Proof of Life

I'm going to just say..... I think this is a good story, but it is not a good romance.

To the point that I enjoyed the veterans' interactions more than the romance. I loved the Bitches.

Is there an undercurrent of love? Yes. But for me it read more like a healing story, and finding yourself after a traumatic event.

Which brings me to my next issue. This......didn't read like a double bi-awakening either. Brandt was very much into West from the jump. And West may or may not have been aware of it but he was also not very platonic with Brandt prior to the event.

These men were making eye contact while jerking off less than 6% into the book. But to be fair it's the first time either of them acts on it with another man so maybe that counts.

I like a bit of give and take in my romance, and while I agree that West needed a lot of healing and Brandt was the greenest of flags in being there for him, it was at the expense of Brandt's own wellness.

More than once, he had to put aside his own pain to cater to West's. It was a recurrent thing. He doesn't get to process his own trauma, a lot of which is directly due to West. The number of times he had to freak out over foiling yet another suicide attempt. Only to have to do it again a few days later.

But for Brandt, it was always West first. No matter what.

"I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“I know who you are."

“Three legs, huh? Can’t fall with three legs.”

“We’re a fucking tripod, baby. We’re never gonna fall, and we’re never gonna lose our way.”

“Don’t forget, just because I’m not with you doesn’t mean you don’t have my legs.”

That said, whichever way I choose to look at it, Brandt was very willing to do whatever it took for West. So at least it had unconditional unwavering devotion.

This book is very 'I'll hold us both up until you're able to stand on your own, and then I'll stand with you.'

Both for the healing and the love.