Out of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert – Page 2 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Annabeth Albert has done it again. I honestly don’t think I have ever given one of her books fewer than 4 stars. At Attention is book 2 in her Out of Uniform series. These can absolutely be read as stand alones, but if you are like most who start reading her books- you will search them all out to devour.

Apollo is a single dad to twin girls after losing his husband. His mother has an apartment above the garage to help take care of the girls while he is at work. But she is going on a much deserved and long awaited vacation. Being a former SEAL on desk duty because of a bad back, Apollo doesn’t like his carefully crafted routine disrupted.

In walks Dylan- his Navy friend’s little brother whom he hasn’t seen in 8 years. Since Dylan is spending the summer at home before he begins a new job, he seems like the perfect person to help Apollo with the girls. But Apollo and Dylan suddenly have crazy chemistry- and Apollo has no intentions of acting on it.

Ho-ly HOT. When Apollo is in Dad or work mode, he is nearly perfect. Very straight laced, plays by the rules guy. But when he is with Dylan- DAYUM. This book is a long slow burn that combusts at the perfect moment. And when Apollo finally goes all in on his attraction- he is filthy. The good filthy.

I will admit that main characters with back problems is kind of triggery for me. I won’t go into it. So for the first time reading one of her books I was a bit hesitant. That being said, the point that he had back problems was prevalent, but she didn’t beat us over the head with it. Which I really appreciated. Repetition of something in a book drives me batty.

Dylan is just about the complete opposite of Apollo. Where one is a control freak, the other rides the wave that comes. But they play off of each other beautifully without making the other feel less for being different from them. It helps them open the eyes of the other.

The twins were absolutely adorable and I really loved their interaction both with their father and Dylan. Writing kids so prominently into a story can be tricky, but it is well done here.

Apollo has to deal with a lot in this book- the girls, his grief, his guilt over his attraction to his friend’s younger brother…. but he does, and does it well. And not always with a tidy little bow as so often happens.

And now I can’t wait for the next book…..

Cover art is lovely and works for the series and tale.

Sales Links

Carina Press

Book Details:

ebook

Expected publication: April 10th 2017 by Carina Press

Original Title At Attention

ISBN13 9781488022623

Edition Language English

Series Out of Uniform #2

Off Base (Out of Uniform, #1)

At Attention (Out of Uniform, #2)

Rating: 4.5 stars ouf 5

Lieutenant Apollo Floros can ace tactical training missions, but being a single dad to his twin daughters is more than he can handle. He needs live-in help, and he’s lucky a friend’s younger brother needs a place to stay. He’s surprised to see Dylan all grown up with a college degree…and a college athlete’s body. Apollo’s widowed heart may still be broken, but Dylan has his blood heating up.

It’s been eight years since the teenage Dylan followed Apollo around like a lovesick puppy, and it’s time he showed Lieutenant Hard-to-Please that he’s all man now—an adult who’s fully capable of choosing responsibility over lust. He can handle Apollo’s muscular sex appeal, but Apollo the caring father? Dylan can’t afford to fall for that guy. He’s determined to hold out for someone who’s able to love him back, not someone who only sees him as a kid brother.

Apollo is shocked by the intensity of his attraction to Dylan. Maybe some no-strings summer fun will bring this former SEAL back to life. But the combination of scorching desire and warm affection is more than he’d expected, and the emotion between them scares him senseless. No fling lasts forever, and Apollo will need to decide what’s more important—his past or his future—if he wants to keep Dylan in his life.

Annabeth Albert has become a “go to, must read” author for me quickly. It started with her series #gaymers but Portland Heat and now Out of Uniform is also making her a comfort read as well. If you haven’t started any of these series, walk-don’t run to your nearest computer and pull them up! At Attention is the second in her Out of Uniform series and oh my, how I do love this one. It has characters I met in the first, we’re talking Lt. Apollo Floros. He’s widowed with twins and just the small amount of time he appeared in the first story, Off Base (Out of Uniform, #1), was enough to know that you needed more of him. And that he had to have a HEA.

At Attention is his story and romance. Sigh and swoon. The author gives us a man who hasn’t yet dealt with his grief over losing his husband. Apollo has just been going through the motions of adjusting to being an only parent with total responsibility of his twins, a job that’s taken him out of the field and the daily recognition of the hole in his life. But actual mourning? No, he hasn’t let himself do that and so he’s stuck in a way that not even his family and friends know how to help him move forward. I love how Albert makes us feel this man’s pain and loss as well as his love for his daughters and the man he married. We see how much he needs to move ahead and yet how unable or unready he is to do so.

Then Dylan comes to town for a summer job and his brother, Apollo’s friend and teammate. Who hasn’t had someone younger crush on them or had a crush on someone older? We know how it goes and feels. Albert captures those old feelings perfectly as well as what happened when the crush and crushee meet years later. Its so hard to let go of those old impressions, especially if you’re the older person. I love how that factors into this slow moving relationship because its so very realistic.

There are other obstacles here, not just that past history. Each is believable and realistic as they come. And yet those sparks that fly between these characters are hot, hot, hot!!! The chemistry that the author cooks up between Apollo and Dylan is combustible and I believe in that and them too.

Plus you throw in the girls and their love for Dylan as well and this story just sang for me.

So At Attention is already a favorite of the series and its just book 2. What will the rest of the series bring? I can’t wait to find out. Please hurry up with the next story!