-Christopher Rice, New York Times Bestselling author of A DENSITY OF SOULS and the Burning Girl Series
ROUGH TERRAIN by Annabeth Albert
Series: Out of Uniform, #7 *Final book in the series*
Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)
Release Date (Print & Ebook):
eBook: Monday January 14, 2019
Print (mmp): Tuesday January 29, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook):
384 Pages
Subgenre:
Contemporary Romance, Male/Male Romance, Military Romance
Warnings (if any):
No content warnings needed. Hot fake relationship shenanigans dominate along with being trapped outdoors, but HEA for everything. No addictions/bdsm/deaths etc.
Links:
- Harlequin (audio): https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335983732_rough-terrain.html
Synopsis:
The camping trip from hell may be the first stop on the road to happily-ever-after in Rough Terrain, the final book in Annabeth Albert’s critically acclaimed, fan-favorite Out of Uniform series.
Navy SEAL Renzo Bianchi has a soft spot for Canaan Finley, and not only because the man makes a mean smoothie. He’s the first guy to get Renzo’s motor revving in a long time. But when he agrees to Canaan’s insane charade—one all-access fake boyfriend, coming right up—he never expects more than a fling.
Creating a hot Italian SEAL boyfriend to save face seemed like a good idea…until his friends called Canaan’s bluff. Now he’s setting off into the woods with the very man who inspired his deception, and Canaan is not the outdoorsy type. The sparks are already flying when a flash flood separates them from their group, leaving Renzo and Canaan very much trapped…very much alone in the wilderness.
Working together to come up with a plan for survival is sexier than either of them expects. But back in the real world, being a couple is bringing its own set of hazards…
Blog Tour Exclusives:
Excerpt:
And as he watched him sleep, it hit Canaan that while he was on this weird adrenaline high, Renzo did this every day. Every day for days on end he confronted danger, high risks, threat of death, and he had a whole team of people counting on him the entire time too. While Canaan had been busy freaking out, he’d worried a lot about himself, about Grandpa, about what he’d miss out on. And he’d worried some about what he and Renzo could have had, especially when Renzo had been threatening to go out on his own.But Renzo had neither freaked out nor focused on himself—the whole time, he’d been worried about Canaan. Keeping him warm. Making the alarms to drink and eat. Making sure Canaan had first choice of food. Coming up with plans to keep them safe and ensure the rescuers spotted them. Damn. It was humbling to think of all Renzo had done for him. And now Renzo was exhausted. Spent. Energy reserves clearly gone.
And yet, he would do something like this again, soon probably. With better equipment and better teammates, but he’d face danger again, head on. Because that was what he did. Who he was. His moral fabric was made of camo—tough as ripstop, unwavering and unyielding. Maybe Renzo had joined up because of his brother originally, but he hadn’t been lying about finding himself on the teams. And who he’d found there was possibly the best man Canaan had ever met. His throat ached just looking at Renzo, hands tightly clenching to stop from touching him.
“I’m going to take better care of you,” he whispered softly. “You took care of me, so maybe it’s time someone took care of you like you deserve. How about me?”
Renzo, of course, slumbered on, but something inside Canaan shifted. Changed. Accepted this new reality in front of him where this sleeping giant was suddenly the most important person in Canaan’s life.
I'm not a huge fan of the Fake Relationship trope but I don't shy away from it either, I will say that I am glad the "Fake" part didn't last to long and both men realized what they had was something worth exploring. We've met both Rooster and Canaan in previous books but don't worry if you haven't read them yet this book can be read as a standalone. I will say that once you meet the men that make up the Out Of Uniform series though you will want to read each and every story!
Rooster (Renzo has some hangups about sex and rightfully so, I won't tell you what they are you'll have to read the book to find out, but Canaan is just the person to help him out with any issues he may have. But not only is Canaan good for Renzo but Renzo is good for Canaan as well. I really enjoyed how these two men were compatible there was just enough differences to keep things interesting but they weren't total opposites.
This book is easy to recommend, heck the entire series is. I honestly don't think any of them rated less than four stars for me. I am so sad that this is the last book in the series but I am looking forward to Annabeth's new series, Frozen Hearts. I hope you start at the beginning and work your way through the series because each of these men were great and it's always nice to see how things play out for the couples in future books. Happy Reading!!!
Nadine Bookaholic: What did you edit OUT of this book?
Annabeth Albert: I love this question because ROUGH TERRAIN is the longest book in the series. You’d think at well over 90,000 words that nothing got left on the cutting room floor so to speak. But you’d be wrong. I actually condensed or omitted a couple of scenes for flow including two love scenes that felt repetitive. I hate cutting words, but sometimes it really is for the good of the story!
Nadine Bookaholic: Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Annabeth Albert: Next up from me are two things, one is a Valentine’s novella set in my Rainbow Cove universe, which was a lot of fun to write, and then in April, my Frozen Hearts series launches with ARCTIC SUN. This series is set in Alaska and is full of adventure. I can’t wait for readers to meet my book one heroes—they’re super special to me!
Nadine Bookaholic: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Annabeth Albert: Can I be honest? I loved how easily this one came. I wrote most of it in a month with more words per day than I usually manage. It was a pure joy to come to work each day on this book, and when it was all done, I was super sad, because I love these heroes so much.
Nadine Bookaholic: How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
Annabeth Albert: I knew that I wanted to write a “fake boyfriend” trope book with my own special twist on it. I also wanted to do a book for Rooster, who we met in TIGHT QUARTERS, and Canaan from ON POINT. Rooster seemed perfect for Canaan, and both seemed great fits for my “camping trip gone wrong” plot bunny. As the story evolved, it became a lot more than just a “fake boyfriend” book, and I really enjoyed the journey it took me on beyond that initial impulse.
Nadine Bookaholic: How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?
Annabeth Albert: There’s a little of me in every book. In this case, I was able to draw on past experiences camping and exploring the Grand Canyon region. Also, like Canaan, I do enjoy “eye candy” and would enjoy a fitness social media presence like Renzo’s a lot ;) And I almost always get a little bit of me in the food choices in a book—in this case Renzo’s new favorite smoothie is one I enjoy and I had a great deal of fun searching out things for them to try!
I would like to thank Annabeth Albert for taking the time to do this interview with me, I really appreciate it. I am sad that the Out of Uniform series has come to an end but I am definitely looking forward to Annabeth's upcoming series, Frozen Hearts.
Giveaway information:
Prizes: 2) e-copies of any back catalog Out of Uniform series book. Open Internationally.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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