I think this might be my least favorite from Albert’s Out of Uniform series. Maybe it’s because the others were so great, but this one just didn’t do it for me.
It’s not bad, it was just sort of middle-of-the road steamy MM romance for me. It could be that I didn’t really identify with either Bacon/Del (the Navy SEAL of this book) or Spencer (the silver fox journalist—hello Anderson Cooper stand in), but it just fell a little flat for me even though I rated it pretty high because it was still a great story with super-hot sex scenes.
I liked that Albert took us on another deployment in this book as she writes really good action scenes. It did feel a little bit too similar to On Point in the deployment going FUBAR, but it was just different enough and with a civilian there definitely felt like there was more on the line even though the injuries weren’t as dangerous.
It was like they’d been longing for this for years, not days, and like they were both longtime lovers reuniting and mortal enemies enraged at their attraction. (105)
As usual, Albert wrote a great story that had passion with believable characters and yet had enough cheese to keep me going. She always toes the line of too cheesy or too nerdy or too steamy, but she knows exactly when to push it back and/or push it forward. You’re never going to be bored with one of her works.
Honestly, I think the best part of the story was Spencer’s interaction with his mentor, who was facing terminal cancer. There was something incredibly moving and emotional about their relationship and Spencer’s growth as a person in those few passages/interactions that made it stand out to me. And the fact that it’s what made him realize Del needed to be a part of his life regardless of the scoop he had was the swoon-worthy moment I needed in this book.
. . . no story is more important than ours. The one we’re creating. Our story. That’s the one I’m really missing out on here if we don’t give it a second chance. (211)
Recommendation: Overall, this is another must read from Albert. It may not have been my favorite of the series, but it had enough moments to receive a good rating from me and I could easily see it be one that sits in the back of my mind for a while. It also doesn’t hurt that I imagined Anderson Cooper (Andy Cohen’s Instagram) as Spencer for 90% of the novel. HA!
Opening Line: “Bacon was hanging on to life by one index finger.”
Closing Line: “All he’d ever wanted was Spencer’s heart, the whole thing, no holding back, and now that he had that, he knew the future was theirs for the taking.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)
Other Books in Out of Uniform:
Additional Quotes from Tight Quarters
“Bacon sounded almost eager, which was cute. Not that Spencer needed to go find anything about this guy—this much too young, much too off-limits guy—cute. He was part of the job. He wasn’t allowed to be cute.” (14)
“As he followed Bacon out of the dining facility, he didn’t regret being open about Greg to the team. He’d never really been in the closet, but he’d spent too many years when he was younger watching his words, worrying about what others might think. Screw that. Life was far too short to hide, and besides, it was bound to come up at some point the next few weeks. Better to just get it out in the open now.” (20)
“Del rewarded him with another kiss. Spencer returned it with a passion that had nothing to do with angling for another round of sex. Instead, he let his lips say what he couldn’t give voice to. Stay. Your laughter fills every hole in my soul. Stay in my bed, in my life, in my heart. Stay.” (153)
“You want good things for you. You’re the best goddamn thing in my life, Spencer. The thing that has made me happiest the last few months. I need that. Need you. You want me to be happy? Let me have you. Let me have this. Let me have us. Please.” (179)
“‘There’s no deal-breakers if you love each other.’ Wasn’t that what Isaiah and Wizard had said? He couldn’t buy in to their sunny optimism that love cured everything—he’d seen too much to believe that. But he’d also been trained to see no-win situations and find a way out. Work harder. Smarter. Faster. Never stop trying. Except he didn’t know how to do that here, how to get to a future where love still won out. But he wanted it. Wanted it so bad. And if it was a matter of hard work, could he really live with himself if he never tried?” (195)
“I thought I wanted to be remembered by my bylines, my stories, my prizes, and by the young careers I helped launch and the paper I put to bed each night, but in the end, I am the man who loved David, Christopher, and Calvin, who never knew but should have. And Roberto, who did.” (197)
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