I’ve heard many great things about Beecroft’s False Colors but tend to be intimidated by long, epic historicals. This was a perfect introduction to her work, a novella that compactly blends romance, adventure and insight into the human heart in its 84 pages.Lt. Conrad Herriot has been struggling for a decade with his feelings for his manservant and best friend, Tom. He’s fairly sure they’re mutual -- the risk in taking action is not of losing Tom, but of his chances at heaven, and he feels forced to choose: “... to save his heart and lose his soul? Or save his soul and lose his heart?” But there’s another danger he hadn’t even thought about; in his world, love between two men is not only sinful but highly illegal. When Conrad’s Captain becomes suspicious about their relationship and reassigns Tom, matters come to a head with dramatic consequences for them all.Beecroft writes so beautifully, it’s hard to imagine anyone not being touched by this pair of forbidden lovers, each willing to sacrifice all for the other. The ending is satisfying but realistically bittersweet, there being no marriage/baby epilogue possible for this kind of historical romance; it’s also somewhat open-ended, leaving me longing for a sequel.(e-arc provided for review by netGalley.
