GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Kaje Harper - Into Deep Waters

In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Into Deep Waters 

by Kaje Harper!

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

BLURB

For Jacob and Daniel, two young gay men aboard a Navy ship in WWII, the risks were high. Not just the risks of injury and death from Japanese planes and submarines, but the risk of discovery, of discharge, imprisonment or worse. Only a special kind of love was worth taking that chance. But from the moment Daniel met Jacob's eyes across a battle-scarred deck, he knew he had to try.

Being together required figuring out what it meant to be gay and in love with another man, in an era when they could be jailed or committed for admitting the desires of their hearts. On a ship at war, their relationship was measured in stolen moments and rare days of precious leave, with no guarantees there would be a tomorrow. And if they survived the war, they would need even more luck to keep their love alive through all the years to come.

This story was written for a photo and story request letter as part of the Goodreads M/M Romance Love is Always Write event. Author royalties will be donated to Lambda Legal, for their continued legal support of the rights of LGBT individuals.

REVIEW

My Rating - 5 Stars!

I read this book a long time ago, but it has remained one of my favorites.

Daniel and Jacob first met during WWII, back when they were teenagers. Daniel was drawn to Jacob  the first time he saw him on the deck of their ship. They become friends and that friendship turns into more.  Together, they struggle to survive the war and it's aftermath.  Their relationship started during a period where gay relationships faced tremendous challenges. Being gay at that time was completely not tolerated. We see them face the challenges of having a romantic relationship, as well as trying to survive the war.  As they delve into a physical relationship, they have to learn together about gay sex, as neither as been with a man before.  The scenes are real and tender.

The author does a fantastic job of creating a believable war story.  You will feel the fear, stress and anguish that war brings.  That said, the story focuses on Daniel and Jacob's experiences and how they viewed what was happening around them.  There are parts of their story that are upsetting and difficult to read.  But their relationship is very emotional and very realistic.

Through their story, we see some of the challenges they face during the years, as the book covers a span of more 60 years. We see the hardship of one man returning home while his loved one is still away at war.  We see the difficulties of post war life.  And we see them overwhelmed by gay marriage being allowed.

Overall, I fell in love with Daniel and Jacob.  Their relationship is very real and very powerful.  They are funny and their relationship is full of sexy moments.  Their life together is a very heartwarming story .   Their story made me think, cry, smile, laugh and think some more.   That is truly the goal of a wonderful story.

Of course,  I gave it 5 stars out of 5 stars!

Kaje Harper

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname.

I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.

I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – forty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)

My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.

I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.wordpress.com/books/.

You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.

You can also find me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper