I love Annabeth's military romances!

I have been a huge Annabeth Albert fan since I read her first book back in 2016 and I’ve read nearly everything she’s written since then. Her Out of Uniform series is one of my all-time favorites so I was excited to read the first book in her new series: Shore Leave.

Derrick and Arthur have to overcome a lot of things. Derrick has to learn not be so competitive and Arthur has to learn that life with a military spouse might not be as bad as what he thought. He’s never really talked with his mother to see how she feels about it; he just knew that his dad was gone a lot.

This story has just the right amount of sexy and sweet. What starts out as a fake dating arrangement ends up being much, much more. If only Arthur hasn’t sworn to never date or fall in love with a military man and Derrick never thought he’d see his best friend’s younger brother as anything other than a kid. Boy were they both wrong.

Annabeth’s writing always gives me all kinds of feels and Sailor Proof was no exception. I started out reading the ebook and then switched to the audiobook because Greg Boudreaux and Joel Leslie are both on my list of favorite audiobook performers. I think this is the first book I’ve listened to where they’ve performed in the same book and it was fantastic (I stayed up all night listening to it)!

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Sink or Swim, coming in February 2022.

A review copy of the ebook and audiobook was provided by the publisher but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com (posting Sept. 20, 2021)***

Incredibly sweet, my first introduction to Ms. Albert is fantastic. I adore this military romance. The premise of this story seems a bit hokey with using a fake boyfriend to make a horrid ex-boyfriend jealous. The way Ms. Albert creates her characters and plot, it is smooth, sexy and delicious.

Derrick Fox is a man built for the navy. With his only remaining relative deceased, his focus is on his career. He is a career military man and he is determined to move up the ranks. It isn't a question of skill and time, it is a question of patience and impulse control. No matter where a person works, there are always smug arrogant jerks who make our work life difficult. The one who is a bully or who just has an axe to grind. For Derrick, to add salt to his wound, this annoying guy also steals his boyfriend.

Whilst the start of the story is about petty yet satisfying revenge, it is a mere sliver of this book. The focus is on Derrick and his epiphany of what he really wants out of life. His view of the world and himself changes as he interacts more with his "fake" boyfriend Arthur. As expected, the two of them thrown together gives them an opportunity to learn more about each other. They find out that some of their preconceived notions and hard fast rules of what they want in life... may not be that firm.

What I love is Arthur's heart and how he tries to make things better for everyone. And even in his misery and feeling like the black sheep, he learns that his family still loves him. Perhaps his self exile at times is all self imposed. This story is about character growth for both Derrick and Arthur. Their blossoming friendship and developing romantic relationship brings out the best in each other. I adore romances where the couple help each other be their best self. This story is filled with heartwarming scenes. This m/m romance is recommended to readers who love character development with a sexy military man and a gamer geek.

Derrick's homecoming is about to be anything but sweet, not when his cheating ex is getting the honor of having the first kiss with Derrick's annoying crew mate. Thankfully his best friend Calder has a plan: get his younger brother Arthur to meet them at the dock and give Derrick a homecoming kiss to rival all others. Arthur owes his brother some favors and agrees to the plan. It doesn't hurt that he's had a crush on Derrick for years. But Derrick and Arthur aren't prepared for their sizzling in person chemistry, or for their kiss to go viral, leading to Arthur's family inviting Derrick on their camping vacation. Now Arthur and Derrick are working to sell their fake relationship while also sharing a small cabin... and a bed. Will Derrick, recently burned and on the rebound, and Arthur, who refuses to do long distance, cave to their feelings and go for it for real?

Sailor Proof is the excellent start to a new military mm romance series by Annabeth Albert. I loved Derrick and Arthur's story. It's fun, low angst, sexy, and seamlessly weaves in various conflicts like finding a place to belong, career struggles, family issues, and, of course, what to do when a fake relationship begins to feel too real. There's loads of the sweetest fluff with Derrick and Arthur teaming up for activities on the camping trip, making s'mores, singing along to road trip songs, sneaking kisses behind trees, and spending the nights between the sheets. Honestly, it was an excellent mental vacation for me! I enjoyed the laid back vibe and the sweet emotional journey. The whole story isn't light and breezy but the conflict never got too angsty and I was very happy with how everything was resolved. I'm looking forward to book two, Sink or Swim, which is about Arthur's brother Calder!

The tropes are heavy and the angst is light in Albert's return to military M/M romance. You've got fake boyfriends, best friend's brother, only one bed, virgin MC, and your basic opposites attract. Totally predictable but thoroughly enjoyable.

As the author notes in her acknowledgements, Shore Leave will have a "lighter military vibe" than her popular Out of Uniform series, so we don't see a lot of Derrick while he is actively on deployment. Most of the book takes place at Arthur's annual extended family camp, with the aforementioned one bed. There are numerous detailed sex scenes, but also the chance for Arthur to re-examine some long held beliefs about how his military, do-gooder family members feel about his geeky career scoring video game music. And the way that Arthur and Derrick work together to make the annual family camp talent show a success clearly demonstrates that they make a strong team outside of the bedroom as well as in.

Although Derrick and Arthur are very different men, I had some trouble remembering which of them was narrating the chapter I was reading, and I think Albert could have done a better job of distinguishing their narrative voices. But both of them were such decent, lovable characters that I didn't mind too much that they blended together sometimes. Annabeth Albert's recent series have been hit or miss for me, but I'm hopeful that this strong start bodes well for more tales of Shore Leave. Arthur's brother Calder is next - could his complaint during family camp that he doesn't like kids be a case of ironic foreshadowing?

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

This author is hit or miss for me, and for me, this one wasn’t a win. Writers need to make a living, of course, and this one just felt like work to me. The audiobook didn’t work for me either. Arthur’s narrator talked too fast, but in the text the pace was pretty even. But I guess the discrepancies didn’t matter in how I felt about this book, because I didn’t feel too attached to either characters. I love the fake relationship trope, but I can’t remember why they needed to make it real for Arthur’s whole family as well. Not to mention, the ex-boyfriend Derrick wanted to make jealous didn’t do anything. I can’t even remember if he was present in the setup, if he even had lines. I was hoping I’d like this one, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

I enjoyed Arthur and Derrick’s story. I’m a huge fan of the fake relationship trope and this one was done so well! Toss in brother’s best friend and first times and this becomes a must read for me! I loved how a fake homecoming kiss from Arthur to Derrick began a fake relationship that spanned a viral kiss to a week long family reunion to “I’m not so sure this is fake anymore” situation. I liked how their relationship developed with them getting to really know each other outside of Arthur’s brother Calder. I loved how Derrick saw the real Arthur. He saw through the strained interactions and seemed to really get who Arthur was and what he needed. Arthur had always felt like an outsider in his family, and Derrick made him feel like his belonged with his attentiveness. I really felt their connection and I loved all the firsts of Arthur’s they shared together. It was sweet and steamy! While Arthur’s family were...a lot, they truly meant well and were wonderful support systems for Arthur when Derrick were as deployed. Without a family of his own, Derrick embraced Arthur’s family as his own and was welcomed with open arms. I enjoyed how they worked through the logistics of love and military and civilian life. When it counted most they spoke up and expressed their feelings, hopes and dreams and I loved their HEA. This was a lighter take on a wonderful military romance. I’m eager to read Calder’s story and hope we get to peak in on how Arthur and Derrick are doing.

I really enjoy Annabeth Albert's romance novels for their variety of settings. Whether a gamer crew or the crew of a Submarine, Albert has a way of setting the scene and telling authentic stories. In "Sailor Proof" a fake homecoming kiss to give comeuppance to an unfaithful ex turns into the real thing, when a career officer falls for his best friend's nerdy little brother. Humor, romance and sexy times follow ... a perfect read for fans of a well-crafted romance!

This book taught me that military romance is not my thing (I mean, I did expect it to not be my thing but I was proved right), but it doesn't matter, because this was light on the military stuff and so I still enjoyed it. It was mostly a fluffy book that made for a nice, quick read, and I loved how the fake dating trope was used. Calder's book (the second book in this series) has a really fun premisse so I'll definitely be reading that too!

In SAILOR PROOF Navy chief Derrick Fox wants to make his cheating ex boyfriend jealous, and his best friend gives him a great idea: a very public, very passionate welcome home kiss with his new boyfriend. One problem: Derrick doesn’t have a new boyfriend. That’s where his best friends nerdy younger brother Arthur comes in as his fake boyfriend. Except Arthur isn’t the nerdy little kid he remembers, and things only get more complicated when Arthur’s family witnesses their steamy welcome home kiss and insists he bring his new boyfriend on their family trip.
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I was very excited to see this on Netgalley because the last book I read by Annabeth Albert, OUT OF CHARACTER, was a 5 star read for me. I’m a character driven reader, and from what I’ve read so far Albert has written some *excellent* characters. I just fall into these stories so easily.
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SAILOR PROOF has some of my favourite tropes: fake dating, brothers best friend, forced proximity and there’s only one bed… add some great characters with instant, burning hot chemistry and it makes a wonderful read. I was rooting for these two every step of the way. I was expecting more drama in the usual third act break up, but I was pleasantly surprised. If you enjoy steamy romances with low angst, this is a good one. I didn’t want it to end, but I am definitely ready for book 2 now!
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4.5/5 stars, SAILOR PROOF by Annabeth Albert is available September 28, 2021!
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Thank you to Carina Adores and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review.

I’m new to reading romance and didn’t think military romance would be up my alley, but I requested Sailor Proof, anyway, since I enjoyed Annabeth Alpert’s True Colors series so much. As it turned out, military romance is not for me, or at least this title isn’t. Your mileage may vary, though! The tender tone and quirky characters that I liked in the more nerd/fandom series are also here in another setting. But for me it was a bit of a chore to turn the page.

Derrick loves his job, posted to a submarine. It’s hard on his love life though. That’s what brought him to kissing his best friends younger brother Arthur as he steps off the gangplank. Their ruse was to show he was over his ex. The kiss was more than either man expected, so much more.

Another winner from this author. Loved Derrick and Arthur. The story was angst lite with a whole big family of characters to fall in love with. Well written and engagingly sweet. Looking forward to the next book.

3 stars - I liked it.

Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes to exact revenge on his ex with a rebound fling. What he doesn’t expect is for a kiss with his best friend's little brother to go viral and end up in a fake relationship.

This was an enjoyable fake relationship romance. I really loved these two characters. Arthur is a nerdy musician who is extremely kind and sweet. I loved his determination to show his family that everything isn’t a competition. He was also great with kids which was super cute. Derrick was a career driven man but quickly realizes it's ok to want other things. These two balanced each other out really well. Also they were just super cute together.

I really enjoy fake relationships stories and this one was very good. But this one get’s bonus points because it was also a best friend's sibling and a only one bed romance, all of which are my favorites. I can’t wait to read more of this series.

Heat Factor: Bed sex, bathtub sex, shower sex….lotsa sex
Character Chemistry: I feel like a heart eyes emoji right now
Plot: Two men who are absolutely not a good match engage in a fake welcome home kiss that turns into a fake relationship that turns into OMG is this a good match?!?!
Overall: This is one of those delightfully tropey romances that feels like a warm hug to read

What I did not need to do was to take on another ARC. Then I read the publisher’s email about this release, and I’ve read this author, and I saw the tropes listed and I was like…. Yeah I’m gonna read that right now.

Sometimes reading things that are just nice feels so good. I’ve just finished a bunch of books that pushed me (they were all romance, never fear), and by comparison this book was just so easy to read and so satisfying and exactly what I wanted it to be.

Gushing reviews aren’t super helpful, so I’ll try to be both brief and useful. We’ve got a best friend’s sibling, fake relationship, age gap (barely though, TBH), virgin hero, opposites attract, only one bed, military romance going on. I have read Albert a few times before, and I know I like her style, but for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it trends to romantic and HEA sweetness with protagonists who are very excited to have sex with each other. There’s some variability, but I think readers who are looking for protagonists who aren’t into getting married, for example, might want to look elsewhere.

Derrick is a submariner who got dumped for another submariner on his crew after also being cheated on. He’s a bit grumpy and inclined to punch this other submariner guy. So his best friend, Calder, offers Derrick a revenge that won’t result in tanking his career by getting Calder’s brother, Arthur, to greet Derrick at the dock with a suitably upstaging welcome home kiss. Of course things don’t go as smoothly as expected, and what with one thing and another, a one-time welcome home kiss turns into a full blown fake relationship. Except obviously our protagonists are both waaaaaay attracted to each other and it takes about a hot second before they’re both knocking down internal barriers to get into each other’s pants.

What I like about this book (and the other books I’ve read by Albert) is the way she deals with conflict. For example, oftentimes the go-to conflict for a best friend’s sibling book is that the best friend finds out and gets angry. In this case Derrick doesn’t want to fess up to Calder because he is afraid of Calder’s reaction, but, without giving away too much (or, indeed, being particularly specific to this book), there’s a difference between “how dare you have sex with my innocent younger sibling” (or the like) and “I don’t like the possibility that this could change our relationship, and I’m worried that you’re both really into this now but it might not work out in the end”. When an author is able to acknowledge these feelings and fears in the relationships surrounding the protagonists without making the best friend into a caveman, I can appreciate that. Changing relationships are challenging, especially when they’re really important ones.

Similarly, military romance is often ultra macho, and this book (and others I’ve read from Albert) doesn’t really do the macho. Derrick is done with relationships because after being cheated on and dumped, he’s decided to be married to his career. Being on a submarine for months is too hard on relationships. Arthur, having grown up in a Navy family, having watched his mother’s experience for years and years, has sworn never to date a military man. And yet very quickly both men are engaging with their feelings about how their current wants are not really matching their visions for their respective futures. The conflict isn’t really external at all, it’s both men grappling with how their feelings are changing and what they’re willing to risk to possibly be in a relationship with each other. I will say that, with the similarity of voice between the protagonists, the dual 1st POV was a little challenging because I couldn’t always remember who “I” was, and the pronouns were always the same, but eventually someone said a name, so it was manageable. Still, I do love a bit of good, “He’s so amazing, and some other man will make him so happy some day, and why do I hate that?”

So if you are looking for an utterly charming, delightfully tropey, character-driven romance, I would recommend this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

3.5 Stars
This is the first book I have read by this author but she grabbed me with her delicious character development for our leading male. Ohhh, Derrick is a dream boat and the perfect character for this story. I quickly fell for him in this revenge plot with the best friend's brother that backfired just a bit.

I actually had some mixed feelings about this story due to the fact that the guys, really Arthur, seemed very immature and I had a tough time picturing a career navy man with a young YA type guy. Pushing for the physical relationship hard made me cringe a few times.

The story offers some great elements and characterizations that endear you to the couple and Albert steams up the pages a few times. They have great chemistry and balance together. However, Arthur is just not my favorite character and that really made it tough for me to enjoy Sailor Proof completely.

Overall, Derrick is the clear reason to read this combustible story as the author dives into life and love with a military man. Enjoyable and sexy, I just had to pick sides! I will definitely read an Annabeth Albert book again.

Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert contains two tropes that I typically avoid: fake boyfriend and close proximity. But seeing as I love her military men, I had to give this a shot, and it didn't disappoint.

-Opposites attract
-Best friend's brother
-Romance
-UST
-Family
-Low angst, feel good
-HEA

This was just a fun, and sweet read, a great start to the Shore Leave series.

Annabeth Albert's "Sailor Proof" hits several favorite themes and tropes so perfectly that every word was a pleasure to devour. From fake to real boyfriends, opposites attract, and brother's best friend, the author captured each one to perfection.

Derrick and Arthur are relatable characters as well as well-adjusted. Even more than that, while there were a few miscommunication moments along the way, the author managed to successfully ensure the characters were adults and clearly communicated. Oh, how I love it when authors don't fall into the trap of the main conflict being a frustrating misunderstanding.

I'm super keen to discover what's next in this series.

Bottom line: A low-angst M/M military romance that hits all the feels.

4.5 Stars. I’ve been in a slump with contemporary romances so a gay romance with a lot of my favorite tropes was exactly what I needed. I’m not usually a military book reader but this one wasn’t shoving patriotism down my throat so I didn’t mind it. This is my second book from Annabeth Albert and I liked this one a lot more than the last one I read (Out of Character).

This book had some of my favorite topes, namely, fake dating, only one bed, best friend’s brother, and virgin hero. All it needed was some enemies to lovers and it would have ticked all my boxes. I loved both Derrick and Author. I liked that they just felt right together from the beginning. I never had a moment of thinking, “these two shouldn’t be together,” which was so refreshing. This book is high heat and I found it very fun to have the two them trying to navigate their not-so-fake relationship during Author’s family trip.

I will have to keep my eyes out for Calder’s book which is coming out next year. Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Carina Adores for the ARC.

Solid Military Romance. This is a fairly standard romance / Annabeth Albert romance with one guy in uniform and the other not... and eventually, neither is. ;) She's done the virgin thing at least once or twice (I fully cop to not reading her full back catalog, and I seem to remember her covering this even in the books I *have* read from her), and here it works just as well as it did the last time. For those looking for "clean" / "sweet" romance... Albert uses the virgin trope to explore as many successive sex acts as she can squeeze into a book. So this won't be something that fits those definitions, but will work well within the more general romance/ gay romance reader crowd. The family dynamics are fun, some of the situations border on silly yet work, and the military scenes are accurate enough for someone who is only vaguely aware of US Navy operations. Looking forward to seeing where this new series will go. Very much recommended.

Why has it taken me this long to discover Annabeth Albert?!

This is only my second read by her but she's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, I think she writes gay romances incredibly well. She strikes this perfect balance of moments that are really cute, heartfelt & tender with moments that are really, really sexy - the steam in this book was ON POINT, hands down the steamiest out of any of the gay romances I've read thus far (not including erotica or indies)! Arthur & Derrick will easily go down as one of my favorite fictional couples, I just adored these two so much & was rooting from them right from the get go - love that we got dual POVs from both! Their chemistry was amazing & their relationship just felt so real, despite having started with the whole fake dating troupe (one of my favorites, btw). & I really, really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially the Euler family - I'm so excited to see Calder be the focus of the next book!

All in all, this encompassed everything I love about reading romances - it was funny, sexy, & sweet, & I've been sitting here feeling super giddy ever since finishing it. I highly recommend picking this up & putting the series as a whole on your radar! Thank you so much to Annabeth Albert, NetGalley & Harlequin for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This is book one in a new military series from Annabeth Albert. It gives the reader a glimpse of what military families go through while their loved one(s) serve.

I liked how Derrick and Arthur "clicked" from the beginning. They were good for each other; they worked together and supported the other without asking them to change. No one had to "win". And I liked how Arthur started viewing his family through new eyes, while Derrick became a part of that family. Very enjoyable read!

I noted only about half a dozen proofreading issues.