Review: Wheels Up by Annabeth Albert

Wheels Up
(Out of Uniform #4)
by Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: Nov. 7, 2017
Genre: M/M Romance
Rating:

Their love is forbidden, but their hearts aren’t listening to rules and regulations.

Lieutenant Dustin Strauss is a reformed man. No longer a twentysomething hell-raiser, he’s his SEAL team’s new XO-and a man with a secret. Or seven. He’s kept his bisexual identity under wraps for years, along with his kinky side and a fondness for the military-themed semianonymous hookup website Joe4Joe. His latest chat buddy is more than a sexy online distraction-they’re taking their very not-safe-for-work relationship into real time.

Petty Officer Wes Lowe has a smart mouth, a take-charge attitude and an uncanny ability for making things go boom. The life of an enlisted man isn’t always enough to satisfy him, but one wild, no-questions-asked weekend with his online love comes close. When a transfer order comes in, Wes feels ready and centered. He’ll make a good impression on his new SEAL team and keep his growing feelings for Dustin on the down low.

But as they log more time online and some very real emotions surface, Dustin and Wes struggle to pretend they’re just a harmless fling. And when his commander introduces Dustin to his team’s newest member, they’re in for the shock of a lifetime…and a crushing disappointment: their difference in ranks means even a friendship without sexual contact could end their navy careers for good.

With their hearts on the line, Dustin and Wes may not survive their next mission, let alone find a way toward a future together.

 

 

Wheels Up is an amazing read that had me staying up into the wee hours of the morning trying to finish it. Heck, I even got sick the next day and was in bed with the chills and aches and still didn’t want to put the book down. When I finally relented to take a quick nap, the first thing I did when I woke up was continue to read Dustin and Wes’ story. I just absolutely loved these two guys and wanted to see them get their happily ever after.

Wheels Up is actually the first time I’ve ever heard of this author and series. I came across it on NetGalley and was immediately drawn to the cover and synopsis. I loved the fact that these two meet anonymously through a dating app, have never swapped facial pictures, nor given their names, branch, or station location. However, when Dustin has to travel to the east coast for work, Wes suggests a meet-up since that will be close enough for him to drive to. It was only supposed to be one night of fun. Except, when Wes gets transferred to a new unit out west, he soon realizes that his new commanding officer is none other than the guy he’s been chatting up online. Given how fraternization is heavily frowned upon and there are legal actions that take place when one occurs, these two try to curb their feelings for each other and stick to the job. Watching them both struggle with losing their best friend and yet having that reminder in their face every day at work was so heartbreaking to watch.

Even though their stolen moments were really stupid on their part, I silently cheered every time one of them reached out to the other for support or comfort. Mainly because I had seen how much their current situation was eating them both up. I also loved these stolen moments because even though Dustin is bisexual, this is his first time testing the waters with another guy. So the experience is totally new to him and seeing him so vulnerable and how much trust he gave Wes really sealed their bond. While this is a romance and I loved their sexy times, I also liked that the author wrote in some field training and mission ops. We got to see the guys deploy out and do their job and it was great getting to see how they interacted with each other in the field verses in private.

While I loved this story, I did find that the lack of indication when these two are texting versus their inner dialog annoying. There was no italics or quotations to clue the reader in that what they were reading was a text message. So, every time they’d talk via the app, I found myself having to decode what I was reading and whether or not it was inner monologue or text. There were also a bunch of grammatical errors that I’m sure will get fixed before the book hits shelves, but it’s worth mentioning since that, too, took me out of the story when they’d pop up. Other than that, I loved this story.

Wheels Up is an emotionally raw love story that will leave you swooning. I loved both of these guys and it was heartbreaking to see them struggle with their new predicament, but at the same time I squealed every time one would cave in and seek out the other. It was just so hard to come to terms with the fact that their relationship was putting all the other men on their team at risk and it was really in everyone’s best interest if they took a step back and ended things. However, I’m so glad they didn’t because it would have broken my heart if these two didn’t get their happily ever after.

 

Favorite quote…

“Was he really going to do this? He’s spent years running from his attraction to other men, never venturing beyond the relative safety and anonymity of the internet. Was he ready to take that step for a guy he didn’t really know? Could he trust Wes?”

 

 

 

12 Thoughts on “Review: Wheels Up by Annabeth Albert

  1. I love Albert’s books but this was not one of my favorites. I’m glad you liked it though because now you can catch up on the previous books and her other series! I’m really enjoying her new Rainbow Cove series too.

    For What It’s Worth

    • I definitely need to go back and read the previous books and some of her other work. The fact that this wasn’t your fave of hers means the others will be even better. πŸ™‚

  2. It’s been a good long while since I’ve tried a M/M book!

  3. This isn’t my type of genre but I’m so glad you had fun with it and that you liked it. πŸ˜€

  4. Not for me, but I’m glad you enjoyed it.
    sherry @ fundinmental

  5. Oh, I really loved this one too. You should definitely read the other books in the series – it’s a favorite of mine! Plus, I just love the author in general. I like you say they lost their best friend when they have to stop communicating; so so true. It was heartbreaking!

    -Lauren

  6. The best books to read are those that keep you up at night because it is so dang good!! Great review. I have been meaning to pick this author up for a while now just not sure which book I want to try out first.

  7. It sounds like a wonderful read, a good way to spend a sick day. I do hate though when it isn’t clear when it is a Text message or email etc. I run into that quite a bit when listening to audiobooks.

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