Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Lieutenant Brenden Fitzpatrick is a dedicated Marine, loyal son, and devoted uncle, but he's lonely. When he went Marine, the rule was don't ask, don't tell. His brothers-in-arms pretty much didn't ask and didn't care. Watching so many friends settle into long-term relationships highlighted the absence of someone to come home to in his life. When his unit encourages him to give the 1Night Stand service a try, he asks for the impossible—a night with the one man he almost gave up the Marines for in the first place. A man he called best friend but let time and distance carry away.

Liam Gardiner grew up on the same Boston block as his best friend, Brenden. Unlike Brenden, Liam always accepted that he was gay—a fact he didn't mind flaunting to all the bullies and naysayers in school. It got his ass kicked more than once, but Brenden always had his back, rescuing him time and time again, until the day Brenden left for the Marines. He missed his buddy—the crush he never confessed, lest it cost him the precious friendship—so when Madame Eve's invitation to meet Brenden arrived, Liam faces uncertainty for the first time.

Life made them best friends, can Madame Eve help them become so much more?

Book Review

Many of us have old high school crushes we dream about meeting years later, just to see what became of them. For Brenden, a dedicated Marine for life, it is more than a dream, he is a man of action and finally decides to make it happen. The story is touching, surprisingly gentle, and yet decidedly hot as the men meet again, talk through their questions and issues, and begin to add a new dimension to their long friendship.

Brenden is a great guy, always there to help those in need, ready to listen and defend, and he will not compromise on being a Marine. He has also always wanted to see if there was more than friendship between him and Liam, and now that DADT is a thing of the past, he decides to go through with it. The fact that Liam was out, and Brenden could never be, complicated matters in their past, and when they start talking about their present, Brenden has a lot of questions to answer.

Liam has doubts about this particular 1Night Stand. He has a hard time believing that Brenden is gay, but he desperately wants it to be true. Asking all the hard questions helps him begin to come to grips with the new situation, and I had to admire him for respecting Brenden's wishes. Liam wants to make the most of their one night, but he also wants more after they're done with their date. Not that I can blame him!

'A Gentleman and a Marine' is a great addition to the 1Night Stand series, and even though it 'only' has a HFN (Happy For Now) ending, that is the only realistic way to end this story. Brenden wouldn’t be the guy he is if he suddenly retired, and Liam is too accepting of Brenden to want to change him. Both men's determination to remain honest with themselves and each other was what made this story so interesting to read. If you like hot Marines, if you enjoy reunions, and if you're looking for a combination of sweet and hot, you will probably enjoy this short story.
 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Decadent Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Short Story, 11000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	08-February-2013
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=728