Arctic Wild by Annabeth Albert
Series: Frozen Hearts, #2
Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): eBook
June 3, 2019 / Print MMP June 25, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): approx.
105,000 words / 400 pages
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: NO TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THIS BOOK.
All buy links or pre-order links:
Book synopsis:
When a plane
crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, the best place to land is in the arms of a
younger man…
Hotshot attorney Reuben Graham
has finally agreed to take a vacation, when his plane suddenly plunges into the
Alaskan wilderness.
Just his luck.
But his frustrations have only
begun as he finds himself stranded with the injured, and superhot, pilot, a man
who’s endearingly sociable—and much too young for Reuben to be wanting him this
badly.
As the sole provider for his
sisters and ailing father, Tobias Kooly is devastated to learn his injuries
will prevent him from working or even making it back home. So when Reuben
insists on giving him a place to recover, not even Toby’s pride can make him
refuse. He’s never been tempted by a silver fox before, but something about
Reuben is impossible to resist.
Recuperating in Reuben’s care
is the last thing Toby expected, yet the closer they become, the more
incredibly right it feels, prompting workaholic Reuben to question the life
he’s been living. But when the pressure Toby’s under starts closing in, both
men will have to decide if there’s room in their hearts for a love they never
saw coming.
Review
I’ve read almost everything
Annabeth Albert has written. I started
with “Status Update”, the first book in her #gaymers series (more on that in a
moment). Once that series was finished,
I moved into her Portland Heat series, then the first few books of “Out of
Uniform.” I love her writing and her
characters. Unfortunately, time being
what it is, and that fact that I don’t have a lot of it anymore, means that I
don’t always get to read as much as I want.
So when one of her books is offered up for review, I jump at it.
Her latest series, of which
this is the second book, takes place in the Alaskan wilderness. After reading the first one, I had some idea
what to expect, as well as some of her other series, I had a pretty good idea
what to expect.
Her scenery is gorgeous. Beautiful enough to make me want to visit…
…as long as the plane doesn’t
crash.
You can’t really blame Rueben
for being reluctant to go on a vacation that involves hiking and nature and the
like when you’re more accustom to the hustle and bustle of city life. He’s more about business than he is
casual. But after being convinced by his
friend Craig (who was also supposed to go on the trip but had to back out at
the last second), he opts to go. He has
some decisions to make about his life and career, after all. And another birthday.
Toby is Rueben’s tour guide
on this little adventure. He’s got the hots
for his client, but doesn’t think there’s a snowballs chance in…well…you know,
that anything will happen. Plus, he has
his own things to worry about, like his father’s health and his sisters
education.
Bad weather and one plane
crash later, and Rueben has almost an epiphany, of sorts. In many ways, this book is about him
loosening up, unplugging himself from his laptop and cell phone.
Ironically, Rueben’s daughter
is constantly gaming on her laptop. I
don’t want to give anything, but there’s a direct link between what Amelia does
in her free time and some of Annabeth’s earlier work. I might have gotten a little giddy.
While Rueben is having his
epiphanies, Toby is stressed beyond believe.
Mounting bills from all sides and no income will do that to a guy.
And here is where the book
really shines. Both characters need to
learn how to do the same thing, loosen up, but for dramatically different
reasons. This is also what draws them
together, at least partially. Learning
the same lessons is what puts them in even footing so that the difference in
their age isn’t a thing. At least for
them. Others connected to them, well….
Annabeth has another fine
addition to her expanding universe. And
I use that term on purpose. Because
while these series may be completely separate entities, some even taking place
in different parts of the world, there’s plenty of connective tissue. Her work has a signature style that I truly
enjoy.
Exclusive Excerpt
Reuben had been a morning person most of his life, so even
with the time change screwing with his sleep, he was up and ready at the
appointed time to meet his guide. His far too young and far too talkative
guide. His wish for a silent guide had died a quick, brutal death the moment
he’d met Toby, who was the sort of guy who clearly styled himself as a charmer,
what with his smooth delivery and easy, joking manner.
His eyes though told a different story, dark brown with a
sort of emotional depth that Reuben usually associated with people twice the
guy’s age, the type of thing one only got with a lot of lived experience. The
contrast between his intense eyes and casual demeanor intrigued Reuben, way
more than it should. He’d learned his lesson with Dan—younger men were trouble
he didn’t need, and Craig’s encouragement to chat up the tour guide hardly
applied here. Reuben wasn’t going to have much in common with the guy as it
was, and having watched Toby flirt shamelessly with the young female tourist at
the bar, he could pretty much predict that the guy was straight.
No, better he just concentrate on making it through the
week, use it as chance to get caught up on reading he’d been putting off. To
that end, he kept his phone out, intending to do a last-minute email check from
the hotel lobby while waiting for the guide to show. But Toby surprised him by
already being in the lobby, two cups of coffee in his hands. He held one out to
Reuben, cream and sweetener packets balanced on the lid.
“Morning. You said coffee, but I wasn’t sure how you took
it.” Toby’s grin was way too wide for the early hour. His dark hair was damp,
like he’d rushed a shower, and he wore another polo with the logo of the
company he worked for—last night’s navy, today’s reddish orange. He was
probably somewhere around thirty, so not a kid, but still, Reuben felt a little
guilty admiring the way the shirt clung to his broad shoulders and lean torso.
About Annabeth Albert:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking
romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance
out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper
shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and
funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves
finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights
supporter. In between searching out dark
heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.
Connect with Annabeth Albert:
Giveaway: Win one paperback set of Arctic Sun, Arctic Wild, and a swag
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