I love this series. Each book gas different couples with their breathtaking stories and Arctic Heat is Quill and Owen tale. How they have to trust and fight for their love.

A Beautiful story that readers shouldn't miss.

Really enjoyed this one - a great love story! Loved the setting, this was heartwarming & I can't wait to read more of this series! Love that the main characters communicate - definitely a must-read for my fellow romance fans.

After surviving cancer, Owen Han is determined to live life for himself, and that includes leaving his job in finance and experiencing many of his bucket list items. Next up is a winter spent volunteering with the Parks Service in Alaska. When he meets hunky ranger, Quill Ramsey, at training, the decision is looking even better. Quill is gruff and quiet and not super friendly, but Owen has enough enthusiasm and good cheer for both of them.

After his long-time work partner moved on to another position, Quill isn’t thrilled about getting a new volunteer at his remote station. Quill isn’t particularly good with change anyway, but the friendly and sexy Owen makes him feel all sorts of things he has always pushed aside. Quill is not out, and has no plans to be. The idea of others’ disapproval, or even just idle gossip, is too much for him. So he does his best to keep Owen at a distance.

Owen isn’t going to push things if Quill is not interested, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want the two of them to be friends. As the long winter continues, some of Quill’s icy reserve begins to thaw and the men become friendly and spend more time together. And slowly, Quill begins to accept his interest in Owen and even to act on it.

Being with Owen is everything Quill has never let himself even think about having. Quill is happier than he has ever been, and he can almost let himself fantasize about what life with Owen might be like. And for his part, Owen is realizing that continuing to chase each new thing may not be what he wants anymore, that life with Quill could be exactly what he needs. But Quill is still wary of coming out. And even more, he is sure that Owen deserves more from life than a grumpy old ranger in the wilds of Alaska. Now with both their hearts on the line, Quill and Owen must figure out if there is a way to take the love they have built between them and turn it into a lifetime together.

Arctic Heat is the third book in Annabeth Albert’s Frozen Hearts series, a collection of books all set in Alaska. I have been enjoying this series, and as this one features a 40-something hero in Quill, it seemed like a great choice for Older/Younger Hero Week here in our Reading Challenge Month. I’m happy to say that this is my favorite story of the series.

One of the hallmarks of the Frozen Hearts series is the great detail Albert provides about life in Alaska, and this story is no exception. My favorite part of the book was the glimpse into life in a remote parks station and what Quill does as a ranger and Owen as a volunteer. Albert does such a wonderful job of bringing it all to life, I could picture it perfectly. It is clear a lot of research went into this book and it makes the story just pop, without feeling overloaded with information.

I also enjoyed Quill and Owen together. They are such an opposites attract couple, not just because of the age difference, but because they have such different temperaments. Quill is gruff and reserved and shy. He still holds a lot of shame and guilt about sex and being gay and it has held him back from coming out or really enjoying sex and relationships. And Owen is just boundless enthusiasm and energy and is all for claiming what he wants out of life, particularly after his cancer. I loved that Owen was patient with Quill, and never pushes him into sex or anything else. But he also challenges Quill, shows him what life can be like if you relax and enjoy it. There are baby steps here for a long time, but it is really rewarding when Quill finally decides he wants Owen and a life together and is able to put aside all his fears.

I did find the story a little long, particularly through the middle. Owen and Quill live a very isolated existence and most of the book is nothing but the two of them alone together. We only really even learn the names of maybe 2-3 other people in the whole book. So there is a lot of focus on just watching this relationship unfold and Quill and Owen’s daily life, and I think things could have been tightened up here to keep the story moving a bit quicker.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it is the best installment of the series. If you like gruff men who find their softer side, this one is definitely worth checking out.

P.S. Keep your eyes open for a couple of cameos sneaked in, including Griffin and River from Arctic Sun.

Owen Han has a new leash of life. Surviving cancer and going through his bucket list, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Shy ranger Quill doesn’t want to deal with newbie volunteers. And flirty Owen looks like he wouldn’t survive a week, let alone the winter. But as the two spend time together, their work relationship turns romantic, but can their relationship survive the harsh winter?

In theory, this should have worked for me. A winter romance with an opposite attracts troupe with a slow burn. This should have worked. But it didn’t. It just felt fine. Just fine.

There’s nothing wrong here. The writing was good, the characters were good, the slow burn was good, everything in theory was good. But, for one reason or another, it didn’t feel good together. There was something off about this novel. Something cold, which doesn’t fit with the previous novels I’ve read from this author. I have enjoyed the few I have (most from Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series), so to read this and feel meh about it is a bit disappointing.

Maybe this is a fluke read. Not every author can write wonderful books all the time. There are going to be some books you just don’t click with. And I have one more book from this author on my kindle from her newest series. So, going to class this as a blip, but my next read from Annabeth Albert, High Heat, has a lot riding on it…

Arctic Heat is probably my favorite of the Frozen Hearts trilogy. I love the grumpy gus hero paired with the sweet cinnamon roll and while not quite the only one bed trope - they were snow bound for part of the time in a small cabin with little heat - so almost the same thing! Quill really hurt my heart at times with his revealed past but I loved how he grew and healed over the course of the story. And I just loved how he and Owen got along and how their relationship developed. They are such opposites yet they compliment each other so well. I also liked how while this book is the last in a trilogy it really can be read as a standalone book - all in this series can - as there isn't a ton of cross-over between stories. Yes there are moments where a reader of the series will be "oooh I know that person!" but if you haven't read them you won't feel lost. I'm sad this series is over as I liked the Alaska setting and it made me long for a trip there. One day!

*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

I really enjoy this series, and grumpy MCs in general, but this one didn't quite connect for me the way I hoped. Albert does a wonderful job with slow burns and showing the depth of emotional connection between the MCs, though, and I think there's plenty of things to enjoy here.

4.5 stars
Albert’s ability to have characters connect without needing sex is astounding and speaks to this author talent!

I have come to rely on this author for character driven stories; ones rich with emotion and laced with deep personal connection. The author ability to connect without sex acts continues to astound me; the characters respect for each other and desire to understand is heart pulling.

This is not slow burn to torture the reader it is a slow physical connection because of who these men are, the connection that develops as they enjoy each other company and slowly slowly allow the physical aspects to develop is a true reminder that love is about more than sex.

Nothing better to get out of a reading slump than a book by Annabeth Albert.

This book made me want to go to a really snowy place and curl up with a book, by Annabeth of course.

Reading this book was so much fun, the dynamic between Owen and Quill was just a delight to read, the differences and similarities between them were so obvious to me but not for them and Quill was so adamant to stay away from Owen but Owen slowly getting under his skin and chipping away all his layers was wonderful to read.

This has been a great series and Owen & Quill's story was a wonderful addition to it. I loved the slow pace that solidified their friendship. Arctic Heat’ is a gentler, more emotion-focused than adventure-driven sort of story.had a hard time connecting to the characters and rooting for them. Particularly Quill.He was a little bit hard to follow!

This was my least favorite in the series. This author does a really good job with grumpy MC's. In fact so good that I often dislike them. Quill got on my last nerve more than once here and his turn around at the end was not enough for me. I liked Owen a lot and the scenery remains wonderful.

This series ended up not being one of my favorites by this author. Between this grump and the bratty kid in book two I was less than loving it.

**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Title provided via Netgalley for an honest review

I could not get into this one. Maybe it was the setting or the characters, but this one was just way too much of a slow burn for me. I couldn't appreciate what the author was trying to do because everything about it was so boring. I wasn't a fan of the dancing back and forth between the two main characters, it felt very childish. This is all in addition to the pov swaps, which I hate.

Annabeth Albert does it again! Loved this installment of the series.

Sadly, I may have read too many books in between this one to write a proper review but I did enjoy it, as I do all of Annabeth's books!

This series has been lukewarm for me so far, so I really wasn't sure what to expect.

But I can comfortably say that 'Arctic Heat' was a really enjoyable read, and the best one yet!

Now I have to admit, snowed-in love stories always get me. Sure it's a well-used trope, but it's a romantic setup!

It takes Quill and Owen a while to really get going. And it's entirely on Quill's shoulders. He a high-strung ball of closeted guilt and paranoia, the result of a very toxic family.

I felt for him, though it was frustrating.

But once Quill finally let's himself take some enjoyment in what he feels with Owen, it was a very sweet read. The two men were very cute and cozy together.

The big roadblock to a viable future for Owen and Quill is as expected. I thought Quill's change of heart was maybe a bit too quick, but understandable under the circumstances.

Overall, I liked 'Arctic Heat'. If you're looking for a slow and sexy read with a strong focus on self-acceptance, give this book a try.

I adore this series. This time around in the Arctic we have Owen whom seems the most unlikely person to want to volunteer up north, but now that he is in recovery he's determined to do things that he wants to do, no matter what anyone else thinks.

Quill is a tough nut to crack and is very stand offish but for a reason. Over time Owen gets under Quill's skin and much more. I loved Owen and Quill together. They complemented each other well making a well balanced relationship. Quill is more logic than heart where as Owen is all heart.

Their love was a bit of a slow burn but I liked watching Owen chip away at Quill until he finally caved and gave into Owen.

It was a sweet story and I loved reading books in the arctic as I've never been so it feels like a nice escape to experience somewhere else.

I received an arc of Artic Heat from NetGalley for an honest review. I have now read all these books in this series and I have read a lot of Annabeth Albert and while this book was a nice read, it was not one of my favorites written by her. While the characters had chemistry it took so long for them to finally act on it and it was frustrating. I think this series is a solid 3 stars but some of her other books are a lot better.

I am always ready for an Annabeth Albert book, so I had high hopes for this as always. I will say, however, that the Frozen Hearts series has been hit or miss for me, which is unusual for Albert’s novels. The first one was super slow, but I did enjoy the second. So I wasn’t sure what I was getting into for this one. It was more like the first for me. Her writing is still great, but I think I just didn’t connect with the characters. I did finish it, but it just felt slow and I found myself putting it down more often than other titles by her.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series has been a hit or miss for me. The first book in this series didn’t work for me. But I kept on with the next book and really enjoyed it! I wanted this book to take off like the last book. But this book was really slow for me.

Quill was so stand-offish for most of the book. Always hot and cold. Owen really had to work hard to get Quill to lighten up. Quill was really worried about what people thought of him. He didn’t want anybody talking behind his back about who he was with. I didn’t like that. I felt that went way too far.

Once Quill overcame his own insecurities. He really showed Owen that he could be the man for him. He worked hard to show Owen he was all in. I just wish we had more of that early on in the book.

Overall... this was an ok read. It took me a little while to get into. Hopefully the next book will be like the second book in this series.

Arctic Heat is the third, and I believe the final book, in the Frozen Hearts series. This series by Albert was a bit hit or miss for me, though I definitely liked all of them to some degree. I gave Arctic Heat four stars, so it ended on a high note for me. This book is about Owen Han, a cancer survivor, who volunteers for the winter in Alaska. He meets Ranger Quill Ramsey and the two end up being roommates for months. They have a bit of a rough beginning, but Quill soon thaws to Owen and they become closer and closer. While there were plenty of times I wanted to shake Quill and tell him to open his eyes, I could still understand why he was tentative when it came to romance. Albert is an author I love, so I’ll read just about anything she writes, and I thought Arctic Heat was really well done.

I was super excited to read the last (latest??--I hope!) installment of the Arctic series by Annabeth Albert. Adorable and bubbly Owen is looking for something new in his life after overcoming some a huge health battle, and decides to volunteer as an assistant to Park Rangers in the wilds of Alaska over the long winter months. Rigid, I-have-rules-and-boundaries, everything is black-and-white Quill is not the least impressed that his best friend took a new job and he now has his comfortable, dependable, and stable routine upended when Owen is assigned to work with him.

I liked this book. I didn't love it as much as the previous two; it always felt like a little something was missing. The characters had some really funny banter and some sweet and endearing moments, but I felt as though I never really figured out what exactly made these two really like each other. They clearly liked each other, but I guess I was looking for something a little... more. What moved them from beyond friends to lovers and boyfriends?

I loved the universe that Annabeth has created with this series and would definitely read more if it continued.