Scan barcode
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
Once again, Annabeth Albert delivers a wonderful addition to her OUT OF UNIFORM series--with everyone’s favorite sniper, Bacon, and a journalist who is embedded with Bacon’s SEAL team.
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
jessilwow12's review against another edition
4.0
This series just keeps getting better. The emotional struggle with one is totally on par with the books that have come before. I enjoyed seeing the way these two danced around their attraction and man when they finally give in it was off the charts hot! The other thing I really enjoyed was the new perspective written into Bacon's story and opening that door for readers to see from a new POV. I really pulled for these two and I was not disappointed. A great addition to the series and I always want more!
ccgwalt's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 for story
5 for narration by Greg Boudreaux
I've enjoyed all the Out of Uniform books I've read so far, but this is definitely one of my favorites. The characters, the conflicts and the final resolution were all believably written. My only quibble is the fact that the last couple of chapters were a little sticky sweet, but that's hardly a major issue.
Spencer is a well-known journalist and author imbedded with a SEAL team. Bacon is pansexual, not out to his teammates, who is tasked with being Spencer's liaison. The SEALs as a whole aren't happy to have the reporter with them, and Bacon in particular doesn't like that he's been taken off Alpha team in order to make protecting Spencer ("babysitting") his major goal. Still, as the two spend time together, arguing at times and getting to know each other, there is an undeniable spark of attraction. After an op goes sideways, Spencer is removed from the team. Both men want to pursue the attraction, but also know it could result in a conflict of interest that might damage both their careers.
Annabeth Albert pulls it all together with believable emotions and a realistic look at the conflicts involved. The conflict isn't manufactured, and the path to resolution means both parties must be willing to talk it through and bend.
I don't have anything new to say about Greg Boudreaux's excellent narrative skills. He is wonderful here, as usual, and listening to this book on audio only enhances enjoyment.
5 for narration by Greg Boudreaux
I've enjoyed all the Out of Uniform books I've read so far, but this is definitely one of my favorites. The characters, the conflicts and the final resolution were all believably written. My only quibble is the fact that the last couple of chapters were a little sticky sweet, but that's hardly a major issue.
Spencer is a well-known journalist and author imbedded with a SEAL team. Bacon is pansexual, not out to his teammates, who is tasked with being Spencer's liaison. The SEALs as a whole aren't happy to have the reporter with them, and Bacon in particular doesn't like that he's been taken off Alpha team in order to make protecting Spencer ("babysitting") his major goal. Still, as the two spend time together, arguing at times and getting to know each other, there is an undeniable spark of attraction. After an op goes sideways, Spencer is removed from the team. Both men want to pursue the attraction, but also know it could result in a conflict of interest that might damage both their careers.
Annabeth Albert pulls it all together with believable emotions and a realistic look at the conflicts involved. The conflict isn't manufactured, and the path to resolution means both parties must be willing to talk it through and bend.
I don't have anything new to say about Greg Boudreaux's excellent narrative skills. He is wonderful here, as usual, and listening to this book on audio only enhances enjoyment.
nomomstayandread's review against another edition
3.0
I think I liked Bacon more than I liked Spencer. I'm surprised their age difference came up one time and then never again. I did like them together when everything was good even though they should not have fit at all.
ruthiedr89's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Sexual content, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, War, Violence, Gaslighting, Biphobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
cleo_reads's review against another edition
3.5
3.5 stars. Loved the first 2/3rds of this forced proximity romance - got annoyed with the last 1/3. The problem that came between them felt manufactured and the resolution and hea felt rushed. I would have been happier with a more mellow hfn.
alexluceli's review against another edition
ok soooo that was certainly A Book! i dnf'd Conventionally Yours because i'm not really into first person romance, and that kind of deterred me from trying anything else out by Annabeth Albert despite her being such an MM romance legend, but this was available on libby and i'm sick rn and tbh i just needed to read something that i knew would have A Lot of Spice AND Fluff in it so that i could disassociate.
at first i was like, ok, i can see the Vision. for the first 100 pages, i was really invested and yeah, i get why Annabeth Albert has made such a name for herself in the MM romance community. but then omg idk...it got kind of boring once they acted on their feelings??? the tension was sooooo good and then it just fell flat when they actually kissed and from there it was kind of downhill for me omg idk. disappointing. tbh i started skimming some scenes like halfway thru. the emotional stakes and conflict felt tenuous to me. idk.
also, yeah, i read this bc it was on libby, but i'm really uncomfortable with the pro-military sentiments in this series lol. i was fine reading this one bc it was on libby but tbh i don't really want to give Albert my money if she's pro-military...there is definitely some nuance she is trying to add to the issue but ultimately, this reads as very pro-military, and that is decidedly not for me and part of why i did not enjoy this book as much as i could have. for me that mattered more than the emotional stakes feeling tenuous. i get that it's fiction blah blah blah but it makes me uncomfortable!! sorry about it.
2.5 stars. tl;dr kind of sucked after the first 100 pgs.
at first i was like, ok, i can see the Vision. for the first 100 pages, i was really invested and yeah, i get why Annabeth Albert has made such a name for herself in the MM romance community. but then omg idk...it got kind of boring once they acted on their feelings??? the tension was sooooo good and then it just fell flat when they actually kissed and from there it was kind of downhill for me omg idk. disappointing. tbh i started skimming some scenes like halfway thru. the emotional stakes and conflict felt tenuous to me. idk.
also, yeah, i read this bc it was on libby, but i'm really uncomfortable with the pro-military sentiments in this series lol. i was fine reading this one bc it was on libby but tbh i don't really want to give Albert my money if she's pro-military...there is definitely some nuance she is trying to add to the issue but ultimately, this reads as very pro-military, and that is decidedly not for me and part of why i did not enjoy this book as much as i could have. for me that mattered more than the emotional stakes feeling tenuous. i get that it's fiction blah blah blah but it makes me uncomfortable!! sorry about it.
2.5 stars. tl;dr kind of sucked after the first 100 pgs.
jennyoli96's review against another edition
5.0
*ARC received through A Novel Take PR*
This book was not what I was expecting. In a good way.
When you see a cover of two hot men and it looks like they're about to "get it on", and on top of that it's a New Adult book and it involves grown ups and sexual tension and... well, you jump to the conclusion that it is going to be a very sensual book, centered on those hot scenes we all know about. And I'm fine with that when that's well written really, I would not have requested this ARC otherwise.
This is not that kind of story, however. And no matter how much I do not mind mxm hot, smutty romances, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that while there are sexual scenes in this one, the book is about way more than that.
You'll have to take my word for it when I tell you there were two instances where I cried. One of the characters has an incredibly emotional backstory. The main characters have the kind of chemistry with each other you only ever dream to have in real life with someone else and hope to find in every romance novel. There is a lot of lgbt+ diversity that does not stop at gay and straight.
This is one very complete book that threw me off course. I loved it. You do not have to read any of the others to read this one (I haven't, yet). I absolutely recommend that you do.
This book was not what I was expecting. In a good way.
When you see a cover of two hot men and it looks like they're about to "get it on", and on top of that it's a New Adult book and it involves grown ups and sexual tension and... well, you jump to the conclusion that it is going to be a very sensual book, centered on those hot scenes we all know about. And I'm fine with that when that's well written really, I would not have requested this ARC otherwise.
This is not that kind of story, however. And no matter how much I do not mind mxm hot, smutty romances, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that while there are sexual scenes in this one, the book is about way more than that.
You'll have to take my word for it when I tell you there were two instances where I cried. One of the characters has an incredibly emotional backstory. The main characters have the kind of chemistry with each other you only ever dream to have in real life with someone else and hope to find in every romance novel. There is a lot of lgbt+ diversity that does not stop at gay and straight.
This is one very complete book that threw me off course. I loved it. You do not have to read any of the others to read this one (I haven't, yet). I absolutely recommend that you do.