The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

One of my favourite childhood films still is Sarah Plain and Tall – a mail-order bride sets up such a marvellous romantic setting. Then in 2004, Australian film makers came up with a wonderful little indie film called Love’s Brother which takes that theme and gives it a twist … a bride emigrates from Italy to Melbourne so as to marry Angelo, handsome son of Italian immigrant market gardeners. Trouble is, the picture of Angelo is actually that of his younger brother Gino (played in the film by the hunky Adam Garcia). Oh the drama! And such a romantic ending.

Now Shelter Somerset takes the story one twist further. Set in the mid-1880s, Torsten Pilkvist escapes from his parent’s home and bakery business after a horrific love gone terribly wrong incident. I must admit the shocking incident right at the starting chapters threw me a little – did not see that coming! Prior to Tor leaving behind booming and cosmopolitan Chicago, he strikes up a long-distance correspondence with one Franklin Ausmus, disabled civil war veteran, longing for a loving companion and hoping to find one through the mail-order bride adverts. So where does a 19 year old runaway go after falling out with one’s parents? Naturally to frontier territory Moonlight Gulch of course – where Franklin lives.

But how to explain to Franklin that the wonderfully demure and charming woman he’s been writing to all this time is actually a 19 year-old gay youth?? Tor doesn’t of course, and through a series of fortuitous events finds himself hired as Franklin’s ranch-hand. The two draw closer together through shared toil and mutual care and concern. Of course there’s nothing like a common enemy to bond people together and the nasty power-broking, gold obsessed local baddy oozes badness in spades. He’s after the gold that lies in the stream that flows through Franklin’s property and will stop at nothing (even murder) to get his hands on that.

Torsten’s come-uppance happens half-way through the book and of course Franklin is incensed/outraged at the deception (no matter how innocent it all started) and throws Tor off his land. It will take a chain of explosive and fiery events to bring these two MCs to realise what they mean to each other. It’s a great nail-biting finale with lots of aawwwww moments and a HEA for romance readers.

The MCs are well developed and likeable. Tor starts off a little needy and soppy but eventually proves he’s made of stronger mettle. Gruff, anti-social, disabled Franklin comes complete with a strong build, tough exterior but a fragile heart of gold. I was really pulling for these two to work out their misunderstandings and differences. There’s a couple of nicely drawn secondary characters – including a savvy and wise native American ‘neighbour’. The plot moved at a good pace, the narrative flowed easily so I thoroughly enjoyed making the journey to Moonlight Gulch … I will be definitely be looking into more of Shelter Somerset’s other works.