This romance explores territory not usually ventured into by romance fiction. Mark is a gray-asexual -- not entirely asexual, but emotional connection is far more important to him than sex or gender. He's never really had that with anyone, so he's given up on relationships and thrown himself into his career as a SEAL medic instead. He's on assignment, trying to keep his team in one piece, when the foundation of his world is blown away by a family tragedy. Now Mark has to return home and pick up responsibilities he never thought he'd have to handle. When he gets there he finds Isaiah, his brother-in-law's brother, already in charge and ready to take on every burden left behind. Isaiah has always been the one person that managed to touch Mark emotionally, but he was too young, too flighty, too self-centered to do the job that needs doing. Or has Mark has been lying to himself to try to avoid having to let someone in?

Isaiah is warm and open, though just coming to understand maturity. Mark has been the go-to-guy for everyone for too long. They are interesting people, that make an interesting couple. Admittedly, Mark needs the occasional brick upside the head. That being said, this is another great romance for Annabeth Albert and her fans will really enjoy it!

I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed the struggle Isaiah and Mark went through dealing with their grief and the beginnings of their relationship. I also really enjoyed the asexual representation. It's rare to find one and rare to find one done halfway decent, and this was done really well.
My only thing is that the word SEAL could have been cut and it would have cut maybe 20 pages from the book. I get it. Mark is a SEAL. He hangs out with SEALS. Isaiah finds SEALS attractive.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.

Please contact RT Book Reviews for this review - 4 stars.

I’ve really been looking forward to the fifth book in the Out of Uniform series and especially for Wizard’s story. This is also Isiah’s story, which really sweetens the pot.
Mark, aka Wizard, is the medic for his SEAL team We met him when he saved Ben and Maddox’s lives during a wonky rescue operation. That was in On Point, the third book in the series. Everyone on the team has a nickname and Mark has been dubbed Wizard for his special skills at putting together broken bodies.
Isiah met Mark when Isiah was a teenager and fell into lust for the hunky SEAL. Unfortunately, that left Mark with the impression that Isiah was a “kid” who wanted one night stands and didn’t take sex or sexual partners very seriously. Isiah is gay. Mark is…well, it’s complicated.
We get an education in this book on the sexual identity spectrum that includes asexual (aka Ace), demisexual, gray ace, and other terms that are not usually included in romance stories. Because Mark doesn’t seek out a lot of sex, and in fact, can be turned off by unwanted advances, this is not a heated sex book. However, it is very much a romance in that it demonstrates that romance is what makes one person desire another person for reasons that may or may not include what happens in the bedroom.
Mark’s sister Danielle is married to Isiah’s cousin Cal. When both are killed in a tragic car accident, leaving behind three small children, Isiah rushes to take command of the situation, including the children, the funeral arrangements, the house, and anything else that needs his attention. Mark is on a black ops assignment so he doesn’t find out about the deaths until he returns home. He takes emergency leave to return home. His and Danielle’s parents died several years ago in a plane crash, so Mark, being the Large and In Charge SEAL that he is, comes in aggressive and full force to protect everyone. What he doesn’t count on is Isiah already being there and no longer being an untrustworthy kid.
Who is expected to become guardian of the children is confused by conflicting wills. There is a lot of money at stake as well as Mark’s duties taking him away from home for long periods of time. I have to admit that Mark was not a sympathetic character to me throughout much of the book. Since I was waiting for Wizard’s story this was a bit of a disappointment, but let me assure you that watching Mark grow and learn to communicate was extremely satisfying and taught me a number of lessons about true love. Isiah also had some lessons to learn, including patience and trust.
The legal aspects of the situation as well as the military regulations made this a technically riveting book. It was obviously well-researched, although I suspect some liberties may have been taken by the author. It nevertheless rings true, which is important to the story and the series.
Secondary characters, including many of the men we met in earlier stories, have to step up to try to keep Mark and Isiah on track to be the person the other needs. You can read Squared Away as a stand alone but will miss a lot of the nuances of what a family is that are developed in the other books in the series. Carina Press always promises an HEA in the stories they publish. This one was hard won. I highly recommend this book and urge you never to give up on Annabeth Albert’s heroes.

Let’s begin with what I liked about Squared Away…

The writing is terrific – whether making my heart melt, or my head burst into flames – Annabeth Albert draws the reader in and keeps them captivated (even when I wanted to throw my Kindle out of a window).

The characters seemed real to me, like I could actually meet/spend time with them IRL. Because of the dual POV I was able to get into both Mark and Isaiah’s heads and take this journey with them.

I was particularly interested in the exploration of Mark’s sexuality and I really felt like it was organically introduced and examined without making the whole thing feel forced. I was happy to see positive asexual spectrum representation, especially in a romance novel, where the Ace character wasn’t considered broken and wasn’t expected to change.

I loved the hurt/comfort, of how Mark and Isaiah were for one another, and how they were processing losing their siblings because not only were they having to deal with their grief but also their anger because of the circumstances.

Which brings me to what I didn’t like about the story…the whole miscommunication thing that happens. And I get it – Mark aka “Wizard” is a fixer. Literally and figuratively. He needs to feel in control particularly because so much around him is always out of his control.

But Mark’s trust and abandonment issues were frustrating and the whole guardianship set-up was maddening and felt like it went on way too long. Frankly, I spent half the book waiting for the whole thing to blow up, which sort of put a damper on enjoying the budding relationship because I knew it was going to all go sideways sooner rather than later.

However, once the miscommunication is dealt with, and all the fallout from that, Mark and Isaiah (cough mostly Mark cough) finally manage to get their heads together and figure out what they really want.

“Maybe we needed each other.” Mark gave him a lopsided smile. “Maybe we needed each other to learn to trust. But maybe you figured that out a little faster than me.”

Sure, they get to where they want to be, but I personally felt like the ending got rushed, and it left me a little head spun at the end.

But the thing is, Albert’s writing was so good that I was reacting to this as though it were really happening. I was invested, y’all.

All in all though it’s a solid addition to the series with plenty of hurt/comfort, a medium amount of angst, some light heat, and a HEA.

“You taught me to love going slow. Before I was always speeding through life, one milepost to the next, missing all sorts of sights along the way.”
“Then let’s drive the slow lane together.”

3.5 Stars

This is my second Annabeth Albert, Out of uniform, book and it is not the best so far. It is a very poignant story and she wrote beautifully what the characters were going through after the loss of their loved ones. Mark was very endearing, underneath that military and macho facade, he was really shy and not sure of himself. I wasn't really warming up to Isaiah, I found him too much of a prima Donna and sometimes a little annoying. Overall it was a good story. I'll definitely checked out the other books in the series.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review that is all my own.

This story has moved up to my favorite of the series, and in fact, it’s going on my Best of 2018 list. Annabeth Albert took several tough-to-get-right topics, among them grief and sexuality, and put them into a poignant story of two young men who struggle to meet the emotional and physical needs of young children who are suddenly orphaned. The men, Navy SEAL Mark Whitley, aka “Wizard,” the best medic in the field, and Isaiah, aka Ike, a young man who’s crushed on Mark for years, step up to take over the child care when Mark’s sister and Isaiah’s cousin are killed in an auto accident. Unfortunately, Mark’s sister’s will is five years old and though it names him as the child’s guardian, there are now two more children. On the other hand, her husband’s recent will names Isaiah as guardian of all the children and states that she agrees. However, without a signature, Isaiah is facing a long battle to get permanent guardianship.

As with all of this author’s books that feature military characters, the setting and the circumstances are accurate and intriguing. Wizard is on deployment when he learns of his sister’s death and is sent home on emergency leave where he finds that Isaiah has been on-scene since the accident, caring for the kids and holding off the memorial service for his return. Originally attracted to the young man six years before, he aborted an intriguing sexual offer from Isaiah who was then much too young for Mark. But in the meantime, he’s heard stories of Isaiah’s promiscuousness, even with Mark’s buddies, including Ben Tovey (On Point) and aside from the fact that sex doesn’t really interest Mark anyway, sex with Isaiah is most definitely off the books now.

Days have passed since I finished this story and the characters and plot are still strong and clear in my memory. That alone is a tribute to how much I loved the book. I’ve been procrastinating about writing the review because I can’t find the words to fully express my appreciation of this author’s talent, her research into not only military life, but the intricacies of determining where one falls on the sexuality spectrum. The sensitivity and concern for accuracy that she shows in the way the topic is presented comes through loud and clear.

And thankfully, there are no tropes related to nasty relatives, and the children are precious without being overly precocious. The support Mark receives from his unit and that Isaiah receives from his friends and aunts is wonderful but not overdone. And the emotional changes in Isaiah’s relationship with his father don’t happen overnight either; they, too, take time to develop and are a welcome outcome of good communication.

There really aren’t any negatives here for me. And one other positive of note that needs to be included is the kissing! Ahhh, so satisfying. So sweet. These two have a very special bond, and for once, I can enjoy a story without the bedroom becoming the most used room in the house. Just sayin’. It’s nice to have a romance between two MCs that doesn’t start with a hot and heavy sex encounter.

I very highly recommend this book. It can be read as a standalone, though readers should consider the whole series simply due to how outstanding it is. If your interest is in learning more about Navy SEAL training, child custody issues, demisexuality and asexuality, including gray ace, this story would be perfect for you. And if you are simply looking for an outstanding MM romance, look no further.

This, like so many of Ms. Albert’s stories, is so touching. First love, rejection, self reflection, loss, love and three kids you will fall in love with.

I connected on some level with Mark. I could never have casual sex. I would rather a huge make out session than sex. I know...TMI from a review, but true. The author had me learner new terms that I never knew existed. I love when a book can teach me something new and entertain me at the same time.

But really, labels are not necessary when it comes to love. As long as the people involved are of legal age and consent to the relationship, love is love.

Isaiah take the responsibility of his nieces and nephew like a mature person. It was so nice to watch him go from teen to adult. I want to be him when I grow up.

Annabeth Albert's books are always a joy to read but this series in particular is one of my favorites and I was thrilled with this installment of the series. I'm not sure if this is the last of this series but I certainly hope not. Wonderful!

4* Another good addition to this series, and for me, an education.

This tale sticks faithfully to the blurb, which I won't rehash, but I will say that it's very well done, with the right amount of angst and believability.

The circumstances of the tale worked, and I liked how the US military is portrayed here, with camaraderie and loyalty meaning everything, with guys having each others' backs, and being family. It was good to hear/see of the some of the other couples in the series living their HEA.

What I took most from this tale is Mark's reveal about himself, and that he had no issues with himself - not that he should have, but just that some might be wondering whether they're defective or wondering why they are what/who they are. I thought the reveal was realistic, that Mark's acceptance/comfort was satisfying, and that Isaiah's response felt natural, not at all contrived. That the reveal was a non-issue for both of them was lovely, and that there was no pressure to be/say/do made me believe that this was the real thing for both guys. I can't explain more or it'd spoiler the tale, but I had had the basics of what the author made a bit of a focal point, but her reveal made me go on to check more stuff out in order to expand on what I'd learned. Most of all about this tale, is that I felt that I'd learned something from this book, which doesn't often happen in mass MM.

The tale ends in the start of a HEA, with the non-issue continuing to be a non-issue, and yes, I totally believed that this would work for both guys, and that there wouldn't be any pressure from either, or felt by either, because the author wrote both guys as mature, as loving each other, as well as being in love with each other, and that there was a bigger picture here when it came to love. This book impressed me.

ARC courtesy of Carina Publishing and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I'm conflicted. I loved parts of this novel *so much*, but other parts.. not so much. I adore Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series, and I'm glad I got the chance to read this advance copy because it's been way too long since the last one.

Sadly, I have to say it's the weakest book yet in terms of writing and plot development - more on that in a bit. But I want to stress how much I loved Isaiah and Mark and Isaiah and Mark together. Annabeth Albert is really good at creating casts of characters you end up caring about, and that alone is worth a lot.

The story in this book focuses on Isaiah, who some may remember from earlier books, and Mark, who I actually did remember. Isaiah and Mark know each other because Isaiah's cousin Cal and Mark's sister Danielle married each other. On their wedding day, Isaiah actually tried to come on to Mark, but Mark rejected him. Six years later, when both Cal and Danielle die in an accident, leaving their three young children behind, Isaiah and Mark have to figure out a way to take care of them while also figuring out their feelings for each other.

I'm going to be mentioning some spoilers in the following passages, so read on at your own peril.

The main conflict is who is going to take care of the kids, but most of the time I just didn't get it. I think the problem for me was that there was way too much telling what the problem was supposed to be - Mark not trusting Isaiah, mostly - and not enough showing for it to be believable. Mark's conflicting feelings towards Isaiah make a bit more sense once we learn he's demi-sexual or maybe gray ace, but the constant telling got on my nerves even after that revelation. Most of their problems just felt so contrived, and while lack of communication is the number one plot device in most romance novels, it was especially frustrating here, because both Mark and Isaiah seem only to forget they can talk when it serves the plot.

And the ending... yeah, no. I didn't buy that at all, *especially* with Isaiah changing his mind in a matter of hours. It was another "conflict" so obviously created just for our reading "pleasure".

I also felt there was a bit too much pathos going on in some of the metaphors, but that may just be me.

In the end, this was the most frustrating kind of books - one that could have been great but was only okay.

My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

This series just continues to amaze and seems to get better and better.

Mark aka "Wizard" is from Ben's SEALS team and paired up with Isaiah, the one who Ben and Maddox had a threesome with before they got together.
They are thrown together basically overnight as daddies to 3 children after Mark loses his sister and BIL.
Watching Mark and "Uncle Ikey"'s relationship grow is incredible. The way AA makes this story so very realistic to a real life situation is phenomenal. Their emotional development alone, together and with the children (with the children being the forefront of the story) was well done. This is a favorite so far!

This is the first book I've read in this series and it can be read as a standalone. I enjoy a good m/m romance read from time to time and I was excited to read this one based on the blurb. However, this book was just an okay read for me. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. However, the story flowed at such a slow pace. There was really nothing that made this story stand out for me and I even though it was an okay read, I expected more. I really thought this book would blow me away and it didn't, so I'm a little disappointed in this one.

~4.5~

Out in the field, Mark is Wizard, the brilliant SEAL medic who saves lives. At home, dealing with the pain of losing his sister and brother-in-law, Mark seeks control. He's used to relying on his own judgement, making snap decisions, and having quick follow-through. One moment of hesitation, and someone dies.

But Isaiah doesn't want Wizard the stoic medic. He wants Mark the man: an incurable romantic, a caring uncle, and the best kisser in the world.

"I like you more than my pillow."

"Yeah, well, I like you more than lots of things."

Chocolate. The ocean. This house. My life.

Squared Away deals with grief in a very realistic way. Mark and Isaiah become daddies overnight. Isaiah is used to being Uncle Ikey. But Mark barely knows the kids; still, he wants to be involved. And in an attempt to control the situation, he completely discounts Isaiah's feelings.

I love hurt/comfort stories, and Isaiah and Mark have to rely on each other to get through each day. The children, two preschool-age girls and a baby boy, are front and center in this story.

This may be fiction, but it mirrors real life. Kids don't go away when you want peace and quiet. You have to take care of them every minute of every day. They're not dolls; they have a mind (and attitude) of their own.

The blurb hints that Mark has some soul-searching to do about his sexuality. That he does, and his discovery isn't what I expected. I enjoy stories featuring demisexual characters, but this is the first time I've read a story where one of the MCs is (view spoiler).

I'm not going to lie: the revelation made me very, very nervous. I like plenty of steam in my romance novels, but the sex here is more subdued; it's more about the connection, the exploration, than heart-pounding passion.

That's not to say, Mark and Isaiah aren't hot together. Annabeth Albert does an amazing job showing us Mark's complex emotional state, what turns him on, and how his feelings for Isaiah change and grow. The relationship development is incredibly well done.

"It could be with you . . . I want it to be with you . . . But I'm also working on being more pragmatic with my big dreams--"

"Dream with me. Please.

Perhaps in another book the ending might have been too sugary, but it really worked here. I believed in Mark and Isaiah. I loved all the secondary characters, including MCs from previous books, and the focus on family and friends.

Mark has to learn to let others take care of him, and Isaiah how to be patient and enjoy each moment as it comes. They take the slow lane together.

"You're my person. The one."

After not liking the previous book Wheels Up as much as I hoped I would - I'm just not a big fan of those boss + subordinate settings - we are back to me liking Squared Away as much as all the other books, meaning it got 4,5 stars. Just a head-up.

Be aware that if you don't like reading about kids, this book won't be for you, because the kids take a big part of the book and let me say they were adorable. I personally couldn't care less if children are part of a book or not, it's ok if they are a part and it's ok if there are not. As long as they are not super annoying - never read about annoying kids in a book - I'm good.

I really liked how the relationship between Mark and Isaiah progressed, but I knew what the big fallout between them would be from the very start. It was obvious, but throughout the whole book I hoped that Annabeth Albert would choose a different way. Still I waited for the other shoe to drop and sadly it did. That "twist" made sense, but it was a bit unnecessary, all they would have needed was a bit more communication, but I'm picky when it comes to that. Don't mind me. Otherwise I really liked the dynamics between Mark and Isaiah and also between those two and the kids.

Also I'm happy that Annabeth Albert introduced some different sexualities as well, which I won't name. Read the book if you're curious ;)

Overall I was really happy with this book and can't wait to read the next one, which I hope will be about Bacon - the guy, not the food. If Annabeth Albert ever chose to write a book about talking food I would probably still read it though, just saying. LOL.

Rating: 4,5 stars

4.5 stars.

"I think I like you more than my pillow." Mark yawned.
"Yeah, well, I like you more than my pillow."

I really, really enjoyed this book. I've read all the other books in the Out Of Uniforms series and this might be my favorite so far. I also love that authors are taking a chance and writing more books that include interracial couples.

I loved how Annabeth made everything feel so real; their everyday struggles of raising children, the pain of loosing loved ones. I loved seeing how Isaiah was with the kids and how much he loved them but also took care of them with so much patience. And how Mark tried to help and step up.

"You're my person. The one."

I was also surprised with how some things turned out. I liked learning more about Mark being considered grey ace. Or demisexual. And what it means to be considered that. This book was more about their connection to one another rather then it being sexual at every turn.

Overall, this was a wonderful read and I crossing my fingers that Annabeth keeps writing more books. She's fast become an auto-buy author for me.

Annabeth Albert did it again! Isaiah and Mark revisit past history when their brother and sister respectively die in a tragic accident leaving them to pick up the pieces and figure out the future with the couple's three kids. Isaiah was incredibly relatable but I loved Mark's journey as he worked through his inner struggles and figured out a huge piece of himself. Without giving any spoilers, Squared Away definitely had some new elements in it to make it stand out from the previous books. Loved it! Go order it!

There were also a couple characters mentioned that I could definitely see coming up in the next book. Swenson? Bacon? I want more. 😁

I liked that Annabeth Albert dealt with a situation I have never come across in M/M fiction: a character who is asexual, or a person has little to no sexual desire or sexual reaction to others, or demisexual, a person who can only become sexually involved after establishing a strong emotional attachment to someone. I felt that Mark began the story as asexual and became demisexual once he became involved with Isaiah. It was certainly a very different situation for a couple to be in with a book in this genre. I thought the explorations of Mark and Isaiah trying to figure out their relationship were refreshing and interesting.

But here’s my biggest problem with Squared Away and the main reason I didn’t love this book. I could never buy Isaiah’s claim or desire to be the guardian of three kids. I found it rather hard to believe that a 24 year-old single guy with a reputation as a player who had apparently slept with half of Marks’ team would really want to be responsible for three kids who weren’t his own. Frankly, I found it difficult to believe that Isaiah thought of them as “his” kids. And part of that reasoning is that, as readers, we didn’t know Isaiah. We basically meet him through the presumptions of others, and then he kind of spends the rest of the book trying to prove he's not that person. He assumed responsibility for these kids in the week after their parents’ deaths, but we never saw Isaiah before their deaths, and we didn’t see him in the time between the deaths and Mark showing up, so all we knew was that six years ago he made a pass at Mark during a wedding, had a reputation as a tramp who occasionally babysat for Danielle and Cal, but suddenly became the doting parent to three kids who he didn’t have much of a claim to. I’m not going to pretend to know a lot about custody proceedings, but I don’t see how Isaiah would have a valid claim as guardian to those kids over Mark. Mark was their uncle, brother to the children’s mother. Isaiah was just a cousin to their father.

I got very tired of the total lack of communication between Mark and Isaiah which furthered their problems, caused more drama than was necessary, and was, to me, proof of how immature they both were that they couldn’t sit down and have a conversation. Mark had completely valid and intelligent reasons for hiring his own attorney regarding custody, and I felt that Isaiah was being stubborn and stupid in not realizing how it was better for the children if Mark was given custody of them and their inherited wealth. He obviously couldn't support three kids on his own, and his stubborn intention to do so was pure selfishness, putting his own desires before the needs of the children.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the read. I thought Mark was an interesting, albeit it highly self-contained, character, and his struggle came across as genuine and isolating. I found him intriguing. I guess, in the end, I just wish I had felt the same about Isaiah.

Also, I once again did not realize this was part of a series, so I can say that it can be read as a stand-alone book. I didn’t feel that I missed anything by not having read the first four books.

Squared Away is the latest in Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series,. It focuses on Wizard, the SEAL team's medic. When his sister and her husband die in a car crash, he wants to take care of their three small children, but before he gets there, their older cousin Isaiah has stepped in. Isaiah and Wizard take care of the kids together, and exactly what you expect to happen happens. There are so few plot surprises, but the conflict and emotion between the main characters is genuine and fresh. Even though their HEA is inevitable, it's worth every page to experience it with them.

With a series like this, it's common to have characters from past book,s show up, so readers can see how their lives continue. There's a bit of that in Squared Away but not a lot, and that's fine, too. The main characters are more than enough to make this book strong and enjoyable.

Another fabulous addition to Annabeth Albert's Out of Uniform series, this one sees her skillfully directing the narrative of a demisexual/gray ace MC and a slightly younger man who have family connections between them to add to the complications.

Mark is a Navy SEAL but he finds it difficult to adjust to having Isaiah James, his brother-in-law's cousin, in his life after an accident lands them both with the potential guardianship of three young children. Isaiah has been coping just fine on his own since his cousin's death and doesn't need the complication of Cal's wife's brother swanning in and thinking he'll take the kids away.

But there's always been a powerful attraction between them and when Mark finally owns up to his sexual frustrations and his thoughts there's been "something wrong" with how he feels attraction, Isaiah isn't just there for him, he's actually "his person", the one other being in the world who is absolutely perfect for him.

There is a level of connectivity between them which is carefully nurtured and, although there is angsty,it never becomes overly dramatic and when things come to a head, there is an honest discussion about the problems and what needs to be resolved.

This whole series has been a delight and it was lovely to catch up with some of the guys from the previous books and now can we please get a HEA for Bacon :)