The Dirty Book Girls: No Flag by Liz Borino

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

No Flag by Liz Borino

For Mike and Will, “No Flag” meant “come home alive”, but will their love survive what happens next?

Captain Mike Kelley does not ignore his intuition, so when sexy bartender Will Hayes captures his heart, Mike embarks on a mission to win him over to a Domestic Discipline relationship. Will accepts with one caveat: Mike must promise not to renew his Army contract. Mike agrees, and they spend a year building a life together, getting married, and

starting a business.

Only days before their café’s grand opening, Mike receives news that threatens everything he and Will have built. The Army invokes the Stop Loss military policy to involuntarily extend his commission and send him back overseas. Will, left alone to cope with the café, must rely on the support of old friends who may be no longer be trustworthy. Through emails and Skype calls, Mike and Will keep their love and structure alive…until the day a horrific terrorist attack occurs on Mike’s outpost.

Mike awakens in a hospital with a devastating injury and no his memory of the attack. As the only survivor, Mike’s memory may be the key to national security. Mike struggles to cope with his injury and Will struggles to support the man who always held him up. Both fear they have lost their previous relationship. Will has Mike back rather than a folded flag, but in the aftermath of war, can they rebuild the life they had before? Especially when those closest to them may not have their best interests at heart?

I never heard of Domestic Discipline. The characters were very good, Mike the military intelligence officer with problem OCD and Will the funny loving bartender who is not OCD. Mike teaches Will how to sort and wash clothes, how the organize the kitchen and funniest shit ever is that you cannot have sex with dirty dishes in the sink. Mike with all his manic problems was such a delight to read and Will as the troublesome (always getting into trouble) DD partner was a riot. The problem I had was with the unanswered questions with the best friend Casey. Why was she trying to wreck Will and Mike's marriage? Would have loved to have knew the story behind her drugging and getting Will drunk, when she knew for years that he was gay. Will and Mike's open gay marriage with Mike still in the Army after the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was very enlightening in the way that the military look at gay married couples. I liked the story just did not love it .

The problem I had was with the unanswered questions with the best friend Casey. Why was she trying to wreck Will and Mike's marriage? Would have loved to have knew the story behind her drugging and getting Will drunk, when she knew for years that he was gay. Will and Mike's open gay marriage with Mike still in the Army after the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was very enlightening in the way that the military look at gay married couples. I liked the story just did not love it .