I must admit that the amount I enjoyed the latest Annabeth Albert novel, At Attention, surprised me, because it contained a character type that I often find difficult to enjoy: the widower with young children. Yet something about how the tale is woven around this character worked for me in a way that few stories containing this character type have, and the result is one of my favorite novels by this author.

Between his military career and raising twin daughters as a single father, Apollo Floros lives a regimented life. It’s the only way he can make sure none of his responsibilities gets neglected. It’s also his coping mechanism for surviving the nightmare of the death of his husband. His mother has been a great help being there for his preschool-age girls, but her looming vacation means he’ll need some help for the coming summer. Fortunately, his best friend’s younger brother is in town after graduating college, and not only does he love working with kids, he needs a place to stay for the summer. Or maybe that isn’t fortunate, because eight years ago, Dylan crushed on Apollo something fierce, and grown-up Dylan is awakening a part of Apollo he’d carefully buried after his husband’s death. As for Dylan, he clearly remembers the object of his biggest teenage crush, and the first sight of the man proves time has only made Apollo more attractive. The sight of Apollo being a domestic, loving dad certainly isn’t hurting either. Still, Dylan knows he shouldn’t let himself succumb to those feelings, because he knows Apollo isn’t ready for anything resembling a relationship, not to mention the fact that there’s no way he would ever see Dylan as anything other than his friend’s kid brother.

When Apollo was introduced in Off Base, I remember being intrigued by the glimpse into his character, a Navy SEAL who was not only out but in a healthy same-sex marriage, at least he had been prior to his husband’s untimely death. Widowed characters often frustrate me when they appear as main characters in romance novels simply because they can be painful to watch going through the self-imposed grief associated with the inevitable phase of fighting their attraction to someone because of some sense that they’re betraying their dead spouse.

Here, fortunately, Apollo’s character is fleshed out in a way that quickly pulls the reader into his hectic life and his conflicting needs and feelings. While I often have tepid responses to romances where one of the characters has young children, the frequent appearances of the Apollo’s twin girls gave a sense of immediacy to my understanding of the man, so when the scenes of fighting his attraction to Dylan occur, and trust me, there are many of them, any frustration and pain I felt was purely sympathetic. I couldn’t help but want him to take the steps forward with Dylan, to prove to himself that he deserves a second chance at living and loving. The author does so well with developing Apollo’s character, in fact, that when the end of the summer comes and the attendant drama of the timing forces the issue to a head, the basis and reactions for a fight I might otherwise have found a little stupid seemed very realistic to the circumstances. And that made the ending all the more sweet.

It’s probably easy to tell from this review that I connected more with Apollo than I did with Dylan, and that’s the only thing that kept me from boosting this book’s rating up higher. Dylan isn’t a bad character by any means. On the contrary, he’s the perfect match for Apollo and fits quite tidily into the family with the way he embraces both the kids and Apollo’s routine. That being said, I simply didn’t get the same dose of sympathetic feels for Dylan as I did with Apollo, because there wasn’t anything that screamed “Apollo is perfect for Dylan” in the same way that the reverse was true. While it’s certainly okay for romances to be this way, I prefer when both characters strike me not just as a good match for each other but as being the ideal people for each other to the point where anyone else would not be as good.

Before I finish, I would be remiss in my reviewer duties if I failed to mention that spread throughout this heartfelt story are a good deal of hot-and-sexy intimate scenes that ticked off several happy-Jay checkboxes: Apollo does alpha quite well, there is mirror sex (yum), and there’s some dirty talk, just to name a few. The intensity of these scenes was certainly helped by the slow burn from Apollo fighting himself over his attraction too. Good stuff.

In spite of my connecting so much better with one of the characters than the other, the story and the strength of that single character made At Attention a book well worth the read. And it once again makes me look forward to whatever Annabeth Albert has coming next.

The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of At Attention in exchange for this fair and honest review.

I was intrigued by the stoic, strong, widower, Apollo Floros when he was introduced in Off Base. But as we delve more into his life, we see that Apollo has merely been existing. He is still mourning the loss of his husband, his career has changed to a more supervisory role, and he is now a single father to young twin girls. He works, he cares for  his kids, and has good friends. But he closed off his heart and just lives day by day. He thrives on control, structure, and routine.

Dylan is the little brother of Apollo's best friend, Dustin. There is a ten year age difference, and Dylan crushed hard on Apollo when he was in his teens. But now Dylan is grown up and in town for the summer. Dustin is determined to convince Apollo that his little brother should stay with them and he would make a great summer helper with the girls. It's a win-win for everyone...except Apollo can't seem to shake off the attraction to this off-limits, younger guy. And Dylan does not want him to.

Apollo has been living under a cloud of loss, anger, hopelessness, and now his reactions to Dylan make him feel more guilt and confusion too. He is protective of the girls, of his heart, and of his past. Dylan is outspoken, charming, funny, and flirty. Little by little Dylan begins to bring more life and happiness to their lives. The girls adore him and it is mutual. Apollo and Dylan have a slow burn towards friendship, companionship, sexual tension, and eventually passion, and release.

What could go wrong with having a little fun since there is a time limit?

But the closer they get, the more their "sex only" arrangement scares them both. Apollo is not ready to move on, and is worried about hurting Dylan and what others might think. And Dylan is concerned that his heart will get broken and he will never be enough for Apollo. 

The push and pull is intense. I loved their ever changing dynamics and seeing glimpses of Apollo without his shields. From small touches to passionate scenes, they are pulled together and have great chemistry. But Apollo is truly battling his own heart and head. And Dylan is getting in deeper with both Apollo and the girls, but still feels like a substitute. It is a hard, but realistic situation with many ups and downs. The age difference, the shared friends, the children and families, and the fact it is only supposed to be for the summer adds complications. But by far the biggest hurdle is  Apollo himself, and him not being able to let go of this past and see hope in the future.

All Dylan wants is to be really seen, valued, and asked to stay--not for what he does for them, but for himself. He may be fun, but he also longs to be respected and truly cared for. Dylan has the ability to ground Apollo and helps him relieve stress and breathe. But it also adds more anxiety and fear because Dylan makes him smile more, brings passion, and loves his girls...and begins to make him feel again.  But Apollo is so stuck in the past and focused on what could go wrong, that he can't see all that is right. And it puts them both in situations where they disappoint and hurt each other and make them afraid to hope.

I really felt for these guys even when I wanted to smack sense into them. Apollo especially has a lot of issues to work through to have any chance of moving forward and truly living again. And Dylan is vibrant, strong, and aware of his own needs, so would not be willing to settle for any less than he deserved.

This brings back Zack and Pike from Off Base, but can be read as a stand alone. We spend more time with their friends, Ben and Maddox who will be the heroes in On Point. Their families including Dustin also have important roles.

This one was emotional, sexy, heartwarming, and realistic best-friend's-brother M/M love story with an age difference. The addition of the twins just made it sweeter, while Apollo's grief added more emotional depth. The dual points of view were critical especially in understanding Apollo's internal battles. The story line was realistic and current. I felt like the characters were fleshed out well and had conflicting emotions and fears. I was pulled in and suffered through the good and the bad with them, and it was all worth it by the end. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike's flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike's arrival would spark from Zack's teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can't refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won't be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He's an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he's had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can't risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack's restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn't know how to be the man Pike deserves.