At Attention

Seriously so focused on his fraternal five year old twin daughters, widowed thirty three year old Navy Seal Lt. Apollo Floras accepts his best friend Dustin's twenty three year old brother, for the summer, to be his Sophia and Chloe's nanny-baby sitter; except since he was fifteen years old, eight years later, Dylan's crush on Apollo has never faltered, and maybe, joining the family possibly might bring a chance to develop a bonding relationship. Rough seas, hesitation, kindles emotional defenses, urges and desires, with a story to break your heart! "Don't be stupid" and let the love of your second chance pass you "GOOD-BYBY"

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < < TOPPY IS A HOTTIE! I've been looking forward to reading Apollo's story since reading OFF BASE. Strong cover fonts. Synopsis sounds good. > > Looking Deeper < < POV ~> Third person Oh, this series is so much hotter and sexier than the Portland Heat series, which is undoubtedly sweeter. Apollo Floros is one HAWT as hell SEAL. Widowed not long after becoming dads to twins, Apollo merely existed day to day while trying to hide his grief and many guilts. Dylan is his best buddy's younger brother, in town for a summer job, right as Dustin was shipped out of the country on a mission. Reluctantly and slightly manipulated by friends, Apollo agreed to allow Dylan to stay with him in exchange for help with the girls while his mother was, conveniently, going to be gone on a trip to Greece. While Dylan had always had a crush on Apollo, Apollo had only ever seen Dylan as a kid. Add to that, any stray sexual thoughts triggered an avalanche of guilt and feelings of betrayal against Neal, Apollo's deceased husband. Regardless, a slow and sexy relationship of sorts began to develop. Secondary cast was enjoyable and consisted of some old faces from OFF BASE as well as other SEALs or base personnel, Dylan's coworkers, and family from all sides. All interactions felt natural and believable. The plot was full and dynamic and the writing style was smooth. There were conflicts, most all were resolved in a timely manner. The conclusion is solid and satisfying. Although the book is just over 200 pages, it had the feel of a longer book, possibly because of the degree of content packed into the story. While this book can stand on it's own, I suggest reading the first book in the series prior to this. . Rating: [R] ~ Score: 4.30 ~ Stars: 4 (4.5, if I were able) ========================== ⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

At Attention is the second book in Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series. After reading book one, Off Base, I wasn't sure the stories could get any better but At Attention blew me away. I love second chance romance tropes, as well as falling for a best friend's sibling stories, and At Attention couldn't be any better at delivering on both counts. Apollo's husband, Neal, died a few years ago and he was left to raise their young twin daughters by himself. He has a great support system with his mother and his in-laws helping but it's still hard; he misses Neal. Dylan had a huge crush on Apollo eight years ago when he was just a teenager. Now he's all grown up, with lots of experience, and knows what he wants and that's Apollo. This book couldn't have hit my emotions any better. I've said many times that I tend to judge a book by how many tears it makes me shed (happy or sad) and At Attention hit me in all the right places. I wanted to strangle Apollo when he couldn't seem to accept the happiness he could have with Dylan. I wanted to hug Dylan hard when Apollo kept hurting him. And the twin girls and Dylan's relationship with them while he cared for them? Absolutely wonderful! These two guys go through some rough times together but it was so satisfying when they finally got their HEA. Annabeth Albert has been a favorite of mine for some time now and At Attention has kept her firmly on my list of much-loved authors. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, On Point, which is coming in June. A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book. ***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

One thing I know diving into a new AA book, is that it will be unique. She has written over a dozen books, short stories, and bonus ficlets and has yet to tell the same story twice. She does have her favorite tropes though, of which this is one of them: age gap, its also a best friends little brother, and roommates to lovers fic. Apollo is a widower with twin 5 year daughters. After his husband died, his mother moved in to help out with the girls. This summer she's planning on an extended vacation to Greece, so he's going to need some help. Dylan just graduated from college and lined up a summer camp job in the area and needs someplace to live. So his older brother, Apollo's best friend, sets them up. Dylan gets a free place to live (plus meals), and Apollo gets help for the girls, without having to rely on his in-laws too much. I love that the girls are present throughout the book, but not to the point that they take over the story. They are not used as a plot device to bring the men together and then forgotten. Also, when they are in a scene, they act their age. Although they are somewhat prevalent throughout the book, the focus is truly on the romance between the men. I also like that despite this being a military themed book, it doesn't overtake the story either. There is enough included to make his profession believable, and to show the necessity for having Dylan around, but again, this is a relationship driven book. As is typical in most romance novels, there are some road blocks to their HEA, some of them common to the different tropes this book exhibits, and one major one. Without giving too much away, they are all Apollo's issues. None of them seem forced, or put in just for the sake of conflict. One final thing, the secondary characters are great, particularly Apollos in-laws, one of whom is trans, and his friends Ben and Maddox who are the MCs of the next book. ARC provided by author for review

This is book #2, in the Out Of Uniform series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader understanding and enjoyment, I recommend reading series in order. Apollo has known Dylan for almost 20 years. His big brother is Apollo's best friend. He has always thought of him as a "kid." Being attracted to him is a shock. Dylan has been in love with Apollo for as long as he can remember. Now it is like breathing. He knows Apollo needs his help, but he wants to be more. What will it take to be seen as an equal? This was a story that made me feel everything. I laughed, cried, and wished for them to get together pretty much right away. This author never disappoints. I always love seeing the big alpha's fall. Great addition to the series. I cannot wait to read the next book. ***This copy was given in exchange for an honest review, by Netgalley and its publisher.