Review: Thought provoking
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 22, 2014
I acquired the download of this book on Amazon as a free offer.  The title caught my eye.  The book caught my brain.  I had to work a little harder to read this book than most in the m/m genre.  But I liked that.  The author windowed back and forth in time but with an outline at the beginning of each section so you would be oriented to time and place.  Ms. Sunday captured the absolute longing that the two main protagonists felt for one another from their teen years until their middle twenties when they were finally able to face what, to them, seemed like the insurmountable obstacle of being first cousins, something they called "the ick factor".  None of the reviewers to date seem to have an issue with this factor. I googled marriage laws in Germany, where the story takes place and first cousins are allowed to marry there. Even if they couldn't, since two males can't reproduce (the reason why some jurisdictions won't allow these unions) wouldn't be a factor. However, it is understandable that in many, if not most, families, a union such as this would be frowned upon.  I admire the author for tackling the issue because I expect the type of closeness that cousins have might often lead to this kind of attraction.  The topic was dealt with very well.  I also loved the secondary characters, who had their own obstacles to overcome before reaching their HEA.Again, the windowing back through the past and back to the present was a effective tool in giving the reader a lasting impression of what it was like to be living the life of these likeable and memorable characters.