Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Michael Murphy , who will be seen again in Moss’s WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING, tells his own story of his youth, sent to assist Major General Winfield Scott when President James K. Polk declares war on Mexico in 1846. Michael, or “Mick as he is known to his intimates, has a series of romantic adventures along the way, ending almost tragically at the hands of the young scion of a wealthy Mexican family. You know he gets back to New Orleans, but this stirring tale will tell you how he gets there and why he limps.

Book Review

Being from the UK, I studied little in the way of American history at school beyond the Civil War and abolition of the slave trade. My knowledge of the USA's declaration of war on Mexico in 1846 was therefore embarrassingly sparse, at least until I read this story. Through the eyes of his hero, a young American lieutenant, Christopher Hawthorne Moss brings both the conflict and major players to life, as well as exploring the reality of being gay in the military during the midnineteenth century.

Fresh from Army training, Lieutenant Michael Murphy—Mick to his friends—offers his services to Major General Winfield Scott, an old associate of his father's. Embroiled in a complex game of strategy, mistrust, and propaganda, Scott is only too glad to have Mick on his team and puts him to work immediately. Mick finds himself travelling to new and exciting places from New Orleans to Havana, learning the art of tact and discretion along the way, and partaking in his fair share of erotic encounters.

Mick accepts there can be no future in a relationship with another man, no chance of happiness. For now, he has the freedom to enjoy sex with any man he fancies, but one day he'll be expected to marry and settle down. Then Mick meets Gabbo, the beautiful Mexican boy masquerading as a female prostitute. With Gabbo, Mick discovers someone with whom he can share emotional intimacy as well as physical, but when the time comes for his regiment to move on, he has no idea whether he'll ever see Gabbo again.

I'm not generally a fan of military romances. Yet, perhaps because the hero is employed as an administrative assistant rather than a soldier, 'Angel Eyes' ended up being far more entertaining than grim. This is as much a story of character development as anything else, following Mick from new recruit with a devil-may-care attitude and the belief that sex is purely for pleasure, to the wiser and somewhat battered young man who truly understands for the first time what it means to love.    

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 122 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	26-March-2015
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Eyes-Gay-Romamce-Mexican-ebook/dp/B00VAY44NY