Twenty years ago, the crash gates slammed shut on Bishop Ndiaye’s life when he was sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. His life became a waiting game while he sat on death row in one of the country’s worst prisons waiting for his warrant to be signed and his inevitable walk to the death chamber.
But it never happened.
Anson Miller’s arrival into Bishop’s life changed everything, and … and with nothing more than a hope and a prayer and a kickass lawyer, Bishop fought for his freedom and won.
But how do you reintegrate into a world you no longer know?
Twenty years has brought a lot of change.
Bishop needs to relearn the world, but it isn’t easy when his face has become front-page news, and his story is whispered in every crowd.
Not only does Bishop find himself suffering from severe trauma after his prolonged sentence, but he’s discovered the world on the outside may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
Some days, it’s like he’s exchanged one prison for another.
As if that’s not overwhelming enough, Bishop walked out of prison into the arms of a man he knows he loves, but he’s never explored this part of himself before and hardly knows where to begin. Navigating a relationship, technology, anxiety, and people is overwhelming. The cracks in Bishop’s foundation start to show, and the big man doesn’t know where to turn for help.
Was this whole ordeal worth it?
Maybe he was better off on the inside.
This is book two in the Death Row Chronicles and is not standalone. It should be read following Inside (Vol 1)
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Tears… Heartache, Nicky James does not disappoint. I loved Anson & Bishop still & I wanted to hug them both many times. How can people be so cruel? It’s not right! This book was great but you have to work for your happy tears in the ending. So happy with their decision it made me smile so hard. Epilogue was fantastic. Wish I could give way more than 5 stars. The book deserves more. Well done Nicky!
A wonderful follow up to Inside with the ongoing story of Anson and Bishop rebuilding their lives together. There’s enough angst to keep you pining but plenty of sweetness and Nicky keeps the story moving along at a great pace to keep you hungering for the next page. MUST be read after ‘Inside’.
**may contain spoilers**
From the moment I finished the first book Inside. I was eager for Outside. I counted the days until released. The excitement when that day came was beyond high… Having read Outside and I can honestly say it was well worth the wait!
I went through many emotions as I read it. The anxiety that Bishop went through was something I know all about. So I could relate with him on that level. I loved reading his progress and I was excited and proud of each step he took forward. Anson and Bishop went through so much in both books and I am happy they got their ending.
Both books are definitely a must read!
What a beautiful continuation of the first book this is. The first book was an emotional roller coaster (not surprising from Nicky) and I was worried how Bishop would cope being out in the real world. It wasn’t easy and although I know little about these types of situations, I felt it was dealt with very well and as realistic as possible for Bishop. There were many ups and downs as you’d expect but what was lovely was the constant love and affection that the MCs obviously shared which was never in doubt from beginning to end. The story ended in a lovely and uplifting way but if there were 10 more books with these character, I’d happily devour each and every one of them.
Bishop stole my heart already, and he continued to steal it again in this book as well! Except this time he is finally out but not coping as well as he thought he would be. His complications with the outside world broke my heart. 20 years being locked up he missed so much of what was going on in the world. His frustrations with himself was hard.
Anson trying to be strong for Bishop was holding on to his own demons. Hiding what was happening to him when he went back inside to work.
The lack of communication was hurting their brand new relationship, and neither were willing to open up and be honest about their fears and what they both were going through.
Sometimes it just takes an advice from a new friend to open up the gates.
This is one remarkable story of two completely different men who fell in love in the last place one would expect. But, their story is one of strength, encouragement, understanding and the most powerful love story!
When you think everything is perfect and the characters are the happiest ever – don’t. We talk about Nicky James ffs.
This book was so not what I thought it would be, but not in a bad way. I never, ever thought about the way how Bishop would live outside. I, the naive one, thought just like I said – everything pink and unicornc everywhere. Then comes the real world and I have to wake up – yes, it’s real.
And this is the best thing about Nicky’s writings. Everything IS real. You want fluffy unicorns, you get the real world instead. The real, dark and bad world, where the people hates and fears ex-cons. Where you can’t go shopping for bananas, because people fears. And they don’t care that your fear is bigger and theirs are false, it just happens.
I hurt so much for Bishop. The everydays struggles were so much and so hard. And at some point I hated Ansen, becaues he was blind to Bishop’s stuggle. Especially when he texted with acronyms – insert eyeroll here!-.
I loved reading this book, because it gives so much and it turns your world upside down. You’ll think about your life, and see everything from a different angle. You imagine yourself in Bishop’s place and thinks what would you do.
I don’t know how Nicky did it, but it was so perfect. Bishop was perfect. And the road Bishop went throug was long and painful, but there was Ansen, the light in the dark.
Their love was a bit in the background, this book was mostly about Bishop and how to live outside, but the romance was still there. And how good those scenes were. I love how Nicky writes those romantic and erotic scenes. I always struggle with breathing and my body is always hot as hell, even if there only just a kiss! SOOOOO good!
Loved reading the Death Row books, both the first and second. It’s a unique and perfect series. Just the typical Nicky James. You get the HEA, but you need to suffer for it.
This was an amazing conclusion to Bishop and Anson’s story. It was such an emotional rollercoaster I didn’t expect, but looking back, I should have. Bishop having spent 20 years of his life behind bars had to learn how to re-acclimate to the outside. I found myself tearing up and wiping away tears throughout his story. As always Nicky James always makes you feel her characters and this was no exception. I could feel Bishop’s pain of re-entry and discrimination as if it was my own. My heart truly ached for this innocent man who was trying to rebuild his life. In turn, Anson was facing his own problems. Being shunned and mistreated at work for being gay, trying to be patient with Bishop and not understanding why Bishop wasn’t ready to go right out the gate. Watching these two men grow together, find each other, and find comfort in their love made an amazing read. I wanted to race to the finish to see how their story unfolded, and at the same time I wanted to savor this amazing journey Nicky spun for us. Bishop and Anson will pull at your heartstrings in the best ways, and deliver a HEA that is so well deserved. I know that Bishop and Anson’s story will linger with me for a long time. I couldn’t recommend this more!
Prior to diving in, be sure to have read Inside, the first part of Bishop and Anson’s story.
Finally! Finally dearest Bishop is on the outside, and sharing his story with us. I loved Inside so much, watching Bishop and Anson fall in love in such dire, difficult circumstances and it was just amazing to now be able to look back on some of those moments through Bishop’s eyes and to see him build a life for himself. It’s not easy for Bishop to re-adjust to life outside prison walls and it was hard to see him struggle and hurt still. Even harder knowing how realistic so much of his story is, sadly.
Anson and Bishop’s love for each other is so profound, making this romance an absolute joy to read even if it isn’t always easy, or hardly ever easy in fact. They are two of the most wonderful main characters I’ve ever come across, in any genre. I loved Nicky James’ respectful, nuanced approach to their story and the research that must have gone into it. A masterpiece.
Outside is the conclusion to Inside – Bishop and Anson’s journey towards their HEA.
This book is so very well written. Bishop’s struggle to integrate into society after being recently granted a reprieve from death row is heartbreaking. Things that Anson took for granted, Bishop struggled with in silence, causing friction between the pair at times. Discrimination he faced on a daily basis, made my heart cry for him.
Being a prison guard, Anson had his own battles to deal at work because of his sexuality, made Outside an emotional story.
Bishop and Anson’s story will pull at your heartstrings, make you see our world in a different light, and make you believe that love truly conquers all.
If you’re looking for a story with character development and true to life relationship struggles and success, you can’t go wrong with Mrs James’s Death Row Chronicle books.
*Outside DRC2 is not a standalone, but should be read after Inside DRC1
Gah this book! Outside gets 4.5 huge freaking stars from me.
Nicky James is the Queen of angst!
I fell in love with Bishop and Anson while reading Inside, the first installment of this gripping story.
Outside is told almost completely from Bishop’s POV and WOW, I really got to know this gentle giant. His heart is good and his spirit, tho a bit bruised, is beautiful.
Together, these two men fight a battle against Bishop’s past and an unforgiving town full of…well, I’ll just let you discover what happens as Bishop and Anson fight for a new relationship and a future together.
As always, Nicky gives her all inside the pages of this book.
Please read both Inside and Outside, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you Nicky James for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was everything I was hoping for and more! Inside was such an intense, emotional journey that ended leaving me eagerly awaiting the release of Outside. I knew this book would be amazing, Ms. James doesn’t know how to write a book that isn’t, but I really wasnt expecting this book to make me feel so deeply and connect so completely with a character. This book was entirely from Bishop’s point of view, we saw and felt everything from his perspective. And boy did I feel! I felt like I was seeing the world again for the first time in 20 years, I felt like the walls were closing in on me from the overwhelmingly fast outside world, I wanted to curl up next to Bishop on the floor in the kitchen and comfort him. I felt his trepidation to move forward with his relationship with Anson and his fear of rejoining the outside world. Bishop seeing everything, after missing 20 years, caused me so much personal introspection…the world we live in today is fast, its electronic and it can be scary…maybe sometimes we all should slow down to appreciate the small wonders in this world.
This story was so much more than just Bishop’s rejoining of society. This was an epic love story as well. Bishop and Anson had a bond from the beginning, one that wouldn’t be broken. Many things were thrown in their path to test this bond, but they held strong to their love and worked together to find their happiness. The intimacy was heart melting, Bishop’s first everything was with Anson and their path of sexual discovery was so well done, it was entwined with caring, lust, love, understanding and unwavering commitment. They were there for each other every step of the way.
This was such a satisfying happily ever after because they both worked so hard for it and deserved it so very much. This book was phenomenal. Ms. James is just an amazing author and writes books that completely immerse the reader in the world she has created. I never wanted it to end, I knew it needed to, and it ended in a perfect place, but it will be a long while before I can let go of Bishop and Anson. Just perfection!
Anson & Bishop stole my heart in Inside book one of the Death Row Chronicles but in book two Outside, I fell in love with the love they had for one another. The patience that Anson had for Bishop was so beautiful and seeing Bishop experiencing love for the first time was everything I could have ever hoped for.
When I originally noticed there was a book two, I was so skeptical to read it because I didn’t want anything to shatter the sheer perfection and love I felt for book one. I went for it though and seeing Bishop constantly struggle to fit in on the outside after being locked away for two decades really broke my heart. He made friends with a guy who had been in the same position as him, he started to see a counselor and setting daily achievable goals for himself, but it never quite seemed to be enough. For so long Bishop was not able to lean on someone or trust them with his feelings because in prison that is seen as a weakness. Even after everything Anson did for him and for them it is still a struggle daily to let Anson in and see the darkest parts of himself. As days lead into weeks Bishop is starting to adapt to life the way it could be but there still seems to be too many obstacles for him and Anson to overcome. At the end of the day, it is just Bishop and Anson trying to start a new life together but how can they do that when no one in their small Texas town can let his past go?
Even though in this book Bishop is no longer in prison it was still such a hard book to read because he has all these feelings, he doesn’t think he deserves to feel. My heart was invested into this story from the very first page. I did see a long of complaints for a DPOV, but I enjoyed the way that Nicky James laid out this duo. We got Anson’s POV in Inside when he was falling in love with Bishop and the struggles he had to overcome getting involved with an inmate. In Outside we get Bishop’s POV on his feelings for falling in love for the first time, overcoming his anxiety and everything he must face.
When I found this duo, I just thought it would be a good duo to kill a few days but it ended up becoming one of the best duos I have ever read. Alone they are both five star reads but together these books make for a story unlike anything you will ever read. Bishop and Anson getting their HEA was everything I could have hoped for, especially that epilogue. Nicky James is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine and I can’t wait to fall in love with more of the characters she creates.