FanLit

Just wondering-Chapter 6 introduced us to Donald Harper, this chapter refers to him as Donald Harmon. Has he undergone a name change?

“Wake up Eddie. It scares me when you won’t wake up. I want my big brother back. I promise to be good if you just wake up, Eddie. Please?” Right then and there, Nathan had me. Good chapter, waiting to hear Harper’s fate.

Don’t get me started on “their”, “there” and “they’re”!!!! (“Your” and “you’re” is another peeve, smh, lol) On a more serious note, what Donald Harper did was unconscionably inexcusable. Teenage sexuality is a minefield of confusion and embarrassment, whether your interest is same sex, opposite sex or no sex. One’s preference should be their own to declare, (if at all) not forced out, especially in an attempt to shame. In wanting to try and give Donald the benefit of the doubt, I can speculate that he has misguided feelings for Eddie of either attraction, jealousy or a combination of the two. Maybe he was molested by a guy and has a irrational hatred of gay people? Is his homophobia a product of his upbringing? Whatever the reason, outing Matthew and Eddie cannot be excused, nor his self defeating grudge against Eddie; If he is the one behind the physical attack on Eddie, he truly is beyond reason. As upsetting as Eddie’s attack is, it kind of brought the ballon back down to earth; While the reaction M & E received from family and friends (with the exception of Matthew’s dad) is hoped for, I can’t believe that’s the norm (yet), especially in a southern, mainly conservative town. I pray Eddie’s injuries aren’t serious but at least we know he has an amazing support system behind him whatever happens.

You are Julius,’ she stated, somewhat redundantly. ‘I expect you to be gone by seven. Roman has homework.’ Bitch. How did such a sweet person like Roman come from the two of them?!?! Well it does take piles of shit to bloom beautiful flowers and diamonds emerge from ugly lumps of coal. 🌺 💎

That has got to be your favorite emoji when responding to comments, lol.

You do such a good job creating these new relationships and maintaining the old ones while credibly linking them together. I've not read all the Rothenian tales so did not know the beginnings of Henry’s, Peter’s or Rudi’s romances; I just knew my beloved Oskar and Will were no longer together and while I like Felip and read the start up of that union, no one will ever be quite for Oskar for me except Will. I have to trust you’d make him happy, Mike. I love the relationships in this story-Yuli with his parents, Willem and Roman. Roman’s father doesn’t seem to be quite a nice guy and I don’t have a favorable opinion of he and Frau Von Ebersfeld as parents, their actions toward Roman don’t strike me as protective, maybe it is the best two emotionally detached people can do, idk. The characters and all the drama makes this trip to Rothenia very engaging; I’m looking forward to more.

Ms. Margaret is a dutiful wife and an amazing mother. I’m glad she accepts Eddie and Matthew. Knowing the history of how Rev. Clayton started his church, I can’t imagine he’d have an extreme reaction to Eddie’s sexual preference, unless it’s one of those cases where it’s okay for someone else’s kid and not his own. If that winds up being the case, I think Ms. Margaret will have something to say about that. Romantic love can be such an all consuming experience, to have that with someone you already consider your best friend adds a secure layer of trust and respect that can only help. I hope everything in your personal life worked out okay.

Well alrighty then!!!! Yay!! ❤️ I’m glad their feelings were addressed for each other early, (What a first kiss!!) now it’ll be the two of them united against the world, thank goodness I’m reading this 15 chapters in, no cliffhanger for me, lol. Well done.

I think Matthew’s dad is homophobic and doesn’t like his son being a theater geek when he’s not on the football team. His wife was probably a buffer between them but her death and their grief boiled everything over. I’m also getting Eddie and Matthew are in love with each other- and are keeping it from each other. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays between them and their families.

I second that wholeheartedly!!

Happy Belated Anniversary!! 🥂🎊 The wedding was beautiful and tasteful.

After Oskar and Will, Damien the boy/man is my favorite of your characters. I enjoyed the story very much.

I wished I could love and laugh at this at the same time-❤️ 🤣 Lord and Lady Underwood are beyond useless and beyond my pity. They pander to an insecure drug dealer and treat the diamond in their midst like a cubic zirconia. I can’t wait until Damian tells his dad that James is a drug dealing “fookin terror-wrist“ so that he can “fookin end up in an orange suit at Guano Bay wiv Osma Bin Liner.” (You are hi-lar-ious with your lines, Mike Arram, I’ve literally laughed out loud several times reading, Damien is hands down the funniest character in this story.) I doubt their influence will be able to cover that up. I’m thrilled that Danny and Gus both realized James is a coward and that they are stronger than him, that’s an important realization; Thing about cowards is that they can be really sneaky and can still do damage so they would do well to still watch their backs around him. I hope they get to see each other soon. 🥺

I wasn’t a fan of Peter for turning Gus and Danny in and this phrase made me less inclined to give him any interest: “Now I have my Oskar, the most perfect lover and partner I could ever have imagined.” 😝 Now I’ve missed a few Rothenian tales so don’t know the current status of Will and Felip but can Oskar truly be happy with anyone else but his Willemsczu? I dread Danny and Gus’ reunions with their families, especially after: “Yet despite all the hard words, he got nothing more from Lady Rosalind than assertions that her James would never do such a thing, and that small children were often mistaken.” It’s incredible how deluded parents can be about their children and she is deluded about both her sons, James can do no wrong and Gus doesn’t get enough credit. Besides genetic material, that woman and her husband have not done their children any favors. (don’t know what the other brother is like but I’m not encouraged)

Bittersweet chapter. Progress on the Damien and Justin front and distress with Danny and Gus. What a vile creature James is, as a person of wealth and privilege, there’s no need for him to be so nasty to people except that he wants to. I could hear blah blah blah about a childhood trauma or what not but he victimizes those younger and in more vulnerable positions than him, that’s a character flaw. I look forward to him getting his, as he deserves so much more than an arse kicking. My heart breaks at the thought of the end of Danny and Gus’ idyll. 💔 😟 ”....Damien had been calling him ‘Daddy’ and ‘Dad’ for the first time since they had met. The sun came out in Justin’s heart.....”. 🌤️ 👏

And the funniest part of the chapter for me was: “At five, an ominous feeling of wetness crept under him. The boy had let loose a second tide of urine in his sleep. Nathan woke, turned with a squelch and yelled, ‘Oh my God ….!’ And that was it for that night.”

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As a parent, I can sympathize with what Justin and Nathan went through, as the parent who was not on the receiving end of Damien, I found it hilarious, for the most part. A child can’t endure what Damien has without some issues and they will come out as he gets accustomed to living with Justin and Nathan. Damien will test them to see if they’ll keep him, too; I fear it will get worse before it gets better. People are always poaching on the Peachers, smh; Now Danny and Gus will be saving the day.

I love Justin’s determination to do right by his son. Being a father is more than fertilizing an egg. I also love how Justin and Terry are looking after Gus and Danny. Adventures abound all around. “You want to be like that cunt?’ ‘Fookin no way.’ ‘Then don’t use the word “fookin”’ Damien pondered. Justin had him. ‘Okay, I won’t.’ ‘Good.’ ‘But “cunt” is okay, then?’ ‘Oh for crying out loud …’ 🤣🤣 Funniest lines in the chapter, LOL!!!!

What an interesting introduction already. Justin and Damien are mirror images on the outside and the inside. Justin was very much the profane smartass before love with Nathan allowed him to let his guard down and so is little Damien. Gussie is his best friend? 😍 Things are progressing nicely, I’m hopeful for a meet up with all 5-Justin, Nathan, Damien, Danny and Gus. With Terry on Danny and Gus’ side, they are going to be forever okay, they have no idea what a powerful force they have on their side. It still saddens me to see Terry without his boyfriend who died (Ramon?) He was happiest with him and it seems so odd to me when I hear him with someone else, much like Oskar and Will.

I cannot wait for Justin and Damien to meet. Things won’t go quite like Damien thinks but one has to hope that seeing how much his father wants him will atone for a lot. It would be nice if Danny and Gus could go back as well, working for Nathan and making their own life. I’m wondering what is the age of majority in England? I hope James’ actions toward Gus comes to light and that it matters to his parents.

The tourism board for Massachusetts owe you some $$, lol. You do such a great job of making the state sound appealing and your food game is beyond on point!! You are one of a few authors on this site who always leave me hungering to expand my food horizons. The gala went off well and brava to Cassie for a job well done organizing. It was karmic retribution that “Nashville” got to even things with Kyle, The only person he was fooling with his new life was his plain, homophobic wife. “Let me guess, Kyle’s the one who calls all the shots in the bedroom? Likes it kinda kinky? Blindfolds, dildos, handcuffs? Does he prefer doggy style? No? Yes? Let me give you some advice sweetheart, start reestablishing the ties he cut with your friends and family. You’re gonna need them. Oh, and lose the choker. It’s such a cliche symbol of submission.” 😆😆 How dare he invoke Julia in a derogatory manner, let’s see if his homophobic wife will let him see his daughter, she probably won’t leave him, tho. Nashville Johnny Cash and Knoxville Willie Nelson should’ve stayed close due to the shared trauma of their childhood names, smh. Onto the wedding....🥂

Freddy is wrestling with his own path to awareness and yeah, he likes Rick....probably imagined he was him when he was boinking the butler.

Go Freddy!!!! I like how unabashed he is in going for what wants; Seems he knew about Rick all along and has a legitimate gripe against him, thing is, everyone’s journey to self acceptance isn’t the same or always easy, unfortunately people can get hurt along the way. Rick will have a lot to do to impress Freddy. “Beckett may have been where I was born and raised, but my parents would always be my true home.“ ❤️ “Be warned, though. Ever since I moved out and my dad went on his diet, my mother hadn’t had much opportunity to cook real food other than for the occasional church event. So, she’ll most likely stuff you until you’re you develop stretchmarks.” 😆 With an endorsement like that, I certainly hope she’s a good cook. You have a way with a line, both humorous and sentimental. 👏

Beth is a paragon of absolute forgiveness and love. She forgave her boyfriend for breaking up with her; My issue with Rick is not that he broke up with her for being gay, it was the timing-who wants to look back on their high school graduation and remember something like that?!?! I’m also aware that just hearing what happened doesn’t convey whether this was done by surprise or if there were hints of problems in their relationship; Beth not only forgave Rick but also chose to make him a member of her wedding party....clearly in an attempt to play matchmaker for her ex-boyfriend and her brother; She worked through her issues and put this plan into motion because she wants the best for two people she loves. That she is this way with the parents she has and the environment she grew up in is laudable. I hope Aaron is worthy of her. It’ll be interesting to see where Rick (and Freddy for that matter) will be staying. Good chapter.

Very intriguing start. Looking forward to more.