Scan barcode
A review by kaje_harper
Basic Training by Marquesate
4.0
This was a realistic story about two military men, that managed to avoid most of the clichés and obvious plots and delivered a hot, smooth and ultimately engaging story.
As the book opens, Platoon Sergeant Col Wilson meets his next group of recruits and among them is Chris Thompson, a young man who has already been noted on his paperwork for being overqualified, intelligent, educated, athletic, and oh yes, gay and out. What Col didn't realize was that Chris is also gorgeous and will test fifteen years of determination not to give in to his desire for other men.
The beginning of this feels a little superficial, as the daily life of the platoon in training is a backdrop for Chris's skills and Col's temptation, and some growing homophobia from other recruits. It was realistic, and Col's feelings and conflicts were clear, but I didn't feel emotionally involved in the story. But the longer it went on, the more I started to care about the characters and their lives. By the end, I was cheering for these two men.
The sex scenes are very well done; the issues Col has with both the age and power gap between them, and the career risks, were neither over nor under emphasized. Chris is a bit perfect, and I wish we had more than one brief statement from his uncle to help the reader feel a bit more of his uncertainties and concerns, but he began to feel more real as the story went on. I appreciated the lack of melodrama, and the slow, plausible development of the relationship. Well worth the read for anyone who enjoys two men finding each other in a realistic military setting.
As the book opens, Platoon Sergeant Col Wilson meets his next group of recruits and among them is Chris Thompson, a young man who has already been noted on his paperwork for being overqualified, intelligent, educated, athletic, and oh yes, gay and out. What Col didn't realize was that Chris is also gorgeous and will test fifteen years of determination not to give in to his desire for other men.
The beginning of this feels a little superficial, as the daily life of the platoon in training is a backdrop for Chris's skills and Col's temptation, and some growing homophobia from other recruits. It was realistic, and Col's feelings and conflicts were clear, but I didn't feel emotionally involved in the story. But the longer it went on, the more I started to care about the characters and their lives. By the end, I was cheering for these two men.
The sex scenes are very well done; the issues Col has with both the age and power gap between them, and the career risks, were neither over nor under emphasized. Chris is a bit perfect, and I wish we had more than one brief statement from his uncle to help the reader feel a bit more of his uncertainties and concerns, but he began to feel more real as the story went on. I appreciated the lack of melodrama, and the slow, plausible development of the relationship. Well worth the read for anyone who enjoys two men finding each other in a realistic military setting.