A Suitable Brat

The Suitable 'Verse #5

by R. Cooper

Old by Outguard standards, forty-year-old Westin is considering retirement and hoping that the familiar comforts of Solace House will soothe the ache in his chest at the thought. Solace House is renowned for serving the finest wines and teas, providing luxurious baths, and offering solace, be that through conversation or through time spent with a worker in a private room. But the normally centered and calm Westin is finding peace difficult to achieve, so far unsatisfied by both his bath and a good cup of tea, or his conversation with a friend and Solace House worker.

When Sun stumbles into the inn amid a rumble of thunder from the passing storm, Westin is forced to confront why peace has been so hard to come by; he likes a little bit of trouble, at least in one particular form. Another outguard, Sun is young, bold, and pretty. He’s charming to most but impertinent and demanding with Westin, and he only grows more difficult upon discovering that Westin plans to leave him… that is, to leave the Outguard.

Sun acting a brat with Westin, with only Westin, might mean a great deal more than Westin believed it did. Despite his age and old wounds, the raging storm outside, and the brat at his brattiest, Westin feels a glimmer of solace might be found for both of them. All Westin has to do is reach for it.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Fantasy Romance, M M Fantasy, Fiction

129 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2025

About the author

I'm R. Cooper, a somewhat absentminded, often distracted, writer of queer romance. I'm probably most known for the Being(s) in Love series and The Suitable 'Verse stories. Also the occasional story about witches or firefighters in love.

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Reviews

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the dynamic, but this one could have used a better edit to remove excess words. I almost stopped a time or two, even though I knew I'd enjoy the ending.

[Tira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was disappointed that Hely did not have a follow up appearance after how much both Westin and Sun used his counsel in their conversation.
As much as I loved the revealing bottled up love/ lust, it feels like this story should have been a few chapters in one of the other books.
I did loved this short branch of the Suitable Verse series.

[Courtney Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful installment!

I adore this series and am always thrilled to get more, and even more so when they overlap and we get to see previous characters!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another very enjoyable visit to the Suitable universe! This book starts out as subtle and a little bittersweet. Westin is a middle-aged Outguard who has concluded that it is his time to retire. Winters spent outside, sleeping rough, have taken their toll. He regrets are that he's enjoyed his time and he will miss those he's worked with, especially one younger man, another Outguard, Sun. Westin has decided to linger one night at the Solace House to visit with a wise old friend and enjoy a few comforts before he informs the guard that he is leaving.

Sun bursts into the Solace House, clearly upset and jealous. Over time, we see that Sun's feelings for Westin are beyond those of two friend who occasionally cross paths while on long patrols. They are also likely reciprocated, but these two men don't communicate very well. Fortunately, Solace House can be a place of renewal and new beginnings.

The resolution is very satisfying, but the epilogue is just beautiful, extending far into the future and tying this story neatly and magnificently into the greater Suitable universe. Loved it so much!

[Achim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't know what it is that let me appreciate here what I'm not often able to enjoy in books of other authors. It's obviously R. Cooper's writing style that makes me empathize when characters are talking at cross-purposes, when they believe to be clear with each other but being anything but, when they use more words in their mind than in direct conversation, when they believe the other deserves someone better suited. It's probably that a lot of times I see myself in their communication style and feel myself to be seen by the author. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anything like Westin or Sun but anyway. So does it matter to me that the story is a one-location scene where Westin and Sun dance around each other while it's probably their last chance to take what's been offered through their whole careers as outguards before Westin is taking his leave into early retirement? Obviously not and that's also partly because of Haley. Everybody should have a Haley who as a good friend helps Westin to overcome his doubts and provokes Sun to claim his man.

The only thing I feel sorry for: I started this series only at this point in time, so I had some difficulties with the epilogue which unfortunately is the actual contribution to the overall series (while the story about how Westin and Sun came together is more of a prequel). Maybe I should trust the author and she's also able to make me appreciate M/M/M stories.

[Kir Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book following Westin who doesn’t take anything for himself, and Sun who takes what he wants with a sly glance. They are Outguards who have been dancing together even though it’s obvious they were dancing to different tunes.

A short book but full of heart. Really enjoyed it. Highly recommend reading the rest of the Suitable series.

[Es Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short book about how these two characters finally got together romantically. Most of the book is just one scene, taking place in a common area of an inn. This once again reads like fanfiction, just like Blessed.

It's a good wrap-up for the series. It does kind of make me want to read all the books again, just to see when the other characters are mentioned in each other's books.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

[Sarah☀️ Somerville · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't find this one particularly interesting.

[Lynn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet

Such a good book set in the Suitable world. It is a great addition to that world. I read this book on one sitting.

[Cindaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series and this book fits in perfectly. Only wish it were longer!

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bratty

[Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 3.25 stars.

[Cabert A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. While short, it brought the cast of characters together again in the episode.

[Talya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love R. Cooper but NOTHING happens in this ENTIRE novella

[KotayaLu · Rating 3 out of 5]

short and sweet

[E_bookpushers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the other books in this series more. The different style didn't work as well for me. I appreciated the introduction of new to me aspects of the world and I liked the setting. But reading felt more like I was catching a glimpse or the end of a story i.e. the HEA but missing the full meal. While the author did a good job of sharing snippets of backstory, and how the different encounters had levels of meaning, I wished I could have seen them flow over time. I do appreciate how the author captured character growth and introspection. Hopefully we will get additional entries in this world because I do find it fascinating.