Rank

by Richard Compson Sater

Integrity. Service before self. Excellence in all things. The U.S. Air Force core values matter to Second Lieutenant Harris Mitchell, out and proud since the military ditched its "don't ask, don't tell" policy. But though the Air Force may be gay friendly, Harris isn't so sure about his demanding new boss, Brigadier General Seamus O'Neill--unit commander, cargo pilot, perfectionist, infidel--hiding behind bluster, a magnificent mustache, and a secret. Harris is certain that General O'Neill hates him. So what's a lieutenant supposed to do when he discovers that he's fallen in love?

Genres: Military Fiction, LGBT, Romance, Contemporary, Queer, Fiction

310 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2016

About the author

Richard Compson Sater retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve after 24 years of service, having attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. He spent most of his career as a photojournalist and public affairs officer under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” directive that kept gay service members in the closet. He is a veteran of both Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rank is his first novel.

Sater earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in creative writing from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in fine arts from Ohio University. In addition to his military service, he has at various times been a college professor, classical music radio host, bookkeeper, bartender, and window shade salesman. He lives in Seattle with his handsome spouse and their dog.

Reviews

[Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Rank revolves around two United States Air Force officers, Lt. Harris Mitchell and General Seamus O'Neill. Set just a few years after the end of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, Rank addresses itself to two issues: the reality of daily life and the glass ceiling for service members who are gay, openly or otherwise, and the challenges that confront a relationship between two different generations. Thankfully free of the ridiculous and unrealistic military stereotypes that permeate romantic fiction - there isn't a muscular SEAL team member or facile portrayal of a wounded veteran in sight - Rank depicts life as it really exists in large western military organizations. There's a lot of bureaucracy, ceremony, pettiness, and unwritten rules and taboos that are violated at peril. Rank is a personal meditation on the costs of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and how it affects lives, values, and the incredibly difficult choices facing gay men and women who choose to serve their country. As if that were not enough, Rank also brings t0 life the daily difficulties facing relationships between officers, something that is strictly forbidden in the military. Finally, Rank explores the stigma attached to a relationship where the age difference between adults is more than a few years.

While still ultimately a novel about love, Rank rises above the tropes that weigh down the romantic fiction genre to become a serious work, with a realistic depiction of military life for gay men. Aided by clear literary prose and a sedate but never dull plot, Rank conveys its difficult story and realistic characters well. Although a work of fiction, many aspects clearly draw from the author’s real experience in the military and give the novel an unmistakeable tang of authenticity. This novel is an excellent and needed addition to gay-themed literature.

Given the author’s experience and formal literary training, I am certainly hoping that this will be only the first of many works from Lt. Col. Sater.

[KatieMc · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think interoffice romance is messy and ill-advised, try placing it in a rigid chain of command of a culture that has a very spotty track record with its LGBT members. Rank is a slow burn romance that takes place in the Air Force. It’s not the special ops, trained assassin, alpha-male military that you typically find in thrillers and romance, but rather a mundane military of desk flyers, administrators and paper pushers who keep the the the services ready and able to defend our country at a moment's notice which could be any fucking moment now that SCROTUS in charge. Excellent portrayal of relationship officially forbidden by rank and unofficially forbidden by homophobic attitudes in and around the military. While this wasn’t a blockbuster read, I did enjoy it very much AND I hope to see more from this author.

Shout out to the Jeff and Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast for this rec!

2017 reading challenge checks the box for 20. A book with career advice . Don’t sleep with your boss, and if you do, make sure he/she makes the first move.

$15.99 for kindle version, YIKES. January 28 update - price on Amazon is down to $9.99 which still seems steep, especially for a new on the scene author.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here comes the General!

This is such an enjoyable story and it was a pleasure to read. I am not surprised it was nominated for a 2017 Lambda Literary Award.

It is a lovely story about an airforce officer who re-enlists just after the repeal of DADT (Don't Ask, Don't Tell), and how he falls in love with his demanding boss, General Seamus O'Neill.

2nd Lt. Harris Mitchell is rather surprised when he is offered the position of being General Seamus O' Neil's aide. The General has a reputation of being difficult but Harris decides he will take up the opportunity. He has a rocky start but this is just because the General is the General and he wants things done for him in his way and in his time. Harris rises to the challenges of his job despite being yelled at and being given regular public dressing downs, and being called strange names. The General has a reputation of being an ass hole and the General is proud of it.

Harris is openly gay and he is proud of who he is. He is out to his family and his parents love and support him. He knows the military is going through a period of transition and that not everyone supports the repeal of DADT. He doesn't feel that the General is anti-gay and he is happy to work for him.

Indeed, Harris has a slight suspicion that the General is actually gay.

Harris feels attracted to the General but he suppresses his feelings because the General is his senior officer and possibly not gay, but as time goes on he begins to notice little things that show him that perhaps the General feels something for him too. And then events occur and the two men suddenly find that their feelings for each other are out in the open and then they begin the journey of getting to know each other.

But this is not an easy journey.

The General is closeted and he sees no reason to come out. He hasn't ever lived as an openly gay man and his family have no idea that he is gay. Both men are contravening military protocol by being together and their relationship is complicated because The General is Harris's boss. But they decide to take this journey together and the story explores their love and growth as people against the background of the military.

The story is told from Harris's perspective and it is written in a really engaging way. I was drawn into the story from the first word and I loved the way the story develops gradually. The characterisation is rich. The General comes across as a blustering character, full of confidence and brashness but at the same time gently vulnerable. Harris by contrast is a man who is sensitive to the feelings of others but bold and able to hold his own in a world that is hostile towards him because of his sexuality. When the two of them come together the story shows how the men negotiate their public and private
life and how Harris, though younger, has a depth and maturity that the General draws upon.

I enjoyed the portrayal of military life and the way the different characters live together in a community but not always fully living who they really are. The story shows the challenge LGBT people face living in such a community even though DADT has been repealed. Policies may be repealed but social attitudes take time to change. All of this affects the way Harris and Seamus relate to each other and the way they relate to their work place and family.

The writing is simple but engaging and the story is told from Harris's perspective. It left me wanting to know more. Is this a relationship that can survive outside the military? Will the General ever come out to his family and what about the age difference between the two men? I may never know the answers to these questions but these characters will stay with me for some time.

This book will definitely go on my shelf for exquisite reads for 2017 and it will be interesting to see if it wins the LAMDA this year.

Copy provided by Boldstroke Books via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Mike Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sater's debut novel/romance charmed me in spite of its flaws. This military love affair starts at an Air Force base, in non-combat situation. Harris is hired to be the aide of General Seamus O'Neill, who's a gruff yet handsome boss. Their intimacy starts after a bit too much champagne at a party. The two men have to explore the uneasy situation of fraternization, which is a no-no, even in this post-"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military.

O'Neill's also 20 years older than 30-year-old Harris, our first-person narrator. The general's also closeted, and job pressures, plus their sneaky romance, fill most of the book. O'Neill's multiple spontaneous nicknames for Harris are amusing.

There's a sweet series of scenes with Harris' parents grilling the older man to see if he's worthy of their son. As mentioned in another review here, a lot of description and inner thoughts fill much of the story. But I got a clear picture of the scenes, smells, and environs. One gay bar scene is rather stereotypical, but its negative depiction serves a purpose to further the plot.

Harris' final ultimatum demanding his man come out provides a quick and dramatic resolve. And despite the excess of description, the sex scenes are kept to a minimum, or alluded to, and the narrative resumed post-sex. So, it's a fairly conservative tone, yet the modern-day military setting is interesting.

[Aussie54 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the writing style and enjoyed the story telling, but I had a big problem with the power imbalance in "Rank". A relationship between a boss and his employee, especially in a military setting where the boss is a general and the employee is much more lowly ranked, bothered me.

General O’Neil also wavered in and out of character – I had trouble imagining him doing and saying things that seemed quite contrary to his portrayal in the early parts of the story. The way he treated Harris in public was atrocious, even if it was just a “quirk” of his character. However, I wanted to keep reading right up to the end despite my misgivings, which shows Richard Compson Sater is a pretty talented writer.

I'd like to add that there are no overly descriptive sex scenes in the story. I don't think the word "kissing" even made an appearance, but there was plenty of mutual "mustache pressing". That was different (not in a bad way).

3.75 stars

[Alena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very slow moving, and despite the first person POV, it is very detached from its main characters. To me it never became clear why the main character was attracted to the General, other than that he has the exact looks he is mostly attracted to. But he's not a very nice person and reads a lot like bully.

Very descriptive, a lot of telling, really very little plot. If all the filler material were taken out there'd only be very little left. The main character goes on about descriptive tangents on anything and everything, in the beginning I found his tangents on military life interesting, but the lectures got old fast.

[Pat Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came highly rated from the Bold Strokes Authors blog. I believe it's the author's first book, it was written, or shall I say edited with a certain level of expertise that is rare for this genre and I would most likely read the next book he writes. The only reason for the 3 stars is that there were parts of it that were impossible for me to believe.***SPOILER ALERT *** The general's remarks at the dinner with the parents was completely out of character. The fact that they then recover from that was just ... hard to believe, for me anyway. Otherwise a good read.

[Jeff Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful May-December / military romance.
More complete review to come!

NOTE: I received a free ebook for an honest review for "Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast."

[Emmie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The setting was very realistic, and I liked that it was very focused on the day-to-day workings of the Air Force as opposed to an active war scene. It was also refreshingly void of stereotypes. I loved Harris and Julia, and the development of the relationship with the general. Story-wise, though, a lot of the development between them went kinda from "there's something here" to "I'll be with you forever"- even with overlap, in a way! There are constant doubts about commitment, and at the same time, promises of forever, even though there has not even been a confession of love yet. That was a little frustrating to me, as well as that I felt that if they had sat down and made a goddamn plan for contingencies and also communicated a bit more about expectations and wants, things could have gone a lot smoother for them. Still, a solid read, I liked it!

[ASHLEY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting romance about two men in the military after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On top of that, there's rank differences to deal with. The pacing was very up and down though

[Veronica of V's Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Air Force Second Lieutenant Harris Mitchell had no idea what would happen when he reported to the office of Brigadier General Seamus O'Neill. Certainly not finding the love of his life.

Harris had enlisted previously, but only served his enlistment. He went into teaching, and only returned to the Air Force when Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed. Because Harris is gay, and he wants to be out in all aspects of his life. His commanding officers all know, and he's quick to bring this to the attention of General O'Neill when he's interviewing for a new aide. The general seems unperturbed, and Harris is soon reassigned.

Harris is in the direct firing line of O'Neill's ire, and also center of a betting pool. See, none of the General's aides in the past two years has lasted more than two months of the year-long assignment. This hostile work environment lights a fire under a bored Harris, and presents him a challenge he's been waiting for. Plus, the general is a fit specimen for being just over fifty.

This novel reads more like a "memoir," with lots of description regarding the Air Force, DADT, and a protocol-flaunting general. Harris has a developing attraction for the general, but thinks it's moot: the general isn't gay. Thing is, he is, and while he returns Harris' interest, the general is unwilling to come out.

I really liked the quiet humor and touching moments. There is a lot of heart here, and a little bit of heat. Harris and Seamus make a sweet May-December couple, but they aren't very realistic, as Harris' parents are quick to point out. Plus, Harris is in a far different position than his paramour. He's out-and-proud, and Seamus isn't. Won't. Wants no part of that business. That's not acceptable to Harris, really, nor to his parents.

I could really sense the inherent danger of their relationship, that both men will lose rank if they are discovered. That they each face dishonorable discharge is made very clear. Harris is a great character, with a sweetness that belies his station. He's thirty, so it's not like he's being taken advantage of, but he's not jaded. I did enjoy their love story, and liked all the intricacies of the military protocol that make up the plot. Watching The General squirm under cross-examination by Harris' mother was beyond delicious. She's a feisty gal who cares not one whit for rank, if it's going to harm her son. Huzzah for military mothers! She did you proud.

The ending is really a little more open than I'd hoped for. It felt realistic, though, with each man making plans for a future together, even if the Air Force separates them for stretches of service. It's a long time coming, however, and Seamus and Harris have a lot of steps to take to get there.

[Amanda Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up! Love a good age difference.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intelligent and solid, compelling, fresh book that I quite enjoyed. A real pleasure with meat on its bones. It moves at it's own pace, without hurry. But like a pleasant drive the journey is as important as the destination. It's also refreshing to see an author who doesn't shy away from existential conflict between the main characters. These folks don't have the important stuff handed to them on a platter (as often happens in this genre): they have to work for it.

It feels as though it's been crafted with humor and care, avoids cliche, and addresses issues that mean something with characters who have some uniqueness. I had a good time with it. I can quite see why it would be on the Lambda Literary shortlist.

[Walford · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up, 'cause good for Sater.
This one isn't quite like my usual m/m. Maybe because it reads like a memoir; it has that kind of immediacy and, dare I say it, sincerity.
The writing varies in quality. It can be sentimental in between the passages of realness. The author writes about sex the way Gore Vidal did. In 1948. Only goopy, which Vidal never was.
But it's a great story, with quite good writing in places, and I liked it very much.