Honeytrap

Oh this was so lovely, and just what I needed in a time of literal hellfire. The first two-thirds of the book is definitely worth 5 stars, but the last two sections can't quite live up to the start. However, I keep wanting to go back and re-read parts of it, so I think it's a 5-star keeper for me. The story starts in 1959 Iowa: Daniel Hawthorne and Gennady Matskevich are paired up by their respective governments to determine if shots fired at a train containing Soviet premier Nikita Krushchev, were accidental or a poorly-planned assassination plot. The mystery is secondary to the main plot, however, which is the sweet, sad, funny and tender story of an FBI agent and a Soviet spy slowly getting past their mistrust to form a close friendship, along with deeper feelings that neither man can admit. Not only is queerness a cause for Daniel to be fired and Gennady to be face even worse consequences, but they are on opposite sides of the Cold War and they know that any wrong word or action could be reported and used against them. Except that gradually, they do trust each other, letting their guard down as they travel together over many months. There is so much pining and longing, since they face about the most serious external obstacles to a relationship you could find (the only thing worse would have been if Gennady also happened to be a Martian).And then we jump ahead to 1975, and things are slightly different, but no less complicated. It will take more than 30 years and the fall of the Soviet Union for their story to reach something resembling a HFN ending, but it's so worth the journey.As I mentioned, the first part of the book set in 1959 is sheer perfection. Gray writes without a lot of flourish but she somehow gets to the heart of the MC's emotions. Daniel has been given this assignment as a way to redeem himself after being caught in a sexual relationship with his former partner, and Gennady's wretchedly abusive superior has demanded that Gennady seduce Daniel so he can blackmail him (the “Honeytrap” of the title). So there's a lot going on below the surface, and the men's motivations are complex, but their friendship turns out to be more powerful than national duty. Daniel is brave and earnest, and Gennady is more cynical and pragmatic, but they complement each other well. It's the slowest of slow burns, so when they finally get together every touch feels significant. After reading so many books lately where snark seems to be the dominant way of defining character, the MC's sincerity went straight to my heart (not to say that there isn't humor and sarcasm in the book, but it's judiciously deployed). The second and third parts feel rushed, and the factor that allows the men to be together for a while in 1975 despite Daniel's status as a husband and father is convenient but not terribly realistic (his wife is a "swinger" who has her own lover and doesn't mind if Daniel and Gennady sleep together) . The short section that takes place in 1992 feels more like a coda than a fully fleshed out conclusion, so the HFN ending doesn't fully resonate. But I was so caught up in these two men's lives that I could barely bring myself to read the end and close out the book. I liked-didn't-love the only other book I've read by this author, [b:Briarley 40052412 Briarley Aster Glenn Gray https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525656039l/40052412.SY75.jpg 62067614], but I adored this one, and will read it again and again.