No Commitments

by Val Sharp

Set in the era of the Vietnam War, this is a love story between a young man and woman caught up in the throes of that time.


CLAY Annapolis graduate, navy pilot, born and raised in the Ozarks, he’s a fun loving, carefree jet jockey…until he learns he is actually going to have to bomb real people.


MARIANNA Daughter from a renowned Swiss banking family, sheltered in boarding schools and trained in voice and piano since the age of five, she is recovering from a shattering experience and has known little joy in life…until she meets Clay.


OUR COUPLE meet by chance in Nice during a Bastille Day weekend, and when they part, neither imagines their lives will ever cross again. They are from the two different worlds.


But fate intervenes and they do meet again – and connect – and despite repeated vows of
“NO COMMITMENTS”, she becomes immersed in his world of rowdy parties and the tension and torment surrounding young women and their pilots about to go off to war.
They stumble into a love affair that each believes is hopeless, and from that day forward their lives will never be the same.
Little do they know that their destiny is to become caught up in an international intrigue that will lead from the South of France, through Switzerland, and all the way back to the Ozarks…or that she will become a singing star…or that as a couple their names will become indelibly linked to one of the greatest scandals of all time.


In the beginning, though, the questions are simple…what is love…can ideals triumph in a world of compromise?

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, War

ebook

First published September 19, 2012

About the author

Val Sharp was a navy pilot during the era of his first novel,"No Commitments". Afterwards he obtained a Columbia MBA and enjoyed a second career as a Wall Street investment banker and finance company president. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Christina, and their youngest child, German shepherd, Riva.

"No Commitments" has received the INDIE BOOK OF THE DAY AWARD, and during a two day free promotion on Amazon reached a #1 ranking in two Fiction genres:(i)Action and Adventure and, (ii)War.
It is a love story (4.8 stars)at
http://www.amazon.com/author/valsharp/

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It kept my attention. I like page turners and I kept returning to read more. Unexpected ending.

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but slow start.

I was surprised by this book, mostly because I didn't expect to enjoy it at all going in. I found it for free online and decided to read it as part of an a-z book title reading challenge.

The story opens in Nice, France on Bastille Day, 1965. Navy fighter pilot Clay Stoner meets debutante Marianna Haizet at a nightclub where their mutual friends, newlyweds Vic and Darcy, arrange to meet. Clay and Marianna kind of connect, but he thinks she's a tease and she's worried he's getting the wrong idea. Parting without commitments, neither thinks they'll ever see each other again, but soon they're proven wrong. Their casual romance is marked by tragedy, love, and betrayal. Both insist on no commitments, but don't completely stick to that mantra.

One of the things I liked about this book was that it takes on an element of intrigue and danger about midway through, drawing away from the romance angle. At that point, it began to remind me of The Firm. Another thing I liked was the immersion into the times and especially the Vietnam conflict. Clay and Marianna's romance is colored by the conflict, and Clay's views and actions related to it take their lives in an unexpected direction.

On a mixed note, the level and quality of the details in the story reflect solid research, but at times the story becomes bogged down in them. I appreciated the thought and time put into making sure they were accurate, but it isn't until later chapters that the story and the details reach a companionable balance. The story starts off slowly, and the meticulous catalog of Clay and Marianna's initial outings makes for a rough start.

As for the main characters, I found them difficult to relate to in the beginning. Their wild, party lifestyle coupled with their disrespectful and careless attitudes towards each other in their early relationship are off-putting. Clay and Marianna aren't likable people, nor are they loyal or patriotic. But, they are believable. And as they matured and grew closer together, as they tried to become better people, I found myself rooting for them.

In general, No Commitments is a decent book and I ended up liking it in the end, but it probably isn't for everyone and it took me a while to warm up to it. Those who enjoy romance, but don't fancy the standard romance novel formula might find this one to their liking. It's also a good bet for people who like the chance to experience a momentous time in history through the eyes of its youth.

[Carrie Sims Schutze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I like the story line on this book, I just didn't like the delivery. I couldn't really connect with the characters and I understand that by "No Commitments," the author is trying to have their affair seem very casual, which it does, but when they go directly from fighting to confessing their love, it just seems very odd to me. The characters seem very indifferent about eachother throughout the whole story, so even when they reached the point when they were supposed to deeply care for eachother, I just didn't feel it. But like I said, the story line is intruiging which is why I had to finish the book so I would know how it all ended.

[Lisa]

Just not my type of book, don't think I'll read it...if you like affairs and "jock" type characters who only care about themselves and are beyond shallow, perhaps this one is for you. I hated it from the get-go and won't be reading the whole thing.

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started skimming. The characters were highly unlikable.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, but ended a bit sad. makes one believe that something like this could happen.