L.A. Witt’s Anchor Point series has been a bit hit and miss for me and that is really unusual for me and this author. Honestly, I love that this is set in a small town that is basically supported by the Navy base there, I love the incredibly flawed characters who are at different points in their lives, and I love that their journey to a happily ever after isn’t easy, but worth it. However, in Chief’s Mess I had a very hard time liking either character mainly because I didn’t feel like I really got to know them and while I always appreciate a good sex scene, I felt that for the majority of this book that was all there was between the two main characters. Granted this was a couple dealing with a long distance relationship, so the time they spent together, they were making up for lost time, and while it was stated they had long conversations, we weren’t privy to them so it seemed like they jumped to the “I love you” stage without really knowing one another. While there was no denying the absolute attraction between them and the growing affection, I wanted to see them fall in love, not just f*cking their way through every argument, ever uncomfortable confrontation, and every minute they were together.

While in Anchor Point to give his sister support while she sees her ex-husband, who tanked their marriage with alcohol and violent rages, and his new boyfriend, Anthony Talbot heads out to a bar and meets Chief Noah Jackson whom he picks up for what he believe will be a night of sexy fun. One night turns into several and soon they are spending lots of time flying between Portland and Denver to see one another.

Anthony suspects Noah is more than a casual drinker and there are a few confrontations, but Noah is good at hiding it and since they only see one another every other weekend, it makes it easy. Honestly there is very little plot to this book other than their weekends together, their hot sessions over Skype when apart, Noah spiraling out of control, and Anthony burying his head in the sand a good portion of this book pretending that what he thinks he sees going on with Noah really isn’t happening.

Some of the best moments in this book were between Anthony and his ex-brother in law whom he not only leans on once he figures out Noah’s an alcoholic, but grows to respect when he realizes he judged him unfairly without understanding everything that was going on with him. This is where the real growth took place and I was disappointed that we really didn’t see that between the main characters.

Although this book was completely sexy, it was lacking in plot and character development making is somewhat of a disappointment to me.

Standard LA. Lots of sex, some angsty separation. Read the whole thing but the series is not making me weak at the knees to read more. .

Book three takes on the I-can-have-a-few-and-be-okay, Chief Noah. Noah was someone described as a skilled alcoholic and he most certainly was. He was what I called a functioning alcoholic, and that is putting it mildly. The other main character was the sexy copper haired Anthony, an engineer living in Denver, who had come to Anchor Point to hold his sister's hand as she reintroduced her children to Clint from book two, Afraid to Fly. Anthony was a b!tch at first, but you could understand where he was coming from.
The chemistry between these two...OH. MY. GAWD! Palpable. I refused to move from in front of my fan, and it wasn't even due to the outside heat. L.A. Witt knows erotica and she infused more heat into this book than anything. She also tackled what many people may be up in arms about. Long distance romance, never an easy thing. And the biggy, alcoholism. There was no way the latter was not a huge part of this book and it was handle with realism and scary good. I applaude Ms. Witt for Noah's take on everything, from denial to actually being so cocky that he had survived not being caught. And I twisted my hands when Anthony, who had already been through it before, tried to erase what was right before his eyes until it was too late.
For me, this was the best in the series so far. Take out the sex, and reality made it feel like an everyday situation. I connected from the first sentence and could not wait to see what was in store for these men. Today was all about Anthony and Noah and their path to find happiness, whether it was together or apart.

Not just a great love story, but also a look at how addicts can easily hide their addiction until it's too late. I never thought I would be interested in military stories, but L.A. Witt has proved me wrong!

The two things I liked:

THE SLOW BURN - while these guys are instantly attracted to each other, they spend a good number of weeks/months getting to know each other. They fall for each other slowly, becoming friends when they didn't expect it at first. So good.

HOT SEX - seriously... it's hot. That instant attraction? It's palpable. They tear up the sheets and have a great time doing it. The sex is hot because of the communication they've got going on with each other during. They just fit so perfectly.

So what did I have a hard time with? I honestly had a hard time with the level of denial Noah is in. It's terrible and actually very real for so many people. The alcoholism in this book is depicted in a unique way, and it's so very realistic. It's done almost too well for me, and I had a hard time with it because it just made me so sad and angry. For Anthony AND Noah.

I liked this a lot. Even through the difficult parts, it was great.

Chief’s Mess by author L.A. Witt is the third book in the Anchor Point series. I would not necessarily say you have to read these books in order. They are pretty good at being standalone stories. You might just want to read the others for nuances that help the story out. Nothing big or anything. I have read the books in order and I will say I think this is the weakest in the series thus far. Now does that mean I hated the book, nope didn’t hate it. It was okay. Has a good story arc, and the characters were okay. I just didn’t feel the spark the other books had in this story.
Anthony is visiting his sister’s ex. He goes to a gay bar where he meets Noah. He only has a week at Anchor Point. But the chemistry with Noah keeps him coming back for more. Making it hard for him to leave.
Noah is used to hookups. Never in it for the long haul. Then he meets Anthony. He found the only guy he cannot let go of, but in order to keep him he has to learn to let go.
Over all really good chemistry, and good story arc. Can be read as a standalone. I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series. I am loving Anchor Point and all who live there.

Five Shooting Stars

I have so enjoyed this series so far and Chief's Mess was fantastic. It had key ingredients to keep me hooked. Anthony who is open to love but at the same time leery of it. Then there is Noah. He has some serious issues but like a lot of people with addictions he was able to hide it. I really loved his character. He was so lost and I am such a softy. Anthony abhors alcoholics so how will the Chief keep himself out of a mess?

This book captured me with its play on reality, even if it did soften it up so we wouldn't hate the characters. I just loved this story line. My favorite books are with two strong men, and Anthony and Noah are definitely that. I don't like pushover partners whether they are male/male or male/female. Anthony stands up for what he believes in and for his family. Noah is strong as well, but he lets his addiction rule him. It shows his weakness. The writing in this book is of course fantastic and I definitely recommend it to any who love a great romance with some hard times ahead before smooth sailing.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/M Military Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Anthony is trying to be a good sibling. He's accompanied his sister and his niece and nephew to visit his ex-brother in law. While his sister had been married to Clint, he had become an alcoholic and violent towards his family. So, Anthony is there, being supportive and non-judgmental. However, after a few days, he needs a break from the family, especially since he has to face his once brother-in-law. He decides to take a night for himself and visit the local bar. What he doesn't expect is to see Noah at the bar – a gorgeous specimen of a man.

Noah is used to hook-ups. He's not in it for the relationship. While he has a best friend, Will, who does do relationships, Noah is more akin to a love them and leave them guy. However, when he meets Anthony, he's instantly drawn and attracted. Noah doesn't really know how to handle his feelings and rather than dissect them too much, he just lets them be.

Anthony and Noah have great chemistry at the beginning and they are very complementary. However, as the book goes on, we are dealing more with their long-distance relationship and broken promises by Noah. Anthony sees that something is wrong, but can't quite put his finger on it. When it all comes to light, Anthony has to decide whether or not he can stand by Noah – broken promises are all over this story and it becomes somewhat redundant, but overall, they both have to decide if it's worth it. Long distance is hard to overcome and despite their wanting the relationship to work, sometimes the desire to have a relationship isn't enough to hold one together.

I am glad that I read this book and can't wait to see what happens next.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoy this series and I enjoyed this book, it was packed with a lot of hot sex!!! There was instant chemistry between Anthony and Noah. When Anthony kept complaining about his ex-brother-in-law I wanted to reach through and punch him. What Clint did was wrong, but he paid a heavy price in the end and is trying his hardest. Anthony kept on about it and it got old fast. Then Anthony meets Noah and sparks are flying. There is a lot of sex in this book, I mean a lot. At times, there wasn't much else. What I didn't like about the book was how long it took for Noah to realize he had a problem and then how fast Anthony said "okay." Everything just felt rushed at the end and was all neatly wrapped up with a bow. I liked Anthony's sense of humor and bluntness, I just wish we saw more of it and more of him and Noah bonding outside of the bedroom.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
Alcoholics do not make great leading men. I can warm to a recovering alcoholic and I can care for someone who is rebuilding his life. However, in this story, we are asked to care for Noah who is a full blown (in denial and harming himself and everyone around him) alcoholic. The story didn’t always work for me because I just wanted Anthony to get away from Noah.

I liked Anthony initially but when he started to notice Noah’s drinking and continued with the relationship, I found it difficult to respect him. Or maybe I started to pity him – which is probably worse. Anthony’s relationship with his sister is sweet and I liked the way he rebuilt his relationship with his former brother-in-law, Clint, who we know from the last book.

If Anthony and Noah had been an established couple trying to work through Noah’s drinking, I think I could have engaged more with the story. But this is a hook-up to a happily ever after story and the long-distance romance builds the relationship through a series of hook-ups in alternating cities. The guys have tons of sex but I didn’t understand how Anthony became emotionally invested enough to put up with Noah’s shit.

I think I was most frustrated by the end of this story. The quick patch happily ever after is too quick and too easy and not entirely fair to anyone who has ever had a relationship with an alcoholic – recovering or not.

The military scenes in this story are great. As always, I love the way L.A. Witt writes her servicemen and women and the way she captures the complexity of their lives. L.A. Witt’s writing is as strong as ever here and her characters are well developed. I’ve been quite negative in this review and I know other readers might have very different responses to the story so, as always, I would advise readers to download a sample and decide for themselves.


Erica – ☆☆☆
If you're an L.A. Witt fan, then you've come to expect oodles of sex-filled pages, angsty relationships, and a happily ever after, and Chief's Mess delivers all that. It's sex-centric, not truly delving into military life.

Chief's Mess is the third installment in the Anchor Point series, and can easily be read as a standalone.

Anthony is sensitive to alcoholism. He's stood by his sister's side as she was abused by an alcoholic and eventually divorced him. Years later, with the brother-in-law in recovery, Anthony makes sure his brother-in-law is safe to be around his niece and nephew.

Visiting Anchor Point (the brother-in-law is in the military), Anthony meets Noah, and a one-night-stand turns into a long-distance relationship.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story. The progression of alcoholism was realistically portrayed, with the hiding and lying, mostly to oneself, but the recovery was too quick and just written away in the epilogue.

Reader tastes are vastly different and subjective. If you read like me, the following may be a no-go for you. If you don't, then Chief's Mess may be your next 5-star read.

A trigger and a few pet-peeves of mine were on the pages.

Trigger: I couldn't like Noah. As a survivor of domestic violence, by an abusive alcoholic, clearly this was a painful read for me. Especially the lying, disappointment, and most importantly, the guilt of walking away as your partner commits slow suicide. But, to stay means your life and self-respect draining away with every drop after drop of alcohol.

Pet-peeves: As a reader, who needs more than sex, I found myself easily bored and skimming redundant sex scenes. If they've already engaging in A, B, and C, reading A, B, and C several times over instead of D, E, and F, it becomes tedious. When a book starts with sex and continues on that path, there is no build-up, no tension, no lust. Neither the characters, nor the reader, gets to connect. If you plunk a hot scene in front of me, when I don't know the characters, idgaf. If I know them, are fighting for them, the payoff is ten times greater. Instant-gratification and insta-lust/love/relationship is not my thing. I need more, even in erotica.

To be brutally honest, Noah and Anthony spend 90% of the book flying back and forth and having sex, all scenes pretty much identical to the previous. That isn't an overstatement – it's fact.

While I'd never reread, I'm glad I read the novel and am looking forward to more in this series and by this author in the future.

So what I got out of Chief's Mess is sex. Sex. Sex. And drinking. There's not much else. And that's ok, but only because the sex is seriously steamy hot. Chief's Mess is not what I'd call deep literature. I wanted it to be, though. And I thought it would be from the blurb. I thought it would be a serious look at addiction. But the addiction part isn't addressed, or realized by Anthony, until nearly the very end. Why? Because they were too busy having hot sex for Anthony to realize that Noah had a serious problem.

And the conclusion, the moment when it all changes? Dealt with in a neat, wrapped up quickly kind of way. Which is not very realistic. As someone who has lots of alcoholism in my family tree, I know that addiction and dealing with sobering up is not neat or pretty or easily dealt with. So I don't appreciate that LA Witt wrapped it up so prettily and neatly.

I do, however, appreciate the hot sex in this book, cuz honestly that's about all that it has going for it, unfortunately.

Anthony Talbot is in Anchor Point to visit family, but after two days of strife, he needs a break. A local gay bar is calling his name.

When Chief Noah Jackson sees that red head stroll into the club, he immediately wants him. They’re perfectly matched, and before long, they’re burning up the sheets. Noah can’t get enough. Anthony can’t stay in Oregon for long, but as soon as he leaves, he’s counting down the days until he can fly back for more. And between his increasingly frequent visits, there’s always phone sex, sexting, webcams . . . anything they can get.

But Noah’s got a carefully crafted façade, and Anthony can’t help noticing the slowly forming cracks. The scent of alcohol in the middle of the day. The extra drinks at dinner. The hint of red in his eyes. Anthony knows what it means. He doesn’t want to believe it, but he’s seen this before, and there’s no denying it. If Noah doesn’t get his downward spiral under control, he’s going to lose both his career and the first man he’s ever really loved.

Source: Advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

When the story starts, you think Anthony is going to be the one to bring the angst, but once he gets over his anger at Clint (yes! You get to visit with Clint and Travis from Afraid to Fly!), it's Noah and his addiction that makes you feel all the feelings - the whole emotional spectrum.

L.A. Witt writes amazing stories of addicts and recovery. They are often difficult to read, but amazing stories. In Afraid to Fly, Witt dealt with Clint's recovery as an alcoholic, in Chief's Mess, she writes Noah's life as a functioning alcoholic and his path to acknowledging his problem and seeking help. Despite Anthony's problems with Clint, he goes to Clint for help and advice on how to help Noah. It's touch and go for a while, but I promise, you will be smiling by the end of the book.

Don't worry, you only have to wait until September for Book 4, Rank & File!

I feel like this book should come with an “excessive sex” disclaimer. Honest, I’m not complaining, because the heat between Noah and Anthony was worth it, but at times it seemed like that was the only thing they had in common. Aside from that one minor issue – which wasn’t really an issue at all – I really liked Noah and Anthony.

Anthony had no intention of starting a relationship. He was just trying to find an escape from the drama revolving around his sister and ex brother-in -law – even though there was a lot less drama than he expected. He had a harder time letting go of what his sister’s ex put her through than she did, but as close as he was to his sister, he was on the outside looking in. Regardless how things were now, he had his reasons for being ultra sensitive when he started picking up signs from Noah that were heavy reminders.

Noah wasn’t exactly blind to his problem. He did things that scared even him, but he talked himself down and made promises to himself that he deep down knew he couldn’t keep. It took almost loosing something that he didn’t even know he wanted to shake some sense into him.

An added bonus to Chief’s Mess was spending some time with Travis and Clint from Afraid to Fly. It was kind of hard to see Clint from Anthony’s perspective, but it was worth it to see thing turn around for all of them.

This story details the long-distance relationship between Joseph and Noah, their struggles and issues, as they eventually reach their HEA. I really enjoy L.A.Witt’s writing style, her characters have depth and amazing chemistry.

I enjoy the Anchor Pointe series. LA Witt has managed to fill the books with the flavor of Navy life. I love the way the language is used, with no apology or description. After all, if you’re in the Navy, you wouldn’t need to describe to someone who is also in what those words were.

In Chief’s Mess, the 3rd book in the series, we have Noah, who is hanging on until he can retire at 20 years. We also have Anthony, who isn’t military at all. He’s come to Anchor Pointe to glare at his ex-brother-in-law (if you’ve read book 2, you’ll know why). Needing to get away from him, he goes to a local gay bar – the High and Tight – and meets up with Noah.

No big surprise, they quickly end up in bed.

It felt like 90% of the book they were either in bed, sexting, or camming about sex. It got old fast, as though the same sex scene kept being thrust into my face, with very little change. And what felt like promised sex never came through. They kept saying they liked it rough, but it never was. They mentioned bruises and welts, but the only thing they ever did was bite.

It’s difficult because I liked both Noah and Anthony, but I really wish Witt had made their relationship more than about the sex it was. Toward the end of the book, they both had thoughts about how their relationship had always been more than sex, but we rarely ‘saw’ that. We were just told they remembered before the “I love you”s came.

That Noah has a problem is obvious, but his sudden forgetfulness that brought the book’s drama to its apex felt wrong. The Noah we had gotten to know up until that moment, would NOT have gone drinking with Anthony coming to visit. And since we never saw him go from drinking to forgetting, it came across flat. I felt like we were missing something.

Even with that, I once again enjoyed another Anchor Pointe. It’s like diving into a new world, which is one of my favorite things about well-done SciFi. Different language, different customs, and a whole different way of looking at things.

I’m looking forward to the next book, which I’m hoping will be about Will.

Anthony and Noah hit it off instantly when they first meet. Their sexual chemistry is scorching hot. They have a long distance relationship and it works for them. You can see how their relationship grow and how they develop real feelings for each other and fall in love. Chief's Mess was a good read and easily read as a stand alone

My rating for this book changed a lot as I read it. There were times I enjoyed it and times I didn’t. Overall, it was a bit of a mess, disjointed, and L.A. Witt seemed to use sex as filler when it definitely wasn’t needed.

No doubt Witt writes super-hot manly loving, and the first few times Noah and Anthony had sex, I was enthralled. I appreciate the fact that these guys hook up right away, which is realistic though not always what readers like. For lots of gay men, it’s sex first, emotions later.

Noah and Anthony’s relationship is a slow build, mainly because they lived in separate states and had to commit to a long distance relationship. However, for the first two thirds of the books, there is very little conflict, just a lot of sex. A LOT. So much that I started skimming. Not a good thing.

When the conflict finally kicked in, I thought it was coming out of nowhere because I either hadn’t read the blurb, or had forgotten about it. I didn’t know part of the story involved Noah being an alcoholic, so when the issue came up, it was a surprise. However, as it continued I could see the signs Witt had peppered throughout the earlier parts of the book. It was because of those littles things that I increased the rating to three stars.

Chief’s Mess was not a great read, but not a terrible one either. Fans of the author will probably enjoy it, but I wouldn’t recommend it for new readers.

I've been a fan of the Anchor Point series since book one. Okay, so if I'm being honest, I love just about anything LA Witt writes, and I love her ability to tell military stories. I'll fully admit, I went into Chief's Mess with high expectations. Unfortunately, this one fell a bit short.

From the very first chapter, I wasn't sure I was going to like Anthony. Yes, I understand why he wasn't his ex-brother-in-law's BFF, but he was just a bit too much of a prick for my liking. He did redeem himself a bit, but never quite enough for my liking. He has issues with Noah's drinking because of what he watched his sister go through in her marriage, but it felt forced. While later in the book there were incidents that'd be red flags to anyone, there were also times when he was creating an issue where there wouldn't have been on. As an example, at one point, they're on Skype and Noah has a drink in his hand. ONE drink. After work. In the evening. That, to most people, wouldn't be a red flag. And if he had an issue with alcohol in any circumstances, his reaction would've been warranted, but he didn't. He only seems to have issues with people he's dating drinking.

Noah could've been an amazing, broken character. Sadly, other than his drinking, there was very little character development. We never learned why he lost himself in the bottle, never had a reason to cheer for him to get better, other than to hold onto some hot sex.

The story wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing, either. It was a lot of sex, which for once didn't annoy me because that fit the story, but not a lot of plot. I'm not sure what they built their relationship on beyond the chemistry in bed.

3.5 pieces of eye candy

Would love to read something by this author again! The story was well thought out and the characters were very likable!

yum yum yum.. this was yummy.. it had some heart wrenching parts.. it had some happy and omg sexy parts.. it had sadness.. anger.. and trying to work through ptsd.. it also had love.. and happiness and everything right in the world.. i am glad i got to review it

Reviews shared on Amazon, B & N Goodreads and V's Reads: http://wp.me/p3AKEA-2fC

This is the second book in a series and is likely BEST enjoyed after reading AFRAID TO FLY (book 2), but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Anthony only came to Anchor Point as moral support to his sister, who's ex-husband wants to spend time with their children. Travis (from AtF) has been sober for three years, and is rebuilding his life with his new partner, Clint, but Anthony doesn't trust Travis as far as her could toss him. Still, if Anthony's sister is happy, then Anthony will accept her judgment. Even if he's sure that Travis is still a lousy drunk...

Frustrated by the tension of the experience, he goes trolling for some prime Navy "seamen" at a bar in the small town. That's where he meets Noah, and it's a hawt time in the bunks. Noah hasn't ever had a long term relationship, though he's nearing forty, and Anthony's captivated by him. Their tryst turns in to a weekend, and then travel between his home in Denver and Anchor Point. Each time Noah and Anthony get together it's better than the last time, but there's a situation developing between them: Noah drinks. Anthony can't fathom how much, because they only spend a few days together every few weeks, but it's starting to creep into their phone calls and video chats.

Noah doesn't believe he has a problem, but it's becoming clearer each day that his heavy drinking affects his work and relationships. Especially when Anthony is (emotionally) hurt bad due to Noah's own (drunken) negligence. The alcoholism issue between Anthony and Noah took a long time to develop, and that felt realistic. Lots of people can be functional alcoholics, especially in isolation. Noah's few friends didn't necessarily see his problems, and they worked with him daily. That said, Anthony reached out for help regarding his own prejudices with alcohol, and it helped bring healing for him, too. I liked how Travis and Clint proved to be great guys and important parts of both Noah and Anthony's story, in the resolution. The story started out with dirty, dirty sexytimes, and I liked how this transitioned into a more tender romance. Anthony and Noah both showed a lot of vulnerability, and that really made them endearing, although Anthony came off as a jerk initially.

I've loved this series from the beginning, and I Look forward to more sexy Navy men, and all their military issues, finding love in the future. I read a review copy provided by NetGalley.