The Heat is On

Another strong romance from reliable author Annabeth Albert. She sets up an intriguing pairing between a SEAL and a journalist embedded with the team. It's not quite an enemies-to-lovers romance, but Bacon and Spenser certainly have different goals at the outset. I'm not 100% sure that Albert addressed all of the issues keeping them apart -Spenser briefly accuses the Navy of not caring enough for its veterans, which deeply offends Bacon, and although Spenser ultimately agrees not to write the story, he doesn't change his viewpoint- but she does manage to support both the importance of the press and the military. Series readers aren't looking for political statements, though, and they will be happy with the trademark Albert action, sexytimes, lots of talking in-between sexytimes, humor, male bonding, glimpses of happily paired off couples from previous books, and promising characters for the next installment. Bacon (part of the fun is finding out his real name) is a great MC, a pansexual SEAL sharpshooter with a semi-tragic backstory and a goth-emo childhood. Spenser is a little harder to warm up to - he's a tad pretentious and self-righteous, but he does an admirable grovel and he does take good care of Bacon when he needs it.

I wish Albert would write more books in her Gaymers or Portland Heat series, (her MCs are much more my romance catnip) but I guess military romances sell better, so I can't begrudge her success.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.