Heartbeat by Helen Gabriel

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Jacob and Sean were in a foster home together, Jacob a 5 years old scared boy and Sean a 15 years old young guy. From the first time Sean knew that Jacob needed him and he was always there for him. Even now, twenty years later, Sean a Navy SEAL and Jacob a professional baseball player, Sean is still there for Jacob.

Sean has long realized that he is in love with the younger man, but he can't do this to the man: both for his army career than for Jacob's public image, an homosexual relationship is not good, and so he forces himself to be a good big brother, always present, always caring. But when Jacob is kidnapped by a madman, Sean throws away all the thought about career and public opinion, and goes to rescue his man, since from that moment on, Jacob will be his man and no one wil interfere.

The story is pretty good, Sean the classic alpha male and Jacob the pretty twink. I also like the big brother-little kid relationship between the two, even if it borders maybe a little too much near incest, but well, they are not real brothers, and then now they are both adults, and Sean always behaved only as a caring brother and nothing else when Jacob was a kid.

What I find a bit disorienting is all the hurry in the story; all the events happen in a blur, I almost lost tracking of them. I think the plot and the characters were good for a longer novel, and a lot of points would be easier to understand. It's something I just experimented with Helen Gabriel's work: she has very good stories and characters, but I always read short stories by her (this one is less than 50 pages)... I'd like to try something longer.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1332

Waiting Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=waiting+reading+list&view=elisa.rolle

Comments

[louisaclark.livejournal.com]

Thanks Elisa. I was curious about the pacing on this one. I'm getting ready to buy a few books over at Torquere Press, and am adding this to my cart. LC

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Let me know what you will think, I'm curious to have another opinion. Elisa