Until September

Structural problems hamstring Scully’s otherwise unobjectionable contemporary romance. Archer Noble is starting to make a name for himself as a gay pundit, arguing against same-sex marriage because of its replication of heterosexual institutions, when his sister dies and leaves him with her two young children. This brings Archer face-to-face with his life: his past as Archie Noblesse, abused and lacking opportunities, growing up on a Cree reservation; his future, in the form of the children he has to accept or reject; and his present opportunity, Ryan Eriksson, his sister’s best friend. Ryan, an elementary school teacher, has always wanted to settle down, get married, and have some children, and being the kids’ temporary guardian leaves him liable to fall in love with this ready-made family if Archer can get over his issues. Unfortunately, Scully’s choice to dramatize all of Archer’s issues very clearly in the first chapter of the book turns them into a parade of clumsily portrayed misery, detracting from the genuine sweetness and occasional subtlety of the novel’s later segments. (Feb.)