Sins of the Heart by Allison Cassatta

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Ok, I’m definitely shocked and I think next time I will have to read better the “warnings”… this short story by Allison Cassatta is part of a series Dreamspinner Press tagged as Bittersweet Dreams, and I should have notice this sentence: “Bittersweet Dreams, stories of M/M romance with nontraditional endings. It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.” And that is everything true, this story has not an happy ending and moved me to tears.

It’s told in first point of view by Dominic, and well, usually it’s the good boy talking, but I immediately felt like Dominic was everything other than a good boy; he is trying to dump Brody, his boyfriend, saying he is clingy, but the reasons are all wrong: “the calls at five in the morning just to “hear my voice.”, “the grossly gratuitous displays of public affection”… those are not reasons to leave your lover! To me it was Dominic that was the “little baby”, someone who wanted to toy but then discarded it the day after. And when Brody instead of complaining and playing the martyr tries to move on with his life? Dominic is there judging him… but to me it seemed like, “what? Are you not completely shattered by my leaving? That is not possible!”. And again, when Dominic has a second chance to try to patch things between them, his stubborn behaviour, and his fear to appear “weak”, prevent him to do the right thing until the moment when, well, it’s a little too late.

No sorry, I cannot think Dominic in the end redeemed himself, what he does is not enough and barely in time; I know that I can sound harsh, but I’m wishing him some years of blind pain, years that will maybe shaping him in a better man than who he is in this moment, since well, while I liked Brody, and I think he proved to have a strong character, and a big heart, I think, as I said, that Dominic was a little baby who still needs to grow a little to be allowed to play with someone else feelings.

Now with all the warnings, you can read this story, but well, prepare the Kleenex.

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