Broken Bones, Mended Hearts by William Cooper

[reviews_and_ramblings]

If you are worried by the title, don’t be, even if there are indeed broken bones, the story is mostly sweet and tender, almost innocent sometime, considering these boys make love, but it’s such a natural thing that it felt like two boys playing a game.

Noah and Mark have always been best friends, since Noah was 6 and Mark 8 years old; Mark was always Noah’s protector, and nothing changed when Noah came out to Mark, even if Mark has always been a ladies’ guy. When Noah is gay bashed on the way back to the student apartment they share in college, Mark feels responsible, and I think part of his decision is due also to that, I think Mark decides to be Noah’s boyfriend to avoid Noah further dangerous situation. But I also felt that for Mark everything is natural, he doesn’t label himself as straight or gay or bisexual, he simply loves someone, and his love for Noah is bigger than everything else.

Of course when Mark proposes him, Noah has nothing against it, after all he has always been in love with his best friend. Being intimate on a physical way with Mark is a dream comes true, but that was the only thing they missed, since for all other aspects, they shared everything. As I said, being boyfriends seemed a natural step on the evolution of their relationship; and in the end, they are so young that basically they are still developing their adult personality, and so I took this as simply another step in their growth.

I also appreciated how the author managed the coming out to Noah's father, it was not dramatic, as right for the sweet and kind tone of this story, but at the same time it was not "easy", there was just the rigth level of tension.

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