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A review by book_mark_shelf
Dublin Bay by John Patrick
5.0
This book is set in Dublin city between 1939 and 1942 and tells the story of the effects WW2 had from the point of view of an Irish teenager, James, discovering his sexuality and falling for a German teenager, Otto, whose father was stationed in Ireland.
I have been eyeing this book for a few weeks and was so privileged to receive an ARC of it. This was definitely one of my top reads this year and being based in my home country struck a few heart strings.
It reminded me on a Romeo and Juliet scenario where it was forbidden love and they had to secretly meet to let their love grow. There was a great coming of age and self-discovery theme along with the added angst of war time and real life situations added to the mix.
The protagonists were easily followed and the way the book was written, you felt yourself right there, in the middle of it all with the characters. The supporting characters were also very intriguing and I really liked Howards part in it all with helping to start smuggling refugees to safety with the help of James and Otto, manipulating the IRA and German informants.
Without a doubt, I would rate this book a 5 star but I want to mention that some of the scenes felt rushed. When James found his way to move up in the world, from the poorest slum of Dublin to a working class citizen with a thriving business. When reading, it felt like it happened over night but I think I would have like a little more insight of, especially when the business had a major part of the story.
Personally, I feel that this novel would be enjoyed by many people. From romance seekers to history enthusiasts. It covers a lot of varying themes and I look forward to reading Turtle Bay.
(I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.)
I have been eyeing this book for a few weeks and was so privileged to receive an ARC of it. This was definitely one of my top reads this year and being based in my home country struck a few heart strings.
It reminded me on a Romeo and Juliet scenario where it was forbidden love and they had to secretly meet to let their love grow. There was a great coming of age and self-discovery theme along with the added angst of war time and real life situations added to the mix.
The protagonists were easily followed and the way the book was written, you felt yourself right there, in the middle of it all with the characters. The supporting characters were also very intriguing and I really liked Howards part in it all with helping to start smuggling refugees to safety with the help of James and Otto, manipulating the IRA and German informants.
Without a doubt, I would rate this book a 5 star but I want to mention that some of the scenes felt rushed. When James found his way to move up in the world, from the poorest slum of Dublin to a working class citizen with a thriving business. When reading, it felt like it happened over night but I think I would have like a little more insight of, especially when the business had a major part of the story.
Personally, I feel that this novel would be enjoyed by many people. From romance seekers to history enthusiasts. It covers a lot of varying themes and I look forward to reading Turtle Bay.
(I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.)