Damnit Annabeth Albert and Boston Public Library, quit making me read these! [Maybe, sort of? I’m actually checking now to see if there are more I can request—maybe this is a little bit on me 😀 Looks like Arctic Heat the third in her Frozen Heart’s trilogy is available, if I must . . .]
As soon as I consider reading something that isn’t a MM romance the BPL pings me to let me know they’ve either re-purchased one of Albert’s books and I’m first in line for it or one I’ve had on hold for ages has finally come off hold. Seriously though, they need to limit me or I’m never going to stop!
At Attention takes us back to Albert’s Out of Uniform series (yes that sound you hear is me fanning myself). This one is a little different in that it’s not a couple of younger guys getting off and then finding love, but a second chance at romance for Apollo, a “silver daddy” who lost his husband to a bike accident and is left caring for their twin daughters, and his best friend’s little brother Zack, who has carried a torch for Apollo for years.
“In truth, this was a weird-ass world they were navigating, a tenuous friendship with a guy determined to see him as a kid already threatened by their attraction, something a series of casual hook-ups was probably not going to improve, no matter how loudly Dylan advocated for that course of action. He was being selfish, wanting to get Apollo out of his system, even as things were bound to get more, not less, awkward.” (1,652)
This is definitely a slow burn story, even though the first few pages make you think it might be otherwise with Apollo unknowingly skeezing on Zack at the grocery store prior to their being reintroduced. But really, how sexual and intimate can the story be when there are twin four-year-old girls tearing around the entire time? It was surprisingly intimate thanks to Albert’s ability to write a scene full of sexual tension and chemistry while the main characters are fully clothed and doing something mundane as preparing dinner together while being interrupted with kid questions.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Albert has some of the best humor. She adapts it well to each of her novels and I thought it worked as well in this one as it has in any of the other.
“No one did vaguely pissed-off sexier than Apollo Floros.” (Loc. 240)
“His voice was all hoarse, making him sound more like sex than the indignant turtle he was acting.” (Loc. 842)
But the real treat in this novel was this line,
“He wasn’t storming out of their lives, but it all felt like getting a hollow Easter bunny after getting a taste of Godiva truffles, a shadow of what he hoped for.” (Loc. 3,333)
Not only does she have the humor in there, but she gets right to the point with a devastating description of a maybe to on the nose, but perfectly placed relationship description. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to exhale sadly over this one passing sentence.
The other OMG yes rom-com proclaiming love me for me moment that had me swooning was this one.
“I mean, I want you to choose me for me. Not because I’m good with the girls. Not because I fit in your spare room or your spare time. Not because there’s a hole in your life and I help you forget that for a few hours, but for me. I want you to see me and choose me, and I’m going to hold out for that.” (Loc. 3,187)
Like you can just envisage the camera angles and the soft music building tension and then Zack making this declaration and then walking out as Apollo stands there stunned and we the viewers are left holding our breath when the screen fades to black. O. M. G. give me more.
And, again as I’ve mentioned before, I really appreciate how Albert adds in trans characters without making a big deal about them. She just drops them into the passages in passing and then keeps the story moving forward.
“‘How long have she and Pat been married?’ Dylan was fascinated by Apollo’s in-laws, but mainly he was looking for an excuse to stay next to Apollo a few more minutes. ‘Forty-three years.’ ‘Oh wow.’ Dylan hadn’t been expecting that answer. ‘They’ve been together since long before Marilyn transitioned. They’re a pretty amazing couple.'” (Loc. 1,457)
It’s like this moment (CNN link), when the Schitt’s Creek cast read the letter from the moms of LGBT kids and they describe how Schitt’s Creek does something similar. It just works and she’s definitely gotten better at including diverse characters as she’s written more novels.
Recommendation: Do I really have to say it? If you like military romance and hot steamy scenes then this is definitely a book for you. I appreciated that Albert added new dimensions to this work with an older protagonist with kids and a younger protagonist holding his own and not being overwritten. The minor characters once again add more facets to an already rich story that was well worth the read.
Other Books in Out of Uniform:
Opening Line: “Hamburger. Onions. Pickles. Ketchup. Buns. Buns.”
Closing Line: “He might have a history, one he dearly loved and wouldn’t change, but he also had a present, and now a future, and he met Dylan’s lips joyously, without reservations.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
Additional Quotes from At Attention
“‘We lost track of time.’ Zack’s shit-eating grin left no mistake about exactly what had delayed them. His red-haired boyfriend at least had the grace to blush, but Pike didn’t look too repentant in the slightest as he set what looked like a bowl of potato salad on the table.” (Loc. 315)
“He’d never been one for drugs or hard partying, but Apollo was every bit as addictive as the adrenaline from a soccer match, any potential pain worth the effort of chasing that rush.” (Loc. 2,390)
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