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The Christmas Throwaway Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 601 ratings

Christmas is a time for giving - what do you do when no one gives a damn?

For Zachary Weston Christmas means sleeping on a churchyard bench in the freezing snow with nothing better in his future. Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go.

Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.

Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?


Word Count: 33,000

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AG0BJGI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love Lane Books Ltd; 1st edition (November 29, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2215 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 146 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 601 ratings

About the author

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RJ Scott
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RJ is the author of the over one hundred novels and discovered romance in books at a very young age. She realized that if there wasn’t romance on the page, she could create it in her head, and is a lifelong writer.

She lives and works out of her home in the beautiful English countryside, spends her spare time reading, watching films, and enjoying time with her family.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit and has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.

She loves to talk to readers and can be contacted via rj@rjscott.co.uk

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
601 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story heartwarming and sweet. They describe the book as a wonderful, enjoyable read for the holidays. The writing quality is praiseworthy, with well-developed characters that readers can connect with. Many find the story lovely and sweet. However, some feel the content lacks originality and is unrealistic at times. Opinions vary on the pacing, with some finding it slow and others finding it quick and engaging.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

93 customers mention "Heartwarming story"83 positive10 negative

Customers find the story sweet and emotional. They say it's a love story with likable characters and a happy ending. The way their love develops is touching, and the book has well-written emotions that make it one of the best Christmas stories they have read.

"...- pure Christmas spirit without the glitter or schmaltz, tenderness without overkill. I read this novella last year, and loved it...." Read more

"...The story does move at a leisurely pace, with many chapters covering only a few days, but then makes some jumps later where it's many months later...." Read more

"...Deeply emotional, intensely amazing, and your heart will be happy for a long time remembering this compassionate, touching, heartbreaking,..." Read more

"...The Christmas part of the tale worked the best, and while I was glad to see the rest of the story unfold, it made the pacing unbalanced...." Read more

41 customers mention "Readability"41 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it enjoyable, well-crafted, and worth reading for the holidays. The story explores themes of family, self-worth, and love in a simple yet nicely executed tale.

"...So, in this fantastic, stunningly crafted tale of humanity and hope, Zachary is a 17 year old throwaway...." Read more

"...A rather simple tale, but nicely executed. I mentioned that the pacing seems off later in the novel...." Read more

"...Deeply emotional, intensely amazing, and your heart will be happy for a long time remembering this compassionate, touching, heartbreaking,..." Read more

"...It was enjoyable, but like mindless television. Review..." Read more

31 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find it heartwarming and well-written, with believable characters and an easy read. The narration is also appreciated. The story is thought-out and sensitively handled.

"...I was so deeply touched by the delicate, sentiment here - pure Christmas spirit without the glitter or schmaltz, tenderness without overkill...." Read more

"...Ben is wonderfully written as a caring cop who soon realizes he has an attraction to Zach, but is also too responsible to allow anything to become..." Read more

"...Well written, interesting and heartwarming, this is wonderful in every way. Zach gets thrown out of his home for being gay...." Read more

"...Read at Christmas" because the story is well thought out, has wonderfully fleshed out and believable characters, and enough Christmas love to last..." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters believable and relatable. They appreciate the well-written storyline and emotion expressed by the characters. The main and secondary characters are described as amazing, realistic, and well-described. The book takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else.

"...I really liked the story. It has some nice character development and verbalizes some strong emotions from the characters very well...." Read more

"...You get so emotionally involved with these beautiful characters, that you cherish every word...." Read more

"...Everything is close by, everyone knows everyone else, crime is low...." Read more

"...the story is well thought out, has wonderfully fleshed out and believable characters, and enough Christmas love to last for the ensuing year ahead...." Read more

16 customers mention "Sweetness"13 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the story's sweetness. They find it a lovely, warm, gentle Christmas tale with a beautiful young man they fall in love with. The book is described as short but very sweet, though some readers felt the plot was predictable and corny.

"...And, to finish my story from earlier, this beautiful young man who I began to love, like a son, ran away right before Christmas from our facility,..." Read more

"...It was a completely heartwarming story with an incredibly sweet and emotional romantic story line...." Read more

"...review, I sort of want to re-read this story again because it was so sweet. It's a quick read, and very enjoyable." Read more

"...But it was sweet and it was a love story in the form of a gay romance novel. Not what I would actually call literature, but a cute read." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some found it quick and easy to read, while others felt the pacing was off at certain points and predictable.

"...The characters are instantly likable, the sorrows are real but quickly addressed and never wallowed in...." Read more

"...The pacing seems a little off at later points in the novel, but it still works well as a whole and has some scenes that truly stand out...." Read more

"...'ll really be able to stay together, but all in all, it was a fun, fast read." Read more

"...I was glad to see the rest of the story unfold, it made the pacing unbalanced...." Read more

6 customers mention "Realistic content"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the story unrealistic and clichéd. They also mention that the premise lacks originality and seems too idealistic at times. The ending is abrupt and disappointing for some readers.

"...The characters are more than two-dimensional but at times seemed a bit too idealistic that sometimes came close to breaking the story but it always..." Read more

"...The premise, although somewhat lacking in originality, is also well-developed with some interesting plot twists here and there...." Read more

"...It was not at all realistic, and I doubt that in realy life any of the people in this book would have been so accepting as the deputy's family and..." Read more

"...It was a tad saccharine. It was a tad cliché. But I enjoyed reading it despite that...." Read more

Lovely Christmas Novella
3 out of 5 stars
Lovely Christmas Novella
While this starts out with a heartbreaking story - overall this novella is fairly low angst and super, super sweet. Police Officer Ben finds newly homeless Zach and brings him home. While Zach is just days from being 18, he’s lived a sheltered life and needs time and space to find out who he is before he’s ready for a relationship with mid-twenties Ben.While I wish Scott had expanded on Zach’s growth a bit more and the stages of his relationship with Ben - I appreciated that the story took place over several years. It wasn’t an immediate jump for them.Another sweet addition to my holiday listens.Narration:Sean Crisden is wonderful as usual.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2011
    So I guess a couple of things you should know about me are that I was CFO for a residential treatment center for abused adolescents for the past ten years, and that I am a gay man. Some of the kids were gay, some not. All had suffered some level of abuse - mental, physical, sexual. These were 12 - 17 year old kids, most of whom were abandoned or neglected, beaten, raped, prostituted out. We were one step down from psychiatric hospitalization, and some of the stories I could tell you...you cannot imagine. Really.

    And I loved so many of these kids. The boys and the girls. But there were a few special kids, and one in particular, who was a throwaway,a young person tossed out of their homes for being gay, or for getting on a parent's nerves, or whatever, but tossed out with nowhere to go and usually no money. Mom and dad not in the picture anymore, thank God, but he and his sister were...thrown away... like some of us would throw away garbage. This particular young man had a lot of issues, and his life was hard, but he and I bonded over my dog (we could bring our pets in and he learned empathy from working with pets, and he loved my lab Samantha). He was 15 or 16, and just opening up about his sexuality, and just a beautiful and kind and sweet young man and if I could have adopted him I would have in a freakin minute.

    Anyway, that is my background.

    So, in this fantastic, stunningly crafted tale of humanity and hope, Zachary is a 17 year old throwaway. A young man tossed out of his home for being gay, beaten and broken, a little over a week before he turned 18, with just a few dollars in his pocket and the clothes on his back. The week before Christmas, Zachary's dad drives him out from home at gunpoint.

    Ben is a police officer, working back in his hometown, fresh out of college, coming back home to work to make a difference and to keep the people in his town safe. And he chances upon Zachary, asleep on a bench in front of the local church, exhausted and tired, on Christmas Eve. When he sees this fragile young man, something in him makes him take the young man home for a meal, a shower and a warm bed, rather than rousting or arresting him.

    When Ben takes him to his mother's home, Zachary sees what family can be - loving, fun, sharing, looking out for one another rather than being afraid, beaten and controlled. Will Zachary find the strength to take a stand for himself and what he wants in life? And will the budding attraction between Ben and Zachary bloom into something special?

    RJ Scott has written a touching, heartbreaking and heartwarming story of hope, giving and receiving, and Christmas miracles. I was so deeply touched by the delicate, sentiment here - pure Christmas spirit without the glitter or schmaltz, tenderness without overkill. I read this novella last year, and loved it. When I brought it back up from my archive this year, I was reminded how truly special this story is.

    And, to finish my story from earlier, this beautiful young man who I began to love, like a son, ran away right before Christmas from our facility, and I only saw him one more time. He was prostituting himself, living with an older man who was his pimp. When I approached him, he was strung out, looking for a fix, and recognized me. His come on stuttered to a stop, and he took off before I could get the words, "Let me help" out of my mouth.

    Not all throwaways find a home.

    If you can, spare a prayer for him this Christmas.

    Tom
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2011
    I have to give this about four stars. I really liked the story. It has some nice character development and verbalizes some strong emotions from the characters very well. The pacing seems a little off at later points in the novel, but it still works well as a whole and has some scenes that truly stand out.

    Zach is 17 years old and gay. When "treatments" didn't work, his father threw him out. It's two days before his 18th birthday, Christmas Eve, and all Zach wants to do is try to grab a little sleep on a bench in a churchyard. It's snowing, cold, and he has only minimal clothing (thankfully they're in Virginia and not Wisconsin). Officer Ben Hamilton comes along, finds Zach, and doesn't have the heart to bring him into the station or even force him on his way. He takes him to his mother's house where he is cared for by his family, and it's there that Zach starts to find a place for himself in the world.

    A rather simple tale, but nicely executed. I mentioned that the pacing seems off later in the novel. The story does move at a leisurely pace, with many chapters covering only a few days, but then makes some jumps later where it's many months later. That's about the only negative I can find to this story. The positives greatly outweigh the slight unevenness in the telling.

    There have been only a few stories I've read where there was nothing notable worth mentioning. Even in stories you may consider not very good, there could be passages that strike a nerve. A piece of prose that's creative, a play on words that's particularly clever. This story has that in its opening. An interplay between Zach dreaming of a warm cozy Christmas while he's freezing on a bench, and the voice of Ben telling him he can't sleep there. It works and it sticks in your memory.

    The author does an admirable job of making Zach feel like a 17-year-old. He's been traumatized and trust doesn't come easily to him. He suffers panic attacks and is deeply flawed. Yet he still possesses that youthful naivete that tells him in two days, when he turns 18, he'll be an adult and all will be well. Those around him know better, and it takes him time to figure it out himself... that he has nowhere to go, but doesn't need to since these loving people care for him and will help. Ben is wonderfully written as a caring cop who soon realizes he has an attraction to Zach, but is also too responsible to allow anything to become of it. He's about six years older, after all, and a police officer. Even when Zach turns 18, he refuses to act on his attraction. Zach is someone in his care, and as long as he's caring for Zach, he'll never take advantage of the situation.

    It's a sweet loving tale and is quite enjoyable and memorable. I'm glad it's a part of my library.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015
    ***** Oh my, what an awesome story ! I read it in one sitting, because it was too good to put down...! You get so emotionally involved with these beautiful characters, that you cherish every word. Well written, interesting and heartwarming, this is wonderful in every way. Zach gets thrown out of his home for being gay. His military minded, brutal father beat him, again, and tossed him away. Ben, a new small town cop, finds Zach asleep on a bench, brings him to his Mom's and helps him. The main and secondary people are amazing. There is a lot to deal with, because Zach was beaten, Ben's sister-in-law doctor treated him, they all guided him in some way, and Zach needed to get his sister away from their mean Dad. Ben and Zach had an attraction, but was not acted on for a long while, until he got settled, made decisions about how to proceed, and finally working and taking classes. When Zach's Mom is beaten and dies, Zach can finally get his sister to safety. Legal actions are taken, a new "family" for Zach and his sister, and new love for Ben and Zach.
    Deeply emotional, intensely amazing, and your heart will be happy for a long time remembering this compassionate, touching, heartbreaking,
    heartwarming love story.
    Very highly recommended... ENJOY !!!
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Vic
    5.0 out of 5 stars A heartwarming Christmas Story.
    Reviewed in Canada on December 21, 2019
    I have read and enjoyed many of Ms. Scott's books, but I first read this gem 4 years ago and now read it every year on Christmas Eve. It is a story about a young man who is thrown out of his home by his abusive and homophobic father for the crime of being gay, and how he finds love and acceptance by a caring young police officer and his family. It is both heart wrenching and heart warming and I recommend it.
  • Xav2944
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superbe
    Reviewed in France on December 28, 2017
    Super content de la réception du produit, arrivé juste à temps, très bon vendeur, je recommande énormément, il faut simplement savoir que sur ce livre la l'anglais est vraiment un anglais américain avec les expressions américaines, donc il faut vraiment se plonger dedans, mais sinon tout correspond à 100 % merci infiniment
  • Beautifull
    4.0 out of 5 stars I liked it was good
    Reviewed in Australia on October 5, 2015
    I liked it was good
  • Gelegenheitsleser
    4.0 out of 5 stars Ergreifend und ein wenig kitschig
    Reviewed in Germany on August 24, 2011
    Der 17jährige Zach findet am Weihnachtsabend, schutzlos der Kälte und dem Hunger ausgeliefert - beinahe hätte ich gesagt seine letzte Ruhe - Platz auf einer Bank am Friedhof einer Kirche, nachdem ihn sein Vater fast zwei Wochen vorher mit der Pistole im Anschlag aus dem Haus geworfen hatte, weil er schwul ist und sich auch nicht umerziehen lassen will. Zum Glück findet ihn der junge schwule Polizist Ben, der ihn mit nach Hause nimmt, wo er Wärme, Liebe und Geborgenheit einer intakten Familie kennenlernt, er, der immer der häuslichen Gewalt des Vaters und Gefühlskälte der Mutter ausgesetzt war.
    Die Autorin stellt ergreifend dar, wie Zach große Probleme hat, anderen Menschen zu trauen und langsam durch die Güte Bens und seiner Familie Vertrauen fasst und den Glauben an sich selbst findet. (Ich gebe zu, öfters mit den Tränen gekämpft zu haben, was mir aber kein bisschen peinlich ist!)
    Leider ist die Handlung zu gradlinig, und die handelnden Menschen sind alle gut und völlig selbstlos. Nur Bens Bruder stellt sich anfangs zickig an, borgt aber Zach später sogar seinen Ipod - welch ein Vertrauensbeweis.
    Die Handlung wird dadurch vorangetrieben, dass Ben sich nicht traut, Zach seine stetig größer werdende Zuneigung handfest zu zeigen, obwohl dieser anfängt, sich danach zu sehnen. Es ergeben sich aber keine hysterischen Hochs und Tiefs, sondern alle Entwicklungen sind für den Leser gut nachvollziehbar.
    Das Buch ist recht dünn; aber trotzdem empfehlenswert.
  • English Tutor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this story so much!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 4, 2011
    I absolutely loved this story. The main characters are wonderfully rounded and real. The story is sweet and well-paced. The sex is tender and believeable as well as hot. The additional cast of characters are terrific too. I'm really hoping we get to hear more about the people of Hill Valley. I'm going to be sampling 'Oracle' next. Thank you, RJ Scott, for an engrossing and delightful story with just the perfect ending.

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