Stevie‘s review of Landing Zone by Erin Dutton
Contemporary Lesbian Romance published by Bold Strokes Books 17 Jul 18
I’m always happy to read romances set around different careers, especially where some form of transportation is involved, so this story about police helicopter pilots and their ground-based colleagues caught my eye quite convincingly. Lauren Henley is a new civilian police pilot, having previously flown helicopters in the military, while Kim ‘Monty’ Montgomery is the ex-military police training instructor whom
Lauren spots with interest on the very first day of her new job. The only obstacle to them becoming friends, never mind anything more, is their shared history in the form of Lauren’s ex-girlfriend, Monty’s best friend: Courtney, who died in a helicopter crash shortly after she broke up with Lauren. Monty blames Lauren for both the break-up and the accident – if Courtney hadn’t still been upset over being dumped in favour of a man, then she would have been more careful while out on exercises. Of course the real story is a lot more complex than that…
Lauren was career military until a helicopter crash caused by a ground attack led to a medical discharge. Having served initially in the era of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, she’s always been keen to keep her personal life completely separate from her professional life and work colleagues. Monty and Courtney, on the other hand, joined up together with the aim of serving together until the time came to re-enlist, then using their knowledge and skills from the military to build productive civilian careers. As a consequence, Courtney had few worries about being outed, and Lauren’s apparent betrayal was merely an attempt by her to kill off rumours about her sexuality while she figured out what she wanted: domesticity with Courtney or a long-term military career.
When Monty and Lauren meet – the police training centre and the helicopter crews share the same site – Monty is hostile, in spite of appreciating Lauren’s physical features. Lauren tries to keep her attraction to Lauren in check: out of loyalty to Courtney, fear of being outed to her team, and also because she knows what Monty thinks of her past behaviour. The two are repeatedly thrown together and slowly come to understand each other and begin a low-key relationship. It soon becomes apparent, though, that Monty is no more willing than Courtney was to be a secret from Lauren’s workmates – especially when there’s no reason for them to keep things quiet beyond Lauren’s anxiety regarding people’s reactions to her.
While I enjoyed all the details about police training and helicopter crews very much, I did feel that this story lacked a definite feeling of conflict between the protagonists. Although they claim to hold differing opinions and to have different versions of what happened between Lauren and Courtney, there just doesn’t seem to be enough of a spark of anger between them. I’ll be trying other books by the author, should their blurbs appeal, however.
Grade: C
Summary:
Former U.S. Army pilot Lauren Henley and police training instructor Kim “Monty” Montgomery share a love of country, a sense of duty, and grief for a woman who left them too soon. That the woman they lost was a friend to one and a lover to the other should at least give Kim and Lauren something on which to build a friendship. But from the moment they met, they’ve been at odds.
When Lauren gets a job at the same police department as Kim, they are forced to at least fake professional respect. Eventually, respect and begrudging attraction turns to affection, then something deeper.
Read an excerpt.
