I guess I didn't connect to the characters. I liked how Apollo was so focused on being the best dad to his daughters, although he took it a bit too far sometimes. Also just way too much of kids. I didn't particularly warm up to Dylan if I'm honest. Kinda meh character for. It was a nice story how a grieving widow got his second chance.

I always admire when an author tackles a character who is a widow and widower because not only are they writing a romance in the here and now, they have to deal with a very significant part of one of the characters past. In At Attention, Annabeth Albert tackles this with a Navy SEAL who lost his husband two years prior and merely exists in his life of work, his twin 5 year old daughters, and a few get togethers with his friends. He thinks he is doing fine, great even until a sexy, much younger man winks at him in the grocery store and then shows up at his house, the younger brother of his best friend who has changed significantly in the eight years since he last saw him, and unsettles him like nothing has in years. At Attention is a story of healing, of hope, of that rush of new attraction, of friendship, trust building, letting go, and realizing that you can’t control your heart even when you have binders and lists to control everything else in your life. I loved this emotional and sexy story.

Taking a summer job in the San Diego area to spend more time with his brother seemed like a good idea to Dylan, but his brother’s SEAL team is going wheels up leaving Dylan a bit unsettled until his brother, Dustin has a solution to his problem and his best friend Apollo’s childcare issues, Dylan can work at the children’s summer camp and fill in for Apollo’s mother with his girls while she is gone on an extended vacation. Dylan isn’t at all opposed, having had a teenage crush on Apollo, but Apollo knows that Dylan will mess with his carefully crafted life.

I loved watching Dylan steamroll into Apollo’s life and shake him up a bit, for only being 23, Dylan was very self assured, mature, and capable of handling pretty much anything that was thrown his way. I especially loved how easily he related to Apollo’s girls and how they immediately took to him. Watching the stoic borderline OCD Apollo have his world upended was pretty funny and while I felt for him and his conflicting emotions, it was easy to see that Dylan brought light and fun into his world, something that had been missing.

It wasn’t easy for these two, they had to tiptoe through several landmines and make a few missteps along the way, but the things I appreciated are that they always put the girls first and their mutual respect for one another. While the lines got blurred at times and in the heat of an argument hurtful words were spewed, underneath it was easy to see that trust and genuine feelings between them. Their intimate times were at times frantic, at times slow and steamy, and at other times full of emotion neither one was ready to handle, but always, always sexy and mutually satisfying.

I appreciated the complexities of At Attention and the fact that it took this couple some time, patience and a whole lot of soul searching to get to their happily ever after. Annabeth Albert continues to prove she is a master at writing gay romance.

It has been two years since Lieutenant Apollo Floros lost his husband and he is still mourning. Apollo is raising their young twin girls by himself and even with all the routine and structure he puts into his life, he still feels overwhelmed going it alone. When his best friend’s younger brother comes into town for the summer and needs a place to stay, Apollo reluctantly agrees to let Dylan live with him in exchange for helping out with the kids.

Apollo may remember Dylan as Dustin’s awkward teen brother, but at 23, Dylan is all grown up. The crush he had on Apollo has not diminished over the intervening years, and he is still hot for the sexy Navy SEAL. But Apollo still seems to view Dylan as a kid. That doesn’t stop Dylan’s fantasies, however, especially when his heart melts at seeing Apollo with his young girls.

As the guys spend more time together, Apollo can’t help but notice that Dylan is, in fact, all grown up and the attraction between them flares. But Apollo is definitely not looking for a relationship; he plans to never get involved again after his husband’s death. Dylan suggests a no strings affair, hoping to have Apollo any way he can get him. And things seem to be going well as Apollo begins to open up and enjoy life a bit more, and Dylan has the man of all his fantasies. But Apollo is still determined to keep things casual, even as Dylan is falling hard. Now Apollo has to decide if he is going to cling to the past and block himself off from loving again, or if he is going to take a chance on happiness with Dylan and a future between them.

At Attention is the second book in Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series and brings us the story of Apollo, a character we first meet in Off Base. I was intrigued with him there and really excited to get his story, especially an age gap tale, one of my favorite tropes. This book plays well with the age difference between the two men, as things start off with Apollo trying to reconcile the teenage Dylan of his memories with the sexy man now before him. Apollo tries to kind of box Dylan away in “kid” zone, using it to keep his distance, but Dylan refuses to let Apollo act like he is still a teenager. Although the age gap is never a real barrier between them, it becomes a way for Apollo to try to keep his distance and justify his attempts to hold himself back from Dylan.

These guys are a great couple in that they fit so well. Dylan is a pretty mature young guy, trained at working with kids. So he is the perfect fit as the pseudo-nanny for Apollo over the summer. Apollo is a guy who has rigid control and thrives on order and structure. Some might find his demeanor too uptight, but it totally works for Dylan who grew up craving structure and responds well to Apollo’s sometimes over the top organization. At the same time, Dylan just sparks with life and is such a fun and lively guy. Apollo has basically been living for work and his kids, never having much fun or really any kind of life. So Dylan is able to not only be a source of support for Apollo, but also helps him open up, relax, and have some fun as well.

A lot of this story focuses on Apollo’s inability to let himself go and accept a relationship with Dylan. Apollo clearly wants him; that is obvious from the start. And Dylan makes it plain he wants Apollo. But even once they start hooking up, Apollo can’t let it be more. He needs to keep Dylan at a distance, and he goes hot and cold over and over. I’ll admit, I found this kind of frustrating at times. The guys hook up, Apollo feels guilty, and then he freezes Dylan out. Dylan is such a likable guy, I found myself kind of annoyed on his behalf that Apollo is treating him this way. Albert does try to show both sides of things here. Dylan wants more with Apollo but lets him believe he is happy with casual because he figures he will take the man however he can get him. So Dylan does bear some of the responsibility here, but in the end, I couldn’t help but be annoyed at Apollo for jerking Dylan around. So I’ll admit it did hinder my enjoyment a little bit. That said, these guys are super sexy together. Apollo is hot and growly and alpha and it pushes all of Dylan’s buttons. They are a great couple and as things resolve, the story really comes together nicely.

So this is another great installment in this series and I am so excited for more. There are a lot of side characters that we have met so far so I can’t wait to see who is up next and what is planned for them all. If you like sexy military men, I would definitely recommend this book and the series.

P.S. Can we talk about that smoking hot cover? Just gorgeous!

I loved this story! Dylan an Apollo have known each other for years and finally they find each other! This book made me so happy! Dylan has crushed on Apollo since he was a teenager, and that hasn't changed since. Even all these years later and a college graduate, he not only likes what he still sees, but also he is starting to fall for the loving single father Apollo that is now. I love these guys!

I love second chance romances and Apollo and Dylan are a great couple.

We first meet Apollo in Off base when he helps out Zack. Apollo is a widower and single father and the last thing he wants is to love again but Dylan gets under is skin. Dylan happens to be his best friend's little brother and the last person he wants to love for so many reasons. But fate has other plans for these two.

Apollo seemed so put together in Off Base but here we get to see his cracks in his foundation. Dylan brings the best out of him. I adored these two together. I can't wait for more of this series.

At Attention is the second book in the Out of Uniform series, and we reunite with Lieutenant Apollo Floros, who we met in Zack and Pike's story. We learn more about his past - how he is a grieving widower with two young twin daughters. He is existing with his life, not living it. When a friend asks him for a favour, he looks for a thousand different ways out of it, before he capitulates ungraciously.

That is the build up to a slow-burning, gut-churning, emotion-packed story that will get you right in the feels. There is no 'bad guy' in this, just a young hopeful man, and an older, grieving one, who just can't move past his pain. I really felt for Dylan, but couldn't bring myself to hate Apollo either, although I did want to whomp him upside the head a few times.

Saying that, there was plenty of heat in here, more than enough to keep me happy! The story didn't suffer for the steamy times though. Everything was in the right place, when it needed to be said or done. Kept on tenterhooks right to the end, I adored this book. I also loved the small cameos from Zack and Pike. So nice to see them still in love.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book, or the series, as I am absolutely loving it.

Great quick read about finding love after loss and falling for your true love. Love both Apollo and Dylan and supporting characters. I would like to read more about the other characters in this series.

How do I love Annabeth Albert, let me count the ways… seriously, I have never read a book written by her that I haven’t devoured. As a matter of fact, I read At Attention a while ago and just read it again now so I could write this review. That’s really telling, because reading a second time was almost as amazing as the first. Sure, there were things I remembered from my first time with Apollo and Dylan, but overall, I enjoyed it as much as most new-to-me reads.

As soon as we met Apollo in Off Base, I knew I needed his story. There was pain that needed to be healed and I wanted to know he’d be okay. And boy, was he ever!

Dylan has some big tasks ahead of him if he wants to win Apollo’s heart. He needs to show Apollo he’s no longer Apollo’s buddy’s little brother. Heck, I’m pretty sure he needs to remind everyone he’s not a kid anymore. On top of that, he has to get past the double-thick wall Apollo’s built around his heart.

Every interaction, every progression of their relationship felt natural. It was the way two men, one of whom has a long list of responsibilities, would go from a convenient arrangement to help Apollo with his daughters to men in love with one another as equals.

Today, I’ll be picking up the audiobook so I can listen to their story again. There’s one scene in particular, right at the end of the book, that I’m dying to know if the narrator does justice. After that, it’ll be time to start hounding Annabeth for the next book in the series, because the Out of Uniform series is a bit like Lay’s chips: you can’t eat just one.

5 pieces of eye candy

PICK

Annabeth Albert always makes me cry. With her second military romance, she delves into grief, parenthood, and responsibility as her heroes explore their attraction and wrestle with emotions they aren't quite ready to process. It's hot, sweet, and deeply affecting.

That said, I didn't feel the usual INTENSE DRIVE to keep reading--but even an Annabeth Albert novel you can stand to put down every once in a while is pretty damned good.

Apollo is great at training mission for the Navy but when it comes to being a single father to his twin daughters it gets overwhelming. he needs live -in help while is mom is on vacation, when a friends younger brother needs somewhere to stay, Apollo reluctantly agrees to allow him to stay with them.

What he doesn't expect is to be attracted to his friends younger brother, who he hasn't see in eight years. Dylan used to follow Apollo around, but now he needs to show Apollo that is he is a man, not a the younger brother anymore.

From the beginning things are scorching hot between Dylan and Apollo, when they engage in a summer fling, they both try hard to kept attachments from forming, but that is hard to do. One mistake could cost them their happy ending, but one of them has to be able to let go of the past and look towards the future.

Another good book by Annabeth Albert, she has become one of my go to reads.

Holy smokes. This was a hot one! Single dad? Oh hello screaming ovaries. Too bad he's not playing my feild. Wait. Throw in a second sexy as hell man? Boom. Explosion. Forbidden romance. Childhood crush. Think we could find another trope to throw in here and drive me crazy in all the best ways?

I love this series, they really are great books. Characters that reappear throughout the books, strong plots that give a prefect angst to steam ratio. Never more than necessary, always just what I needed. Did I mention that they were smoking hot? Because yeah, this book had it going on in that department.

Apollo was a little whinier than I'd have like, but Dylan managed to level it all out with his confidence and determination. Plus, this was not one man who was amazing with kids. This was two men who were sexy as hell and great with the kids.

Couldn't put it down, and can not wait to dive into the next one by this author!

This. Was. So. Freaking. Cute. We have Apollo and Dylan, and they were freaking adorable. The sex was hot, Dylan was great, Apollo grew on me, and the HEA was particularly satisfying. I think the only thing I didn't like so much was just how hard Apollo was pushing Dylan away, and for no apparent reason. He was just so stuck in his head, and so stubborn about it, that he couldn't get past his previous relationship, and his fears, and his OCD tendencies. It makes sense, but my goodness is it frustrating!

That said, this was my favorite in the series (well, out of the two and a half I've read thus far), and I highly recommend it. And, as a perk, the series definitely does not need to be read in order. Jump in wherever. Jump in here.

If you’re like me, when you were introduced to Apollo Floros in Off Base, the first book in Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series, you immediately knew you had to have his story. A badass SEAL who comes to Zack’s rescue toward the end of the book, recently widowed with twin girls, he was a tattooed mystery that absolutely needed solving! Well, At Attention, the second book in the series, gives us that story.

Apollo is fantastic; but, we’ll get back to him in a minute. First, let me begin by talking about the best thing about this book, in my opinion. My very favorite thing about this book, without a doubt, is Dylan. He. Is. Amazing. No longer a fifteen-year-old with a crush on his older brother’s buddy, Dylan is a sexy, intelligent, confident, professional, caring man who pretty much has Apollo’s number from the moment he steps back into his life. Dylan doesn’t back down from the older, and practically professionally intimidating Apollo. He holds his ground in every situation, as well he should. Apollo is painfully aware that Dylan is not a kid anymore, yet he insists on treating him like one at times. I love when Dylan stands up to him. I’m not gonna lie…It’s hot as hell. And, I love even more when Dylan stands up for himself at the end of the book. So, so good.

It’s not for nothing that Apollo continually tries to push Dylan away. He’s still grieving the loss of his husband, Neal. Even though it’s been two years, Apollo is having an extremely difficult time letting him go. We see how badly he wants to move on, and just how perfect Dylan is for him and for the girls, but Apollo is set on the idea that he had his chance at love, and that he’s not going to have a relationship again. Processing grief is exhausting, and it’s different for everyone. Apollo hasn’t been so much processing as stuck, though, and it takes Dylan giving him a reason to really live again to make him see that. I love how Dylan centers Apollo, grounds him. And, I love that Dylan gives him the space he needs to take things slowly—even though he’s totally lying to himself about how much it hurts him and how much he really wants everything with Apollo.

These guys are wonderful together. Their dynamic and chemistry was amazing, whether they were in the bedroom or just hanging out talking and watching TV. And even when Apollo was so high on pain meds that he lost his filter and his inhibitions, and Dylan had to shut his trippin’ ass down! That was a hilarious scene. It was funny, but also made them feel incredibly real. All of their interactions felt really genuine and natural, in fact. The thing that didn’t feel natural after a while was Apollo’s wishy-washiness. He kept reeling Dylan in and then pushing him away, and it became a little repetitive and hard to take. When he was letting Dylan in, though, and they were meshing, there were so many feels and it was gorgeous.

“Wow,” they both breathed at the same instant, then laughed because that was what they did. They laughed. They made joy. Joy making. Dylan kissed him back, willing a second thought across the brainwaves. Please let this be enough. Let me be enough.”

Minor irritation over the repetition aside, I liked this story a lot. This book could have totally fallen apart, though—it didn’t, I’m just sayin’—and I still would have liked it. Because Dylannnn. Also, the end was so good. Albert definitely knows how to finish strong. I remember Off Base didn’t win me over completely until about two-thirds of the way in. And while I enjoyed At Attention throughout, the last twenty-five percent was where the big payout happened.

Second chance love stories are the bomb. Second chance love story with an age gap? Even better. At Attention was a great addition to this series. Be sure to check it out, guys! And, Maddox and Ben are up next, which means friends-to-lovers!!! I can’t wait to see how that one turns out!

Apollo is a widower whose husband passed two years ago.  He's left raising their twin daughters by himself.  Grief stricken, he hasn't been able to move on with his life.  He's merely existing day to day.

When Apollo's mom is leaving for a trip of a lifetime, Apollo knows he's going to need help while she is gone. This is where Dylan comes in.  Dylan is his best friend's little brother and ten years younger than Apollo. He's taken a job at the local youth camp, and needs somewhere to stay. He has a degree in early education, so he is the perfect candidate to help Apollo for the summer. Should it matter that he's had a crush on Apollo since his teen years??

I loved Dylan and his fun and carefree nature!  He was so good with the girls and they took to him quickly.  Apollo is very OCD and instead of Dylan knocking down all his organization, he gives him kudos for the ability to plan so well. Dylan is quick to see that Apollo is nearly drowning in his grief though, and sets to help take some of his load away.  There is quite a difference between the two, but Dylan seems to have a knack of calming Apollo down-grounding him when things go awry.  Soon, Apollo is looking beyond what he is doing with the girls, and sees the man he has become.  It's something that he likes. But should he like it?? He tells himself NO-I won't ever go there again. He's been so distraught since Neal died, that he never wants to open himself up to the possibility of hurt again. And Love? Just not in the cards for him. But fate has other plans and lust boils over. They start a friends with benefits type arrangement-no strings attached.

The chemistry and passion between these two is downright nuclear! The drugging kisses, nipping, and suckling....just wow! sigh. As their liaisons continue, both are interested in both sides of the action-giving and receiving. Truly hot! And Annabeth Albert's sex scenes are some of the best I have read around!  They were every bit as dirty, gritty, and fun-yes fun-as these two need them to be. Their dynamic called for it. Dylan was the light that Apollo's dark needed to be around.  They balanced each other out.  It just takes a lot of head work for Apollo to see it that way.

Now, Apollo did seriously need a therapist!  He was so unfair to himself as well as Dylan.  He needed to talk through Neal's death and work through all the anger and anguish he has been feeling. Dylan tried to help him by saying that what they were doing was like a summer fling-although he himself knew he would get burned.  He just wanted Apollo to finally feel good.  I really liked having both POV's in this story so I could see where Apollo was coming from.  Being a Navy SEAL comes with it's own stressors, but when you add a death of a spouse to that mix-it's a colossal mess.

I am glad that Dylan decided that what they had was worth waiting for Apollo to figure out his crap.  He stood up for himself and told Apollo what he wanted. Leaving it in his hands, Apollo has to face some hard facts. I truly could feel his struggle and felt sorry for the crap hand he was dealt.

Now an added dynamic to this story is Apollo's twin girls!  I usually am not a fan of kids in my romances but in this story it worked- and worked well! Totally unexpected!! They were completely adorable and Ms. Albert wrote them very realistically.  They acted like five year old girls who have abominable amounts of energy. Zinging from one activity to the next! They weren't kids who acted like adults-which you see often.  I liked them and they were integral to the overall storyline.

All in all this was an astounding read!  I have read other works by Annabeth Albert and if I wasn't already a fan, this would SEAL the deal!!  At Attention is everything you need in a romance period.  Grab it today and settle in.  You won't be stopping once you start!

5 Stars/4 Flames

This book was gifted to me for an honest review. The review and ratings are solely my opinions.

To be honest i dont remember requesting this one but obviously must have~
I have a hard time with this author so this was a DNF for me.

Stevie‘s review of At Attention (Out of Uniform, Book 2) by Annabeth Albert
Gay Military Romance published by Carina Press 01 Apr 17

I was greatly enchanted by the first book in the Out of Uniform series and found myself particularly taken with Lieutenant Floros, out of all the various secondary characters. So obviously I was highly pleased to see him get his own book. We always need more gay romances when the heroes are both out and proud and are facing some of the tropes common to all variants of romance novels: in this case dealing with childcare and finding a second chance of love after the death of a much loved partner.

Apollo Floros is raising his five-year-old twin daughters alone – although with a good deal of help from his mother and mother-in-law – after the death of his husband. Faced with the need for additional childcare over the summer, he reluctantly offers his spare room to the younger brother of one of his friends, in return for help around the house. Apollo isn’t ready to start dating again yet, and he certainly doesn’t want the hassle of spending time around a young man who previously came out through having a massive crush on Apollo.

That was eight years ago, however, and now Dylan has grown up and graduated from university, taking a summer job at a day camp before looking for permanent work or applying to take on further studies in the autumn. Dylan still has feelings for Apollo, albeit of a more mature variety, and he’s entranced by the girls – as they are by him. It all seems to be the ideal situation for him, especially since Apollo might reciprocate more of Dylan’s feelings than he’s prepared to let on.

I loved watching the juxtaposition of military and family life in this book. We get to meet (or to meet again) Apollo’s friends from the base, as well as the members of his wider family. Dylan makes friends of his own both through Apollo and his big brother and through his work at the camp. He comes across as mature for his years, but also very down-to-earth when dealing with his young charges. The only outstanding issues relate to Apollo’s bereavement and the circumstances surrounding his husband’s death, from which he has great difficulty moving on.

This was an excellent addition to the series, and it was greatly cheering to see the book’s initial promise follow through. There were angsty moments that could have been dealt with more effectively, if the characters had been better at talking to each other, but all their reticence felt perfectly in character. I hope we see the two of them again in subsequent books, although I’m also keen to meet more of their friends and learn their individual stories.

Grade: A

My favourite so far, Annabeth Albert writes such great characters, I'm really looking forward to the next book, she can't write these quick enough for me.

Review originally published April 10th which was release day.

I have become a HUGE Annabeth Albert fan. She is a very talented writer. When I first met Apollo in Off Base I knew his story would be something special. And I was right!

Apollo is a Lieutenant in the Navy (Seals training division) and is an out and proud gay man. He was married to Neal, a physical therapist, who tragically died two years ago in an accident. What’s worse is that Neal left behind his twin daughters, who were only 2 or 3 at the time. Apollo has been struggling with living on ever since and has decided that he will never enter into a relationship again; he will always be Neal’s husband and that would be that.

However, Apollo never dreamed that he would meet Dylan, all grown up. At Attention is a beautifully written tale about finding love again. Dylan is the younger brother of Apollo’s best friend, Dustin, and when Dylan comes to stay with Apollo over the summer to help Apollo with his twin daughters, sparks fly and Apollo is not strong enough to resist.

What I really enjoyed about this book was that while Apollo was hung up on their age different (10-11 years), it didn’t overwhelm the story. It felt natural because Dylan is 23, and Apollo is “not yet 35;” Apollo is a widower and Dylan is still a young soul with his whole life ahead of him. But their age difference wasn’t a big enough deterrent to stop them from being with each other.

They shared private, quiet moments that really brought to light that age is really only a number and that it’s the person with all their quirks and specialness that makes them who they are. Dylan has felt a pull towards Apollo since he was a young kid and he is putting everything on the line to get his happy ever after.

I highly recommend this book, this series, and Annabeth Albert as a whole. I would love to see these men again and I think we will because her past MC’s seem to make cameos in each book. 😉

At the end of Off Base, I was crossing all my fingers and toes that Lt. Apollo Floros was going to get his own book. I’m a sucker for the widower trope. Give said widower kids and double swoon. Fortunately, Annabeth Albert knows what the fans want and she didn’t hesitate to deliver.

At Attention starts out with Apollo getting caught checking out a young guy’s ass at the grocery store. What he doesn’t find out until later that day is that the young guy from the grocery store is his best friend’s little brother, Dylan. Yep, Dylan’s not so little anymore. And Dylan is finally old enough to hit on the guy he’s crushed on since he was a teenager. Yep, not only do we have the widower trope, we also have the age-gap and best friend’s younger brother tropes. Seriously. It’s like this book was written just for me.

As you can guess, there is some angst in this story. Apollo’s main hang up about dating anyone, let alone Dylan, is that he’s still grieving the loss of his husband. Not that he will admit that to himself or anyone else. On top of his grief, he has more than a bit of OCD (I’m envious of his orderly kitchen and weekly meal plans) and an old injury is making him a bit cranky. And then all of a sudden he has a super hot young guy living in his house and taking care of him and the kids. A hot guy that he considers completely off limits. He just cannot deal.

I’m surprised that I was so attracted to Apollo simply because Dylan is basically the beta hero of my dreams. This attests to Albert’s ability to write amazing characters. The fact that an Alpha former SEAL can compete with my adoration of the steady beta hero is pretty amazing. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Dylan too. His willingness/desire to be part of Apollo’s ready-made family and to insert himself in ways that Apollo didn’t know he needed was heartwarming. And his insistence on doing what was right for HIM was inspiring.

So yeah, another hit from Annabeth Albert. I’m fairly confident there isn’t anything she can’t write. If you love your Alpha heroes and your military romance then this book is definitely for you. And if you like your “forever boys” then At Attention is for you too.

Nat

At Attention was a beautiful, fun and sensual sexy, daring read. I love Apollo and Dylan. Apollo is a hard, protecting and driven widow father, caring for two precious girls Dylan is young, dedicated, and outstanding. He just perfect boyfriend material and just has a huge crush on Apollo. I think Apollo and dylan had a very deep connection but it was almost appollo was ashame and guilty to step out his way to meet other men to feel what he had with his husband or something new. Dylan takes on the role to help around the house, with the kids and friends Apollo. I like how frank Dylan is with Apollo. I love Annabeth novels and cannot wait for more.