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?
Excerpt
(July 7, 2012) The News
Bombs exploded on the evening news, one after the other. Body parts flew past the camera. The headline across the bottom of the screen read: “20 Army Intelligence Officers Dead.”
“Early this morning, a bomb exploded in the Army Intelligence building, killing twenty American soldiers from Platoon 518,” the blond newswoman reported.
Will Kelley squinted as the fuzzy security images played behind the woman’s head, searching through the chaos for reassurance. Nothing. His heart pounded and he tried to swallow, but found only dry air in his mouth and throat. The female reporter described the weapons used and structural damage done in vivid detail, which made for sensational television, but failed to answer any questions for the people at home. Victims’ families had to be notified before the media could release their names. So blondie would lose her job if she read the list in front of her.
“What the hell are you doing, man? We open in thirty minutes and you’re watching television?” Seth, his roommate, demanded from the doorway of the living room.
“Answered your own question, didn’t you?” Will responded.
“Are you ready?”
“No.” Will did not take his eyes off the screen. “I’ll drive myself.”
“When?”
The report flashed to an increase in allergies in children, so Will switched to another station while typing “Attack on American S2 Building in Afghanistan” into Google. It wouldn’t be that easy, though. So Will tried several more combinations of search terms before finding a video shot by an insurgent involved in the attack. The camera shuddered. Focused on different areas of the chaos. Men ripping clothes off soldiers. Looting. Bodies blown to bits. A man removing computer hard drives. And only one face. On the severed head of Major Evans.
“Will!” Seth jabbed him in the shoulder with a pen. Will forced his eyes away from the computer. “What happened?”
“Mike’s platoon was attacked. Twelve survivors.”
“Shit,” Seth said. “Can you call…?”
Will took a slug from the nearby water bottle. “Who? No one will talk to me. I’m not my husband’s family.”
Seth stared at him for a long moment and said, “I’ll have Casey cover for you.”
Will stood and shook his head. “Why? I can’t do anything here except watch the same videos over and over. May as well see if I can make some money.” He shut his computer and set it on the side table. “Meet you there. I won’t be too late. Promise.” He had to stop himself from scoffing as the meaningless word left his lips.
“Will…” Seth began.
“You wanted me to move, I’m moving! Go. I’ll be there.” He walked toward his bedroom, Seth’s gaze burning into his back. Stopping to throw a glance over his shoulder, he added, “Don’t tell Casey. I can do without her mother-henning me.”
“Will…”
“Please, Seth.”
“Sure,” he agreed.
“Thanks,” Will said as he climbed the steps and closed his bedroom door. He leaned against the wood cutting him off from the rest of the world. His eyes roamed the four walls decorated with band posters, a white board, and his wedding picture. Will strode over and fingered the golden frame. Behind the glass lay a photograph of Will and Mike in tuxes in the middle of their first dance. Their smiles easily outshined the gold on the frame. Mike had always been handsome with broad, built shoulders and muscular pecs, leading to abs you could grate cheese on.
But none of that stood out to Will, not on their wedding day of the year before. Mike’s blue eyes radiated a strength and hope. Will removed his wedding band to read the promise inscribed: No Flag.
Please keep your promise, Mike, Will thought as he took a deep breath and tore himself away from the picture and the crushing memories it brought. He had a job to do tonight.
Professional Reviews
Mrs Condit 5 Sweet Peas and Recommended Read
No Flag is much too complex to try to review it by retelling the story. There are many plots and sub-plots intermingled in the most exquisitely written book I’ve read in a while. The characters are remarkable and developed to the point I can’t stop thinking of them as real people. There was one minor character who I thought was so over the top malevolent I had trouble connecting with her, even as a villain, but other than that this book is populated with startlingly real characters, good and evil.
I can’t imagine the amount of research Ms Borino did to complete this book. She covers the foster care system, gay relationships, military hierarchy, politics, the war in Afghanistan, OCD, the domestic discipline lifestyle, business development, personal and business financial planning, technology, disabilities, including recovery and treatment, pain management, terroristic threats and responses, heroic patriotism, PTSD, date rape pharmaceuticals, and I’m probably forgetting a whole lot more. Did I say this was a complex story? Try weaving all of that and a romantic love story plus erotic elements together to create a coherent, beautiful book. I don’t know how she does it but Liz Borino accomplished just that.
I have cried during emotional stories many times, and did again in this one. However, I’ve not felt the anger that welled up from this story. More than once something happened that was so unfair, so excruciatingly thoughtless I was beyond angry, knowing such things do happen outside of fiction and do hurt real human beings and the people who love them.
And the title, No Flag? It comes from Will telling Mike not to do anything heroic that would result in the presentation of a coffin flag to Will at Mike’s funeral. I have one of those flags and received it from an Air Force officer on bended knee, with the words, “From the President of the United States and a grateful nation.” The wording at presentation has changed since then but the demonstration of shared grief is the same. So I get the reference and the plea from one lover to another. It is just about the most perfect title I can imagine for this book.
All that love, sadness, anger, and emotion builds up to a wonderfully satisfying HEA. It wouldn’t be a Liz Borino romance without that. I adored this book.
3 Chicks After Dark 4 Star Review
I feel I need to put a giant disclaimer at the beginning of this review, so here it is: I AM AN ARMY WIFE.
That is out in the open, now I will expand just a bit on why I need to confess. I have been around the military my whole life. I was the child of a soldier, I am the wife of a soldier. I watched my dad retire and I will do the same with my husband next year. I am not new to the lifestyle and I know the old and the new Army. This can be a blessing and curse when it comes to military stories. I have a tendency to stay away from most of them for two reasons, the discrepancies in how the services can be portrayed and the service member is usually over the top alpha male. When I read the synopsis for No Flag I knew I had to set aside my preconceived notion and read the book!
No Flag is written chronologically beginning with Mike and Will’s first encounter. I like that Borino moved the timeline rather quickly. We only get events that are pertinent to enhancing and moving the story along. I found the pacing to be perfect. Numerous, short chapters made for a very quick read. I finished No Flag in a day, I love when that happens! Even though the pace is fast, we do not have insta-love. Mike is pretty traditional and wants to build a relationship with Will. It is several (frustrating for Will) months before they do anything more than kiss and that comes after declarations and commitments.
Mike and Will do not have a traditional relationship, theirs is a bit more unique. They enter into a Domestic Discipline (DD) contract. I wouldn’t call it a strict BDSM contract. DD is more along the lines of schedule, structure and order. It is the perfect situation for a OCD dominate and a submissive who needs discipline and punishments when out of line. It is basically a more vanilla D/s lifestyle. The only kink that occurs in No Flag is spanking.
Mike is a Captain in the Army. He is a little over a year out from fulfilling his commitment when he meets Will. Poor Will, he is smart and has goals, he is just all over the place. Mike’s obsession with order does help Will get himself together and on the road to owning his own business instead of being a bartender the rest of his life. As their relationship develops and they are moving toward commitment and their DD contract, Will makes it known he does not want to do so if Mike is deployed. It really is a fair concern. Will doesn’t want to become dependant on Mike and have him deploy for a year and possibly never come home. This is a very real concern for Will and EVERY MILITARY SPOUSE! Believe me, I’ve lived it! It is no fun and the feelings I had Will also had.
As often happens to soldiers, Mikes is totally screwed over by his commanding officer and a few weeks before he is to be discharge he is put on stop-loss and is set to deploy to Afghanistan. Mike and Will are devastated. They manage to work though the emotions, figure out how they will set Will up for success and make it through the year separation. The schedule whore Mike, is a blessing because he keeps Will focused so he is able to function well and keep it together! When Mike’s schedule varies and starts to conflict we see the impact it has on Will and home life. This is so true! I like how Borino uses the DD to show how the stress can build for Will just as it can for a partner with kids. Eventually, everything that could be done a few months prior, alone, suddenly cannot be done anymore. This actually happens! There comes a point when one just doesn’t want to do one more thing. We just can’t be brave anymore. What we really want is to yell, scream, throw something, break something and cry! Will, I could feel your pain!!!! The breakdown, the resentment and whole gamut of feeling the deployment causes Will are very, very real.
Tragedy strikes in Afghanistan, Mike and Will suddenly have the challenge of a disability to face. These guys were so strong.They are always there for each other, open communication and really working through any problems that arose. The level of support was through the roof. They did all the right things to keep their relationship healthy as they faced one of the most difficult things they probably ever would in their life together.
This was the first book I’ve ever read that had a DD situation. I didn’t find it to be any different from reading a book with BDSM or fetishes. I thought Mike and Will were very respectful of each other and loving. I liked them both and wanted to see them maneuver the tough terrain they encountered post Afghanistan. Hands down this was one of the best military m/m books I have read!
M/M with DD (Karen Peacock)
The title of the book says so much about this story. Mike must return to Will and no flag will be accepted as his replacement. This is an amazing story filled strong emotions, passion and so much love. Liz has a powerful way of writing that draws you in from the very beginning and you forget where you are or what you are doing until you finish it. The love scenes were so HOT. I was just lost in their attraction and feelings for each other. Her characters are so real, it makes you feel as though you know them or you could walk into their lives and feel completely at home. I loved Mike and Will's relationship as they grew stronger together. Will's acceptance of Mike's DD proposal was interesting as we watched him make mistakes and how they both worked through everything. Will's love and strength was put to the test when he was left alone as Mike is sent back into active duty.
If you love emotional love stories with amazing characters, this story is for you! Liz has moved up into my list of favorite authors that I would buy anything that they write because she is just that amazing. Thanks so much Liz for sharing your talent with me!
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