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Suki Fleet
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This is Not a Love Story Kindle Edition

by Suki Fleet (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 228 ratings

LAMBDA AWARD Finalist

RAINBOW AWARD Winner

When fifteen-year-old Romeo's mother leaves one day and doesn't return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him.
Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. After running away from an increasingly violent homelife, he makes some difficult choices and ends up selling himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and though he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him, living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough.
This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, Romeo knows he must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a tragedy).
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    This is Not a Love Story
  2. Print length
    327 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    March 27, 2019
  5. Reading age
    15 - 18 years
  6. File size
    913 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book captivated me from the first page. The writing, characterization and plot drew me in and kept me invested until the very last page. I loved this book." - Rainbow Award Judge

"Hard topic beautifully written. This is a love story that works on many levels-it's true to life, tough, harsh, and yet hopeful. It made me think, but most importantly it made me feel. A marvelous debut novel." - Rainbow Award Judge

"This is truly a gripping story of teenagers—one mute with an artistic gift, one damaged inside but with a beautiful spirit. There are tears, abuse, homelessness, grief, loss, more loss, and then. . .well, it is not a love story, but it IS a story about love. And sacrifice. And where home really is." - Rainbow Award Judge

"I just couldn't find anything that didn't deserve the highest rating. This is a book that will stay long with you after you finished reading it. Usually I am not such a happy end person, but for these characters I desperately needed a happy end - anything else would have been devastating. Luckily I have no experience with homelessness, but to me the descriptions of their struggles felt real and I was caring deeply for the characters - not only for the main characters Romeo and Julian, but also for the ones they meet on their way. Books like these are the reason why I love participating in the Jury of the Rainbow Awards so much, because I don't know if I would have otherwise found and read this book." - Rainbow Award Judge

About the Author

Award Winning Author. Prolific Reader (though less prolific than they'd like). Lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories. Nonbinary.

Suki Fleet's first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult story in the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Q47FFWM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stars and Ink Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 27, 2019
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 913 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 327 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 3 ‏ : ‎ This is Not a Love Story
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15 - 18 years
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 228 ratings

About the author

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Suki Fleet

Suki Fleet

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Award Winning Author. Prolific Reader. Lover of angst, romance and unexpected love stories. Neurodivergent. Nonbinary. She/he/they.

Suki Fleet's first novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards, and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards. Foxes won Best Gay Young Adult story in the 2016 Rainbow Awards,

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
228 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be one of the very best love stories, with beautiful writing and vivid descriptions that create a dreamy layer to the narrative. Moreover, the book is full of hope and inspiration, and customers consider it well worth their time. However, the emotional content receives mixed reactions, with customers describing it as an emotionally heavy read.

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17 customers mention "Story quality"14 positive3 negative

Customers praise the book's beautiful narrative, with one review highlighting its magical way of describing emotions and situations, while another notes it's not a sugary or cuddly story.

"...The story is packed with fluent writing, good plot but most importantly: well-thought out and endearing characters with a depth of emotions that..." Read more

"...book quickly drew me into the characters' lives with its unadulterated descriptions of life few of us will ever know...." Read more

"...This book has a happy ending of sorts - one that fits the tone of the book - but it’s very abrupt and I needed more time with the boys once life..." Read more

"Now this is a story that packs a punch! I can't say it was completely enjoyable read...." Read more

11 customers mention "Value for money"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth their time and money, with one mentioning it was worth the 3am finish.

"...She does a wonderful job of NOT looking away from the harsh brutality of it. She doesn't gloss over it or romanticize it...." Read more

"...is packed with fluent writing, good plot but most importantly: well-thought out and endearing characters with a depth of emotions that will make you..." Read more

"...FIVE STARS FROM ME ***** Thanks Suki Fleet for this great novel. There has to been more to come...Please." Read more

"...liked to see a little more detail at the end, but it was still completely satisfying - worth the 3am finish - and I can't wait to read more from..." Read more

7 customers mention "Beauty"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful, with one customer noting its dreamy layer and another mentioning how it paints vivid pictures.

"...course, she also includes the opposite side of the coin with genuinely beautiful people like Cassey and Crash and his foster parents...." Read more

"...like it happened to Remee...Crash was so gentle and lovely that if it wasn't for Julian, I bet that Remee would have fallen in love..." Read more

"...It’s beautiful and inspiring. I love when MCs will do anything for one another, do anything to save each other, to be together...." Read more

"...The connection Julian and Remee have is so beautiful and heartbreaking. The author was trying to wrangle every teardrop out of me with her words...." Read more

4 customers mention "Hopefulness"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book hopeful and inspiring.

"...TINALS is heart wrenching and brutal but remains hopeful, comforting and hauntingly beautiful. “..." Read more

"...A love so strong and full of hope that will make you keep living in despite of the horrible way life has, is and probably will keep on treating you...." Read more

"...It’s beautiful and inspiring. I love when MCs will do anything for one another, do anything to save each other, to be together...." Read more

"love and hope in times of despair -yes, please..." Read more

18 customers mention "Heartbreaking content"9 positive9 negative

Customers find the book emotionally heavy and heartbreaking.

"...importantly: well-thought out and endearing characters with a depth of emotions that will make you wish you could have them in front of you and help..." Read more

"...There is so much pain and suffering on every page that I read in a frantic, raw frenzy, desperately needing to know how each trial and tribulation..." Read more

"4.5 stars Suki Fleet’s the most angsty book I’ve read so far. I can’t imagine anyone devouring it in one/two sittings...." Read more

"This was a heartbreaking and emotional - but beautifully written - story about two homeless boys who help each other survive on the streets...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing quality"7 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it beautifully and fluently written, while others describe it as a tough read.

"...The story is packed with fluent writing, good plot but most importantly: well-thought out and endearing characters with a depth of emotions that..." Read more

"I struggled with the writing at first. Something was missing for me. But then the story pulled me in...." Read more

"...But, it is a love story. It is a beautifully written story about two homeless boys, Julian and Romeo (Remee) and their struggles trying to survive..." Read more

"...However, Romeo will not give up. This is not a easy book to read, but it is well worth your time...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • KatMarie
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is most definitely a love story!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Wow! And ouch! That was painful. And beautiful. And really moving.

    I started This is Not a Love Story 8 days ago and finished it the next day. There is so much pain and suffering on every page that I read in a frantic, raw frenzy, desperately needing to know how each trial and tribulation would be resolved. The hardships Romeo and Julian faced were so unsettling and disturbing that I was beside myself until I arrived at each conclusion. When I finished, I knew I needed to read it again so that I could really absorb the details I missed as I sped through in my frantic haste.

    I started my reread the day after I finished the first time, reading a bit every day over the next 6 days. I'm not sure if I took so long because I wanted to savor it or because it's so painful and I needed to take breaks or because I simply needed time to think about how the story was impacting me. I guess it was probably little bit of each of those things.

    One might think so much pain and suffering would be off-putting, but I can't stop thinking that homelessness, especially teen homelessness, should feel painful for those on the outside looking in at it from a place of security and comfort. One of the things that moved me the most was how honest Suki Fleet is about how the general public turns a blind eye on homelessness, how people don't want to see it, don't want to acknowledge it and don't seem to have empathy. She does a wonderful job of NOT looking away from the harsh brutality of it. She doesn't gloss over it or romanticize it. She confronts it in a profound and haunting way.

    Of course, she also includes the opposite side of the coin with genuinely beautiful people like Cassey and Crash and his foster parents. Even though those characters provide relief and a ray of hope, it's realistic... what they offer is so tiny and so huge at the same time. Their love and efforts make a huge difference in the moment and/or for one or two people suffering but no matter how much they can give and help, as individuals there's only so much they can do to alleviate this systemic problem/disaster.

    In the end, what makes this book worth every moment of heartbreak is the love between Romeo and Julian. Yeah, they're codependent. Yeah, it's probably not entirely healthy. I don't care. It's flawed and wrecked and stunning.

    “Together we burned bright enough to obliterate the darkness.”

    No matter the emotional wreckage Suki Fleet's stories evoke, I am always so thankful for the little pieces of herself and her heart that she shares with us. TINALS is heart wrenching and brutal but remains hopeful, comforting and hauntingly beautiful.

    “If he asked me right now what I would change, I would sign without thinking. Everything. Then I would look at him, and I would realize. I would change nothing.”
    19 people found this helpful
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  • kirika
    4.0 out of 5 stars Heart breaking but full of hope
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Let me start by saying that I completely LOVE this book and the reason of the 4 star rating is because of the end (further explanation below). I only give 5 star ratings when I enjoy a book 100%...this one I enjoyed it like 97%.

    The story deals with several homeless boys that have to find a way to survive not every day, but every hour! so be prepared to have your heart rip out of your chest by some of the things that happens to our dear main characters such as sexual and drug abuse. The story is packed with fluent writing, good plot but most importantly: well-thought out and endearing characters with a depth of emotions that will make you wish you could have them in front of you and help them out!

    The characters were my favorite part in this book. Their feelings and suffering felt so real I completely lost myself in them and forgot the world around me. The author has such a magical way to describe emotions and situations that I will definitely be checking out all of her other works (I hope she continues writing!) because this is the reason why I love to read...when you feel like the characters are real and your heart is alive to their actions. I connected with Remee a lot(his name is Romeo but Julian calls him like that), the story was told by his POV and I was able to feel everything he felt. Julian, the very kind guy who helps Remee and takes care of him when Remee has no one else, won my heart and also broke it...it was broken not by him but by the circumstances that drove him to despair...I just wished I could have him in front of me and hug him....protect him from all the harm and unfairness life was throwing at him but then I remembered that Remee was in the picture and I thought "there is hope in this life".

    Although, the title says "this is not a love story", it turns out to be a beautiful love story. A love so strong and full of hope that will make you keep living in despite of the horrible way life has, is and probably will keep on treating you. In the case of Julian and Remee, even though they were on the streets and didn't have possessions, they did have each other and that was more valuable than any gold. When one was weak, the other one was there to support him and continue walking. I fell in love with them. I felt sad when they were forced to be apart and happy when they found each other again.

    The secondary characters were good, I liked Pasha and Crash...I said that I connected with Remee which means that I felt like I was Remee...for example: when his heart cried out for Julian, same thing happened to me. So, it is no wonder that Crash also took a piece of my heart (while Julian had the rest) like it happened to Remee...Crash was so gentle and lovely that if it wasn't for Julian, I bet that Remee would have fallen in love with him.

    Now, the reason of the 4 stars is because the ending felt... incomplete, to say the least. I just wasn't happy the way it turned out after all the things our characters went through, I wish I could have seen more of Julian's recovery and a little bit of their time when they finally found a place to call home. Throughout the story I had a flame burning deep in my heart but the flame went out little by little at the end until I was left like "it's done?".

    A good book nonetheless and highly recommended!!
    15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon-Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars A dark journey ...
    Reviewed in Germany on September 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book gripped me and did not let me go until I finished it - at 3 a.m. on a Monday morning! Who needs sleep before going to work, anyway? But reader, beware! This book is dark and desperate, an emotional roller coaster, a brutal nightmare, but also beautiful and - in the end - hopeful. I love it and Suki Fleet is on my auto-buy list now, even though they seem to put their characters through the wringer every time ...
    Report
  • Anonymous
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great, heartfelt story that will not be forgotten.
    Reviewed in Australia on May 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Well, Suki Fleet certainly knows how to tear someone’s heart out.
    This Is Not A Love Story is certainly not a love story – it is a story of survival, with the two main characters so in love with each other, that they will fight with all they have to stay together. Two boys (I’d like to call them men, but they are not really), homeless and hopeless on the streets where being alone means you don’t survive long. The author has certainly explored the range of emotions a young boy feels when his survival depends on what happens to him hour to hour, and we, the reader, are along for the painful ride.
    Told from Romeo’s POV, the author is unapologetically honest about what goes on when you live on the street – prostitution, drug use, violence, police, hunger, it all. The story is dark and gut-wrenching, nothing hidden or glossed over. In fact, when I had to leave these two boys on the cold street at about 55% last night so that I could get to sleep, I was heartbroken. I didn’t want to leave them out there in the cold.
    This is a story I enjoyed reading. I’m not saying I laughed or even smiled, but I couldn’t put the book down. I was taken on a rollercoaster of despair that was so vivid, I couldn’t find my way out.
    But it is a story I recommend to you. I give this author 5 stars and applaud her for writing this novel. It is not a usual romance, and that is a good thing.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book was pretty good but I found it hard to understand what all was happening. It was like the writer was writting in a poetic evasive way like you should know what they are talking about without really staying it out right or clearly.
    Also the ending needed a better epilogue....
    Report
  • daryn steer
    5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful 🌈💚✨
    Reviewed in Australia on January 2, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Such a special beautiful book.
    It tell a story that is sometimes hard to read but so important and worthwhile.
    Kindness Hope Love and Healing that exist despite experiences so dark.
    Read it to the end, the parts that were harder to read are some of the most important ones.
    Report
  • Christopher Machin
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is my second copy, It was a shock ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is my second copy, It was a shock on opening the book, but as I got into it I was captivated.
    Report

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