This one could've been better.

I've read all of these, but this one, while I enjoyed it, was the least of them for me. The predictability might've been forgivable had the realization felt earned. But it didn't. Without that, I can only rate it average for a romance. It had that overall failure-to-communicate problem that is irritating unless it is an actual plot point hiding a surprise. It wasn't. Nothing surprised me. ( )

Is it better to have someone you love in your life as a friend than to pursue romance and risk ruining that connection forever? That's Maddox Horvat's dilemma: his best friend, Ben Tovey, is everything he could want in a man. But their friendship, and the fact that they are SEALs in the same unit, makes him hesitate to make a move. Of course, Ben is not exactly opposed to the idea himself--he thinks Maddox is great. But past relationships gone wrong make him cautious about ruining their connection for a tiny shot at something more. When the two of them are stranded together on a mission awaiting rescue, they find themselves forced to confront their feelings--and each other.

There is something about Annabeth Albert's writing that always draws me in. Her development and depiction of characters and relationships feels real without relying on tropes. Her storytelling is engaging, and I always find myself rooting for the characters from very early on in the book. And this one is no exception. Even though I found myself wanting to bop both of these guys on the head more than once for being too obtuse to acknowledge their feelings and make something of it. A well-written continuation of this series--which does not need to be read in order.

[Disclaimer: This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.] ( )

3 stars for before the dating thing

I enjoy the best friends to lovers trope, and I loved Ben and Maddox in book 2 i was looking forward to read about them but i was disappointed. I did not feel the spark, no butterflies for me when they got together. But maybe its just me not the book.



The beginning was great i was hooked, i loved the flashbacks, Ben taking care of Maddox it was all roses, i was hoping for UST,the chemistry to blow me a way but, all of a sudden it was like i turned the page and i was reading a different book. Ben had a personality transplant, they were dating and... and... i got lost.



I was not able to feel chemistry at all between Ben and Maddox, it felt stiff, even the sex scenes fell flat.

Then came the fabricated Drama and i almost lost it. Don't get me wrong i love drama, even soapy drama sometimes but this felt forced. From that point i just wanted the book to end.



I will definitely read more from this author, but IMO, it is like she makes one of the MC more likable than the other. At the end of book 1 i loved Apollo but in book 2 i did not connect with him at all he frustrated the hell out of me. Then in book 2 i adored Ben and Maddox only to read book 3 and end up not liking Ben at all and Maddox didn't do anything for me at all.

Please book gods let Dustin's book not disappoint, i don't want to break things.



*Sigh* end of rant i call review! but maybe its not the book its me.



Ok! On that Point (see what i did there) it is time to re-read my favorite Best friends to lovers story. [b:Crossroads|25963015|Crossroads (Crossroads, #1)|Riley Hart|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438261211s/25963015.jpg|45578388] ( )

I must be in a mood, because I kinda teared up during this one. or I am a sucker for friend-to-lover types. I don't know, there was so great drama/angst in this one and ended up being my favorite couple.

the dialogue is still an odd sticking point for me in these books, it doesn't wow me. And until the couple works through feels, I really hated to sex scenes. Maybe I was feeling all their awkward and that was good, but it was rough. ( )

Maddox and Ben are on a mission that goes wrong for them. They are SEALS who are also roommates. Ben is very open about his sexuality but Maddox is more lowkey. Before being deployed Ben had set up an encounter that Maddox enjoyed but made their situation weird for Maddox. They have been trying to get back on an even keel since then. Now during recovery they have the opportunity to see if they can make a relationship work for them.

I enjoyed these characters. I liked the main story line. The flashbacks worked well as they fleshed out this story and told us what we needed to know. I liked that the main sticking point for the men was not staying in the closet but deciding if they could move on to the future with different dreams. I will read more of this series. ( )