Love at First Hate

This book should be subtitled The Reform of a Roscarrock, as J.L. Merrow tries but not quite succeeds in redeeming Bran Roscarrock, who was mean and spiteful in Porthkennack #1, [b:Wake Up Call 34093960 Wake Up Call (Porthkennack, #1) J.L. Merrow https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487206286s/34093960.jpg 55111104] and slightly less horrid but still homophobic in Porthkennack #9, [b:One Under 35598278 One Under (Porthkennack, #9) J.L. Merrow https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513943794s/35598278.jpg 57032625]. Turns out the poor bloke was just closeted all of these years, and all torn up from the pressure from his cold, demanding father. Merrow even throws in several flashback scenes to key episodes in Bran's youth and early adulthood to show those turning points that shaped him so we'll feel extra sorry for him. Maybe readers unfamiliar with earlier books in the series will buy the turnaround, but as a reader who had experienced the full extent of Bran's awfulness, I needed to see a lot more groveling and apologizing than he displayed here. The man who sees through Bran's hard shell to the decent guy underneath is Sam Ferrreira, disgraced academic and recovering gambler who went to school with Bran's brother Jory. He has come to Porthkennack to serve as curator for an exhibit on a 14th century prince, who just happens to be Bran's idol. Sam is desperate to experience some redemption himself, and he wants to portray Prince Edward and his time realistically, warts and all, but not surprisingly Bran wants nothing to do with anything that suggests his beloved prince was anything less than a hero. After all, he did everything, good and bad, for his Daddy, just like Bran did...Sam is a nice guy who has made some bad choices (mostly in trusting the wrong guy), and while it's refreshing to see him stand up for himself in arguments with Bran, it's hard to see why he falls for the lout at the same time, other than some strong physical attraction. So both the romance and Bran's transformation are less than convincing. Still, I enjoyed being back in scenic Porthkennack, visiting with Jory and Mal (from One Under), and experiencing Merrow's dry British wit. I hope that if she provides more entries for this series, she chooses to do so with a different family; I think this one is all tapped out.ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.