Right Here Waiting

Debut author Belledonne’s adorably guileless heart candy takes place in a cheerful alternate version of WWII-era America where being gay requires a little discretion but is generally received by friends and family as a quirky secret. Peter Montgomery heads to war, leaving Ben Williams to run a tailoring business and sing for the troops in New York City. They miss each other desperately, and never have a fight; Ben waits eagerly for sappy letters, while Pete uses the hope of seeing his love again to motivate himself to swim to safety after his plane is shot down. Cinematic meet-cute flashbacks fill in their history together. The military detail is vague but not jarringly inaccurate, with the war acting as a setting rather than providing plot. The real story is an old-school one of a grand love and a whole community that comes together to support it, with a happy ending that gives the reader a moment of escapist grace. (Feb.)