The holiday season goes awry when Mark brings his
boyfriend home to Chicago and comes out to his parents. His
younger brother Peter is used to parental disapproval but
Mark was the favourite - not any more. Colin is the polite
English boyfriend who had a good experience telling his
educated family, and he encouraged Mark to break the news.
They're in their twenties and Peter, who'd guessed the
truth, is nineteen.
SIBLING RIVALS shows the brothers at first presenting a
united front, with Peter insisting that the lovers can't be
kicked out of the house in snow at night. And it's
Christmas, and they're old enough to know what they are
doing. Sadly that taut visit is too much for the older
men's relationship. Two years later, Colin has moved to
Boston and gets an invite to Peter's graduation. He
doesn't go but keeps in touch. Then both brothers show up
in Boston, where Peter will be taking a course and has
begged a bed until he finds his feet. Mark has done some
growing up and regrets breaking up with Colin. But the
English lad isn't interested and for no sensible reason
he's much more attracted to Peter, though he has a rule of
never chatting up anyone straight. And what exactly is
going through Peter's head?
I was interested in seeing how the family situation worked
out, and a realistic part was the two brothers getting to
know each other again after leading separate lives during
several years of study and work. Their parents haven't
become reconciled to Mark's orientation but it seemed to me
that they were mainly hurting themselves. Peter, who is
studying physical therapy, is a great ad for fitness and
enjoys outdoor life, a good contrast with more serious
Colin who enjoys galleries and museums and literature.
Becoming friends is the most important part of this tale,
and accepting others for who they are. When a family
difficulty occurs, Colin the outsider proves his worth as a
stalwart friend and helper.
SIBLING RIVALS is a readable adult romance by Summer Devon
with a serious message.
As the designated slacker of the family, Peter Stevens was
accustomed to being eclipsed by his “perfect” older brother,
Mark. But when Mark came out to their parents one Christmas
vacation, it was his turn to be the black sheep.
Even more surreal was Peter’s brief encounter with his
brother’s boyfriend, Colin. The unmistakable sparks between
them shook the foundations of his confirmed heterosexuality.
Years later, when they meet again as graduate student and
professor, that bone-deep attraction is still there.
Thanks to the emotional scars Mark left behind, Colin has
had his fill of Stevens men. Having Peter at his university
shouldn’t be a problem though, as he knows the younger man
is straight. But when Colin realizes the electricity sizzles
both ways, he can’t resist indulging in a passionate affair.
Yet some old flames stubbornly refuse to die. This time,
Peter refuses to step aside—and when an emergency brings the
family together again, Colin must decide if it’s worth the
risk to trust another Stevens brother with his heart.
Warning: This book contains an adorable professor who gets
invited home for a very complicated holiday, a perfect
relationship with “Mr. Right”, and a dangerous crush on “Mr.
Wrong”.
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