- ASIN: B0GKQNJBYZ
- Publisher: Staten House
- Publication date: 28 Jan. 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 130 pages
- ISBN-13: 978-1918632354
- Genre: Historical Gay Fiction
The BookViral Review:
Zak Wickham’s Beneath The Ice: Forbidden Love is a historical LGBTQ+ drama that moves across Belfast, the Titanic’s maiden voyage, and later life in America, following the long emotional consequences of a relationship shaped by class division, secrecy, and social constraint.
The story opens in the shipyards of early twentieth-century Belfast, where Paddy O’Brien works as a dock labourer and dreams of escape. His life changes when he boards the Titanic as a third-class passenger, seeking opportunity overseas. Aboard the ship, he meets George Fairfax, a wealthy first-class traveller whose upbringing and expectations stand in sharp contrast to Paddy’s working-class reality. Despite the distance between their worlds, a private connection develops between the two men, one that must remain hidden in a time when same-sex love is criminalised and socially condemned.
Their relationship unfolds quietly through stolen conversations, shared rooms, and moments of trust away from watchful eyes. The contrasts between steerage hardship and first-class luxury form the backdrop to this growing bond, grounding the romance in the rigid realities of the era. When the Titanic strikes the iceberg, the disaster becomes both a historical and personal turning point. In the chaos of the sinking, their focus narrows to survival and to finding each other. They escape together by lifeboat, carrying their connection forward into an uncertain future.
The novel continues well beyond the voyage. In America, Paddy and George build a shared domestic life, attempting to create stability and belonging in a society that still offers little space for openness. Their time together forms the emotional centre of the book. Gradually, however, outside pressures and George’s internal conflict begin to reshape that life. Seeking acceptance and normalcy, he becomes involved with Elizabeth, starting a conventional relationship that places him between two worlds and two identities.
From this point, the narrative explores the lasting effects of distance, secrecy, and divided loyalty. Paddy’s health and spirit decline as George grows increasingly withdrawn, and his eventual death leaves George carrying profound grief and regret. Letters and reflections look back on their time together, revealing how deeply that first love continues to shape him. Unable to reconcile his past and present, George ultimately takes his own life, leaving Elizabeth to live with the consequences of those hidden years.
Structurally, the novel frequently revisits the same events in close succession, with several scenes — particularly those surrounding the Titanic, the escape, and key emotional moments — retold in slightly different wording or perspective. These repetitions reinforce important moments in the characters’ journey and place emphasis on their emotional weight.
Spanning continents and decades, Beneath The Ice: Forbidden Love will appeal particularly to readers of historical LGBTQ+ fiction, character-led dramas, and emotionally driven stories that explore love shaped by circumstance rather than spectacle. Those drawn to Titanic-era narratives, intimate relationship journeys, and generational family consequences will find its blend of romance, secrecy, and aftermath especially engaging. It is best suited to readers who value heartfelt, reflective storytelling centred on personal lives rather than action-focused historical retellings.
