For Mac

by Brynn Stein

Branson Farrell lost his parents when he was thirteen, and for the last ten years his brother, Mac, eight years his senior, has taken care of him. But Mac’s love came at a price. Both brothers were raised to believe being gay was completely unacceptable, and Branson has almost convinced himself he can be what Mac expects. When he looks at a man in a bar and Mac notices, Mac drags him off in horror. Mac’s distress and disgust leads to a car accident that leaves Branson injured and Mac in a coma. Branson heals and stays at Mac’s bedside, but when Mac doesn’t recover, he is moved to a long-term care facility. There, Branson meets openly gay, confident, and attractive Liam Sullivan. Liam stirs feelings Branson thought he’d rid himself of, and to honor his brother, Branson fights tooth and nail against his attraction. When the cost of denying who he is becomes too high, Branson must battle a lifetime of hatred that’s been beaten into his body and mind to try for something of his own.

Genres: M M Romance, Abuse, Romance, Drama, Friends To Lovers, Young Adult, Contemporary

246 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2015

About the author

Brynn Stein has always loved to write. Fan fiction, original fiction, whatever. While Brynn wrote in numerous genres—everything from mystery, to contemporary, to supernatural—she had always tended toward strong male characters. And then she discovered “slash,” male/male romance, and all those strong male characters were finally allowed to express their love for one another. It seems that there are always at least two characters clamoring to tell Brynn their story.



Brynn lives in Virginia with one of her two two-legged children, and two four-legged ones. Her supportive family encourages her writing and provides a sounding board for fledgling stories. When she isn’t writing, Brynn teaches children with special needs. In free time, when such a thing exists, she reads anything she can get her hands on, and haunts bookstores. She draws and paints, and enjoys the outdoors—especially if she can get to the beach—and is always thinking about her next story.

Please feel free to contact Brynn at any of the following:
https://twitter.com/BrynnStein

http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/
brynnstein2@gmail.com

Reviews

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*copy provided by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for can honest review*

Ugh, I really don't like giving bad reviews! I feel so bad, but I was asked for an honest review, so here goes!

This wasn't a horrible book, and many may even enjoy and/or love it. I didn't. This was a chore to read. It was repetitive. Bran and Liam did the same thing day in and day out. Bran got up went to the nursing home, visited his brother, watched movies with Liam in the afternoon, with popcorn of course. Then went home and did the same thing again the next day, and the day after, and the day after that, well you get the point. This book needed something. It felt like it was missing something. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it just never did.

I also didn't care for the authors writing style. I was told this story, I wasn't shown through the eyes of the characters what was happening. This for me made it hard to have a connection with the characters. Every now and then a peek of story telling would shine through and I'd think "Ah, here we go", but it would disappear as fast as it had shown up.

I will admit this was a beautiful romance novel, but I needed something more. This book was much too long for what was written. The author could have deleted half the book, and still have gotten the point across and told a beautiful story.

If you like a true romance, difficult decisions, extremely slow burn relationship and minimal angst this is the book for you. You may want to have tissues handy. This is a sad book.

[Zane Kage · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I knew this wasn't going to be an easy read. This author takes difficult, heartbreaking illnesses and life situations and writes them with grace and poignancy, but yeah, she still guts you. I've come to expect this, and on that level was not disappointed.

I enjoyed this one - Loved Liam. Loved him. What a great character! Loved the attention to detail and the realism. For me, though, this didn't melt my heart the way "Through the Years" and "Ray of Sunlight" (both of which I HIGHLY recommend) did. That being said, I'm a Brynn Stein fan and I love the way she writes; she'll always be an auto-buy for me.

[Molly Lolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review on Molly Lolly
Five stars!
Oh my gosh. This book is beautiful. But grab your box of tissues before you start. Heart. BREAKING! Everything Branson does is for his brother Mac. Every decision he makes and the way he lives his life is for his brother’s approval; even if it means Bran’s unhappy. The way Bran reacts to Liam at first is so sad. But he’s also reaction to a lifetime of fear and bigotry. There were times I wanted to smack Andy for being insensitive and causing problems. But he never means harm. He’s just that clueless friend that you shake your head at sometimes but love just the same. Watching the friendship between Bran and Liam build was wonderful. They became the best of friends over time, overcame obstacles most friends wouldn’t have to deal with. But they had such a solid foundation to start a romantic relationship that you knew they would succeed. The ending though is equal parts heartbreaking, happy, and endearing. So much this book. Just read it!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard for me to read at times because I work at a nursing home/rehab center and it's tough to read about, but the author did good research, it was well written.

[Elaine White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book – For Mac
Author – Brynn Stein
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 245 (11 pages of ads at the end)

Ease of reading – easy to read, except for Liam's 'Irish Brogue'
Would I read it again – Yes, but with tissues already at hand.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **

This one was almost an even stevens for me, for a while. Equally great things as equally bad things. But, I had to go with my emotions and let them guide this for me.

Truthfully, my emotions made me really angry and sad while reading this and all I can think is that BOTH Mac and Branson have been seriously let down by the adults in their life, until things got so bad that they spiraled out of control. No one cared about how these boys were raised, so Mac never knows that the way he treats Branson throughout his life is wrong.

Plot

First off, it's in third person. Hallelujah. I've found that I much prefer this author when they write in 3rd person, as 1st. So that was a great thing, right off the starting line. Secondly, characters; diverse and different. I've never actually seen characters this messed up before, mentally and emotionally.

I'm going to do a quick run down of the plot, just so that you understand a little of what I'm going to talk about later.

We start the story with Branson, who is Mac's little brother. Mac has raised Branson alone, first because of absent/neglectful parents and then because their parents died in an accident. But the way Mac raises Branson is detrimental to his emotional and mental health. Mac has raised him to be brutally homophobic, despite the fact that Branson exhibits a clear interest in other men. So terrified that the brother he idolises will disown him or hate him, if he comes out as gay, Branson tries very hard not to be. He's desperate to NOT be gay, for Mac's safe. He believes that Mac gave up his childhood to raise him, so Branson thinks it's only fair that he sacrifice his interest in men to repay Mac for everything he's done.

So that's what he does. His entire life, he tried to pretend he's not gay. He has never acted on an attraction, he tries not to look at attractive men and, for a while, he succeeds. Until one night, in his twenties, Mac spots him exchanging a look of interest with another man, in a bar. And that's when the story takes off. Mac drags him out and into the car, to go home, ranting and raving at him about how he can't be gay, using all sorts of derogatory terms. They have a screaming match and Mac, in his anger, refuses to fasten his seatbelt. So, inevitably, they have a car accident, and are both injured.

Branson's injuries are minor, thanks to his seatbelt, but Mac is in really big trouble. And that's where Branson's guilt, for being gay, begins to compound. Especially when he meets Liam, Mac's new full time care nurse.

Characters

Before I give away any more of the plot, let's look at the characters. These are our main characters, all of whom have their own POV at one time or another.

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Branson – the MC of the novel and THE most messed up person I've ever read in a novel. But, I understand it and it makes perfect sense, because of his back story. He's dependent on Mac, naive and very juvenile because of all that he's been through, but he has an incredible journey through this story.

Mac – I hate, HATE H.A.T.E. him. No question, no doubt, no exceptions. I get why he treated Branson the way he did, but I don't understand or accept it. There were other ways, there were other people who could have held him back and taught him better, but no one ever did. I may hate him, but I also understand that he was seriously let down by all the adults involved, as well as abused by his father, for something that may never happen.

Andy – I don't like Andy. Not to the extent where I hate Mac, but he's definitely a dodgy character, who is a little evil. He makes fun of Branson even when he knows he shouldn't, he complains about how Mac treated him, but has never done anything about it and sometimes passes off Mac's treatment of Branson as acceptable or, at least, “Mac being Mac” and trying to take care of him. No. That's not acceptable. The only good thing is that Andy's POV really helps us understand Branson's state of mind a little better and shows us his worst moments, when Branson isn't quite compos mentis.

Amy – Amy is a little less complicit, but also annoying. She has a lot of opinions and is quite aggressive with Branson, when he least needs it, but insists that she's doing what is best for him. To me, it's too little too late and I don't like her.

Liam – I LOVE Liam, just as much as I love Branson. He really attempts to understand and care for Branson, as much as he cares for Mac. He never pushes, never questions and is always there for the two brothers; he makes everything easier for Branson, without realising what he's doing. And, with his influence, Branson begins to live for himself instead of for Mac.

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I feel so sorry for Branson. He's had it hard his entire life and just accepts it, because he doesn't know any different. He accepts that Mac had a right to beat him, to ensure he didn't end up gay. He accepts that he owes Mac for everything his brother has 'sacrificed' to raise him. He does his best to be perfect, in Mac's eyes, even when it goes against everything he feels. He's so sure that Mac's word is God that he's even afraid of an insinuation that he might be gay, while Mac is lying in a coma. He can't bear the thought that Mac might hear the claim and believe it. He never blames Mac or tries to be himself; he just does absolutely everything Mac says, because Mac says it, in the hope of making Mac proud.

Even when Liam gets so worried and encourages him to seek help, because of “incidences” where Branson switches off, he can't stop thinking like Mac. Branson is seriously emotionally screwed up, because of Mac, but he doesn't even know it and that's the saddest thing. He's been brainwashed to believe that “gay” is synonymous with “evil” and, even with Mac in a coma, he can't escape that thinking. He makes my heart hurt. He's like this little lost child, so naive and codependent on Mac that he can't function alone. He lives his life according to what Mac wants, even when Mac isn't there to tell him what that is.

I don't understand why Andy and Amy didn't try harder to save Branson from Mac. They always knew that the way he was being raised wasn't right or good for him, but never once did they try to intervene or have their parents speak to Mac about how best to raise a child. To me, they were as complicit in everything Branson suffered as Mac and his father were.

Mrs White, Amy's mother – otherwise known as Mama – was supposedly the only mother figure Branson ever know, but even she didn't do anything. She would listen and be Branson's confidant when he was younger, before he went to college, but she never DID anything. I find that infuriating.

I absolutely love Liam. He's such a great, light-hearted character that brings a little joy into the story. Though Branson can be quite a depressive character – understandably – Liam drags him out of his slump more than a few times and their friendship blossoms into something beautiful. The care that Liam takes with Branson is beautiful; he's careful, gentle, and thoughtful. He always tries to do what is best for Branson, during his time of grief.

I really loved the few slip ups, while we're in Branson's POV, where we really see how oblivious he is. Liam has a couple of adorable moments when “lo-” becomes “care for you” and you just know he's falling madly in love with Branson, but is afraid to say it in case it scares Branson off. Knowing how oblivious Branson is to these moments is heartbreaking, but heart warning at the same time; it makes the slip ups more important.

It's also great to see the way that Liam's care and friendship gives Branson the chance to be himself, for once, and gives him the security to find out how he really feels about Liam. The way he begins opening up to his new friend is sweet and wonderful, even if you know he's not ready for it to become anything more than friendship just yet.

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Negatives

Right, well I did warn you that the pros and cons were almost equal. So, here's a few of the biggest problems. None of them are about spelling/grammar. I haven't noticed any problems there, but the problem is with the writing style and the language.

Liam – I love Liam a lot, but the way he talks drove me up the wall! He's Irish, fine. But the way he talks is so stereotypical and obnoxious that it's bordering on insulting. I'm not Irish, but I know plenty of people who are and NOT ONE of them speaks like him. Urgh! No. No. Nononononono! This is really annoying, unnatural and knocks me right out of my reading. I read most of this book like a glazed, hypnotised person, unable to look away – no sense of time, refusing to stop for drinks, snacks, loo breaks etc – but any time Liam opened his mouth I cringed.

Tags – every other sentence seems to have a tag on it. If it's not “man”, “bud” or “lad”, then it's something else and it drove me nuts. Who talks like that? Once or twice, for each character, is fine. But not every other sentence and about six times a page.

The “incidences” - The times when Branson switches off are never explained. I believe it's just him going into shock, but Liam makes a big deal out of them, as if they're something more serious, and that's never explained to my satisfaction. It's the only medical condition never actually explored and I find that disappointing, since it was such a big thing.

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Details

The detail of Mac's injuries and treatment is brilliant. With a nurse for a mum and a love of medical programs, I often read medical themed books and roll my eyes at how unrealistic they are. Some don't even try, and gloss over the medical aspects, but this one does the opposite.

Mac's injuries, the lasting effects and every individual hiccup he has over time, are explained in such a way that we really understand what he's suffering and how it affects Branson. In this aspect, it really reminds me of a recent read “Something Like A Love Song”, by Becca Burton. They two are quite similar in the way they have an unconscious patient as the central character that all others revolve around, the way they portray major medical trauma in a realistic, unbiased way, where the injury isn't glossed over or instantly cured by skipping ahead a few months.

The romance isn't heavy handed, sexual or ignored and skimmed over. This is perfect for the characters, since Branson really has a lot of trouble with the idea of being gay. The way that he and Liam interact, the balanced, realistic difficulties they face and the constant fear and doubt that plagues Branson is real. There's nothing forced about this romance. Although their relationship does progress into the physical things, it's handled with care by both the author and the characters, and it's explored sensitively.

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Overall

Overall, it was a great story, that made me cry more than once. I loved the diverse characters, the intricate, unpredictable plot and the realism of both Branson's emotional state and the medical issues. However, I don't agree with the ending. I don't think that Mac, in any shape or form, could be considered a role model or good guy. Yet, the ending pays homage to him as if he were and suggests that he was ever someone Branson should remember fondly. Sure, he's the guy's brother, but he mentally and physically tortured him for years.

I've read a few reviews that complain about how repetitive Branson and Liam's days are, but that's the reality of living in and out of a hospital. I know, because I've been there. So, I found it reassuring that these monotonous events were acknowledged, because a lot of people are too afraid to admit that living in and out of a hospital is too boring for a book. But real is not boring. I'd be more annoyed if it wasn't included, since it's the reality of the situation.

Although the story was brilliant, I would normally take off one star for the whole Mac issue, the ending, and the awful Irish accent. But, it made me cry more than once and for that I can forgive the minor flaws in the story that may only irritate me. Who knows, other people might find them agreeable.

For me, I'm beginning to see that this author is a hit or miss for me. I either love or loathe the writing style. I love the story of this book, but the language use is awful. Personally, I don't like accents written out at the best of times, but when it's done in such a way as Liam's Irish brogue, it makes me want to stop reading. It's the story that kept me going and I'm glad of that. This is an important read and I'm glad I continued with it.

[Neet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although,I've become a fan of Brynn Stein,this was one book I could do without reading.The book is about 2 brothers,the oldest by 8 years is Mac and the youngest is Branson.Mac has always taken of his brother,even before the death of their parents he was taking care of his basic needs.The parents were neglectful,inattentive,and immature.The one thing the father seemed to think he was obligated to do,was to beat into his oldest son that he wouldn't be gay.In turn,when Mac was caring for Brandon he found himself doing the same thing.An example of this was when Branson was 14 he took some of their best friend Amy's Playgirl magazines which Mac found in his room.Mac beat his brother viciously.Now, 9 years later Mac is the owner of a pizza restaurant and Branson works at an ad agency and they both still live in the same family home.Mac's homophobia hasn't ended and he's more vocal when he catches Branson catch the eye of a young blond twinkle.Mac forcefully removes Branson from the bar they're at and while driving argues with him.Mac isn't seatbelted but Branson is and both are seriously injured in a collision.Mac has suffered serious brain damage and is in a coma.Branson who suffered less severe injuries blames himself for the car crash.Branson has decided to have moved in a nursing facility.With the "friendship" of smarmy and immature Andy (who married Amy) he tries to assist with Mac's care.I really dislike Andy,I guess he's supposed to be the less homophobic version of Mac,but to me he's just an inconsiderate jerk.Branson also meets the nurse who will be assisting in Mac's care,Liam.Liam is kind, considerate and clutch the pearls openly gay.He doesn't hide his sexuality,but is comfortable with who he is.This attitude makes poor closet case Branson head spins.Poor Branson doesn't want to be gay,thought of as gay,or have anyone thinking he's gay.I won't say more because even writing more about this book for this long makes me angry.I will say the medical aspects of the book is done well.It does show a realistic picture of those in a coma and long term care of those patients and doesn't sugar coat it.This is a frustrating read and a caution you if you intend to read it.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes we care so much about what a sibling or parent thinks of us we tend to live in their shadows or spend our entire life pleasing that person. This is what happened to Branson Farrell. He loved his older brother Mac so much he lived to please him. Mac was 8 years older and basically took care of Branson while his parents worked or slept. After their parents died when Branson was barely 13, Mac fought to get custody. Life wasn’t as easy for Branson as it seemed. His older brother was very bigoted and if Branson so much as looked at another guy Mac would admonish or beat him. One night when they were out at a bar mac noticed Branson’s reaction to an attractive man and the man was going to approach them. Mac was furious. It led to an accident leaving Mac in a Coma.
This is a very poignant and beautiful story of two brothers, grief, hard decisions and a budding relationship.
I applaud the author for not having Liam and Branson jump right into bed, but build this into a very slow blooming relationship. There is a lot of grief and angst. My only real issue was the story was so long and it felt like so much was repetitive. We spent most of the book at Mac’s bedside. Eventually, it seemed like Branson was a bit whiney.
If you have ever had to make the choice to let someone go that is in a coma or has a fatal illness this book can really hit home. It reminded me when we had to let mom go and move on. Trust me you will need a box of Kleenex for this book!
I adored Liam and his patience with Branson. That is what I call true love.
If you like angst, tough choices, friends to lovers, slow-building stories, and just a little sweet sensual sex this is definitely for you.

[C.E. Case · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story hits all the right buttons. Branson Farrell is a compelling young man dealing with his brother's coma. Liam Sullivan, his brother's nurse, is a fun, kind, and sweet Irish lad. Their romance is a slow build and a slow burn. This is the kind of romance novel you curl up with. It's safe and easy to read.

This book is all about family. The families you get, and the families you choose. There's a lot of medical stuff that was perhaps too jargon-y, but takes the story seriously. And there's a good balance between a boy wishing for his brother's return and a boy falling in carnal love.

The novel is long and goes along sedately, so consider it a true romance rather than a quick fix. And it gets three stars because, to be frank, the writing is not very strong. It's mostly summary and telling, not showing. There's storytelling talent underneath that will probably only get better.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want a classic, traditional romance novel, without cowboys or babies or werewolves or jerks, you could be swept away too.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.

[Inked Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

ThreeStar
This story hits all the right buttons. Branson Farrell is a compelling young man dealing with his brother's coma. Liam Sullivan, his brother's nurse, is a fun, kind, and sweet Irish lad. Their romance is a slow build and a slow burn. This is the kind of romance novel you curl up with. It's safe and easy to read.

This book is all about family. The families you get, and the families you choose. There's a lot of medical stuff that was perhaps too jargon-y, but takes the story seriously. And there's a good balance between a boy wishing for his brother's return and a boy falling in carnal love.

The novel is long and goes along sedately, so consider it a true romance rather than a quick fix. And it gets three stars because, to be frank, the writing is not very strong. It's mostly summary and telling, not showing. There's storytelling talent underneath that will probably only get better.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want a classic, traditional romance novel, without cowboys or babies or werewolves or jerks, you could be swept away too.
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
~C. E. Case

[Stéphanie Giusti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story and how the author choose to introduce us to Liam and Mac. Not only it was well written but actually I couldnt put this book down until the end. It talked about how one could struggle with how sexuality and the guilt that ate him away it was really emotional in a good way, not every family will be supportive and not everyone will have the easiest life but in the end you are the only one who can choice what to do and accept who you fell in love regardless of what others may think. It's definitely a book i will read again :)

[Claire Potterton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it quite a lot. Liam, I loved. He was warm, caring, thoughtful, patient, what's not to like? Bran, so desperately needed to be hugged, and to be told he was loved, no matter what. The storyline was wonderful, if a little harrowing, but it seemed very long winded in parts. Repetitive. A good book that, with more ruthless editing, could have been a great book.

[jules0623 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuck Mac. He was a bit of an asshole, tbh. The book was very repetitive and got very dull very quickly. No sparks between the MCs either. :(

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a depressing book.

[Lynnette Hartwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was a really good book. It was difficult to read at times but it was well written. It did however drag on for me.