My Policeman

Format read: ebook (Libby)
Reading time: 7h
Tags: literary fiction, lgbt (m/m), romance, forbidden love
Own a copy: no
Reread likelihood: 7/10

This book was turned into a movie! What the trailer here.

My heart is kind of in pieces. I'll be back later for a proper review.

*Edit: ok, here we go :')

Summary:
Brighton, 1950s. Marion meets Tom while visiting his sister, Sylvie, and falls in love with him as first sight. Tall, blonde, and muscular, Tom is a veteran sea swimmer who sets off for the army just as Marion tries to get close to him. Fast forward a few years, Marion has become a (passable) schoolteacher, and Tom has become a policeman after coming back from the army. The two become friends, and Marion convinces Tom to teach her how to swim. Despite Sylvie's warning that “Tom isn't like that,” Marion presses on with her plan to marry Tom.

One day, Tom introduces her to a mysterious and charming man who works at the local museum. Tom declares that he has “met someone,” yet Marion ignores the signs and clings to her dream of becoming his wife. Tom, on the other hand, feels the social pressure of marrying at every turn, and decides to propose to Marion despite his heart.

When the truth about Tom and Patrick finally comes out, Marion is bent on saving her marriage by destroying her enemy. Little does she know, her actions not only destroy Patrick, but also the man she loves so much.

Review:
Told from a double POV, that of Marion's and Patrick's, the story shifts between the present time and the 1950s. Marion's letters tell the story from her point of view and focus a lot on herself and her feelings, while Patrick's focus is solely about Tom. Patrick rarely comments on other people, except Marion when he first meets her, and writes mostly “purple” observations about ‘his policeman.'

From the get go, Marion is unsympathetic and unlikeable. The section where she writes about her first day as a teacher is red flag city and really sets her into a firmly dislikeable character. Marion is said to have a wicked temper, which is shown a few times in the book. Though her fears about Patrick and Tom are founded, her reactions are often overdramatic and theatrical.

‘For a policeman, you're very romantic.' ‘For an artist, you're very afraid.'

Patrick, Marion, and Tom

“I hope that he will come and at least look at you–really look at you–and see what I see: that despite everything, you still love him. I hope this will break his silence.”