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Right Here Waiting
in 1942, Ben Williams had it all--a fulfilling job, adoring friends and the love of his life, Pete Montgomery. But World War ii looms. When Pete follows his conscience and joins the Army Air Forces as a bomber pilot, Ben must find the strength to stay behind without the love of his life, the dedication to stay true and the courage he never knew hed need to discover his own place in the war effort. Good friends help keep him afloat, until a chance meeting on the homefront brings him an unexpected ally--one who will accompany him from the stages of New York City to the hell of the European warfront in search of his love.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2015
4 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
K.E. Belledonne
2 books68 followersK. E. Belledonne is a writer and translator based in the French Alps. A native New-Englander, Kat spends her time listening to Glenn Miller records, reading history books and cheering on her beloved Red Sox.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 29, 2016
*4.5 stars*
An unexpected pleasure!
This is a heartwarming, almost old-fashioned, WW II love story of separated lovers, Ben and Pete.
I like that Ben and Pete were an established couple. They'd been in a relationship for several years before the start of Right Here Waiting. In many m/m historicals, one of the key tensions is finding a way for the two men to be together (which is completely understandable). Ben and Pete, however, are already in love, living together (as "roommates") and sharing all parts of their life; they are partners in every sense. This makes it all that much harder for them when Pete goes off to war and Ben must stay at home because of a bad knee.
Much of this book is their time apart during the war. We follow both Ben and Pete throughout the separation. We see Pete's experiences as a bomber pilot and the tight bond he forms with his fellow crew members. And we watch how Ben manages life on the home front, living with a constant fear for Pete. The author also includes flashbacks of how Ben and Pete met, how they fell in love and other aspects of their life pre-war. There are harrowing parts to this book (as one would expect) but there is also a gentle sweetness to this, where you feel pretty sure things will work out for Ben and Pete.
I recommend this for readers that like historical m/m love stories, especially ones that are more on the "sweet" side.
An unexpected pleasure!
This is a heartwarming, almost old-fashioned, WW II love story of separated lovers, Ben and Pete.
I like that Ben and Pete were an established couple. They'd been in a relationship for several years before the start of Right Here Waiting. In many m/m historicals, one of the key tensions is finding a way for the two men to be together (which is completely understandable). Ben and Pete, however, are already in love, living together (as "roommates") and sharing all parts of their life; they are partners in every sense. This makes it all that much harder for them when Pete goes off to war and Ben must stay at home because of a bad knee.
Much of this book is their time apart during the war. We follow both Ben and Pete throughout the separation. We see Pete's experiences as a bomber pilot and the tight bond he forms with his fellow crew members. And we watch how Ben manages life on the home front, living with a constant fear for Pete. The author also includes flashbacks of how Ben and Pete met, how they fell in love and other aspects of their life pre-war. There are harrowing parts to this book (as one would expect) but there is also a gentle sweetness to this, where you feel pretty sure things will work out for Ben and Pete.
I recommend this for readers that like historical m/m love stories, especially ones that are more on the "sweet" side.
January 26, 2016
Reviewage on Prism Book Alliance®
It’s interesting… early on, I was unsure how this story would work: we have two rather modern sounding and behaving characters in Ben and Pete, with the writing style very much suited to WWII-era ways, all blending towards a sweet, romantic, even innocent story, set against one of the ugliest periods in human history. I admit, I did a head tilt at first, truly wondering.
I’m glad I kept at it.
Pete is direct, effusive, strong, and uses all of these qualities and more to demonstrate his unwavering love for Ben.
Ben is sweet, intelligent, and loving, and he feels deeply for and about others, if a little more reserved than Pete.
They’re a good match and this story confidently works to show that fact throughout.
I’m getting ahead of myself here, already talking about this love of Ben and Pete’s. I guess I shouldn’t be, though, as the structure of this book resulted in one of my smoothest reading experiences when flashbacks are involved. I can’t really simply say “flashbacks”, they’re more like dreams and important memories, turning points or emotional breakthroughs, dancing around the single string of current day. This approach also aids in suspension of disbelief, as some aspects of this story feel too good to be true. It felt like the author was rewriting history at a personal level to reflect how they wish, and hope, things could have been back then. Course, this isn’t exactly the worst thing in the world to want, either.
This is also why we know from the beginning the intensity of the connection between Ben and Pete, lending emotional weight to much of what they experience in this story. I felt it, and it was honest, and real.
The writing has its ups and downs, awkward phrasing and sometimes unclear transitions causing bumps in the road. Even so, here’s an early passage I loved, with Pete talking, and it tells us a lot about his character:
”I’m not scared of pain. I’m not scared of death, really even. I’m just scared that I will never be here again, never just sit on this stupid rug with you, never bang my knee on that stupid cabinet door in the kitchen. I’m scared I’m going to miss all the little things that make up our lives.”
This was the moment I started investing in these characters and this story. This was the moment that gave me the ‘I want to keep reading’ feeling.
Getting back to the structure I described, an added benefit of it is that it allowed me to get to know Ben and Pete better and better as the story went on. They don’t completely live in a bubble. They’re forced to hide their relationship from the outside world, save a few close friends, especially Bets and Ginger. Ben and Pete do everything they can to live a life as the committed couple they are, despite most of the rest of the world unaware and uncaring. The supporting characters, some I won’t mention in order to avoid spoilers, are wonderfully drawn and all play important roles. They add a level of emotion, which sometimes managed to sneak up on me. Combined with this, friendship plays a large role and I very much like how it’s portrayed here. Loyalty, being discreet, celebratory, mischievous, supportive, understanding, with humor and love, the bonds between friends can mean everything. They can mean life, and death.
This isn’t a particularly unique story in terms of the experiences of most of the characters. It’s also less intense than what I’ve experienced in reading other historicals, and expected in this one, in terms of detail. The world is at war and yet the author maintains a focus on the characters, describing only a few times the down and dirtiness of battle and suffering and everything else. Don’t let that lull you into a false relaxed state, however. This is war and things always happen in war. Unexpected and unintended.
Despite some issues, I recommend this book. It tangled with and pulled on my emotions, and I loved spending time with these characters, especially Ben and Pete.
PS: I just have to say something about the cover, besides the fact that I love the image. While at last year’s GRL, I had the opportunity to speak with a woman from Interlude, who explained that Colleen Good draws these images in pencil. Yes! I know!! Amazing. It’s gorgeous, important, and precious. I love it I love my paperback copy I bought that day.
It’s interesting… early on, I was unsure how this story would work: we have two rather modern sounding and behaving characters in Ben and Pete, with the writing style very much suited to WWII-era ways, all blending towards a sweet, romantic, even innocent story, set against one of the ugliest periods in human history. I admit, I did a head tilt at first, truly wondering.
I’m glad I kept at it.
Pete is direct, effusive, strong, and uses all of these qualities and more to demonstrate his unwavering love for Ben.
Ben is sweet, intelligent, and loving, and he feels deeply for and about others, if a little more reserved than Pete.
They’re a good match and this story confidently works to show that fact throughout.
I’m getting ahead of myself here, already talking about this love of Ben and Pete’s. I guess I shouldn’t be, though, as the structure of this book resulted in one of my smoothest reading experiences when flashbacks are involved. I can’t really simply say “flashbacks”, they’re more like dreams and important memories, turning points or emotional breakthroughs, dancing around the single string of current day. This approach also aids in suspension of disbelief, as some aspects of this story feel too good to be true. It felt like the author was rewriting history at a personal level to reflect how they wish, and hope, things could have been back then. Course, this isn’t exactly the worst thing in the world to want, either.
This is also why we know from the beginning the intensity of the connection between Ben and Pete, lending emotional weight to much of what they experience in this story. I felt it, and it was honest, and real.
The writing has its ups and downs, awkward phrasing and sometimes unclear transitions causing bumps in the road. Even so, here’s an early passage I loved, with Pete talking, and it tells us a lot about his character:
”I’m not scared of pain. I’m not scared of death, really even. I’m just scared that I will never be here again, never just sit on this stupid rug with you, never bang my knee on that stupid cabinet door in the kitchen. I’m scared I’m going to miss all the little things that make up our lives.”
This was the moment I started investing in these characters and this story. This was the moment that gave me the ‘I want to keep reading’ feeling.
Getting back to the structure I described, an added benefit of it is that it allowed me to get to know Ben and Pete better and better as the story went on. They don’t completely live in a bubble. They’re forced to hide their relationship from the outside world, save a few close friends, especially Bets and Ginger. Ben and Pete do everything they can to live a life as the committed couple they are, despite most of the rest of the world unaware and uncaring. The supporting characters, some I won’t mention in order to avoid spoilers, are wonderfully drawn and all play important roles. They add a level of emotion, which sometimes managed to sneak up on me. Combined with this, friendship plays a large role and I very much like how it’s portrayed here. Loyalty, being discreet, celebratory, mischievous, supportive, understanding, with humor and love, the bonds between friends can mean everything. They can mean life, and death.
This isn’t a particularly unique story in terms of the experiences of most of the characters. It’s also less intense than what I’ve experienced in reading other historicals, and expected in this one, in terms of detail. The world is at war and yet the author maintains a focus on the characters, describing only a few times the down and dirtiness of battle and suffering and everything else. Don’t let that lull you into a false relaxed state, however. This is war and things always happen in war. Unexpected and unintended.
Despite some issues, I recommend this book. It tangled with and pulled on my emotions, and I loved spending time with these characters, especially Ben and Pete.
PS: I just have to say something about the cover, besides the fact that I love the image. While at last year’s GRL, I had the opportunity to speak with a woman from Interlude, who explained that Colleen Good draws these images in pencil. Yes! I know!! Amazing. It’s gorgeous, important, and precious. I love it I love my paperback copy I bought that day.
March 26, 2015
I have developed high expectations from the family of authors that makes up Interlude Press, and once again I have not been disappointed.
K.E. Belledonne makes history come alive with her debut novel RIGHT HERE WAITING. Ben and Pete stand out as individuals in this story while at the same time somehow manage to represent the heart of the men that served during World War II. Their story is amazing because it is realistic. They are imperfect men living during uncertain times.
One of the best period romances I've read to date. RIGHT HERE WAITING has a dynamic cast of characters that carry this story with the grace, humor and earnestness I'm sure their real-life counterparts would approve.
My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly's Book Reviews
K.E. Belledonne makes history come alive with her debut novel RIGHT HERE WAITING. Ben and Pete stand out as individuals in this story while at the same time somehow manage to represent the heart of the men that served during World War II. Their story is amazing because it is realistic. They are imperfect men living during uncertain times.
One of the best period romances I've read to date. RIGHT HERE WAITING has a dynamic cast of characters that carry this story with the grace, humor and earnestness I'm sure their real-life counterparts would approve.
My OFFICIAL REVIEW written for Carly's Book Reviews
February 16, 2015
I can honestly say this is the fist book that, throughout it, I was close to tears, or I laughed, or just simply went awe and if the ending didn’t go the way I wanted it to I was going to be seriously pissed off. I think it hit close to home, though I didn’t go to WWII, I have been to war. I’m a veteran and it sucks not knowing if you are going to make home. The whole time I was reading, I was rooting for Peter and Ben.
Boy was it a journey they took. From them both going to enlist and Ben not being able to go because of his bad knee. They supported each other and when they were back together it was like there was no time at all that had passed.
When you read this book and I really hope you do, you will laugh cry and think OMG. Fabulous read!
Check out official review at Nessa's Book Reviews
Boy was it a journey they took. From them both going to enlist and Ben not being able to go because of his bad knee. They supported each other and when they were back together it was like there was no time at all that had passed.
When you read this book and I really hope you do, you will laugh cry and think OMG. Fabulous read!
Check out official review at Nessa's Book Reviews
April 3, 2015
A evocative telling of the relationship between Ben and Pete during World War II. Unlike most romance novels, this story starts out with an established relationship, so the main story is not about the anticipation of getting together, but instead a very rich and rewarding tell of their relationship development as the war unfolds around them. Letters and flashbacks and the promise of reunion make this novel a must-read for those aching for a slow burn.
February 6, 2015
A love story that transcends time and boundaries.
This was well written piece that I couldn't seem to put down - the book fell open, and I fell in.
I eagerly await more from this author.
This was well written piece that I couldn't seem to put down - the book fell open, and I fell in.
I eagerly await more from this author.
September 15, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
The style of this book was engaging and the book was reminiscent of a 1940s film with the structure and feel of the Golden Age of Hollywood and a true wartime romance.
In its heart it is a true old fashioned love story. The author really captures the time and location with many well placed details. The dialogue is appropriate for the era as the men get “gussied up” for an evening out, joke about “unmentionables,” shout out “jeepers,” and use a rotary phone complete with the sound effects.
Ben is more of the focal character, although we do get point of view from Pete as well. Their initial meeting and early love story is told through flashbacks, but they are portrayed as warm and well loved memories that flow smoothly through the narrative. For as complicated as the times were, their love is portrayed as simple. When Pete leaves to go overseas, all of Ben’s emotions are clearly on display as each day becomes harder for him to function without Pete. In a subtle manner the author was able to show the isolation of the era when a loved one went off to war with only the radio for comfort for those left behind.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
The style of this book was engaging and the book was reminiscent of a 1940s film with the structure and feel of the Golden Age of Hollywood and a true wartime romance.
In its heart it is a true old fashioned love story. The author really captures the time and location with many well placed details. The dialogue is appropriate for the era as the men get “gussied up” for an evening out, joke about “unmentionables,” shout out “jeepers,” and use a rotary phone complete with the sound effects.
Ben is more of the focal character, although we do get point of view from Pete as well. Their initial meeting and early love story is told through flashbacks, but they are portrayed as warm and well loved memories that flow smoothly through the narrative. For as complicated as the times were, their love is portrayed as simple. When Pete leaves to go overseas, all of Ben’s emotions are clearly on display as each day becomes harder for him to function without Pete. In a subtle manner the author was able to show the isolation of the era when a loved one went off to war with only the radio for comfort for those left behind.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
February 13, 2015
Can we talk about how rare and lovely it is to pick up a book, knowing it's going to have hard material in it, but having the author almost instantly earn my trust that it will all be okay and handled well from the start?
I often talk about how much an author trusts a reader -- in some books, I feel like it's necessary to establish that you trust the reader, and that there's a point when you are trusting them too much to know what's happening (which in some stories, again, that's actually great).
But I don't know that I've ever talked about what it takes to instantly trust the author.
Belladonne managed that with me from the start. Her style of prose, the lovely care and humor and characters had me from the lovely prologue on. I knew they were going to be okay.
There is a moment in the middle where the author captures a scene with such incredible clarity and in a form -- a snapshot of images and moments -- that match what is happening in the plot *stunningly*. Absolute hats off for making that happen. I cried. It was so beautiful.
There were moments I wished for a little more from the characters, but honestly this book is a great example of a romance novel you pick up to transport you for a lovely trip.
I often talk about how much an author trusts a reader -- in some books, I feel like it's necessary to establish that you trust the reader, and that there's a point when you are trusting them too much to know what's happening (which in some stories, again, that's actually great).
But I don't know that I've ever talked about what it takes to instantly trust the author.
Belladonne managed that with me from the start. Her style of prose, the lovely care and humor and characters had me from the lovely prologue on. I knew they were going to be okay.
There is a moment in the middle where the author captures a scene with such incredible clarity and in a form -- a snapshot of images and moments -- that match what is happening in the plot *stunningly*. Absolute hats off for making that happen. I cried. It was so beautiful.
There were moments I wished for a little more from the characters, but honestly this book is a great example of a romance novel you pick up to transport you for a lovely trip.
February 11, 2015
I usually prefer suspense or fantasy/sci-fi books, so I was not sure I'd like this. I needn't have worried.
The story is wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I blushed. My heart tensed up more than a few times.
If you're looking for a sweet period love story, look no further. This is exactly what you want.
I look forward to reading more from K. E. Belledonne!
The story is wonderful. I laughed, I cried, I blushed. My heart tensed up more than a few times.
If you're looking for a sweet period love story, look no further. This is exactly what you want.
I look forward to reading more from K. E. Belledonne!
February 16, 2015
I finally got my copy in the mail and couldn't stop reading!!!! I fell into a time warp that took me back to WWII. The writer did an awesome job of transporting me back to a long gone era with the details, the wording, & the descriptions in the story. I could sympathize with Pete & Ben's forbidden love and the frustrations that went along with not being able to publicly state "YES!!! This is the man I love!" to the whole world as well as those heart pounding moments when death was almost a reality.
This is certainly a book worth reading. :)
This is certainly a book worth reading. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2015
An epic love set against a backdrop of bomber jackets and war planes, music and longing. K.E. Belledonne weaves the waiting through the story, tugging at your heart strings. Knowingly and unapologetically sentimental, this beautiful novel reads like a love song sung to your faraway sweetheart. Full of hope, promise, fear and love. You can hear the strains of saxaphones and piano keys through crackling radios and the paper of worn letters. I loved Ben and Peter, plus their troupe of supporters. Their camaraderie and companionship sets the heartache aside for moments, and buoys them along.
February 7, 2015
Such a sweet love story! If you're feeling down, this is the perfect pick-me-up.
Read
October 13, 2021Like a glossy movie version of a wartime romance (though they’re already an established couple). Nice to get the gay version, but a bit too saccharin for me. DNF @ 43%
June 28, 2016
RIGHT HERE WAITING tells the story of a man serving in the military as a U.S. pilot during World War II and his lover, who waits for him to return home. It’s got all the trappings of a good war story, but it isn’t an historical novel. The way to read this novel is as a fantasy, a fix on history, a make-it-right. Folks looking for an absolutely accurate account of WWII will be disappointed…but that’s sort of the point.
For those of us gay folk yearning to see ourselves in a romantic, CASABLANCA-like wartime history (feeling unsatisfied with the winks at queers through the gardenia-scented Peter Lorre), this novel aims to fix our desires, to re-tell the history with us at the center.
RIGHT HERE WAITING is a love story between two men (Ben Williams and Peter Montgomery), whose clandestine-ish love affair is interrupted when Pete joins the US armed forces as a pilot and is shipped overseas to join the war. Ben, with his bum leg, is left waiting at home for his return. What follows Pete’s departure is a pastiche of memories, letters, longing, and the tension of war, until Ben and Pete can be safely united again.
Here’s why I call this a fantasy: Ben and Pete are really in love, and many of their close friends and colleagues know it and support it without the slightest bat of an eye. In fact, there’s no tension or angst around The Gay Thing, other than a bit of covering-up the two do to keep their relationship secret (hint: they kind of do a shitty job and everyone knows anyway, but nobody cares). This is not a novel about the real struggles of being on the down-low (especially in the military), nor the dangers we queers faced (well, face even now, though less so), nor the mitigated support we often receive from straights (who are cool with us as long as we don’t act too queer); it’s a novel about two people in love who are forced into separation by war and violence, who worry and fear for each other, who risk death to find each other. For once, instead of Bogart and Bacall, those two people both get to be men.
This isn’t the story of two *men* in love. This is the story of two *people* in love who have a continent and an ocean and bombs and violence keeping them apart, told as if their genders don’t matter. It’s a story about how to hang on, how to find comfort where you can, how to wait for love and safety, but how to grab it, too.
I’m not mentioning the rest of the story: there’s Pete’s wonderful, supportive squadron; there’s Gwen Andrews, the famous singer/temptress who entertains the troops; there’s the best gal-pals who help the boys maintain their connection.
Don’t get me wrong: this is a fantasy, but there’s still death, and near-death, and injury, and danger. There just isn’t homophobia or hate or that kind of fear. It’s kind of nice to read a romance about queers that doesn’t include an obligatory bashing or hate-mongering jerk who dumps a malted on their heads or something.
I’m all for realistic fiction. I’m usually bothered by attempts to paper over queer presence and queer suffering, but that doesn’t seem to be the point here. The point of RIGHT HERE WAITING, rather, seems to be to intervene in the war story genre itself, to make a great and brave love story between two men. You can bet those stories happened (and still do), but they probably weren’t this romantic, beautiful, gripping or happy. Then again, straight romances don’t look much like Bogie and Bacall, either.
In the wake of the horrible homophobic events in Orlando and the mainstream media’s subsequent erasure of queers from the tragedy, I’ll take any day this sweet and charming fantasy that insists on re-inserting us not into history, but into romance.
For those of us gay folk yearning to see ourselves in a romantic, CASABLANCA-like wartime history (feeling unsatisfied with the winks at queers through the gardenia-scented Peter Lorre), this novel aims to fix our desires, to re-tell the history with us at the center.
RIGHT HERE WAITING is a love story between two men (Ben Williams and Peter Montgomery), whose clandestine-ish love affair is interrupted when Pete joins the US armed forces as a pilot and is shipped overseas to join the war. Ben, with his bum leg, is left waiting at home for his return. What follows Pete’s departure is a pastiche of memories, letters, longing, and the tension of war, until Ben and Pete can be safely united again.
Here’s why I call this a fantasy: Ben and Pete are really in love, and many of their close friends and colleagues know it and support it without the slightest bat of an eye. In fact, there’s no tension or angst around The Gay Thing, other than a bit of covering-up the two do to keep their relationship secret (hint: they kind of do a shitty job and everyone knows anyway, but nobody cares). This is not a novel about the real struggles of being on the down-low (especially in the military), nor the dangers we queers faced (well, face even now, though less so), nor the mitigated support we often receive from straights (who are cool with us as long as we don’t act too queer); it’s a novel about two people in love who are forced into separation by war and violence, who worry and fear for each other, who risk death to find each other. For once, instead of Bogart and Bacall, those two people both get to be men.
This isn’t the story of two *men* in love. This is the story of two *people* in love who have a continent and an ocean and bombs and violence keeping them apart, told as if their genders don’t matter. It’s a story about how to hang on, how to find comfort where you can, how to wait for love and safety, but how to grab it, too.
I’m not mentioning the rest of the story: there’s Pete’s wonderful, supportive squadron; there’s Gwen Andrews, the famous singer/temptress who entertains the troops; there’s the best gal-pals who help the boys maintain their connection.
Don’t get me wrong: this is a fantasy, but there’s still death, and near-death, and injury, and danger. There just isn’t homophobia or hate or that kind of fear. It’s kind of nice to read a romance about queers that doesn’t include an obligatory bashing or hate-mongering jerk who dumps a malted on their heads or something.
I’m all for realistic fiction. I’m usually bothered by attempts to paper over queer presence and queer suffering, but that doesn’t seem to be the point here. The point of RIGHT HERE WAITING, rather, seems to be to intervene in the war story genre itself, to make a great and brave love story between two men. You can bet those stories happened (and still do), but they probably weren’t this romantic, beautiful, gripping or happy. Then again, straight romances don’t look much like Bogie and Bacall, either.
In the wake of the horrible homophobic events in Orlando and the mainstream media’s subsequent erasure of queers from the tragedy, I’ll take any day this sweet and charming fantasy that insists on re-inserting us not into history, but into romance.
August 7, 2021
I'd had my eye on this book for a while and finally decided to pick it up when I was in the mood for something historical (with me, anything historical = automatic interest). Right Here Waiting is a heart-warming story about two men loving each other fiercely even when they're thousands of miles apart while one of them fights in WWII. It's such a beautiful story - even if it did rip my heart out a few times.
I fell in love with Ben and Pete almost immediately. The way they fit together, the way their story was crafted was so amazing. They had their ups and downs, like any couple, but in the end, you can really see that they were truly made for each other.
I liked that Right Here Waiting showed the way that many gay soldiers surely lived throughout the world wars. I just loved everything about the way that K.E. Belledonne wrote their relationship. I could go on for days about how much I loved Ben and Pete.
The writing and the story flowed so well in RHW. This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down - that's why I stayed up til midnight to finish it. That doesn't happen often for me in books, but Right Here Waiting was definitely one of those. I always wanted to know what was happening next.
Truly, my only complaint about this book is that there wasn't more of it. I would have loved to have learned more about the men in Pete's flight unit, about Bets and Ginger and all of Ben and Pete's other friends. I know it might have made for a long book, but more backstory on Ben and Pete's lives would have been interesting to read, just for the sake of being able to live in this amazing world that K.E. Belledonne created.
Right Here Waiting is the perfect book for those who love historical romances of the m/m variety. The author builds a nice story that has your emotions going up and down and all around with the characters'. I would honestly recommend this to anyone looking for a great romance. Because that truly is what this book is. I'm going to love these characters for a long, long time. :)
I fell in love with Ben and Pete almost immediately. The way they fit together, the way their story was crafted was so amazing. They had their ups and downs, like any couple, but in the end, you can really see that they were truly made for each other.
I liked that Right Here Waiting showed the way that many gay soldiers surely lived throughout the world wars. I just loved everything about the way that K.E. Belledonne wrote their relationship. I could go on for days about how much I loved Ben and Pete.
The writing and the story flowed so well in RHW. This is one of those books that I didn't want to put down - that's why I stayed up til midnight to finish it. That doesn't happen often for me in books, but Right Here Waiting was definitely one of those. I always wanted to know what was happening next.
Truly, my only complaint about this book is that there wasn't more of it. I would have loved to have learned more about the men in Pete's flight unit, about Bets and Ginger and all of Ben and Pete's other friends. I know it might have made for a long book, but more backstory on Ben and Pete's lives would have been interesting to read, just for the sake of being able to live in this amazing world that K.E. Belledonne created.
Right Here Waiting is the perfect book for those who love historical romances of the m/m variety. The author builds a nice story that has your emotions going up and down and all around with the characters'. I would honestly recommend this to anyone looking for a great romance. Because that truly is what this book is. I'm going to love these characters for a long, long time. :)
December 18, 2016
My heart and my eyes are so full from getting to travel thru this incredibly sweet story of love, strength, fidelity and hope in wartime. The leading men and their gal pals are distinct, fleshed-out people who just pop right off the page. The banter made me giggle at times and sniffle away tears at others. Days after turning the last page, I am still finding hilarity in the moments featuring Ben sleep talking and Pete's fond amusement over the nonsensical things that come out of his lover's mouth.
Belledonne skillfully paints the atmosphere of the novel's WWII setting. With help from detail in language and social customs, I thoroughly lost myself in the sweeping landscape of the USO tours and bomber planes, Ben's tailor shop and the duo's seaside cottage. As with any wartime story, characters endure scares and losses, but it is so heart-warming to read a fantasy-historical gay story that is ultimately filled with so much hope and joy.
Last but not least, my god but the cover art is stunning!
Belledonne skillfully paints the atmosphere of the novel's WWII setting. With help from detail in language and social customs, I thoroughly lost myself in the sweeping landscape of the USO tours and bomber planes, Ben's tailor shop and the duo's seaside cottage. As with any wartime story, characters endure scares and losses, but it is so heart-warming to read a fantasy-historical gay story that is ultimately filled with so much hope and joy.
Last but not least, my god but the cover art is stunning!
May 31, 2017
Torn between "i liked it" and "it was ok", the book does have an old hollywood-esque feel to it tho told mainly in a modern fashion except for popular words at the time, I think the book is overall entertaining, with some tragedies and cute moments between the main couple and the secondary characters. The biggest downside of the story (in my opinon) is the excess of sex scenes/remembrance of sex/thoughts regarding sex, at some point i thought they were more in lust than in love.
April 17, 2015
This was absolutely gorgeous and magical, and really did remind me of the old movies. It had such a great atmosphere and I just absolutely adored it. Love love love love love!
September 25, 2015
This book made me laugh and cry and fall in love with the characters more than I was expecting (and I was expecting to). Such an amazing book from an amazing author - definitely one of my favorites.
April 15, 2015
The author said that some of the events were improbable, but the history seemed good to me. I was a history major many years ago, and had a history of World War II class.
It was a nice historical. The protagonists were in an established relationship, and had to deal with being separated for long periods of time during Pete's training and service on the front. The main characters faced danger, of course. I liked the supporting characters, especially some of the women.
It was a nice historical. The protagonists were in an established relationship, and had to deal with being separated for long periods of time during Pete's training and service on the front. The main characters faced danger, of course. I liked the supporting characters, especially some of the women.
February 5, 2016
Successful romance. A little unbelievable with the acceptance of gays in the military. Love story good. How could you not like a romance with a readers discussion guide.
June 25, 2022
Rating: 2.5 stars (rounded down)
While I loved the historical authenticity and the smooth way the author incorporated historical details into the story, I ended up getting bored because there wasn't enough compelling plot to keep me invested and there was way too much repetition.
It was interesting having a WW2 historical romance that had the MCs in an established relationship with one joining the Air Force and fighting at the front while the other stayed at home. I hadn't come across this scenario before in a war-themed romance and despite initially being intrigued by it, it ended up not working for me. One of the biggest things I dislike in romances is when the two MCs spend a lot of time apart and that's exactly what ended up being my biggest problem here. Many impactful emotional developments and important plot beats happened while Ben and Pete are separated and as a result, these important moments featured Ben or Pete interacting with one of the female characters, instead of each other.
Speaking of the female characters - I didn't like that all three of them (Bets, Ginger, Gwen) had such similar personalities that you could swap them out in many scenes with no change. This was particularly emphasized at about 50% when Gwen is introduced and replaces Bets in the story with no change to the relationship dynamics. Then the author reverses this near the end by having Gwen vanish and Bets return - and once again, nothing changes.
It was also strange that all three women only seemed to exist to play the role of supportive-straight-friend and convenient-beard for the boys. There was one scene in particular that I found weird: Ben and Pete are temporarily reunited at home and immediately start making out on the couch. One of the women is in the apartment with them, she happily prepares a dinner tray for them and brings it to them and the boys keep making out and don't even spare her a glance or express any gratitude. Throughout the story, I felt that the boys weren't really interested in the girls as individuals and took their support for granted. It was a strange vibe.
By the 50% mark, I also started getting bored due to the repetition and the lack of interesting plotlines. Ben and Pete's letters to each other were interesting and had a good mix of expressing their feelings and sharing what was happening in their lives, but whenever they were reunited, there was a lot of sex and constant love declarations. It got old fast. Not to mention that I got sick and tired of hearing about Pete's beautiful blue eyes and his stunning physique. I understand that Ben missed him a lot, but the repetition was irritating.
I also felt that there were aspects of the story that weren't given enough attention despite having lots of potential. For example, Pete's fellow soldiers (his flight crew) were given very little focus so whenever something interesting happened with one of them, I didn't really care because I didn't feel connected to those characters. Ben's time at the USO canteen and his time with Gwen's singing troupe were also boring because the author focused too much on what songs were being sung and Ben's weirdly one-sided friendship with whichever female character was around him at the time instead of showcasing the interesting people and situations he was involved in. Like with Pete's flight crew, when big things happened with Ben's singing troupe members, I didn't care because none of those characters had been developed enough.
I also had some issues with the writing. The author would randomly head hop into a different character's head midway through a scene, which was always jarring and led to some confusion. Then there were the weird timing issues, where the author would randomly jump into a flashback without putting in a scene break or adequate transition. Other times the flashback was properly introduced, but the jump back to the present wasn't and I would end up not realizing we're back in the present.
Lastly, I didn't like the universal acceptance of homosexuality that the author gave the military and everybody around Ben and Pete. Their parents aren't fully accepting of the situation but this doesn't seem to have any impact on them and every other person they interact with (in the military, at Ben's tailor shop, at their apartment complex, at the USO canteen etc) doesn't blink an eye at finding out that the two men are in a committed relationship.
At first, I thought the author would deliberately keep the letters between the boys very vague and that they'd have to be creative to hide their true feelings for each other. But no - by the second letter, Pete is openly referring to Ben by his full name and talking about their relationship. It's made clear that censors are reading every letter so this was strange to me and didn't feel realistic. Then there's the scene . The author had done a great job of incorporating accurate historical details into this book, so I didn't appreciate this fairytale-like approach to one of the most important aspects of the story. The angst potential of having to hide their relationship and expressing their love for each other in discreet ways is one of the things I like the most in historical romances, so I didn't like having this hand-waved away for the sake of adding to the mountain of overly sappy scenes that the story already contained.
Overall, I can see why a lot of people loved this story. The boys were really sweet and their relationship was adorable, but the story contained a lot of things that don't work for me when it comes to historical romance or romance in general.
While I loved the historical authenticity and the smooth way the author incorporated historical details into the story, I ended up getting bored because there wasn't enough compelling plot to keep me invested and there was way too much repetition.
It was interesting having a WW2 historical romance that had the MCs in an established relationship with one joining the Air Force and fighting at the front while the other stayed at home. I hadn't come across this scenario before in a war-themed romance and despite initially being intrigued by it, it ended up not working for me. One of the biggest things I dislike in romances is when the two MCs spend a lot of time apart and that's exactly what ended up being my biggest problem here. Many impactful emotional developments and important plot beats happened while Ben and Pete are separated and as a result, these important moments featured Ben or Pete interacting with one of the female characters, instead of each other.
Speaking of the female characters - I didn't like that all three of them (Bets, Ginger, Gwen) had such similar personalities that you could swap them out in many scenes with no change. This was particularly emphasized at about 50% when Gwen is introduced and replaces Bets in the story with no change to the relationship dynamics. Then the author reverses this near the end by having Gwen vanish and Bets return - and once again, nothing changes.
It was also strange that all three women only seemed to exist to play the role of supportive-straight-friend and convenient-beard for the boys. There was one scene in particular that I found weird: Ben and Pete are temporarily reunited at home and immediately start making out on the couch. One of the women is in the apartment with them, she happily prepares a dinner tray for them and brings it to them and the boys keep making out and don't even spare her a glance or express any gratitude. Throughout the story, I felt that the boys weren't really interested in the girls as individuals and took their support for granted. It was a strange vibe.
By the 50% mark, I also started getting bored due to the repetition and the lack of interesting plotlines. Ben and Pete's letters to each other were interesting and had a good mix of expressing their feelings and sharing what was happening in their lives, but whenever they were reunited, there was a lot of sex and constant love declarations. It got old fast. Not to mention that I got sick and tired of hearing about Pete's beautiful blue eyes and his stunning physique. I understand that Ben missed him a lot, but the repetition was irritating.
I also felt that there were aspects of the story that weren't given enough attention despite having lots of potential. For example, Pete's fellow soldiers (his flight crew) were given very little focus so whenever something interesting happened with one of them, I didn't really care because I didn't feel connected to those characters. Ben's time at the USO canteen and his time with Gwen's singing troupe were also boring because the author focused too much on what songs were being sung and Ben's weirdly one-sided friendship with whichever female character was around him at the time instead of showcasing the interesting people and situations he was involved in. Like with Pete's flight crew, when big things happened with Ben's singing troupe members, I didn't care because none of those characters had been developed enough.
I also had some issues with the writing. The author would randomly head hop into a different character's head midway through a scene, which was always jarring and led to some confusion. Then there were the weird timing issues, where the author would randomly jump into a flashback without putting in a scene break or adequate transition. Other times the flashback was properly introduced, but the jump back to the present wasn't and I would end up not realizing we're back in the present.
Lastly, I didn't like the universal acceptance of homosexuality that the author gave the military and everybody around Ben and Pete. Their parents aren't fully accepting of the situation but this doesn't seem to have any impact on them and every other person they interact with (in the military, at Ben's tailor shop, at their apartment complex, at the USO canteen etc) doesn't blink an eye at finding out that the two men are in a committed relationship.
At first, I thought the author would deliberately keep the letters between the boys very vague and that they'd have to be creative to hide their true feelings for each other. But no - by the second letter, Pete is openly referring to Ben by his full name and talking about their relationship. It's made clear that censors are reading every letter so this was strange to me and didn't feel realistic. Then there's the scene . The author had done a great job of incorporating accurate historical details into this book, so I didn't appreciate this fairytale-like approach to one of the most important aspects of the story. The angst potential of having to hide their relationship and expressing their love for each other in discreet ways is one of the things I like the most in historical romances, so I didn't like having this hand-waved away for the sake of adding to the mountain of overly sappy scenes that the story already contained.
Overall, I can see why a lot of people loved this story. The boys were really sweet and their relationship was adorable, but the story contained a lot of things that don't work for me when it comes to historical romance or romance in general.
October 3, 2017
This is why I don't read war-time historicals. I just can't handle any character death. Luckily, and I don't think this is a spoiler, there is no MC death. Overall, it was a charming story about an established couple, Ben and Pete, who are torn about due to war. Both sign up to serve, but only Pete is able to physically do so. Ben is left behind, and though technically safer, it does not make his life any easier to worry constantly about Pete's safety as a pilot. While the story was nice, there were a few too many flashbacks that weren't easily discerned, so I would be reading something in present time only to read something from before the war.
September 21, 2022
it’s a heart warming story that can make you cry but then smile two pages later their relationship is so fun to read and the ending was just perfect for the two of them i wish i could find more books like this
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April 8, 2017I enjoyed this book so much! From its quiet domesticity through its structure with lovely flashbacks and its rich cast of fully-fleshed characters, it has been a pleasure to read. I really liked the overall low-angst feel, in spite of plausible and well-descriped scenes from WWII. The romance itself is highly satisfactory, and its evolution very refreshing.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
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