Under the Radar

Slow-moving, slow-burn romance. I almost DNF'd it but it picked up a bit around the halfway mark. Considering it is set in a British submarine during WWII, the sense of time and place was strangely lacking (other than the interesting use of the Polari language that was adopted by some gay men of the time), and there is very little action until the last 25%. And I never quite warmed up to “handsome, dashing” Zachary, whose initial cold-hearted plans to seduce his steward Gethin somehow turned to true love when he got to know the completely innocent (as in, couldn't even admit his sexuality to himself) younger man. Even after he was allegedly smitten, there was something smarmy about him.

There was nothing inherently wrong with the writing, but I felt like it was a slog to get through the book. I guess this author's style just doesn't work for me.