Patchwork Paradise

Death, birth, and real estate all play major roles in this heartfelt, if slow-paced romance. Oliver and Sam have planned a perfect life as a married couple in Sam’s luxurious house in Antwerp, Belgium. But everything falls apart when Sam dies in a mugging gone wrong just before the wedding. As Oliver struggles to rebuild his life and hold on to his home, he finds himself drawn to his gorgeous bisexual friend Thomas. An “unapologetic, self-proclaimed slut,” Thomas eventually reveals that he’s always loved Oliver from afar. Before their relationship can progress, however, Thomas learns he fathered a baby boy during one of his affairs. As sex takes a backseat to child-care, the two men must decide if their relationship can progress in spite of sleepless nights and diaper changes. This languid, meandering story offers no sense of place, but the author offers plenty of emotion. (Mar.)