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Captain's Surrender
Ambitious and handsome, Joshua Andrews has always valued his life too much to take unnecessary risks. Then he lays eyes on the elegant picture of perfection that is Peter Kenyon. Soon to be promoted to captain, Peter Kenyon is the darling of the Bermuda garrison. With a string of successes behind him and a suitable bride lined up to share his future, Peter seems completely out of reach to Joshua. But when the two men are thrown together to serve during a long voyage under a sadistic commander with a mutinous crew, they discover unexpected friendship. As the tension on board their vessel heats up, the closeness they feel for one another intensifies and both officers find themselves unable to rein in their passion. Let yourself be transported back to a time when love between two men in the British Navy was punishable by death, and to a story about love, about honor, but most of all, about a Captain's Surrender.
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
15 people are currently reading
487 people want to read
About the author
Alex Beecroft
44 books299 followersSpaceships and galaxy spanning empires, conversations with angels, viking villages, haunted mansions and forbidden love in the Age of Sail... I love a good strong plot in an exotic setting, with characters you can admire, and a happy ending.
If you make a venn diagram of genres, including historical, fantasy, gay romance and mystery, I occupy the space in the middle where they overlap.
~
BTW, if you're thinking my reviews on here are a bit mean, most of the books I really enjoy will get a 4 star. I am saving 5 stars for books I find genuinely life changing. 4 is still "this was really really good, you should read it." 5 is "OMG, my mind is blown and my life will never be the same again."
If you make a venn diagram of genres, including historical, fantasy, gay romance and mystery, I occupy the space in the middle where they overlap.
~
BTW, if you're thinking my reviews on here are a bit mean, most of the books I really enjoy will get a 4 star. I am saving 5 stars for books I find genuinely life changing. 4 is still "this was really really good, you should read it." 5 is "OMG, my mind is blown and my life will never be the same again."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 6, 2013
This is at that stage (roughly 60%) more like 2.5* than 3*. Possible spoilers ahead!
Pros
This was edited above average, it had sizable stretches which showed a very engaging prose and the entrance scene certainly was a truly well-written whopper.
Cons
Apart from very short passages I never felt truly immersed in the correct time.
Huge, truly enormous main cause of this was the treatment of the female protagonist Emily. She was a modern woman transposed into the 18th century, effectively grumbling and whinging away at facts which for a middleclass woman of that time would have been entirely normal and not at all noteworthy. Breeches and hopping around in the rigging? Certainly not that either. Alone with a male suitor? Even though the 18th century was less uptight than the 19th I think not at that age and stage in life. In short--Emily was a feminist manifesto screeching consistently at me. I dislike them already in modern fiction, but in a historical? Heh. No.
Second contenders for distraction from immersion certainly are the two men. Either life in the Royal Navy was as hazardous to the health of the average gay man as Josh made it out to be, then Peter would logically have to have been at least rather like him. Or it wasn't, then Josh comes over as a bit unhinged. Given that but 15 years or so later indeed a boy of barely 17 serving in the Navy was publicly hanged, I'd say Peter ought to have been far more conscious of matters and shows an uncharacteristic (for the time and place) unconcern.
Something which really keeps bugging me in gay historicals: penetrative anal intercourse was a real rarity prior to roughly 1910 (when the percentage of PIA among gay men was lower than 10%!). So when in historical romance after historical romance couples have oil at the ready and bugger each other as if it were nothing to them, then my suspension of disbelief evaporates and I begin to wonder whether I mayhaps am actually reading m/f in disguise. It's heteronormative women who see penetration as "real sex".
The saying is "less is often more", however if you leave it almost all out, that's really not so nice. I missed quite a few scenes which would have helped show bonding between the two men, scenes of import (e.g. Peter's flogging, the keelhauling), action was often left either too early or told instead of shown. Unlike other reviewers I discerned but minimal UST and found nothing a turn on, by the way.
On the whole there was too much pulling me out of this story, and too little drawing me into it. I never got a connection with any of the characters and suspect this has to be one of those Marmite books one either likes or dislikes.
Pros
This was edited above average, it had sizable stretches which showed a very engaging prose and the entrance scene certainly was a truly well-written whopper.
Cons
Apart from very short passages I never felt truly immersed in the correct time.
Huge, truly enormous main cause of this was the treatment of the female protagonist Emily. She was a modern woman transposed into the 18th century, effectively grumbling and whinging away at facts which for a middleclass woman of that time would have been entirely normal and not at all noteworthy. Breeches and hopping around in the rigging? Certainly not that either. Alone with a male suitor? Even though the 18th century was less uptight than the 19th I think not at that age and stage in life. In short--Emily was a feminist manifesto screeching consistently at me. I dislike them already in modern fiction, but in a historical? Heh. No.
Second contenders for distraction from immersion certainly are the two men. Either life in the Royal Navy was as hazardous to the health of the average gay man as Josh made it out to be, then Peter would logically have to have been at least rather like him. Or it wasn't, then Josh comes over as a bit unhinged. Given that but 15 years or so later indeed a boy of barely 17 serving in the Navy was publicly hanged, I'd say Peter ought to have been far more conscious of matters and shows an uncharacteristic (for the time and place) unconcern.
Something which really keeps bugging me in gay historicals: penetrative anal intercourse was a real rarity prior to roughly 1910 (when the percentage of PIA among gay men was lower than 10%!). So when in historical romance after historical romance couples have oil at the ready and bugger each other as if it were nothing to them, then my suspension of disbelief evaporates and I begin to wonder whether I mayhaps am actually reading m/f in disguise. It's heteronormative women who see penetration as "real sex".
The saying is "less is often more", however if you leave it almost all out, that's really not so nice. I missed quite a few scenes which would have helped show bonding between the two men, scenes of import (e.g. Peter's flogging, the keelhauling), action was often left either too early or told instead of shown. Unlike other reviewers I discerned but minimal UST and found nothing a turn on, by the way.
On the whole there was too much pulling me out of this story, and too little drawing me into it. I never got a connection with any of the characters and suspect this has to be one of those Marmite books one either likes or dislikes.
probably-not-but-freebie
February 25, 2019Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAJZQZQ/...
June 18, 2010
Alex Beecroft is an author I sip, and even when I finish the wine, I like to sit and hold the bottle a few days before I write my review. This alone makes her work a treasure to me, because by nature I like to suck books down in one sitting. So someone who I need to read slowly and carefully is a treat for me.
What I love about Alex's work is that you are safe and you are not. She shies away from nothing, and she is true to her period in time (and she knows her RN, thank you, thank you), but she also delivers the goods. So there will be a happy end to her story, but there will be some wounds delivered along the way.
This is Patrick O'Brien with a gay romance on so many levels, but it's pure Alex too. The relationship is real and fraught with obstacles. The Navy is gritty and harsh and yet has a British proper spine all the way through. I think this is why I find Alex's work so satisfying. This is not some patched-up bit of history sanitized for a sweet ride. This is as real as you can get without being there--and yet she will still see you safely home.
I realize I haven't given much of the story, but I don't want to give too much away. My advice is read the book if you like Royal Navy historicals and gay romances, or even just one of the two. Alex will see you safely to the other.
What I love about Alex's work is that you are safe and you are not. She shies away from nothing, and she is true to her period in time (and she knows her RN, thank you, thank you), but she also delivers the goods. So there will be a happy end to her story, but there will be some wounds delivered along the way.
This is Patrick O'Brien with a gay romance on so many levels, but it's pure Alex too. The relationship is real and fraught with obstacles. The Navy is gritty and harsh and yet has a British proper spine all the way through. I think this is why I find Alex's work so satisfying. This is not some patched-up bit of history sanitized for a sweet ride. This is as real as you can get without being there--and yet she will still see you safely home.
I realize I haven't given much of the story, but I don't want to give too much away. My advice is read the book if you like Royal Navy historicals and gay romances, or even just one of the two. Alex will see you safely to the other.
June 11, 2010
Now this is what I’m talking about. If you want a taste of what floats my boat when it comes to gay historical fiction, (no pun intended), then this is it.
I’m not mad on the cover, but that won’t be a surprise to any regular reader of this blog. It doesn’t sum up any part of the book (so readers – don’t expect nakedness on a beach somewhere), doesn’t look like the characters and doesn’t explain it’s a historical. I would find a detail of a naval captain (oo all those lovely brass buttons) to be much more sexy and more in keeping with the era – so if I hadn’t read the blurb I wouldn’t buy this.
But don’t let that stop you, for God’s sake.
There are so many reasons why I liked this book. The writing is formal enough to give more than a flavour of the era, but not so formal that you are tied up in huge run on sentences. If, like me, you are not an expert in the Age of Sail, it matters not. With Beecroft you feel that you are in a “safe pair of hands” right from the word go. In every scene there is enough detail to paint the pictures needed, and she paints them richly, but not so fussily that you roll your eyes and shout “enough about ropes and knots already, just cast off!” The blurb says “let yourself be transported to a time…” and that’s just what Beecroft does.
But be warned, this is accurate. Shipboard life was no picnic. Although in the main, English sailors were well looked after on good ships, even in good ships the discipline was unforgiving. The Captain of Peter and Josh’s ship is a tyrant of the first water and the punishments he metes out are over the top but historically correct and are described in some detail. At times it’s hard to read but I found it fascinating and illuminating to see such barbarism in a so-called age of enlightenment.
But what I liked most is that this is a story; granted yes, there is a romance at the heart of it, a coming of age romance if you like – implicit by the title; but the romance is not the mainstay of it all – there’s a lot going on and the threads work well together. There’s enough yearning and forbidden love to keep a m/m lover happy, but please note – this isn’t an erotic romance and if you are looking for more sex than plot you won’t find it here. The sex is present, not it’s not often, not graphic but it’s beautifully written. The second kiss for example is one of the best kisses I think I have ever read in an m/m book so far.
The author does some clever things with characterisation – she uses the minor characters to observe what’s going on and I really appreciated this. There’s one scene when a character is watching the goings on on deck and it’s truly nerve-wracking – I was right there with the watcher and was (almost) as worried as he was. I had (as had the character) been given the choices of what might happen but there was no way to know which way it could go. It’s a scene that wouldn’t have worked so well from either of the main protagonists point of view because they would have been thinking completely different things from the layman watching on. It’s hard to believe that, with this level of skill, that this is Beecroft’s first book.
Peter and Joshua are such excellently drawn young men, as different as can be – Joshua has experience and knows what he is, and although comfortable with that, he’s petrified of the very real danger that puts him in. The Navy at this time were generally less forgiving than the land-based justice system, and men could be hanged on the say-so of sodomy, rather than requiring any evidence.
Peter, however, has only had experience of women and his reasons for succumbing so readily to Joshua’s advances begin with friendship and then work rationally and logically to a passionate conclusion. Peter reminded me a little of Carrot in Discworld; “Personal is not the same as important” says Carrot and it could well be Peter’s motto. Without spoiling you for the plot, all I can say is that there’s a section just toward the end where the Peter is working all this out in his head and the decisions that he nearly makes made me hate him. I hated him merely for being able to consider the things he was considering, but it’s a necessary right of passage for him as he moves towards the reason for the book’s title.
If I have one quibble it’s that the middle section seemed rushed, and I had the distinct feeling that perhaps the book had been edited for length, and if so, that’s a shame. Again, without spoiling you for a very vital plot point, all I can say if that there is a lot dealt with in one chapter that, for my money, should have been given more time to mature and develop from all sides. I felt a little cheated after the wonderfully rich build up for the first half of the journey.
But, altogether a very good book, a definite keeper and one I shall read and re-read. It’s absorbing, well written and exciting. The only thing that stops it hitting five stars is the slightly rushed middle section. Any lover of historical fiction should love it, whether an afficianado of homosexual romance or not, and I look forward to Alex Beecroft’s next book with anticipation.
I’m not mad on the cover, but that won’t be a surprise to any regular reader of this blog. It doesn’t sum up any part of the book (so readers – don’t expect nakedness on a beach somewhere), doesn’t look like the characters and doesn’t explain it’s a historical. I would find a detail of a naval captain (oo all those lovely brass buttons) to be much more sexy and more in keeping with the era – so if I hadn’t read the blurb I wouldn’t buy this.
But don’t let that stop you, for God’s sake.
There are so many reasons why I liked this book. The writing is formal enough to give more than a flavour of the era, but not so formal that you are tied up in huge run on sentences. If, like me, you are not an expert in the Age of Sail, it matters not. With Beecroft you feel that you are in a “safe pair of hands” right from the word go. In every scene there is enough detail to paint the pictures needed, and she paints them richly, but not so fussily that you roll your eyes and shout “enough about ropes and knots already, just cast off!” The blurb says “let yourself be transported to a time…” and that’s just what Beecroft does.
But be warned, this is accurate. Shipboard life was no picnic. Although in the main, English sailors were well looked after on good ships, even in good ships the discipline was unforgiving. The Captain of Peter and Josh’s ship is a tyrant of the first water and the punishments he metes out are over the top but historically correct and are described in some detail. At times it’s hard to read but I found it fascinating and illuminating to see such barbarism in a so-called age of enlightenment.
But what I liked most is that this is a story; granted yes, there is a romance at the heart of it, a coming of age romance if you like – implicit by the title; but the romance is not the mainstay of it all – there’s a lot going on and the threads work well together. There’s enough yearning and forbidden love to keep a m/m lover happy, but please note – this isn’t an erotic romance and if you are looking for more sex than plot you won’t find it here. The sex is present, not it’s not often, not graphic but it’s beautifully written. The second kiss for example is one of the best kisses I think I have ever read in an m/m book so far.
The author does some clever things with characterisation – she uses the minor characters to observe what’s going on and I really appreciated this. There’s one scene when a character is watching the goings on on deck and it’s truly nerve-wracking – I was right there with the watcher and was (almost) as worried as he was. I had (as had the character) been given the choices of what might happen but there was no way to know which way it could go. It’s a scene that wouldn’t have worked so well from either of the main protagonists point of view because they would have been thinking completely different things from the layman watching on. It’s hard to believe that, with this level of skill, that this is Beecroft’s first book.
Peter and Joshua are such excellently drawn young men, as different as can be – Joshua has experience and knows what he is, and although comfortable with that, he’s petrified of the very real danger that puts him in. The Navy at this time were generally less forgiving than the land-based justice system, and men could be hanged on the say-so of sodomy, rather than requiring any evidence.
Peter, however, has only had experience of women and his reasons for succumbing so readily to Joshua’s advances begin with friendship and then work rationally and logically to a passionate conclusion. Peter reminded me a little of Carrot in Discworld; “Personal is not the same as important” says Carrot and it could well be Peter’s motto. Without spoiling you for the plot, all I can say is that there’s a section just toward the end where the Peter is working all this out in his head and the decisions that he nearly makes made me hate him. I hated him merely for being able to consider the things he was considering, but it’s a necessary right of passage for him as he moves towards the reason for the book’s title.
If I have one quibble it’s that the middle section seemed rushed, and I had the distinct feeling that perhaps the book had been edited for length, and if so, that’s a shame. Again, without spoiling you for a very vital plot point, all I can say if that there is a lot dealt with in one chapter that, for my money, should have been given more time to mature and develop from all sides. I felt a little cheated after the wonderfully rich build up for the first half of the journey.
But, altogether a very good book, a definite keeper and one I shall read and re-read. It’s absorbing, well written and exciting. The only thing that stops it hitting five stars is the slightly rushed middle section. Any lover of historical fiction should love it, whether an afficianado of homosexual romance or not, and I look forward to Alex Beecroft’s next book with anticipation.
July 2, 2022
I love Alex Beecroft's seafaring historicals. I'm a little bummed out that that it's been ten years since they've written one. *Resigned sigh*. Some of their spec fic is fantastic, but the sailor historicals are definitely my favorites. I started re-reading this one by accident, but after a few chapters, I realized that there was a reason it seemed familiar, and carried on because it's an engaging story. I still loved it. I read this for the first time in 2014 and it's aged pretty well in my mind in the intervening 8(!) years since then. Beecroft writes excellent action scenes and their writing is so vivid. The romance is moving and the historical detail is lush. I chose five stars in 2014; in 2022 I'll choose 4. I'll split the difference and go 4.5, rounded up.
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February 24, 20192/24/19 Currently FREE via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
February 3, 2010
Joshua Andrews is a young Irishman full of equal parts ambition and shame. His love of the sea is surpassed by nothing except perhaps his self-loathing at his sexual orientation. Although he’s come to terms with the direction his desires lie, he lives in the perpetual shadow of the consequences. Those consequences vividly set an engrossing backdrop as the novel opens with a gruesome and riveting scene of a man executed for the heinous crime of being a sodomite. The specter of such cruelty is still fresh when Josh sees Peter Kenyon, a new officer on their ship and within that one glance; Josh gives both his heart and his secret away.
From that first glance on, “Captain’s Surrender” is a non-stop journey traveling oceans and cultures, featuring romance, honor, expectations, action, dishonor, and finally acceptance. Although described as gay historical erotica, the best description I can give this book is historical fiction. Certainly all of the above elements exist and the romance between Josh and Peter is integral to the storyline, yet that romance barely plays more than a passing interest for almost half the book. Instead, the author delivers a dynamic account of life at sea in all its honest cruelty and purpose.
Without being too gruesome or ineffectual, the power structure aboard a Royal Navy vessel is described and the cruelty of its petty tyrant. The reality of life is not always pretty or easy, a theme repeated throughout the book. The rich imagery of the naval battles allowed me to easily imagine the scenes and fights, complete with the sounds and smells associated. Adding in well-defined characters with a quick moving plot, this story delights on many levels.
Joshua is easily charming with his insecurities and inner melodrama. His belief that he is damned and equally strong belief that he is somehow not worthy of Peter paint a picture of a complicated yet loving young man, struggling against the deep need of what he wants and what he feels he deserves. He’s long come to the conclusion that he will not marry, yet struggles as his lover so blithely discusses an anemic and almost passionless marriage to the daughter of a local wealthy man. This kind of casual cruelty is the backdrop for Josh and Peter’s illicit love affair dictates by Peter’s whims yet supported by the depth of their mutual need and desire.
Peter has the arrogance and ease of a man who has lived an almost charmed life and privileged life, with little real tests to his ideals and convictions. He has an innocence regarding his beliefs that would be more suited to a much younger man. Through the course of the book, those ideals are repeatedly tested up until his final decisions regarding his life and needs. It takes Peter a long time to accept the truth of his actions and desires, longer than it should have and to realize his own complicity in his affair with Josh. The final realization of his actions and his motivations is a perfect description of the sometimes confused and passive man. Yet above all, his dedication to Josh even in the face of societal standards, danger and his own beliefs, is a remarkable testament to his character.
Although Peter and Josh are the most compelling of the vast cast of characters, they are by far not the only well-written and beautifully drawn ones. The various secondary characters from Captain Walker to Comptroller Summersgill, Onichi and Giniw to name a few, all add a depth to the story amidst the historical setting. Each character has a very real and defined purpose giving a warmth and honesty that adds yet another layer to a complex and well-written tale. Josh’s time with Giniw especially is very refreshing and the necessary catalyst to provoke Peter and Josh out of their safe, yet confining expectations.
While there might have been one or two missteps along the way, they were entirely minor and the lovely prose and story more than made up for any area that was found lacking. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of Josh with Giniw and Onichi. Their interaction was vital to Josh’s redemption of his own self worth that it would have been nice to expand on that, his decision to leave and how ultimately he returned to Bermuda. However, these and other slights are small within the vividly lush setting that creates a wonderful story.
As I said at the start of this review, “Captain’s Surrender” reads more of a historical fiction book with elements of action, romance, culture, bigotry, and honor set across the oceans in a stunning tale that delights from the beginning to the end. The lack of explicit sex only adds to the satisfying romance and story of two handsome and stubborn men determined to live their lives together within the British Royal Navy. The author had delivered a wonderfully crafted historical that is sure to please romance lovers.
From that first glance on, “Captain’s Surrender” is a non-stop journey traveling oceans and cultures, featuring romance, honor, expectations, action, dishonor, and finally acceptance. Although described as gay historical erotica, the best description I can give this book is historical fiction. Certainly all of the above elements exist and the romance between Josh and Peter is integral to the storyline, yet that romance barely plays more than a passing interest for almost half the book. Instead, the author delivers a dynamic account of life at sea in all its honest cruelty and purpose.
Without being too gruesome or ineffectual, the power structure aboard a Royal Navy vessel is described and the cruelty of its petty tyrant. The reality of life is not always pretty or easy, a theme repeated throughout the book. The rich imagery of the naval battles allowed me to easily imagine the scenes and fights, complete with the sounds and smells associated. Adding in well-defined characters with a quick moving plot, this story delights on many levels.
Joshua is easily charming with his insecurities and inner melodrama. His belief that he is damned and equally strong belief that he is somehow not worthy of Peter paint a picture of a complicated yet loving young man, struggling against the deep need of what he wants and what he feels he deserves. He’s long come to the conclusion that he will not marry, yet struggles as his lover so blithely discusses an anemic and almost passionless marriage to the daughter of a local wealthy man. This kind of casual cruelty is the backdrop for Josh and Peter’s illicit love affair dictates by Peter’s whims yet supported by the depth of their mutual need and desire.
Peter has the arrogance and ease of a man who has lived an almost charmed life and privileged life, with little real tests to his ideals and convictions. He has an innocence regarding his beliefs that would be more suited to a much younger man. Through the course of the book, those ideals are repeatedly tested up until his final decisions regarding his life and needs. It takes Peter a long time to accept the truth of his actions and desires, longer than it should have and to realize his own complicity in his affair with Josh. The final realization of his actions and his motivations is a perfect description of the sometimes confused and passive man. Yet above all, his dedication to Josh even in the face of societal standards, danger and his own beliefs, is a remarkable testament to his character.
Although Peter and Josh are the most compelling of the vast cast of characters, they are by far not the only well-written and beautifully drawn ones. The various secondary characters from Captain Walker to Comptroller Summersgill, Onichi and Giniw to name a few, all add a depth to the story amidst the historical setting. Each character has a very real and defined purpose giving a warmth and honesty that adds yet another layer to a complex and well-written tale. Josh’s time with Giniw especially is very refreshing and the necessary catalyst to provoke Peter and Josh out of their safe, yet confining expectations.
While there might have been one or two missteps along the way, they were entirely minor and the lovely prose and story more than made up for any area that was found lacking. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of Josh with Giniw and Onichi. Their interaction was vital to Josh’s redemption of his own self worth that it would have been nice to expand on that, his decision to leave and how ultimately he returned to Bermuda. However, these and other slights are small within the vividly lush setting that creates a wonderful story.
As I said at the start of this review, “Captain’s Surrender” reads more of a historical fiction book with elements of action, romance, culture, bigotry, and honor set across the oceans in a stunning tale that delights from the beginning to the end. The lack of explicit sex only adds to the satisfying romance and story of two handsome and stubborn men determined to live their lives together within the British Royal Navy. The author had delivered a wonderfully crafted historical that is sure to please romance lovers.
August 13, 2010
A soap opera in uniform in which the ships are props. Oddities--like the sprit topsail on what is presumably a British vessel circa 1800, judging by the details on the uniforms--and the mechanical way in which orders are given, as if the author had copied them out of a reference manual--undermine the nautical aspects. A tall ship sailor myself I tried to figure out what she was talking about before concluding that she didn't know and letting them go by the wayside. Besides, I'm pretty sure the average reader is not picking up this book for nautical adventure. The nautical details are merely window dressing.
The romance is well-written and has some elegant turns of phrase. Beecroft is a good writer. However, the story follows well trod ground for historical gay fiction. Josh and Peter are naval officers and become lovers. They torment themselves and each other with guilt over their abomination. They get promoted, get their own ships, split up, but are in convoy together, get ambushed by the French in Hudson Bay, and Josh commits suicide by setting his ship alight and steering it against the overwhelming French force. Except, he doesn't die. The author doesn't give us any explanation for the extraordinary feat of our hero surviving. He gets rescued by some Native Americans who teach him that men like him are holy because God made them that way. Self-esteem repaired, Josh goes back to Bermuda, finds Peter, who hasn't married the young woman who occupied so much of the first part of the book, Josh proposes marriage to Peter, they suffer great angst, then agree to live together forever. They have some more fabulous sex. The end.
I found Peter Kenyon's character interesting in the beginning when he was curious and not suffering the knee jerk reactions of his culture--it's rare that any author explores how a character might have a positive or non-judgmental attitude about homosexuality in the period. The assumption is that all gay men of the 18th century were horribly tortured by guilt and misery. Josh certainly is. Alas, Peter learns to be ashamed. He got a wee bit interesting again at the ending where he had to decide whether to turn Josh in because it was the right thing to do according to his society.
If he had, it would have been a much more interesting book because it would have departed from the usual formula of the m/m romance genre. But, this is one of the popular examples of that genre, and Alex Beecroft is one of the most popular authors in the genre, so what we get is something that should make fans of the genre very happy No tragedy of Shakespearean proportions here; it all ends happily.
This is an early Beecroft; she revisits the same theme with greater maturity and nautical detail in False Colors. For readers new to the genre or to Beecroft, False Colors is the better starting point because it is the better book. For those who are already fans, it is an enjoyable meander through a well-known country.
The romance is well-written and has some elegant turns of phrase. Beecroft is a good writer. However, the story follows well trod ground for historical gay fiction. Josh and Peter are naval officers and become lovers. They torment themselves and each other with guilt over their abomination. They get promoted, get their own ships, split up, but are in convoy together, get ambushed by the French in Hudson Bay, and Josh commits suicide by setting his ship alight and steering it against the overwhelming French force. Except, he doesn't die. The author doesn't give us any explanation for the extraordinary feat of our hero surviving. He gets rescued by some Native Americans who teach him that men like him are holy because God made them that way. Self-esteem repaired, Josh goes back to Bermuda, finds Peter, who hasn't married the young woman who occupied so much of the first part of the book, Josh proposes marriage to Peter, they suffer great angst, then agree to live together forever. They have some more fabulous sex. The end.
I found Peter Kenyon's character interesting in the beginning when he was curious and not suffering the knee jerk reactions of his culture--it's rare that any author explores how a character might have a positive or non-judgmental attitude about homosexuality in the period. The assumption is that all gay men of the 18th century were horribly tortured by guilt and misery. Josh certainly is. Alas, Peter learns to be ashamed. He got a wee bit interesting again at the ending where he had to decide whether to turn Josh in because it was the right thing to do according to his society.
If he had, it would have been a much more interesting book because it would have departed from the usual formula of the m/m romance genre. But, this is one of the popular examples of that genre, and Alex Beecroft is one of the most popular authors in the genre, so what we get is something that should make fans of the genre very happy No tragedy of Shakespearean proportions here; it all ends happily.
This is an early Beecroft; she revisits the same theme with greater maturity and nautical detail in False Colors. For readers new to the genre or to Beecroft, False Colors is the better starting point because it is the better book. For those who are already fans, it is an enjoyable meander through a well-known country.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2024
Rating: 1.5 stars (rounded up)
This one had a lot of potential but I didn't enjoy it due to baffling narrative decisions made by the author. The book started with two chapters focusing on the MCs, in which Josh 'fell in love' with Peter the moment he laid eyes on him. They were going to be roommates (berthmates?) on the ship they're working on, so I was all set for some great bonding time between them as they get to know each other. But then the author switched to writing multiple chapters from the POV of side characters (Emily and her father) and they barely interacted with Josh (who only made minor appearances) and their interactions with Peter had nothing to do with the MC's romance because Emily's father was pushing for Peter to marry Emily.
This became a pattern for the entire book. There was way too much page time devoted to side characters and their own plotlines while Peter and Josh get limited shared scenes. Many of the side characters' plotlines also felt pointless. First, I'd like to point out that I have no interest in reading about love triangles in any situation, but the love triangle in this book was between Peter, Emily and Andrew, which...no thanks. Not to mention that this plotline was pointless because Peter never expressed any romantic interest in Emily and we know he's going to end up with Josh anyway. Captain Walker's anti-gay crusade in Bermuda was also abandoned out of the blue.
Unfortunately, things didn't get much better when the author decided to throw our main couple some page time because some of the most interesting developments between Josh and Peter happened off-page and we're only told about them instead of being shown. This included Peter being whipped (we see the aftermath but the actual event would have been great to see from Josh's POV) and Josh telling Peter that he's gay. When Peter is promoted to captain and gets his own boat with Josh serving as his XO, I thought we'd finally get lots of scenes with them together...but none of it is shown. There's literally a time skip from them inspection their future boat to them returning to Bermuda and interacting with Emily/Andrew/Emily's father.
Increasing my frustration even more was that a lot of Peter and Josh's scenes together were repetitive. They were either having sex or struggling with their sexualities. Accepting their sexualities (and thus, their romantic feelings for each other and desire to be together) was historically accurate, but I disliked that this is the only conflict between them because it manifested itself in repetitive conversations and them not communicating with each other. There was a lot of potential to introduce more conflict, especially given that Peter outranks Josh for most of the book and is Josh's captain for part of the story.
I also got whiplash from the inconsistent pacing. The scenes between Peter and Josh were repetitive and slow, but then the author sped through events that needed more time. For example, .
Related to the above point, I felt there was too much historical information crammed into this book. There was so much nautical terminology used during the ship scenes that I often had no idea what was happening, which was especially annoying during battles. While the plotlines related to life on the ships and life in Bermuda were nicely connected, cramming in the Colonies/First Nations/Revolutionary War was too much (IMO). Everything was rushed and I was left confused by the constantly changing settings and priorities.
Lastly, I didn't like Peter. On one hand, he claims he's a kind, easy going individual but I felt his style of running a ship was overly harsh and lacked emotion. I was really taken aback near the beginning of the story where . Maybe I would have felt differently towards Peter if we had more scenes with him interacting with his crew and running his ship with Josh. But due to the short length of the book, the insanely rushed pace and the many different plotlines and characters crammed in, I felt we didn't really get to know Peter well.
This one had a lot of potential but I didn't enjoy it due to baffling narrative decisions made by the author. The book started with two chapters focusing on the MCs, in which Josh 'fell in love' with Peter the moment he laid eyes on him. They were going to be roommates (berthmates?) on the ship they're working on, so I was all set for some great bonding time between them as they get to know each other. But then the author switched to writing multiple chapters from the POV of side characters (Emily and her father) and they barely interacted with Josh (who only made minor appearances) and their interactions with Peter had nothing to do with the MC's romance because Emily's father was pushing for Peter to marry Emily.
This became a pattern for the entire book. There was way too much page time devoted to side characters and their own plotlines while Peter and Josh get limited shared scenes. Many of the side characters' plotlines also felt pointless. First, I'd like to point out that I have no interest in reading about love triangles in any situation, but the love triangle in this book was between Peter, Emily and Andrew, which...no thanks. Not to mention that this plotline was pointless because Peter never expressed any romantic interest in Emily and we know he's going to end up with Josh anyway. Captain Walker's anti-gay crusade in Bermuda was also abandoned out of the blue.
Unfortunately, things didn't get much better when the author decided to throw our main couple some page time because some of the most interesting developments between Josh and Peter happened off-page and we're only told about them instead of being shown. This included Peter being whipped (we see the aftermath but the actual event would have been great to see from Josh's POV) and Josh telling Peter that he's gay. When Peter is promoted to captain and gets his own boat with Josh serving as his XO, I thought we'd finally get lots of scenes with them together...but none of it is shown. There's literally a time skip from them inspection their future boat to them returning to Bermuda and interacting with Emily/Andrew/Emily's father.
Increasing my frustration even more was that a lot of Peter and Josh's scenes together were repetitive. They were either having sex or struggling with their sexualities. Accepting their sexualities (and thus, their romantic feelings for each other and desire to be together) was historically accurate, but I disliked that this is the only conflict between them because it manifested itself in repetitive conversations and them not communicating with each other. There was a lot of potential to introduce more conflict, especially given that Peter outranks Josh for most of the book and is Josh's captain for part of the story.
I also got whiplash from the inconsistent pacing. The scenes between Peter and Josh were repetitive and slow, but then the author sped through events that needed more time. For example, .
Related to the above point, I felt there was too much historical information crammed into this book. There was so much nautical terminology used during the ship scenes that I often had no idea what was happening, which was especially annoying during battles. While the plotlines related to life on the ships and life in Bermuda were nicely connected, cramming in the Colonies/First Nations/Revolutionary War was too much (IMO). Everything was rushed and I was left confused by the constantly changing settings and priorities.
Lastly, I didn't like Peter. On one hand, he claims he's a kind, easy going individual but I felt his style of running a ship was overly harsh and lacked emotion. I was really taken aback near the beginning of the story where . Maybe I would have felt differently towards Peter if we had more scenes with him interacting with his crew and running his ship with Josh. But due to the short length of the book, the insanely rushed pace and the many different plotlines and characters crammed in, I felt we didn't really get to know Peter well.
December 13, 2024
There’s the kernel of a great story here, but for me it was a bit too quick and overdramatized to really be believable.
May 13, 2011
A beautifully written and gripping historical novel from a writer who's an expert in the era. If you're not sure about trying historicals because you think they might ramble on like a nineteenth century novel, fear not. If anything, Captain's Surrender is almost too fast-paced, concentrating on key events in the lives of the protagonists: the punishments, sea battles, duels, captures and seductions, rather than dwelling too long in the details of everyday life. I'd have loved there to have been more scenes when Josh and Peter interacted--indeed, I'd simply have loved more scenes from Josh's point of view as he’s a thoroughly engaging character--but the whirlwind tour through life at sea and in the colonies was perfect for setting their romance firmly in their time. A time when homophobia was rife, and loving another man could lose you your life.
This certainly isn't an overly romanticised portrayal of the Age of Sail. Expect plenty of grit and violence, but at the same time, a redemptive grace that colours the whole narrative and lifts it into poetry at times.
Highly recommended, and the sex scenes are so mild I think I'm going to lend it to my mum and see if I can get her to read an m/m romance :)
NB – Alex is a friend so please take this review with as much of a pinch of salt as you think necessary, but I can assure you I’ve done my best to be honest.
This certainly isn't an overly romanticised portrayal of the Age of Sail. Expect plenty of grit and violence, but at the same time, a redemptive grace that colours the whole narrative and lifts it into poetry at times.
Highly recommended, and the sex scenes are so mild I think I'm going to lend it to my mum and see if I can get her to read an m/m romance :)
NB – Alex is a friend so please take this review with as much of a pinch of salt as you think necessary, but I can assure you I’ve done my best to be honest.
June 18, 2016
Very good historical, though the description of Peter, one of the MCs, as "noble but thick" is applicable to both of them, really. Peter is one of those protagonists that I want to hit upside the head all the time and it nearly got to the point, where I wasn't willing to forgive him again, no matter what Josh thought. But still, it's damn good yarn, the action scenes are good and I enjoyed it very much.
June 10, 2016
Begins well enough, but then the plot becomes one improbable coincidence after another, the nautical elements are info-dumpy, and the main characters never rise above being blandly appealing. Nice to see a bisexual lead, though.
February 12, 2018
It took me a few days because I had other things in my life that took priority, but I'm glad I read this little gem that's been hiding on the bottom of my TBR for years. By the time I hit the 70% mark, I had to block out enough time to finish. At that point the adventure on the seas with a battle between the "good guys" and the French around the eastern seaboard and the area of Bermuda was hot and heavy. Plus, at that point, it looked like death was going to be the only acceptable outcome for these 19th century heroes.
Joshua and Peter meet onboard when Peter is assigned as First Lieutenant from England to Bermuda under the thumb of Captain Walker, a man who prefers to beat the bad and the good from his men. A frightening voyage, made more so by the threat of mutiny, both men survive. Ultimately, though they care for one another, Josh realizes he's the one who has to step away because he'd never want Peter to be hanged for consorting with a catamite. And Peter has his eye set on a lovely lady who would make a wonderful wife and mother to his future children.
A complex world, with political and religious issues that make it extremely difficult for two men to consort, never mind live together, this story was much more in-depth and interesting than i had thought it would be and certainly much better than many being published today.
This is a story with a romance--not a sex adventure disguised as a story. If you love history, pirates, privateers, and man on man love, this is a good one to choose.
Joshua and Peter meet onboard when Peter is assigned as First Lieutenant from England to Bermuda under the thumb of Captain Walker, a man who prefers to beat the bad and the good from his men. A frightening voyage, made more so by the threat of mutiny, both men survive. Ultimately, though they care for one another, Josh realizes he's the one who has to step away because he'd never want Peter to be hanged for consorting with a catamite. And Peter has his eye set on a lovely lady who would make a wonderful wife and mother to his future children.
A complex world, with political and religious issues that make it extremely difficult for two men to consort, never mind live together, this story was much more in-depth and interesting than i had thought it would be and certainly much better than many being published today.
This is a story with a romance--not a sex adventure disguised as a story. If you love history, pirates, privateers, and man on man love, this is a good one to choose.
July 19, 2017
Nothing in the blurb indicates that this is an incomplete story. The book ends with the words: 'This is the end of the excerpt, I'm afraid. If you enjoyed this and want to read the whole book......' etc etc etc.
No. I don't. This should have been marketed as a 'sample' not -as it appeared to be - a separate novella.
The story itself was okay, although the writing was too flowery and navel-gazing for me and it was one of those stories where the author knows exactly what is happening, but somehow fails to get it across to the reader.
Disappointing and irritating.
No. I don't. This should have been marketed as a 'sample' not -as it appeared to be - a separate novella.
The story itself was okay, although the writing was too flowery and navel-gazing for me and it was one of those stories where the author knows exactly what is happening, but somehow fails to get it across to the reader.
Disappointing and irritating.
October 17, 2018
2.5/5
The actual romance was fine, had it not been detract by eloborated unfinished sub-plots and characters who took over the main narration and contribute little to main couple's story.
The actual romance was fine, had it not been detract by eloborated unfinished sub-plots and characters who took over the main narration and contribute little to main couple's story.
August 9, 2013
There are things to be loved in this book, but far more numerous are those to be blamed. Some other reviewers have pointed them out, infact.
The plot is the same old, but this does not irk me: it is 1779 in the Caribes (and the east coast of the soon to be United States). The setting is the usual British ship where noble gay men struggle with the requirements of a harsh life in a homophobic milieu.
One reviewer has mentioned the fact that the naval details are inaccurate but I am unable to confirm or deny this charge (which would be quite serious, were it true).
First, while I am sure life onboard at the time was very hard, I suspect there might have been far more tolerance towards homosexual behaviours among members of the crew. Of course this would have detracted from the angst and I understand that Ms. Beecroft chose to ignore this possibility.
The general plotting is sound and there are scenes of cleverly built and highly emotional pathos.
Problem is this generally good plotting is not enriched and fleshed out but stands there like a mechanical skeleton of a narration that takes place only occasionally (the already mentioned emotional scenes) and for the rest of the time remains there, hurried, unfinished.
Characterization does not help.
To begin with, while it is always very good (and welcome) to have strong side characters, here they enjoy nearly as many pages as the main ones. It looks as if whole chapters with more storyline for the two main ones were completely missing. Moreover the side character of Emily (who is the most important one) nearly never confronts the two main ones as if she lead a narrative life totally indipendent from them. The only link between her and -only one of- the mains was that her father wished her to marry him.
Josh, one of the two lovers, is brave, clever and disciplined. He is also unbelievably torn by guilt because he thinks he is an abomination, deserving all the punishment and contempt God and people are willing to bestow on him. Usually I dislike this kind of character but I have met too many self hating gay men in real life to dismiss him. After an emotional journey which is supposed to take place in the book and of which we are not allowed to catch a single glimpse, Josh lands in the hands of a loving native american couple (man and woman) who wish for him to become a member of their family, as in their culture gay men are not only acceptable but also cherished. This encounter is an epiphany for Josh who finally realises that there is nothing wrong in being who he is and that his existence belongs to God's plan.
Peter is the other lover. At first he is the aloof, detached, aristocratic second (or third) son of a nobleman, pursuing his own path in the navy. He not only accepts Josh for what he is with equanimity but, for reasons only hinted at, is curious about sex with another man and takes Josh as a lover (and of course the two are neatly split into active and passive roles, according to the most respected sexual tradition among lady authors). This detachment could have nicely cracked along the way to show the real essence of the man inside, but Ms. Beecroft apparently did not like this possibility. On the contrary Peter not only remains aloof and detached and uncomprehending of his lover's needs, he also acquires the same self loathing that Josh feels. This definitely kills any interest I might have had for this character. One thing is for a man who has always considered himself straight to debate the opportunity of renouncing the reassuring life of a married and esteemed navy officer, another is to become an homophobe when he never was.
At the end of the novel, confronted by his newly self accepting lover, he has his own epiphany (alone at night in a church), finally understanding how selfish, uncomprehending and ungenerous he has been. This epiphany is quite thorough and leads to the required happy ending, but it left me cold.
In the end I found myself remembering a couple of intense pages, mostly at the beginning of the book, and utterly indifferent to the rest of the story, to the characters, to their happily ever after.
Other reviewers have suggested that this is an early work and that there might be better ones by the same author. I am not so sure I am willing to give them a try.
The plot is the same old, but this does not irk me: it is 1779 in the Caribes (and the east coast of the soon to be United States). The setting is the usual British ship where noble gay men struggle with the requirements of a harsh life in a homophobic milieu.
One reviewer has mentioned the fact that the naval details are inaccurate but I am unable to confirm or deny this charge (which would be quite serious, were it true).
First, while I am sure life onboard at the time was very hard, I suspect there might have been far more tolerance towards homosexual behaviours among members of the crew. Of course this would have detracted from the angst and I understand that Ms. Beecroft chose to ignore this possibility.
The general plotting is sound and there are scenes of cleverly built and highly emotional pathos.
Problem is this generally good plotting is not enriched and fleshed out but stands there like a mechanical skeleton of a narration that takes place only occasionally (the already mentioned emotional scenes) and for the rest of the time remains there, hurried, unfinished.
Characterization does not help.
To begin with, while it is always very good (and welcome) to have strong side characters, here they enjoy nearly as many pages as the main ones. It looks as if whole chapters with more storyline for the two main ones were completely missing. Moreover the side character of Emily (who is the most important one) nearly never confronts the two main ones as if she lead a narrative life totally indipendent from them. The only link between her and -only one of- the mains was that her father wished her to marry him.
Josh, one of the two lovers, is brave, clever and disciplined. He is also unbelievably torn by guilt because he thinks he is an abomination, deserving all the punishment and contempt God and people are willing to bestow on him. Usually I dislike this kind of character but I have met too many self hating gay men in real life to dismiss him. After an emotional journey which is supposed to take place in the book and of which we are not allowed to catch a single glimpse, Josh lands in the hands of a loving native american couple (man and woman) who wish for him to become a member of their family, as in their culture gay men are not only acceptable but also cherished. This encounter is an epiphany for Josh who finally realises that there is nothing wrong in being who he is and that his existence belongs to God's plan.
Peter is the other lover. At first he is the aloof, detached, aristocratic second (or third) son of a nobleman, pursuing his own path in the navy. He not only accepts Josh for what he is with equanimity but, for reasons only hinted at, is curious about sex with another man and takes Josh as a lover (and of course the two are neatly split into active and passive roles, according to the most respected sexual tradition among lady authors). This detachment could have nicely cracked along the way to show the real essence of the man inside, but Ms. Beecroft apparently did not like this possibility. On the contrary Peter not only remains aloof and detached and uncomprehending of his lover's needs, he also acquires the same self loathing that Josh feels. This definitely kills any interest I might have had for this character. One thing is for a man who has always considered himself straight to debate the opportunity of renouncing the reassuring life of a married and esteemed navy officer, another is to become an homophobe when he never was.
At the end of the novel, confronted by his newly self accepting lover, he has his own epiphany (alone at night in a church), finally understanding how selfish, uncomprehending and ungenerous he has been. This epiphany is quite thorough and leads to the required happy ending, but it left me cold.
In the end I found myself remembering a couple of intense pages, mostly at the beginning of the book, and utterly indifferent to the rest of the story, to the characters, to their happily ever after.
Other reviewers have suggested that this is an early work and that there might be better ones by the same author. I am not so sure I am willing to give them a try.
Read
August 3, 2010When I was young I read a lot of classics and enjoy them very much. Strong stories with well written characters and able to take you awake till late and eager to read more. Sometime romance, cause there were a love story on them, but not erotic cause there were no sex on them. But I didn't miss the sex, cause I could imagine in my mind what happened behind the closed door of a bedroom, usually between a married couple. Captain's Surrender is a such story? in some way yes. In an epublished world where sex is the easiest way to drawn the reader (and I'm first in line to it, as I always say I like my sex scene...) Alex Beecroft has chosen the hardest way, writing a very good story, with wonderful but very human characters and giving us a lot of love but very few sex, barely some hints. I'm accusing her for it? Oh, no, not at all. Cause her book is right like it is and one of that book I will read again and again, to find every time something new in the very rich prose she has used.
Josh is a midshipman in a ship under the command of a crazy captain. A man who has no problem to beat to death a sailor who has spoken aloud his believes, unfortunately not the same of his captain, and who will have no problem to hang a man framed with sodomy (and in that time he has also the right to doing it). So Josh, who judge himself an abomination to crave the touch of another man, tries to do his work and not react to the captain's wickedness. But he knows that the captain has read into him and soon or later he will hang. And then Peter enters his life: a young lieutenant, third son of a nobleman, but with no money of his own, Peter his the epitome of grace and cavalry. To Josh's eyes he is like an angel, someone he can't dirty with his sin. But Peter his like a magnet, and soon Josh finds himself to surrender to this man, with body and soul.
Josh is a wonderful character. He is the real "noble" man, and even if he is younger, and less cultured than Peter, he is more wise and I think also more brave. He first of all thinks to the better of whom he beloved and then maybe to his desire. Peter instead is like you can imagine a nobleman and a spoilt son: sure he is good, full of his own idea of what is right and what is wrong in the world, but he is also sure that he is like a gift to Josh. He never say it aloud, but sometime his behaviour let me think like he is doing a favour to Josh. Oh, yes, he loves John, no doubt in it, but at what he renounces to stay with Josh? Nothing, and when he has to take a decision, what do you think he will do? So in the end I like a lot Josh and I think he maybe deserves someone better of Peter, and to regain my sympathy, Peter has to behaviour very good.
As you see, every book that manages to awaken in you such strong feelings is for sure a good book. Due to the matter, historical fiction setting in the sea world, I was exepcting it to be maybe a little bit demanding, and instead I have read it in a session, without grown tired neither for a moment, and eager to turn the page to see what would be happened to my heroes (yes even to Peter, cause I wanted to see if he made amends for his selfishness :-) )
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605047821/?...
Josh is a midshipman in a ship under the command of a crazy captain. A man who has no problem to beat to death a sailor who has spoken aloud his believes, unfortunately not the same of his captain, and who will have no problem to hang a man framed with sodomy (and in that time he has also the right to doing it). So Josh, who judge himself an abomination to crave the touch of another man, tries to do his work and not react to the captain's wickedness. But he knows that the captain has read into him and soon or later he will hang. And then Peter enters his life: a young lieutenant, third son of a nobleman, but with no money of his own, Peter his the epitome of grace and cavalry. To Josh's eyes he is like an angel, someone he can't dirty with his sin. But Peter his like a magnet, and soon Josh finds himself to surrender to this man, with body and soul.
Josh is a wonderful character. He is the real "noble" man, and even if he is younger, and less cultured than Peter, he is more wise and I think also more brave. He first of all thinks to the better of whom he beloved and then maybe to his desire. Peter instead is like you can imagine a nobleman and a spoilt son: sure he is good, full of his own idea of what is right and what is wrong in the world, but he is also sure that he is like a gift to Josh. He never say it aloud, but sometime his behaviour let me think like he is doing a favour to Josh. Oh, yes, he loves John, no doubt in it, but at what he renounces to stay with Josh? Nothing, and when he has to take a decision, what do you think he will do? So in the end I like a lot Josh and I think he maybe deserves someone better of Peter, and to regain my sympathy, Peter has to behaviour very good.
As you see, every book that manages to awaken in you such strong feelings is for sure a good book. Due to the matter, historical fiction setting in the sea world, I was exepcting it to be maybe a little bit demanding, and instead I have read it in a session, without grown tired neither for a moment, and eager to turn the page to see what would be happened to my heroes (yes even to Peter, cause I wanted to see if he made amends for his selfishness :-) )
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605047821/?...
February 15, 2018
Joshua Andrews is a Midshipman on the Nimrod, where Captain Walker keeps his crew in a constant state of terror and suspense. The least infraction will land a man in irons, flogged for all the company to see. If Walker knew what Joshua was, he'd be hanged. He avoids the attention, which would grant him deserved promotion, as well the keen eye under which he is sure he'd be discovered. When Peter Kenyon, a lieutenant, arrives to fulfill the lately vacated position, once occupied by the man swinging from a noose upon his arrival, Joshua is immediately captivated and knows this man will be his downfall.
The dangerous journey from Portsmouth to Bermuda, to aid in the fight against pirates and smugglers, becomes increasingly tense as Walker continues to cling to his grasp of power over an increasingly mutinous crew. The only absolution is that when Peter confides in Joshua of his worries over the possible mutiny, Joshua finds he can trust Peter in turn. That, and a pirate ship shows up on the horizon and becomes a good relief for the crew's tension.
Alex Beecroft has written a fantastic story, filled with suspense and tender romance. What I described for you actually only covers about half the story, but I feel if I go to far beyond arrival in Bermuda, I'll be spoiling too much of the story for you. The story does also include some of the terrific problems inherent in romance, the gay sub-genre and historical fiction. Many good reviews have gone into this already, so I'll be going over what really worked and why I'll be reading more from this author. (As soon as my library updates its digital shelves, of course. OverDrive is a wonderful, wonderful thing.)
Joshua is sympathetic, not that Peter isn't either, but we spend slightly more time learning about Joshua's history and his motivations, and as a reader, its easy to connect with him. The action on board and on the sea is really interesting, most of the nautical terms are used correctly, the only ones I'm not sure about were the ones I didn't know. The twists were interesting, the conflict was a little tired, but brief. I do have to complain about the convenience of some characters appearing when they did. The people Joshua encounters while away from Bermuda, the inexcusable evil of the captain, and the anachronism of the main female character. When I thinking about how lovely everything else was though, I'd read another book similar to this without question.
What about you? Does mustache twirling, convenient plot devices and anachronism rub you the wrong way?
242pp. Samhain. October 2009.
Read this review or find more reviews at auroralector.blogspot.com, my weird book blog.
The dangerous journey from Portsmouth to Bermuda, to aid in the fight against pirates and smugglers, becomes increasingly tense as Walker continues to cling to his grasp of power over an increasingly mutinous crew. The only absolution is that when Peter confides in Joshua of his worries over the possible mutiny, Joshua finds he can trust Peter in turn. That, and a pirate ship shows up on the horizon and becomes a good relief for the crew's tension.
Alex Beecroft has written a fantastic story, filled with suspense and tender romance. What I described for you actually only covers about half the story, but I feel if I go to far beyond arrival in Bermuda, I'll be spoiling too much of the story for you. The story does also include some of the terrific problems inherent in romance, the gay sub-genre and historical fiction. Many good reviews have gone into this already, so I'll be going over what really worked and why I'll be reading more from this author. (As soon as my library updates its digital shelves, of course. OverDrive is a wonderful, wonderful thing.)
Joshua is sympathetic, not that Peter isn't either, but we spend slightly more time learning about Joshua's history and his motivations, and as a reader, its easy to connect with him. The action on board and on the sea is really interesting, most of the nautical terms are used correctly, the only ones I'm not sure about were the ones I didn't know. The twists were interesting, the conflict was a little tired, but brief. I do have to complain about the convenience of some characters appearing when they did. The people Joshua encounters while away from Bermuda, the inexcusable evil of the captain, and the anachronism of the main female character. When I thinking about how lovely everything else was though, I'd read another book similar to this without question.
What about you? Does mustache twirling, convenient plot devices and anachronism rub you the wrong way?
242pp. Samhain. October 2009.
Read this review or find more reviews at auroralector.blogspot.com, my weird book blog.
June 17, 2017
I wish I had done a little more research before I invested time in this "book" that is nothing but a tease. This brutal, gory, hate-filled piece builds to a fever pitch then ends with the author writing "I'm guessing if you've gotten this far you want to find out what is next". I thought that this was a contained prequel but it's actually nothing but a cliffhanger. There is only the barest, barest of beginnings of anything between the two main characters. Mainly it's full of gruesome cruelty, even opening with a graphic hanging. I don't plan to read on to the full book out of both repulsion and irrateness. I will be more careful and leery of offerings by this author.
April 11, 2013
Now this is what a romance is supposed to BE.
I will admit, Age of Sail is my home ground. And I can't get enough of the forbidden-love trope, so historical m/m is perfect for me, because it's an organic part of the setting, and not achieved by contrivances. But, that said...
Josh and Peter are both engaging, realistically flawed, sympathetic characters. The plot goes along at a crisp pace, with plenty of action, nail-biting tension, and strong emotions, not all of which are related to the developing romance. Okay, I'm also a sucker for crazy-tyrant-captain and floating-hell scenarios, because of reasons, but they're scenarios that come up a lot in Age of Sail fiction, because of probably the same reasons (look, do I have to be delicate about it? Mutiny and Retribution are masterworks of storytelling) and I've seen them done abysmally as often as I've seen them done well. This was done with consummate skill: I could feel every shout, every flinch, every tremble. The historical detail, as far as I could tell, was flawless -- I'm more at home about twenty-five years later, but I couldn't see a single error. Do you have any idea what a relief that is? And a joy? The details of shipboard life, and of battle... if I could do them even half as well, I might feel more confident including them, instead of sticking to drawing rooms and inns and cottage kitchens. My hat's off.
And the romance! The unbalanced nature of it, the way the characters' emotions build and shift, the frustrating misunderstandings that were completely plausible instead of making me want to shake them and say "just TALK to each other, for God's sake" -- no, they talked to each other, but they still managed to talk past each other in ways that were utterly believable and heartbreaking. And the final resolution was glorious.
And not ONCE did this story make me uncomfortable by presenting non-consent as acceptable or romantic. These men CHECKED. Even when they were being passionate and fierce, there was never a time when either of them forced the other or ignored a sign of discomfort. This shouldn't HAVE to be a relief, but it was, and I am most thoroughly grateful.
THIS is a romance. THIS is what I want from my stories. I cannot speak too highly of it. Go forth and read.
I will admit, Age of Sail is my home ground. And I can't get enough of the forbidden-love trope, so historical m/m is perfect for me, because it's an organic part of the setting, and not achieved by contrivances. But, that said...
Josh and Peter are both engaging, realistically flawed, sympathetic characters. The plot goes along at a crisp pace, with plenty of action, nail-biting tension, and strong emotions, not all of which are related to the developing romance. Okay, I'm also a sucker for crazy-tyrant-captain and floating-hell scenarios, because of reasons, but they're scenarios that come up a lot in Age of Sail fiction, because of probably the same reasons (look, do I have to be delicate about it? Mutiny and Retribution are masterworks of storytelling) and I've seen them done abysmally as often as I've seen them done well. This was done with consummate skill: I could feel every shout, every flinch, every tremble. The historical detail, as far as I could tell, was flawless -- I'm more at home about twenty-five years later, but I couldn't see a single error. Do you have any idea what a relief that is? And a joy? The details of shipboard life, and of battle... if I could do them even half as well, I might feel more confident including them, instead of sticking to drawing rooms and inns and cottage kitchens. My hat's off.
And the romance! The unbalanced nature of it, the way the characters' emotions build and shift, the frustrating misunderstandings that were completely plausible instead of making me want to shake them and say "just TALK to each other, for God's sake" -- no, they talked to each other, but they still managed to talk past each other in ways that were utterly believable and heartbreaking. And the final resolution was glorious.
And not ONCE did this story make me uncomfortable by presenting non-consent as acceptable or romantic. These men CHECKED. Even when they were being passionate and fierce, there was never a time when either of them forced the other or ignored a sign of discomfort. This shouldn't HAVE to be a relief, but it was, and I am most thoroughly grateful.
THIS is a romance. THIS is what I want from my stories. I cannot speak too highly of it. Go forth and read.
November 15, 2012
I was a bit disappointed by this one, after having enjoyed False Colors by the same author quite a bit.
Yet, I had a lot more problems with the treatment of naval protocol in this one. Captain Walker is nothing but a cartoonish, moustache-twirling super-villain. He is constantly over-stepping his authority. Not in small matters, but in ways that make you wonder why no one had him removed from active service by court martial, yet, or .
I understand "flogging the last man off the yard" in naval fiction is code for the captain being quite cuckoo (the only recorded incident of this punishment in the Age-of-Sail Royal Navy, if I remember correctly, took place on board the Hermione. The ship that got infamous for the bloody mutiny this incident lead up to), but Walker appears to do this every sunday.
You know, there's over-the-top, and then there's whatever this book did.
There's grounds for a thousand mutinies, but this book treats them only like side-plots.
This book either needed more pages, or less plot ideas.
And my complaints don't stop there. Too many plot twists were a little too convenient. ;)
Yet, I had a lot more problems with the treatment of naval protocol in this one. Captain Walker is nothing but a cartoonish, moustache-twirling super-villain. He is constantly over-stepping his authority. Not in small matters, but in ways that make you wonder why no one had him removed from active service by court martial, yet, or .
I understand "flogging the last man off the yard" in naval fiction is code for the captain being quite cuckoo (the only recorded incident of this punishment in the Age-of-Sail Royal Navy, if I remember correctly, took place on board the Hermione. The ship that got infamous for the bloody mutiny this incident lead up to), but Walker appears to do this every sunday.
You know, there's over-the-top, and then there's whatever this book did.
There's grounds for a thousand mutinies, but this book treats them only like side-plots.
This book either needed more pages, or less plot ideas.
And my complaints don't stop there. Too many plot twists were a little too convenient. ;)
February 10, 2013
4 Stars ~ Joshua Andrews had always known what his true nature was, and serving in the Royal Navy in 1794 that meant he had to keep that nature secret for fear of being hanged. When young Lt. Kenyon joined their crew and he was forced to accept him as a cabin mate, Josh also knew he was in trouble. Just one look into Peter's blue eyes and Josh was lost. When he reveals his attraction to Peter, he's amazed that Peter doesn't report him but instead he admits that he's curious and would like to pursue their attraction. And as Peter advances to become Captain he takes Josh along as his Lt. and their lives are good. When their secret is under threat of exposure, Peter is forced to let Josh go.
This story is a wonderful depiction of life aboard a Naval ship at the turn of the 19th century. The battle scenes are written quite well and play a very prominent role in the book. Peter thought he'd someday marry and have children, and he held that belief right until near the end of the book. Josh has felt guilty for leading Peter astray and for corrupting him. He always felt that he was a monster and he feared that his influence on Peter would make him one as well. The last chapters of the book, have Josh and Peter both coming to the realization that their love is not an abomination. Their's is a long and difficult journey, I'm glad their love won.
This story is a wonderful depiction of life aboard a Naval ship at the turn of the 19th century. The battle scenes are written quite well and play a very prominent role in the book. Peter thought he'd someday marry and have children, and he held that belief right until near the end of the book. Josh has felt guilty for leading Peter astray and for corrupting him. He always felt that he was a monster and he feared that his influence on Peter would make him one as well. The last chapters of the book, have Josh and Peter both coming to the realization that their love is not an abomination. Their's is a long and difficult journey, I'm glad their love won.
August 4, 2009
Tall ships, damper men in British navy uniforms and threat of noose are things which made this genre of gay literature for women the most intriguing. This book was written by woman to women readers who like adventure spiced with two males making it out out of their uniforms. Oh yes in 18th century they made so nice uniforms and ugly laws that being gay in navy means gallows. That is the threat, the major one and masterfully put in the plot.
Joshua Andrews and Peter Kenyon were meant for each other and at the end of the book after fighting of all dangers of 18th century seafaring life. Mutinous crew, tyrant superior and danger of being exposed. But the romance is not main plot of the book. The main thing is an adventure. The romance between two men is just spice which reader missed in Patrick O´Brians Master and commander or Hornblower series.
Joshua Andrews and Peter Kenyon were meant for each other and at the end of the book after fighting of all dangers of 18th century seafaring life. Mutinous crew, tyrant superior and danger of being exposed. But the romance is not main plot of the book. The main thing is an adventure. The romance between two men is just spice which reader missed in Patrick O´Brians Master and commander or Hornblower series.
April 3, 2016
2.5 stars.
A alright book, especially in the middle-end of it. It's not a book who idealized treatments of homosexual in this time, no, it's cruel, it's crude, it's harsh. I really love Peter and Andrew.
But I can't give it more stars because of the strange choice of narration at the beginning of the story. I mean, you started with the heroes Peter and Andrews (in the two first chapters) but after that and for a very very long time (too long) you have to handle Emily and her father (who are civilians in the ship) and I can't. First times, it's good. Because it's helping to visualize of life goes on the ship but when you have to read four or five chapters following only the father and Emily's point of views without any news informations of any of the MAIN romance & characters. No, just no. It's annoying, it's boring.
And I want to punched Peter in the face, because he's a blind idiot.
A alright book, especially in the middle-end of it. It's not a book who idealized treatments of homosexual in this time, no, it's cruel, it's crude, it's harsh. I really love Peter and Andrew.
But I can't give it more stars because of the strange choice of narration at the beginning of the story. I mean, you started with the heroes Peter and Andrews (in the two first chapters) but after that and for a very very long time (too long) you have to handle Emily and her father (who are civilians in the ship) and I can't. First times, it's good. Because it's helping to visualize of life goes on the ship but when you have to read four or five chapters following only the father and Emily's point of views without any news informations of any of the MAIN romance & characters. No, just no. It's annoying, it's boring.
And I want to punched Peter in the face, because he's a blind idiot.
December 26, 2024
I feel sure that i have read this before but it's not in my good reads history so I'm adding it now. Overall an enjoyable book but there was a bit too much gay angsting for my tastes, I don't care for stories with moral or religious dilemmas over being queer. Naval bits were fun and exciting. Not sure how their Happy Ending is supposed to work with them both being captains but my best wishes to them
February 24, 2019
This contented sigh of happy gooshy romantic squooshiness has been revised and can now be found at Exendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
***2018 UPDATE***
The original paperback edition I reviewed no longer exists and I'd like a new generation of MM romance consumers to discover and adore this book. So here's the original review, since y'all're a buncha clickaphobes.
I gave this book to my friend Frank the Fireman, since like the main character, Peter Kenyon, he is an adult out-comer. I wanted him to, in particular, notice the last chapter wherein Peter goes through the long, dark night of the soul as he struggles between the lifelong conditioning he's heir to...the societal and legal issues surrounding being queer in the Royal Navy of the 18th century...and his love for Joshua Andrews, his best friend, former ship-mate, and one true love.
I didn't mention that I wanted him to notice that chapter, I just sat and hoped. I was rewarded by a phone call. Frank was shaken, saying he'd done almost the precise same minuet of fear, anger, doubt, fear, rage, lust and...in the end...honest peace.
I told him the author was a woman. He didn't say anything for a minute. "Lesbian?" he asked. "No. Married with kids." "That is one lucky man," was Frank's response.
I concur.
This book fulfills a long-felt absence in my reading life. It's an historical sea-novel, with nicely handled battle scenes and an authentic-feeling atmosphere of male camaraderie. Its flaws include a rather cavalier approach to time, as in there is no indication that the characters have to wait the extended periods they would really have been forced to endure for news, for travel, for anything. Also bothersome are some absences...backstory mostly, but also some characters have unresolved storylines, and I don't mean opening-for-sequel unresolved, I mean holes. The antagonist of Peter and Joshua is the first one who springs to mind, since he's presented in one dimension and never seen to have reasons for his actions beyond moving the plot along.
I make this point because the book is getting a four-star rating. It's not perfect, I'd really really like to see more of the men's backgrounds even if in flashback for example, but it's a beautifully realized love story with excellent atmospherics and a happy ending...and a Happy Ending, too. Well done, Author Beecroft, and do it again soon.
***2018 UPDATE***
The original paperback edition I reviewed no longer exists and I'd like a new generation of MM romance consumers to discover and adore this book. So here's the original review, since y'all're a buncha clickaphobes.
I gave this book to my friend Frank the Fireman, since like the main character, Peter Kenyon, he is an adult out-comer. I wanted him to, in particular, notice the last chapter wherein Peter goes through the long, dark night of the soul as he struggles between the lifelong conditioning he's heir to...the societal and legal issues surrounding being queer in the Royal Navy of the 18th century...and his love for Joshua Andrews, his best friend, former ship-mate, and one true love.
I didn't mention that I wanted him to notice that chapter, I just sat and hoped. I was rewarded by a phone call. Frank was shaken, saying he'd done almost the precise same minuet of fear, anger, doubt, fear, rage, lust and...in the end...honest peace.
I told him the author was a woman. He didn't say anything for a minute. "Lesbian?" he asked. "No. Married with kids." "That is one lucky man," was Frank's response.
I concur.
This book fulfills a long-felt absence in my reading life. It's an historical sea-novel, with nicely handled battle scenes and an authentic-feeling atmosphere of male camaraderie. Its flaws include a rather cavalier approach to time, as in there is no indication that the characters have to wait the extended periods they would really have been forced to endure for news, for travel, for anything. Also bothersome are some absences...backstory mostly, but also some characters have unresolved storylines, and I don't mean opening-for-sequel unresolved, I mean holes. The antagonist of Peter and Joshua is the first one who springs to mind, since he's presented in one dimension and never seen to have reasons for his actions beyond moving the plot along.
I make this point because the book is getting a four-star rating. It's not perfect, I'd really really like to see more of the men's backgrounds even if in flashback for example, but it's a beautifully realized love story with excellent atmospherics and a happy ending...and a Happy Ending, too. Well done, Author Beecroft, and do it again soon.
March 12, 2019
The love story of two British naval officers (One of them is Irish, sorry), Peter Kenyon and Josh Andrews.
I liked the realism of the story. The historical reality wasn't deformed in order to accommodate the romance. Homophobia - both external and internal - is not only present, it is the main hindrance for the true love. I also must note a very strong female character, which is a rarity for m/m romances.
There were really promising undertakings of a good conflict, but it was rather rushed to the conclusion in the end. Though I really enjoyed Peter's moral self-Judgement Day in the end.
I liked the realism of the story. The historical reality wasn't deformed in order to accommodate the romance. Homophobia - both external and internal - is not only present, it is the main hindrance for the true love. I also must note a very strong female character, which is a rarity for m/m romances.
There were really promising undertakings of a good conflict, but it was rather rushed to the conclusion in the end. Though I really enjoyed Peter's moral self-Judgement Day in the end.
May 28, 2021
Okay, giving this one 3.5 stars because while the story was enjoyable (love me some age of sail drama!), Kenyon was an absolute buttwad. What’s that saying, love is kind? Well here, love is stupid, blind, and deserves far better than Peter Holier than Thou Kenyon. And by love, I mean Joshua. I wanted to smack Kenyon upside the head when he thought about turning Josh in for being gay and kind of was rooting for Josh to go back to Hudson’s Bay.
But the writing was great, and it’s a true mark of a good writer that Beecroft made me so mad at the characters.
But the writing was great, and it’s a true mark of a good writer that Beecroft made me so mad at the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2018
This is so close to a four star book. Great bits at sea and interesting use of perspective. Unfortunately the entire book revolves around a dilemma that is presented from a variety of angles but not dealt with in any meaningful way until the last two chapters. Peter is so clueless and everyone gets it but him and I would’ve liked to see some soul searching at the various other opportunities during the story.
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