Review: Poppies in Paris by Jules Radcliffe

As a newly minted Jules Radcliffe fan, I snatched this book up and excitedly dove in.  Wow!  It was really something, and I wasn’t sure what I felt when I finished it.

This is Duke’s story.  He’s a soldier in WWI, and he is despondent.  You see, the press made it seem like joining the army would be a grand adventure where a solder would see the world…almost like a vacation.  Only, of course, it wasn’t.  He lost some dear friends who he convinced to sign up alongside him.  It’s cold and the smell of death is everywhere.  The book begins to focus on two very important men in Duke’s life.  First there is Corporal Driscoll.  Driscoll is right beside him in battles, and they even curl around each other for warmth during the freezing nights because they’ve only been issued one thin blanket per man.  The other is Lieutenant Ryan, and their what goes on with them is somewhat complicated…but comforting in a strange way.

I went into “Poppies in Paris” expecting a MM story about soldiers forming romantic/sexual relationships, but what I got was a character driven, brutal look into a devastating war.  Although there is sex, it’s it’s almost an afterthought.  My heart broke for Duke, but I was rewarded with a feeling of hope in the end.

This is a rather short book.  I got through it in about an hour or so.  It was a good hour, though, and even though I still struggle with how I felt about it all, I’m going to recommend it.  It’s not every day that you get something so unique.  It’s powerful, and the characters will settle into your brain.  It will leave you wanting more, and you’ll spend the next day or so wondering what happened to Duke, Driscoll, Ryan, and the other soldiers in the platoon.  Very interesting!

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