Self-Isolation Read - Arctic Heat

• Title And Author: Arctic Heat by Annabeth Albert
• Publisher: Carina Press
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction
• Length: 368 Pages

ARGH! My NetGalley TBR has gotten SUPER out of hand! At the time of writing this, it’s over 100 and I know that a handful of them might not be my reading tastes now as they were requested several years back and if you have been on this reading/blogging journey with me the past few years, you would have seen my tastes change and me reading a few more genres more than others now compared to when I started. 

But I do have a set spot for romance of late. Sometimes, when the world becomes dark, you need a little sweetness, and romance seems to be my go to the past few weeks since lockdown/self-isolation. Plus, the past few weeks, I have felt on the verge of a reading slump so I hoped that this would save me up to a point. A gay romance set in the snowy mountains of Alaska? What more could I ask for?

Owen Han has a new leash of life. Surviving cancer and going through his bucket list, volunteering alongside park rangers and fulfilling his childhood dreams of snowy winters and rustic life. Shy ranger Quill doesn’t want to deal with newbie volunteers. And flirty Owen looks like he wouldn’t survive a week, let alone the winter. But as the two spend time together, their work relationship turns romantic, but can their relationship survive the harsh winter?

In theory, this should have worked for me. A winter romance with an opposite attracts troupe with a slow burn. This should have worked. But it didn’t. It just felt fine. Just fine. 

There’s nothing wrong here. The writing was good, the characters were good, the slow burn was good, everything in theory was good. But, for one reason or another, it didn’t feel good together. There was something off about this novel. Something cold, which doesn’t fit with the previous novels I’ve read from this author. I have enjoyed the few I have (most from Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series), so to read this and feel meh about it is a bit disappointing. 

Maybe this is a fluke read. Not every author can write wonderful books all the time. There are going to be some books you just don’t click with. And I have one more book from this author on my kindle from her newest series. So, going to class this as a blip, but my next read from Annabeth Albert, High Heat, has a lot riding on it…