Review: Bewitched by Bella's Brother

Title: Bewitched by Bella's Brother
Author: Amy Lane
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publication Date: 11 August 2010
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 192 pages

Rating: 3 out of 5

Review: Sebastian is set to work on his second doctorate when his best friend Bella's brother Asa invites them to stay at his house for the summer. As the only member of Bella's large family that he has never met, Sebastian is not certain what to expect in Asa, but it's not quite what he finds--a composed, taciturn man who's devoted to his son. As Sebastian and Bella find their way together into Asa's family, though, separation looms as the summer comes to a close and Sebastian's plans take him away.

Something about this story just didn't sit right with me, and I can't quite put my finger on what it was. It never clicked.

Sebastian is a likable character, sarcastic but laid-back, and devoted to Bella and her family. It was sometimes difficult to see him as a doctoral candidate (especially for a second doctorate), but his education didn't really play into the story much, aside from being the reason for separation that added a poignancy to his relationship with Asa.

Asa is less developed to me--I think he's part of what failed to click. He seemed somehow too perfect, and I just couldn't get a good handle on him. His physical description also didn't sit right with me; the components listed when Sebastian first meets him didn't jive in my head with an attractive picture, despite the author's insistence otherwise. (Really, the facts that his eyes were slightly crossed and that his nose was Roman didn't need to be mentioned as often as they were.) I'm still not sure how to pronounce his name either. I'd thought it was AH-sa, but there's a scene in which Asa's ex-wife calls him Ace-hole, which makes me think that it's perhaps pronounced AY-sa. I like to taste characters' names in my head while I'm reading, so wondering how it was correct pulled me out of the story more than once.

The supporting cast was good, with the high point being Bella. I never did quite come to like Jordan, despite my predilection toward appreciating single dads and their kids in the genre. The rest of the Bryne family was lovely, if fleeting, and Julie was fun for the bits she was actually there, rather than an aside.

The chemistry between Sebastian and Asa was okay, if not particularly steamy. I did, however, enjoy Sebastian's seduction of Asa (if it could be called that, the first time he encouraged him to make a move). I could believe in them as a couple, but they were a rather boring couple.

The story itself flowed nicely, well-paced and engaging. Some of the word choices made me snicker, though, especially during sex. Reading a character screaming "Gawwwwwdddd" comes across as rather ridiculous. (I totally wish I was exaggerating that, too, but I actually counted the Ws and Ds in the story, and my reproduction is accurate.)

This wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon, being a pleasant read if not stand-out. I'd recommend starting with other stories by this author first, though; there are better introductions to her writing out there.