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camill3's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
not sure if i liked the ending, it was veeery cheesy
zaza_bdp's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ☆
Si les deux premiers tomes de cette série m'avaient moyennement emballés, je dois dire que j'ai été séduite et touchée par celui-ci !
Le temps d'un roman, nous allons nous immerger dans l'immensité sauvage de l'Alaska, et partager l'expérience solitaire et feutrée de Quill, Ranger avec 20 ans de carrière à son actif, et Owen saisonnier bénévole pour quelques mois. Les deux hommes vont passer leurs journées à patrouiller dans les environs, à accomplir les différentes taches qui leur incombent, y compris la venue en aide aux touristes accidentés. À travers les yeux de ses héros, Annabeth Albert célèbre la beauté et la rudesse de l'Alaska, son côté rugueux, dangereux et solitaire, mais aussi magique, avec ses paysages, sa faune et ses lumières.
Quill a la quarantaine bien tassée, c'est un homme profondément solitaire, un vrai ours, et en fait, c'est quelqu'un de triste et blessé, il n'a jamais vraiment dépassé les peurs de sa jeunesse, il est enfermé dans cette vie, et l'arrivée d'un homme comme Owen, si à l'aise avec lui-même et avec les autres va forcément compliquer sa vie. Leur cohabitation est source de tensions en tout genre, Quill ne cherchant pas la compagnie de son collègue, tandis qu'Owen est lui déterminé à découvrir cet homme, et à engager une relation avec lui, ne serait-ce qu'amicale (en tout cas au début).
La romance est du genre slow burn, elle progresse doucement et connaît pas mal d'à coups. Owen est quand même assez persistant, on pourrait même trouver qu'il insiste parfois lourdement, et ne respecte pas assez les barrières de Quill, mais cela ne m'a pas trop dérangée. C'est une belle histoire que nous offre l'auteur, ce n'est pas une romance intense et passionnée, on est plutôt dans une forme de retenue, quelque chose de doux-amer, et je crois que c'est ce que j'ai le plus apprécié. On est aussi dans une sorte de huis-clos, avec cet isolement des personnages, un isolement finalement tant géographique que relationnel.
J'ai aimé cette histoire, les sentiments qu'elle m'a procurée, mais je suis un peu déçue et dubitative quant à la fin ... Néanmoins, j'ai été touchée par ce livre, par ses personnages, et c'est une lecture que je recommande (et qui peut sans problème être lu comme un standalone).
Si les deux premiers tomes de cette série m'avaient moyennement emballés, je dois dire que j'ai été séduite et touchée par celui-ci !
Le temps d'un roman, nous allons nous immerger dans l'immensité sauvage de l'Alaska, et partager l'expérience solitaire et feutrée de Quill, Ranger avec 20 ans de carrière à son actif, et Owen saisonnier bénévole pour quelques mois. Les deux hommes vont passer leurs journées à patrouiller dans les environs, à accomplir les différentes taches qui leur incombent, y compris la venue en aide aux touristes accidentés. À travers les yeux de ses héros, Annabeth Albert célèbre la beauté et la rudesse de l'Alaska, son côté rugueux, dangereux et solitaire, mais aussi magique, avec ses paysages, sa faune et ses lumières.
Quill a la quarantaine bien tassée, c'est un homme profondément solitaire, un vrai ours, et en fait, c'est quelqu'un de triste et blessé, il n'a jamais vraiment dépassé les peurs de sa jeunesse, il est enfermé dans cette vie, et l'arrivée d'un homme comme Owen, si à l'aise avec lui-même et avec les autres va forcément compliquer sa vie. Leur cohabitation est source de tensions en tout genre, Quill ne cherchant pas la compagnie de son collègue, tandis qu'Owen est lui déterminé à découvrir cet homme, et à engager une relation avec lui, ne serait-ce qu'amicale (en tout cas au début).
La romance est du genre slow burn, elle progresse doucement et connaît pas mal d'à coups. Owen est quand même assez persistant, on pourrait même trouver qu'il insiste parfois lourdement, et ne respecte pas assez les barrières de Quill, mais cela ne m'a pas trop dérangée. C'est une belle histoire que nous offre l'auteur, ce n'est pas une romance intense et passionnée, on est plutôt dans une forme de retenue, quelque chose de doux-amer, et je crois que c'est ce que j'ai le plus apprécié. On est aussi dans une sorte de huis-clos, avec cet isolement des personnages, un isolement finalement tant géographique que relationnel.
J'ai aimé cette histoire, les sentiments qu'elle m'a procurée, mais je suis un peu déçue et dubitative quant à la fin ... Néanmoins, j'ai été touchée par ce livre, par ses personnages, et c'est une lecture que je recommande (et qui peut sans problème être lu comme un standalone).
pewterwolf's review against another edition
2.0
Between two & three stars. It was fine, but I never warmed to this story compared to the other Annabeth Albert novels I've read the past few years. It just felt a bit "meh".
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf, which will be going live from mid-June 2020.
***eProof given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
Owen Han has a new leash of life. Surviving cancer and going through his bucket list, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Shy ranger Quill doesn’t want to deal with newbie volunteers. And flirty Owen looks like he wouldn’t survive a week, let alone the winter. But as the two spend time together, their work relationship turns romantic, but can their relationship survive the harsh winter?
In theory, this should have worked for me. A winter romance with an opposite attracts troupe with a slow burn. This should have worked. But it didn’t. It just felt fine. Just fine.
There’s nothing wrong here. The writing was good, the characters were good, the slow burn was good, everything in theory was good. But, for one reason or another, it didn’t feel good together. There was something off about this novel. Something cold, which doesn’t fit with the previous novels I’ve read from this author. I have enjoyed the few I have (most from Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series), so to read this and feel meh about it is a bit disappointing.
Maybe this is a fluke read. Not every author can write wonderful books all the time. There are going to be some books you just don’t click with. And I have one more book from this author on my kindle from her newest series. So, going to class this as a blip, but my next read from Annabeth Albert, [b:High Heat|49374434|High Heat (Hotshots, #2)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588973127l/49374434._SY75_.jpg|74801897], has a lot riding on it…
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf, which will be going live from mid-June 2020.
***eProof given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
Owen Han has a new leash of life. Surviving cancer and going through his bucket list, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Shy ranger Quill doesn’t want to deal with newbie volunteers. And flirty Owen looks like he wouldn’t survive a week, let alone the winter. But as the two spend time together, their work relationship turns romantic, but can their relationship survive the harsh winter?
In theory, this should have worked for me. A winter romance with an opposite attracts troupe with a slow burn. This should have worked. But it didn’t. It just felt fine. Just fine.
There’s nothing wrong here. The writing was good, the characters were good, the slow burn was good, everything in theory was good. But, for one reason or another, it didn’t feel good together. There was something off about this novel. Something cold, which doesn’t fit with the previous novels I’ve read from this author. I have enjoyed the few I have (most from Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series), so to read this and feel meh about it is a bit disappointing.
Maybe this is a fluke read. Not every author can write wonderful books all the time. There are going to be some books you just don’t click with. And I have one more book from this author on my kindle from her newest series. So, going to class this as a blip, but my next read from Annabeth Albert, [b:High Heat|49374434|High Heat (Hotshots, #2)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588973127l/49374434._SY75_.jpg|74801897], has a lot riding on it…
nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
As a cancer survivor, Owen is now checking things off of his bucket list. Spending time volunteering his time in Alaska is a life long dream come true. When a connection is made with Quill, the man who is supervising him, will Owen be able to check off finding a soulmate too? Or will the closeted lover end up breaking Owen's heart? These two characters were so great. From the beginning of the story to the very last page Annabeth Albert once again creates a wonderful story.
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
Owen made this book for me. He kept pushing for what he wanted and knew that Quill needed.
Quill was definitely frustrating at times but his lack of openness did balance Owen's complete openness well.
Quill was definitely frustrating at times but his lack of openness did balance Owen's complete openness well.
rhe323's review
emotional
slow-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
4.25
joyousreads132's review against another edition
2.0
I usually enjoy Annabeth's writing but this one didn't really do it for me.
I was bored most of the time.
This doesn't mean I'll stop reading her books altogether.
I was bored most of the time.
This doesn't mean I'll stop reading her books altogether.
adammm's review against another edition
3.0
**Book #400 of 2021. (idk I read a lot I guess)**
Quill is a somewhat damaged, very introverted ranger in Alaska; Owen is an extremely outgoing volunteer ranger working with Quill for the winter. Shenanigans occur.
Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. It started off strong - in particular, I really enjoyed the characterization of Quill and Owen; they are very different people, and in terms of characterization they (especially Owen) are very well done. I feel like most characters in the genre tend to be pretty, well, middle of the road. But Owen is an extreme extrovert who likes to get his own way, and Annabeth Albert does a great job of portraying this character trait to its best effect.
Here's the issue: this book was roughly 50 pages too long and the characterization went awry at the Big Climactic Moment at the 80% mark. A number of the chapters in the middle of the book were extremely repetitive and ended with the same contemplative air - the author could have dropped a few of them without any issues. And the characterization just... went kaplooey. I dunno. There was a huge amount of build up for a complete about-face. Meh.
And just a comment: a few of the highly upvoted reviews for this book express how "unexpected" the characters' sexual preferences are. I don't want to call shenanigans (or, to be more blunt, racism), but... really? Okay.
Anyways, I recommend the other two in this trilogy over this one. Read if you're interested in: hurt/comfort (kind of); interesting locations; interracial relationships; """"unexpected""" sexual preferences.
Quill is a somewhat damaged, very introverted ranger in Alaska; Owen is an extremely outgoing volunteer ranger working with Quill for the winter. Shenanigans occur.
Well, this was a bit of a disappointment. It started off strong - in particular, I really enjoyed the characterization of Quill and Owen; they are very different people, and in terms of characterization they (especially Owen) are very well done. I feel like most characters in the genre tend to be pretty, well, middle of the road. But Owen is an extreme extrovert who likes to get his own way, and Annabeth Albert does a great job of portraying this character trait to its best effect.
Here's the issue: this book was roughly 50 pages too long and the characterization went awry at the Big Climactic Moment at the 80% mark. A number of the chapters in the middle of the book were extremely repetitive and ended with the same contemplative air - the author could have dropped a few of them without any issues. And the characterization just... went kaplooey. I dunno. There was a huge amount of build up for a complete about-face. Meh.
And just a comment: a few of the highly upvoted reviews for this book express how "unexpected" the characters' sexual preferences are. I don't want to call shenanigans (or, to be more blunt, racism), but... really? Okay.
Anyways, I recommend the other two in this trilogy over this one. Read if you're interested in: hurt/comfort (kind of); interesting locations; interracial relationships; """"unexpected""" sexual preferences.
iam's review against another edition
4.0
Another great addition to the Frozen Hearts series.
Content warnings include: cancer survivor main character, homophobia, avalanche, fatal car accident (the main characters are not involved but they are at the scene), sex on-page; mentions of: heart attack, parental death, surgery, amputation, dysfunctional bordering on abusive family dynamics.
I'm having a bit of a hard time sorting my feelings about this one.
There were many things I loved. I adored Owen, who was optimistic and.... mature - that's the best word I can find for it. He was hard to anger, always polite and friendly, never acted out or treated someone hurtfully even when he was hurt himself, he remained calm even when agitated. He was just such a wonderful person and many things I aspire to be.
Meanwhile Quill had a lot of internal demons to fight, which I on the one hand found painfully relateable, on the other... found weird and almost uncomfortable. Part of this was that I could relate to a lot of his fears, yet it was also obvious that, while I share a lot of his sentiments, his and my own reasons were rooted in very different things.
To elaborate: A lot of the things he said and felt and thought were exactly how I as an aromantic and asexual person felt. Yet he decidedly wasn't either of those - he even says so on page - and he says these things I could relate to so much because of bad experiences and internalized fear, shame and homophobia.
I know the book was in no way trying to invalidate asexuality, and even mentions that that is a whole other thing, but... it still made me feel queasy when Owen tried again and again to get past Quill's walls. They reminded me too much of my own boundaries, and that made it hard to separate my discomfort from the gruffness that covered Quill's yearning.
That said, Owen does respect Quill's boundaries. He does test them frequently, but I found it more a gentle brushing and teasing than outright disrespect. Additionally, Quill does want him to do so, especially as the book continues, but I couldn't help but be reminded of the extremely similar patterns from [b:Arctic Sun|42354665|Arctic Sun (Frozen Hearts, #1)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549648632l/42354665._SY75_.jpg|66003456].
Overall, all three books of the series, including [b:Arctic Wild|43263021|Arctic Wild (Frozen Hearts #2)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549648970l/43263021._SY75_.jpg|67141842], follow the same arc, kind of. At first one character is reluctant, then they start having sex, they develop feelings, one of them is sure they will never work out while the other is pushing for the relationship, they fight, something big bad happens, they get their happily ever after.
All of the books are very well executed and still distinct enough in their details and settings (even if they all play in roughly the same part of Alaska), and especially the characters themselves are very different and most of them have very itneresting backgrounds - there are just quite a lot of common elements.
Overall an enjoyable, if rather slow, read, with a lot of cozyness and tenderness between an introvert and an extrovert in the icy winter of Alaska.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Content warnings include: cancer survivor main character, homophobia, avalanche, fatal car accident (the main characters are not involved but they are at the scene), sex on-page; mentions of: heart attack, parental death, surgery, amputation, dysfunctional bordering on abusive family dynamics.
I'm having a bit of a hard time sorting my feelings about this one.
There were many things I loved. I adored Owen, who was optimistic and.... mature - that's the best word I can find for it. He was hard to anger, always polite and friendly, never acted out or treated someone hurtfully even when he was hurt himself, he remained calm even when agitated. He was just such a wonderful person and many things I aspire to be.
Meanwhile Quill had a lot of internal demons to fight, which I on the one hand found painfully relateable, on the other... found weird and almost uncomfortable. Part of this was that I could relate to a lot of his fears, yet it was also obvious that, while I share a lot of his sentiments, his and my own reasons were rooted in very different things.
To elaborate: A lot of the things he said and felt and thought were exactly how I as an aromantic and asexual person felt. Yet he decidedly wasn't either of those - he even says so on page - and he says these things I could relate to so much because of bad experiences and internalized fear, shame and homophobia.
I know the book was in no way trying to invalidate asexuality, and even mentions that that is a whole other thing, but... it still made me feel queasy when Owen tried again and again to get past Quill's walls. They reminded me too much of my own boundaries, and that made it hard to separate my discomfort from the gruffness that covered Quill's yearning.
That said, Owen does respect Quill's boundaries. He does test them frequently, but I found it more a gentle brushing and teasing than outright disrespect. Additionally, Quill does want him to do so, especially as the book continues, but I couldn't help but be reminded of the extremely similar patterns from [b:Arctic Sun|42354665|Arctic Sun (Frozen Hearts, #1)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549648632l/42354665._SY75_.jpg|66003456].
Overall, all three books of the series, including [b:Arctic Wild|43263021|Arctic Wild (Frozen Hearts #2)|Annabeth Albert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549648970l/43263021._SY75_.jpg|67141842], follow the same arc, kind of. At first one character is reluctant, then they start having sex, they develop feelings, one of them is sure they will never work out while the other is pushing for the relationship, they fight, something big bad happens, they get their happily ever after.
All of the books are very well executed and still distinct enough in their details and settings (even if they all play in roughly the same part of Alaska), and especially the characters themselves are very different and most of them have very itneresting backgrounds - there are just quite a lot of common elements.
Overall an enjoyable, if rather slow, read, with a lot of cozyness and tenderness between an introvert and an extrovert in the icy winter of Alaska.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.