Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Demaris: Protocol by Brian David Randall is the story of two men who have a separate task, but their destinies are each other. The story is set in an era before the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” that has allowed men and women from different sexual orientations to serve their country. It is set in the early 1990s; a 22-year-old closeted gay man by the name of Trey Carter is hired for a secret mission. Thrilled to be a part of something big and serving his country, Trey agrees to go to Munich to try to lure a nuclear engineer.

He is to be trained by Special Officer Rick Morgan, a handsome man who sees right through Trey and catches a glimpse of his soul. Rick’s job is to train Trey and make sure that he is ready to face all odds; however, he was not counting on falling hard for the young man. He has an overwhelming need to protect Trey, but he is afraid of what will become of the two if their secret gets out. Now the two men are in the line of fire and there is no backing out now. They must face the future and the repercussions while, at the same time, they need to survive and see where their feelings take them. It is a leap of faith, but can they take it?

It is really hard to write about love between two men without making them lose their masculinity. Brian David Randall did an amazing job by writing Demaris: Protocol and creating Rick and Trey. He made them vulnerable without emasculating them, and he made them strong without making them inhuman. He perfectly balanced the tiny details and created these gems. They are strong and they are not afraid to show that they have emotions too. I loved the fine details, loved the imagery, and loved Rick and Trey. They are definitely two of my favorite characters.