Annabeth Albert does Military men like no other, and this follow-up to Sailor Proof was definitely a winner. Calder is the brother of Arthur and best friend of Derrick from book one but it can totally be read as a stand-alone. I just loved everything about this one. It's a little different then your typical romances, a lot more kissing and cuddling and a lot less steam but it worked so well for the MCs. I also felt like it was more of the slice-of-life style of romance you don't see too often, but when done right is extremely satisfying. There's good communication, a slow burn romance that just plain works, and honestly it was just great to see a romance between 2 grown-ups trying to figure out how they fit together in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After reading the first book in this series I was hesitate to continue, but I am beyond glad I took the risk to continue because this book blew my expectations out of the water! While this is the second book in this series it can easily be read as a stand alone as well, with it following a different couple from the first book.

I think what I loved most about this book was how mature the relationship felt as two very independent adults, who learned to become co-dependent within their individual identities. The love in this books feels genuine, especially with how the two main characters are consistently choosing each other despite any adversity that arises.

I could read hundreds more pages of Calder and Felixs’ adventures raising Charlotte and Madeline and will be keep my eyes open for a third book in this series if there is any plans for that!

4.25⭐

Sink or Swim is a really well-developed and paced m/m romance. That features two really likable complex characters who know how to communicate and whose slow burn-ish relationship was really enjoyable to read, and with low angst, plenty of sweetness and just the right amount of heat I was utterly engaged throughout. And I would happily recommend it to others.

This second book in the Shore Leave series, which follows Navy submarine crew members, is a delightful romance with two mature characters who have complicated lives and backstories finding each other through a silly meet-cute (one of them wins a cabin in a poker game from the other one's ex--hilarity ensues!). The chemistry between Calder and Felix is smoldering, and while neither of them think that the other is what they want, it turns out that they are exactly what they each need. I so appreciated seeing adults with real lives and considerations navigate what a relationship would mean to them, I also more generally appreciate how Annabeth Albert writes military characters that defy stereotype. I definitely recommend this one, and the series as a whole.

I really enjoyed Calder and Felix’s story. I loved the slower pace of their friendship into more, as well as the excellent communication they shared together. The development of each of these characters was really fantastic, and as a reader you felt as if you knew Calder and Felix. Felix, who had custody of his niece’s, was so self aware about getting into a relationship and protecting his niece’s hearts from further heartache. I found it very sweet, but that in turn hurt my heart for Calder. Calder who didn’t think he wanted a relationship, loved spending time with Felix and the girls. I could really feel the emotions between Calder and Felix as they navigated their next steps of the relationship together. They had wonderful communication in and out of the bedroom, which led to some very hot sexy times and firsts between these two. Overall I really enjoyed their story and finished with a smile on my face.

Thanks to the publisher for the hard copy and the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 Q: If you were snowed in what are 3 things you’d have to have?

Snowed in / single parent / caretaking / charmer meets someone who doesn’t immediately fall for his charm / it’s only temporary…

Those are just some of the tropes in Annabeth Albert’s Sink or Swim, a book I’ve been so excited to read since finishing Sailor Proof, the last book in the series.

In this one, Navy Chief Calder Euler—a hyper-organized, uber competitive charmer—drives to the new house he thinks he’s won during a poker game only to realize that he’s been had & the real owner Felix Sigurd—a single parent physician—is the actual owner.

During their initial moments together Calder hurts himself & they all get snowed in & I was like this 🥳🥳, raising my fist in the air chanting “more snow! More snow!“

Maybe my fave parts of this one are seeing Calder step up for Felix & his two kids & seeing him learn more about himself & his needs & desires. I love seeing Felix make Calder comfortable in the bedroom & how much acceptance & desire there is to make each other happy, in addition to just the passion between them.

But maybe my least favorite aspect of this read is just how much Calder works for Felix & the opposite sense that Felix isn’t doing enough. On one hand I enjoy seeing Calder work hard for what he wants but on the other it starts to feel a bit one-sided to me & I wanted more of a big declarative moment from Felix.

Like I’ve come to expect from Annabeth Albert’s work this is just a warm cozy emotional read.

4 ⭐️. Release date: 2/22.


[ID: Jess, a white woman, holds the camera from above. She holds a copy of the book & wears a pink shirt that says “I’d rather be in Avonlea.”]

Another fun and sexy read by Annabeth Albert! The forced proximity trope was a delight. As always, Albert writes detailed character development and growth for not only the MCs but also all the other characters. I appreciate how Albert depicts a wide variety of sex drives and desires. A sweet winter read for sure.

Winning a cabin in a poker game? Heck yes. Getting snowed in and finding out that it wasn’t the guy’s to gamble away? Not the best news to find out. But what Calder does find in a cute hideaway cabin is Felix… and his two adorable wards. But now that the snow is gone and the cabin isn’t Calder’s anymore - can the playboy gambling sailor settle down with the single dad?

While I took a while to warm up to Calder and Felix - this book ended up just warming my heart all the way through. I loved watching Calder learn to be more than just for fun - and that he was more valuable than that! I loved Felix learning to trust again after divorce and having this heartbroken. But my favorite part had to be the wildly sex-positive conversations had throughout the book! “There is no one right way to have sex.” SO TRUE! Their touching love scenes totally sold me - so sweet and sensual all at once.

TL/DR Review
Stars: four and a half
Series: Shore Leave - Book Two - can be read as a standalone
POV: dual first person
Steam: multiple scenes, no kink, very sweet
Tropes: opposites attract, single parent, love after divorce, everyone over thirty
For Fans Of: Roan Parrish’s Lights on Knockbridge Lane
Theme Song: Let My Love Open the Door by Pete Townsend
Subgenre: Queer/ MM romance
CW/ TW: mentions of toxic ex, references to divorce, references to death of parent

Thank you to the author and publisher for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sink or Swim is a cute and sweet slow burn romance with great characters and cute kids and an engaging story line. Calder is a Navy Chief who wins a mountain cabin at a game of cards and is excited to check it out. When he arrives, he gets a little more than he bargained for, namely two little girls and their uncle are already there, who supposedly actually own the property. A snowstorm leads to them being snowed in, which gives them all the perfect opportunity to get to know each other. While Calder may not end up with a cabin, he may just end up winning something even better when all is said and done.

I really enjoyed Calder's interactions with Felix and with his nieces. Everything about their relationship from the start seemed pretty natural and easy, minus Felix's hesitation and roadblocks. Calder and Felix seemed to have great chemistry and I think they balanced each other out well. I think Calder was very patient with Felix's concerns about a relationship given his parenting role, and while I did truly understand where Felix was coming from a good portion of the time, his attitude about it all and perceptions about what Calder could or could not bring to the table got to be a bit too much after a while. I did find the story highly enjoyable and would definitely recommend it, I just would have liked Felix to come around a little sooner as Calder was a gem!

Sink or Swim is the second book in the Shore Leave series and it's just as great as the first one. Calder loves to have fun and win a cabin in the mountain. He gets surprised guests and they are stuck in the cabin during a snow storm. Felix and his nieces are a delight and the close proximity between these two ends up being a friends with benefits relationship. The book is funny, sweet, romantic, gay for you and I enjoyed it. Annabeth Albert writes great books and I'm looking forward to the next one. (less)

Sink or Swim is the sequel to Sailor Proof, following Calder as he realizes what he really wants in life. The basic plot is contrived and relies heavily on coincidences, but the characters pull it off beautifully.

I've had problems with sequels published by Carina Adores, with the sequel not being anything like the first book, which made me hesitate. I thoroughly enjoyed Sailor Proof, but was a little leery based on previous experience with the publisher. However, I'm glad I took the leap and read the book, because it enjoyed it. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the free eARC!

4.5 stars

Calder was a bit of a surprise for me in this story. In the first book, Sailor Proof, and at the beginning of this book Calder really comes across as super confident, even cocky. Once Felix and his nieces are thrown into the mix, Calder’s true self starts peaking out. I really enjoyed this book and reading about Calder’s journey, as well as Felix’s.

Every time Calder showed his vulnerability and moments of low self-esteem it was a reminder that he’s only human. His thoughts that he wasn’t good with kids while being beyond amazing with Felix’s nieces really showcased how Calder’s brain works. The pressure he puts on himself when it comes to sex and close personal interactions is unnecessary, and he slowly starts to realize that the more time he spends with Felix and the girls. It’s very sweet the way Felix helps him to grow his confidence, while Felix himself has his own fears hold him back.

Just as Calder is gaining confidence and realizing he wants a life he never knew he wanted, Felix is doubling down on his fears to let anyone into the lives of him and the kids. It’s understandable. They have all been through a lot and the young kids do not need any more turmoil or loss in their lives. Felix needs to learn to trust or he’s going to burn out long before the kids are grown and on their own. Luckily, there is a person in Felix’s life that will tell him the truth he needs to hear how ever many times he needs to hear it. And lucky for him, Calder doesn’t give up easily.

There are so many beautiful moments in this story. There are fun and light-hearted moments along with the deeper feelings to keep things well rounded. I really appreciate the author writing a character that is in a traditionally “macho” job who is, without question, a very attractive person who also has insecurities about sex. There is such a range of sexual orientations and one word or label doesn’t necessarily cover a person. Calder is an example of not fitting in just one box and I like that we’re seeing more of that in romance lately.

Rating: 4/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Warnings: Divorce, Death of a Family Member
Steam: 3/5
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Single Parent, Second Chance STEM rep, Friends to Lovers (with a side of it's just a hook up)

Special thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Sink or Swim releases on February 22nd.

I recently discover Annabeth Albert by reading Sailor Proof (the first book in this series) and I'm in love with her writing. One of the first thing I noticed about her writing is her heroes are always so incredibly kind and respectful to one another.

Things I Loved: The tiny humans, The forced proximity. The domestics vibe with in this relationship (home repairs, cooking together, taking care of the kids). When I see these aspects it feel so relatable. How respectful Calder and Felix where of each other's boundaries and they genuinely enjoyed being together. Albert explored how intimacy looks different for every couple. Catching up with the pervious books characters was such a delight. How little drama there actually was!

Things I Didn't Care For: Felix had so much self doubt (and understandably so) but at some point I wanted to shake him! You deserve to be happy!!! I would have also liked more context about Felix's family background.

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for the ARC of this!

This was super cute, low angst, and medium steam and I really enjoyed it. Calder and Felix were both sweet and kind, and the relationship sparking between them made perfect sense. I loved the little girls, they were the cutest!

I was a bit skeptical when I saw that Calder was getting a story after what you saw of him from his brother's book. However, the premise of him winning a cabin that wasn't actually his to win peaked my interest enough to give it a shot. I truly enjoyed the twist of the playboy falling for someone that doesn't want a relationship. Add in the openness and me reading Calder as part of the ace spectrum (this is not on page). and I think i liked it better than the first in this series. That is saying something becuase I'm normally not a fan of romances with childreen involved. There is some discussion of miltary lfe and all that entails, but the focus is very much on the relationships and growing into yourself rather than battles and a huge plot point. Definitely worth a read and

Annabeth Albert never disappoints.

A forced proximity romance with a bit of a twist.

Recent divorcée and newly single parent to two little girls, the last thing Felix Sigurd expects to find at his family cabin - the one thing he fought to keep in the divorce from his nasty ex - is to find a sexy navy chief Cauler Euler with supposed ownership papers.

Albert gives us snowed in shenanigans, pancake breakfasts with fully fledged out (and adorable) kid characters, and a romance that puts a lot of focus on communication and trust.

I love seeing this shift in romance books, this felt like a real relationship with real conversations about sex.

Excited for more in this series.

There were parts that I really liked & then parts I didn't care for, at all. So we start off with Felix's POS ex-husband at a poker game with Calder & he puts up Felix's family cabin & then loses it. I turns out that he had no right to do so. Calder heads up to the cabin to check it out & spend the weekend when Felix shows up with his 2 nieces that he is raising. I like the characters & Felix's nieces well enough. I didn't like that Calder is like, I am never getting married, I don't want a relationship & I've always been this way. The 360 made my head spin. Felix is like, I'm never getting into another relationship as I have to focus on the girls. If we would have taken out that portion with both of them, I would have really liked the book. If it was just about Felix coming off the bad marriage & is gun shy about another relationship and Calder having never found anyone then I would have really liked it. And Calder's I have to win at everything, was a bit annoying. I really enjoyed watching these two fall in love & the easy way that Calder interacted & won over the girls. I didn't read the first book, didn't realize there was a first book when I requested this one, but I will give it a try.

I loved the first book in this series and this one equally felt like a warm hug. It follows Calder who wins a cabin in a poker game, but it terns out the cabin wasn’t his actually available to win and is actually owned by Felix, who is raising his two nieces. The pair bond while snowed in at the cabin and then can’t stay away from each other.

I’ve been really enjoying low stakes, low angst MM romances recently and this one perfectly fits that description. I remembered Calder from the first book so I was very happy to find that this was book. I loved seeing fall in love with Felix and both girls. Felix was absolutely wonderful and really is a dream guy. I loved that this was a true romance with Calder and Felix together on almost every single page of the book. While each had their own stories and voice, the driving force of this book was their relationship which was exactly what I was craving.
Thank you to Harlequin, Carina Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

The second in a M/M military romance series, this entry has Navy Chief Calder thinking he won a mountain cabin in a poker game only to find it is actually owned by Felix, the ex-husband who is raising his two nieces. The situation becomes clear when they all end up at the cabin for a snowed-in weekend. At first Calder is eager to leave his desk job and return to submarine duty, but the connection between himself and Felix is too strong to overlook and the two find themselves exploring where the relationship might lead. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this series!

Rep: bi MC, gay MC, single dad

This book could have easily gotten a 5 star rating, but it somehow felt like two different books in one.

Calder is a navy chief and loves a good game of cards, especially when he is winning.
His biggest win so far is a cabin in the mountains outside of Seattle. But when he goes there to check it out, it’s already occupied by Felix and his two nieces he is raising.
Felix just got divorced and his ex-husband does everything he can to annoy him. Like gambling away the keys to his families vacation cabin to a total stranger.

I love forced proximity!!!
I totally expected for this story to take place in the cabin the whole time. It did not!
These two guys are snowed in for a weekend with the kids only, but in these few days everything develops rather quickly. They like each other and are very attracted to each other. You can imagine what happens…
The thing is, Calder is kinda written like an aspec character (not canon!), he is not too interested in sex and only really enjoys sex when he trusts someone. So, he knows Felix for a few hours and of course it’s the best sex he ever had.
For me this didn’t work at all. It felt like instalove but replaced with instatrust.

BUT!!!
After this weekend they meet again in the city and have dinner AND everything slowed down a lot, they took their time getting to know each other, went on dates, had long phone calls every night. They talked a lot!
I loved it!!! They were so cute!
Felix recently getting a divorce and taking in his nieces has a lot of trust and abandonment issues.
Calder never had a serious relationship before, he doesn’t have a lot of experience with kids. He recently got a concussion and is forced on shore duty, which he isn’t too happy about.
They both have their little packages.
They learn to trust each other over several weeks. They take care of each other when the other needs it. It was perfect.
One of my favourite things in this were the sex scenes! Calder is this huge muscular guy and only ever had kind of meaningless hookups when on shore. With his statue certain things were expected from him.
But he loves cuddling and going slowly and has a hard time getting off with other people.
He and Felix talk a lot before and during sex, there is a lot of communication and consent about what both of them like. It’s understood that sex and coming isn’t the end goal to their time together in bed. I really loved this and marked a lot of quotes!
This book is also very much drama free, there is no miscommunication or unnecessary drama for plot effects.
Without the beginning this would have been a perfect romance for me. I highly enjoyed it and loved this even more than the first book!