Review: A beautiful, heart-warming and cleverly written romance!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 19, 2011
Such a sweet story - I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely book! No, it's not as angsty or perhaps as deep as Ms. Lane's other books (I am a huge fan!), but I just adore the way she writes - it's such a refreshing, funny, biting style, and Sebastian seemed such a perfect fit for her "voice."MILD SPOILERS:Sebastian is out, and with a vengeance, sporting rainbow t-shirts and entirely unapologetic about his sexual preferences. He lives in a world of perpetual academia, plans on starting work on his second PhD with his best friend Bella. But we learn that much about Sebastian, and Bella for that matter, is a cover for the pain in their lives they are both trying to escape. Sebastian's pain, without spoiling much, is a result of a less than loving family. Bella's is something different, because she is blessed with the "perfect" family - including a brother named Asa - the brother who "bewitches" Sebastian.Asa is reeling from a painful divorce, and has sole custody of his (adorable) 7 year old son, Jordan. In spite of his pain, however, Asa is ready to love again when he meets Sebastian (in a funny scene where a buck-naked Asa threatens Sebastian with a baseball bat, thinking he's a burgler!). He's had a single encounter with another man, and is open-minded and most definitely turned-on by the gorgeous Sebastian. One thing leads to another, but it's not the formerly straight Asa who runs away in fear...it's Sebastian. The main focus of the story is on Sebastian and Bella's growth, as we watch them work through their fears and "grow up."I agree with some of the other reviewers that the tension in the story was pretty predictable, but honestly didn't care. I didn't need a major trauma or angst to round out the plot. I also agree that Asa's character is a bit too good to be true, but I think part of this comes from the fact that, although the narrative is in the third-person, the story is most definitely told from Sebastian's persepctive, and Sebastian worships the ground Asa walks on. Of course Asa would seem perfect.Ms. Lane did a marvelous job with the character of Bella, giving her depth and her own story. A nice change of pace from the traditional dual protagonist focus of M/M romance. I laughed out loud more than a few times (my kids kept giving me strange looks!) as I read some of the scenes. The sex scenes were hot and there were plenty to satisfy me.This would be a perfect beach read, if you're looking for something clever and sweet - a story to keep you smiling, well after you've finished. I don't doubt I'll be re-reading this one, the next time I'm feeling like I need a warm fuzzy!Shira Anthony (a.k.a. Sarah Alexander)Author of "From the Depths"