Wheels Up is the first book that I have ever read from Annabeth Albert, yet it is the fourth book in the Out of Uniform Series. This series is one that has been on my TBR for awhile, and I am so glad that I made the time to read this book. I really enjoyed it and immediately wanted to read the rest of the books in the series.

Leiutenant Dustin Strauss is no longer the playboy he used to be, settling into his leadership role on the way to more in his career. But he also keeps his private life a secret, preferring for his bisexuality and time spent on the hookup app Joe4Joe to remain his private business. But when his chat buddy pushes for an in person meeting, neither of them expect that they will soon be on the same SEAL team and forbidden to even be friends, let alone more. But as Wes and Dustin continue to grow closer through their chats and in person, neither can fight the attraction between them and the fact that they both want more despite all the reasons they can't be together. Can they figure out a way to be with one another?

I really liked these two. It was obvious right away that they were good together and for one another. Their connection was strong and the chemistry between them smoking hot. Wes and Dustin's relationship was one that couldn't happen for so many reasons, and yet the entire time I was reading I just knew that there had to be a way because they belonged together. Each of them were easy to like and genuinely good guys. I loved their loyalty and the way that they were with those they cared about, especially Wes. His love for his family and sister was impossible not to fall for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more in this series. This cast of characters was great, and I wanted to see how they all wound up where they were here. This is a complete standalone, but the characters are interconnected to the previous books. I think readers will enjoy this sexy and sweet M/M story as much as I did, and I am looking forward to reading more from Annabeth Albert.

Wheels Up is the fourth installment in the Out of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert and while I liked it, I didn't like it as much as the previous three books. The main reason for the might be the fact that I never was into the whole boss and subordinate thing, which this absolutely is. Another thiny reason is that it took a really big part of the book for me to warm up to Dustin. I don't really know why.

Overall I still enjoyed this and will definitely read the next book in the series, if there's another one.

Rating: 4 star

Wheels Up by author Annabeth Albert is the fourth book in the Men Out of Uniform series. I love this series and cannot get enough of it. While I think you could read this book out of order and still get it, I would read them all in order cause they are just that good.
Dustin has been talking to a man online for months. Now he finally is getting to meet him in person. He has been on the military-themed hookup site and he hopes he has met the man of his dreams. He is bi, really ripped, and a Corporal. He also likes to be the sub in a relationship.
Wes insomniac loves 1950 space movies and is an enlisted man. He is dominant, and just a good person. Great at making people be at ease.
Can they be together even though Dustin out ranks Wes? Dustin is not sure, but Wes is very sure. They have somethings to muddle through but can love and the right person win the day?
Great chemistry between these two men. I really see Wes as the dominant, and Dustin as the sub. I think that relationship also bubbles over into everything else they do too. They are meant to be together they just have to see it for themselves.

Five Shooting Stars

The odds were against these two from the start. They had a strong enough connection that after months virtual hook-ups, they decided to meet face to face. By the time that they realized that they had no future without losing everything they had worked for, that connection had grown too strong to ignore.

That blow was even harder for Wes in some ways because the transfer had totally blindsided him. He needed to be close to his family for a lot of reasons. Reasons that Dustin knew and understood, but he had to keep his distance. Wes’ emotions were all over the place and the one person he would normally go to was right there, but out of reach.

The closeness that their positions kept them in didn’t make things easier. Dustin couldn’t talk to anyone about what he was going through either. Not just because the relationship forbidden, but he had kept the fact that he was bisexual away from everyone – even those he was closest to. He had his reasons for the secrecy, maybe not logical reasons, but he had done it for so long he didn’t know how to get past that first hurdle. I think even most readers probably breathed a sigh of relief when he finally talked it out. That didn’t solve the problems between he, Wes and the Navy, but it was definitely a step closer to being true to himself.

There was no easy solution for Wes and Dustin, but they did finally get their well deserved HEA. As with the rest of the books in the Out of Uniform series, the supporting characters were great. I loved Wes’ family and readers already knew most of the characters nearest and dearest to Dustin. It was great checking in with them. Hopefully, we’ll get to know them even better as the series continues. 😉

Great author and series. Albert really makes you feel the characters angst. Dustin is a SEAL and a XO - the boss. Wes is a Petty Officer, but he gives orders in the bedroom. They aren't supposed to be in the same unit, heck - they weren't even supposed to meet. It was just supposed to be an online thing only.

I like Annabetb Albert a great deal and I love this series. I didn't love this book and struggled to finish it.

I adored the opening with Dustin and Wes meeting in San Diego but once that got to San Diego the book went south for me.

Partly, I never really got over Dustin not being more honest and open with his brother (a hero from a previous book in the series). I am also not a huge fan of forbidden romance but good writing (and Albert is a very good writer) can move me past that. However, I just never adjusted the the angst and the lack of couple time in this book.

Not for me.

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it.

I’ve really enjoyed Annabeth Albert’s Out of Uniform series. She’s done a great job linking the novels together while crafting fresh and special individual stories and romantic relationships in each one. This time out her principals find themselves fighting their attraction and love for each other while knowing they can’t have it all – SEAL careers and each other – because romantic relationships between officers and the men under their command are forbidden in the military. It’s difficult to see how these two will find a way forward, but Ms. Albert capably steers this romance to a satisfying and believable happily ever after. Though Wheels Up is the fourth book in the series, it works well as a standalone and fans will be glad to see some familiar faces and also meet secondary characters who seem destined for future books of their own.

Lieutenant Dustin Strauss appears to have it all. Great friends, good looks, a challenging and satisfying career as a Navy SEAL… but he has a big secret that he’s finding harder and harder to keep. Despite having a brother who’s gay (Dylan from At Attention), Dustin is afraid to admit he’s bisexual. Pressure from his father to marry and carry on the family name has kept him in the closet, but a new relationship with another man – albeit only online via Joe4Joe (a military themed hook-up app) – has him re-thinking his decision to suppress this part of himself. With his Saucer-Man (whom he suspects works in security) he’s free to be himself and give in to his kink – a need to submit and give up control – unreservedly. Dustin is content with his online relationship just the way it is. As Wheels Up opens, Dustin is enroute to Baltimore for work when he mentions his destination in a text exchange with Saucer-Man. Saucer-Man surprises him by suggesting they meet and Dustin isn’t sure how to react – he’s never dated another man and isn’t convinced it’s a good idea – but he’s curious about his online lover. He agrees and they exchange photos and set a time and public place to meet-up shortly after he lands.

After six months developing a friendship and sharing explicit cyber-sex with Godzilla (whom he suspects is a marine), Petty Officer Wes Lowe is curious about the man behind the screen. When he discovers Godzilla will be within driving distance of his home, he can’t help suggesting they meet up. It’s clear the guy is nervous about getting together, but Wes is anxious to meet the man he’s been hooking up with online for months – the man he’s falling for. Despite Dustin’s nerves, Wes does everything he can to put him at ease and they spend an enjoyable day together, and Wes realises Dustin isn’t out. That night Dustin agrees to come back to Wes’ hotel room – though their chemistry is off-the-charts and they’re attracted to each other, Dustin is nervous, Wes is anxious… until Wes takes control and they resume the D/s relationship they enjoy in their online relationship. But their one-time, no questions passionate night together quickly feels like a lot more than a one-night stand. When they part, both men find themselves remembering and savoring the night over and over again in their hearts and minds.

Time for a MAJOR plot twist. Life becomes abruptly more complicated when Wes, who’s never revealed what he does for a living, puts in for a transfer from the east coast and lands on the San Diego based SEAL team. The same one commanded by Dustin. Oops.

The first part of Wheels Up , in which Dustin and Wes develop an emotional and physical (cyber) relationship online and then spend a scorching night together, ratchets up the tension in all the best ways. We get to know each man individually – as a SEAL, as a friend, as part of a family, as more than just a partner to the other – and we like Dustin and Wes as much as they like each other. So it’s a terrible, sad thing when they meet for the first time as SEAL teammates – one of whom is subordinate to the other. That relationship supersedes everything else between them. Commanding officers don’t have friendly – or, more significantly – sexual, relationships with the men they command. We know Dustin and Wes were deeply invested in each other long before that one night stand; discovering that their relationship is over devastates them both.

As the novel progresses and the two men try and fail to stay away from each other, the novel stalls a bit. There’s great chemistry between them, but outside of the bedroom is angst, angst, angst. Dustin struggles with his sexual identity and whether or not to come out to friends and family; he craves submission with Wes, but in his daily life, he’s expected to command and lead. The dichotomy between his personal and professional life and keeping secret his feelings for Wes leaves him stressed, tired and discouraged. Wes is similarly frustrated by his non/secret relationship with Dustin, a man who isn’t publicly out; he’s also dealing with the distance from his family and a sister who is in and out of the hospital due to a major heart condition. Secrets, personal struggles, the very real dangers of his job as an explosives expert… Ms. Albert doesn’t hold back as she stacks the deck against these two.

If it all seems like too much for the pair to ever find a happily ever after – it is. Something(s) have to give, though Ms. Albert rather neatly works out a way for Wes and Dustin to be together. She doesn’t make it easy, and even after they decide to make it work, it’s complicated. I liked her resolution but I’m not sure how I felt about this couple in general. Both men are supremely likeable, talented and successful. They like/love each other and ‘get’ each other sexually. But I struggled with the other parts of their relationship – what happens outside the bedroom – and I’m not sure Ms. Albert sold me on their long term compatibility. There’s chemistry and then there’s compatibility…I’m still not certain there’s enough of both in this pairing.

Ultimately though, Wheels Up is Annabeth Albert comfort food. A couple deeply in lust/love with one another, great camaraderie between friends and colleagues, and a happy ever after that’s hard earned. It’s not my favorite Out of Uniform novel (that’s At Attention), but it’s an entertaining and romantic addition nonetheless.

This was my first book in this series and by this author and I absolutely fell in love with these men and their story. Dustin and Wes start as "chat" buddies in a chat room, but when they meet for the first time, they feel the connection. When Wes reports to his new job and Dustin is his superior, every want and need is pushed aside. Nothing can happen for them.

The emotion and their need of one another was raw and gritty. I loved how both men put the other first. The sexy times were hot and I loved getting to meet the guys from the other stories. I definitely need to check those out as well. Great read!

While I mostly read historical romance, I like to read the occasional contemporary. This was definitely fun, and I loved the characters. Dustin was relatable in his coming out journey, and Wes made a wonderful partner for him. There were some formatting issues that made figuring out POV switches hard at times, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this fourth installment of the Out of Uniform series. This story focuses on Dustin (who is Dylan's older brother and Apollo's best friend) who is stationed on the West Coast and who is a leader of his military unit. He's bi-sexual but has yet to tell anyone. His father has been disapproving of Dylan being gay so Dustin feels like he can't come out. He has met Wes some time before the book starts on a Grindr type website for gay military guys. He and Wes have become good friends and have been having a cyber sex relationship. Dustin finds this safe because Wes is on the East Coast.

As the plot unfolds, the two men end up stationed together and Dustin has a lot of decisions to make. Part of this book is about Dustin coming to terms with himself but part of it is about the hardships two men in the military face (different ranks, enlisted vs officer etc).

I felt like this book was bit more serious than the previous ones but I enjoyed it a lot. I liked both of the MC's and I thought they were great together. There were lot's of Feelz in this and it also was dirty and kinky.

While this is the 4th book in the series this would work fine as a standalone.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I really liked and enjoyed this book. Really a great story line and wonderful characters. I was hooked right away. Can't wait to read more.

I'm sad to say this is not my favorite of the series. I really enjoyed the set up. The characters were fine. I don't know what was missing. I was a bit annoyed with how long the "We can't! But we're going to." back and forth went. I liked that the reality of their situation was respected but it got really repetitive really fast. I would've like to see more time of them deepening their relationship, there's moments here and there, but by the end I don't fully buy into their being in love. I buy into them being together and getting there eventually. I wish Dylan and Apollo had played a bigger part, they were present for a couple of scenes but mostly so Dylan could trash Dustin. I don't know. It wasn't BAD. I just never fully connected.

Dustin has been exploring his bisexuality via the online app, Joe4Joe which links service men up for cyber sex. When the opportunity to meet in person presents itself,Dustin has to decide whether he wants to take his explorations to the next level. It's not an easy decision for him.

While Wes wants to meet Dustin in-person, he also has some deeper reservations that we don't get to read about until later in the book. I really liked that about Wheels Up. Both Dustin and Wes had some personal issues to work out in this, and that provides some of the conflict to the story.

The rest of the conflict comes in the form of regulations. When Wes gets reassigned to Dustin's unit, things get even more difficult for the guys. It's forbidden to fraternize with your direct reports, especially if they are enlisted. Dustin risks serious consequences and so they go back and forth with a lot of "no we can't see each other" to sneaking around to be together because they just can't stay away.

Wes and Dustin have a dynamic sexual relationship, made all the more interesting by the roles each of them play in the bedroom. It wasn't what I expected and it felt very fresh and exciting. I really liked these guys and I found myself hoping they could work something out.

I loved Dustin's journey figuring out that he can be happy and what he needs to do to get there. It isn't an easy road for him, nor is it for Wes. That's what I loved about Wheels Up -- each man's personal journey to happiness.

Wheels Up is a great addition to this series.

An ARC was provided for review.

I love LGBT literary fiction, but I had never read a gay romance novel until I was approved for an advance copy of "Wheels Up". It was a little campy for my taste, but it was well written and hot, nonetheless! Overall, I enjoyed it!

This is my first book by this author and I did really enjoy it. I wasn't into the whole dom/sub in the book just not my style but I can understand it for the characters. This story was very emotional and I enjoyed it. Dustin and Wes are a great couple and it takes a lot for them to overcome the obstacles in this book for their HEA. It was enjoyable to read how these to navigate the relationship. There are definitely HOT times in this book. I would read more book by this author.

3.5 stars

Synopsis:

Dustin has been having an online relationship with a man for a few months. They video chat, without seeing faces, and talk about their lives. When Dustin is in DC for a meeting, his chat buddy wants to meet up. Dustin is leery, because he hasn't told anyone that he is bi, and because this was supposed to be an anonymous online hookup. He does end up meeting Wes, though, and they have a great time together. They still don't know where the other works, so when a new team member transfers in from Little Creek, Dustin is shocked to find out that it is Wes.They agree that they can't online chat anymore, because of fraternization rules, but Dustin misses Wes, and when he finds out that something is going on with Wes' sister, he connects again.
Wes misses his family, and his old team, and the only good thing about moving to the west coast was supposed to be the fact that he could meet up with his hookup more often. Because they didn't just make a sexual connection when they were chatting, they became friends. In spite of the fraternization rules in place, the connection between Wes and Dustin is strong, and they keep meeting up, in spite of their best intentions.

What I liked: the build in relationship between Dustin and Wes. It wasn't strictly about their sexual connection, since they both wanted to share and help each other. Both Dustin and Wes seemed so isolated; Wes because he didn't want to get close to anyone in case they could guess who he was involved with, and Dustin because he wasn't sure how to come out, so it was nice to see their friendship. Wes felt no shame for what he wanted sexually, and because he didn't, it made it easier for Dustin to accept what he wanted. I liked how close Wes was to his family, and how they respected his career. Even though they both knew it would be horrible if they got caught, Wes and Dustin just couldn't help themselves, and I liked that that part wasn't glossed over.

What I didn't like: Even though we do get to see things from Dustin's POV, I never really felt that I got that close to him. He kept himself closed off from everyone; his family, his friends, and I felt a little shut out, too. His struggle with his career choices was mentioned once in passing, but was evidently much more to it than that.

Overall impression: slow build in relationship with two men who communicated with each other, even when they shouldn't have. The characters felt fully realized, even if one of them was a little bit of a mystery. I liked that there wasn't an easy fix for their relationship, and that they were still concerned about what it would mean for both of them. Third person POV, alternating POV.

*I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Grade: C

Wheels Up is the 4th in Albert’s Out of Uniform series. Fans will remember Dustin is the big brother of Dylan and best friends with Apollo from At Attention. LT Dustin Strauss is now the Seal team’s XO and ready to settle down and act his age. He is through denying his bisexuality and has found a long distance hook up through an online chat room. Petty Officer Wes is a demolitions expert for the Navy and enjoys a little kink in his sexual play. His latest “buddy” has his dominant side standing at attention. When these two end up being on the same Seal team, they will have to decide which is more important-their careers or their hearts.

I’ve always enjoyed Albert’s romances. Emotionally realistic and current, they deal with issues that affect all of us in romance and in life. The slow romantic build up and the lush descriptive love scenes certainly help:) This one disappointed me a little. I expected more from it, especially after At Attention. Lots of drama but very little substance in return. Dustin and Wes spend more time getting in their own way and making situations far more difficult than they had to be. Lots of pushing away then pulling back in. Push/pull-push/pull. Sizzling chemistry definitely grabs your attention but I never quite bought the attraction was anything more than physical. I also felt the solution was a little too pat for all the anguish it seemed to cause. As always, a quick steamy read, just not my favorite of the series.

Wheels Up was a very interesting and sweet romance with a forbidden feel to it. 
Dustin hides his sexuality and Wes isn't exactly out to his team either, most importantly though they serve in the same unit with Dustin as Wes's superior. That had absolutely no impact on their chemistry behind closed doors though - which is explosive! They complement each other and their kinks perfectly and you just get this feeling of rightness between them. 
The angst factor is through the roof in this book and all the hiding leaves a huge strain on Dustin and Wes who soon have to admit that they developed some real feelings for the first time in their lives. I love how realistically the author dealt with their situation; it's not always pretty or perfect but it did feel real. 

I could have done with a little less sex though. Those scenes sometimes break the flow of the book and I just tend to get bored when there's too much sex and skim those pages. This book at least has interesting and emotional sex scenes though which made them a lot more enjoyable, thanks to Wes Dustin's kink. 

So all in all a solid 4 stars.

Wheels Up is the fourth book in the Out of Uniform series. And I have to say this is my favorite of the series! I didn't even think that was possible until I met Wes. I've been a big fan of Dustin's since we met him and I knew there was something delicious hiding behind those eyes. That doesn’t even begin to explain the magnitude of this story. Dustin and Wes have been online chat buddies for a while. They have never seen each other's faces, but they have seen other amazing parts of each other. They don’t even know each other's real names. One weekend, Dustin is in D.C. and Wes wants to meet. No promises, just meet, maybe have a beer. Dustin has just recently discovered his bisexuality and Wes is the first man he's "been" with. When reality far surpasses anything they've shared online, Dustin is lost to his pleasure. Wes in person is a force of sexiness, dominating him like he craves. Dustin doesn’t know why he likes it that way. Maybe because he's a Lieutenant and a SEAL. He likes giving up control to someone else when he can. Wes loves that Dustin lets him take the reins. He craves it. The night they shared was off the charts hot, but it was just one night. They have to go back to their real lives. But, when Wes shows up as a new member of Dustin's team, they are both shocked to hell. Not only did they not know what they really did for the military, Dustin is XO and Wes is enlisted. There are very specific rules about fraternization. It's not a slap on the wrist infraction either. But, their chemistry is too strong to stay apart. They sneak around outside of work and try to keep their cool out in the field. Can they continue their relationship in secret? What happens if they are caught? Is love worth the risk? Oh my God. I can't even express how much I loved this story. It was emotional, sexy, funny, heartwarming and heartbreaking. I wasn't expecting for it to hit me like it did. There's just something about these two strong, sexy SEALs that got to me. The push and pull. The trust. The letting go and the letting the other in. It was amazing to watch Dustin and Wes realize they were falling for each other and couldn't do anything to stop it.
Annabeth never disappoints me. Ever. Each book is better than the last and I get lost in her stories. Overall, I laughed, cried, was fanning myself, cried more and laughed more. My heart was broken and then put back together again! I also loved seeing Apollo and Dylan again. Swoon.

This kiss said "Hello, I've missed you, I need you," all at once.

Dustin was built like an action figure - all broad chest and thick thighs with arms that bulged eve when relaxed - while Wes was built like the hero's sidekick. Skinny, less substantial. Probably cheaper.

"Don't make me tie you up."
"Your punishments sound a lot like presents."

Well, fuck that noise.

Dustin Strauss is the older brother to Dylan, who found his HEA in book two titled At Attention. While Dylan had announced when he was very little that he was gay to the family, Dustin was always afraid to let his family know he's bisexual. Dustin's never been with a guy, but he's been on a military-themed hookup app and has been chatting with a guy for the past six months.

The story starts out with Dustin receiving a text that they should meet up in the city while Dustin's in town. They know certain things about one another, but not really know. They only learn each other's names after six months of chatting. Knowing how the guys on app went wild for Navy SEALS, Dustin lied by omission in his profile that let other guys think he's in the Marines. Wes also never mentioned he was a SEAL either. Well, Dustin and Wes do meet up one day and after a very steamy hot encounter where Wes called all the shots. Wes enjoys very much enjoys being the more dominant one in the relationship, and their dynamic works for them.

However. This becomes a strain in their relationship when it comes out that both of them are SEALS and that Wes is a subordinate officer. There are very strict rules about fraternization in the military (which Annabeth Albert does mention in her author's note at the end of the book), but I don't think I'm a fan of these kinds of stories. Not that they don't exist or can't happen in real life. They just give me a lot of anxiety reading it for some reason that keeps me from fully in enjoying the story. This book is heavy in realism and the way the story goes about incorporating real life consequences into the storyline feels very dire?

In the previous Out of Uniform books, we have characters where one was in the Navy and one was a civilian. Or in the case of On Point, two characters were on the same team, but one didn't want to re-up his enlistment. So, in all those stories, there's never been a scenario where a character is a ranked officer falling in love with a subordinate on the same team. Even though I knew this book was going to end with a HEA/HFN, this scenario in Wheels Up gave me way more anxiety then I expected.

There's no doubt that Dustin and Wes have chemistry. BUT. For most of the story, they're sneaking around hooking up because there's a threat of a court martial that could happen if they're caught together. And then you have a second layer on top of that where Dustin is not out to his friends and family. Dustin puts a lot of pressure on himself that his family will be disappointed in him if he loves a man because he can't carry the family name.

The fun parts that are a little bit removed from the military are the kinky D/s scenes between Dustin and Wes. This book doesn't relate as much to characters in book one of this series or book three, but it definitely ties into At Attention since those characters are so closely tied to Dustin.

One of my biggest issues (probably nobody cares except me) is the use of the word "y'all" in this book? Because it's used incorrect throughout as a word to address a single person instead of the plural sense of "you all". Growing up in the south, this is just that one little thing that truly bugged me in this book. I realize I read an ARC copy, so hopefully this is edited by the time the final version comes out.

Overall, I did enjoy the characters and their journey.The ending does feel like more of a HFN then a true HEA, because the characters are just trying to get their life situated. There's much more angst in this one then the previous books, but in a way that felt realistic to the story the book was trying to tell. I can't wait for the next book in the Out of Uniform series!

***Thanks to Carina Press for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***