loved there—felt so GOOD!
Sometimes that’s exactly the kind of ending you need.
June 28, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
April 19, 2026
I’m still reeling from this one. It really got under my skin (in a good way).
I really understood the stress and weight of what Ash was carrying. I grew up discovering I was gay and coming out in the late 90s and early 2000s, and it was such an awkward time for acceptance. Because of that, I could really understand why Ash kept his guard up. I can't relate to his specific criminal background, but I completely understood his shame. He was terrified that Sam would judge him for the things he did just to survive, and he felt like a piece of trash because of it. Having to hide that part of yourself adds such a heavy layer of tension to his walls.
And then there’s Sam. He is the ultimate green flag. He’s that prince riding in on his dark horse that I think we all secretly want to be saved by. I loved his awakening and how he didn’t torment himself too much, but let’s be real, he was definitely stringing Ash along.
All in all, I love their happy ending. I will always be a sucker for a story where a main character finally decides to stop holding back and chases after true love. It made every bit of the emotional ride worth it.
I really understood the stress and weight of what Ash was carrying. I grew up discovering I was gay and coming out in the late 90s and early 2000s, and it was such an awkward time for acceptance. Because of that, I could really understand why Ash kept his guard up. I can't relate to his specific criminal background, but I completely understood his shame. He was terrified that Sam would judge him for the things he did just to survive, and he felt like a piece of trash because of it. Having to hide that part of yourself adds such a heavy layer of tension to his walls.
And then there’s Sam. He is the ultimate green flag. He’s that prince riding in on his dark horse that I think we all secretly want to be saved by. I loved his awakening and how he didn’t torment himself too much, but let’s be real, he was definitely stringing Ash along.
All in all, I love their happy ending. I will always be a sucker for a story where a main character finally decides to stop holding back and chases after true love. It made every bit of the emotional ride worth it.
May 22, 2026
I love going back to the 90’s! That was a great time in life for so many reasons. It was also a time when things were on the precipice for many people, many of them gay men. The AIDS crises of the 80’s was catastrophic for so many and in the 90’s there was a shift in medicine that didn’t seem possible for so long. I wanted to shout to these characters that things will turn around. Hopefully they did for Gabriel, Sam’s friend and former lover.
I love books that include car trips and this takes places almost fully in a car and hotels. Sam and Ash are in a bubble, a world of their own. They connect quickly and even with Ash’s secrets they discover a love that build quickly but I think love can happen that way if it’s meant to be.
Ash has had to live a life he is not proud of and I understood why he kept his secrets. When Sam finds out it’s understandable why he’s also upset and needs time. Him having to get back to Ash proves how loyal to him he is. Ash needed that, someone to choose him for him.
This had some mistakes and for that I’m taking a star off. It just read a bit funky at times. It took me out of the story. It’s a great book though and I really enjoyed it overall.
I love books that include car trips and this takes places almost fully in a car and hotels. Sam and Ash are in a bubble, a world of their own. They connect quickly and even with Ash’s secrets they discover a love that build quickly but I think love can happen that way if it’s meant to be.
Ash has had to live a life he is not proud of and I understood why he kept his secrets. When Sam finds out it’s understandable why he’s also upset and needs time. Him having to get back to Ash proves how loyal to him he is. Ash needed that, someone to choose him for him.
This had some mistakes and for that I’m taking a star off. It just read a bit funky at times. It took me out of the story. It’s a great book though and I really enjoyed it overall.
April 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FIVE MILLION STARS
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ ALL THE CHILI PEPPERS
Ever since I met noel and luca from risa’s debut duet, I knew they were in a league of their own.
I could write an essay on how much I loved ‘Wish We Were Here’ and it still wouldn’t adequately describe the beauty of this book.
Risa’s writing style is so genuine and so human that you feel like these characters have been plucked from reality. Like you could easily bump into them on the street or meet them in a bar.
Sam and Ash’s story is so beautiful and as someone who fell in love with their life person in a matter of days, Risa captured that feeling perfectly.
Sam’s character specifically made me feel all the emotions because of his genuine open-hearted nature. He is someone that is wide open to love and life and it was a joy to get to know him. Like seriously - I have difficulty crying these days even if I want to (thank you SSRI’s!) but he made me cry. Nothing sad was happening, his characters sweet openness to love just GOT ME.
By the end of WWWH, you will unequivically fall in love with both of these precious souls and Risa’s gifted story telling ability. ❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ ALL THE CHILI PEPPERS
Ever since I met noel and luca from risa’s debut duet, I knew they were in a league of their own.
I could write an essay on how much I loved ‘Wish We Were Here’ and it still wouldn’t adequately describe the beauty of this book.
Risa’s writing style is so genuine and so human that you feel like these characters have been plucked from reality. Like you could easily bump into them on the street or meet them in a bar.
Sam and Ash’s story is so beautiful and as someone who fell in love with their life person in a matter of days, Risa captured that feeling perfectly.
Sam’s character specifically made me feel all the emotions because of his genuine open-hearted nature. He is someone that is wide open to love and life and it was a joy to get to know him. Like seriously - I have difficulty crying these days even if I want to (thank you SSRI’s!) but he made me cry. Nothing sad was happening, his characters sweet openness to love just GOT ME.
By the end of WWWH, you will unequivically fall in love with both of these precious souls and Risa’s gifted story telling ability. ❤️
April 28, 2026
Didn’t expect to love this one so much! Amazing, definitely recommend🩷
May 26, 2026
That was pretty damn solid. Well-written, with good plotting and characterization. Though Sam and Ash moved pretty quick from a fraught insta-lust (but slow to act!) to declarations of love, it worked for the road trip setting and where they were in their lives (early/mid-20s). You want it to work for the two of them. It was also possibly one of the better done sex worker trope romances I’ve read, with a lot of reflection on the toll it takes on people to work. Ash’s trauma history and how it had messed with his relationship to sex felt very real. I appreciated how Sam wasn’t totally trying to be a savior, and that he seemed genuinely drawn to Ash and the dynamic that was emerging between the two of them. Loved how Sam ended up realizing that it was his calling to be in the helping professions through his relationship with Ash—made it more believable how quickly he processed Ash’s history. Still, I’d be curious how it’d play out over time given Ash’s complex trauma and Sam’s genuinely supportive seeming family—this kind of imbalance can have odd effects on a relationship. Also appreciated the Latinae representation, and I loved Sam’s little inner freak out about being bisexual and biracial. I feel you, brother. Cheers to us fence sitters 🍻🫶
However, as someone who was in middle and high school in Seattle during the 90’s and very into music…I so wasn’t feeling all the 311 references. I still remember a cute guy on my bus in high school who had the 311 patch on his backpack and being able to comfort myself at least he had shitty taste in music. I usually dislike it when an author chooses to curate the music I’m imagining the characters listening to. Though I didn’t hate the No Doubt flashbacks, that Sam and Ash based some of their initial trust in each other off of mutual 311 appreciation made me skeptical. Shaving off half a star for this and the speedy l Iove yous but rounding up.
However, as someone who was in middle and high school in Seattle during the 90’s and very into music…I so wasn’t feeling all the 311 references. I still remember a cute guy on my bus in high school who had the 311 patch on his backpack and being able to comfort myself at least he had shitty taste in music. I usually dislike it when an author chooses to curate the music I’m imagining the characters listening to. Though I didn’t hate the No Doubt flashbacks, that Sam and Ash based some of their initial trust in each other off of mutual 311 appreciation made me skeptical. Shaving off half a star for this and the speedy l Iove yous but rounding up.
June 16, 2026
This was surprisingly good!!!
I thoroughly loved the story, the writing style, the 90s setting, the pace and structure of the book (love me a good 70% shoe-dropping cliffhanger 🔥) and pretty much everything really.
But most of all, this is such a beautiful love story. And seeing Ash and Sam's love bloom so naturally was the sweetest and most heartwarming feeling I could ever ask for. Nothing between them ever felt forced, their relationship was a perfect representation of how shitty, imperfect and problematic life can get sometimes.
I'm a sucker for feel-good love stories like this one. So I couldn't give it any less than 5 stars, of course. I read this in barely a day and a half (work and life in the middle, of course) and I feel like it's the perfect pace to read it, as it really mirrors the sense of urgency Sam and Ash feel themselves knowing the clock's ticking and their time together has a set deadline.
This is one of those books I'll come back to whenever I feel like rereading a great pick-me-up romance.
I thoroughly loved the story, the writing style, the 90s setting, the pace and structure of the book (love me a good 70% shoe-dropping cliffhanger 🔥) and pretty much everything really.
But most of all, this is such a beautiful love story. And seeing Ash and Sam's love bloom so naturally was the sweetest and most heartwarming feeling I could ever ask for. Nothing between them ever felt forced, their relationship was a perfect representation of how shitty, imperfect and problematic life can get sometimes.
I'm a sucker for feel-good love stories like this one. So I couldn't give it any less than 5 stars, of course. I read this in barely a day and a half (work and life in the middle, of course) and I feel like it's the perfect pace to read it, as it really mirrors the sense of urgency Sam and Ash feel themselves knowing the clock's ticking and their time together has a set deadline.
This is one of those books I'll come back to whenever I feel like rereading a great pick-me-up romance.
May 3, 2026
oh my goodness i loved this so damn much. this was a really beautiful story, it had a coming of age feeling about it which is something i adore in my books. The 90s vibe was so fun to read and felt authentic — i love a different era of time, that’s initially what drew me in. anything that’s set in the 80s or 90s is gonna be my jam hence the instant need to read this story!
these two men find themselves in a very new situation, making an agreement in a bar to travel across country together, total strangers, both with their secrets but also something missing in each of their lives — little do they know, they may be getting a little more out of this journey than they originally planned.
i truly loved both of these characters, i thought Sam was an absolute heart throb. He was funny, charismatic and had such sunshine energy, i had so many moments where i was just so proud of his growth and development as character.
my poor sweet baby Ash. he has been through it gahh! He has baggage upon baggage. he trusts no one but he’s determined to get where he needs to go and to start a new life. i loved how much of a fighter he was. i really really loved Ash’s development, it felt genuine and as his trust grew in Sam, the more you got to see a comfortable and at ease version of Ash, a version of himself he long forgot.
while on the road with each other, they learn and deal with feelings and trauma from their pasts. i loved their relationship and their journey to healing. while being a fun read in parts, it also had so much emotional depth and those hurt-comfort and care taking moments we all love, the balance of it all was delivered really well.
i would love to reread this in the future — another new to me author and i look forward to reading more from their work.
tyyy for the arc <3
these two men find themselves in a very new situation, making an agreement in a bar to travel across country together, total strangers, both with their secrets but also something missing in each of their lives — little do they know, they may be getting a little more out of this journey than they originally planned.
i truly loved both of these characters, i thought Sam was an absolute heart throb. He was funny, charismatic and had such sunshine energy, i had so many moments where i was just so proud of his growth and development as character.
my poor sweet baby Ash. he has been through it gahh! He has baggage upon baggage. he trusts no one but he’s determined to get where he needs to go and to start a new life. i loved how much of a fighter he was. i really really loved Ash’s development, it felt genuine and as his trust grew in Sam, the more you got to see a comfortable and at ease version of Ash, a version of himself he long forgot.
while on the road with each other, they learn and deal with feelings and trauma from their pasts. i loved their relationship and their journey to healing. while being a fun read in parts, it also had so much emotional depth and those hurt-comfort and care taking moments we all love, the balance of it all was delivered really well.
i would love to reread this in the future — another new to me author and i look forward to reading more from their work.
tyyy for the arc <3
Review of advance copy received from Author
Beta Read.
Everyone is gonna love these guys so much !
LE: I genuinely can’t say how big of a Risa Cruise fan I am, so this rating probably comes as no surprise.
However, I need to do this story justice by saying I really enjoyed the unique setting, the perfect chemistry between these two, and the care with which Risa approaches two important subjects: epilepsy and the AIDS crisis in the ’90s.
That being said, I’ll let you all immerse yourselves in this story and maybe fall in love with my boy Sam - who becomes the perfect caretaker to a stranger in need.
Everyone is gonna love these guys so much !
LE: I genuinely can’t say how big of a Risa Cruise fan I am, so this rating probably comes as no surprise.
However, I need to do this story justice by saying I really enjoyed the unique setting, the perfect chemistry between these two, and the care with which Risa approaches two important subjects: epilepsy and the AIDS crisis in the ’90s.
That being said, I’ll let you all immerse yourselves in this story and maybe fall in love with my boy Sam - who becomes the perfect caretaker to a stranger in need.
April 27, 2026
Risa does it again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 5, 2026
MM love story set in the 90s
Ash and Sam are strangers to lovers. Ash is on the run, but he won’t confess that to Sam. Ash is looking for a ride to Miami and he’s been hitchhiking his way from Providence. Sam agrees to take Ash where he needs to go and there’s instant chemistry between these two but there’s many secrets preventing Sam from getting to know Ash the way he wants to.
Ash is afraid if he confesses his past and why he’s on the run Sam will leave just like everybody else but Ash underestimates how far Sam is willing to go to keep him.
I thought this was a really cute love story, and the premise of the plot was unique I really appreciated the AIDS representation in here, and how Sam really helps Ash understand what love should feel like and be like as Ash is used to transactional relationships. He’s not used to somebody actually wanting him for him. My only gripe about the book was the ending did feel a little too rushed I would’ve liked maybe a second epilogue but other than that I thought this was a great read.
Ash and Sam are strangers to lovers. Ash is on the run, but he won’t confess that to Sam. Ash is looking for a ride to Miami and he’s been hitchhiking his way from Providence. Sam agrees to take Ash where he needs to go and there’s instant chemistry between these two but there’s many secrets preventing Sam from getting to know Ash the way he wants to.
Ash is afraid if he confesses his past and why he’s on the run Sam will leave just like everybody else but Ash underestimates how far Sam is willing to go to keep him.
I thought this was a really cute love story, and the premise of the plot was unique I really appreciated the AIDS representation in here, and how Sam really helps Ash understand what love should feel like and be like as Ash is used to transactional relationships. He’s not used to somebody actually wanting him for him. My only gripe about the book was the ending did feel a little too rushed I would’ve liked maybe a second epilogue but other than that I thought this was a great read.
May 9, 2026
DNF 83%
Okay so, this book had a really nice premise and I actually loved Sam and Ash. Before I say what threw me off, I’ll start with what I liked.
The epilepsy coverage was especially interesting. I gained new knowledge on a condition I knew seldom about and as a result I’m more encouraged to do some research of my own. Ash was a prominent character — he’s been through so much that his story is truly heartbreaking. I teared up reading a lot of his backstory. Really liked Sam too, and his Cuban identity was quite central. A scene that stood out to me was when he’d found out about Ash’s secret. His reaction is the harrowing, raw reality of the treatment of POC in the judicial system and I’m glad that this was called out. Ignorance is never bliss. Even more so during the time this was set in.
Their relationship was beautifully constructed, and the 🌶️ was surprisingly well done. I loved that Sam didn’t use his internal struggle as a means to push Ash away, and I also liked that Ash was ready to help Sam work through it, aswell as go at a pace of which they both were comfortable. (Which was fast. Very fast).
This next point is a nuanced take and is not in any way supposed to be taken as a universal statement. Pages 383-390 (The part where I dropped) in my ebook, to me, was not needed. One of my biggest grievances is when I can tell that a situation has been solely made to cause chaos or a problem. Intentionally manufacturing mishap is a sign of bad writing in cases where the third act break up has already happened. The problem that occurred or rather was going to occur, made it even worse for me. If Ash was going to meet someone nice after the failed hitchhike, tell me, what was the point of the first occurrence??? Why couldn’t it have just lead with the nice person? A competent editor would have had that part completely cut out.
Honestly, after that part I gave up. Which I need to tell myself to do more often. But up until that point, I was having a good time reading. [•_•]
Okay so, this book had a really nice premise and I actually loved Sam and Ash. Before I say what threw me off, I’ll start with what I liked.
The epilepsy coverage was especially interesting. I gained new knowledge on a condition I knew seldom about and as a result I’m more encouraged to do some research of my own. Ash was a prominent character — he’s been through so much that his story is truly heartbreaking. I teared up reading a lot of his backstory. Really liked Sam too, and his Cuban identity was quite central. A scene that stood out to me was when he’d found out about Ash’s secret. His reaction is the harrowing, raw reality of the treatment of POC in the judicial system and I’m glad that this was called out. Ignorance is never bliss. Even more so during the time this was set in.
Their relationship was beautifully constructed, and the 🌶️ was surprisingly well done. I loved that Sam didn’t use his internal struggle as a means to push Ash away, and I also liked that Ash was ready to help Sam work through it, aswell as go at a pace of which they both were comfortable. (Which was fast. Very fast).
This next point is a nuanced take and is not in any way supposed to be taken as a universal statement. Pages 383-390 (The part where I dropped) in my ebook, to me, was not needed. One of my biggest grievances is when I can tell that a situation has been solely made to cause chaos or a problem. Intentionally manufacturing mishap is a sign of bad writing in cases where the third act break up has already happened. The problem that occurred or rather was going to occur, made it even worse for me. If Ash was going to meet someone nice after the failed hitchhike, tell me, what was the point of the first occurrence??? Why couldn’t it have just lead with the nice person? A competent editor would have had that part completely cut out.
Honestly, after that part I gave up. Which I need to tell myself to do more often. But up until that point, I was having a good time reading. [•_•]
May 1, 2026
⭐️ 5/5 | 🌶️ 3.5/5
Wish We Were Here by Risa Cruise was a book I had been eagerly anticipating—partly because I already love this author’s writing style, and also because the story is set in the ’90s. I was a teenager during that decade, and so much of the music I still listen to comes from that era. Many of my favorite films—like Basketball Diaries, which is mentioned in the book—also came out in the ’90s. I went in expecting something rich in emotion and nostalgia, and that’s exactly what Risa Cruise delivered.
I have a soft spot for road trip stories and journeys of self-discovery, so it was such a joy to follow Sam and Ash across the United States. Watching them evolve from strangers into something deeper felt incredibly natural and organic. Sam’s bi-awakening was beautifully done—seeing him come to terms with his identity was both tender and moving. And Ash… my god, his story hit hard. His struggle with self-worth made so much sense given his past, and it was heartbreaking at times. I loved that he had Sam in his life—someone who gently helped him believe he deserved more, both from himself and from the world.
I also really appreciated how Risa Cruise handled the topic of AIDS, which was still relatively new in the ’90s and devastating so many lives. Its presence in the story felt authentic and meaningful, especially in the way it shaped the characters’ experiences and relationship with their own sexuality. It added an extra layer of realism that grounded the narrative.
The spice was incredible. Their first time together, in particular, was so sensual and emotionally charged—it’s still living in my head days after finishing the book. Every intimate scene carried real depth and feeling.
I honestly have no notes. This book was perfect for me. The characters, the setting, the pacing, and the level of spice all hit exactly right. I devoured it so quickly—I couldn’t put it down.
Wish We Were Here by Risa Cruise was a book I had been eagerly anticipating—partly because I already love this author’s writing style, and also because the story is set in the ’90s. I was a teenager during that decade, and so much of the music I still listen to comes from that era. Many of my favorite films—like Basketball Diaries, which is mentioned in the book—also came out in the ’90s. I went in expecting something rich in emotion and nostalgia, and that’s exactly what Risa Cruise delivered.
I have a soft spot for road trip stories and journeys of self-discovery, so it was such a joy to follow Sam and Ash across the United States. Watching them evolve from strangers into something deeper felt incredibly natural and organic. Sam’s bi-awakening was beautifully done—seeing him come to terms with his identity was both tender and moving. And Ash… my god, his story hit hard. His struggle with self-worth made so much sense given his past, and it was heartbreaking at times. I loved that he had Sam in his life—someone who gently helped him believe he deserved more, both from himself and from the world.
I also really appreciated how Risa Cruise handled the topic of AIDS, which was still relatively new in the ’90s and devastating so many lives. Its presence in the story felt authentic and meaningful, especially in the way it shaped the characters’ experiences and relationship with their own sexuality. It added an extra layer of realism that grounded the narrative.
The spice was incredible. Their first time together, in particular, was so sensual and emotionally charged—it’s still living in my head days after finishing the book. Every intimate scene carried real depth and feeling.
I honestly have no notes. This book was perfect for me. The characters, the setting, the pacing, and the level of spice all hit exactly right. I devoured it so quickly—I couldn’t put it down.
July 14, 2026
This book was interesting. I really liked the 90's road trip setting. I loved the banter and dynamic between these two and it felt authentic to the time. Some of the words and ways they use to talk about queerness, being gay, women, etc. felt a bit "wrong" but at that time period I think it felt authentic.
Ash has had a hard life and seeing him start to open up and be vulnerable with Sam was great. I loved the buildup to when they could no longer stay away from each other and start hooking up. Sam had to get over some internalized homophobia - and I will say that was really well done.
This dragged a bit for me after the 50% mark because it felt like there was nowhere to go. No real stakes. They were consistently having sex and were both very happy and not wanting their road trip to end. Then there is the third act conflict and that hooked me back in.
I will also say the sex scenes were really well done. Ash and Sam's chemistry was great.
Ash has had a hard life and seeing him start to open up and be vulnerable with Sam was great. I loved the buildup to when they could no longer stay away from each other and start hooking up. Sam had to get over some internalized homophobia - and I will say that was really well done.
This dragged a bit for me after the 50% mark because it felt like there was nowhere to go. No real stakes. They were consistently having sex and were both very happy and not wanting their road trip to end. Then there is the third act conflict and that hooked me back in.
I will also say the sex scenes were really well done. Ash and Sam's chemistry was great.
June 8, 2026
oh my god, look plots/character set ups like this aren’t usually my favorite but this was so special from the get go. I absolutely love Sam + Ash, these sweet bb angels are so precious to me. Honestly the depth these characters had was so authentic and flawed and beautiful and how their relationship grew and developed, absolute perfection. This story had me in my feels and honestly had to finish this in one sitting because one I started, this story consumed my thoughts and I couldn’t put it down. SO wonderful and can’t wait to read more from this author!
June 27, 2026
3.5 ⭐
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