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A Perfect Peace
A Perfect Peace is a story about men in love and war. Set in wartime Britain and France in 1944, nineteen-year-old Bobby Joe Keyes, an athletic, resourceful young man from rural Texas, survives the D-Day invasion of Europe. After he is wounded in battle, he meets another soldier, Anthony James, en route to a recently built American Army Camp in Devonshire. They recognize in each other mutual attraction and mutual need. A fellow soldier, Bernie Bibbs, together with the war, provides conflict that keeps Keyes and James apart, which draws Keyes into a series of lies, deceptions and sexual misadventures. The transformation of Bobby Joe Keyes from a small town boy to a man who knows what he wants and is not afraid to pursue it, and of Anthony James, who finally is able to put aside his pessimism about his nature and embrace it with optimism, provide hope for those who in today’s world still search for peace with their own natures. A Perfect Peace conveys the spiritual transformation both men experience, giving them the conviction and strength of character to hope that their love will survive despite the many trials it has and undoubtedly will face in the days to come.
Paperback
First published December 25, 2003
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September 8, 2013
I'm a sucker for M-M war stories and this offering promised much upon reading Amazon and GR reviews. I was not disappointed with the initial meet-up for the two MCs, both BJ (Bobby Joe I kid you not!) and Tony are lovely characters and I was cheering for them both from the get-go. The first half of the book deals primarily with these two young recruits being sent to boot-camp in countryside Devonshire to prepare them for further war-action. Their dance of attraction amidst the ‘hide-n-seek’ ploys needed in an active military setting was both exciting and sweet. The plot unfolds from both BJ and Tony’s POV.
Various secondary characters introduced (gay and straight) help flesh out the cast – some of whom were well developed (including a couple of the antagonists). The author provided interesting detail on the ploys and means gay men in the '40s find their own company/kind, maintain friendships and relationships (or not), survive amidst oppressive intolerance and dire consequences within the armed forces as well as in wider society. I also appreciated that some of the ‘baddies’ were not depicted as all bad and had redeeming qualities; the author providing insight into what motivated their actions. I was particularly taken with the secondary characters of Lloyd and Sam.
The latter half of the book brings on the ‘war-action’ drama and the author does not shrink from the brutality, violence, gore and death - I was suitably anxious for the BJ’s survival amidst the fighting. War is war … people die, and I was quite moved for secondary characters lost in action. I was frustrated with the many plot-devices set up to separate and keep BJ and Tony separated once they’ve found each other from the middle of the story onwards. Misunderstandings, fears, jealousy abound – high melodrama when a possessive female gets entangled in the mix! By the end of the book – I wasn’t sure if the couple would survive their myriad traumas and experiences; die-hard romantics should not despair – there is a HFN-type ending. Then again, I realise this is not a gay romance. And it appears a sequel would be very unlikely for readers to find out what happens next for BJ and Tony.
The author has a strong Christian/spiritual background and many theological concepts and expositions come through the telling of the tale … and whilst I do like the exploration of spirituality for gay characters in my reading, there were several passages where I felt the issues discussion got a little too ‘preachy’/heavy-handed. In fact, Tony’s ‘great dilemma’ near the finale had me throw the book down in a pique – so incensed was I with where the author was taking this MC.
So three and a half-stars overall – a decent read where there was much to like and some things to endure/dislike. I don’t think this is available in e-book format. Paperback hard copies (such as mine) are rare as well (and mine has a personal signed message inscribed in it from the author!) – but the book is worth the hunting down effort.
Various secondary characters introduced (gay and straight) help flesh out the cast – some of whom were well developed (including a couple of the antagonists). The author provided interesting detail on the ploys and means gay men in the '40s find their own company/kind, maintain friendships and relationships (or not), survive amidst oppressive intolerance and dire consequences within the armed forces as well as in wider society. I also appreciated that some of the ‘baddies’ were not depicted as all bad and had redeeming qualities; the author providing insight into what motivated their actions. I was particularly taken with the secondary characters of Lloyd and Sam.
The latter half of the book brings on the ‘war-action’ drama and the author does not shrink from the brutality, violence, gore and death - I was suitably anxious for the BJ’s survival amidst the fighting. War is war … people die, and I was quite moved for secondary characters lost in action. I was frustrated with the many plot-devices set up to separate and keep BJ and Tony separated once they’ve found each other from the middle of the story onwards. Misunderstandings, fears, jealousy abound – high melodrama when a possessive female gets entangled in the mix! By the end of the book – I wasn’t sure if the couple would survive their myriad traumas and experiences; die-hard romantics should not despair – there is a HFN-type ending. Then again, I realise this is not a gay romance. And it appears a sequel would be very unlikely for readers to find out what happens next for BJ and Tony.
The author has a strong Christian/spiritual background and many theological concepts and expositions come through the telling of the tale … and whilst I do like the exploration of spirituality for gay characters in my reading, there were several passages where I felt the issues discussion got a little too ‘preachy’/heavy-handed. In fact, Tony’s ‘great dilemma’ near the finale had me throw the book down in a pique – so incensed was I with where the author was taking this MC.
So three and a half-stars overall – a decent read where there was much to like and some things to endure/dislike. I don’t think this is available in e-book format. Paperback hard copies (such as mine) are rare as well (and mine has a personal signed message inscribed in it from the author!) – but the book is worth the hunting down effort.
Displaying 1 of 1 review