The Promise

3.75

West (36) and Shane (18) are in a reeling free fall from the loss of Carter to cancer. Carter was West's partner (they never got around to getting married) and Shane's older brother. For the usual lamentable reasons (shitty families) they only have each other to cling to. One thing leads to another and voila! age-gap, Daddy-boy, hurt-comfort goodness.

I generally liked this. This is a NTM author and I had no expectations or frame of reference. I can see and accept how a quasi fraternal affection mutated to something else. How a lost and flailing Shane woke West's dormant Daddy. How it made him feel in control of something while at the same time giving Shane some much needed structure. I liked the realistic portrayal of grief, with it's ebbs and flows, I liked that West related to Shane on a different level than how he'd been with Carter, that Shane wasn't a replacement. I liked how Shane, being an 18 y.o., was shown to still be a work in progress, learning what he liked or wanted. The sex went from the smoldering to the cathartic.

I think this is tagged as taboo and may it is a bit, sort of? younger brother of dead lover but for me that part was fine my only raised eyebrow issue was that Shane & West become a couple barely a year after Carter's death. The sex happens much sooner and that's fine as it can be seen as part of the mourning. I know there's no rule or timeline for mourning but it just struck me as a bit too soon, especially as pertains West, but that's just my two cents..

There's mention of other characters which I'm guessing part of a series from the author, and though it made me curious (as I'm sure was intended), this is an absolute standalone.

Recommended for when your in the mood the feel some sadness with your romance.