Recommended Reads: Christopher's Medal
I'm thrilled to start off my new Recommended Reads - Feature with a book by the fabulous S A Meade, writing as S A Laybourn. Recommended Reads are books that I either just chose to read or was asked to review and enjoyed so much that I think you may enjoy them too.
"Despite" it being a MF-romance, I was intrigued when I first heard about Christopher's Medal . A broken hero and horses are just the thing to catch my attention, so I was thrilled at the chance to review it. And for those of you who just thought "MF? No thanks", be assured that while I much prefer reading about all-male pairings myself, I didn't flinch once during the naughty scenes, so don't let that notion put you off a great story. Before I launch into the actual review, here's the blurb, so you know what spiked my interest:
My review:
Christopher's Medal is what I’d call a quiet book. You don't get a mind-twisting plot, you don't get spectacular settings, you don't get larger-than-life characters. What you get is a well-crafted, in-depth look at the lives of two adorable people who struggle to cope with the blows fate throws at them. In Christopher's case, that’s a fight for survival.
S A takes the time to develop the story and show how the couple fall for each other, through the heady rush of new love, the bleak, fear-filled months of waiting and longing while Chris is in Afghanistan. She makes the horror Chris has faced and the impact it has on his life feel hauntingly real, even more so because his story is by no means an exception. It's the gruesome reality of war raising its ugly head.
I loved the scene that connects this book to Stolen Summer, which the author published as S A Meade. I hadn't realised that Christopher was the soldier who gets injured in the beginning and recognising the scene from his POV gave me quite a chill.
Just like the book, the characters appear unspectacular at first sight. To be honest, I found it a little hard to really connect to them at first, which is mostly due to the frequent scene changes, but the longer I look at the story and the more I reflect upon it, the more it reveals its beauty and the characters show the different facets of their personalities.
Despite being an officer in a posh regiment, Christopher is basically the boy next door, who prefers quiet evenings and reading books to adventure. It’s the family background that made him become a soldier and I don’t think he’d have chosen that career for himself. I found it quite endearing that he considers horses as “big, brown, smelly things” and it shows just how much he’s not up to being thrown into the war he faces in Afghanistan.
Grace thinks of herself as a glorified shit-flicker and finds it hard to believe that a man like Christopher could fall for her. Regardless of her self-doubts, she is one admirable, tough gal. She isn’t the kind of heroine who runs around and kicks ass. She doesn't even fight back when an unpleasant ex-girlfriend shows up who seeks to slam her manicured claws into Christopher. Instead, Grace stands by her man. She pulls up the strength to help the man she loves fight his monsters while pursuing a life and a career of her own. Even when she makes decisions that may not seem supportive at first, they are ultimately the ones that require enormous strength.
For me, the appeal of Christopher's Medal and SA Laybourn's writing lies in its subtlety. It's the attention to detail that brings this story to life and makes it stand out. If you enjoy watching people and their relationships develop and like books with a genuine English feel, this may be the perfect read for you.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review*
If you're interested in Christopher's Medal, you can pick up a copy here
If you're interested in SA Laybourn / SA Meade, here's where you can find out more:
Blog: http://kestrelrising.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sue.laybourn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kestrelrising
"Despite" it being a MF-romance, I was intrigued when I first heard about Christopher's Medal . A broken hero and horses are just the thing to catch my attention, so I was thrilled at the chance to review it. And for those of you who just thought "MF? No thanks", be assured that while I much prefer reading about all-male pairings myself, I didn't flinch once during the naughty scenes, so don't let that notion put you off a great story. Before I launch into the actual review, here's the blurb, so you know what spiked my interest:
My review:
Christopher's Medal is what I’d call a quiet book. You don't get a mind-twisting plot, you don't get spectacular settings, you don't get larger-than-life characters. What you get is a well-crafted, in-depth look at the lives of two adorable people who struggle to cope with the blows fate throws at them. In Christopher's case, that’s a fight for survival.
S A takes the time to develop the story and show how the couple fall for each other, through the heady rush of new love, the bleak, fear-filled months of waiting and longing while Chris is in Afghanistan. She makes the horror Chris has faced and the impact it has on his life feel hauntingly real, even more so because his story is by no means an exception. It's the gruesome reality of war raising its ugly head.
I loved the scene that connects this book to Stolen Summer, which the author published as S A Meade. I hadn't realised that Christopher was the soldier who gets injured in the beginning and recognising the scene from his POV gave me quite a chill.
Just like the book, the characters appear unspectacular at first sight. To be honest, I found it a little hard to really connect to them at first, which is mostly due to the frequent scene changes, but the longer I look at the story and the more I reflect upon it, the more it reveals its beauty and the characters show the different facets of their personalities.
Despite being an officer in a posh regiment, Christopher is basically the boy next door, who prefers quiet evenings and reading books to adventure. It’s the family background that made him become a soldier and I don’t think he’d have chosen that career for himself. I found it quite endearing that he considers horses as “big, brown, smelly things” and it shows just how much he’s not up to being thrown into the war he faces in Afghanistan.
Grace thinks of herself as a glorified shit-flicker and finds it hard to believe that a man like Christopher could fall for her. Regardless of her self-doubts, she is one admirable, tough gal. She isn’t the kind of heroine who runs around and kicks ass. She doesn't even fight back when an unpleasant ex-girlfriend shows up who seeks to slam her manicured claws into Christopher. Instead, Grace stands by her man. She pulls up the strength to help the man she loves fight his monsters while pursuing a life and a career of her own. Even when she makes decisions that may not seem supportive at first, they are ultimately the ones that require enormous strength.
For me, the appeal of Christopher's Medal and SA Laybourn's writing lies in its subtlety. It's the attention to detail that brings this story to life and makes it stand out. If you enjoy watching people and their relationships develop and like books with a genuine English feel, this may be the perfect read for you.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review*
If you're interested in Christopher's Medal, you can pick up a copy here
If you're interested in SA Laybourn / SA Meade, here's where you can find out more:
Blog: http://kestrelrising.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sue.laybourn
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kestrelrising
No comments have been added yet.
