If Annabeth writes it I will read it. This one was filled with angst but that is understandable considering what happens in the immediate before of this story. I loved the representation and the asexual rep in the book and enjoyed both of these characters. Made my heart ache in all the best ways.

4 - 4.5 Stars

I really love this series, and this book is a great addition! This was an emotional and complex story and I really enjoyed it! Mark and Isaiah have a history and their reconnecting isn't under the best of circumstances, but it brings them back together.

I loved the mix of angst and emotion in this book as these two sort through their feelings and their situations. Mark definitely struggles, used to being in control, my heart really hurt for him at times. Isaiah really shows his strength and goes after what he wants. This story really does pack an emotional punch! It's really character-focused and I liked that, I felt like I really got to know them. Another great read to just fall in love with!

Navy SEAL Mark Whitley is deployed when he gets word that his sister and her husband have died in a car accident. He returns home, prepared to take over as guardian of their three kids, only to find the children being cared for by their other uncle, Isaiah James. As a military medic, Mark is used to assessing the situation and taking control, so he isn’t quite sure how to react to the fact that Isaiah has been caring for the kids and wants to become their guardian.

Isaiah may have had a crush on Mark when they met six years ago, but now his sole focus is on the kids. He has been an active part of their lives since they were born and he wants to take on responsibility for their care now that Danielle and Cal are gone. But when competing wills and financial issues get in the way, the guys find that things are more complicated than they hoped. Even though Isaiah is filing for guardianship, while the will and estate are sorted out, both men need to care for the kids together.

As the guys spend more time together taking care of the kids, the attraction that was sparked years ago comes back to life. Mark even opens up to Isaiah about being demisexual, and the two build an emotional relationship, while slowly exploring a physical one as well. Both Mark and Isaiah find they make a good team, taking care of the children, being there to support one another, and forming a family. But Mark worries that Isaiah’s history of lots of hookups means he won’t be happy with Mark for long. And Isaiah isn’t quite sure how Mark feels about him, especially since Mark seems very wary about revealing his interest in men to his friends and family. Not to mention that court hearings loom over the guys and they aren’t sure how the custody situation will resolve. Both Mark and Isaiah are dreaming of the family they could have together, but they will need to share their feelings and trust in one other if they are going to be able to keep what they have built.

Squared Away is the fifth book in Annabeth Albert’s excellent Out of Uniform series. I have been really enjoying this series and am impressed how Albert is able to make all the books in the set feel fresh and different from one another, even as they all deal with Navy SEALS. While there is often cross over between the characters in the books, I feel like these stories will mostly stand alone. In this case, we met Isaiah as a side character in a couple of the other books, and there are cameos from some other folks here, like Dylan from At Attention.

Albert sets up an interesting conflict here with the custody of the children and the future of estate being so up in the air that the guys are forced to work (and live) together while it gets all sorted. Honestly, this could have felt very contrived and like a forced set up to get these guys together, and to Albert’s credit, it never comes across that way. I enjoyed watching the men move from a bit resentful of the other’s presence and wanting to take on all the responsibilities themselves, to forming a real partnership and working together to care for the kids. They both have to learn to rely on one another, to trust and communicate, and it gives them a chance to grow individually as the story goes on.

I also like how Albert addresses Mark coming to terms with his asexuality. He has always struggled with his lack of interest in sex, never quite knowing why things that seemed to work for others didn’t for him. And he felt a sense of pressure that he should fit the mold everyone expects of him. Isaiah not only helps Mark start to identify the fact that he is somewhere on the asexual spectrum, but also makes it clear that he likes Mark exactly how he is. Isaiah lets Mark lead the pace, is happy with whatever Mark wants to give, and, in turn, this gives Mark the confidence and the comfort to explore his interests and what works for him without pressure. It is nicely handled and I enjoyed seeing the tenderness with which the guys treat one another.

I think my only real issue here is the conflict centered on Mark’s concern that Isaiah wouldn’t be interested in him for the long haul. While Mark does have some confidence issues surround his asexuality, his fear seems largely stemming around the perception that Isaiah is a party boy who will want to go back to his wild life of hook ups. The problem is that by the time we meet Isaiah here, he is a guy who is pretty domestic, taking care of the kids and settled totally into a parental role. We never see him going out, hooking up, or living any kind of wild life. So it was hard to see Mark’s concern as anything legitimate because Isaiah never feels like anything other than a young guy struggling to suddenly parent three kids. I think if this is going to be the big conflict between them, we had to get more of a sense of Isaiah as this wild guy to justify all of Mark’s concerns.

That aside, I think this one works really well. I really liked both Mark and Isaiah, and while I think they needed to talk to one another way earlier than they did, I think they both have some nice growth over the story. I enjoyed watching them build their family and find that they really worked together as a team. So Squared Away is another nice installment in this series and I am looking forward to more.

I loved this book so freaking much. I loved how patient Isaiah was with Mark. I loved watching them figure out their relationship and their family and those kids were just absolutely precious.

Mark kind of has a one track mind that he has hard time adjusting. He's so used to being the big tough SEAL that his team can 1000% depend on and he doesn't quite know how to ask for help or how to take the back seat.

Isaiah has a bit of a reputation but he wants nothing more than to keep the kids happy and together and it's so hard watching people constantly overlook him throughout this book. You root for him so hard to find happiness for himself, but also for the kids.

Mark has a hard time with labels and with how he identifies and I love how Isaiah doesn't make him feel like anything he does or thinks or feels is wrong. He talks to him through what his label could be but in the end lets him know it's ok not to pick one, not to be sure. He's patient to the point where you kinda wanna sit Mark down and tell him to figure it out cause Isaiah is probably too good for him.

I'm glad he does have that moment where he sees that what he wants is within his reach and all he has to do is just be willing to be happy.

Everything does wrap up pretty nicely at the end. Some might say too nicely. But, honestly, I'm not here to complain about sugary sweet happy endings. Give me all of them.

Every book in this series has been a win for me, and Squared Away is just another fantastic addition to a fabulous M/M series full of sexy SEALs and the men they love.

Here we get Isaiah’s story, the immature but fun-loving friend we met previously. Although now, Isaiah is not the same promiscuous partier we briefly saw. He has responsibilities and it is so heart-warming to see how he has selflessly stepped up to the plate to take over the duties of raising his cousin’s three children. I loved that there was never an adjustment period for him or any indecision or slipping back into his old ways. That would have caused me a lot of unnecessary angst while reading it! Instead, he knew what needed to be done and he did everything he could to accomplish his goals. And that included convincing the big bad SEAL medic, who also had a claim to the children, that they were meant to be together.

Mark was an interesting one for me. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how erotic an “erotic novel” could be when one of the characters was asexual, but this one really worked. I had no idea what to expect, and perhaps my understanding of asexuality was incorrect, but Annabeth Albert showed a more romantic, loving side to Mark, where physical sexuality was not the key to the attraction between him and Isaiah, but rather trust and honesty and affection was what attracted him. Their romance was a slow burn that may not have been as explosive as some of the other relationships, but in light of the day to day struggles that Mark and Isaiah faced in raising children and building careers, it was a warm glow at the end of the day and a comfortable embrace that worked for these men.

To me, Squared Away fits perfectly as another Out of Uniform hit. Just like the others in the series, it was sexy and sweet, but most importantly, it focused on love and mutual respect. It showed enviable relationships full of passion and companionship, and a circle of friends and family that were understanding and exemplified what everyone is looking for: trust and acceptance.

I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more, and look forward to reading more about this group of friends. Bacon needs his book Annabeth!

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.

Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

<strong>My Review:</strong>
Navy SEAL medic Mark Whitley's older sister and her husband died in a car wreck, leaving behind three young kids. He's rushed home from his latest mission, fully expecting to assume care for the kids. He's their closest blood relative, even if he has hardly seen the kids in their lives. He isn't ready to be challenged for custody by Isaiah James, cousin of the children's father. Isaiah and Mark met several times over the years--notably in the run-up to the wedding, when a barely-legal Isaiah kissed Mark at the reception.

Isaiah has been a part-time caregiver to his cousin's children since their birth. He even has his own room in the home Mark grew up in--where Mark's sister's family lived since their parents died in a plane crash a few years back. Isaiah wants nothing more than to care for the kiddos--as thanks for the years his aunt cared for him while his widowed father traveled. Isaiah may not be able to settle on a career his father approves of, but he's clearly a great caregiver to the children, who adore him. And he could manage on the generous life insurance and estate that's left behind, not that it's his motivation.

Mark doesn't trust Isaiah--he's 24, outrageous and well, he gets around the men. Not there's a real problem with Isaiah's sexuality, except for Mark's bigoted uncle who will counter-sue for the estate if Isaiah is granted guardianship. And, well, Mark isn't sure Isaiah won't hare off to find himself a man...he's so young and surely wants to party. On the other hand, Mark can't take full custody and still maintain his commission. Being a SEAL means weeks-long missions and months-long deployments. Plus, he has zero skills with kids, unlike Isaiah.

While the legalities play out, Mark and Isaiah share Mark's childhood home, and the care of the kiddos. Mark gains first-hand knowledge of Isaiah's capabilities, and he can't deny the attraction building between them. But, Mark's barely had any attraction in his life, and the discussions that ensue help Mark to recognize he's someplace on the asexual spectrum--demisexual, or gray ace, they think. Which is cool with Isaiah, as it turns out. He loves what intimacy they can share, and their emotional connection is far more valuable to Isaiah at this point in his life; he'd begun adulthood with a crush on Mark, and his feelings are only stoked by their closeness and camaraderie.

There's so much emotion going on here, with grief filling the first half of the book. Excitement and exhilaration do pick up in the second half, and Isaiah may be young, but he's not afraid to stand up for the kiddos, who are sweet!, and finally for himself. Expect a super-sweet happy ending that brings this broken family together for good.

Squared Away by author Annabeth Albert is the fifth book in the Men out of Uniform series. This story can be read and understood just fine even if you have not read the rest of the series. I have read the entire series so far, and I loved this one. So much heart and soul in this book.
Mark, he is a Navy Seal and guardian now to this sister’s three children. Well go, guardian, he is sharing the title with Isaiah.
Isaiah has sworn off the wrong kind of men. He wants commitment and love. No more one-night stands.
I liked watching both men grow in this book. They learn a ton about themselves and what they could be together as a family. They have to sort through their respective pasts to see the future they could have together.
I loved this story of family and love. I cannot wait for more from this series in the future.


five shooting Stars

4 stars

I am honestly FLOORED that I haven’t written this review because this is one of my favorite books in the Out of Uniform series. This book really takes us out of the actual military (we to get to see and experience some! It’s not totally gone) and really puts us into family life. This is something I loved about At Attention. I really feel as though Albert shines when writing family centric stories.

There are a couple of things that the author does in this book that make it a stand out to me: the depiction of the ways all of the family members experience and work through their grief, the depiction of Mark’s sexuality, and the ups and downs of trying to make a new family.

I did really appreciate the way in which Albert handled Mark’s sexuality. The discussions with Isaiah as they were first falling into an intimate relationship — the ways in which Mark’s previous attempts at relationships and the pressure of expectation to want/have sex and intimacy in a singular way socially defined as “normal” resonated on a personal level. And Isaiah really gets an A+ from me, because it’s not even like he’s struggling to come to terms with it, or that any part of Mark’s sexuality is a bad thing or a hindrance. He just rolls with it; he opens lines of communication with Mark from the get go. He supports and accepts and together they learn to navigate what intimacy means for the two of them. I loved that.

As someone who has experienced profound grielf (and since then has even more after my mom passed away last year) I did like the moments when we got to see the ways in which the whole family, kids included, worked through their grief. This is an aspect of a story that can easily become overworked or be overwritten; worse, I’ve seen this kind of story written with tragic death so transparently treated as a poor plot device. This book doesn’t fall into either of those traps.

I will admit that the ending of the book and the resolution of their relationship felt rushed to me. I was also at times frustrated by the lack of communication on both of their parts re: the adoption of the kids. But I loved the rest of the book so much that it easily made up for this.

I definitely recommend this book. I feel like it could even work as a stand alone, or even a book that hooks you into the series.

Mark will do anything to take care of his sister's kids after a tragedy strikes what he doesn't expect is a conflicting will that could give someone else custody. Isaiah had a crush on Mark, once long ago but he is over that crush, instead he is going to do everything he can to show he is the best person to take care of his cousin's kids. When the two are forced to worked together to watch over the three children sparks fly, but these two very different men have to learn to work together.

Mark and Isaiah were probably my favorite couple so far in this series, there was just something about them that pulled at me and made me want to root for them from beginning to end.

Each book in this series, seems to deal with a different thing in the LGBT world. This time its focused on Asexuality or the scale of with demisexual/gray ace and bi-racial relationship.

We first meet Isaiah in At Attention when he has a thing with Ben and befriends Dylan. And we meet Mark Whitley (Wizard) in On Point.

These two men are brought together by the death of Cal (Isiah's cousin) and Danielle (Mark's sister). As Cal and Mark try and navigate their new reality with being the caregivers of Cal and Danielle's kids, they also start to need each other in more ways then co-parenting.

I never knew much about Asexuality but I felt this was a good step into that knowledge of sexuality. I loved Mark's evolution of finding love and happiness.

I always find I learn something when I read Annabeth's stories. Which for that I'm very thankful.

Super sweet story and I loved Mark and Isaiah together.

I just love a good MM romance novel. This one definitely gave me the feels!! Let's be honest, no one writes MM like Annabeth Albert. Her writing is so gripping. I enjoyed watching the characters developing through the plot. My next read is most certainly from this author.

DNF at 15%

I've tried so hard to read this throughout last year but it just wasn't working for me, so since it's already January on a brand new year, I'm officially giving up.

This is a case of it's not you it's me.

I love this series and the characters that inhibit Ms. Alberts world. This was my least favorite in the series - I'm just not into kids in my romantic fiction. Entertaining, enjoyable but there are better books in the series.

I liked this so much! Probably my only real complaint would be the lenghth of time it took for Mark and Isaiah to finally communicate all the things... like, they should have been talking about a lot of stuff long before it came to a point where it got as bad as it did. BUT, it worked.

I really loved the way Isaiah made himself so vulnerable, as well as Mark. I loved how open and comfortable they were with each other, even if they didn't open up enough at first. And I don't know what it is about books with kids, but I love them. I don't even like kids, like at all, yet books with them melt my heart.

I'm sorry it took me so long to read and review this one. I wish I'd known how much I was going to enjoy it.
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Amazing story from Annabeth Alberts -- these characters have become like family & I never want the series to end...

I liked the book but i found the protagonist to be very immature and not really my kind of person.
I like books where we have kids and all but honestly i felt these kids lacking authenticity.... they were simply not real. the war veteran part of the story was done exceptionally well and I did love this book. It could have been a lot shorter though.

This is 100% now a favorite book of the year for me. Spectacularly written, AMAZING representation, and one of the cutest book couples.

Squared Away by Annabeth Albert
Book #5: Out of Uniform Series
Source: Netgalley and Overdrive Audio/Public Library
My Rating: 4½/5 stars

Mark Whitley’s world has imploded, and it didn’t even happen during an op. Thanks to a great deal of reckless behavior, Mark’s sister and brother-in-law are now dead and their three children are in need of a proper guardian. As medic for his SEAL team, Mark has no idea how he’s going to balance being a SEAL and a dad. He’s going to need a ton of help, and where that help comes from is perhaps as exciting as it is uncomfortable.

Isaiah James simply can’t understand why no one considers him a proper guardian for his cousin’s children. Even when their parents were alive, Isaiah spent much of his time looking after the kids, seeing to their needs and wants, and falling hopelessly in love with each of the little monsters. Though Isaiah is technically related to the kids, he is young and his days of partying and playing the field have, unfortunately preceded him, making his case for custody a hard sell.

As expected, the legalities of custody are difficult, but the difficulties are compounded by competing wills and a large, large sum of money that will, eventually go to the children. Everyone seems to want a piece of the pie with only Mark and Isaiah having any real interest in the welfare of the children. With virtually no experience around children, Mark is like a fish out of water and would be totally screwed if it weren’t for Isaiah. Isaiah is patient, kind, and fiercely loyal to the children. He makes no secret of his desire to continue raising them and is willing to go to any length to secure their custody. Mark likes the idea of having Isaiah around for the children, but his presence, in every other way forces Mark to confront his own feelings and issues related to his sexuality. In all, Mark and Isaiah’s lives are one huge, hot mess!

The Bottom Line: Once again, Annabeth Albert has made me fall in love with her Out of Uniform series! One of the things I have always, always liked and respected about this series is the number of totally realistic scenarios and obstacles the men in these books must face. Albert creates real world situations, some truly terrible, that these men must navigate while also trying to sort out their relationship. Yeah, it’s real life, but with two men, and, in this case, three adorable children. Mark and Isaiah don’t have an easy road to their HEA, but they do find ways to help one another, to support one another, to rely on one another, and, most importantly to love one another. This isn’t an easy read given all the drama spawned by the death of Mark’s sister, Mark’s own terribly confused and conflicted feelings, and Isaiah’s desire to be taken seriously. This story, and the series as a whole still has a variety and freshness I very much appreciate. Until those qualities wane of disappear, I am absolutely committed to the men of the Out of Uniform series.

This series about SEALs finding love is absolutely one of my favorites. Mark and Isaiah’s story was beautifully done. There is far less emphasis on the sex in this book and more of a focus on intimacy and trust between these two men who have been called upon to raise three young kids unexpectedly. Both men have to navigate their own hang ups - Mark moreso than Isaiah - and that’s certainly challenging while leaning how to instantly co-parent. I loved the dynamic of the kids along with the continued emphasis on the SEALs in Coronado. There’s plenty more SEALs left to tell stories about, and I can’t wait for them!

It took me a while to finish this book. I actually started it back in April. And let me assure you that there are few authors I trust more than Ms. Albert with my emotions, but this book scared me when I started it. She’s not kidding when she uses the word ‘tragedy’ in the synopsis. That tragedy is compounded with a dozen family issues. Throw in an unrequited crush that doesn’t go away for years, a closeted seal that not only discovered his sexuality late in life but carries around guilt and has a complex about it and that doesn’t make for an easy read.

There is a lot packed into this story and I couldn’t touch on all of it in my review without basically restating and ruining the entire book. Mark comes to terms with his sexuality (which after the opening scene surprised me and made perfect sense for him). He faces what his sister did. He deals with the grief of his parents’ death again. He learns that sharing the burden and giving up control is sometimes necessary and doesn’t make you weak but stronger. He learns the meaning of unconditional love. Isaiah discovers he wants more out of relationships – every type of them – than he’s been getting. He learns to stand up for himself and what’s important to him. He realizes that needing and asking for help and sharing the burden doesn’t make you weak but stronger. He finally understands that doing what’s necessary isn’t always enjoyable but usually rewarding in ways that mean the most. He finds his prince charming.

As with the rest of this series, I highly recommend this book. I think it could definitely be read as a standalone (although I highly recommend reading the rest of the series as well) even though there is mention of a few previous characters.