I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads 
 3 Stars. 
 Say It Right shouldn't be read as a standalone, being that it is the second in the All Saints series. Yes, some series are easy to read as a standalone, but the connection to the past book is necessary in the overall enjoyment of the read. The same cast of characters are shown, and their presence keeps the reader rooted in the story. 
 A.M. Arthur is known for writing emotionally shattered characters with tortured backgrounds and back-stories, and the two MCs of this novel are no different. 
 Marc is one of the founders of an LGBTQ homeless shelter for youths, after being tossed out of his home at 16 by his abusive father and battered mother. As a recovering addict with dark and traumatic emotional wounds, he won't allow anything to jeopardize the life he's built. 
 Anthony is a drug addict, caught in its vicious web at the start of the novel. He'd spiraled out of control after his best friend was tossed out of his life, only to reconnect 8 years later. 
 Say It Right is a journey through addiction and emotional trauma, done in a mature, compassionate manner. 
 I have to be truthful in my review, especially when it involves such hard-hitting subject matter. While well-written and accurate, the pacing was one of the slowest I've read, making it difficult for me to stay interested. I read Say It Right over the course of a few weeks, reading a chapter or so a day. I was never gripped by the story, never compelled to continue forth. After the 3rd or so chapter, I knew how it would play out. How there would be a lull where the MCs got along well, then miscommunication or a breach of trust by using would break them apart, then they would come back together again. I was frustrated while reading, to the point I was able to put the book down and only the due date on my review looming had me picking it back up again. 
 Pacing. 
 Pacing- many scenes of everyday nothingness that didn't propel the story forward while waiting to the end of the book to offer a reward to the reader for sticking with the story. Since this was 100% character-driven, with no true threads of conflict besides addiction and relationship building, the reader needs a payoff earlier, or else it feels dragged on. 
 It's obvious from page one the MCs will get an HEA together, so waiting nearly 300 pages to give the reader a taste is the epitome of drawn out. But, for me, there was no tension, so I didn't care when they finally did. I understand more than most the aversion to touch, but I wish this would have been dealt with earlier in the book, as it's nearly 80% into a long book before a connection is made. I don't just mean sexual, but hugging, holding hands- altogether touching through connection. The MCs touching, working through Marc's reason for not enjoying it, would have anchored the reader to the couple, instead of creating a sense of disinterest. 
 Things needed to happen sooner in the novel, with a real resolution to their issues being found. 
 I worried it was my mood, but my mood would have changed over the course of many weeks. This is a shame, as the storyline is compelling, the subject matter is important, but the pacing dragged it down to the point I no longer cared about the character or what was happening. Some of this may be because everyone is so wounded, everyone is so broken, to the point there isn't enough pages to make sure everyone gets help. Not truly. The only voice of reason was an 18 year old high school senior wishing to study psychology in college. Why are there no therapists in sight? 
 There was a scene near the end of the book that I wish would have happened at the midway point, and then the events should have been fully explored instead of written away with an ILY. Real life angst, where real issues could have been worked through. 
 This scene also felt out of place, out-of-character, featuring many forms of abuse on Marc's part. Mental and emotional abuse by treating Anthony as lessor in their romantic partnership by calling their home, MY home, as if Anthony had no rights to it, as if he's a guest in Marc's life instead of forging a loving partnership together. Physical violence by touching Anthony with the intent to injure and harm. Even if Marc was in the throes of a fight-or-flight reflex, he should never be written away. 
 Both characters were wounded, but that doesn't erase their bad behavior. As a survivor of domestic violence, it gutted me to see Anthony write it away with compassion- while altruistic and selfless, this removes boundaries and any self-respect Anthony has for himself and any respect Marc had for Anthony, because Marc wasn't being held accountable for his actions. It bothered me during the entire novel how no one until the ending of the book cared about Marc's mother and siblings being abused by his father- even then no one stepped in, allowing nature to take its course. A simple phone call could have saved the mother from harm. 
 Victims of domestic violence suffer in silence, most not realizing they are being abused (like the abuse of being told your home is not yours, but only your partners- that IS abuse. Isolation, demoralizing). Those who love them should be their voice. This isn't written away with a hug and an ILY. 
 Whether it be a male/female couple, or a same sex couple featuring two men or two women, abuse happens. Men can abuse other men. Women can abuse women. Women can abuse men. Don't write this away with a, "he didn't mean it, so it's okay," or, "Mom doesn't want help, so we'll ignore it." 
 Marc didn't mean to hit Anthony... Marc isn't like his dad. But Dad became an abuser with the first hit. 
 Many readers look to books to find a path through their own struggles. When it comes to the domestic violence angle of this novel, Arthur missed the mark by a thousand miles. 
 After the first hit, the second is easier, and the third, because your victim excuses your actions- the abuser loses all respect for their victim because they didn't stand up for themselves (out of love). Boundaries and respect gone, the abuser knows they can take their emotional issues out on their partner, because their partner won't leave them for their heinous misbehavior. This is how an abuser and victim are born, not dealing with the issue from the first hit, the first insult, the first manipulation. There is no abuser without a victim. 
 Marc needed intense therapy that day, especially after growing up in an abusive household where it was commonplace to strike your partner if you were having a bad day, especially when you are a drug addict who thrives on negative emotions to give you license to do bad things. Full Stop. The minute he returned, Marc needed intense therapy. 
 While the drug addiction was portrayed accurately, there were many instances of things that were neglected. That is the issue when there are 10+ traumatized characters living and breathing on the pages- their traumas are written away instead of properly being dealt with, with only certain issues being addressed. 
 What wasn't accurately portrayed in regards to the addiction- you don't treat the addiction, you treat the problem. Anthony had NO problem, other than 'love', and Marc's issues were hidden. Neither was fully addressed. 
 I don't believe I will be continuing on with this series, and I'm on the fence with reading more by this author when I've read 90% of all of their works, simply because I find the same issues with every book. Too many traumas, where love fixes it, and never any real solutions. The characters always act out of character for the sake of drama, using miscommunication and running off (usually getting lost without a cellphone (when we lived in a world without cellphone until 2 decades ago and didn't die from a lack of it), where the rest of the cast of characters has to come to their rescue). Harsh words are said, pain is dealt to loved ones, but it's always written away as, "He can't help it because of what happened to him in the past." Victim mentality creating more victims, no matter how horrible of a backstory the author created. 
 I prefer reading about survivors, and no longer feel like being emotionally extorted by an author.