World War I flying ace Captain “Bat” Bryant is furious enough to lash out when a sneaky mechanic attempts to blackmail him following his lover’s death in combat.  Unfortunately, his angry reaction leaves his would-be blackmailer dead.  American pilot “Cowboy” Cooper witnesses the incident and says he’ll help Bat out—for a price.  Unable to think of anything else to do, Bat is forced to agree to Cowboy’s scheme.   

Out of the Blue is a fantastic historical novella.  I couldn’t help but sympathize with poor Bat, who’d lost the man he loved in a terrible war and couldn’t even grieve freely.  Cowboy was harder to get a handle on at first.  He seemed to be acting purely out of self-interest, but as the story went on his true motives began to come out.  The scenes of Bat and Cowboy together are great, full of heat, desperation, and sometimes a poignant sweetness.  Everything that happened was heightened by the danger of war and of discovery, which would have meant terrible consequences.  The scenes in which Bat led his squadron on forays into enemy territory were nerve-wracking because they felt so real and there was so much at stake for both Bat and Cowboy.  Out of the Blue snared me with the twin lures of a historical time period I rarely read about and a British hero who’s completely in control in the air, but not so much on the ground.  After Josh Lanyon reeled me in with those things, his wonderful characterization and deft hand with combat scenes kept me enthralled.  Anyone who enjoys historical romances should read this book!  Out of the Blue definitely earns its place on that highest of keeper shelves, the sparsely populated Joyfully Recommended shelf.