Lost at the Crossing: Rail Riders, Book 2

Wow! I absolutely loved Tyler and Elian’s story. This was one of those books that from the first page I was drawn in, and invested until the last word. Their story was emotionally charged, with fantastic character chemistry that jumped off the page. I was already intrigued heading into their story, and couldn’t wait to find out how Elian and Tyler would find their way back to each other. I loved the emotions that were conveyed between the two of them as they find their way back together. Tyler was an amazing support system for Elian as he battled his struggles with selective mutism. As always Nicky James handles mental health with the perfect touch. My heart went out to Elian as he faced challenges while he tried to be who he thought Tyler wanted and to be part of Tyler’s family in Willow, Dodger, Killer and Leo. The connection that Tyler and Elian shared was the highlight of the book for me. They were so in tune with each other and you could feel the love between them coming off the pages as you absorbed their story. Their were parts that really got me in the feels and a tissue or two are recommended! As with the first rail riders book, there was heart-stopping action of freight hopping throughout. It was so fascinating learning more about this dangerous and thrilling way of life! I know that Tyler and Elian are two characters that will stick with me for a long time. I finished their story with such a smile on my face and a strong desire to be able to jump right into…

I started reading this series quite a while ago with the intention to continue right away, but of course other books came in between and only now, after seeing Nicky James's announcement she will be releasing this series on audio, narrated by the wonderful Nick J. Russo, that I was reminded that I still needed to read books 2 and 3 (-not sure yet if I will read the 4th book). This book was, as I've come to expect from this author, a great read, though I didn't love it as much as I loved the first book. This one was much slower, and both mc's had quite some issues going on. Mental health is a subject Nicky James's really thrives at, and this book was no exception. Elian's struggles were heartbreaking and it was even more heartbreaking that nobody but Tyler seemed to understand that he wasn't the way he was by choice. It was his severe anxiety and fears that kept him from speaking, not something he just didn't want to, like his parents accused him of. Tyler was very patient, comforting Elian and understanding that he struggled. Elian was also some sort of distraction for his own sad life with no family or nobody in particular who cared about him. Having grown up in the system because his parents didn't want him, he hasn't had a safe childhood, left to be on his own by choice when he turned eighteen, but it still eats at him that he has no family. It takes a while for him to understand that these people he was riding trains with, were his new found family. They cared about…