Monday, June 3, 2019

Release Day Review, Excerpt & Giveaway:Arctic Wild (Frozen Hearts #2) by Annabeth Albert

New Release Spotlight: Arctic Wild by Annabeth Albert


Series: Frozen Hearts, #2
Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): eBook June 3, 2019 / Print MMP June 25, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): approx. 105,000 words / 400 pages
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: None
Book synopsis:

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.


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“Annabeth Albert's Arctic Wild is an exciting tale of love and Alaskan adventure!”

 Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author

“Annabeth Albert is a one-click author for me and Arctic Wild was further proof of why.”
Lucy Lennox, Bestselling Romance Author

 
Read an excerpt from ARCTIC WILD


“Stop making yourself sound ancient. I get it, you’re older than me, but you are undoubtedly aware that you’ve got the whole silver bear thing going on.” Clearly the icy water had seeped inside his waders, frozen his brain cells because he’d just said silver bear aloud.

“I’ve got what?” Reuben turned toward him, which made the water ripple around them. Fuck. Toby really was going to have to explain this.

“You know. A lot of guys your age get called silver fox. But you’re kinda taller and broader than a fox…” Could he really dig himself any deeper? “But…uh…still hot. You know?”

“I see.” Reuben’s voice had the sort of gravitas that made Toby’s insides tremble. “If I had time for hookup apps—which I do not—I should put that on my profile. Silver Bear. Like a fox, but bigger and hotter. Think it would get me clicks?”

“Dunno. Put a clip of you pronouncing wine names and it might.” Toby’s tongue appeared to have a mind of its own right then.

“That’s hot, huh? Syrah, Malbec, Aligote, Vranec, Aidani…” Reuben’s tone wasn’t especially flirty, but it also wasn’t all business either. They’d definitely wandered into new territory, away from the more abstract discussion of sexual identity to something more personal. And dangerous, but hell if Toby could resist keeping this going. The whole way-too-personal conversation felt way better than it should have.

“Showoff. And seriously? You’ve never used a hookup app?”

“I’ve got better uses for my time than deciding whether to swipe right. Besides, I’m something of a serial monogamist. I like relationships. I’m lousy at them, but one-night stands have never appealed much to me.”

“Really? Again, I’m the opposite. Relationships don’t do it for me.” Better he get that out front right now. If he was going to be honest about his life, he might as well own up to that part too. And it wasn’t like Reuben was asking him to start something or even would want to start something, and Toby absolutely should know better than to go there too. Nevertheless, he felt he owed it to them both to be clear about who he wasn’t.

“That’s too bad. Bet you change your mind someday.” Reuben’s smile was warm and his tone friendly, flip almost, but something about it grated on Toby.

“Bet I don’t.” Then, because snapping at a client was always a bad idea, he added in a light voice, “You ready for a snack? There’s another spot I want you to try afterward that I think you’ll really like.”

Better they get back to dry land and safer conversation topics for a while before Toby had the urge to share more. He’d had plenty of clients he liked, on multiple levels, so he wasn’t sure what it was about Reuben that totally got under his skin. But he absolutely did, and that could hardly be a good thing.


What I thought about Arctic Wild

Reuben is coerced into not canceling the Alaska vacation he was supposed to take with his work colleagues and instead ends up going alone. Well, not really "alone" since he takes a lot of work with him in addition to some heavy decisions.  Let's just say that he is a type A, totally work focused professional at the beginning of the story and a huge part of the charm in this story is his transformation into someone who is much different by the end. 

Toby is used to clients like Reuben and he's working overtime in his head to find something that Reuben will love about Alaska.  Reuben, to his credit, does make an attempt to loosen up, and in doing so he wakes up some other sorts of feelings ... toward Toby.

Bad weather throws a major wrench in any hookup plans. I really loved this part of Arctic Wild.  There was great tension, raw emotions, and loads of "when will they be rescued" drama. The crash leaves Toby seriously injured and Reuben with serious considerations about his future.  When Reuben needs rehab care after discharge, Reuben steps up and offers to help out and instead of heading home, his daughter comes to Alaska and they all share a place while Toby recuperates.

There is some conflict between Toby wanting to be with Reuben but yet be self-sufficient and both men learn a lot about relying on others. There's also an age difference that doesn't sit well with Toby's father. It isn't always easy for Toby or Reuben. I did love Reuben and his daughter nurturing their relationship with Toby's helpful suggestions of activities.  

I really liked this book.  It captures the challenges of life in Alaska very well, and Reuben and Toby are an interesting couple. There is no insta-love or even insta-lust here... it's a gradual building of a relationship and I loved that about it, especially all the changes that Reuben ends up making in his life. While it was a bit predictable, Arctic Wild has good amounts of all the elements that make an enjoyable read for me.

An ARC was provided for review.


Giveaway
Win one paperback set of
Arctic Sun, Arctic Wild, and a swag prize pack!
18 to enter, open internationally.



About 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.
 

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