Beyond Duty by SJD Peterson (4 Stars)

Can two career marines move their relationship forward now that they are able to truly be together all of the time?

Gunther “Gunny” Duchene and Macalister “Mac” Jones have been in the marines for their entire careers. They have also been in a hidden relationship for a good portion of that time. Due to the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law, they are finally able to freely admit to the world that they are in a relationship. They will have to deal with the issues that arise from telling the service and their family, but more importantly, they will have to learn to be together fulltime.

I loved Gunny and Mac. They were extremely strong, intelligent, and caring men. They weren’t afraid to share their feelings with each other. The majority of the angst was completely outside the relationship, which is one of my favorite stories. I loved watching these two support each other as they finally share their love with the rest of the world. I also really liked that they were an established couple, albeit hidden, for a very long time before the story took place. It added depth and history to their relationship. However, since this was the first time they were openly together and living in the same home, it still had the feeling of the early stages of a relationship.

The characters were a little too similar, making it challenging to differentiate them sometimes. I also really wanted to know what they were going to do in retirement. I never doubted their happiness and knew without a shadow of a doubt that these two would spend the rest of their lives together. I was just hoping to get a better idea of how they would spend their time together.

I really enjoyed this unique military romance looking at two sexy lovers who are planning out the rest of their lives together.

Book Cover

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

BLURB

The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell didn’t come soon enough for Gunther “Gunny” Duchene and Macalister “Mac” Jones, career US Marines who met at boot camp in the 1990s. They’ve been somewhere between best friends and lovers in peacetime and wartime both, but as the clock ticks toward Mac’s and Gunny’s retirements, the guys have much more to worry about than coming out.

Whether their relationship will survive outside of the closet they’ve had to shove it into for over two decades is a big question mark. Gunny questions why a hot military man like Mac—who could get any guy he wanted, including a younger, sexier one—would want him. But as Gunny and Mac navigate emotional waters as choppy as any they saw on duty, they just might learn Semper Fi applies to more than their careers.

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