A sailor walks into a bar, meets a reporter and says he’s defected. Don’t wait for a punchline, because this is no laughing matter. What actually would happen if a sailor met a reporter and moved into the same building as her, whilst her relationship enters a rocky period?
Babycakes begins with a Royal Navy officer who abandons his ship to live in America, where he meets husband and wife Brian and Mary Ann, and their friend Michael. Michael and the officer decide to flat swap for a time, with Michael going to live in London. Whilst he lives the English life and discovers a long-lost friend, the officer and Mary Ann become close, as she searches for any way to become pregnant, as her husband is sterile. As tensions grow, will the couple remain together, or will the arrival of the British sailor set their ships on a collision course?
I was surprised to have enjoyed this story as much as I did, especially as this volume is the fourth in a continuous series of novels, but the first I have read. However, each is a self-contained story set in the same universe, with the same characters, which means you can jump in at any of the books without being lost. Having read this book, I’m excited to not only progress through the remaining volumes, but also to go back to the previous publications. I thought the story was well thought-out and paced, each chapter jumping between different characters kept the story feeling dynamic without being too confusing, and although somewhat predictable, the story beats were very entertaining. I also thought the decision to have the opening and closing chapters from the perspective of the late Queen Elizabeth II was very creative.
This book is quite a fun, easy read, especially if heading travelling or jumping in and out of. It does cover some difficult topics including infertility and racism, but is gentle with how this is done, even if the story around it is very unusual!
Rating: ★★★★☆
Babycakes (ISBN: 0-552-99879-6) was published in 1984. A copy is available to borrow from the LGBTQ+ Lending Library in the LGBTQ+ Lounge
