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One More Soldier

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Title: One More Soldier
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Genre: Historical  M/M, 1960’s
Length: Novella (16,320 words 69 PDF pages)
Rating: 5+ stars out of 5, DIK

 

 *This review contains what might be considered spoilers*

 Summary Review: A powerful love story that broke my heart but made me incredibly grateful to the author.       

  THE BLURB      

It is 1963. Being gay is a sin against God. And twenty-eight year old mechanic Will meets Bran for the first time.     

Over the years a close bond forms between them despite the seventeen year age difference. Will teaches Bran to swim and helps him with homework. The years pass, Bran drops out of school and moves away.     

Then Bran comes home. Can Will move past their age difference? And if he does, how can he keep Bran in 1970 America?     

A beautifully told tale of love and loss told from the viewpoint of a deeply closeted gay man at the very beginning of the American Gay and Lesbian Rights movement.      

THE REVIEW 

Will and Bran met for the first time at the pool attached to the apartment complex where they lived. Bran had just moved into the area with his mother and sister because his Dad had died and they could no longer afford the rent where they lived before. Bran immediately attached himself to Will, much to his dismay, but he decided not to reject him because he didn’t have any friends. They spent most of the time by the pool due to the Texas heat which was stifling, and Will taught Bran how to swim and even helped him with his homework. However, as he  grew older Bran became much smarter than his tutor who hadn’t gone beyond high school and worked as a mechanic in a local garage. When Bran told Will he was quitting school at 17 because he couldn’t allow his Mom to continue supporting him, Will was very disappointed; shortly after Bran left to work on a ranch in another town. They didn’t see each other again until Bran came back home at 18, a year later, and Will didn’t recognize him because the person who showed up bore no resemblance to the skinny kid he once knew.      

They swam and fooled around in the pool like old times but it was obvious that Bran had his own agenda and the games that he wanted to play were more adult, which horrified Will who was very much against having any sort of  sexual tryst with someone he knew as a kid. At 35, Will was 17 years older than Bran and he did everything he could to dissuade him, even offering to take him to the bar he went to every Saturday night so that he could meet someone his own age, but there was only one man for Bran. Will could not understand why Bran would want him since he was young and gorgeous, then Bran told him why he had come home – he had been drafted and in two weeks he would be leaving to fight the war in Vietnam. Will kept saying “”You’re so damn young–” when Bran took matters in his own hands –

 ‘He leaned close, lightly brushing his lips over mine. “Will,” he whispered against my lips. “In less than six months, the US Army will put a gun in my hands and make me a killer. If I’m old enough for that, how can I be too young for this?”
And then he kissed me.’   

I had no power left to protest. The arms holding me were strong and sure, and the chest I felt beneath my hands definitely belonged to an adult, and any memory I had of the person he had been before fled. Maybe my reasons for saying no had been good, and maybe they hadn’t. Either way I could no longer muster any conviction for them. Here and now he was a man in every way, and he wanted me. He trusted me. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back, relishing the feel of his hard body against mine.  

What followed was some of the most tender, sensuous and moving lovemaking, as Bran gave himself to Will.  The thought that this could be all they would ever have made being together even more poignant and heartbreaking, as Bran wanted to experience every aspect of love and sex with Will to store up memories, just in case he never came home again. The war was constantly on their minds and they counted down each day as if it was their last, and they made each one count. 

Because this was a time of war happy endings were almost non existent so there’s no HEA or HFN, but if you pass on One More Soldier you will have missed a powerful love story. Many romance readers do not like to read books where the protagonists do not end up together because they are looking for escapism, but at times we have to remember that reading is all about giving your imagination wings and living in a world that sometimes enchants, but at times it’s like real life with all of its heartbreak and disappointments. Bran and Will were so real they grabbed a hold of my heart and never let go, and the Houston heat was like another character in the story because it was always present.
 
Some books take me out of my humdrum and usually uneventful life into a different era or genre and they have an incredible impact because they are so well written. That was how I felt after reading One More Soldier which was all of 69 pages, and I wondered how the author could pack so much living and loving into such a short book. The majority of books I read are forgettable, however I will remember this one for a long time, and that’s mostly because of the characters and the era. Gays were treated at times worse than criminals – but Bran had a plan for what he was going to do after the war, if he survived. His youthful exuberance and determination to make a difference, with all the odds against him, showed a lot about his character. He made it clear that he was not going to hide his sexuality, unlike Will who was still in the closet at 35; he wanted to make a difference in the gay community and couldn’t wait to get started.
   
If you have read any books by this author you know that her greatest strength lies in her characterizations, and Bran and Will were so well drawn it was as if they were real. This story is told from Will’s first person POV which was distinctive.  
  
I highly recommend this book which will let you live or relive a hated period of American history about which much has been written.  I think you will like the ending.

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62 comments

  • Eden Winters

    Oh my, Wave, what a moving review. I absolutely loved this story. I’m a sentimental reader, and it’s nothing unusual for me to cry while reading. One More Soldier surpassed them all. I bawled like a baby. I agree with you about the ending. Through his loss, Will gained himself. Dang! I’m crying now just remembering. Now THAT’S a powerful book, if you still cry over it long after you’ve stopped reading.

    Wow! Can Marie Sexton ever write!!!

    • Wave

      Hi Eden

      I picked up this book by chance a few weeks ago at ARe because it was written by Marie Sexton. I had never heard about it before and boy, was I bowled over.

      It’s a very emotional story and I hope that other readers will try it because it’s also a love story.

  • SusieQ

    Have this on my Kindle for awhile now, purchased simply because of the author. Been putting it off cuz I heard it was a sad read. Still not sure I’m ready, but it’s good to know it lives up to what we’ve come to expect from Marie! Thanks for a wonderful review, Wave!

    • Wave

      Susie

      I think you will really love this book because most of it is fun and a love story, which everyone tells me they love to read.

      I hope you get up the courage to read it and if you do please let me know if you liked the story.

      • Name (required)

        Wave –

        First of all, thanks for a great review. I’m glad you liked this one. It’s sort of my forgotten story, so I like to see it get a little love. 🙂

        I’ll tell you the story of the dedication. Last spring, Ethan sent me a short story he’d pulled out of his ‘forgotten’ folder and sent it to me and asked me if I thought it was worth doing anything with. His story had nothing to with Vietnam, and his story DID have a HEA. It also had lots of sex (winking at Ethan, if he’s reading this).

        Ethan and I don’t have the same style, but there was one scene involving a stereo that really caught me. It made all those wheels turn in my head. He and I debated trying to rewrite it together as a novella, but in the end, he said, “forget it, I’m not feeling it, you do it.” Although the bare bones are the same (character names, the fact that one is much older than the other), I think I ended up changing most of the rest. Once I’d finished, I told him I’d put his name on it as a co-author, but he felt I’d changed it enough that it wasn’t warranted. Nonetheless, I still think of it as my “stolen” story.

        Thanks again!
        Marie

        • Wave

          Hi Marie
          I loved this ‘little’ story which I didn’t even know was around – I found it by chance at ARe. It’s really lovely even though the ending is sad, but I didn’t mind because the characters crept into my heart and stayed there. I just loved both of them and I felt that Texas heat throughout the story.

          As for the stereo, I thought that episode was really hilarious and showed Bram’s determination to get into Will’s pants. And how about those shorts that Bram was wearing? Hot!!

          Ethan deserves the dedication. lol.

          I can’t want for your next Coda release which I believe is coming out in a couple of months? Hurry up please. 🙂

          • Name (required)

            There is a Matt and Jared short story coming out Valentine’s Day, and then the last of the A to Z books will be released on April 6th.

  • Josephine Myles

    I haven’t read the review because I don’t want any spoilers, but I’ve loved Marie’s Coda stories so I’ll definitely check this one out, then come back and read the review then!

    I’m wary of sad stories, but it sounds like the quality of the writing makes it worth the trauma.

    • Wave

      Josephine
      You will absolutely love the characters and the plot. This is very different from the Coda stories since it’s set in a different time and place (Texas, 1960’s) but the excellent writing will make you a fan of this story. If you get it, please let me know if you liked it as much as I did and do.

  • lisa s c

    I read this story a bit ago because it was from Marie. I had never heard of it. I cried at the end. It was so lovely and heartfelt. Generally I would have skipped this one if I had known, but I’m so glad I picked it randomly and let myself experience it.

    • Wave

      Lisa
      This is what I mean when I implore readers to try books when there is no HEA. They miss so much. In this case, even though there wasn’t a HEA I definitely think that the ending was uplifting and I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

  • Cole

    Thanks for a wonderful and heartfelt review, Wave. I love Marie’s writing and especially her characters (especially my namesake, lol) and this has been on my list for a while. I’m glad to push it to the top of the list. Thanks again!

    • Wave

      I thnk this book deserved everything I said about it. I’ve had it about a month and I tried to get Buda to review it but now I’m glad he didn’t and I did. 🙂 I hope you enjoy Bran’s and Will’s story.

    • Wave

      Val
      I really think you will love Bran and Will’s story, at least I hope you do. This is the kind of book that makes me love reading.

  • Buda

    Oh, Wave, what a great review! Now you know why I knew you’d love this book. Marie did such an excellent job here, I must have cried buckets. And I still think about these guys frequently, which tells me just how powerful their story really is. It’s so different from the Coda books, but with so much heart and soul.

    And as Marie knows, I’m eagerly awaiting the next two Coda books. Gotta make sure Jared is keeping my man Matt on the not-so-straight and narrow. 😉

    • Wave

      Buda
      You were right about this book. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. As for the tears at the end – I expected that would be my reaction because you warned me a week ago when I tried to get out of reviewing it. lol.

      Thanks for giving the boots to me, in a good way. 🙂

  • Cayendi

    I think I’ll put this one on my to-read list.
    I like the premise, and I’ve always been a sucker for age gaps and this sounds so bittersweet.

    Great review

    • Wave

      Cayendi
      I think what you’ll like as well is the glimpse into another era, but the best part is the powerful characterizations and love story. Please let me know what you think after you read this story. 🙂

      • Cayendi

        I completely forgot about your request, until I noticed your post on the Marie Sexton interview …

        I LOVED it!!!
        It was bittersweet and wonderful, sad, loving and beautiful all rolled into one.
        I teared up at the end, but this is definitely one to re-read at some point!!

        and I’m still a sucker for age gaps (which has partly to do with my tendency to fall for older men)

        • Wave

          Cayendi
          I’m so happy that you loved this book almost as much as I did. Knowing in advance how it would end I think helped you. I thought the ending was really uplifting.
          Thanks for coming back.

  • Lily

    After reading one of the Bittersweet stories I swore I wasn’t going to read another sad, no happy ending, story. Now I’ve got to go back on that.

    I love Marie’s writing and this sounds great. Good thing I’ve already got tissues on hand because of my cold. Great review as always, Wave!

    • Wave

      Lily
      You will love this story even though you cry buckets at the end. Like Buda said, it’s an incredible book and you will fall in love with the characters. I did like the ending.

      Keep those tissues handy.

  • luci

    Oh boy. I just bought the book based on your review. I’ve read her other books and loved them. Now before I read this one I am going to psych myself up. I love books that cal forth great emotion (tears or laughter) and this one will for sure do that it seems.

    • Wave

      Luci
      Have no fear. You will definitely love this book. I’m a real softie for romances like this and I have already read it again. Bran and Will will find a place in the corner of your heart and stay there. Don’t get the impression that this is book is a downer – it’s not – it’s a lot of fun. Tell me what you think about Bran’s shorts. lol.

      • Luci

        Yeah, those shorts were fab =) I read the story this morning, I was trying so hard not to wake my husband as I bawled my eyes out. Didn’t work. What an amazing story.

        • Wave

          Hi Luci
          I’m so glad you liked the story. Weren’t the protagonists great? Even though you cried, the ending was still uplifting I thought.

          Those shorts were hot. lol

  • Feliz

    Wave,

    I had almost forgotten about this book sitting on my sony, and now that I’ve read it, I’m still deeply moved. Thanks for reminding me, and thank you Marie Sexton for writing wonderful books like this.

  • Mariana

    You are soo right! I love this story so much. It is beautiful and powerful. I’ve been telling everyone I can to read it. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful I’ve read.

    • Wave

      Hi Mariana
      This book is so moving I want everyone to read it. It’s joyful and the characters rocked. I’m so glad you loved it as much as I did.

  • LadyM

    I heard a lot of good things about this story. I heard about the ending as well. I bought it, in spite of the fact that I HATE knowing the end. It is still sitting on my hard drive. But, it’s there and I believe the day will come when I’ll need some tears. ^^

    • Wave

      Don’t be afraid Lady M. It’s a wonderful book and you’ll only need the Kleenex until the end and it’s a brief scene although poignant. The book does end on a very high note despite this one scene. 🙂

  • Helena

    Will go for it when I gather some strength (and tons of kleenex).
    Does Ethan have published “his version”? It would be interesting to read the story that led to such a powerful book.
    Thank you very much for your review 🙂

    • Wave

      Helena
      You have to trust me. This is a love story above everything, and the characters are unforgettable. The sad scene is probably 1% of the entire book.

      If you read the comment from the author (comment 4) Ethan decided not to go ahead with his book. lol.

  • Ethan Stone

    This is truly an awesome story. Marie did far better with it than I could’ve. Mine was on the erotic side with lots more sex, like most things I write. BTW, Bran was based on a real life 18 year old I knew who really was incredibly hot.
    As for my version of the story, Marie and I talked about me publishing it some day. But it would SOOO pale in comparison to hers. She really made it her own. But you never know…maybe it’ll be a freebie someday (with Marie’s permission of course.)

    • Wave

      Hey Ethan

      Thanks for stopping by. When I saw the dedication I was really curious which is why I asked Marie about the background.

      That was very generous of you to give the story to Marie. Bran and Will have a special place in my heart and it’s really good to know that Bran was based on a real person – how cool is that.

      I have a guest reviewer who is impatiently waiting for the sequel to In The Flesh. Let me know when you receive your galley and I’ll ask Ariel to keep an eye out for the book on the DSP server.

  • Laura B

    I’ve read One More Soldier too, great review Wave, the book stole my heart and ran my tissue box down. It’s a story everyone MUST read, love Marie’s writing.

    • Wave

      Hello Laura
      I already re-read this book because I couldn’t get enough of Bran and Will – such terrific charcters. I can’t wait for Marie’s next books to be published..

  • Sirius11214

    I have read this one Wave, great review, but that’s what I meant about the warnings. I knew what was coming, friend told me the story is a sob story and of course I knew the author so I expected good story telling, and in that sense I was not dissapointed, but I had to mentally prepare myself for it 🙂

    It is an awesome story, but had I not been warned I would have been not happy 🙂

    • Wave

      Hi Sirius
      I knew that I had to include the warning about no HEA/HFN which is why the “spoiler” label is at the top of the review right before the cut.

      It is a wonderful book and I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to read and review it. However I understand why you would not have been happy if you didn’t know beforehand. This is where a reviewer helps but this type of information would not be on a publisher’s site. lol

      • Sirius11214

        Absolutely, I mean as much as I hate one of the guys dying in the book, I mean one of the main couple, I certainly do not require for my books to not have deaths in them, I will still occasionally read the book where I know death of one of the main couple occurs if I am in the mood. However I will do it if and only if somebody whose tastes I trust will tell me that the writing is exceptional, not just good, but exceptional. As much as I dislike the trope, I equally like great writing and I will subject myself to tears and being depressed for few days if I know writing is great and I am being properly forewarned.

        I bought Front Runner yesterday for example, knowing what happens and will definitely read it eventually, but I am certainly not a fan of this trope.

        I suppose if writing is exceptional I will read pretty much everything (except of course “I will rape you and we will live happily ever after”, even if the book which has this trope wins the most prestigious writing award ever, I will run far far from that trope). Oh and as I also mentioned before I do not read or watch horror. Tears may be healthy sometimes, nightmares as far as I am concerned not healthy for me:)

        • Wave

          Hi Sirius
          Anyone who loves books as much as you do will read stories that don’t have a happy ending if the writing is exceptional. You’ll really like the Front Runner. There’s an excellent review on the site if you want to check it out.

          I can understand your aversion to horror – I can only take it in small doses because I get nightmares. 🙁

          • Sirius11214

            Wave, sorry to bother you again but it looks now that I am not getting notifications about new comments on the threads I commented on at all, I mean I see them if I come to website, but no e-mails at all:(. Is that a glitch or is it supposed to be like this now?

            And yes, Steven King is so not my writer of choice 🙂 Can you believe that I have not watched a single movie that could be qualified as pure horror genre? Oh I will watch something which has horror elements, but even with those I will not be particularly happy usually.

          • Wave

            Sirius
            WordPress (which is what we use for posting and is the platform for the site) screws with us occasionally. Many times the reviewers don’t get notifications about comments on their posts, or we get them days later. I don’t know what’s the answer. Christian has checked the forums but has come up with a big fat zero where it comes to solutions. However, the problem seems to be intermittent.

            Re horror – I do love it occasionally since I love to be scared. I have probably read all of SK’s books. 🙂

  • Helena

    Done. I had the feeling that if I had to think twice about it, I would skip it. It is indeed a superb piece and somehow knowing about the ending beforehand has helped me not to end totally heartbroken. Going to read now something else to cheer me up 🙂
    Etan´s as a freebie? Yes, please *puppy eyes* It would make the wait for his next book shorter 🙂
    Thank you again for the review 🙂

    • Wave

      Helena
      I’m so proud of you. Wasn’t that a great piece of writing? I love those guys. You’ll have to get in touch with Ethan about his freebie – I’m not sure when he’s going to write it, but when he does it will be very hot. 🙂

  • hannahva

    Wave, Good review in helping me better understand the story. Ive read all of Marie Sexton’s books except this one.

  • Tj

    Hi Wave – Wonderful job on the review. I loved this book as well. I thought the age difference and the fact that Will had watched Bran grow up would ick me out, but Marie did a fantastic job of avoiding that. And I thought that the ending would be sad, but it was kind of hopeful for me – a reminder that our mere presence in people’s lives change them, hopefully for the better.

    • Wave

      Hi Tj
      This was really a wonderful book. I tried to get Buda to review it because he had read the story and I hadn’t at that point, but the little devil gracefully lobbed the ball back to me. lol. Anyway I’m very happy he did because this is the type of book I really enjoy. I love books written around the 60’s era, Vietnam and the problems that gays were having at that time.

      Marie did an excellent job on the age issue which could have been a tipping point for me, but it wasn’t because of the way she weaved the story. Also I think the ending was hopeful and not at all depressing. Great job!

  • Jessica

    While some might consider this review as having spoilers, I wish I had read it before the story. I read it expecting a typical romance HEA/HFN, but within a page or two I couldn’t imagine how that could possibly happen. So I sort of raced through the story, desperate to know how it ended. I think I was too distracted to get the full impact, and immediately put it on my TBRA (to be read again) pile.

    Yes, it was evocative, heart-wrenching, hopeful, inspirational…incredible how much Marie packed into so few pages! Also, I agree with Tj’s comment in its entirety.

    • Wave

      Hi Jessica
      I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews but because I know that “romance” readers expect their books to have an Hea?HFN I felt that I should be fair to them and let them know what to expect. It was a tough call but I think I made the right one and I’m glad you agree.

      As for the age difference I, too, thought it would squick me but it didn’t because of the way that Marie handled that aspect of the story.

  • Erastes

    Taken me a year to get around to reading this–but yes, agree with everything you say, will be reviewing it on 14th Feb (apt..) brilliant book and I’ll certainly be keeping my eye on Ms Sexton! 😀

    • Wave

      Hi Erastes
      Wasn’t this a wonderful story? Even though the ending was sad it was also hopeful.

      Marie doesn’t write a lot of historicals as I recall but I could be wrong. I should check.

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