Bewitched by Bella’s Brother by Amy Lane
A classical family story, this is a mix of gay for you and “peter pan” syndrome. Sebastian is a 27 years old gayer than gay graduate student. He is the one with the “peter pan” syndrome, he doesn’t want to grow. Plus he is so gay. Both these are reaction to issues he has with his own parents, who didn’t disowned him when he came out since basically, they were not so caring anyway. When he came out to his mother she asked him that his behavior didn’t t become too embarrassing, and he started to behave like he is always in a gay parade; when his parents started to make comments on him always being in college, doctorate after doctorate, he not only didn’t choose an academic job, but he decided to specialize in a matter that has no future in the academic world. It’s not hard to read in Sebastian’s actions a clear refusal of his original family. A refusal that is even more clear in his attachment to Bella’s family.
Bella is Sebastian’s best friend; for her own reason, she is as incapacitated as Sebastian to grow up. Pairing with Sebastian is only a way to delay her own development, but Bella is younger than Sebastian, and she is still in a moment in life when she is still allowed to be uncertain of her future. So is not for Sebastian.
When Bella’s brother, Asa, comes back home after a bad divorce, he offers to Bella and Sebastain to come living with him; I think he is doing a nice thing towards Bella, but he is also trying to build a family around Jordan, his son. Jordan’s mother abandoned him and her family and Jordan is not reacting well to the news. Bella will play the role of the substitute mother, and that will help also her with her own psychological issue and Sebastian, well, Sebastian is tagging along. I don’t think Asa was thinking to a role for Sebastian in this makeshift family but when Asa and Sebastian meet, it’s clear what Sebastian’s role will be, he will help Asa in regaining trust in love.
Asa is bisexual, and he is quite open about it. He was married, but in a way, he was pair opportunity; he doesn’t judge his possible partner basing his opinion on the genre, but more on the common interests. And he has lot in common with Sebastian. Sincerely between the two, it’s Sebastian who has more issue, Asa only needs a little time to adjust to the new situation, but he is soon ready to fall in love again.
The story is nice, maybe Asa is a little too perfect to be true, a construction worker who has more the body of a model than a blue collar, with a wonderful house and an even more wonderful family, he is the perfect dream date. Not sure such fine man really exist, but in the end this is a romance, not real life.
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Amazon Kindle: Bewitched by Bella's Brother
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Cover Art by Anne Cain