Brief Encounters

Title: Permanently Legless
Author: J.L. Merrow
Length: 7,000 words
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: m/m contemporary
Rating: B+

Blurb:
The Taliban may have taken both of Chris’s legs, but he came back from Afghanistan with his sense of humour and his lust for life firmly intact. The one thing that can shake his confidence, however, is meeting Josh, the one-night-stand from before his tour of duty he hasn’t been able to forget.

It turns out Josh hasn’t forgotten Chris, either. But with Chris such a changed man, can they still have a future?

Review:
It’s not often that authors produce stories with disabled heroes but this one follows Chris who is in a wheelchair after having his legs blown off whilst on active duty in Afghanistan. He’s a cheerful chappie whose sunny outlook on life includes telling lots of jokes about the fact that he can’t walk. This is partly to shock his friends, but also, I think, to regain control of situations where he’s at a definite disadvantage. Chris decides to head to his favourite gay club for the first time since he returned home and it’s here he meets up with Josh with whom he had a rather delicious encounter in the men’s toilets before he was disabled.

It really is quite impossible not to like Chris. His positive outlook on life isn’t just a front, but a way for him to make the best out of his situation. Through his cheerful narrative we get his perspective on what life is like for a disabled person in the way other people treat him and the inconveniences of a world geared up for able bodied people. I liked that this was done in a way that wasn’t preachy, as Chris has a pragmatic and matter of fact approach to life which points out his difficulties without making it seem like he’s whining or on his soap box.

The scene were Chris meets Josh again is awkward but again, Chris doesn’t dwell on the ‘what-ifs’. Instead their time together is a realistic mix of Josh not really knowing how to handle the situation sensitively and Chris thinking the worse about what Josh must be thinking. It’s only a minor misunderstanding though before a conclusion which was both very sexy and full of tender emotion.

My main niggle with the story was that I felt there was more story to tell. We find out next to nothing about Josh, other than his family situation, and he remains rather less rounded than Chris as a result. I also wanted to know who Josh’s friends were and what his relationship was with the older man at the club. It’s a little frustrating to be left with so many unanswered questions! I also wanted to see a little further into the lives of these men together, and I wonder whether there is scope for a sequel with this story.

Overall though there was much to like about this story. I did wonder whether the overseas people may not get some of the very British references – would they know what Pedigree Chum was, for example – but I liked that the story was firmly grounded in a British setting. I also liked how Chris peppered his thoughts with military references and thought it a pleasing way to show how being a soldier had affected his life.

If you’re interested in a well written story with a disabled hero who comes across as strong and self-sufficient, then this story could be for you. I found Chris a delightfully engaging man and I wish we could have more of him.