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The Year Without Summer

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 24 ratings · 7 reviews

Lieutenant Robert Pierce of the Royal Navy was raised in the shadow of his father, a great admiral, and has spent his life on the high seas fighting the ships of Napoelon Bonaparte. When he loses a leg in battle and is confined to land, Robert is devastated. Taken in by his sister Maria, Robert faces the infamously cold, wet summer of 1816 trying to adjust to his new life....more

ebook, 60 pages

Published March 24th 2010 by Dreamspinner Press

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May 05, 2011 Gypsum rated it 1 of 5 stars

Perhaps I have been spoiled in relation to Navy books by reading authors such as Dudley Pope, but I found this book rather lacking. The romance lacked detail and there was no chance for the reader to understand or witness the growing intimacy between the two men. Instead of the details of shipboard life and a growing friendship giving way to lust/love we were merely shown a catalogue of sexual encounters in flashback. One can only assume the reader is supposed to infer intimacy, in much the same...more Perhaps I have been spoiled in relation to Navy books by reading authors such as Dudley Pope, but I found this book rather lacking. The romance lacked detail and there was no chance for the reader to understand or witness the growing intimacy between the two men. Instead of the details of shipboard life and a growing friendship giving way to lust/love we were merely shown a catalogue of sexual encounters in flashback. One can only assume the reader is supposed to infer intimacy, in much the same way as we are supposed to infer the detail of people, surroundings and situations which is also missing from the book.

There was also not the slightest hint the author understood life in the 19th century navy. There are many errors in the book, however the one that got my goat in particular was the idea of Midshipmen being sent ashore in Italy to purchase supplies. For one, unless every other officer and warrant officer on the ship were dead no captain is going to entrust the purchasing of supplies to a midshipman...not to mention that it's the purser's job. Plus unless a ship is skirting the most barren coast on the planet, captains were extremely unlikely to purchase fresh water. Common practice was to send boats ashore and provision from streams etc. And then there's the idea that a British ship just rocks up to Italy, docks and its men wander about freely. During the latter half of the 18th and the early 19th century Italy (such that it was) was a client state of the French Empire. Which England was at war with. Italy was not a friendly foreign power and British ships would have been rather unwelcome. Probably to the tune of a broadside or two and being shot as a spy if found on land. Not to mention that Italy as a nation state didn't actually exist until 1861, some 45 years after the book is set.

All in all I found the book's attention to detail sloppy and it was a disappointing read in both romantic and historical terms. A rather poor showing for an historical romance.(less)

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Jan 05, 2011 Erastes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay-historical

The blurb caught my imagination immediately. There's not enough stories about the wounded after the Napoleonic wars, and I'd been dying to read one that dealt with it, in a way that wasn't amputee kink (not that I think there are any that are, thank goodness!) I warmed very much to poor Robert, whose life has pretty much come to an end, as far as he's concerned, and that's exactly how he would have felt.

After the introduction to Robert and his sister we have a lengthy flashback regarding his aff...more

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Apr 20, 2010 Kassa rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

GS Wiley continues her tradition of beautifully written, emotional stories filled with longing, romance, love, and separation with the fabulous offering The Year without a Summer. This bittersweet and touching tale relives the naval life of Robert Pierce and his long affair with fellow officer John Burgess. Separated now by injury and circumstance, Robert wonders what future his life brings and struggles with a depressing outlook in the face of constant, chilly rain.

The story is told...more 4.5 stars

GS Wiley continues her tradition of beautifully written, emotional stories filled with longing, romance, love, and separation with the fabulous offering The Year without a Summer. This bittersweet and touching tale relives the naval life of Robert Pierce and his long affair with fellow officer John Burgess. Separated now by injury and circumstance, Robert wonders what future his life brings and struggles with a depressing outlook in the face of constant, chilly rain.

The story is told mostly in flashbacks as Robert remembers his first encounter with John and how their affair came to be. This is set against current events of Robert in his sister’s house in England as she tries to draw Robert from his depression. The characters are all wonderfully drawn and come to life with a grace and elegance that is so unique to this author. Robert’s sister is a strong, intelligent, capable woman shown in the whirl of social life but not willfully ignorant. Her subtle comments and guidance offer a glimpse of hope in Robert’s despair.

The great writing gently sets up the tale of Robert as he fell in love with John and due to Robert’s injury resulting in amputation, their separation. The story kept me on edge wondering if John would turn out to be a callous lover, abandoning Robert once he’s out of sight or if Robert would meet someone new in his quiet, isolated life. I was curious to see if John would somehow be the love of Robert’s life. The question is handled deftly and beautifully with rich prose and gentle emotion that sneaks up on you with its intensity. I was almost in tears at the end and the swell of emotion is built from the beginning to the wonderful, if bittersweet ending.

Many of Wiley’s writings don’t fit the classic romance definition with big happy endings, yet the story and writing is filled with incredible romance. The small touches, subtle glances come through with more impact than an explicit sex scene. Here the romance of two hands nearly touching as the men stand side by side is simply beautiful. This understated sophistication lends itself to every aspect of the story from the characters and their relationship to the vivid setting and historical accuracy. The ending is the only one possible but there is always a thread of hope.

If you’re looking for a lyrical romance that is as affecting as it’s beautiful, check this out. It doesn’t have any explicit sex scenes yet the romance is certainly passionate and heart felt. This slides to the top of the author’s impressive backlist.
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Feb 10, 2013 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historicals, m-m

Another beautifully written novella by this author, packed with suppressed emotion. There's a melancholy tone but within that is a story of love and friendship which brought tears to my eyes in its tenderness. I don't usually like books set on ships, as this story was partly, but I found this to be a wonderful read and would recommend it.

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Apr 05, 2010 Leslie Nicoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

A short story with some lovely descriptions of Robert, his lover John, and reminiscences of their time together. A bit bittersweet at the end. Recommended.

You can read a longer review at Speak Its Name:

http://speakitsname.com/2010/04/05/th...

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Jul 19, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

A very moving and beautifully told story - so atmospheric - a gem

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May 06, 2013 Maddie rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

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Feb 20, 2013 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, navy-pirate-sea, regency

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Shelves: historical, mm

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Shelves: lgbt-characters, zshelf-e, historical, novella-or-short-story

Nov 20, 2012 Dacia rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Shelves: historical, disabled, m-m

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About G.S. Wiley

G.S. Wiley is a writer, reader, sometime painter, and semi-avid scrapbooker who lives in Canada.

Visit G.S.'s web site at http://wileyromance.googlepages.com/.

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