Given the way you are working and that your boss is a responsible control freak, branching itself seems to be the problem. Rather than creating a branch for every feature, have each developer commit his feature in parts, directly into the trunk. This puts the burden of integration on the developer in multiple smaller steps (win-win). Gate keeper can keep up with tracking smaller changes over a longer period earlier in the development cycle and still be the master reviewer.

Branching itself is something you do not want to do unless you have a very good reason to do it or you gave no other option. You are small enough to keep things in sync more tightly, which will be easier and safer.

Given the way you are working and that your boss is a responsible control freak, branching itself seems to be the problem. Rather than creating a branch for every feature, have each developer commit his feature in parts, directly into the trunk. This puts the burden of integration on the developer in multiple smaller steps (win-win). Gate keeper can keep up with tracking smaller changes over a longer period earlier in the development cycle and still be the master reviewer.

Branching itself is something you do not want to do unless you have a very good reason to do it or you have no other option. You are small enough to keep things in sync more tightly, which will be easier and safer.