The Door Behind Us by John C. Houser

Title: The Door Behind Us

Author: John C. Houser

Genre: Historical Romance (Americas)

ISBN: 978-1-62798-075-3

Length: Novel (260 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 14^th, 2013)

Heat Level: Low~Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: It’s 1919, and Frank Huddleston has survived the battlefields of the Great War. A serious head injury has left him with amnesia so profound he must re-learn his name every morning from a note posted on the privy door.

Gerald “Jersey” Rohn, joined the Army because he wanted to feel like a man, but he returned from the trenches minus a leg and with no goal for his life. He’s plagued by the nightmare of his best friend’s death and has nervous fits, but refuses to associate those things with battle fatigue. He can’t work his father’s farm, so he takes a job supervising Frank, who is working his grandparents’ farm despite his head injury.

When Frank recovers enough to ask about his past, he discovers his grandparents know almost nothing about him, and they’re lying about what they do know. The men set out to discover Frank’s past and get Jersey prosthesis. They soon begin to care for each other, but they’ll need to trust their hearts and put their pasts to rest if they are to turn attraction into a loving future.

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4257

Review: I just loved this book, every part of it, every turn, and even more, I loved the writing of this author. Being the first time I read one his books I’m deeply satisfied with the quality and the way it draw you into the story and let you live the story instead of simply reading it.

That said, this is quite a lovely story that follows two veterans and the aftermath of the war. Frank has come back from the front with a serious case of amnesia. Every day he has to be reminded of his own name and where he lives, with whom. As his grandparents have work to do in their farm they hire Jersey to supervise Frank and tell remind him of the situation when he forgets again.

Frank on the other hand has his own burden to carry. He went to war to feel strong like a man and came back missing a leg and feeling lost at what to do with his life. When he gets the job to supervise Frank, he quickly comes to care for the strong man even as Frank feels in complete confusion. But the feelings are mutual and the two of them become friends and a shoulder for each other fast. More so, when Jersey helps Frank actually stepping out of that gray area and start remembering things.

The present now clear for him, Frank struggles to uncover his past. Little did he know how many secrets lay hidden, how many lies hide the truth, how far the truth is from the reality he came to know after his injury.

The plot is enticing, intriguing, and downright irresistible. The story starts with a scene in 1965 and then goes back to 1919-1920. All the time you have an idea of how it’s going to end, yet there are many moments when the plot surprises you and you have those little doubt, wondering if you’ve had it wrong all this time. The difficulties for a male-male relationship back at the 20’s are all there; you get to read about the way people view such a relationship, the shame and feelings of sin that accompany the intimacy, the worry and feeling of loneliness. What I expected yet didn’t found was the depression. I can’t say I’m put out by it, nope, but it was odd, as the era might have called for a bit of dark feelings in the air. There were slight periods of melancholy, but they were overcome by other emotions so the heavy read I prepared myself to do was suspiciously absent. Did I resent it? Hell no! It’s a rare thing when I read a war/veteran related story that I end it feeling joyous and happy.

And how could I not feel happy with these two wonderful characters. Frank is adorable. He’s this big guy, stunning in his description, pure like a child at times, easy-going and by the end of the book so determined and set to what he wants and how he’s going to keep it. You can’t help but love this character as an individual, but paired with Jersey. Oh my!
Jersey was this character that does some incredible changes in his life. Initially he’s this witty, snarky guy. He resents his condition quite a bit, but in the company of Frank, we witness his humor, his child-like character, and playfulness. He makes you smile so many times with his charming persona. You simply can’t resist him, and if Grandmother Huddleston didn’t, then the rest of us never had a chance. They work beautifully as a pair, the intimacy between them goes beyond lust, and it’s so easy to grasp and live it while reading it. It makes you feel that they are meant to be even as there is no notion or reference of destiny in this novel. Of course, Jersey is also so very stubborn and with Frank’s character being determined when dead set on something we get to witness too many scenes that make you wince and wonder if this pair will make it work after all in the end. Hence, the not completely sure feeling you get even as you know from the beginning how the story ends.

Other characters fill out the cast and some you’ll love, some you’ll be skeptical about, and some you’ll downright dislike. They make an interesting variety that enhance this story and make it quite wholesome.

Overall, I found this book worth not only reading but also a must-have. Strongly recommended!