Title: Under the Radar
Author: Lillian Francis
Publisher: Finally Love Press
Length: 407 Pages
Category: Historical Romance, Suspense/Thriller, World War II
At a Glance: Under the Radar is a Historical Romance lover’s romance. A romance that was not simplistic in its challenges but fulfills the hope that love will find a way.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Blurb: It’s 1942 and after a sexual indiscretion, US Navy pilot Zachary MacKenzie is sent to serve in the Royal Navy’s submarine service—a shockingly harsh punishment for a man who loves to fly. The submarine is oppressive and frustrating for him, and he’s marked out from his peers, publicly by being American, and privately by his attraction to men.
The only bright spot is the company of his steward, sonar operator Gethin Llewelyn. Despite the differences of rank and background, they’re drawn to each other. Gethin’s integrity complements Zach’s casual joie de vivre, and soon the friendship develops into something much more.
As the threats of war increase, the submarine is plagued by potentially hostile vessels, and circumstances lead them to suspect there’s a spy amongst their own crew. Being forced even closer together as they work for the greater good reveals a new awareness, and Zach doesn’t know what is in more danger, the vessel under his charge or his heart.
Review: Set against the backdrop of World War II, Lillian Francis’ Under the Radar offers up a plotty and suspenseful spy drama aboard an English submarine, alongside a romance that presents its own inherent risks for Lieutenant Zachary McKenzie and ASDIC operator Gethin Llewellyn.
Underscoring the espionage and a traitor or two to the crown in their midst, not to mention the enemy forces they must be alert to at any given moment, Zach and Gethin face the very real and personal danger of their attraction and the feelings that grow between them. Francis addresses the limitations, confinement and claustrophobia of the setting, captures the sharp emotional thrill and the corresponding fears of being caught in a look or touch that lingers just a bit longer than is acceptable, and then translates the worries and subsequent doubts, ensconcing it all in a budding relationship in which fear is a side effect of deepening wants, and hurt and misunderstanding—owed to their inability to communicate openly—is always waiting in the wings.
Under the Radar is a Historical Romance lover’s romance, and I was intrigued by its characters as well as the mission that inadvertently offered Zach and Gethin the excuse and opportunity to work more closely together. They each have backstories designed to add to the empathy of the overall story, which succeeds in every way, and while there were opportunities for everything to go sideways every step of the mission, the drama isn’t overtly angsty, just the right amount of suspenseful so as not to overshadow the fact that this is, first and foremost, a romance of stolen moments and hushed desires. A romance that was not simplistic in its challenges but fulfills the hope that love will find a way.
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