A Soldier's Story
Iona BlairContemporary romance
Available from Carnal Passions
ISBN: 9781926996028
March 2011
| Lieutenant Jay Sutherland is stationed in Afghanistan, thousands of miles from his wife and their home and hopelessly attracted to his subordinate, Corporal Darren Morrison. Even after he gets his hands on Darren and his tour of duty ends, Jay can't stop thinking about him and can't go back to his normal life in Canada so easily. His life is further complicated by repercussions from an event which happens to his squad during his tour and which hits the headlines some time later.
This book followed an interesting premise for an m/m romance. The love affair which starts in Afghanistan felt somewhat rushed. One moment Jay and Darren are tangling without warning in a storage closet, the next they are declaring their love. In a way though, this was spot on because things have to be hurried along in such conditions where every minute has to count. The portrait of Jay at home is a man on the edge of a breakdown, unable to come to terms with his desire for Darren. He drinks to excess, he sleeps with female prostitures and while at times I found him an unpleasant character, particularly in his treatment of women, it is nonetheless grittily realistic. As a juxtaposition to the heat of his scenes with Darren, his encounters with women were decidedly unerotic. This novella was well written overall and had a satisfactory conclusion.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Scarlet |
