This book will break your heart and put it back together
When the world tries to tear them apart, will their love survive?
Chicago, 1937. Charlie Miller is a twenty-year-old mechanic with a good job and a steady girl, but if his violent father ever learns of his true nature, it could cost him his life. The last thing he should do is risk it all by frequenting a queer underground club on a Saturday night. But then a tall red-haired boy stumbles in, wide-eyed and beautiful, and playing it safe is no longer an option.
Eighteen-year-old Tommy O’Reilly, a curious but naïve literature student, walks into an illegal nightclub in downtown Chicago, searching for answers to the unspoken longing inside him. When he sets his sights on another young man with raven hair and arctic blue eyes, he thinks maybe he finally understands what his favorite love poets are talking about.
But in a world that won’t allow them to love, secrecy is survival. As war looms, their fragile happiness is shattered, and they are torn apart by forces far beyond their control. Through heartbreak, distance, and the horrors of battle, only their letters keep them tethered.
A sweeping, achingly romantic tale of forbidden love, Pages of My Heart is perfect for fans of Fellow Travelers and In Memoriam.
Tropes . . .
~Love letters
~War-torn longing
~Secret relationship
~Hurt/comfort
~Mental Health rep
Pages of My Heart
A WW2 MM Romance
Debut novel NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and on Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon Aus customers buy here.
What the readers are saying . . .
5 STAR REVIEWS!
This is one of the most moving and beautiful stories I have ever read. It brought me to tears more than once. If there was ever a book that shows what love means, and how powerful and enduring it can be, then this is it.
*
This is truly a heart-wrenching and emotional historical romance. The war letters that they wrote to each other and the hurt/comfort is what really cemented this as one of my favourite debut novels of the year.
*
Brought me to tears. As soon as I started reading the book, I could imagine these characters in real life. Amazon, you would do right to make this into a limited series or long movie.
Adrift Without You . . .
Rae's second novel, Adrift Without You, will be released in late September/early October. (Stay tuned—pre-orders will be available soon!) And no, this is not the cover, just a stand-in to give you the vibe!
Adrift Without You is a second chance MM romance set in Melbourne, Australia.
"I moved on. I married someone else. But now, twenty years later, the only boy I ever truly loved is standing on my doorstep."
Kyle and Brendan's story . . .
~A chance encounter after 20 years apart
~MCs in their late 30s
~Both have moved on—one happily married, the other unhappily married
~Reformed bad boys
~Mental health rep
~Regret and past hurt
~Childhood trauma
About Rae . . .
Rae Roberts is a queer author who writes emotional, heartfelt, and unapologetically MM romance. With a background in performing arts and a current career as a counsellor, Rae brings a deep understanding of people—their strengths, fears and fragile hopes—to every story she writes.
Her characters are raw and real, often navigating identity, grief and trauma on their journey to connection and unconditional love. Rae's stories explore the messy, beautiful complexity of queer love. The kind that lingers, transforms, and ultimately heals. She believes in a happily ever after, but only after putting her characters (and readers), through the emotional wringer.
When she's not writing or working with clients, Rae is probably dreaming up her next emotionally devastating plot, sipping a hot chocolate, or curled up on the couch binge-watching a drama series.
Pages of My Heart is her debut novel. Adrift Without You will be released in 2025. Rae resides in Melbourne, Australia.
"I spent much of my life concealing my queerness. But through the creative process of writing, and writing queer love stories, I found self-acceptance and the courage to live authentically. I have so many more stories to share, and I can't wait to share them with you!"
~ Rae 💜