Book Review: Off Base by Annabeth Albert

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Off Base
Out of Uniform #1
Author: Annabeth Albert
Reading Level: New Adult | Adult Fiction
Genres: Military | M M Romance | LGBT
Release Date: January 9th 2017
Review Source: Carina Press

After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike's flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike's arrival would spark from Zack's teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can't refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won't be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He's an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he's had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can't risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack's restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn't know how to be the man Pike deserves.

Off Base was a surprise great romance, not your typical romance at that, but still great. If you have not read an M/M romance before, I think this would be a great starting point. And I say starting point, because it will not be your last. The author does a great job giving us everything we love about a romance that has to fight to stay together. And if you are thinking about the scenes that make you blush, they are written tastefully and will make your heart skip a beat. Nothing that will make you cringe or quit reading the book. I can only say great things about Off Base!

Off Base is the story of Zack, he is a Navy Seal and all full of sexy muscles. Zack has lived many years in doubt and sadness. He hasn't quite figured out his sexuality, he has tried but just can't grasp at it. Plus his family's very religious background scares him in his choices. He has a lot to live up too since his older brother is the black sheep in the family. He knows his mom and dad expect only greatness from him. So when Zack begins to realize that he has always known what he was really into, it freaks him out. He decides living off base will help with his mind. Getting bullied by another Seal is already a lot for his plate with all his training. And he is ready to move on and concentrate on his training.

So when he hits the jack pot and acquires a fixer-upper at no cost, he knows he is way in over his head. This brings on Pike, a friend of Zack's. Pike is the perfect roommate since he is very familiar with flipping homes, the thing is though, Pike is gay. And this is what scares Zack. Zack you can say is still fighting the doubts. But we are human and when your heart is involved, it will crumble any fence you might have up. Zack final accepts that he is gay and begins to fall for Pike. But this is all kept hidden from everyone. Zack is afraid of the repercussion since he is a Seal. 

So now the romance has blossomed and everything is perfect when they are inside their home, but anything outside is the complete opposite. Pike isn't OK with it anymore. Zack and Pike have a lot to figure out and many important choices to make in both their futures. I won't give more away, you'll just have to read Off Base to know what happens of course. 

So again I mentioned, this is a great love story. I recommend it and hope everyone reads it. Now comes the waiting game for the next book in the series. 

Book Review: Choose Me by Heidi McLaughlin

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Choose Me
The Archer Brothers #2
Author: Heidi McLaughlin
Reading Level: Adult
Genres: Military Romance
Release Date: April 1st 2015
Review Source: Author

Two brothers.
One woman.
One son.
One choice.

Lives ripped apart, shattered and rebuilt.

Evan and Nate Archer: Brothers, best friends, warriors and now enemies. Both in love with the same woman. Both determined to fight for what they want.

Nate Archer promised to protect Ryley Clarke in the event Evan didn’t make it back. It’s a promise between brothers since the early days of basic training. Nate never considered that his feelings, long buried since high school, would resurface and grow stronger.

Evan Archer wants answers. He wants someone to pay. After being gone for an unprecedented amount of time, nothing is making sense now that he’s home. Most of all, he can't understand how his brother ended up engaged to his fiancée. Evan is determined to uncover the mystery, and win back his family.

The Archers are about to fight dirty.

EVERYONE, I need you to pay attention here. Yes this book wasn't published by a big publishing house or the author isn't a name that everyone is familiar with at the dinner table but... Well if you listen to me then McLaughlin will start to get the credit that she is rightfully due. Not just with this series but even the other books she has written. McLaughlin is an AUTO BUY for me. I don't have to think twice when I buy any of her books. To me she sits up there with Jennifer L. Armentrout, Jamie McGuire, And Molly McAdams, that is HOW GREAT her books are. I've enjoyed every single one of her books and Choose Me took her to another level in my heart. 

I fell in love with this series from the moment I saw the cover reveal of Here With Me, then I read book one and was blown away. The withdrawal was a love/hate feeling. Then when I saw the cover reveal for Choose Me, I grew so anxious, like a kid waiting for the last day of school to arrive. Then when I finally had Choose Me in my hands, I swear I heard Angels singing. 

Choose Me is the sequel to Here With Me, this series is based on twins that are part of the military and have both loved the same girl since they were kids. One just got more lucky than the other and won the girl's heart first. That girl would be Ryley and the Archer brothers are Evan and Nate. I wished I could say this could be read as a stand-alone but it can't. There are important events that happen in Here With Me that lead in to Choose Me. If you begin with Choose Me, then you'll miss a lot of important facts and back story and would feel lost and not connected with the characters. So if you have not read Here With ME, I STRONGLY suggest you do and lucky you that gets to read these books back to back. 

If you read Here With Me, you know about the cliff hanger ending, so you know how this sequel begins. Evan is back and Nate is too. As much as these brothers have trained and fought in wars, they are not ready to handle the battle that began long before Evan showed up at the door after being thought dead for 6 years. What is the military covering up, why did Evan miss those years of his life to come back home to find everyone had moved on? Will his son understand that he is his daddy or will he have to live with Nate as his the father figure in his son's eyes? Will Ryley choose the man who she fell head over heels in love with and was ready to marry when he return from deployment and gave birth to their son? Or will she choose the brother than stepped in after the death of Evan and grew feelings for and now is engaged to be wed? All this you will get answered, but you have to do the leg work and read this story!!! 

•• Read my review of Here With Me, where the story all began!!! ••

Book Review: Here With Me by Heidi McLaughlin

Here With Me
The Archer Brothers #1
Author: Heidi McLaughlin
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Military
Release Date: October 23rd 2014
Review Source: Author
 

Ryley Clarke has grown up with the military in her blood, with both parents serving their country. Ryley knows the risks of being married to the military. But when the unthinkable happens, and her future husband is killed in action, Ryley can barely survive... until Evan's twin brother, Nate, helps her pick up the pieces.

After serving on a special mission with the military for six years, Evan Archer returns home to find the unthinkable - the love of his life, Ryley Clarke - engaged to his brother, Nate. With Nate on deployment, Evan needs to figure out what happened in his absence, and more importantly, how to win Ryley back from the man he once considered his best friend, but now thinks of as his rival.

THIS IS A MUST READ!!! 

One of the toughest reviews I have had to write since I started this site. Not because of how horrible the book was, on the contrary you can tell that it was the opposite by just looking at the amount of trees I gave it. It's because of that exactly why I took hours and not minutes to reflect on what I felt. Here With Me was amazing. The story itself, the characters, the setting, the voices, the background, everything about this novel just fell into this perfect synchronization. 

I knew McLaughlin was a great writer from past books I have read but this novel just took her to a whole other dimension. I will now tell everyone that Heidi McLaughlin is truly an exceptional author. Great would not do her justice anymore. Negative side to that now, is that she raised the bar and future books she publishes have competition to beat in Here With Me. Possibly the sequel to Here With Me, will have to wait to find out. 

Before getting deep into the story, I want to go to the end. I was fortunate enough to read an early manuscript of Here With Me, so at some point in time, McLaughlin did not disclose this was a planned series. I though what I was reading was a standalone. Boy was I wrong,  and McLaughlin is lucky we don't live in the same states. I probably would have attacked her (in a friendly way) after I stop repeating, "No she did not just end the book like that" a million times.  Put it this way, Here With me has made my top ten list of books with jaw-dropping cliff hanger endings. Bravo! And this is a great thing for me FYI. 

Alright now on to the story that cause all the feels while reading. Here With Me follows the lives of Ryley, Nate and Evan. Ryley is now a grown women that both parents served the military and she grew up surrounded by all that. As fate would have it, Ryley's boyfriend ends up enlisting along with his twin brother. Riley just couldn't get away from the military life and its risks. Ryley's boyfriend she met by chance is Evan and his brother is Nate. These three were inseparable until the day they enlisted and it was time to go serve their country. Before leaving Evan does propose and turns out Ryley is pregnant. So the plan is when Evan gets back they will marry and live as a happy family. 

If life was that simple most of the time. Tragedy strikes and Ryley is informed that Evan has been killed in action. Her world is devastated, if it isn't for Evan's brother Nate, Ryley would probably not have survived the tragedy while raising her son. Nate always had stronger feeling for Ryley, but he knew she was completely devoted and in love with his brother. But with times, Ryley and Nate do become closer as they help and support one another through the years after Evan's passing. Ryley and Evan's child even knows Nate as his daddy. Now Nate has taken it to the next step and that is to marry Ryley. They will be wed. 

Do you believe in ghost? Well you might when you start to see the person you were madly in love with walking up to you that has been dead for years. This is the case with Ryley and Evan. Turns out Evan was not killed after all, it was all a lie. Apparently the military fed lies to both Ryley and Evan during those years. And Evan basically freaks out when he understands why Ryley was not waiting for him with balloons for his long homecoming and instead wears a rock on his ring finger from his brother he left taking care of her while he was deployed. Yea it just got real and add to it all that Nate is not deployed and has no clue that his brother is alive. 

These life changing events will set off even more life changing events and throughout the whole journey, Evan will not give up on Ryley and he will play dirty if he has to to win her back and his son. Then add to all this finding out "Why?" this even happen and why the military seems to be hiding or something worse what went on with Evan's special mission. 

This is one sequel I will be desperately awaiting for. I need to know what happens next, so many things are left open at the end including one big moment, that I need to know the reactions to it all. I can't wait!!! 

People I really meant it, read this book. Its amazing and will set off every emotion in the dictionary. Everything was just great from start to end. So I really hope I did it justice with my review and explain why its a must read.