Semper Fi by Keira Andrews
Released: November 11, 2014
M/M Historical Romance
Self Published
Reviewed by Mandi
Earlier this year I read a gay Amish romance by Keira Andrews that I enjoyed, so when I heard she had a WW2 historical coming out, I thought I’d give it a try. However, this one didn’t quite grab me.
This book flips between 1942, when Cal and Jim first meet and train as Marines, to present day in 1948. The flashback eventually lead the two of them to the war and end I think in 1945. Cal is gay, Jim is married to a woman in 1942. Cal comes from a very wealthy banking family and signs up to fight just to spite his father. Jim owns an apple orchard, has a daughter and is content in his life.
In 1948, the war is over and Cal’s wife has died in a car accident, leaving him home with his two children. Cal and Jim became very close during the war, fighting shoulder to shoulder – and after experiencing what they did together, they have an extremely strong bond. Even without Cal’s love and lust over Jim, these two are just best friends, brothers even. When Jim’s farm hand quits unexpectedly, Cal decides to join Jim at the farm and help him harvest. Cal doesn’t get along with his family, so he wanted an excuse to leave, and he can’t stop thinking about Jim. So Cal moves in, and the story moves along as Jim starts to realize he has feelings for another man, and how to cope with that. We experience Jim’s continued mourning over his dead wife, and how hard it has been for his young children to move forward. All of that on top of trying to cope with a normal life after years at war.
JIm eventually gives into his feelings for Cal, but still struggles with thinking being gay is a sin, and worrying about what his kids would think or anyone else that knows him. As I mentioned, we get flashbacks throughout this time to Jim and Cal fighting together, and helping survive. I liked their bond and friendship but I’m not sure I was ever truly convinced of their romance. I think they loved each other because of surviving the war together, but their actual physical romance didn’t do anything for me. I’m not sure if it was just slow and didn’t grab my attention – the sexual tension was missing a little. I just thought it was flat and a little boring. Predictable maybe – I guessed from the beginning about a secret Jim’s wife had and Jim and Cal’s romance played out just how I expected.
Rating: C
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