Pathfinder

by Faith Ashlin

Pathfinder by Faith Ashlin



Bobby is fighting fervently amid the planes and bombs of World War Two when events take a passionate turn with the arrival of a new pilot. Can Lewis offer him more than he thought possible?



During the Second World War, two airmen from Texas join the Royal Air Force, while America is still neutral. The attraction between them is immediate. Bobby, a navigator, has given up on thoughts of relationships, concentrating instead on the war he fervently believes in. Lewis, his new pilot, is full of life, and passionate about planes and playing his part in the war.

They connect immediately with intense, but furtive, sex. Their bond grows during many tough raids and passionate nights, until Lewis pushes Bobby to admit how he feels. Bobby didn’t think love was a possibility. But now Lewis is here, real, and offering everything he could never admit he wanted.

Can they have a future together during the war?



Faith Ashlin

About the Author:
When Faith was clearing out her attic many years ago, she found a book she'd written as a ten-year-old. On rereading it she realised that it was the love story of two boys. Over the years her fascination with the image of beautiful young men, coiled together as they fell head over heels in love, became a passion for her.

Since that first innocent book—written in purple sparkly pen—she has written many stories, set in varied worlds, but always with two men finding their way to happiness.

Still nothing much has changed because now she can be found in a daydream, wandering around the supermarket, or sitting in a meeting at work still dreaming up stories.

Genres: Historical, M M Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Military Fiction

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2012

About the author

When Faith was clearing out her attic many years ago, she found a book she’d written as a ten-year old. On rereading it she realized that it was the love story of two boys. Over the years her fascination with the image of beautiful young men, coiled together as they fell head over heels in love, became a passion for her.

Since that first innocent book – written in purple sparkly pen – she has written many stories, set in varied worlds but always with two men finding their way to happiness.

Nothing much has changed because now she can be found in a daydream, wandering around the supermarkets of London, or sitting in a meeting at work still dreaming up stories.

Reviews

[Heather C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pathfinder tells the story of the love affair between Bobby Davenport and Lewis Winters, two American airmen fighting for the English in the RAF during WWII from 1941 to 1942.

This story is told in 3rd person from Bobby’s POV, an experienced navigator dedicated to the cause who believes in the fight against the Germans. Lewis soon arrives as Bobby’s new flight pilot. He’s pretty green and really just wants to get his hands on a Mosquito bomber plane. A discreet, sexual affair immediately ensues between the frequent bombing missions across France and Germany; risking their jobs and their lives in a place where life expectancy is already very short.

“You’re right, it’s not easy and I’m trying to make things sound that way. But, to me, they are. Either or both of us could be dead tomorrow so why worry about the future? You said everyone is living for today so fine, we’ll do that, because today I love you and it really is that easy.” ~ Lewis

My factual knowledge of WWII is pretty limited, so I can’t really comment on the historical accuracy of the events. Plus, I really don’t read much historical romance, but I still enjoyed it. I really liked both characters. Bobby was a bit stubborn and bull headed at times but he was consistent in his beliefs. Lewis was more carefree and enthusiastic. I really believed that they truly loved each other, and it saddened me that they could never be open and out in public about their feelings.

“I think I’m half way there already. But it’s all right, there’s no pressure, I’m happy with what we have. I’m not a fool.”
“Half way?” Lewis twisted to face him, his expression as open as always. “I hope you’re more than that, because I’m already full way in love with you and it’d be a damn shame if you didn’t love me back.”

Even though the sex wasn’t all that explicit, it was still pretty intense. I would have liked more sexual tension, but nope, these guys start getting it on from the very beginning. Some of the day to day bombing missions got a bit tedious but it was still pretty intense. And the ratio of missions to love scenes was probably about equal. So I thought the story was fairly fast paced.

I think my biggest problem with this story was that too much of it was told and not shown. I guess that can be expected with such a short novella, but I just wanted more. More depth. More insight into the characters. MORE!! Honestly, I’m ok with the HFN ending because I’m a romantic and want to believe in Lewis’s “lucky pair” theory: as long as these two are together, they will be okay.

Another difficulty I was having was that it reminded me too much of Out of the Blue by Josh Lanyon and I kept trying to compare the two stories in my mind. Even though Pathfinder is set during WWII and Out of the Blue is set during WWI and the main conflict is entirely different, I still kept comparing them.

I enjoyed it though, and I think it’s for the readers who love reading military historicals. Faith Ashlin is a new-to-me author, and I remain open to reading more of her work.

3.5 Stars


Reviewed for The Blog of Sid Love

[AngelFire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reminded me a lot of Bailey Queen's 'Finding You, Finding Me' and both books share many similarities, both good and bad. Both stories are World War 2 historical romances which start by getting the MCs together in a rushed, unrealistic way. But the reason behind the rush is because the authors of both stories wanted to explore what a long term romantic relationship between two soldiers would be like as they serve on the front lines during WW2 ('Finding' features the MCs being in the Army and this story had the characters in the Royal Air Force). As a result, I didn't mind the ridiculous way that Lewis and Bobby got together near the beginning.

That being said, I had a hard time connecting with either MC for a long time because everything was very rushed. In order to speed things along, there was a lot of telling instead of showing and important moments were rushed through instead of being fully explored. As a result, certain things happened that should have been emotional (ex. fellow soldiers dying during missions, the MCs being terrified during a mission going badly) but they weren't because everything was so rushed. Because of this, a lot of the war elements didn't resonate with me, which is a shame. However, the author did dive deeply into the MCs relationship in the second half, which was the most enjoyable part of the story.

Since Bobby and Lewis got together so early in the story, it was wonderful being part of their journey and seeing how they navigated being not just in a gay relationship during the 1940s and while serving in the military but also being long term romantic partners who wanted their relationship to last. Making things even more complex is that they're flight partners (Lewis is a pilot and Bobby is his navigator) and through various promotions, their ranks in relation to each other sometimes changes and that impacts their relationship too. They have to balance so many different things: doing their jobs, following military protocol, the constant stress of flying dangerous combat missions, knowing that every move they make while up in the air will directly impact the person they love, hiding their relationship from everyone around them, dealing with domestic squabbles that every couple has while also doing their jobs etc. As the story progressed and the author introduced more and more elements into the story, I grew fonder of Bobby and Lewis' relationship as I saw how they got through these situations while always balancing their two highest priorities in life: winning the war and keeping their relationship strong.

My favorite plotline was when Lewis got badly burnt during a solo practice flight that went wrong. He's in the hospital for months and this was the ultimate test of his relationship with Bobby. Lewis is in nearly constant pain and has to undergo multiple painful surgeries. He doesn't react well to the morphine and when he's heavily dosed, he has violent mood swings and doesn't act like himself, sometimes lashing out in anger or getting terrifying hallucinations that leave him very upset. Despite how difficult visiting Lewis is when he's in that condition, Bobby keeps visiting him as much as he can. At this point, Bobby has been promoted to squad leader and he's under a huge amount of stress and visiting Lewis when Lewis is angry or upset and doesn't even know that Bobby is there ends up stressing Bobby out even more. But Bobby still goes for every single visit because he knows how much pain Lewis is in and even if only a tiny part of Lewis understands that Bobby is there and gains comfort from it, it's worth it. I loved this so much because that's what love is all about. There's nothing romantic or sexy or enjoyable about the situation for either of them but Bobby keeps visiting because he loves Lewis and that's what you do.

Another situation I really liked was when Lewis and Bobby get into a rare argument, which nearly leads to them breaking up. Essentially, Lewis doesn't want Bobby to fly without Lewis being his pilot but Bobby refuses to take a desk job while Lewis recovers. I loved how the author handled this argument because it ended up being a beautiful demonstration of how much work a long term relationship takes. There's a lack of communication, an epic argument that leads to threats of breaking up from both sides and the break up threat being ignored by both because they knew it wasn't meant seriously. But after that, they both agree to disagree and move on because they both have important things to focus on and they also want to focus on supporting each other, even if Lewis isn't happy with what he's supporting. Even better - they do bring up the disagreement later, after Lewis is released from the hospital and they're re-united but the second discussion is much better than the first, with both of them agreeing to calmly listen to each other without interrupting and both of them being completely honest about their feelings. I loved everything about this. It was such a wonderful and mature way of handling the situation and it emphasized how committed both boys are to their relationship.

As much as I loved the second half of the story, things ended on a very abrupt and disappointing note. Unlike in 'Finding You, Finding Me' where the author ended the story with the war ending (it was very rushed, but still - she made the effort to end the war), this story abruptly ends in August 1942, which is nowhere near the end of the war. Making things worse is that the MCs spend the last scene talking about their plans for when the war ends and there's a lot of worry on both sides that they won't live to see the end of it. Given that conversation, I felt it was even more important to show the MCs having survived to the end of the war. Or maybe doing a time skip to when the boys are happily living on that random island they talked about, bringing goods and people back and forth in their little plane. But to end things in 1942 just after the MCs have expressed their doubts that they'll live to see next week, never mind the end of the war? That's the type of HFN ending that makes me feel cheated. When a story involves the characters being in a very dangerous situation, at least have the decency of continuing the story until the danger has passed, even if it's done in a rushed, unrealistic way like in 'Finding You, Finding Me'.

Overall, I prefer 'Finding You, Finding Me' and I don't think this story is one of the top WW2 MM historical romances, but I did enjoy how the author handled the development of a romance between two soldiers in an active combat zone. I only wish the story had been longer so the author could have added more into the beginning and the end to make the entire story a winner.

[Pg Owyns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set against the uncertainty of World War II, Pathfinder by Faith Ashlin, is a delight. The story offers readers that very rare chance to loose themselves in another time and place in a seemingly effortless way. Set during the early days of the Second World War, Pathfinder is the story of two men, serving together as pilot and navigator, in the RAF. Both men are Americans, volunteering in the British service, but not in the well-known Eagle Squadron, but rather in the regular Royal Air Force and they find themselves part of the elite Mosquito fighter-bomber group.

This is more than a simple historical novel, although Ashlin’s research is impeccable. No, this is the story of the men, the people behind the planes and their myriad and complex relationships. At the center is the story of Bobby and Lewis, navigator and pilot in the Mosquito Betty. They begin a potentially dangerous relationship and are pulled along on the tides of war as they—and the world at large—struggle to survive.

Pathfinder is one of those hard to find novels that offers a bit of everything, like visiting the best buffet in town and having the best chef serving up treats. Love, adventure, the threat of war and so much more breathe life into the characters and place, leaving the reader on the edge of their seat at times, weeping at others. Ashlin’s first novel is a triumph. It is well-written—but more than that, before you know it, you are pulled into this world and you will not leave it until you turn that final page—and you will be left breathless.

[Darkness · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sad. I show a little about queer man in army during the war. Back then when queer man was treaten terrible. How they didn't even know if they can be happy and find parter. Like hoe Bobby didn't think queer man can be happy and together until he find Lewis. Another pilot for Mosquitoes. Good pilot and good person for him. I was heartbreaking when Lewis was in accident and when he ask Bobby to promise him to not fly until he get better. Because they are lucky team and the only reason why this happend is because they didn't fly together so Bobby shouldn't fly without him or he will die. That was heartbreaking. War was on first place to Bobby because he is not fighting only for him but for his morals and for people to win this war. So he didn't promise him but thankfully didn't brake up. All of the trip to hospital were hard on Bobby because when he was going there he didn't know if Lewis is in good mood or bad moon. Thankfully Lewis was fine at end of book. The Ending was happy for them sort of because they finally really talked but the war was not over witch means any could hapened before end. I don't like that but I think they were fine (I need to think that otherwise I would be sad )

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review can be found at The Armchair Reader

This site is down. Here is the review.

This historical takes place in England in the days of WWII before the United States declared war. Bobby is an American navigator who has joined the RAF and is awaiting the pilot he will be assigned to fly with in the new fast plane, the Mosquito. He wants to be paired with the best flyer and is shocked when his pilot, Lewis, turns out to be another American. He’s upset because he thinks they have been teamed because they are both Americans – not because they are both the best. He soon learns this is a mistake on this part. Lewis is a fantastic pilot and also he is interested in Bobby and makes it known immediately. They have to be extremely careful and Bobby reminds Lewis of this when he’s a little too enthusiastic. Bobby is older and he has been through the Spanish Civil War so he has definite ideas about duty and war and what is at stake in this war.

They finally get the opportunity to fly missions and both are very talented and they are mostly successful. Their lives are fraught with danger and when they get the rare opportunity to be alone together they take it. Lewis is the romantic of the two and he wishes for a day when they can return home together and make a life. Bobby remains skeptical about two men ever being able to have a future life together.

During a training flight, an engine fails on Lewis’s plane while he is flying without Bobby. Lewis is burned and has to spend months in hospital for a series of operations including skin grafts and then he is sent to a convalescence home until he is strong enough to return to duty. It is when he is in hospital he and Bobby have their first real disagreement and Bobby comes to realize how much Lewis really means to him. Bobby tries to keep his head in the game with his duties as Squadron Commander but he struggles with his concentration while he’s so worried about Lewis. Just as things are looking pretty bleak for their future, a change in the war strategy impacts them both.

I am not that familiar with the RAF or the particular planes in this story, but I don’t think that is really crucial. The real story is the evolution of Bobby and Lewis’s relationship. They are flying partners and fuck buddies at the beginning, but that changes as they spend more time together and their lives are intertwined on the ground and in the air. As they are able to spend more time alone, Lewis works on Bobby’s pessimism and he is really quite a romantic. The story is really rather sweet without being sappy – these guys definitely care about each other and even though sometimes they hurt each other, they want to work it out and have a future. In fact, my only complaint is that I would have liked to see their story through the entire war and after.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this book 5 stars because not only was it well written, but it truly transported me to wartime Britain with its austerity and rationing, its grim struggle to keep going against enormous odds while the rest of Europe crumbled.
I cared what happened to these two; I laughed and (too often) cried with them, just as I felt it would have been in the RAF at that time. I was impressed by many little details, such as when Faith Ashlin gave us the appallingly short life expectancies of pilots without being melodramatic, but in a respectful manner that she weaved into the story almost as a throwaway. It was very touching.
The ending was very much a Happy For Now, as without a longer narrative, and probably a sequel, it really could only be.

Oops! Nearly forgot to mention the cover, and that would be a crime! It's so perfect for the era with its sepia tones. The bottom part looks like a photograph pulled out of someone's drawer it looks so authentic. The models are gorgeous and perfect for the part. Great work by Reese Dante, again.

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hm, this is a hard book, or a hard topic to write a storyline about. I liked both MC's. Lewis is a guy everyone simply loves. He is cheerful, truthful and idealistic, even deeply romantic. On other side we have Bobby who lives for fighting in wars. He is deeply lonely, realistic and emotionally cold. Bobby is a lucky guy the day he gets a new pilot to fly with. I'm glad they found each other. Bobby's time in a hospital was terrible. It nearly broke both MC's; it was truly a hard time. I really missed an epilogue at the end, even if it wouldn't be realistic one. It's better this way!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a genre I would normally pick but the book itself was well written and completely enjoyable. Two men in the 1940's during WWII meet and become the perfect flight team. They're "the lucky ones" and get involved with each other. Sweet love story with some heartbreaking scenes but not what I would consider an angsty read. Really wish we could have spent some time with them after the war when they could find a home of their own.

[Pollyanna Zandonai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to place on record how much I enjoyed this story. It's a story that involves trust, discoveries, and reassessment of life concept. It's a story of struggle and to believe in love. A love in difficult and uncertain times during a war and in a place full of prejudices against homosexuals. The way Bobby and Lewis managed to handle it all was amazing. Congratulations and thank you for writing something so touching and beautiful.
A big brazilian hug.

[Lillian Francis]

Not like me to pick a HFN book for for my wishlist but the blurb for this one reminds me of an unpublished story of mine that is very dear to my heart. Maybe it will encourage me to get my arse into gear and get that ready for publication.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this story of two American pilots fighting for the RAF during WWII. I understand how war makes life uncertain but I would have loved a HEA for Bobby and Lewis. The author did a good job of building the characters and their love story. This is an easy read.

[Idamus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but I kinda wish we had followed them all the way through the war :)

[Whit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. It was wonderful. Review coming soon

[The Blog of Sid Love]

3.5 Stars

Please read review at The Blog of Sid Love