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Tami

Tami

I'd do nothing but reading if I could (ok, maybe eat some great food, buy some fancy shoes between two books...oh, and spend some quality time with the gorgeous guy I married while I am on reading-break anyway...)

The General and the Horse-Lord

The General and the Horse-Lord - Sarah Black I liked this book very much. Mostly.This review will contain spoiler and a long rant...It was a very matter-of-factly told love story about an established couple which hasn't been officially together and out because of military careers. The depths of the mutual affection was very palpable and there were many phrases that were simply beautiful and poignant.The cast of characters was very well chosen and brilliantly done for the most part. I especially liked Kim - the flash-backs in John's point of view to his childhood were so very engaging.Why not 5 stars? The misogyny and the cheating.I didn't appreciate the portrayal of Gabriel's wife of 15+ years (and mother of his two children) as a selfish and vindictive bitch, because she didn't show understanding and was able to embrace Gabriel's coming out. What irked me here the most is, that it was ignored that the main hurt for her was not about Gabriel being gay (hard enough to swallow that alone) but his ongoing 25 years of relationship with his "best friend". Being told that not only was she never "the one" for her husband, no, she had to learn, that he had a relationship with his "the one" already when he met her and married her. She was second choice at best from the beginning. This is devastating news!And to then subtly portray her as a mean bitch, who puts revenge before her children's well-being, someone only caring about ruining her husband's lover no matter the cost - someone who belonged in one group with the violent and amoral people who beat up gay boys and are corrupt. And why? Because she gave a true statement about Gabriel's cheating. She didn't make the rules. He knew the rules. He broke the code of conduct here, but she is the monster because she told the truth about his cheating. And the condescending comment of John that "she will only regret her actions when it is too late for them". Really? Her doing is so wrong, that even the evil witch herself will have to concede how wrong she was? And "Gabriel will not forgive her". Wow. I mean, how can you even go there? He cheated on her and lied to her for the whole time of their long relationship and marriage. He basically had a second spouse for the whole f*cking time, and he will not forgive her???There was no positive aspect about her character in this story - she was clearly part of the evil crew, and I so don't appreciate this. It is an ongoing motive in m/m and I hate it. I have every sympathy for gay people, cannot even imagine how difficult coming out can be and so on. But this doesn't mean that they get a free pass at everything. And this kind of double standard is disgusting. Had the other spouse been a woman we would have spit in her face and thought Gabriel to be the douchebag from hell.Therefore I deducted 2 stars from the rating for an otherwise well written and enjoyable book.