I wish Netgalley would provide trigger warnings on its website when clicking to accept a book because if I knew I would not have picked this book. Yes it had important lessons but it didn't do enough to redeem this book for me. I do not intend to read any further books from this author. The narrator did a great job though. Thanks for the copy of this book I was grateful to attempt it after hearing raving reviews.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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“Folks like to talk about revenge like it’s a righteous thing but it’s just hate in a nicer suit.” 
“I ain't gonna lie and say I get you, because I don't. I can't even pretend I know what it must be like to be... you. But if all this has taught me one thing, it's that it ain't about me and what I get. It's about letting people be who they are. And being who you are shouldn't be a death sentence.” 
“When the people you love are gone, it’s the things they’ve touched that keep them alive in your mind. A picture, a shirt, a poem, a pair of baby shoes. They become anchors that help you keep their memory from drifting away.” 
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This is an antihero story of sorts. Razorblade Tears is a one of a kind story, an antihero story of sorts. The two main characters Ike and Buddy Lee had such chemistry that you cannot help but root for them the entire book. The violence in this one is heavy, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t that amount of violence, but if I’m being honest, I love it, especially when you realize what these two are fighting for. This is a fast paced heart pounding wild ride of a read and I wish I could read it again for the first time.
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I’m sure by now I am probably the last person to have read this book on booksta but wow. That book sure did pack a punch. It was so raw, powerful, thought provoking and moving. I felt all of the emotions while reading this, not to mention Cosby absolutely ripper my heart out at one point and had me sobbing like a baby. There are so many messages in this one, two of my favorite being acceptance and finding oneself. I definitely think that this one should be apart of the required reading list for kiddos now a days.
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I listened to this one via audio and Adam Lazarre-White was phenomenal in his narration. I fell in love with this story. It was so well written and so well narrated that I flew through it in a matter of a day.
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If you haven’t read this one - you need to. Don’t wait on it any longer. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and S. A. Cosby for the audio in exchange for my honest review!

🧡 Razorblade Tears 🧡

Y’all this booooook!
I know, I know, you can yell at me in the comments. It took me a minute, but I am HERE now!

I loved this one.

Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little in common other than their sons were married and brutally murdered. They band together on a journey to seek justice for their sons and confront their prejudices along the way. Themes of racism and homophobia interwoven with found family and doing better. It’s done in a raw and gritty way. There’s no fluff in the learning that happens and it’s very real.

Y’all, read this book 👏🏻

I listened to the audio which was amazingly done. I highly recommend. A long drive over the weekend passed in a BLUR as I was on the edge of my seat with this one.

Razor Blade Tears by S. A. Cosby is a thrilling and emotionally charged novel that masterfully blends elements of crime, family drama, and redemption. The story is filled with well-developed characters, each with their own dark past and a quest for justice and closure. The writing is sharp, and the plot is fast-paced, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. Crosby tackles important themes such as race, sexuality, and the consequences of one's actions, adding depth to the story. "Razor Blade Tears" is a compelling and thought-provoking read that leaves a lasting impact.
Thank you to Netgalley, S. A. Crosby and publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

"Razorblade Tears" by S. A. Crosby was an intense and emotional audiobook. It explores themes of race, sexuality, and the bonds between fathers and sons. Two unlikely allies come together for a common purpose: avenging the murders of their sons. The book dives deep into their pasts, making it a powerful and thought-provoking story. If you're a fan of gritty, character-driven novels with a strong message, this one's worth checking out.

I really had no idea what to expect when I started this because I admittedly did not read the description before starting. I was in for a bit of a surprise. This was heavy, emotional, violent, and also deeply touching. To see the lengths two fathers will go to avenge their sons and make up for the poor reaction to their sons' sexual preferences was pretty amazing. Although I didn't love how much violence there was in this (simply because it doesn't interest me and I find myself getting bored - weird I know), I did love how dramatic it was and how far they were willing to fix their sons' legacies. This was a wild ride and I thought it was really well written. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Short synopsis: Two ex-cons team up to avenge the deaths of their sons, who were gay and murdered.

My thoughts: I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this one, not knowing much going in other than it was soo. The rumors are true, this one is just so good. That being said this is not for the faint of heart… it’s graphic, deals with some heavy topics, and is pretty gory.

Cosby had such a unique writing style, he writes very heavy topics but uses such intelligent language to describe what’s going on. The way he strings words together is just unheard of.

I really liked the process Ike and Buddy Lee went through together. Admitting their faults, their regrets, and changing perspectives on so many important topics.

I loved the audio narration on this, the narrator had the perfect gravelly voice and told this story perfectly!

Read if you love:
- Vengence
- Banding together for a cause
- Owning your mistakes
- Family
- Thought provoking stories

This book needs to be made into a movie, but I'm worried that a movie would ruin this book. Makes no sense I know. lol This book brought out the feral mama bear and me and I was so invested in Ike and Buddy Lee's road to revenge, that I could not put turn the audiobook off, also Adam Lazarre-White does and amazing job narrating. This story had so much emotion, so much action and it was so good.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it definitely won't be my last. Wow, this story was something else! I really enjoyed it and the audiobook was so well done. The narrator really helped keep my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat. I would highly recommend this one.

Took me too long to read this but wow this was incredible! Heavy read but really worth it! I thought it was relatively fast paced despite being 300+ pages

Razorblade Tears was intense. I really thought the narrator was perfect for the feel of this book. He brought an added layer to this already emotional story. So many things were tackled in this book: race, sexuality, family, grief, regret, parenthood, murder, and redemption, just to name a few. By the time you reach the end of this story, you feel like you know these characters so intimately. This is a highly intellectual thriller, and I think so many people will not only love it, but will also benefit from reading it.

Stayed up all night because I couldn't stop listening.
Action packed, a fine hard edge of a story about two very flawed fathers seeking justice for their murdered sons.
Really well written and absorbing. I would have liked to see more attention paid to the women characters who were not well fleshed out. And there were parts that were overly didactic about accepting (or not) LGBTQIA people.
But this is an explosive thrill ride. You will love this novel.

"They could call what they were seeking justice, but that didn't make it true. It was unquenchable, implacable vengeance. And life inside the gray bar and out had taught him that vengeance came with consequences."

I know I’m way behind in reading this book. My local book club picked it for our July read, and I’m so glad I finally read it. It made for a great discussion especially with some heavy topics like grief, loss, sexuality, prejudice, and vengeance.

Buddy Lee and Ike are two fathers grieving the loss of their gay sons. One white, one black, both with criminal pasts, and neither accepting of their child’s sexuality. But when their sons are brutally murdered, they take things into their own hands to get the justice their sons deserve.

This was such an emotional story. Cosby did an amazing job of showing the grief and regret that both Buddy Lee and Ike were going through. At first, I was taken aback by the amount of violence in this book, but I understand the author’s decision to write it this way. It wouldn’t have worked as well without it.

Reading about how these fathers were coping with decisions they made in their past was a refreshing change of pace from a typical story about parental grief. It was interesting to see how much their characters changed throughout the story as well.

Razorblade Tears isn’t my normal type of book. It was gritty and violent, but written with such heart and emotion. Cosby really makes his readers think while touching on some tough subjects. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review. Adam Lazarre-White did a great job narrating this book. You could feel all of the emotions these characters were going through while listening to it.

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Crosby was a cinematic read!

What would you do if the person who murdered your loved one was not held accountable? Would you want revenge? Seek vigilante justice? This book was about more than revenge when two fathers set out to find who killed both of their sons. My favorite quote was when a character was asked about being fueled by revenge and they said "No hate. Folks like to talk about revenge like it's a virtuous thing but it's just hate in a nicer suit." I was a big fan of the dialogue, the character development, and the sequencing. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

DNF. Just couldn’t get through this one! I know it’s been very well received by so many, and while I loved the premises, the execution didn’t work for me. Way to violent and crass.

I first read this book in 2022 after it came out and it was beautiful and violent and full of regrets and tinged with rage throughout. The narration by Adam Lazarre-White brings a beautiful timbre to the story like a song of death and mourning, the way these two fathers grieve feels like the only path that they could have taken. It's a hauntingly elegant tale of destruction and I couldn't lay it down. It really took me by surprise how much I loved it and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to read it.

5/5 Violence and revenge
3/5 Tears were shed
5/5 Character-building
5/5 World-building, you can practically taste the grit and feel the gravel on the roads
5/5 Beautiful prose

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio copy via NetGalley. I'm always up for a new novel and will be an S. A. Cosby fan for life, now.

This novel grips you tight and refuses to let go (not that you want it to.)

Ike and Buddy are so well and clearly written that I feel as though they are both strangers and people I know. S.A. Cosby's command of character study both within and without their environmental effects is outstanding and really makes this novel shine. I devoured this novel in one sitting and was truly engrossed for every minute. While this, fortunately, isn't a rare occurrence for me, this time was different. I was immediately invested in this novel and it is so incredibly full of heart and heartbreak in a way that brings so many emotions forth.

S.A. Cosby also manages to touch and discuss such timely and important issues without it coming across as on the nose and in your face, which can deter some from books. The realness of the characters and their experiences are so integral to their and so many others' experiences. These men are so broken and troubled and still so full of love that when I think of them, I am brought to tears. It is not so often that I am moved so deeply and Cosby does this with such subtle effort that I wasn't aware how much I was invested in them until it was too late and I had finished the book!

10/10 SUPERB - I have and will continue to recommend this book to all of my reading buddies.

WHAT A FREAKING ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE EMOTIONS THIS WAS!! I've had this book on my shelf (LITERALLY, from BOTM) for years. I started it at one point, but being a mood reader it didn't capture my attention at that time. WHAT A DIFFERENCE the audiobook made, FLIPPING BANANAS!

There is something so satisfying and addictive about the way these two fathers went absolutely KUNG-FU revenge on the turds in this book. I. WAS. RIVETED. I was UP and DOWN on this rollercoaster of Razorblade Tears. S.A. Cosby not only brings us on a trail of destruction, he beautifully weaves a powerful narrative on guilt, love, anger and so much more.

This was one of my favorites of the year and I'm beyond thankful for the publisher/author for the audio ARC to really give an immersive experience to this stunner of a book!

Very good read. The narrator was AMAZING! This was my first book by S.A. Crosby, I look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was literally a rollercoaster. It was not what I was expecting but I loved this story and I loved how powerful some of themes in this book were. You are taken on a journey with two fathers from different backgrounds as they are trying to find vengeance for their murdered sons. There is a lot on the line especially for one father who already has a criminal history. As they are following the trail they unveil so much about their sons and the meaning of love. At times the book was gruesome to read but I thought the representation of LGBTQ+ and their lives in the south were so important to continue and I am so glad I did! The twists in the book were not expected at all!! Which I loved! These characters grew on you and you really could connect to the pain that they were feeling. I did have a little trouble trying to figure out what era we were living in because of some of the wording that the older men used or their lack of possessions most people would have now a days. But once you get their background you get a better feel for the story. I loved the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in the book and I always find that I leave with and perspective and more empathy. I mean when Ike and Buddy Lee are talking about how lucky Ike was and if they would change lives with eachother….mindblown. Also their banter is A++! Finally, I loved the thought that after death your life can still change the thinking of others so the world can become a more beautiful and welcoming space.

Read this if you like:
➜ LGBTQ+ representation
➜ BIPOC representation
➜ Family Drama
➜ Murder Mystery

Thank you net galley for