Review: Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert
SYNOPSIS:
Everything’s bigger in Alaska, especially the HEAs. Annabeth Albert kicks off the brand-new Frozen Hearts series with Arctic Sun, an opposites-attract romance between a rugged outdoorsman and a smoking hot former male model.
He’s built a quiet life for himself in Alaska. But it doesn’t stand a chance against the unrelenting pull of a man who’s everything he shouldn’t want.
Ex-military mountain man Griffin Barrett likes his solitude. It keeps him from falling back into old habits. Bad habits. He’s fought too hard for his sobriety to lose control now. However, his gig as a wildlife guide presents a new kind of temptation in superhot supermodel River Vale. Nothing the Alaskan wilderness has to offer has ever called to Griffin so badly. And that can only lead to trouble…
River has his own methods for coping. Chasing adventure means always moving forward. Nobody’s ever made him want to stand still—until Griffin. The rugged bush pilot is the very best kind of distraction, but the emotions he stirs up in River feel anything but casual, and he’s in no position to stay put.
With temptation lurking in close quarters, keeping even a shred of distance is a challenge neither’s willing to meet. And the closer Griffin gets to River, the easier it is to ignore every last reason he should run.
Publisher’s Note: Arctic Sun deals with topics some readers may find difficult, including sobriety and eating disorders.
REVIEW:
This story was a surprise of depth and heart that had me falling in love. It was simply two broken men finding solace in each other and making a whole. I adored the raw honesty and brutal truths of this story, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows…it was real.
The story is tender and fragile, much like Griff and River. Griff struggling with sobriety, he exists but isn’t truly living. River is a man of many masks, he can seamlessly fit into any group but he is hopeless adrift with his only companion being his eating disorder; and while in recovery, the silent voices in your head don’t exactly go away. I thought the romance between Griff and River was well paced and balanced. River had to work to breakdown Griff’s walls and in contrast, River learned a different side of himself.
It was definitely a slow burn but nothing felt rushed and by the time Griff and River finally come together, it was real and true. It was an excellent balance between Griff and River’s own battles and the battles they might face as a couple. Each character had to put in the work to get to their happily-ever-after. At times, the story line was predictable, especially at the climax of the book but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. The ending was everything I hoped it would be and left me with a smile on my face. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
