3 to 3.5 stars.

A ranger and his volunteer for the winter season have to negotiate friendship and eventually more while dealing with family issues, past histories, and the dangers of Alaska in the winter. I couldn't really get into this story as the characters didn't' really grab me as much as previous ones did by the author. But it may be a personal preference as the characters are quite isolated due to the whole winter in Alaska thing. There is some excitement towards the end that had me worried but it all turned out.

As a true fan of Annabeth Albert, I was a bit disappointed in this book. There was nothing wrong with the story in itself or the characters. The problem, for me, was the constant self-pitying internal monologue going on in especially one case. But, it's also a recurring issue in Albert's books, that repeating monologue, how we always get to hear every problem from multiple angles on repeat.

I still like how Albert writes her characters and how they're often layered and have real issues. If one likes angst and internal processing, it's to be a cozy read, I guess.

/ Denise

Owen is a cancer survivor and is working on his bucket list. He decides to volunteer to work in Alaska. Quill is a park ranger and is quiet, doesn't hang around a lot of people, and is a closet gay. The different personalities between them make them click. This book has romance, coming out, angst, some intense moments, and delight to read. I have read all of Annabeth Albert's book and I enjoyed this also.

I love Annabeth Albert, she is one of my favourite m/m authors. But this book took a little bit for me to get into. But once it got started it was great! The relationship developed so beautifully. I can't wait for the next book.

An enjoyable read, the perfect showcase of opposites attract! Owen is vibrant, vivacious, off to discover the world in his bucket list after surviving cancer. Quill is gruff, reclusive, afraid to step out and face any changes. Together, they discover something blossoming between them in the wilds of Alaska, despite Quill's initial resistance. I liked that one of the heroes is a person of colour and it brings something fresh to the story. While the story is a slow-burn, there is enough action involving the park ranger job to keep things interesting. I thought the plot is quite predictable but the characters are strong enough that I was rooting for their happy ever after. A cosy romance perfect for winter.

This is the second book I've read in this series, and it's interesting to see the added struggles to a budding relationship, being out in the cold Alaska snow. Quill is reserved, reluctant, and scared of getting hurt. Owen has a second lease on life, is bossy, and kind of pushy. At times, I didn't love that about him, but I guess it was needed. These two are pretty sweet and like to take care of one another, But they're both competent and resourceful.

There's definitely some steamy scenes, but the relationship building in this book is more about the comfort and companionship, trusting someone to be there. Also the jobs these boys have and backstory are interesting.

WOW!!

**do not post due to spoilers**

I was convinced Quill & Owen weren’t going to find a long term HEA! It was such a beautiful story full of love, learning and understanding, but with that comes challenges. Quill being so deep in the closet, I thought for sure he would confess the love he showed to Owen but not be able to commit for an HEA! Leave it to the brilliant AnnaBeth to MAKE him with events. This was so realistic and true to life with what this couple faced. The descriptive and beautiful Alaskan scenery is something I’ll miss- but this romance- perfectly imperfect.

Thank you for brining us this sorry!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin/Carina Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, number 3. This is my first time reading this author. I really need to look at the garbage and not just the covers. I loved the cover, but had no idea if was about 2 guys. I loved the setting, and tried to read the story but I am just not interested. It seemed that Quill was sort of neurotic and odd but hope fully he gets more likeable. I found it to have a slow start and I did not finish the book. It seemed well written and I had defensive feelings regarding the characters. I liked Owen and not so much Quill. 3 stars for what I did read.

3.5 stars, this was my least favorite of the series. I hated Quill and never recovered from that. I really liked Owen and his bucket list. I still love "seeing" Alaska and the hidden dangers. Just because I did not like this book, it will not stop me from continuing with the series.

Owen and Quill's story was so beautifully told. There was no jump into the heat, but a measured walk-through and a chance to witness true love begin, be tested and nurtured...with some decent heat thrown in a little later. The Alaska setting was awesome! Makes me really want to go check it out. Annabeth's stories are pretty new to me, but I am already a follower and will be reading the previous stories.

This is an enjoyable M/M romance in which the state of Alaska and the vital work of park rangers add considerably to the story. Owen and Quill are very different and their lives are definitely not in sync, but their mutual spark of attraction just won't go away. It takes a life-threatening situation to finally bring them together, leading to a very satisfying and romantic ending.

This is the best of the series! There’s animosity, misunderstandings, dirty sex play, sexual awakening, coming out, coworkers to lovers, a dramatic avalanche, sweet romantic gestures, a dog, and finally a HEA. Just totally wonderful.

Owen Han, thirtysomething, former investment banker and cancer survivor, is working his way through his bucket list when he’s selected as a volunteer to assist National Park Service staff in Alaska over the winter. He’s sure nothing could be more fulfilling, until…he lays eyes on Quill Ramsey, fortysomething career park ranger. Tall, muscular, rugged, the epitome of the great outdoors, Quill is sure to be straight. But when he also turns out to be quiet, deeply closeted, and set in his rigid rules, Owen starts to rethink that bucket list.

Nevertheless, flirting comes natural to Owen, and Quill isn’t unaffected. Over time, in the dark of winter, Quill starts to thaw toward the naturally effusive, warm and caring Owen. And Owen starts to see beneath the twenty-year-experience veneer Quill has managed to hide behind. The two become more friendly and ultimately find satisfaction in more than flirtation. But Quill’s sexual awakening is not typical as Owen, though smaller, has side effects from his cancer treatment and Quill, though larger, is turned on by Owen’s take-charge attitude. Add in feelings and there’s more here than either man is comfortable with. Quill, true to his reticent nature, walks away and then regrets it, creating an emotional tug of war for both characters.

Revealing how the author resolves their standoff, and what happens next, would be a spoiler I won’t list here. But let’s just say Quill has an eye-opening experience, actually two, one immediately following the other, and he’s lucky to keep Owen in his life. Adding to the pleasure of the story is the brief cameo appearance of Griffin and River from Arctic Sun. Overall, as I said above, I loved this book. Both men were realistically portrayed, and I can’t decide who I liked most—Owen with his gregarious personality—never met a stranger he didn’t know sort of guy—or Quill, totally buttoned-up rule follower, who had the heart of a lamb hidden in his stoic persona and totally melted into a puddle when Owen came into his life. No matter who it is, however, I can promise readers a treat with this one. Very highly recommended and it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone.

I didn't expect this to have so much emotional depth, and that's the main reason I enjoyed this book. There were so many layers to the main characters' growth and motivations, and this made me really root for them.

I also loved the setting of winter in Alaska, which felt quite original to me, and I thought it worked really well.

I have to say though, I enjoyed the past quarter or so a lot less, because Owen really pressured Quill into coming out and I didn't feel like this was handled carefully enough. Coming out is harder for some people than it is for others, and that's very much okay, and doesn't make them cowards. Which was sort of the message this book went with, in stating Quill "realized he was being a coward" and overcame his fear. There was some discussion of this, but I just didn't think it was quite enough.

And considering how slow the characters were to open up to each other, I didn't particularly love how rushed the last part of the book was.

Rep: gay Asian MC, gay MC

CWs: cancer (in the past), homophobia, emotionally abusive parents & ex/trauma, accident because of an avalanche, hospital

I love that feeling when I start a new book, meet the main characters, and immediately like them.

Owen was volunteering for the winter at an Alaska state park to check off an item on his bucket list after having gone through a life-changing illness. He was out going and a people person. Quill was a ranger who kind of shut himself away from society after a difficult childhood and a bad relationship. The strong, silent type.

I must admit I don’t like closeted characters so Quill had me frustrated at times because he wouldn’t allow himself to be happy. And I thought Owen was a bit forward and pushy towards Quill to start a relationship but Quill needed someone to show him things he wanted were okay. His ex really did a number on him.

A hard won HEA because things were shaky there for a bit.

There were quite a few things I like about this book:

I liked Owen's character, and I thought that he did an impressive job of growing and changing, being flexible, particularly in the face of life-altering and life-threatening incidents.

I also liked that Owen was more than the sum of stereotypes, about being from an urban area, from San Francisco, Asian, an investment banker... based on my experience with other authors, it could have been ugly. Specifically, I really liked that Albert didn't make Owen incompetent about the outdoors, bowled over by the hard work, unable to handle roughing it or without his fancy coffee or personal care products.

The realistic detail, at least it seemed realistic to me. The CPR training and the avalanche information seemed well-researched, and the note about how much force one has to use for chest compressions was accurate.

The setting. Enough said.

That said, this was not one of my favorite Annabeth Albert books.

The main thing was that, Quill's character was all about stereotypes. After a while, it seemed like Albert used a checklist of required elements in an M/M novel as a cheat sheet. Laconic, introverted, outdoor-loving guy?
Only eats bland food and is uncomfortable in the kitchen?
Uncomfortable with his sexuality and any sex-related ideas or words?
Homophobic family in the extreme?
Hot in a uniform?
Ridiculously jealous?
Over-protective, with an almost ridiculously nurturing side that comes out when his love interest is ill or injured?

It really got on my nerves.

Finally, I didn't care for Quill's dramatic and far-too-rapid transformation from laconic and repressed in the extreme to insightful and deeply articulate, verbose even, about his emotional state.

I'm sad to say that I was underwhelmed by this one. Albert is one of my favorite authors, so it was especially disappointing. It was still entertaining, good for a little escape, but not one of her best.

This unbiased review was provided in exchange for an advanced reader copy through Netgalley.

Arctic Heat was my first book by Annabeth Albert and I really liked it. The story was so good. I loved Quill and Owen. Would love to read more by this author, I love her writing style.

This is my first book in the Frozen Heart series. And Wow, what a story. Owen a cancer survivor, very outgoing, very in tune with his feelings and his sexuality. Quill, very introverted, still closeted, a little bit older but not always wiser. When the two meet, then start a slow journey of discovery, patience, sex, love. They do get their HEA but it wasn't easy. This was an awesome read. Annabeth Albert knows how to make us, readers, feel as if we are there, with the description on the scenery. If looking for a good M/M romance in the Alaska wilderness, then this is for you.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC on my own voluption and the opinions expressed here are all mine. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

I really enjoyed Quill and Owen’s story!  No one writes a slow-burn romance story like Annabeth, and their love story was no exception!  I loved Owen’s upbeat, take-charge attitude and how he was always up to learn and do more.  In turn, I appreciated Quill allowing Owen’s innate bossiness to shine from time to time!  Watching Quill shed his past experiences and misgivings of relationships was a long time coming.  In turn, Owen’s patience with Quill reticence with relationships was the perfect balance that Quill needed to see what right in front of him.  I loved their love story, and it’s one I will think back on fondly.  I enjoyed reading more about Alaska and learning what a Ranger may do and encounter in their official duties.  I really loved this Frozen Hearts series by Annabeth, and I’m sorry to see it conclude!  However, I know I found some great characters in these books, and I hope we get to hear more about them in bonus ficlets in the future.  I couldn’t recommend this book, and the others in this series which can stand alone, more!

Arctic Heat is the third and final book in Annabeth Albert’s Frozen Hearts trilogy of romances set in and around the spectacular landscapes of Alaska, and in it, we meet winter state park volunteer, Owen Han, an energetic, outgoing guy who has recently survived testicular cancer, and the reserved and closeted ranger, Quilleran Ramsey, who is just about as different from Owen as it’s possible to be.  It’s a relationship that probably shouldn’t work – yet somehow it does, although of course for two such different men, the road to forever isn’t going to be an easy one.

Having, as the synopsis puts it “kicked cancer’s ass”, Owen Han has put his career as an investment banker on hold and is taking time out to work his way through his bucket list.  Next up is something he’s been dreaming of doing for a long time – since childhood – spending the winter in Alaska as a state park volunteer assisting the rangers and other park employees.  He’s waiting with the other volunteers for their training to begin, trying hard not to stare at the ranger porn, the uniformed rangers who “make drag green and khaki downright sexy with their broad shoulders, and generous muscles and rugged jawlines.”  One particular ranger catches his eye though, a frisson of anticipation Owen had feared might be gone for good running through him at the sight of the man’s tall, well-built frame, handsome face and steely blue eyes.  He thinks the guy might be stealing glances at him, too and makes a beeline for the seat next to him just as the presentations are about to begin.

Quill Ramsey immediately pegs the chatty newbie as the high maintenance type who’ll never be able to handle the hard, often gruelling work of winter park management.  Even though he has the – surprisingly muscular – build that means he might be able to keep up, Owen Han is, thankfully, not going to be his responsibility; Quill appreciates a positive attitude but has never understood why some people feel the need to fill a perfectly good silence with questions and small talk. But Owen is dangerously distracting - smart, funny and possessed of killer dimples – and there’s no room in Quill’s life for anything besides his job.

Later that night after dinner, Owen and Quill are on the way back to the hotel when Owen takes the opportunity to kiss a very willing but still guarded Quill.  The kiss is like nothing Quill has ever experienced – hot, sweet and almost overwhelming – but he firmly rebuffs Owen’s further advances.  Owen is disappointed but doesn’t make a thing out of it; he’s already worked out that Quill is repressed and deeply closeted and they go their separate ways.  But of course, that’s not going to be the end of it.  The next day, when Quill learns his assigned volunteer is unable to make it and that Owen is to be spending the winter with him instead, he’s not best pleased.  However, he’s too professional to insist on a change, and tells himself it’ll be fine.  He’ll focus on his job, make sure Owen knows what needs to be done and keep his distance; there’s no need for them to spend much (if any) time together and there will certainly not be anything… extra going on.

Owen on the other hand, isn’t giving up hope.  He’s certainly not going to pester Quill or make him uncomfortable, but the Alaskan winter is seven long months and given the combustible chemistry between them – as shown by that single kiss – he likes his chances of getting more of them.  Or of their at least becoming friends.

Annabeth Albert does slow-burn, opposites-attract romance so well, and Arctic Heat is another terrific example.  Owen and Quill are nothing alike, and yet somehow they fit together perfectly; in spite of his determination to remain aloof, Quill slowly begins to respond to Owen’s genuineness, warmth and sunny disposition.  But it’s not easy for him.  He’s plagued by years of repression and insecurities born of a dysfunctional family whose difficult dynamics have given him a horror of any form of  relationship ‘drama’ together with an unfortunate relationship with someone who clearly wanted Quill to be someone else.  Owen isn’t without his own problems though; he has some lingering physical issues as a result of his treatment and has begun to question his place in the world. He realises he badly wants to belong to someone, to have that forever kind of connection, and believes he’s found it in Quill – but will Quill ever be able to overcome his natural reluctance to commit to loving Owen openly?

This is a quiet, character driven story that focuses firmly on the central romance while at the same time providing readers with considerable insight into the work of the park rangers and the awesome beauty and potential dangers of the region in which it the book is set.  It’s clear Ms. Albert has done her homework when it comes to Alaska and I once again enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the climate and locations.

Quill is reserved and steadfast, but his stoic exterior conceals a well of hurt and his deep loneliness is poignant and well-portrayed.  Owen, with his almost relentless optimism and innate confidence, could, in the hands of a lesser author, have turned out to be pushy and annoying, but thankfully, he’s nothing of the kind.  He takes his second chance at life seriously and doesn’t take anything for granted; he’s even-tempered, friendly and polite, slow to anger and even when he is mad he doesn’t stay that way for long.  They are engaging, well-rounded characters and the chemistry between them sizzles right from the start.  The sex scenes enhance the romance, helping to show Quill’s growing trust in Owen and how he comes to learn that sex can be wild and messy and fun and that the only rules are the ones he and his partner choose to make.  If I have a criticism, it’s that Quill’s late-book turnaround on being with Owen openly happens rather quickly, but it works, and I applauded his courage in finally deciding it was time to stop caring about what others thought and to focus on what was truly important to him – his love for Owen and their future.

Tender, sexy and emotionally satisfying, Arctic Heat rounds out the Frozen Hearts trilogy nicely.

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A wonderful opposites attract story with great emotional depth and amazing character development. Loved it!
I really liked Owen’s optimism, his persistent friendliness and outgoing nature, which was perfect for drawing out Quill who is so very much the opposite. I loved that Quill’s personality doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of a gruff, macho ranger. My heart ached for him, though, because of how he struggled still with self-acceptance and coming out.
I also enjoyed the smattering of sly humor and sweeter moments that crop up in this book, a great foil for the profounder feelings and emotional scars that our MC’s have to deal with, as well as the sense of hopelessness with which Quill regards his and Owen’s future. Or lack thereof.
This was a great slow burn romance, with beautifully written yearning and an incredibly hot, sensual connection between the two MC’s. The book steadily builds towards an intensely moving finale, with things taking an unexpected turn for the worse on several levels, before finally granting the reader the relief of a HEA.
Recommend!