One for the Gods

I'm going to break one of my rules. Generally, if I like a book, I'll give it a good review to try and help create good buzz for the writer. But if I don't like a book, I will pass on doing a review. After all, who am I to try and railroad some poor struggling writer with my poison pen? Well, "One for the Gods" is long out of print and Gordon Merrick has been resting in his grave for 19 years. A negative review from me isn't going to hamper anyone's livelihood. The first installment of the Peter and Charlie trilogy, "The Lord Won't Mind," was enthralling fiction. The second installment, "One for the Gods," sadly misses the mark. After ten years of married life, Charlie and Peter are spending several months on the French Riviera on show more business ventures when Peter falls off the fidelity wagon and has an affair with a young Frenchman. When Charlie finds out, he goes a little berserk and their marriage is put to the test. He decides they should accept the offer of an American couple to join them on their yacht for a tour of the Greek Isles. Their romance is rekindled, but Charlie wants to change the nature of their relationship by opening it up to include liaisons with outside partners of both sexes. Peter makes this sacrifice to keep from losing Charlie, but that eventually backfires as well. Unfortunately Merrick has allowed his storytelling to sink to tawdriness. While the explicit sex in "The Lord Won't Mind" was essential to taking us into the world of discovery of young Peter and Charlie, in "One for the Gods" it serves no purpose but to transform the novel into cheap erotica. I hoped for the richness of the earlier installment, but was sadly disappointed. show less

This is the second book, after The Lord Won't Mind, in the Charlie and Peter trilogy. Although I liked it, I don't think it's as good as the first book.

Charlie and Peter are in their early 30's now and living on the French Riviera while Peter conducts business. Peter has an affair and Charlie doesn't handle the infidelity well.

The portrayal of Charlie is what I found hardest to believe. In The Lord Won't Mind, Charlie is coming to terms with his sexuality. He's definitely the stronger (more dominant) personality.

In One for the Gods, he's so overcome with jealously that he makes a conscious effort to reverse their roles. He also believes adding a woman to the relationship will strengthen it.

As a straight female, perhaps I just can't show more relate. But while I enjoyed the story of the continuing relationship between the two men, I had trouble understanding Charlie's reaction. show less