Robin

Birds of a Feather #1

by Rain Carrington

Coming from wealth but neglected emotionally, Robin Pavasaris flies to Connecticut, in search of what he’d missed all his life. The love of a parent.

What he gets, however, is a wicked stepmother that would rival those in fairy tales and a father succumbed to guilt, silent as he watches his son hurt by another mother figure. Filip Pavasaris is helpless to act. In fact, Robin fears he’ll have no ally in the huge, cold manor.

That’s until his half-brother, Alex, comes home from graduate school. The first time they see one another, it was like Robin had found every dream he hadn’t known he had. Then, he learns their relation and his heart is sore once again.

It doesn’t matter, however, as Alex takes Robin under his wing, teaching him how to survive in the home. The more time they spend together, the more Robin fears he’s falling for his own brother. On top of that, he can never let anyone at Dove’s Landing know he’s gay. Their religion wouldn’t allow a gay son, and he’d lose the millions his mother covets from his trust fund.

A confession and a kiss breaks everything apart, and Robin runs for his life, and from his heartbreak.

Warning: This is an ongoing series, with temporary resolutions at the end of each story, along with a few cliffhangers.

Genres: Contemporary, LGBT

262 pages, ebook

First published April 11, 2021

About the author

I love writing, it's been my dream for many years, and in October of 2013, when my first book went live on Amazon, that dream came true.

Writing love stories that are centered on flawed but lovable characters is my passion. Finding love between people isn't easy, nor should it be. Even in a book, there have to be obstacles for the story to feel real.

I am a mother of three amazing people, and three adorable fur babies. I live in Colorado but love many other places besides my home. One state in particular is New Mexico, the state where I was born has always held a place in my heart.

People and places make my stories what they are. Each character I've written is a part of me in some way. Each place I write is as well. Adventures come in many ways, and each of my stories has taken me on an adventure that I treasure.

Come with me on my adventures and fall in love with my characters, as I have. I promise, you will love the ride.

https://www.raincarrington.com

https://twitter.com/RainCarrington

https://www.facebook.com/rain.carrington

https://www.facebook.com/Rain-Carring...

https://www.instagram.com/raincarring...

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rain-...

https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-bo...

https://mewe.com/i/raincarrington

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars I always ask myself why I start reading a story when there is a cliff and another story to come. Oh boy, still I wanted to know it sounded so intriguing

It starts with a peek back in 1990, where Robin hears accidentally his mother speak and it devastates him.
We swipe eight years further where Robin is eighteen. Has a secret lover and where his life is totally ruled by his mother. The woman who neglected him, and use him as a money cow.
He can’t choose education, he can’t travel, he can’t do anything.
She evil, the devil herself. She orchestrated everything! Now she decided Robin must travel to his dad and his step-family.

How unfortunate can life be? Robin experiences them all.
Living with a wicked stepmother and a stepbrother who is even meaner.
I got tight from all the anxiety, but maybe more from anger. Gosh, some horrible extreme religious people doing the worst of worst indoctrination. Ugh.

I had mixed feelings about this story, it was quite intriguing and captivating, some unpredictable things are happening, so that's all a plus, but, there was also too much drama and got a bit implausible. The strange thing was I had a feeling I was reading a historical romance instead of one taking place in the 21st century.
Overall it was intriguing, the heat level was low, there are some warnings about dub-con and non-con. I didn't find them (yet) maybe it #2, it was more about angst, emotional abuse, and neglect.

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS IMPRESSIVE!!!

Rain Carrington put in the blurb that this is a different kind of book than she normally writes. I have read all her books. This is completely different. Robin has never been poor, never physically abused. What he has been is emotionally deprived of any kind of love. Raised by his money hungry mother she sends him to the father he doesn't know. Sent to live with his father, step mother and two half brothers he's hoping for a better life. What he finds can't get further from the truth. This book will knock your socks off!!! This is a IMPRESSIVE leap. BIRDS OF A FEATHER #2 is coming next week. Get this book and see for yourself. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

i freakin loved this.. it has triggers so pay attention.. it was dark and sexy.. it was interesting and fast paced.. kept me guessing and curious.. it was amazing

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

Robin is a novel set in the late 90s and features a young adult cast in high turmoil. The strongest themes in the book are poor-little-rich-boy, hyper-conservatism, religion, and sexual taboos (chiefly incestuous feelings between brothers). This is the first book in Carrington’s Birds of a Feather series and, arguably, ends with a double cliffhanger.

I was tantalized by the idea of a story about two brothers falling in love. To wit, this is not a “I never knew we were related” story; Robin and Alex know full well that they are related from the beginning. Even before they meet, they are generally aware of how many sons their father and respective mothers have had. That said, the pacing really takes the focus off this aspect of the story until the last quarter of the book.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Joyffree]

This was a slow build angsty drama taboo romance
This is a new author for me and I will admit a few times, in the beginning, I wasn't sure about the plot/pace - but as the story progressed it was like the author found her groove, or I mine, and I from then on I was on the edge of my seat right to the closing

Robin seemed a bit too innocent(?)in the beginning but things make sense as the pieces fall into place
His mom and stepmom both need white jackets with those little buckles
And his dad needs a spinal surgeon to install a rod - give him the ability to stand up for himself
The brothers? That's for you to decide
When you blend all the vivid characters with the slow build plot then
Add-in
The twists?
The cliffhangers?

Thank goodness the next in series is literally a couple of weeks away

[Cheryl_cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Robin knew he was loved by his mother but he thought he had found someone that choose him over money only it was a lie, being used to dig more money out of his father he is sent to visit only there he is all alone once again. Meeting Preston a like minded guy that he becomes fast friends with even leading to a benefits, that is until the oldest brother Mykolas shows up to become his new nightmare with the holier than thou stepmother. Alex is a ray of light in that darkness but it's a sin and wrong for the feeling they have. Oh my I thought I disliked the mother but nothing best what these two characters do to anyone and everyone. drama and pain is weave so beautifully through out this whole tale that I can't wait for the next chapter for Robin.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark, sad and amazing read. The trigger warnings are definitely to be taken seriously. If, however, you are up for a book where emotions of joy and despair alternate with each other in a roller coaster of a read, this is the book for you. You'll absolutely hate some characters, but with most I suspect your feelings will alternate from positive to shades grey, just like with real people you know. No one in this book is a simple, straightforward character, everyone has their demons and it makes for a great read. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was terrific and currently reading book 2

[Siobhan Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow talk about dysfunctional families and then some. Robin was fantastic and after such a cold upbringing managed to be a well rounded young man. A calm pace for 70% of the book then things really start to fly and you get so invested in the outcome. Incredibly intriguing and soap opera worthy drama and the big reveal at the end and had me screaming in my seat and the it ends on a glorious cliffhanger, I for one am so excited to read book 2.

[Stephen · Rating 1 out of 5]

First a disclaimer: I got the ARC for this book for free in hopes of a fair and honest review.

In hindsight I probably shouldn't have chosen this particular offering. I'm the wrong person to be reviewing this book. I've never been a fan of Dallas, nor Dynasty, nor any of the other overwrought night-time soaps that reveled in the perfidy of the rich and powerful. So please take that into account as you read on. I've also never been a fan of the Batman TV-style cliff hanger in which the action in one episode ends requiring you to come back for part two.

I AM a sucker for the good-hearted but vulnerable main characters and Robin is certainly a vulnerable waif. The blurb also mentioned that it touched on the topic of incest between half-sibs, that they were gay consenting adults who first meet in adulthood after being raised separately. I was also interested in seeing how the author explored the topic.

By the end of chapter two I was asking myself “What have I gotten myself into?” almost certain that this would be a DNF for me. The prose isn't bad, it's the plot-line. Right out of the gate the story seemed totally unbelievable to me. I'm generally pretty good at the willful suspension of disbelief but at that point I had a mother that's a bit meaner than Cruella de Ville, and a boy named Robin that might as well be called Milque Toast. – Really? A mother getting over $500 k per year in child support... and feeding the kid unsweetened oatmeal? I mean it's too absurd to even make a good joke.

Robin then strikes a deal with said bio-mom that he'll spend the summer before college with his religious father and the father's first (now current) wife in order to get them to release Robin's trust fund to her. Dear old mom reveals that Robin's tutor, the only one to show the boy any attention during his formative years, and who's been surreptitiously schtupping Robin for who knows how long, was doing so at mom's request so she'd have video blackmail material to use against him.

As if that's not bad enough, it turns out Robin's dad is a closeted alcoholic and Robin's eldest brother and his step-mom are even viler than his bio-mom while pretending to be religious paragons. Early on Robin's dad is more caricature than character though he does gain some minimal depth later on.

It's not until Chapter 6 that we meet the first character that feels realistic but by that point 30% of the book is gone. And since the book hadn't “won my favor” by that point, the periodic poor word choices and grammar mistakes just rankled.

As to the plot point dealing with gay incest that was mentioned in the blurb... I held out hope that there might be some material here that might help me gain a better understanding of that type of relationship, making this a worthwhile read. Robin and step brother #2 do share a romantic interest but it's never developed and what is presented brings no new insight.. The characters treat this as some kind of enormous insoluble problem but in this day and age I just don't buy it. I tend to try and decide for myself on questions of accepted morality and though I might be missing something, I just don't see it as that big of a problem for two now-adult half-sibs who were raised apart. Yes, the wealthy pretentiously religious family members would be unforgiving of such a thing, but they've pretty much revealed themselves as unprincipled enemies looking to bring both boys down by any means necessary at that point.

The book blurb for this does carry a warning that “this is an ongoing series, with temporary resolutions at the end of each story, along with a few cliffhangers.” I certainly found the cliff-hangers but NO resolutions. The way that the book action just stopped with no real resolutions felt like a cheat.

Personally, I'm not willing to hang from any cliffs for this one. Yes, the title character seems like a nice guy (though a bit of a clueless push-over) and there are actually three other characters that I wouldn't mind hearing more about, but that doesn't seem to be where this story is heading.

There ARE a few sex scenes in this book and they're capably written but there's nothing out of the ordinary and nothing very graphic, certainly NOT the 4 flames promised in the book blurb.

In summary this was a disappointment. When considering offering to review this, I read a few reviews of the author's many other works and they sounded promising.

Admittedly, we all have different tastes in literature, and I may try another book by this author someday, but this experience has left me in no great hurry to do so.

[Sue Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Rain Carrington book I've read and I was sooo enjoying it - until I got to the last page -----cliffhanger. I HATE THOSE!!!!!
Robin is born in wealth with a mother who doesn't care for anyone except herself and money. All he wants is to be loved and thought his tutor was the love of his life until he discovers the tutor was being paid by the mother to lie and sleep with him. Robin agrees with the plan his mother puts together to go visit his father A father he doesn't know but hopes will accept him for the wonderful young man he is. On arrival at the father's home he finds things aren't what they seem on the surface and then discovers two brothers he didn't know he had. One is snobbish and cruel. The other is gorgeous and also gay as Robin is. They fall in love, knowing the love is forbidden and can't go anywhere. Two new friends help Robin through his issue with the family and prove to be the friends Robin never had. But the love of his life is his half brother and when he leaves Robin is devastated. Until the half brother silently reappears and stumbles on a secret that could be the answer to their prayers, but wicked stepmother's equally wicked assistant finds him and all hell breaks loose.
I need to find the follow-on story to this one.

[Kkhmonrai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is an incredible, chaotic ride for the reader, and devastating for poor Robin. From the beginning, he experiences devastation at the hands of his mother. All he wants is to be loved, and time and again, he is disappointed. He goes from his cruel, greedy, controlling mother to his ineffectual father and cruel step-mother. It felt like out of the frying pan into the fire. As a reader, I kept hoping Robin would get a break. Finally, his half-brother Alex seems inclined to help him cope with his situation. But, Robin is feeling things for Alex he shouldn’t, especially because being gay is not allowed by their religion. Wow! Robin has more heartache than any one person should have to face. This story is full of heartbreak, drama, and despair. It’s only the first part of Robin’s story. I hope it gets better. This was a good book, with some very compelling characters; it was just a bit dark and dreary. If you’re up for that, this is a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danial · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: Homophobia, Illegal drugs usage, hospital, car crash, suicide attempt, abuse.

Robin knew he was unloved by his biological mother. His boyfriend on the other hand took advantage of him. When Robin heads to his dad's place, he finds hate from his step mum and step bro. There's a lot of homophobia in this story.

This story was slow and there were moments that made it a little difficult for me to power thru. It would have been great if we had more depth to the supporting characters.

The ending ends with a cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had the pleasure of reading this from birth to the end and I'm going to tell you, you are about to be in for the ride of your life with this series. It's going to take you on an emotional roller coaster, from crying, to laughing, to wanting to throat punch quite a few people to finally hoping the MC will find happiness. It's going to put you through the wringer but it's worth it.

[MM Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! This is my first book of Rain Carrington and I was blown away by their incredible writing. The story is so intriguing, so riveting; the characters are so interesting, so rich. I can't wait for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Pavasaris has had a difficult life without the parental love he craved. Unfortunately, going in search of that was fruitless and discouraging. When his half-brother, Alex, comes home from graduate school, things began to look up a little, before crashing down once more. Alex tries to help Robin get through this cold environment. But his help is bringing them closer, and that’s not a good place to be in his situation. It can cost him his heart as well as the millions his mother had been coveting from his trust fund. Is there nothing good to look for here?

Then a kiss and their allowing themselves to be together even though they knew they couldn’t continue causes Robin to run for his life, and from the pain inside.

The book was well written, but there was just so much pain to deal with that I’m not sure I will continue the series. [Note: I changed my mind -- it's too good to stop!] It just feels overwhelming at times and not what I’m looking for in a satisfactory reading experience.

[Janet Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good story, hooked me in at the beginning. Robin seemed so sweet and trusting. He just wants to be loved. His biological mother and step mother are real pieces of work. Alex is his step brother and wants to help him. The characters are riveting at times. Overall its a really good story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.