2.5

Sweet. I don't really have much more positive things to say because even though I liked the story, I was annoyed at how selfish Remy was when it came to his son. From the start Braden seemed to be nothing but a hindrance to him. Poor kid.

I kept waiting for Remy and/or Lane to properly address the fact that Braden had not been told a) his father is gay and b) he has a male lover but it never happened. A half-assed chat on a grocery run just didn't seem sufficient enough to me. The adults didn't talk it out, they didn't talk about why it had been kept a secret and how it could have been handled better. They didn't really talk about it with Braden.

This was my biggest issue with the story. I just don't get it. Why did they, especially Remy, feel the need to treat Braden like an idiot? ( )

Have you ever wondered about the reality of taking an eight-year-old boy with you for a vacation in a secluded cabin? Unexpectedly? Probably not, but if you want to know what it’s like for Remy and Lane, who intended to have a romantic break, you might find this story interesting. Parents will be able to relate to it, and non-parents will probably reaffirm their vows to remain childless – or at the very least reconsider ever having kids. Either way, it is a very entertaining, if somewhat frustrating, account of what happens when Remy suddenly has to take his son with him because his ex-wife decides she deserves a break.

Remy likes to plan everything down to the last detail. He is not one for surprises, and considering that background, he reacts rather well when his ex-wife (whom he is still friends with) asks him to take their son, Braden, for two weeks over Christmas. He isn’t really sure what to do with the boy, since there is no TV and no other electronics based on his and his lover’s agreement. I smiled at the attempts of a weekend-parent to deal with a full-time presence of his child. But then, Brandon is his son, and Remy finds a way to deal with the constant interruptions of his romantic moments with Lane, he even learns to like some of the resulting “family feeling”.

Lane has never even been introduced to Braden (which I find extremely strange), not even after two years! The whole handling of relationships is slightly odd, but then again, with divorced parents you have to be careful of a child’s sensitivities. Brandon’s first reactions are exactly as Lane feared they might be, but he is a great guy, and he manages to hold on until Remy has “the talk” with Brandon. Lane is also much more flexible than Remy, so he has far fewer issues adapting to Brandon’s presence despite the fact he is not his child.

Brandon, not surprisingly, is far more aware than ether adult thinks. He is eight, not three! He does have his own perspective and take on things, of course, but basically all he needs to know is that he is loved, and that his father’s actions have no repercussions for him. Had they told him about Lane earlier, there might have been far less drama.

If you like stories about characters who struggle to deal with the reality of a child in their lives, if you enjoy reading about men who are very different in basic character finding a way to make a life together, and if you’re looking for an entertaining family drama that happens to be set at Christmastime yet shows some underlying truths that are valid at any time of the year, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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