While his love, Ameila, is left behind waiting for him, James and his friend Matthew are bound for a military commission fighting the French in Canada. As they ride, she vows to wait for his return, not matter how long it takes. As the second son, at least this way James can earn enough of a position to return and wed Amilia without the discouragement of those who would consider him a poor match for her. Over a year later a letter arrives, courtesy of a lawyer, from them allowing her to find out what his true feelings are. At the same time, we look in flashback at the actions they have taken. From arriving on new shores, to their life in the army and finally to the battles the face.

This is a short, bitter, romance about the love of two people apart from each other and the love they hold in their hearts which keeps them strong. It is cleverly put together, from the initial departure setting the scene to the interplay between the idealised love contained within the letter being read to the more grounded reality of the army life that James and Matthew are facing, thousands of miles from home. The stark difference between what is being written, and the reality of their army adventures shows how each of the protagonists are really living and how their personal thoughts on this long-distance romance affect how they act. It is helped by excellent descriptive writing from the author which really gives the differing viewpoints and feelings of James and Matthew, indeed most of the second viewpoint is from Matthew as he watches the actions of James during the war. This extra perspective only helps to show how much Matthew is helping James survive and what their real feelings are. So when the final part of the letter is read, you are invested in the characters and the final thoughts they have and the final actions they take.

Formatting wise it was fine apart from the title, although the cover image is quite pretty. It was clear enough to understand when I was reading about the letter and when it was about the life in the army. I didn’t notice any major spelling or grammar mistakes and, in general, it was a excellent coffee time read, worth going over a couple times to enjoy all the little details contained in it. There are also a few links to more stories by the author at the back.

Overall, this is a bitter-sweet romance which easily filled a coffee time break and should be enjoyed by fans of the genre.