Blog Tour: Mr. Right Now: Annabeth Albert
Mr. Right Now
Annabeth Albert
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Release Date November 14, 2019
He’s Mr. Right Now, but for how long?
When Russ suffers a Thanksgiving disaster, his gorgeous neighbor Esteban is there to save the day. And after an innocent mix-up leads to the former Hollywood hottie playing the role of Russ’s date, Russ thinks scoring Esteban as his fake boyfriend is a huge win. The newly discharged marine is healing inside and out and could use some holiday cheer.
For his part, Esteban is intrigued by his big, bad neighbor. He likes how his matchmaking cat brings out an unexpected caring side of Russ. Desire flares as the reasons to continue their ruse pile up for both men.
And pretending feels so good. From chocolaty kisses to late night cuddles, their burgeoning friendship is getting cozier and cozier. But as the end date for their little deception looms, all the real feelings they’ve tried to ignore come tumbling in. Each must decide whether they have what it takes to ring in the New Year as a couple.
Mr. Right Now is a stand-alone holiday novella with sweet, low-angst feels, spicy love scenes, and foodie inspired, quirky Oregon romance with a military flavor. Happy ending guaranteed with no cliffhangers!
This novella is brimming with holiday spirit, family, and fun.Russ is in a mess. His boyfriend just broke up with him and backed out of helping with Thanksgiving dinner and he just burned one of the dishes. He is rescued by his acquaintance and neighbor, Esteban. He steps in and saves the meal and ends up posing as Russ's boyfriend in front of his family and boss. The situation benefits both of them at work as well for various reasons.
Russ is ex-military and still transitioning into his new life and job. He is a big teddy bear who is sweet, kind, and caring. Esteban is an ex-actor who works for a charity organization. He is confident and vibrant, but still feeling the effects of a betraying ex and the loss of his mother. He is scared to be involved in a relationship and be hurt again...especially a rebound.
But as they complete activities they need to as a fake couple and sneak in some more not-date-dates, they are developing a close friendship. They like the challenge, companionship, fun, and support they bring to each other. But as they slide through the holiday season, the fake becomes more real. And as the attraction builds, the boundaries and reasons they set for self-protection are supposed to keep a lid on it, but sometimes things boil over. They will both have to decide if they are willing to take a risk and trust that they can make it real or go through with their planned fake break up.
I enjoyed all the side characters from their families that were so important to them. These two are surrounded by people that cared about them but are also still afraid of rejection. I loved the personalities of both of these guys and their chemistry. Even though they are different in age, experiences, and even physical type, they really complemented each other. I liked that there is not a lot of angst, but there is plenty of humor and emotion. This is a story about believing in themselves and someone else, going after dreams, and not settling. It is a perfectly engaging, delectable delight for the holiday season.
“Russ!” A very tall, very pregnant woman engulfed the big guy in a hug. But right as Esteban was about to slip away, she locked her gaze on him. “Oh! And this must be the new guy! We’re so delighted to meet you.”
“Yes, we’re so happy for Russ,” an older, elegant woman with cropped hair added.
Russ looked utterly miserable standing behind the women, expression stricken, like Esteban’s nephews after hearing one too many siguanaba monster stories.
Hell. Russ apparently hadn’t told them about the breakup. And now he had to come clean, which would undoubtedly cast a shadow over the gathering and make Russ’s predicament the center of attention. That had to be the last thing Russ wanted.
Esteban’s stomach churned unhappily in sympathy. If Esteban had figured out one thing about Russ in their time in the kitchen, it was that he was way more comfortable talking about others than himself. He wished there was some way to spare Russ the humiliation.
Wait. They don’t even know his name. Wasn’t that what Russ had said about his ex?
Esteban tried to catch Russ’s eyes. Should I pretend? Want me to?
He’d never had a blockbuster role, but Esteban wasn’t some scenery chewer either. He could still act, spare a nice guy a little awkwardness, and maybe ease his holiday burden. That earlier moment when Russ had talked about leaving the marines still lingered in Esteban’s brain. He understood all too well that change was hard. And Russ had surely been through enough of it.
Esteban’s unspoken question seemed to hang between them for an eternity. Russ’s nose wrinkled as his mouth twisted. Then he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“Russ, aren’t you going to introduce us to your boyfriend?” the tall woman, who had to be Judy, prompted while her husband juggled both a pie and the toddler.
“This is…uh…” Russ looked like he’d rather be auditioning for a hemorrhoid cream ad rather than deal with his family. He was back to the dejected guy he’d been when Esteban had met up with him at the dumpster. And that just wouldn’t do.
“Esteban. Or you can just call me the boyfriend. I’m easy.” With a wink, he stuck out a hand for Judy. He could do this, could act the part, and remove that air of failure from Russ’s otherwise impressive self.
Russ’s jaw had fallen open wide enough to land a 747. “Yeah…”
Roll with it, Esteban tried to tell him with a quick smile his direction.
“And you’re charming. Rusty, you didn’t tell me he was charming.”
“I didn’t know.” The grateful wonder in Russ’s tone was enough to convince Esteban that this was worth a few hours of pro-bono acting.
“What do you mean you didn’t know? You big goof.” Judy lightly docked her brother’s shoulder. She then shook Esteban’s hand, and introduced, her husband, Bob, and his mother, Connie, and the toddler, Benny.
“Here, let me take the pie,” Esteban offered. “Russ, you can help with their coats?”
“Yeah.” Russ continued to sound delightfully befuddled. As Esteban passed with the pie, Russ lowered his voice and asked, “What did you get yourself into?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” And as he took the pie to the kitchen, he could only hope he wasn’t lying.
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. Mr. Right Now joins her many other critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series and stand-alone titles. To find out what she’s working on next and other fun extras, check out her website: www.annabethalbert.com or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter for free ficlets, bonus reads, and contests. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content and exclusive contests.
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 particularly loves uncovering unique main characters.
In her personal life, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two active children.
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