Knockbridge Lane is home now to Adam Mills and his niece August, or Gus, who is eight. The little girl is looking forward to lighting up Christmas, with THE LIGHTS ON KNOCKBRIDGE LANE. Confusingly Gus calls her uncle, Dad. Her mother wasn’t coping with raising a baby alone, and Adam just assumed all responsibilities, but when Gus tells someone her dad is her mother’s brother, it sounds a lot worse than it is.   Every neighbour has greeted the new little family on the road, except one. Wes Mobray lives alone nearby and keeps reptiles and spiders in his basement. Gus is fascinated by all animals, like many kids, and finds an excuse to see the collection. Then she asks to borrow a ladder to hang Christmas lights. Thus the two young men come into contact. It’s going to be an interesting Christmas.   The town of Garnet Run, where Knockbridge Lane is set, gets the full blast of Wyoming cold. Wes needs to keep his animal friends warm. He also works on bioluminescence in plants. He’s a science guy in other words, though I don’t know what his source of income is. Wes doesn’t talk down to the kid, he lets her hold the tarantula, Betty, even the harmless snake. He goes out of his way to help her learn. Adam likes Wes, who is pretty shy and reserved. After a while, they start a relationship.   This is an adult romance. I’m not delighted that the men are going to bed while the little girl is in another room of the house, but I suppose this is a practical consideration for many couples, gay or not, where a child is in the family. They do lock their door.    I’ve noticed with other gay romances that just about all the characters are gay, and so it is here. Either these people congregate or the authors don’t understand how to write straight women. Roan Parrish places obstacles in the way of happiness, but the reader has to hope that everyone concerned can overcome both social constraints and their inner problems. THE LIGHTS ON KNOCKBRIDGE LANE will shine for the neighbourhood.