This is a book that deals with some very hard issues like organized crime, drugs and AIDS. I felt this was definitely not a romance book. The drug dealer, Johnny, was not a hero, he was an antihero. He did something I find pretty much impossible to forgive.

This book does have a happy, romantic end, but it happened far too fast for me. We're in the middle of all kinds of bad things, and suddenly we're tossed eight years forward in time, and everything is sunshine. I wish the writer would have taken more time and dealt with those eight years, too, because there were issues that needed to be dealt with, like how did Eddie get over the thing even I can't forgive. Some very hard feelings needed to be talked about. I'm not even sure a happy end could be possible... At least it would require another book to convince me.

In spite of my disbelief in the end, 95% of the book was gorgeous writing, and I particularly enjoyed a friendship between Eddie and another character. I'll give four stars to the writing, and the general description of the crime, drug and AIDS issues. I don't seriously know if any writer could have believably saved the romance after some things that happened. ( )