This review originally appeared in slightly different form at BDSM Book Reviews.
With the new freedoms afforded by the repeal of the army’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, Captain Mike Kelly decided to check out local bar scene near where he is based in Philadelphia. When he spots Will tending bar, Mike thinks he may have found someone he can begin to build a future with, but he still fears exposing his true desires to the younger man.
For his part, Will is fascinated with the army captain, and frustrated. He isn’t used to meeting guys who don’t want to hop in bed at the first opportunity, but he respects Mike’s desire to want to get to know him first. He also suspects Mike has a secret, but when he learns that Mike seeks a domestic discipline relationship, he isn’t entirely turned off. Quite the opposite, in fact. He has misgivings, but only one condition: Mike cannot re-enlist when his current tour is up. Mike agrees, but of course the army doesn’t cooperate. So, when Mike is shipped off for a year in Afghanistan, Will makes him promise to come back. There will be “No Flag” for Will. Mike does come back, but not all of him, and this brings a whole new set of challenges for their relationship.
“No Flag” successfully weaves a multi-threaded story into a highly satisfying whole. The book not only tackles the somewhat unusual form of a Domestic Discipline (DD) relationship with compassion and understanding, but also manages to squeeze in some great points about being an army husband in the immediate aftermath of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), dealing with post-traumatic stress, and the challenges of maintaining friendships when you’re in a relationship.
At the center of all these threads are the two well-drawn main characters, Will and Mike. Army captain Mike has a serious case of OCD, which might explain his desire for extreme order in his house, and that translates for a tall order for Will. Fortunately for the younger man, he enjoys the occasional swat. Of course, actual discipline from Mike is no light paddling. The book rather nicely describes the structure of a DD relationship without going into boring data dumps. It also manages to touch on the misconceptions about such relationships that those outside it may have, including the suspicion of abuse.
Mike and Will’s relationship is strictly (if you’ll pardon the expression) DD, so the kink consists almost exclusively of scenes when Will requires punishment, describing both the paddling and the tender aftercare that Mike administers. It’s a structure that works very well for the two men, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when they are separated, and then have to work out how to rebuild their relationship after Mike’s injury.
The story is not without its flaws, minor though they may be. While the main characters are well drawn, some of the secondary ones are little more than standardized cardboard cutouts. The general who sends Mike off to Afghanistan and then interrogates him on his return is a rather typical buffoon. You have to wonder if our military really is dominated by generals who don’t have any brains, given how often they appear in fiction. However, the biggest cliché is Will’s gal pal - the only significant female character - who turns out to be a bit of a psychopath. You know, the kind that knows Will is gay, but somehow thinks she can ‘convert’ him. However, it must be said that while this character is a rather tired old cliché in M/M fiction, the author does pull it off quite well.
“No Flag” is probably an excellent read for those interested in Domestic Discipline relationships. However, the explanations of DD are introduced to the story so naturally that even people familiar with the topic won’t be bored. With the added dimension of looking at such a relationship under extreme stress, this is a book that can appeal to readers on many levels.
The book is available from Amazon
