Title: ⟫ Wish (Westbrook Elite #3)
Author: ⟫ Cambria Hebert
Rating: ⟫ 4/5
Blurb: ⟫ For me, choice might as well be a wish.
My parents died in a fiery car crash when I was barely sixteen.
I’m gay.
I’m also totally in love with my brother.
I didn’t choose any of that. In fact, I’ve tried like hell to deny it. But here I am in all my gay, brother-loving, no-parentals glory.
Technically, Max isn’t my brother. Not by blood anyway. That should make it less ick, right?
Considering he calls my parents mom and dad, probably not.
Also, did I mention he’s straight?
So that’s me: the freestyle swimmer doing my best to keep my sexuality on the down-low while simultaneously wishing my feelings for Max will evaporate into thin air.
Too bad he acts like he’s my keeper and my heart shakes every time his eyebrow ring glints in the sun or he levels his opaque stare on me with an intensity matched by nothing else.
My desire to keep my personal life personal drowns at the bottom of the pool when a fellow Elite lets everyone in on my business, which throws Max into macho protective mode all over again.
Enough is enough, though. I’m forcing myself to move on.
Maybe the best way to forget about my forbidden crush is to find a new one.
I have options. More than I realized.
Unfortunately, none of them are leather-wearing, tattoo-sporting, motorcycle-riding grumpholes.
So here I am wishing for Max while someone else wishes for me.
Someone who decides if they can’t have me…
No one will.
Please note that WISH contains homophobia. There is also mention of off-page child abuse and parental death. This book also contains a male/male sibling-esque relationship and mentions of male assault. Some readers may find these things uncomfortable.
Review: ⟫ I haven’t read the first two books in this series because I wasn’t in the mood to read M/F, but it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of this book as it was all set up very well and I could infer pretty much everything I needed to know.
The story is mainly told from the perspective of Wes, who is completely and utterly in love with Max. Like, imprinted from a very early age. But because of the way they were brought up and the circumstances behind it all, he felt very much alone and as if the whole idea of being with Max was an impossibility – which is understandable – they were brought up as brothers, despite Max’s parents being very much alive.
I thought that the story did a good job of showing Wes’s feeling of loneliness and isolation, fear of being outed due to a previous incident, as well as his inner turmoil for his feelings. I felt for him – deeply – because it very much seemed as if he was surrounded by people who cared but that he was wrapped in a bubble and couldn’t quite bring himself to reach out and accept the hands of love and acceptance that were there for him. I very much enjoyed his interactions with Rinkin – he didn’t back down, didn’t allow himself to be cowed, and showed himself to be a strong person beneath his quiet exterior.
Max annoyed the hell out of me, but at the same time I could understand the bind that he was in. He was struggling with his upbringing, the promises he had made, and general feelings of not being enough. More than sufficient to mess with anyone. However, the lengths he went to in order to keep track of Wes were unfair if he wasn’t going to step up, and I really liked how he was called on it by the people around him.
The story is engaging and entertaining, although a few times it did veer off into soap-opera land (yes, I’m looking at you Veronica), and it kept me entertained throughout. The sex scenes were hot – in fact, they were very hot – and I really enjoyed reading it. One of the better brothers-in-love stories that I’ve read and I will be checking out further works by the author.
