Sand-Man's Family

Wild and Precious #3

by CJane Elliott

Wild and Book Three

When Sandy Nixon’s conservative Catholic parents discover he’s had sex before marriage, they are furious. But when he blurts out he’s bisexual, they go ballistic. After they threaten him with conversion therapy, Sandy does what many queer kids long to do—leaves his homophobic parents in the dust. He moves in with his Uncle Phineas and Phineas’s partner Cody in Portland, Oregon, and is finally safe to be himself. Sandy misses his siblings, though, and decides to visit his former home in Rockford for Thanksgiving. On the train, he runs into Jade Byrne.

As the only out gay kid in their Catholic high school, Jade has stared down homophobes while being fabulous in the school musicals. He’s crushed on Sandy for years. But he’s made sure never to show it, even after they had a onetime hookup, because Sandy’s the good Catholic kid, the altar boy, and the apparently straight athlete—all the things Jade isn’t. Traveling back to Rockford together sees the start of a month of adventures, a blossoming attraction, and a chance for Sandy to learn what it means to have a family that hurts and to choose a family that heals.

Genres: M M Romance, LGBT, Abuse, Friendship, Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

125 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2016

About the author

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJANE ELLIOTT finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming-out stories. In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

CJane is the author of the award-winning Serpentine Series, New Adult contemporary novels set at the University of Virginia. Serpentine Walls was a 2014 Rainbow Awards finalist, Aidan’s Journey was a 2015 EPIC Awards finalist, and Sex, Love, and Videogames won first place in the New Adult category in the 2016 Swirl Awards and first place in Contemporary Fiction in the 2017 EPIC eBook Awards.

Reviews

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phineas, Cody and Sandy have become a strong family unit, and as they are heading back to Rockford, Illinois for Thanksgiving, Sandy runs into Jade, the boy he had his first sexual encounter with in high school. Sandy returns to his parent’s house only to encounter more of the same anti-gay propaganda, but adds more branches to his supportive family with the addition of Jade’s father and Uncle. This is more a YA story, with some drama and a HFN. I would welcome another novella in the Wild and Precious series about Dare, who deserves a HEA of his own. 4 stars.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review can also be found at The Novel Approach

Note: This is the third book in the Wild & Precious series. While it can be read as a standalone, I think it’s much more effective having read at least the second book of the series, There You Are. The first book isn’t quite as integral to this story, but the second one really sets the stage for this one.
Sandy has settled nicely into his life with his Uncle Phineas and his partner Cody in Portland. He’s started college and is doing well – but he misses his four siblings and has actually been invited home for Thanksgiving. Uncle Phineas and Cody are going to have Thanksgiving with Sandy’s grandparents and other family members, but they certainly haven’t been invited to the Nixon’s. They all decide to take the train to Chicago and then drive to Rockford for this trip and Cody and Phineas will go on from there visiting others on an extended vacation while Sandy will have to return to Portland for school after the break.
As luck would have it, when the train reaches Seattle and makes ready to depart for Chicago, Jade Byrne, a former classmate of Sandy’s at St. Ignatius is also heading back to Rockford for Thanksgiving. Jade was the only out kid in their high school. He was in all the school plays and is now in college in Seattle. Sandy is happy to see him and Jade is stunned to see Sandy since he never knew what happened to him when he disappeared from Rockford.
It seems that at one point, Sandy and Jade may have been more than just classmates. Sandy always though Jade was amazing and he was envious of his ability to just be who he was. For his part Jade may have had a bit of a crush on the Sandy, the BMOC. Sandy explains to Jade why he left and what happened in Portland and confesses that he had a boyfriend, but that he wasn’t in the picture any longer. Jade is excited to hear about the boyfriend, but he’s a bit suspicious of Sandy and expects that he will settle down with some girl since he identifies as bi.
Well of course the family reunion is not all wine and roses and we learn more about the Nixon family dynamic. We also learn in vivid detail what exactly led to Sandy’s decision to leave his family behind and go out on his own. Connor, Sandy’s younger brother is happy to see him as are the little sisters, his best friend Josh and his grandparents. His parents on the other hand seem to have difficulty dealing with Sandy being home and being determined not to stay there. Phineas and Cody and Jade are at the ready should any shenanigans occur.
Sandy is extremely disappointed to find that his parents still do not accept who he is and try to get him to agree to change. Needless to say, this is not going to happen. Luckily Sandy has support from everyone else in the family and he has to take his leave of the situation before things get out of hand. Jade does his best to support Sandy, but he’s still wary of his motivations and his true feelings. Sandy has to do some groveling and some convincing for Jade to see the light.
Along the way, some old issues pop up that almost derail the budding relationship between Sandy and Jade. But once again, friends and family come through. That is truly the theme of this story – that family is defined as those people who love and support you no matter what. Those folks who have your back and trust in you and believe in you are what make a true family. For Sandy, that means Phineas and Cody and his grandparents and Connor and Blaine and Gemma and hopefully more.
I really liked this story. It was a natural progression from the previous book and the growth of Sandy and the glimpse of the family situation he walked away from was integral to understanding his motivations. I loved the character of Jade and of his dad, Jack. It would be great if more kids had accepting parents and had an easier path. This was a quick and enjoyable read for me and I definitely recommend it as a nice addition to this series.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sand-Man’s Family is the third book in the Wild and Precious series. While it can be read as a standalone, I think it’s much more effective having read at least the second book of the series, There You Are. The first book isn’t quite as integral to this story, but the second one really sets the stage for this one.

Sandy has settled nicely into his life with his Uncle Phineas and his partner, Cody, in Portland. He’s started college and is doing well, but he misses his four siblings and has actually been invited home for Thanksgiving. Uncle Phineas and Cody are going to have Thanksgiving with Sandy’s grandparents and other family members, but they certainly haven’t been invited to the Nixon’s. They all decide to take the train to Chicago and then drive to Rockford for this trip, and Cody and Phineas will go on from there to visit others on an extended vacation, while Sandy will have to return to Portland for school after the break.

As luck would have it, when the train reaches Seattle and makes ready to depart for Chicago, Jade Byrne, a former classmate of Sandy’s at St. Ignatius, is also heading back to Rockford for Thanksgiving. Jade was the only out kid in their high school. He was in all the school plays and is now in college in Seattle. Sandy is happy to see him and Jade is stunned to see Sandy since he never knew what happened to him when he disappeared from Rockford.

It seems that at one point, Sandy and Jade may have been more than just classmates. Sandy always thought Jade was amazing, and he was envious of his ability to just be who he was. For his part, Jade may have had a bit of a crush on Sandy, the BMoC. Sandy explains to Jade why he left and what happened in Portland and confesses that he had a boyfriend, but that he wasn’t in the picture any longer. Jade is excited to hear about the boyfriend, but he’s a bit suspicious of Sandy and expects that he will settle down with some girl since he identifies as bi.

Well, of course the family reunion is not all wine and roses, and we learn more about the Nixon family dynamic. We also learn in vivid detail what exactly led to Sandy’s decision to leave his family behind and go out on his own. Connor, Sandy’s younger brother, is happy to see him, as are the little sisters, his best friend Josh, and his grandparents. His parents, on the other hand, seem to have difficulty dealing with Sandy being home and being determined not to stay there. Phineas and Cody and Jade are at the ready should any shenanigans occur.

Sandy is extremely disappointed to find that his parents still do not accept who he is, and try to get him to agree to change. Needless to say, this is not going to happen. Luckily Sandy has support from everyone else in the family, and he has to take his leave of the situation before things get out of hand. Jade does his best to support Sandy, but he’s still wary of his motivations and his true feelings. Sandy has to do some groveling and some convincing for Jade to see the light.

Along the way, some old issues pop up that almost derail the budding relationship between Sandy and Jade. But once again, friends and family come through. That is truly the theme of this story—that family is defined as those people who love and support you, no matter what. Those folks who have your back and trust in you and believe in you are what make a true family. For Sandy, that means Phineas and Cody and his grandparents and Connor and Blaine and Gemma and hopefully more.

I really liked this story. It was a natural progression from the previous book and Sandy’s growth, and the glimpse of the family situation he walked away from was integral to understanding his motivations. I loved Jade and his dad, Jack. It would be great if more kids had accepting parents and had an easier path. This was a quick and enjoyable read for me, and I definitely recommend it as a nice addition to this series.

Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve not read the first two in this series, but also did not feel that I was missing anything crucial from them, either, so I qualify this as working just fine as a standalone. Sandy is a 19 year old living with parents who are not supportive of his sexual orientation. He decides he’d be better off elsewhere, so he heads off to a friend’s place, and then his gay uncle contacts him and Sandy heads for Uncle Phinney’s place in Portland.

He quickly hooks up with Dare, a troubled teen living with one of his mother’s ex-boyfriends, who has enough issues to publish a magazine, and who disappears after a couple of months without a trace. A few months further down the line, Sandy, Phineas, and Phinney’s partner, Cody, head back to Illinois for Thanksgiving via train, and Sandy discovers that Jade, his first same-sex experiment partner from high school, is also on the train heading home to see his dad. He learns that Jade has crushed on him for several years, and discovers that he’s feeling much the same way. But living in two different cities could make a relationship difficult.

This is a sweet and somewhat sappy new adult romance with moments of what the heck?? Being teenagers, falling in love is as easy as breathing, so there is very little angsting going on over their relationship. In fact, there is significantly more angst regarding Dare than anything else in the book. There is a lot of time devoted to Sandy’s first gay relationship, and while I understand showing some of Sandy’s growth as a bisexual man, Dare isn’t part of the pair destined to come together in this book. That bothered me greatly, because it felt like Jade and Sandy’s story was then rushed through and not given time to really develop as new adults because of this other relationship (and all the drama surrounding it).

Jade is adorable, free-spirited, fully accepted by his father and able to spread his wings and fly knowing that his family has his back. Witty, sweet, and supportive, he’s what parents dream their child will find for a partner in life! However, he didn’t feature very much in a book that is supposed to be his HEA (or HFN as teenagers go), and that left me somewhat sad.

The premise was good, but the Dare relationship scenes left something to be desired as I mentioned above, and the pacing is a somewhat jerky as a result. The chemistry between Sandy and Jade was smooth as honey, with both boys coming together in a manner most serene. I was surprised that there wasn’t any upset at all over Dare moving into Phineas’ house, just “I love you and I support you.” Most adults would have had an issue with the ex moving in, so to see something different in hormonal teenagers is almost beyond belief.

I’m also baffled at why Phineas would allow Dare to move into his home when he wasn’t there, knowing the issues that Dare has had. That just didn’t sit right with me, and then following the dramatic twist toward the end when the friends were all “don’t say anything until he’s coming home” stunned me. Again, this was all Dare and not Sandy and Jade, taking away from their story.

In the end, while I enjoyed the book, I was left feeling cheated out of the Sandy/Jade story for the Dare story-that-wasn’t. As such, I’m rating this at 3.5 stars, rounding down for sites that don’t accept halves. I hope that Sandy and Jade are revisited, as there is much that can be done with them.

ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review by Divine Magazine.

**Same worded review will appear on Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.**

[Chris, the Dalek King · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn’t got the chance to read the previous books in this series (though I am pretty sure I own at least one of them) so I was a little worried that I’d be hopelessly lost when I started to read this. Luckily, while I can clearly see where the other books might tie into this one, it does a decent job of standing alone.

We start the story out with Sandy traveling back home by train so he can be with his family for the holidays. With him are his uncle and his uncle’s boyfriend. Sandy has been living with them for almost all of the last year, ever since he ran away from home after coming out as bisexual to him staunchly Catholic parents (who were all ready to send him to a pray-the-gay-away camp). While on the train he bumps into Jade, an old high school…well, not friend, but certainly crush. Let’s just say the feelings were mutual and not at all dead yet. But while this new relationship looks like just the ticket for Sandy, he still has to deal with all the stuff he left in his old hometown. And dealing with family is never easy.

Despite not knowing the background to some of these characters, I found it was relatively easy to slip into the world. The characters were well written and I really liked that they all seemed to fit together, despite some of their major differences. I may not know a whole lot about Catholicism, but having been raised in a very Christian home I got a lot of the same lectures that these guys went thru. It was something easily recognizable, even if some of the traditions and terminology was a bit different.

This is not a very long story, but it did a good job of packing everything in with just the right amount of emphasis to make it work. I wasn’t particularly in love with the series of flashbacks in the beginning (I just don’t care for flashbacks at all, so big shocker there) but once those stopped it was an easier read for me. I’m not sure what was going on with Date, but if I had to guess it was there because he might be getting his own story. It certainly had that feel to it. As it was, that subplot felt a bit unfinished.

My one big problem here is that I did not feel the whole Jade/Sandy thing at all. Partly because of the way it was written, Jade did not get a whole heck of a lot of page time. It was harder to connect with him, than some of the other characters. But also because Jade had moments of insecurity about their (what, day-old?) relationship that seemed a tad ridiculous. And also a smidge bi-phobic. It wasn’t enough to put me off totally, but clearly enough to make it harder for me to cheer this whole relationship on.

(It didn’t help that I felt more chemistry between Sandy and his ex, than I did between him and his current beau, either.)

So while I enjoyed the family aspects of this story quite a bit, the romantic parts felt a bit dry. It did make me want to know more about Sandy’s uncle though. He seemed very interesting.

3.5 stars


This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

[Morgan Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

on release day This is the third book in the series and though I think the author gives enough background information that this could be a standalone, I think it’s much better read in order.

Sandy is Phineas’ nephew who escaped a Catholic “conversion therapy camp” in Illinois to live in Portland with his out and proud uncle when he told his family he was bi-sexual. He met Phineas’ now boyfriend Cody on the train and in fact introduced the lovers to one another for the first time.

Now he and Cody and Phineas are headed back to Illinois for Thanksgiving and Sandy is reviewing the last few months of his time in Portland. He had met a boy – Dare – at the skatepark and the two had been dating for four months when suddenly Dare disappeared without a word. Now he’s back, but not in contact and Sandy is a bit heartbroken.

But… on the train back home he re-connects with Jade, a boy from high-school who gave Sandy his first gay experience. As the two start to talk Sandy realizes he had more than a passing thing for Jade and vice-versa but do they have enough to make it work from different cities after having only a brief time together over the holidays?

**

So you gotta take this story with a whole block of salt. First, you have to just accept that things can move really fast – Sandy is 19 after all and people tend to “fall in love” pretty quickly at that age. You also have to accept that some people have really big hearts and an extended “family” that can be “perfect” when the time calls for it.

I loved Jade – he’s a great character and my only real problem with this story is that we didn’t get to see a lot of him in this story at all. In fact, we spent more time on bemoaning the loss of Dare and then the dramatic ending that involved helping Dare out of trouble than actually developing the relationship with Jade and Sandy. (Doesn’t he look super cute on the cover?!)

It was great seeing Cody and Phineas again and their little surprise at the end was so very sweet, but I’m not sure that made up for the fact that I really wanted to spend more time with Sandy and his “love” rather than all the time we spent with Dare – who is probably going to star in his own story next.

(I also thought it was RIDICULOUS that Phineas would allow Dare to stay at his condo without Sandy when it’s so very clear that he’s in a world of hurt and not able to make good choices…)

So, while I enjoyed the heck out of this story and will gladly continue on with the series, I can’t help but feel bad that Jade got a little cheated out of his own love story and instead Dare stole the show.

My only hope is that we see more of Sandy and Jade in the next story as compensation J

3.5 of 5 stars

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Sand-Man’s Family: A M/M Coming of Age Romance
Author: CJane Elliott
Publisher: CJane Elliott
ISBN: B08D8RC6TV
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Wild & Precious 3
When Sandy Nixon’s conservative Catholic parents discover he’s had sex before marriage, they are furious. But when he blurts out he’s bisexual, they go ballistic. After they threaten him with conversion therapy, Sandy does what many queer kids long to do—leaves his homophobic parents in the dust. He moves in with his Uncle Phineas and Phineas’s partner Cody in Portland, Oregon, and is finally safe to be himself. Sandy misses his siblings, though, and decides to visit his former home in Rockford for Thanksgiving. On the train, he runs into Jade Byrne.

As the only out gay kid in their Catholic high school, Jade has stared down homophobes while being fabulous in the school musicals. He’s crushed on Sandy for years. But he’s made sure never to show it, even after they had a onetime hookup, because Sandy’s the good Catholic kid, the altar boy, and the apparently straight athlete—all the things Jade isn’t. Traveling back to Rockford together sees the start of a month of adventures, a blossoming attraction, and a chance for Sandy to learn what it means to have a family that hurts and to choose a family that heals. 


Total Score: 5/5

Summary:
Sandy lost everything when he ran away form home, but after being threatened with Catholic conversion camp for youths who say they are gay or Bi. Sandy was lucky that two friends were there for him helping him get out of town and finding him a place to stay. Sandy’s Uncle Phinney invited him to stay with him and his boyfriend Cody giving him support and a new family. Now it is time to return home for the holidays, but Sandy never thought the train trip home would lead him back to Jade, the boy he left behind. Explaining exactly what lead up to him leaving left Jade almost in tears mending fences that were broken. Now their time together was unforgettable, but brief. Can they bridge the gap of their time apart or will they just remain friends?

This was a wonderful book in the Wild and Precious series. It is the first book by this author for me and it won’t be the last. It is an incredible coming of age story about second chances and standing by your beliefs.

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

CJ Elliott's Sand-Man's Family is a sweet coming of age romance. The third book in the Wild and Precious series, I read it as a standalone, but I'm now curious about the previous books and plan to read them soon. I can tell a whole lot of background and build up is in those stories.

We all know that covers are an important tool when trying to sell a book. This cover certainly doesn't scream "buy me," but the story is nice. So try to overlook the cover.

Sandy's a teen with a messy past. He's on a ride home to visit his religious, homophobic family when he gets a second chance with Jade, a friend with whom he has a complicated past. Oh, how I adore Jade. He's fabulous, colorful, and outgoing.

A whole lot of time is spent on Sandy's relationship with Dare though, as Dare is the one who helped Sandy confirm that he's bi-sexual. As much as this is interesting, I would have enjoyed more of Sandy and Jade together.

This is a tale with attempted conversion therapy, a whole lot of hate, and homelessness. Run far away if you aren't in the mood for these type of events. It's a tale with a family holiday and a slew of family issues. Basically, be prepared for some emotional moments.

The writing is good, but it's definitely a quick read; not too descriptive. The characters are lovely, but this is more of a coming of age tale than a romance. It focuses on living one's life for themselves and finding their way.

Sand-Man's Family is a sweet and tender YA tale in which CJ Elliott will delight you with a wonderful, happy ending. The main theme is that family is who you make it to be, which is always an uplifting message.

[Amy Stauffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features the same characters from the second book in the series, Sandy, Phineas, and Cody. It focuses on Sandy, though, who is now in college. Sandy is not on good terms with his parents, who still refuse to accept him for who he is. Despite this, he is invited home for Thanksgiving. Phineas and Cody go along with him, before continuing their journey to visit other people, leaving Sandy with his family. On the train ride there, Sandy bumps into a former high school classmate. They have a history of a one time hook up, although Jade secretly crushed on him. They seem to hit it, and begin a tentative relationship. We continually learn more about Sandy, and his past with his parents and their treatment of him once they discovered he was bisexual. Luckily he has a support system, that now includes Jade and his father, Jack. Also, Sandy’s ex, Dare, comes back into the picture, causing drama between Jade and Sandy.

This book was a great continuation of the series. While it can be enjoyed on it’s own, to fully appreciate the characters I would recommend at least reading book two, There You Are. In Book two, we are first introduced to Phineas and Sandy. It will give you the full background for this story, thus enhancing your experience. This series has been entertaining.

***I voluntarily accepted an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this tale of young love. Sandy had to run away from home to live the life he wanted, Running into Jade, who he had previously experimented with to figure out his own sexuality, was a great thing to happen for Sandy. These two were so good together. I loved the scenes with Phineas and Cody, who were so in love with each other, it came off the pages. They were great role models for Sandy and Jade.
There was quite a bit of drama in this story, but Sandy was strong. With the love and support of Phineas, Cody, and Sandy's brother Connor, and his new connection with Jade, I never doubted Sandy's ability to handle everything that was thrown at him. These characters were likable, and I really enjoyed their story.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story. I already loved the character of Sandy's Uncle Phinney so I admit that I enjoyed the little snippets that included him and his partner Cody. I also love Jade. He is so sure of himself except for when it comes to relationships. It was nice to see a story of 2 young people trying to figure out what is most important in life. I love stories about found families as well. That is a weakness of mine, having seen how real families can split over things that really aren't important. I love the characters that the author creates and she handles difficult issues well. I enjoyed the book. I did read an ARC.

[Susan Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I‌‌ ‌‌received‌‌ ‌‌a‌‌ ‌‌copy‌‌ ‌‌of‌‌ Sand-Man’s Family ‌‌by‌‌ CJane Elliot ‌‌via‌‌ ‌‌IndiGo‌‌ ‌‌Marketing‌‌ ‌‌&‌‌ ‌‌Design‌‌ ‌‌in‌‌ ‌‌exchange‌‌ ‌‌for‌‌ ‌‌an‌‌ ‌‌honest‌‌ ‌‌review. This was a sweet story of a teenager’s bi awakening amidst his homophobic parents’ toxic environment. Sandy is the all-around guy - good student, good athletic, and good son - until he decides to be true to himself. I loved meeting his uncle Phinney, who has his own book, and the rest of Sandy’s found family in Seattle. Sandy and Jade’s interactions are by turns entertaining and heartfelt. ‌‌‌I understand escaping a restrictive environment and this story felt true to that experience.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance with younger characters immensely. Sandy has had to leave his parents to avoid being sent to conversion therapy and in the process left behind Jade without an explanation. When they meet again, they get their second chance and try to give Sandy's parents one. The emotions, actions and decisions seemed realistic for the ages of these characters and the way they had been written, there were no false notes for me. Their ages prevent their being a complete HEA but the HFN is completely satisfying. Reading the other books in the series was not necessary to enjoy this one, but I am going to go back now and read them as I enjoyed this one so much.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the cast of characters that CJane included in this Young Adult romance. Having an affectionate older couple enabled a runaway from living on the streets. It also enabled him to help another young homeless teen. Plus he had the added benefit of being close to a childhood friend who became more than just a friend.

You'll especially love the train trip, the tour of Portland and the way he and his brother were able to stand up to his father and the so called 'therapist!'

Sweet, young love.

[Janet Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

We first met Sandy on a train going to his Uncle Phineas home in “There You Are” I was very happy that we got to read Sandy’s story! Sandy has run away from home to avoid conversion therapy. He runs to his Uncle Phineas home in Rockford. He left behind Jade. They went to the same Catholic high school. Jade is an out and proud, and hurt when Sandy leaves him behind. It is a well written story. This was a fantastic coming of age story!! I loved it. I highly recommend. I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a 3.5 star read for me. I enjoyed the story, but I wasn’t nearly as captivated by Sandy and Jade as I was by Phinney and Cody. Beyond that, though, Sandy and Jade were cute together. They were reunited after Sandy ran away from his awful parent. It was nice for Sandy to have someone in his corner along with his uncles. I loved seeing his brother Connor stand beside him as well. My heart broke for his siblings. Nice story that ended happily for all.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews

[Denise GremoryKohta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so needed this story.

I have been wanting Sandy’s story ever since we met him in Phinney’s book. I loved meeting Jade. No wonder Sandy was so in awe of him in school. I’m worried about Conner and the rest of their siblings. Also concerned about Dare. This makes me wonder if there will be more in this series and whose story it will be if there is. Needless to say I’m now stalking CJane Elliot to find out lol.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming out romance

This was a interesting read. I give it 3 and a half stars. The storyline was good. This was a first time/ friends coming out story so there was a lot of problems but they worked it out together. The characters Sandy and Jade are perfect together. Loved there chemistry and there promising to each other.

[Heather Rawlins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Sand-Man’s Family. It really was a story about family. I loved the angst and realism for young adults. I thought the way people in Sandy’s life rallied around him when he needed it the most. I like the growth of Sandy too. It was a sweet, adorable romance and love story. Totally recommend it.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this great, grab-you-by-the-feels, amazing, charming, tug-at-your-heartstrings, sexy, engaging, poignant, beautiful, delightful, and totally awesome addition to this marvelous series.

[Amber Antus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read the rest of the series but I still enjoyed Sandy and Jade's story. I liked that they had history and that they reconnected after Sandy ran away. I loved Uncle Phinny and Cody. I liked the pacing of this story, it moved quickly without losing the story. I would recommend this book.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet YA romance.

Having read the previous book in the series, in which Sandy played a part, I looked forward to reading his story. It turned out to be a sweet love story, that touches on some difficult topics. It covers a couple of Sandy's previous relationships, before he meets up with a boy from his past, who turns out to be (possibly), the love of his life.

It also contains blatant homophobia, alludes to conversion therapy, homelessness and other problems that may be experienced by young people. However, the main focus of the story is Sandy, the runaway from the last book. Like I said before, it eventiually turned into a sweet love story, which was sometimes a little all over the place (there's a lot packed in here), I'd have really liked to have read more of Sandy and his love, Jade together.

[multitaskingmomma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original Blog Post: Review Request & #Excerpt: Sand-Man's Family (Wild and Precious #3) by CJane Elliott


Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

I have not read the first two books in this series and trusted the Author's Note that this can be read as a standalone. True enough, as soon as the first page is read, it stands out on its own and off to read I went.

What attracted me to this story was Sandy's Catholic background. Being a Catholic myself, I wanted to find out what the similarities and differences were in this setting as compared to mine. I'm from the Philippines which is a predominantly Catholic country and whose laws, traditions, mores and even lore are based on the religion.

First, reading this was quite a shock to the system. The bigotry, hatred, the condemnation of the child, the threat of a conversion therapy, all these are WOW! strange and appalling. Our family values here outweigh everything , including religion. Plus our society embraces homosexuality even if technically we appear not to as our laws are dictated mostly by the conservative few. That parents like these exist, it's mind-boggling. Here, when kids, especially with their socio-economic background like Sandy's, it's just not done! How are the rest of the community to accept the parents socially if they treat their kids like that? Most likely, they'll be the ones ostracized and the child taken in by many who will fight over the honor. Also, some of the religious language and use were quite twisted, at least compared to ours, and...well, it's a shock.

Second, the love story between Jade and Sandy, that was sweet. Too sweet, sappy, and quite realistic in its own fictitious way. This part I loved to read. I won't spill more, let's just say this was worth the read because of how these two young men fell in love.

Third, and the real reason why I dropped the rating. In a word: Dare.

Don't get me wrong, Dare's story was good, in fact, too good? Do you know where I'm coming from? Dare stole the show from Sandy and Jade and that just disappointed big time.

The writing is good, give and take a few issues which I didn't really focus on. I was just really let down for I wanted more of Sandy and Jade but didn't get it.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can be read as a stand alone but is better read as a continuation of the second book as this time we see Sandy get his HEA.

I received an arc and this is my honest review.

[A.M. Leibowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading (and loving) the first two parts of this series, I was a bit disappointed with this one. The writing style is good, and the actual plot is decent. It's not a true romance, which really appeals to me. In fact, I was sure there wasn't going to be a love story at all, which would have been fine--Sandy's young and doesn't need a happily ever after just yet.

The biggest obstacle for me was that I hated Jade. Seriously hated him. I wanted to like him, and I did at first. But as the story went on, I saw him as a self-centered, biphobic jerk who was emotionally manipulating Sandy. His constant drama over believing Sandy would leave for an "easier" relationship was so upsetting, particularly when it was Sandy who ended up apologizing to him. By the end, I wanted him to go away and for Sandy to make up with Dare, who I did really like and who treated Sandy well despite his problems. I honestly could not get past this, and I found myself hoping that off-page, Sandy wises up and dumps Jade. I personally would not tolerate a partner who treated me that way.

What I did still love were the relationships between Sandy and his brother and between Sandy and Phineas and Cody. I could read about those forever. I felt that the family dynamics were handled really well, and I'd have liked to see more of that.

Overall, not my favorite, but it won't stop me from reading more in the future.

I received a free copy via Inked Rainbow in exchange for an honest review.

[Diverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is novella number three is CJane Elliott’s Wild & Precious series. Now, I didn’t read the first 2 books and I was told this was a standalone and I want to let everyone know that it is in fact a standalone. There are mention of characters from the other books and you see them but at no time are you lost. The author fills in gaps where you might wonder.

Something I found cute was the title of this novella. Sand Man’s family. I didn’t really get it off the bat but then I met the MC Sandy. And it all came together. He has horrific parents. They are the worst of the worst. Bigots, uncaring, unloving. Waste of space if you ask me. But Sandy doesn’t need them. He has built such and amazing support system.

This support system is the ensemble to this novella. There’s his boyfriend, partner Cody, his Uncle, the band… I go on and on. There’s a strength behind him and it makes up for all his parents lack… and it’s a lot.

Sandy is an adorable character. Genuine and lovely. I can’t imagine not loving him.
This ensemble in the story really brought so much to Sandy’s tale. I loved them. An ensemble can make or break a book and this one was golden!

While a little angsty, it’s romantic, sweet, sometimes sexy, and a lot of fun.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a moving young adult book about families and relationships - the ones we’re born with and the ones we choose for ourselves. I enjoyed both the resilient Sandy and brave and supportive Jade.

While Sandy’s journey towards autonomy is alternately heartbreaking and inspiring, I couldn’t help but feel that the actual plot becomes complicated, exaggerated and implausible in places. Sandy’s parents remain stock baddies until the end. Their priest makes a predictably evil cameo and Phineas and Cody are almost impossibly perfect surrogate parents. Add in a bizarre subplot about a homeless drug dealing boyfriend and a predictably awful holiday family reunion for a complicated plot with one dimensional supporting characters.

While this refrains from the preachy condescension of older style young adult books, it lacks the emotional depth and romantic intensity of some of my recent favourite young adult stories. Sandy’s relationships with Jade, Phineas and Cody are sweet, I never fully engaged with this story.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

For the full review visit: http://wp.me/p220KL-7Dc

From that review:
"Sandy's back history has been the thing I've been waiting on and this wonderful story is a treat all around.

Again, I continue to be amazed at the fullness of the characterizations and the amount of story CJ Elliot packs into 125 pages. It feels so much larger. Sandy is such a great young person. Still growing as a individual, working his way through all his sexual feelings, his crushes and figuring out who he is. You just fall in love with him more as you watch him struggle and grow."

For all our reviews, author interviews, all things books, visit us at http://ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords...

[Brandilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title was originally reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®

Sand-Man's Family is one novella I have been waiting for. After reading book two of CJane Elliott's Wild and Precious series, I needed Sandy's story. I actually messaged the author to make sure we would be getting his story.

For complete Review see http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?p=4...