Release Review: Arctic Wild: Annabeth Albert
Arctic Wild
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Release Date June 3, 2019
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.
Although this does have a suspense component, that part is not drawn out. It is more of a story of priorities, personal growth, and second chances.
Reuben is a work-a-holic corporate lawyer who was supposed to be going on an Alaskan adventure trip for his birthday with friends, but it ends up being a solo adventure. He is not sure he really wants to do this trip, but is determined to prove he can. He is a bit grumpy, reserved, and his mind is still focused on work and issues at home.
Toby is his pilot and tour guide. He is over fifteen years younger, charming, funny, and a talker. He is a hard worker striving to take care of his family. He does not have the time or energy to have romantic entanglements.
When the unthinkable happens, they work to save each other. And afterwards, Reuben wants to help Toby however he can including providing him an accessible place to stay. But Toby is a prideful man and hates being beholden to anyone. But no matter how resistant Toby is, he cannot help but respond to Reuben's caring nature. And as Reuben begins to figure out his own priorities and look at the mistakes he has made in his life, it becomes a big wake up call for him.
This is a slow-burn, second-chance romance. The plot is moved forward more by character development and building(rebuilding) of relationships than by action. They each have their own issues and also complex family dynamics issues. They both have to face their fears, insecurities, limitations, and figure out what they want their futures to look like. It's about finding themselves, building connections, living life to the fullest, and finding what feels safe and fulfilling.
I liked the characters and I thought their differences actually helped to balance them out. They both try to push the other out of their comfort zone while trying to provide a safe landing place. But in order to do that they will have to be willing to be open to change, accept help, trust, and take a risk. And with two stubborn, intelligent, and prideful men, that is not an easy task.
They both had caretaker personalities, but also had a hard time accepting help themselves. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into Toby especially. And as a therapist myself, I had some issues with how his recovery went, but I have also seen much worse representations in books so it actually did not bother me too much. I enjoyed small cameos from the first book, but this can read as a total stand alone.
I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Reuben is a work-a-holic corporate lawyer who was supposed to be going on an Alaskan adventure trip for his birthday with friends, but it ends up being a solo adventure. He is not sure he really wants to do this trip, but is determined to prove he can. He is a bit grumpy, reserved, and his mind is still focused on work and issues at home.
Toby is his pilot and tour guide. He is over fifteen years younger, charming, funny, and a talker. He is a hard worker striving to take care of his family. He does not have the time or energy to have romantic entanglements.
When the unthinkable happens, they work to save each other. And afterwards, Reuben wants to help Toby however he can including providing him an accessible place to stay. But Toby is a prideful man and hates being beholden to anyone. But no matter how resistant Toby is, he cannot help but respond to Reuben's caring nature. And as Reuben begins to figure out his own priorities and look at the mistakes he has made in his life, it becomes a big wake up call for him.
This is a slow-burn, second-chance romance. The plot is moved forward more by character development and building(rebuilding) of relationships than by action. They each have their own issues and also complex family dynamics issues. They both have to face their fears, insecurities, limitations, and figure out what they want their futures to look like. It's about finding themselves, building connections, living life to the fullest, and finding what feels safe and fulfilling.
I liked the characters and I thought their differences actually helped to balance them out. They both try to push the other out of their comfort zone while trying to provide a safe landing place. But in order to do that they will have to be willing to be open to change, accept help, trust, and take a risk. And with two stubborn, intelligent, and prideful men, that is not an easy task.
They both had caretaker personalities, but also had a hard time accepting help themselves. There were times I wanted to shake some sense into Toby especially. And as a therapist myself, I had some issues with how his recovery went, but I have also seen much worse representations in books so it actually did not bother me too much. I enjoyed small cameos from the first book, but this can read as a total stand alone.
I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
He’s built a quiet life for himself in Alaska. But it doesn’t stand a chance against the unrelenting pull of a man who’s everything he shouldn’t want.
Ex-military mountain man Griffin Barrett likes his solitude. It keeps him from falling back into old habits. Bad habits. He’s fought too hard for his sobriety to lose control now. However, his gig as a wildlife guide presents a new kind of temptation in superhot supermodel River Vale. Nothing the Alaskan wilderness has to offer has ever called to Griffin so badly. And that can only lead to trouble…
River has his own methods for coping. Chasing adventure means always moving forward. Nobody’s ever made him want to stand still—until Griffin. The rugged bush pilot is the very best kind of distraction, but the emotions he stirs up in River feel anything but casual, and he’s in no position to stay put.
With temptation lurking in close quarters, keeping even a shred of distance is a challenge neither’s willing to meet. And the closer Griffin gets to River, the easier it is to ignore every last reason he should run.
Publisher’s Note: Arctic Sun deals with topics some readers may find difficult, including sobriety and eating disorders.
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.
Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency
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