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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Been saving up this one to read for a while, and it didn't disappoint. Post-WWI queer love story dealing with PTSD and shell shock and disability, and trying to create a space for love and family. Lovely.
I've given this a B+ at AAR / 4.5 stars
Sally Malcolm’s latest novel is something of a departure for anyone familiar with her excellent New Milton series. The Last Kiss is an historical romance set in England immediately after World War One, and it features two characters for whom the class divide is as insurmountable an obstacle to their love for each other as is their sexuality. Ms. Malcolm is one of my favourite writers; her ability to delve deep into the thoughts and emotions of her characters is something that always impresses me, and here, she combines that with a sharply observed, unvarnished look at the problems faced by the men who were lucky enough to return from a war that forever changed them – to a world in which they no longer fit.
Captain Ashleigh Dalton and his batman Private Harry West met in 1914, and became close friends in spite of their difference in rank and backgrounds. Ash is the son of a baronet and worked in a bank and Harry was an ostler in Bethnal Green, but war is a great leveller; they’ve lived side-by-side and have been through hell together, and as time has worn on, their friendship – and deep mutual affection – is just about the only thing that has made life bearable for both of them. The story begins in the early hours of a morning in October 1917 when Ash and his men are waiting for the final command to go over the top. Ms. Malcom brilliantly evokes the overall feelings of trepidation and despair felt in the trenches and also does a fantastic job of showing readers the strength of the bond that exists between Ash and Harry – not with words, because they can’t possibly say any of the things they feel, but rather through the actions that communicate their obvious care for one another. When Ash is severely wounded, Harry’s world almost comes to a stop, and fearing the man he loves is dead, his first thought is to invite a German bullet to end it all. But seeing the men look to him for guidance and reassurance, he can’t do it. Clinging to hope, Harry somehow finds the courage to carry on, and one month later, receives the news that Ash is alive, and is being sent home to England.
The fact that Ash lost part of one leg and is suffering from “nerve damage” (which we’d call PTSD today) are not the only things that have made it impossible for him to pick up the reins of his old life. He misses Harry desperately, and he’s full of anger and frustration at the way that those around him – most notably his parents and others of their generation – seem to want to brush the war under the carpet and go on as though nothing has changed, and he can’t bear it.
“What was it for, if everything goes on the same?”
To make things worse, his parents make it clear that they expect him to get married and settle down as soon as possible and have perfect girl in mind, Miss Olive Allen, the daughter of friends. Ash likes Olive – she’s a straightforward, no-nonsense young woman who currently works as a VAD nurse and whose outlook is very much aligned with his – but his heart belongs to someone else and Ash has no intention of getting married to anyone.
Back in London after the Armistice, Harry, like all the other soldiers returning to England, finds himself out of step with the world he’s come home to – and also out of work. He’s living with his widowed sister and two young nieces and is very conscious that Kitty’s meagre resources are stretched thin – so when she suggests he apply to his former captain for work, Harry forces himself to swallow his pride and travels to Highcliffe House in Hampshire to see if there might be any work for him in the stables.
Ash is astonished and overjoyed to see Harry again, so much so that he greets him as the friend he is, much to his father’s outrage. There’s a social distance to be maintained between master and servant and Ash and Harry can never again be what they were to each other before. Ash isn’t in a position to openly defy his father’s edict that he keep away from Harry, but he’s determined to spend time with him, and thanks to Olive’s idea that Ash should take up riding again, they do manage a few afternoons together. During those stolen hours, three years of longing and wondering and a knowledge, now, of the transience of life, propel both men towards admitting the truth of their feelings for one another – but it’s bittersweet, the knowledge that they love and are loved in return overshadowed by the knowledge that this is likely all they’re ever going to be able to have.
Sally Malcolm is a master of the angsty romance, conveying heightened emotion in a way that feels right for the mood of the story and is never overdone. The feelings Ash and Harry have for each other are so strongly portrayed that they leap off the page; tenderness, longing, connection and most of all, their unspoken love, are palpable, all skilfully created within the first few pages of the novel and sustained throughout their forbidden love affair. A real sense of foreboding seeps through the second half of the book as disaster inevitably looms closer; and when it strikes it’s a punch to the gut.
The historical setting is very well realised. The author clearly has considerable knowledge of the period and the story is very firmly grounded in the attitudes and prejudices of the time. Those prejudices extend beyond sexuality and class, however, as illustrated through the character of Olive, a young woman who, Ash realises, was liberated by the war, freed from stifling social conventions in order to do something useful. She wants to train to be a doctor, but her parents won’t hear of it, and now the war is over, she’s expected to forget her taste of freedom and return to her pre-war self, a situation experienced by countless young women at the time.
The Last Kiss is an absorbing read that will transport readers to the horrors of the battlefield and the beauty of the idyllic English countryside. Those who like their historical romance to contain more than a nod towards actual history will enjoy the setting and appreciate the author’s keen eye for detail and social observation. This is a ‘quiet’ book and the overall tone is perhaps a little sombre, but the central love affair is compelling and heartfelt, and the HEA is well-deserved.
Sally Malcolm’s latest novel is something of a departure for anyone familiar with her excellent New Milton series. The Last Kiss is an historical romance set in England immediately after World War One, and it features two characters for whom the class divide is as insurmountable an obstacle to their love for each other as is their sexuality. Ms. Malcolm is one of my favourite writers; her ability to delve deep into the thoughts and emotions of her characters is something that always impresses me, and here, she combines that with a sharply observed, unvarnished look at the problems faced by the men who were lucky enough to return from a war that forever changed them – to a world in which they no longer fit.
Captain Ashleigh Dalton and his batman Private Harry West met in 1914, and became close friends in spite of their difference in rank and backgrounds. Ash is the son of a baronet and worked in a bank and Harry was an ostler in Bethnal Green, but war is a great leveller; they’ve lived side-by-side and have been through hell together, and as time has worn on, their friendship – and deep mutual affection – is just about the only thing that has made life bearable for both of them. The story begins in the early hours of a morning in October 1917 when Ash and his men are waiting for the final command to go over the top. Ms. Malcom brilliantly evokes the overall feelings of trepidation and despair felt in the trenches and also does a fantastic job of showing readers the strength of the bond that exists between Ash and Harry – not with words, because they can’t possibly say any of the things they feel, but rather through the actions that communicate their obvious care for one another. When Ash is severely wounded, Harry’s world almost comes to a stop, and fearing the man he loves is dead, his first thought is to invite a German bullet to end it all. But seeing the men look to him for guidance and reassurance, he can’t do it. Clinging to hope, Harry somehow finds the courage to carry on, and one month later, receives the news that Ash is alive, and is being sent home to England.
The fact that Ash lost part of one leg and is suffering from “nerve damage” (which we’d call PTSD today) are not the only things that have made it impossible for him to pick up the reins of his old life. He misses Harry desperately, and he’s full of anger and frustration at the way that those around him – most notably his parents and others of their generation – seem to want to brush the war under the carpet and go on as though nothing has changed, and he can’t bear it.
“What was it for, if everything goes on the same?”
To make things worse, his parents make it clear that they expect him to get married and settle down as soon as possible and have perfect girl in mind, Miss Olive Allen, the daughter of friends. Ash likes Olive – she’s a straightforward, no-nonsense young woman who currently works as a VAD nurse and whose outlook is very much aligned with his – but his heart belongs to someone else and Ash has no intention of getting married to anyone.
Back in London after the Armistice, Harry, like all the other soldiers returning to England, finds himself out of step with the world he’s come home to – and also out of work. He’s living with his widowed sister and two young nieces and is very conscious that Kitty’s meagre resources are stretched thin – so when she suggests he apply to his former captain for work, Harry forces himself to swallow his pride and travels to Highcliffe House in Hampshire to see if there might be any work for him in the stables.
Ash is astonished and overjoyed to see Harry again, so much so that he greets him as the friend he is, much to his father’s outrage. There’s a social distance to be maintained between master and servant and Ash and Harry can never again be what they were to each other before. Ash isn’t in a position to openly defy his father’s edict that he keep away from Harry, but he’s determined to spend time with him, and thanks to Olive’s idea that Ash should take up riding again, they do manage a few afternoons together. During those stolen hours, three years of longing and wondering and a knowledge, now, of the transience of life, propel both men towards admitting the truth of their feelings for one another – but it’s bittersweet, the knowledge that they love and are loved in return overshadowed by the knowledge that this is likely all they’re ever going to be able to have.
Sally Malcolm is a master of the angsty romance, conveying heightened emotion in a way that feels right for the mood of the story and is never overdone. The feelings Ash and Harry have for each other are so strongly portrayed that they leap off the page; tenderness, longing, connection and most of all, their unspoken love, are palpable, all skilfully created within the first few pages of the novel and sustained throughout their forbidden love affair. A real sense of foreboding seeps through the second half of the book as disaster inevitably looms closer; and when it strikes it’s a punch to the gut.
The historical setting is very well realised. The author clearly has considerable knowledge of the period and the story is very firmly grounded in the attitudes and prejudices of the time. Those prejudices extend beyond sexuality and class, however, as illustrated through the character of Olive, a young woman who, Ash realises, was liberated by the war, freed from stifling social conventions in order to do something useful. She wants to train to be a doctor, but her parents won’t hear of it, and now the war is over, she’s expected to forget her taste of freedom and return to her pre-war self, a situation experienced by countless young women at the time.
The Last Kiss is an absorbing read that will transport readers to the horrors of the battlefield and the beauty of the idyllic English countryside. Those who like their historical romance to contain more than a nod towards actual history will enjoy the setting and appreciate the author’s keen eye for detail and social observation. This is a ‘quiet’ book and the overall tone is perhaps a little sombre, but the central love affair is compelling and heartfelt, and the HEA is well-deserved.
5 “You and I, who we are, what we are, changes the world” stars
”You make me so bloody happy I can hardly stand it. And I’m sorry I was a coward. I’m sorry I hurt you. I never want to hurt you again because I love you. I love you so much and, if you’ll have me, I want to be with you for as long as this blasted world will let us be together.”
Actual review to come soon as i’m still crying my eyes out over this book. But for now I have a comment to say to this book:
I have loved the books by Sally Malcolm I have read previously so I knew I would enjoy this one but I was already a sobbing mess after the first chapter of this book. And I barely stopped crying during the entire book. This book totally broke me, but it also put me back together and made me feel better. This was everything I wanted in a book and I adored it. I also love a good hard fought romance and god was this one hard faught, it was painful but it was so worth it.
Brief summary
The book starts in 1917 when Harry and Ash fall in love while serving for their country during world war I. They are separated after that but they keep communicating by letters and Harry goes to visit Ash on his family’s estate and Harry starts to work on the estate to provide for his own family. They start to sneak around and spend all the time they can together but it’s complicated for them between their obligations to their family and the need to marry a woman to hide the fact that they are gay.
This book was fucking realistic to how I would imagined life to be in 1919. And while I adored that the book was so realistic in its approach it so painful to read because of it. This book was so gritty and emotional but in a good way. It did shatter my entire heart but it gave me an HEA so thats all I could have asked for and more. There is a lot of drama coming from characters outside of the main couple in this book and thats not something I normally enjoy but given that this book is set in the 1910s, I could understand it and none of it felt gratious. It was realistic to what I imagine life would have been for gay men in the 1910s so it totally worked for me.
”You make me so bloody happy I can hardly stand it. And I’m sorry I was a coward. I’m sorry I hurt you. I never want to hurt you again because I love you. I love you so much and, if you’ll have me, I want to be with you for as long as this blasted world will let us be together.”
Actual review to come soon as i’m still crying my eyes out over this book. But for now I have a comment to say to this book:
I have loved the books by Sally Malcolm I have read previously so I knew I would enjoy this one but I was already a sobbing mess after the first chapter of this book. And I barely stopped crying during the entire book. This book totally broke me, but it also put me back together and made me feel better. This was everything I wanted in a book and I adored it. I also love a good hard fought romance and god was this one hard faught, it was painful but it was so worth it.
Brief summary
The book starts in 1917 when Harry and Ash fall in love while serving for their country during world war I. They are separated after that but they keep communicating by letters and Harry goes to visit Ash on his family’s estate and Harry starts to work on the estate to provide for his own family. They start to sneak around and spend all the time they can together but it’s complicated for them between their obligations to their family and the need to marry a woman to hide the fact that they are gay.
This book was fucking realistic to how I would imagined life to be in 1919. And while I adored that the book was so realistic in its approach it so painful to read because of it. This book was so gritty and emotional but in a good way. It did shatter my entire heart but it gave me an HEA so thats all I could have asked for and more. There is a lot of drama coming from characters outside of the main couple in this book and thats not something I normally enjoy but given that this book is set in the 1910s, I could understand it and none of it felt gratious. It was realistic to what I imagine life would have been for gay men in the 1910s so it totally worked for me.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An excellent book that handled extremely well the war's traumas. I loved how Harry and Ashleigh cared for each other, and how sweet Harry was with Ash when the latter had nightmares and PTSD. It's my first time reading a book set after the war, but this one was so tender. Olive was a perfect character (so rare for a woman in fiction), and I appreciated the well-deserved HEA, even in a homophobic society.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this because the characters made it so easy to. Ash and Harry have a strong connection built on mutual trust and respect, and I liked how their relationship developed from comrades to lovers because they were very sweet on each other. They had so much love for each other and it was interesting to see the way their relationship evolved due to their differences.
The depiction of Ash’s PTSDand struggle with his loss of limb post-war were written with nuance and respect, and it was quite sad to see how his own parents treated him but luckily he had Harry and Olive by his side. Honestly Olive is my favourite character because she’s a very strong female character with her own ideals and rebellious personality. And when I found out that she was possibly aro-ace , it made me like her even more. I appreciated how her friendship with Ash was written and how both she and Ash trusted each other enough to marry each other so they could live out their lives the way they want to, without their family getting in their way.
The depiction of Ash’s PTSD
It takes true talent to so quickly provoke such strong feelings from me for two characters right from the beginning of a book. Their love is so pure, and their story brought tears to my eyes several times. They have very different personalities, but they fit together perfectly, and I love them both so much.
The beginning was alright, but at some point you could immediately tell exactly where the plot was going, the scenes that would happen and the ending. Because it wasn’t clever, it got boring real fast and was almost like I was reading the author’s story outlines. I stopped pretty much early on and flipped through the rest of the book to see if I guessed the entire story correctly and was disappointed to find out I was.
Sally Malcolm is an author who so far never has disappointed me, but her latest book had such a different subject matter than her other works that I hesitated to read it, especially since when it came out the Lockdown hadn’t been going on for long and I was not in the right headspace for a novel set right after WWI. Two months later, though, I felt like I could give it a try, and I’m glad I did. Despite being a realistic depiction of what soldiers went through during and after the First World War, it has the kind of matter of fact hopefulness to it that I need right now. And the romance between Ashleigh and Harry is just lovely. Malcolm also does a great job at writing her female characters and making sure to address the different kinds of oppression people were facing. The way it dealt with class reminded me a lot of E.M.Forster which may explain why I enjoyed it so much.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes