Review: What We Deserve by Kerry Freeman
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 8, 2012
This novel plays with a controversial theme, polyamory relationships; it was odd, but in a way, I had the feeling the author wanted to water test a theory, what if family ties are faced with an event that is even more controversial than your son being gay?Anyway the story starts with Sean and Jamie being young and happy; sure Sean has an unrequited love for his best friend Jamie, the 4 years older son of his parent's best friends, the boy who was always there and who is now starring in his wet dreams, but all in all, Sean is lucky. I didn't have any vibes his family would not support him if he came out, and indeed, they are really supportive when he does. Sean's crush with reality happens when Jamie enlists in the Army and more or less disappears without neither telling goodbye.Shift in time, 12 years later, Sean is an accomplished IT white collar, with a fellow IT geek as a boyfriend, a boyfriend he really loves. We also learn that Sean didn't mourn so much Jamie's loss, or at least he didn't choose chastity while mourning; during his college days Sean has plenty played the field, and now he has settled down with Tyler, who is really a good guy, someone his family loves as much as he does.But now Jamie is back in town, and he is as kind and sweet as he was 12 years before, and Sean's feelings, after the first burst of emotion, are again the same as before. Analyzing this situation, I really think Sean hadn't really have much hurt on Jamie's betrayal, or maybe, he had all the support he needed to forget and go on. Sean's family is really an important element in the story, they are the ones who allows Sean to be so sure and steady in his beliefs, who helps him to be quick in taking his decisions, and not regretting them. Same is for Tyler, and same will be for Jamie, once he realizes that his parents's love goes beyond prejudices.As I said, Sean, Jamie and Tyler have almost no issue in being in a gay relationship, the trouble will be when they decide to enter a polyamory relationship. Will their beloved one understand? Will they be able to find the right balance? If I have to find a fault to this story, otherwise really nice, is that I would have not minded for this second part of the story to be more developed, maybe adding some months more into the lives of these guys once they decide to be together.