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Amateur boxer, Rawson Curisco isn't out of the closet, he's the kind of guy who gets his tricks in cruise bars and nightclubs. He's the guy who takes you home for a night and forgets your name. But, life as he knows it, screeches to a halt when he meets uber-sexy, ex-boxer Edward Canton, who has other ideas. Raw's base is his father's boxing gym, and when Edward joins, Raw's world is turned upside down much like a rogue wave capsizes a ship in deep water. When the gym starts failing financially, both boxers team up to save themselves and the gym. A tragic episode in Edward's life prevents him from moving forward, an incident so devastating he refuses to awaken it, while Raw continues his quest to boxing greatness, knowing that any fight could be his last . Their secrets are heavy burdens, but what are they worth when the only difference between winning and losing is when the purse holds your heart?
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2019
10 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Lee Quail
10 books18 followersLee Quail (1993) was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to British immigrant parents. Qualified as a horticulturist (but does not practice). His first book, "Gideon," was published via Amazon on 21 December, 2018. He lives with his husband and two yorkies in a large house in Sandton, Johannesburg.
(Source: Amazon.com)
(Source: Amazon.com)
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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February 15, 2021DNF
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January 29, 2020
Growing up, I loved boxing and mixed martial arts. Still do. This book brings me straight into the ring, slick with spit and blood, echoing with the roar of the crowd, marked by every boxer who ever raised his gloves in victory, or dropped them in defeat.
RAW is aptly named. Lee Quail’s novel about boxers is raw with emotion, with gut-clenching action, and with sexual tension.
A boxer named Edward meets a darkly handsome man named Raw—Rawson Curisco—a former fighter who has private reasons for giving up the sport he loves. Although they’re both gay, the two don’t exactly fall in bed together. My favorite part of the novel is Raw’s stubborn resistance to a possible mate, and the resulting plot twists that rise as two desirable men slowly circle each other…two wary fighters who need each other far more than they will fully understand for a long time to come.
The secondary characters—Raw’s father, the mutual friend Angie, a police detective, a former lover–all provide a rich texture and believability to the novel.
Just as the reader thinks the heart-pumping action has been resolved, a few more uppercuts bring the reader to the canvas. But I won’t spoil the plot.
Grab. This. Book. You’ll love the action, the sex, the characters, the unique backdrop of South Africa. Most of all, you’ll fall in love with Raw and Edward. Isn’t that what reading a great love story is all about?
RAW is aptly named. Lee Quail’s novel about boxers is raw with emotion, with gut-clenching action, and with sexual tension.
A boxer named Edward meets a darkly handsome man named Raw—Rawson Curisco—a former fighter who has private reasons for giving up the sport he loves. Although they’re both gay, the two don’t exactly fall in bed together. My favorite part of the novel is Raw’s stubborn resistance to a possible mate, and the resulting plot twists that rise as two desirable men slowly circle each other…two wary fighters who need each other far more than they will fully understand for a long time to come.
The secondary characters—Raw’s father, the mutual friend Angie, a police detective, a former lover–all provide a rich texture and believability to the novel.
Just as the reader thinks the heart-pumping action has been resolved, a few more uppercuts bring the reader to the canvas. But I won’t spoil the plot.
Grab. This. Book. You’ll love the action, the sex, the characters, the unique backdrop of South Africa. Most of all, you’ll fall in love with Raw and Edward. Isn’t that what reading a great love story is all about?
September 28, 2022
Even though everybody seems to enjoy this book, I am sorry to report that the subpar writing full of red herrings makes this a tedious read. Too much head hopping, for starters, between those covers, as the POV shifts rather haphazardly in some chapters, so much that often I could not tell whose hero serves as the momentary mouthpiece (e.g. "“He looks okay.” Indifference played out like a thief robbing him [= Raw] of his true feelings. He had noticed the sparkling blue, warm searching eyes, as though everything Edward gazed upon had a story to tell. The body, lean, muscular and yearning to be touched in all the right places. His strong legs, and chiselled face. The golden hair combed back and puffed up in the front like James Dean. Michelangelo had sculptured this man to perfection, not to mention those wonderful tattoos. He [still Raw] had noticed but kept it all to his vulnerable self. “A sweet catch, darling. You should get to know him.” Angie smoothed out the sheet covering him. “Stop! Angie. Stop! Stop trying to pair me up with people, especially ones I don’t know.” Angie’s face turned serious. She hated seeing Raw alone. She had told him if he ever did find someone, it would be the happiest day of her life." ~ "Much to his surprise [= Raw], the guy who had visited with her only yesterday, sat behind the steering wheel in a white SUV. Eugene or Edgar, he’d forgotten the man’s name. He casually lifted his bag and strolled towards the car. “Where’s Angie?” He asked, reaching for the passenger door handle. “She has an appointment and asked me to fetch you.” “An appointment? With who?” “Don’t know. Didn’t ask.” “If I knew, I would’ve gone with my dad.” Angie had warned him. Stay calm, she’d said. [= Edward] “Put your bag in the trunk”). One should not mince words here; seasoned writers scrupulously control such an issue so that the flow of the story is not disrupted. Purple prose easily comes to Mr Quail, as already sampled (male beauty is evoked in extraordinarily clumsy fashion indeed! this is how Raw describes Edward's naked chest: "Edward’s physique had all the right qualities: A spoonful of hair on his chest with a dark treasure trail from his bellybutton to his groin. The tattoos, beautifully crafted on every square inch of his stomach, chest, neck and arms, especially the one dedicated to his mother; “Forever yours, mom”, outside a red rose on his neck. The veins in his arms protruded as though about to break through skin"). Given the literary genre and the rather melodramatic tone of the book, this propensity for low brow puffiness should not be an issue, yet it is one, insofar as the florid tone Mr Quail goes for is compounded by more than the occasional wrong epithet and adverb, most usually an inept one instead of something both apposite and pointed (this happens when people write without pausing to reflect on the brick- and-mortar components of their first draft; here is a little sample: "Raw woke up in the hospital with a sweet perfume attacking his senses from the bouquet of yellow roses on the cabinet beside his bed" ~ "on his balcony overlooking Zoo Lake, Edward had set up a lonely table" ~ "And this body of mine looks like a Michelangelo shithouse" ~ "The magnified guy on your stomach [?]" ~ "Raw promptly waited outside the hospital at the pick-up point keeping an eye out for Angie’s old, red and green Ang" ~ "he existed in a world where reality and truth were at the forefront", predicated of Raw's sham of a life; "twice a month Curisco entered Raw and his team in matches. It broke their spirit, and each time, whether win or lose, Raw kept his spirits high. Never allowed the team to feel unworthy" [I fail to see the logic behind the entire sequence of actions]) and by nigh-inumerable instances of tasteless phrasing (my favorite being 'the cumbersome bulk' of Angie, a secondary character; I also enjoyed "a husky quality percolated in Edward’s voice with a gentle, breathy quality", wording that turns what was supposed to be an eulogy into hispid balbutience; Mr Quail pushes this defect far into grotesque territory, for example when he writes in Raw's POV "with Raw, one never knew when the bitch would out. Even if Edward looked like a god, smelled like grass after rain, or even had a pregnant bank account, Raw would never show his vulnerability" or "Caine made an impressive figure. His bulky frame imposed with [sic] a strong straight back and broad chest. Well-endowed with hair and sexuality [!] and his eyes penetrated with a mesmerizing quality"). And do not start me on the missing words, some of which result in sentences so spectacularly nonsensical that the book can hardly have been proof-read ("Raw never to pursued any man" and the like). How could one care for the characters and their feelings and struggle against adversity and themselves when the story boils down to such feeble, often ridiculous, literary values? I seldom felt in contact with real-life persons, only token, paper-thin characters clumsily walking around a preordained path. Even the boxing scenes have no cinematic value, being blandly woven together with little regard for colour and action ("every now and then, a punch lands with the sound of a car crash, and makes you legitimately hope the other guy gets up in one piece. With over a minute gone in round four, Raw’s opponent connected with a left hand to his jaw, landing with one of the more sickening thuds you'll hear inside a boxing ring. Raw crumpled to the mat in such a lifeless and disturbing manner, everyone watching held their breath in the hopes he would be okay"; here the shift from Raw's POV to a generic "you", instead of the expected "one" [as in "one can only hope the other guy etc"], adds insult to injury). Two stars, because I am in a magnanimous mood.
March 9, 2020
Different, Daring, Delusional
This is an extraordinary story with exceptionally strong, pigheaded and in the end somewhat delusional main characters who operate in what I never realized was a major sector of South African sports--the boxing ring.
The characters are Raw (Rawson) Curisco, his father Bobby who owns the boxing club, Edward Canton, another boxer who is introduced to Raw by family friend Angie for the purpose of them hooking up. Get it? Seriously, this is one crazy band of men (and a woman), and I struggled at times to keep up with their whims and woes.
I was stunned that Raw's father is 100% Italian, and man does he show it in all the ways Italian men happen to do (I'm one), so the authenticity is real. I was also stunned that these people had tons of money to invest or use otherwise.
But most of all I was stunned by the extraordinary love story between Raw and Edward which has more ups and downs and hairpin curves than the world's largest roller coaster. Even when the denouements turned out to be only blips on the scene, their love story was so powerful that it saved the entire experience of reading the book.
I am going to wait a while to get the sequel, which features a wonderful character introduced at the end of this tale, but get it I will. I am sure it will be a knockout like this one turned out to be.
This is an extraordinary story with exceptionally strong, pigheaded and in the end somewhat delusional main characters who operate in what I never realized was a major sector of South African sports--the boxing ring.
The characters are Raw (Rawson) Curisco, his father Bobby who owns the boxing club, Edward Canton, another boxer who is introduced to Raw by family friend Angie for the purpose of them hooking up. Get it? Seriously, this is one crazy band of men (and a woman), and I struggled at times to keep up with their whims and woes.
I was stunned that Raw's father is 100% Italian, and man does he show it in all the ways Italian men happen to do (I'm one), so the authenticity is real. I was also stunned that these people had tons of money to invest or use otherwise.
But most of all I was stunned by the extraordinary love story between Raw and Edward which has more ups and downs and hairpin curves than the world's largest roller coaster. Even when the denouements turned out to be only blips on the scene, their love story was so powerful that it saved the entire experience of reading the book.
I am going to wait a while to get the sequel, which features a wonderful character introduced at the end of this tale, but get it I will. I am sure it will be a knockout like this one turned out to be.
April 23, 2020
Raw is my new book boyfriend 😍😍😍😍😍
This story was edgy, sexy, dramatic and very emotional. It was engaging, making me feel like I lived in the pages. I can't wait to read book2.
This story was edgy, sexy, dramatic and very emotional. It was engaging, making me feel like I lived in the pages. I can't wait to read book2.
May 29, 2019
3.5 🌟 rounded up
Rating scale
5 🌟 practically perfect in every way.
4 🌟 A great read, just not quite perfection
3 🌟 An interesting/enjoyable read with a few imperfections; or maybe I personally didn't enjoy the story, but it is written well and the storyline is strong.
2 🌟 Something didn't connect with me, too many potholes, no apparent editing, etc.
1 🌟 Reserved solely for plagiarism. If I really hate a book, or it's a DNF, I don't leave nasty reviews.
To start, I would like to quote a statement from the foreword of this book.
"The author has claimed his right to use the Oxford University Style Guide during the writing of this story. Spelling and comma placement will be different to the Chicago Manual of Style."
This is a very good read. The characters are well developed, and I defer to the statement above regarding the writing style; it is different from what I am used to, but I had no troubles reading this story.
This is a story of two men, both from the world of boxing in South Africa, who are hurting and scared. Rawson, or Raw, is losing faith in his boxing career, has been making clandestine plans, and is so afraid to come out of the closet that it's emotionally crippling him.
Edward, on the other hand, is out; that is not the source of his fears. He lives in a constant state of turmoil due to the fact that he has not been able to connect with that one man made just for him. He also has to live with the demons from his past, which play a big role in his mindset regarding getting back into the ring.
Angie, friend to all, is a bit of a busybody. I liked her very much, but she was a little too trusting at times. She introduces Edward to Raw when he is hurt and let down by losing yet another fight. Raw is not good with people on a good day, so even though there is Insta-attraction for both MCs, Raw is rude, and leaves Edward feeling low.
Eventually, as the two men spend more time together, and I'm still not sure exactly how the switch was flipped, but Raw decides to throw caution to the wind, tell Edward how he feels about him, and come out in front of his father's boxing club. Then it's time for Edward to deal with the skeleton in his boxing career, and move forward.
In a duplicitous plan, a 'friend' from Raw's past informs him of some of his father's problems. He and Edward make plans to save his father's dream. What they don't realize is how obsessed this person is, and the lengths to which they are willing to go.
During this entire time, Raw has been keeping a potentially fatal secret from everyone except Angie, so when personal revenge is taken, it is literally a live or die situation. While Raw fights for his life, a new character is introduced. Shane is a detective who has been assigned to the case. I'm hoping that he will get his own story soon.
Miracles do happen, and in the end, our MCs get a second chance at happiness. Mistakes are righted with family and friends, and true love wins the fight.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
Rating scale
5 🌟 practically perfect in every way.
4 🌟 A great read, just not quite perfection
3 🌟 An interesting/enjoyable read with a few imperfections; or maybe I personally didn't enjoy the story, but it is written well and the storyline is strong.
2 🌟 Something didn't connect with me, too many potholes, no apparent editing, etc.
1 🌟 Reserved solely for plagiarism. If I really hate a book, or it's a DNF, I don't leave nasty reviews.
To start, I would like to quote a statement from the foreword of this book.
"The author has claimed his right to use the Oxford University Style Guide during the writing of this story. Spelling and comma placement will be different to the Chicago Manual of Style."
This is a very good read. The characters are well developed, and I defer to the statement above regarding the writing style; it is different from what I am used to, but I had no troubles reading this story.
This is a story of two men, both from the world of boxing in South Africa, who are hurting and scared. Rawson, or Raw, is losing faith in his boxing career, has been making clandestine plans, and is so afraid to come out of the closet that it's emotionally crippling him.
Edward, on the other hand, is out; that is not the source of his fears. He lives in a constant state of turmoil due to the fact that he has not been able to connect with that one man made just for him. He also has to live with the demons from his past, which play a big role in his mindset regarding getting back into the ring.
Angie, friend to all, is a bit of a busybody. I liked her very much, but she was a little too trusting at times. She introduces Edward to Raw when he is hurt and let down by losing yet another fight. Raw is not good with people on a good day, so even though there is Insta-attraction for both MCs, Raw is rude, and leaves Edward feeling low.
Eventually, as the two men spend more time together, and I'm still not sure exactly how the switch was flipped, but Raw decides to throw caution to the wind, tell Edward how he feels about him, and come out in front of his father's boxing club. Then it's time for Edward to deal with the skeleton in his boxing career, and move forward.
In a duplicitous plan, a 'friend' from Raw's past informs him of some of his father's problems. He and Edward make plans to save his father's dream. What they don't realize is how obsessed this person is, and the lengths to which they are willing to go.
During this entire time, Raw has been keeping a potentially fatal secret from everyone except Angie, so when personal revenge is taken, it is literally a live or die situation. While Raw fights for his life, a new character is introduced. Shane is a detective who has been assigned to the case. I'm hoping that he will get his own story soon.
Miracles do happen, and in the end, our MCs get a second chance at happiness. Mistakes are righted with family and friends, and true love wins the fight.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
January 19, 2024
This book was a much better book than I expected. I wasn’t a fan of boxing but geez Lee Quail totally got me into the story and it didn’t get me long to finish the book. He even made me teary at two different points in the story! I had the pleasure of reading two of his most recent books and loved them. I was happy that I read this one too. I just love his writing style and it was a great and easy read. Everything flowed well! I’d definitely give this story 5 stars!!! Kudos to a wonderful story!
The story focuses on Rawson “Raw” Curisco, a well known boxer in South Africa who got injured at the last boxing tournament set by his father, a boxing gym owner. While he was in the hospital, one of the family friend brought a guy named Edward Canton to the hospital. The female friend had a hidden agenda. She was trying to pair Raw and Edward together. When they met, Raw was this angry man who was not happy with the direction his life was going. He was tired of boxing so he took it out on Edward. Edward kept trying to be nice and would pick him up from the hospital after being pressured by the female friend to do it instead of her. They had a blow-up in the car and Raw angrily got out of the car but was knocked out by this piercing headache. I’ll just stop right there and have you pick up the book to read and find out what happens. A GREAT reading!
The story focuses on Rawson “Raw” Curisco, a well known boxer in South Africa who got injured at the last boxing tournament set by his father, a boxing gym owner. While he was in the hospital, one of the family friend brought a guy named Edward Canton to the hospital. The female friend had a hidden agenda. She was trying to pair Raw and Edward together. When they met, Raw was this angry man who was not happy with the direction his life was going. He was tired of boxing so he took it out on Edward. Edward kept trying to be nice and would pick him up from the hospital after being pressured by the female friend to do it instead of her. They had a blow-up in the car and Raw angrily got out of the car but was knocked out by this piercing headache. I’ll just stop right there and have you pick up the book to read and find out what happens. A GREAT reading!
July 17, 2024
First time I've read a book by Lee Quail and I'm quietly surprised by the storyline - it's not often you get a plot with two or more gay boxers!
Ultimately, this is about secrets (and lying by omission) and it seems most of the characters in this book have some doozies in the secrets department!
The story is about two men protective of themselves, both hurting and both terrified of letting people in. Raw(son) is still in the closet and it's crippling him emotionally. Edward is still running from an incident that happened three years earlier when he killed an opponent in the ring. That was the last time Edward boxed professionally, opting to disappear from society entirely.
I found the book an emotional rollercoaster ride, steamy and thought provoking, an epic love story between two, stubborn and hard headed men. Recommended.
Ultimately, this is about secrets (and lying by omission) and it seems most of the characters in this book have some doozies in the secrets department!
The story is about two men protective of themselves, both hurting and both terrified of letting people in. Raw(son) is still in the closet and it's crippling him emotionally. Edward is still running from an incident that happened three years earlier when he killed an opponent in the ring. That was the last time Edward boxed professionally, opting to disappear from society entirely.
I found the book an emotional rollercoaster ride, steamy and thought provoking, an epic love story between two, stubborn and hard headed men. Recommended.
May 30, 2019
The story of two box fighters in South Africa. The story of stubbornness, ego, fear and love. Above all, love. I loved the plot Lee came up with for this one - plenty of turnabouts and twists to keep you entertained from start to finish.
What I loved above all in this book however, was the narration and language. I have never read a story written in such a way, almost poetic and grandiose at times, but oddly fitting the story throughout. This for sure is a very unique quality and a great selling point to this story.
A very strong 4,5* for me. :)
I received an ARC copy of this book, but the review is 100% honest.
What I loved above all in this book however, was the narration and language. I have never read a story written in such a way, almost poetic and grandiose at times, but oddly fitting the story throughout. This for sure is a very unique quality and a great selling point to this story.
A very strong 4,5* for me. :)
I received an ARC copy of this book, but the review is 100% honest.
June 6, 2019
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
This is the first book I have read by LEE QUAIL. It is absolutely wonderful and remarkably written. The pace and flow of this story is perfect. It revolves around the world of boxing. You can't help but fall for Raw and Edward. The dynamic between these two powerful men is unique and awe inspiring. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!
This is the first book I have read by LEE QUAIL. It is absolutely wonderful and remarkably written. The pace and flow of this story is perfect. It revolves around the world of boxing. You can't help but fall for Raw and Edward. The dynamic between these two powerful men is unique and awe inspiring. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!
June 24, 2019
Raw is a knock-down, drag-out success with vibrant characters readers can root for the whole way through the book. Raw and Edward's relationship feels authentic and heartfelt — and hot — and the boxing so realistic it's hard to believe Quail didn't spend his own time in the ring. Like a knockout punch, I never saw the ending coming. Great characters, great writing, great setting. Can't wait to see what Quail pulls out his sleeve next.
November 11, 2023
Great read
I liked other books by this author, but hesitated reading this one because I am not much of a sports fan. However, I found this was not a book about boxing. Boxing like another chapter in the book. The things like like about this author's writing are in this book. The personalities of the characters are established very quickly and there are surprisingly unexpected twist and turns all along the way.
I liked other books by this author, but hesitated reading this one because I am not much of a sports fan. However, I found this was not a book about boxing. Boxing like another chapter in the book. The things like like about this author's writing are in this book. The personalities of the characters are established very quickly and there are surprisingly unexpected twist and turns all along the way.
May 12, 2019
Lee is a very gifted writer. But we all know that.
Raw is really a dymanic entertaining love story. I laughed i cried. I fell in love with multiple characters in this story. The love comes from the heart. Lee captures true love and romance between Edward and Raw.
I highly recommend this book to all who love a good story, love and hurt. It has it all! Thank you Lee!!!!!
Raw is really a dymanic entertaining love story. I laughed i cried. I fell in love with multiple characters in this story. The love comes from the heart. Lee captures true love and romance between Edward and Raw.
I highly recommend this book to all who love a good story, love and hurt. It has it all! Thank you Lee!!!!!
May 15, 2019
I read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this story. I honestly have never read this author's work before and I was not disappointed. From the beginning I was drawn in and captivated by the characters. I am not a big sports fan but this one just wrapped me up. I followed the emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. I can't wait to see what happens next.
June 9, 2019
The characters are very well developed and the arc is quite good though, for me, it felt a litle disjointed, since more than once it felt like Raw and Edward had known each other for months and next it was as if they'd just met. In any case, it was a very interesting and enjoyable story.
July 21, 2020
A beautifully written story
A wonderful story about love and boxing. The main characters are believable. The sex is hot and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Kudos to Lee Quail. Amazing!!!
A wonderful story about love and boxing. The main characters are believable. The sex is hot and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Kudos to Lee Quail. Amazing!!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews