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rellimreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is book 2 in Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series. While each book covers a different couple - there are characters and events that appear throughout the series making these best enjoyed in order.
Not only is this my favorite of the series - it’s also one of my favorite books ever.
All my beloved tropes: brother’s best friend/best friend’s brother, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, & nanny. Widower Apollo needs help with his twin girls while his mom is on an extended vacation. Dylan is interning for the Summer and is willing to move in to help.
From the opening grocery store scene to the epilogue, I love the way Albert brought this story to life. Balancing loss, love, humor, and day to day life. While the relationship and finding their HEA is somewhat angsty, it felt true to the emotions Apollo is dealing with since his husband’s death two years ago. Dylan’s crush has grown from a teen infatuation to mature love. Apollo finding a way to honor his past and embrace his future was so well done.
I also love Chloe & Sophia - how integral they are to the story and how much they are connected with Apollo & Dylan. The guys compliment each other well and it’s easy to see what an amazing family they’ll be. Perfect HEA & epilogue.
Ready for Ben & Maddox’s story next.
Narration:
I loved Cooper North’s narration. He did a great job giving Apollo and Dylan distinct voices as well as all the secondary characters. He brought through all the emotions - grief, pain, playfulness, and most of all the love. Perfect listen all around.
Not only is this my favorite of the series - it’s also one of my favorite books ever.
All my beloved tropes: brother’s best friend/best friend’s brother, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, & nanny. Widower Apollo needs help with his twin girls while his mom is on an extended vacation. Dylan is interning for the Summer and is willing to move in to help.
From the opening grocery store scene to the epilogue, I love the way Albert brought this story to life. Balancing loss, love, humor, and day to day life. While the relationship and finding their HEA is somewhat angsty, it felt true to the emotions Apollo is dealing with since his husband’s death two years ago. Dylan’s crush has grown from a teen infatuation to mature love. Apollo finding a way to honor his past and embrace his future was so well done.
I also love Chloe & Sophia - how integral they are to the story and how much they are connected with Apollo & Dylan. The guys compliment each other well and it’s easy to see what an amazing family they’ll be. Perfect HEA & epilogue.
Ready for Ben & Maddox’s story next.
Narration:
I loved Cooper North’s narration. He did a great job giving Apollo and Dylan distinct voices as well as all the secondary characters. He brought through all the emotions - grief, pain, playfulness, and most of all the love. Perfect listen all around.
a_reader_obsessed's review
3.0
3.5 Stars
I kinda see a theme emerging regarding this particular series, where there’s definitely things I liked, with unfortunately, a few things I didn’t. It basically boils down to being uber frustrated about one of the MC's reluctance to fall in love, while at the same time, totally understanding and sympathizing with why they’re having such difficulties, making it that much harder to really be all that disgruntled.
Poor Apollo. He’s loved and lost, and because of grief and guilt too, he has resigned himself to never having someone special in his life again. He’s set on focusing on his job and his two girls; he just doesn’t have the capacity or the interest in wanting more. That is, until his libido is reluctantly piqued by the unlikeliest person.
Enter Dylan, the younger brother of Apollo’s best friend. Apollo finds himselfsaddled somehow the benefactor of Dylan’s services. He’s running the summer program that Apollo’s girls are attending, and he needs a place to stay and is the perfect answer to helping Apollo out. Dylan’s crushed hard on Apollo since he was a teen, and though he knows he’ll probably end up getting hurt, he can’t help but want more from the grumpy, grieving guy.
So yes, Apollo is the most stubborn man alive, and although he’s definitely interested, his torturous internal battle, which is wholly understandable, was quite tiresome as well. He resists and resists and resists some more, which drove me bonkers and made me hurt so much for Dylan. Dylan in turn, fabulously handles Apollo just right, never a doormat, not ever pushing too hard - just seamlessly fitting perfectly into Apollo’s life and slowly unraveling the walls he’s put up against ever moving on.
I did enjoy this a bit more than its predecessor. Toppy, tough military alphas and falling for your best friend’s brother check my box every time. However… it didn’t click with me 100% for the above reasons and despite the hot smex. I think many will (and already have) love this recent addition. Rest assured, I will still read Albert, and I will still read the next in series.
I kinda see a theme emerging regarding this particular series, where there’s definitely things I liked, with unfortunately, a few things I didn’t. It basically boils down to being uber frustrated about one of the MC's reluctance to fall in love, while at the same time, totally understanding and sympathizing with why they’re having such difficulties, making it that much harder to really be all that disgruntled.
Poor Apollo. He’s loved and lost, and because of grief and guilt too, he has resigned himself to never having someone special in his life again. He’s set on focusing on his job and his two girls; he just doesn’t have the capacity or the interest in wanting more. That is, until his libido is reluctantly piqued by the unlikeliest person.
Enter Dylan, the younger brother of Apollo’s best friend. Apollo finds himself
So yes, Apollo is the most stubborn man alive, and although he’s definitely interested, his torturous internal battle, which is wholly understandable, was quite tiresome as well. He resists and resists and resists some more, which drove me bonkers and made me hurt so much for Dylan. Dylan in turn, fabulously handles Apollo just right, never a doormat, not ever pushing too hard - just seamlessly fitting perfectly into Apollo’s life and slowly unraveling the walls he’s put up against ever moving on.
I did enjoy this a bit more than its predecessor. Toppy, tough military alphas and falling for your best friend’s brother check my box every time. However… it didn’t click with me 100% for the above reasons and despite the hot smex. I think many will (and already have) love this recent addition. Rest assured, I will still read Albert, and I will still read the next in series.
evethingiread's review
3.0
I adore Dylan. He was so sweet and mature for his age. He was so good to Apollo and his kids.
Apollo was a shithead. He treated Dylan so badly for a long time.
I don’t like this thing they do in stories where one of the mc’s is a widower and they keep referencing how their marriage wasn’t was amazing as it was. In this case, the reference was how his late husband wasn’t as fun as Dylan. I don’t see the point. You make the new guy awesome without shitting on the other guy. I get that it’s a plot point, but I don’t like it!
I did like the chemistry they had and of course they worked it out in the end. The kids were so adorable
Apollo was a shithead. He treated Dylan so badly for a long time.
I don’t like this thing they do in stories where one of the mc’s is a widower and they keep referencing how their marriage wasn’t was amazing as it was. In this case, the reference was how his late husband wasn’t as fun as Dylan. I don’t see the point. You make the new guy awesome without shitting on the other guy. I get that it’s a plot point, but I don’t like it!
I did like the chemistry they had and of course they worked it out in the end. The kids were so adorable
kirbyj_'s review
4.0
oh, man, did i want to punch apollo in the face sometimes but in the end grief isn't linear and he hadn't really dealt with his original grief, so i'm a little forgiving for him.
calebmbuys's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
iamleighbot's review against another edition
2.5
Apollo is kind of a turd - I wanted to give him a chance because past tragedy but Dylan deserved better. Also, the kids were kind of annoying in this
jessicajessica101's review against another edition
4.0
Encore mieux que le premier, je suis tombée en amour pour Apollo et pour Dylan et pour leurs histoires. J'ai adoré d'Apollo dans ses doutes et dans ses peurs, et j'ai adoré la présence de Dylan à ses cotés, toujours aidant et toujours à l'écoute.
Après ce second tome, j'ai très hâte de lire la suite sur Maddox et Ben !
Après ce second tome, j'ai très hâte de lire la suite sur Maddox et Ben !
jagiaquinto's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my God... This story nearly broke me. I actually cried during this one. Annabeth you did fantastic with Apollo. Whoah... Holy crap... I just can't...
tsuyoi's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0