Brief Encounters

Title: Inseparable
Author: Chris Scully
Length: 68 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: A-

Blurb:
After a car accident, Adam wakes up in a hospital room with no memory and a man named Joe, who acts like his boyfriend. So when Joe says Adam is straight—and Joe’s not—and they’re just best friends and roommates, Adam is more than a little confused. But as Adam starts to fill in the gaps, the one thing that becomes apparent is that Joe is the missing piece that can’t be replaced.

Review:
I quite like amnesia stories and this one turned out to be rather delightful. It tells of Adam who wakes up after being hit by a car to find he has no memory of who he is. The man by his side, holding his hand, is Joe who Adam mistakes for his boyfriend. However, Joe is only Adam’s best friend and not his boyfriend at all, so why does Adam feel that Joe and he should be together, especially when Joe insists that Adam is straight.

The story takes us straight into the action and heart of the situation. Adam and Joe have been thick friends all their lives and almost immediately the reader can see that Joe is in love with Adam. His actions and care for Adam show his love and even though Adam cannot remember Joe, he knows there’s a history between them in the way Joe treats Adam. I really liked how the amnesia theme was used not to confuse their relationship, but rather the clarify things. The whole aspect made me smile.

I also liked that we find lots of information out about Adam because things have to be explained to him. It made it an easy way to get across lots of information without it seeming too much like an info-dump. I was caught up in the relationship between Adam and Joe. There’s a tension between them isn’t wholly sexual attraction and I enjoyed seeing what it is that holds Joe back from Adam. This intensity to their interactions kept me reading and the novella sped along at a swift pace.

I also liked how Joe’s family is shown in the book. The theme of displacement is strong in the story – not only Adam’s displaced memories but that of being adrift without family too. Joe’s close and slightly well-meaning interefering family helped to lighten the tone and give us some much needed insight into Joe and his feelings.

Overall, this was a lovely story with a pair of very sympathetic heroes. I enjoyed the use of amnesia to bring them together as a couple and the whole story left me with a huge dose of christmas cheer. This is a story I would definitely recommend!