Conrad is in it to win it.  He and a few other gamers are given the chance to get to a convention full of players who enjoy the same game.  His reasons for wanting to win are his own.  The attraction he suddenty feels for another gamer shocks him.  Will he be brave and share some of himself?

Alden has always been the one not good enough.  Finally he has a chance to prove he is good at something.  Something for himself.  He puts it all out there for someone who only gives him glimpses of himself.  He too, has his reasons to want to win.  Can they compromise somehow?

These characters were brilliant in their own right.  Both bringing so much to the story it almost blinded me.  I loved the friendships gained, and the journey itself.  Each of the students seemed to have so much to them.  I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.  I give this a 3/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This early copy was given by Netgalley and its publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Jacob has been in love with Lincoln for a while.  They have had to live apart, since Lincoln would not give them a chance and hurt his best friend.  Jacob being his best friends little brother put a kink in the works.

Lincoln is not sure what to do when Jacob not only comes back to town, but works with him as a smoke jumper as well.  He has paid his dues.  The only issue now is can Lincoln let Jacob run in danger and not blow his cover?  His feelings have been hidden and now they may come to light.

This story was so HOT!  I mean that in both the figurative & literal ways.  I loved that this was a second chance story.  The job is dangerous, but so is loving someone forbidden.  These characters made losing sleep worth my while, as I could not put this one down until I finished the whole thing.  Lots of sparks a flyin'!  I give this read a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This ARC copy was given by Netgalley & its publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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Arctic Heat sounds like my kind of read, at least on the surface. In reality, the story was much too slow for me. I felt like it was unnecessarily drawn out with a lot of focus on the mundane, day to day stuff. The rescues and various maintenance tasks were interesting, but I would've much rather read about the Alaskan countryside than how many times these guys made coffee. Suffice it to say that I was bored for a lot of this one.
As far as the romance goes, it was as slow-moving as the story. I can get behind a good slow burn, but this was pushing it. I get that Quill was resistant, but it grew repetitive, and by forty percent in, I really didn't care all that much if he did give in. I think part of that comes from Owen being so pushy. Quill may not have actually said the word no, but it was implied a lot. Of course, Quill comes around, or there wouldn't have been much of a romance, but I had a hard time liking Owen.
The big problem to overcome came from where I expected, and I'm not a fan of the big changing moment used here either. Both have been done and done again. Given the length of the book, I would think a little more time could've been spent on a more original problem and on an ending that didn't feel so rushed. It felt like it took forever to get there only to be pushed through to the end.
This third in the Frozen Hearts series also gave me a few problems structurally. We get both Owen and Quill's points of view in a chapter, but there was no designation to let the reader know that, and I really didn't notice a big difference in either voice. Both of those things led to confusion about who was doing what and when. I'm an adult, I can figure it out as I read, but more than once, I'd be part way through and realize the point of view had changed.
I realize that my opinion is probably not the popular one, it rarely is, but I just found this one much too easy to set aside and even harder to pick back up.

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Owen Han has a new lease on life after surviving cancer. He’s making his way through his bucket list, determined to live his life for himself while he discovers what he really wants. His latest stop is volunteering alongside park rangers for the winter in Alaska. The gorgeous vistas are nothing to sneeze at, but the real beauty is his partner: stoic Ranger Quill Ramsey. Owen would never want to be in a relationship with someone buried as deeply in the closet as Quill, but sharing a little body heat never hurt anyone, right?

Annabeth Albert proves that the warmest of personalities can win over even the most guarded of hearts in Arctic Heat. Ms. Albert’s third entry in the Frozen Hearts series is a slow burn romance that will melt your heart by the end.

Owen has a sunny personality and a determination to win people over that made me smile. He’s the opposite of Quill, a quiet, authoritative ranger who struggles with his attraction to Owen. Quill has had a host of negative life experiences that have impacted him and it’s easy to understand why he struggles to keep his relationship with Owen professional even while the sizzling attraction keeps drawing them together. I liked Quill a lot; his shyness, loneliness, and vulnerability called out to me and I was looking forward to seeing him find joy, companionship, and love with Owen. I liked that Owen was bold and sexy and brought Quill out of his shell, though at times Owen seemed to lack patience and empathy. It’s understandable in a way because his life prior to their meeting was vastly different from Quill’s. Neither man is perfect, but their flaws make them interesting. Their romance is slow burn, which is both good and bad. On the one hand it felt like they really got to know one another, on the other the book did move at a glacial pace for the first half of the story.

The life of an Alaskan park ranger is as important to the story as the romance and the research Ms. Albert did really shows. Quill and Owen’s duties, the beauty they see, and the dangers they face are fascinating. All in all, I enjoyed Arctic Heat. I struggled with the slow pace in the beginning, but Owen and Quill’s happily ever after at the end felt earned.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.