Off Base: A Bestselling Male/Male Military Romance

Annabeth Albert

Jan 2017 · Out of Uniform Book 1 · Sold by Carina Press

About this ebook

“Off Base combines a sexy romance with an emotionally dramatic story and is a great start to the Out of Uniform series.”—All About Romance

After trading the barracks for a fixer-upper rental, navy SEAL Zack Nelson wants peace, not a roommate—especially not Pike, who sees things about Zack he most wants to hide. Pike’s flirting puts virgin Zack on edge. And the questions Pike’s arrival would spark from Zack’s teammates about his own sexuality? Nope. Not going there. But Zack can’t refuse.

Pike Reynolds knows there won’t be a warm welcome in his new home. What can he say? He’s an acquired taste. But he needs this chance to get his life together. Also, teasing the uptight SEAL will be hella fun. Still, Pike has to tread carefully; he’s had his fill of tourists in the past, and he can’t risk his heart on another, not even one as hot, as built—and, okay, yeah, as adorable—as Zack.

Living with Pike crumbles Zack’s restraint and fuels his curiosity. He discovers how well they fit together in bed…in the shower…in the hallway… He needs Pike more than he could have imagined, yet he doesn’t know how to be the man Pike deserves.

Out of Uniform
Book 1: Off Base
Book 2: At Attention
Book 3: On Point
Book 4: Wheels Up
Book 5: Squared Away
Book 6: Tight Quarters
Book 7: Rough Terrain

Also by Annabeth Albert:

Shore Leave
Book 1: Sailor Proof
Book 2: Sink or Swim

Hotshots
Book 1: Burn Zone
Book 2: High Heat
Book 3: Feel the Fire
Book 4: Up in Smoke

Ratings and reviews

I must say I am new to this kind of books. And I am not entirely sure what their aim is, but some of them made me feel very giddy. And I liked that, very much. However this book just didn't do it for me. The Pike character just felt like your average delusional gay: flirting with straight guys, and getting mad about the results—and, of course, it's not his fault, it's someone else's. Or, doing something idiotic, in general, still, taking none of the responsibility. Which, to be fair, represents reality quite well. But since I can find 10 Pikes in 5 mins if I open up Grindr... it's not so magical.

Swoon! Hot SEAL + Hot Teacher = Love Off Base is the perfect start to a new series by Annabeth Albert. Out of Uniform is a spin-off series from #gaymers but each book can easily be read as a standalone. Off Base contains appearances from some of the #gaymers characters, most notably Ryan and Josiah from Connection Error. If you read and loved the #gaymers series you won’t want to miss this one. Zack Nelson is a young Navy SEAL and he’s so deep in the closet he won’t even admit to himself that he’s gay. His fundamentalist parents and a few homophobic teammates make keeping the closet door shut imperative as far as Zack is concerned. Pike Reynolds is friends with a former SEAL friend of Zack and that’s how they meet. Whenever he’s around Zack he’s a big flirt and never fails to make him uncomfortable. When Zack agrees to take Pike as a roommate it’s only because of his home remodeling skills and he plans to keep his distance from as much as possible – but Pike has other ideas and the sparks fly. Oh, my do the sparks fly! Zack might be a virgin but he’s a quick learner and the sexy time is HOT. I haven’t yet read a book by Annabeth Albert that I didn’t love and Off Base didn’t ruin that track record. Her writing sucks me into the story so much that everything around me seems to stop. It’s very irritating when life tries to intrude. Off Base touched my heart; I ached for Zack because he was so afraid to face his true self and what it would mean to his relationship with his fellow SEALs. Trust is everything – it can mean the difference between life and death – and he’s afraid they might no longer have his back if they learn the truth about his sexuality. I was also affected deeply by Pike’s character. He was burned a long time ago by a relationship he thought was more than it turned out to be. He’s also dealt with more than his share of curious guys and while he understands and sympathizes with Zack, he’s not sure he’s up for keeping their relationship a long-term secret. When a crisis puts their relationship in jeopardy Pike is afraid he’ll have to walk away to maintain his own sanity. I’ve been looking forward to this book so much; Annabeth’s been giving her fans on Facebook teasers for more than a couple of months. Now I can’t wait to read the rest of the stories in this series. A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion of the book or my review.

Honestly I liked this book very much but I didn't love it. The only reason was because it was too short. I wanted more detail of their relationship development. With some time jumps it felt like I was missing something crucial. Honestly some parts were cheesy as well but I could deal since it was so damn cute. How the author made the relationship dynamic made me want more of them which I would give props to. It was too damn short but I'm totaling reading the authors second book.

About the author

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a Pacific Northwest romance writer of many critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series. To find out more, check out: www.annabethalbert.com. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content.