For the most part this book was on its way to being my favorite of Albert's that I've read so far, but then one of the characters had to go and do the "lying to myself about my real feelings" trope towards the end (a pet peeve of mine), and take forever to resolve that, so I dropped my initial rating of 4 to a 3.

Maddox Horvat and Ben Tovey have been best friends since SEAL training ten years ago, and the two have been roommates ever since the end of Ben’s ill advised marriage. They are both also harboring feelings for one another, but they fear that acting on it will ruin the friendship they have. It doesn’t help that Ben isn’t really interested in a relationship after his marriage fell apart and spends his time on random hookups, while Ben is looking for something more stable. Things have also been a little awkward between them after a threesome ramped up the tension. But the men are determined to put their friendship first, even if that means stifling the feelings they have for one another.

When a mission leaves Maddox and Ben in a life-or-death situation, they must count on each other to make it out alive. And as they begin to recover, they realize that life is short and maybe it is worth taking a chance on things working out. The guys decide to try dating, at least for a short time, to see if things can work between them. Their chemistry is explosive and things seem to be working out well. But both men are uncertain about the future, worried that the other man wants something more or different and that the idyllic relationship they have isn’t something they can sustain. It is even more complicated as Maddox questions whether he even wants to continue in the Navy, or whether he will pursue his dream of opening a bakery. It seems like the men are on the verge of something great between them, but they must talk to one another and trust in each other if they are ever going to make it work.

On Point is the third book in Annabeth Albert’s excellent Out of Uniform series. They all feature Navy SEALS and so far, all couples who are living together. On Point is another great installment and picks up the story of Ben and Maddox who we got to know in At Attention as Apollo’s friends. I do think this book would work as a standalone as we learn the background on Ben and Maddox’s friendship and relationship in this story, but it is a bonus to have the some familiarity with them from earlier in the series.

I liked the pacing of this one as the story starts giving us a sense of these guys and their relationship, and then takes us along as they go on their mission. We know things are tense between them and the details slowly unfold told in flashbacks. The men end up in some serious danger, so there is a nice suspense element here, as well as a chance to really see how much these men mean to one another. Although they haven’t yet acted on their attraction, they are so strongly bonded that each man is willing to lay down his life for the other. I think this part is a really nice set up for the rest of the book, and it also gives us some interesting perspective on their military life.

When the men start “trial dating” they fall into a relationship very easily. They have both been wanting the other for so long that things spark pretty hot right away. I like that we also can see each of their fears and doubts here, both whether they can each give what the other needs, and also whether there is a future for them given their different long-term goals. But all the while we can also see how solid their connection is, how much they mean to one another, so even as they struggle we have confidence they can make it through. There is some nice character growth here and I enjoyed getting to know these guys below the surface.

I am really enjoying this series and On Point is another great installment. It was fun to get Maddox and Ben’s story, as well as to reconnect with some other series characters. After this story ends, we get an excerpt that gives us a glimpse into what is next for the series, and I am definitely looking forward to more.

I love a good friends to lovers story.

I was excited to read the pairing of Ben and Maddox since getting a glimpse in AT ATTENTION. And it was worth the wait. I loved that it was their friendship that helped each of them grow to a place where they could deal with their romantic feelings towards each other.

This whole book felt like a treat.

I love this series! I absolutely love Ben & Maddox! I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned friends to lovers scenario, I just can't help it. These guys are Navy buddies and long-time friends. Maddox has wanted Ben for a long time, while Ben has been burned badly before and doesn't want to risk his friendship. After a dangerous mission, they are forced to face what they feel. So good!

I love best friends to lovers and Maddox and Ben did not disappoint.

Maddox Horvat and Ben Tovey. Ben is a bit of a man whore while Maddox is in unrequited love with his best friend. Then one night of crossing the line strains their friendship.

There is a reason Ben sleeps around and its to protect his heart but Maddox wants more so when the both of them are in danger it causes them to finally deal with their truths which is their feelings for each other.

"When are you going to figure out that leaving doesn't always mean that people don't love you?"

Ben comes across is the easy going guy but he has deep hurts. I adored when he finally realized he has feelings for Maddox, because then Ben turned into a big softy. I loved that quality from big tough Ben.

On Point is the third book in the Out of Uniform series, and we learn more about Ben and Maddox, who have been known to the reader since Zack and Pike's book.

They have been best friends for years, but things have been weird between them lately, and neither of them knows how to make it right. You find out what happened through a series of flashbacks, from both points of view, so you can see the situation for both of them.

Oh my goodness, I wanted to give Ben a hug - even knowing he'd push me away! He has been so hurt in the past, and it is affecting his judgement of the present and the future. For Maddox though, he will try. Maddox is a dream of a character. He is tough and gentle, hard and soft. He is a S.E.A.L. who dreams of owning his own bakery, and gets excited about trying new recipes. You wouldn't think these two would match, but they do, if only Pike would let them. Of course, it doesn't quite go according to plan, but they have plenty of steamy fun times on the way.

One thing I love about these books is previous characters aren't forgotten. Through cameo appearances, the reader finds out just how they're getting along. Brilliant!

There were no editing or grammatical errors that interrupted my reading flow, and I was thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. I am loving this series, and this is definitely my favourite so far. Absolutely recommended.

I loved this third book in the Out of Uniform series. Ben and Madox had so much sexual tension on the other titles that I have read that I was thrilled to finally read their story. I really enjoyed reading about them out in the field. This was by far one of my favorites in the series.

I liked this ok, about as much as any of the others in the series. Alberts writing is very readable, though there was one writing device used here that annoyed me. (The dropping of pronouns, making short—"Want you." "Need You so much."—sentences. Once or twice would have been fine, but it cropping up every time things got heated started to feel gimmicky.) I liked both of the characters and thought their personal hang-ups believable, Maddox's more than Ben's, though Ben's fears of Maddox leaving the team were especially well done. All in all, I'm still interested enough to continue the series, even if I'm not quit gagging for more.

PICK

This friends-to-lovers story demands the reader devour it in a sitting or two. Annabeth Albert kicks things off with with high-stakes military action, gives us a barely less stressful post-op breather, then shifts the heroes' relationship into downright fun territory.

Unfortunately, I endured constant interruptions while I read, so I lost some of the flow. Make sure you clear your schedule before you pick this up so you won't suffer too.

*I received this book a while ago, but due to a stressful internship and my very last finals - which are still not over - I kind of abandoned my blog and all the books for which I still own people reviews. So here's me catching up. I'm sorry it took so long*

<em>On Point</em> is the third book in the Out Of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert and I decided that it should be the first book I would read after my really long book hiatus. So I did just that and I told myself I should get slowly back into the game, so I intended to only read a few chapters at a time, I'm pretty sure you all know how this worked out. I read the whole damn thing in one sitting! Typically me. LOL. I totally forgot what that felt like.

Like always Annabeth's writing had me hooked from the first page. I couldn't put it down and while I have to confess I'm not really fan of best friends to lovers book, but I was rooting for these two since their first introduction. Their romance was cute and I loved how all worked out between them in the end.

I'm quite curious to see about whom the next book will be about, but I know that I will devour it the same why as the three ones before that. Keep them coming, Annabeth!

~ 3.5 Stars ~

On Point, the third book in Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series, is another solid showing. I remember finding out that the third book was going to be a friends-to-lovers story—Ben and Maddox’s story—and being super stoked about it; I even mentioned how excited I was about it at the end of my review for At Attention. Well, I’m happy to report that Albert delivered. On Point was a nice, character driven story, full of friends-to-lovers goodness. Since this is probably my favorite trope, I can get pretty picky about it…But, aside from wanting to smack the guys upside the head a few times, this was definitely a good read!

I seem to have a clear favorite character in each of the books in the series so far, and in this one it was one hundred percent Maddox. I LOVED him. Right from the start. He has such a huge heart; I basically wanted to hug him (when I didn’t want to smack him) throughout the book. One of the reasons for his need for hugs was how bad his family sucks. We see snippets of this through things Maddox shares, but it becomes even more painfully obvious when they come visit him in the hospital. They haven’t changed a bit since turning their backs on him when he was caught kissing a boy at age seventeen, and even though Maddox now has so much going for him—his team, Ben, his involvement at his church—he still never got over their rejection. And, though he’s extremely good at his job as a sharp-shooter, Maddox really only joined the Navy and became a SEAL to try to make his dad proud. Which is why he has decided not to re-up after this last mission.

It’s apparent straight away at the beginning of the story that Maddox’s decision to not reenlist is going to be a main point of contention between him and Ben. Maddox has no intention of rejoining their SEAL team after his recovery, but he can’t quite get Ben to come to terms with it. Neither one of them can imagine going out in the field without the other after being partners for so long, but Maddox no longer wants to let being a SEAL define him. I loved this:

“Isn’t that what it’s all about? We’re SEALs – being out in the field is everything –”

“No. It’s everything to you,” Maddox said wearily. “It’s awesome and exhilarating and it’s been a great twelve years, but it’s not my life. Life is my friendships, my church, the business I want to build. The dreams I want to reach. And it’s okay, really, that your only dream is to keep serving. But that’s not me.”
Ben…*sigh* He can’t imagine being a SEAL without Maddox. But, more importantly, he comes to realize, he can’t imagine anything without Maddox. Having been badly hurt in the past, both by his ex, and his mother, he is very fearful of commitment, or letting anyone get too close. And, even though Maddox makes everything better, and he can’t imagine life without him, he still lets his fears get in the way. In fact, there was a point in the story where he was being such a huge baby—a selfish dick, really—that I wanted to smack the shit out of him. I understand that his mom, and his ex, broke him or whatever, but I really wanted to taint punch him. (Those last two lines are the literal notes in my Kindle. Along with the hashtags #MaddoxIsAwesome and #BenIsAnIdiot. Ha!)

There was definitely some drama in the story. The guys had an encounter one night, *cough* threesome *cough*, that caused quite a bit of awkwardness between them, and there were flashbacks in the beginning, of what happened to cause all the tension sprinkled throughout the book, which I didn’t love. Flashbacks can be great in some instances, I just didn’t love them as a storytelling device here for whatever reason.

Overall, I just loved how close these guys were. And, their chemistry was fantastic. And, I loved watching Maddox go after his dream toward the end. So sweet. This series has been a lot of fun so far. I’m definitely looking forward to Wheels Up, coming later this fall!

I love the whole friends to lovers trope, but while I enjoyed this story (and I really did), I had more than one issue with it.

First, the beginning of the book bounces back and forth between past and present, which took away the suspense from the "present" portion - Maddox and Ben are literally in the middle of a war zone, and we have to take a minute to go back to the past. It's frustrating.

On top of that, while I enjoyed watching their relationship progress, Maddox and Ben made me so mad. Will we ever get over the whole "no one ever talks to each other" thing in romance novels?

But that aside, as I said, the relationship was adorable, the ending was quite sweet, and I think it was a good edition to the series.

This is my second read from Annabeth Albert and I'm totally a fan! This one was friends to lovers and it was everything I hoped it would be. Maddox and Ben were teammates, best friends and roommates. But both are trying to pretend an attraction doesn't exist, too bad they are failing miserably. When they both get injured on a mission, the fight for their lives ensues and feelings become all too real. When they finally give in the chemistry is incendiary! Holy hotness! But both have fears, doubts and are so stubborn. Loved it all and how they had to realize what truly equaled happiness!

On Point was a fantastic book of growing relationships, and taking risks. Never fall for your best friend. I never enjoyed such a great chemistry than these Ben and Maddox. They have each other back for years since they both went into the miltary. I had been cheering on the ship between the two since we first see them in the first book. Ben the stern, intense guy who only does one night stands and Maddox, sweet, oh sweet Maddox. who bakes and supports everyone. When a horrorible accident that cause injuries to both men, they draw closer than ever before.. I love Ben trying to be the perfect boyfriend for Maddox and Maddox trying not to fall so hard for Ben. Its so bittersweet and painful for the reader to read.

Love this series and all the couples featured so far. Ms. Albert really knows how to write a steamy love scene and I think she does a tremendous job developing this friends to lovers relationship. Both protagonists are supremely engaging and it's difficult to determine which one appealed to me most. I hope more stories are to come and that I get another opportunity to review one of them for All About Romance.

Stevie‘s review of On Point (Out of Uniform, Book 3) by Annabeth Albert
Gay Military Romance published by Carina Press 01 Jun 17

Annabeth Albert’s military romance series has enchanted and delighted me even more than did the Gaymers series from which it was spun off. Having been introduced to the various members of the community living around the base in the first two books, this time we get to visit a pair who featured prominently in the second book, though always as slightly angsty friends rather than as a couple.

Ben and Maddox have been best friends throughout their military careers, and have been housemates ever since they both ended up single at the same time. Although it’s obvious to everyone else that they’re perfect for each other, the guys can’t see it; Ben’s a relentless party animal, who seems keen to avoid another serious relationship, while Maddox just wants to settle down and dreams of opening his own bakery once his military service is up. And that’s another sticking point: Ben is convinced that they’re going to reenlist together when the time comes – and that’s going to be soon – and can’t imagine serving without Maddox, especially after they got each other through some really tough times and injuries on a recent mission.

That mission was really the turning point for Maddox too. He’s faced death and would prefer not to do so again, no matter how much he loves his work, not to mention Ben. As far as he can see, he can just as easily support Ben by staying behind as he can by fighting alongside him. Ben is not going to be happy when he finds out, and so Maddox keeps putting off the big discussion they need to have.

The other big discussion is, of course, that one around all the pesky feelings they have for each other, and that keeps getting pushed aside in favour of other distractions too. Eventually, they try to make a go of things and encounter a few rocky patches – especially with regard to the life Maddox is forging outside the military – which ultimately leads to more angst before they figure out a way through.

This wasn’t my favourite book of the series. I enjoyed the action-adventure episode at the beginning, and it was great to see all Maddox’s friends putting their domestic and DIY skills to use once more as they helped him realise his dream. The rockiness of the relationship fell a little flat, and I never really got a proper understanding of Ben’s motivations – or lack of them: he seems to want a status quo that’s entirely favourable to him and is overly worried by change without an obvious underlying cause for his issues.

Those gripes notwithstanding, I hope we see more from this series and get to revisit all the guys along the way, as well as some of the Gaymers guys.

Grade: B

Love this series. Love Maddox and Ben. more please

Beautiful! This fantastic friends to lovers romance was just amazing. I love military romances and Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series has fast become my favorite. When I first saw Maddox and Ben in previous books I knew I couldn't wait for their story. Finally On Point came out and luckily for me it was only book 3! Maddox is such a soft heart and beautiful inside and out. He is not what you would think he would be just by looking at him. Ben his best friend, roommate and team mate is jaded and a little lost even if he doesn't know how much. These two need each other but when things happen that may ruin the perfect friendship and break the heart of one of them then who knows what will happen next.

This was my favorite book by this author to date. I loved the characters and how their emotions, thoughts and actions were portrayed. I loved the extreme emotional pull I felt during the whole of this book. I was so connected to these guys. This was just a phenomenal read. I would very highly recommend this book for all who love a hot MM military romance. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I really, really liked this book and I especially liked the characters. When they were stuck out in a war zone and they were both injured - so good. Even the side characters were charming and interesting. I was not crazy about the main conflict with one wanting to leave the military and the other being mad about it, but the character development more than made up for it.

Oh wow! I was so hoping for this story. It got my heart envoy end. I was so rooting for them while they were injured in the field, I wanted to kick his ass when he walked away. I wanted to cry when they worked it out. A great love story.