Going live 7.6.2018

It seems impossible to me that we are already five books deep into this series, because while the wait is excruciating between books, it also feels like it just started. Squared Away stands on its own, so you could start here. It’s my opinion, however, that this is not the strongest of the series. I’d go back to book one, start there and make your way up to this one. These men are brothers in arms so they do have close relationships and tend to show up in subsequent books. So like I said, while it’s definitely not necessary to read in order, I do think it enhances enjoyment of the series.
Mark and Isaiah met years ago when their two families joined at a wedding, but to say they’ve been carrying torches for each other would be an overstatement. In fact, when they meet up again after their family members have passed and someone needs to take care of the children, they’re both determined not to get involved. And I’ll be honest here. It got...old. And the sex was...meh. The highlights of this story were (but IMO, should not have been,) the children. They were the most entertaining part, but at the same time, they didn’t overwhelm the story and had I enjoyed it, it would have been a good balance. I also love that neither of the men wanted to split up the kids, and how much Isaiah adored them. I think, in them, Isaiah was looking for the family he never had, but he wasn’t just looking for something, he was also giving everything, and it made me love his character so much. Mark was a harder sell for me, because I was so over the back and forth with him and Isaiah, and Mark’s interest felt more like obligation than an actual desire. While I do understand this happens in real life, I don’t think you can run that motivation alongside Isaiah’s and expect readers to feel endearment towards Mark, especially if you don’t think that he alone is not in their best interest. Also, Mark made a decision in this book that was for the good of all of them, and had he presented it to Isaiah, it could have been fine. But because he didn’t and kept getting interrupted when he tried to, chaos ensued when Isaiah found out from someone else - thus causing him to question Mark when Mark hadn’t been up front about it, and I was totally on Isaiah’s side with this. It felt so contrived just to bring drama upon the characters, and it really lessened the credibility of the story. Lastly, and this really is just a pet peeve of mine, I am so over the ‘my person’ thing. It shows up in books and shows over and over and over and over again and...can we really not be more creative than this? I wish authors would stop piggybacking off Grey’s Anatomy for this. I can’t tell if this is a show of laziness or just no creativity.
In the grand scheme of this series, Squared Away was the weakest for me. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t good parts. It just means that as a whole, Isaiah and Mark didn’t feel like equal parts and the story suffered for it. If you’re interested in this series, do yourself a favor and start with book one, or my personal favorite book 4, Wheels Up. The author’s craft really shows through in that one. (Though I will say, I am reading book 6 now, and so far, it’s giving book 4 a run for its money!)

Stevie‘s review of Squared Away (Out of Uniform, Book 5) by Annabeth Albert
Contemporary Asexual and Gay Military Romance published by Carina Press 01 Apr 18

Out of Uniform is heading towards being Annabeth Albert’s longest running series, especially when you count in the shorter Gaymers series it spun off from, and yet it still manages to bring in new scenarios and new types of romantic pairings, even as it keeps us informed on how past books’ heroes are faring. This time around our would-be couple are a familiar face from previous books and a less familiar comrade of some of the other heroes.


Although we’ve met Isaiah before, we first see him in this book – and for the first time in conversation with Mark – some years before the series’ beginnings, at the wedding of Isaiah’s cousin to Mark’s sister. Isaiah sets out to woo Mark, but is turned down gently on account of his age and virginal status, and in spite of Mark’s obvious reciprocal interest. Fast forward six years, and Isaiah is a hard-partying perpetual student, while Mark is a hard-working SEAL medic. Their worlds collide once again when their mutually wed relatives die in a car crash, and Mark takes leave from active service to care for his nieces and nephew, only to find Isaiah already in place as their primary caregiver.

The situation is complicated further, when it is revealed that the parents’ wills – made separately several years apart – each name one of the men as potential legal guardian to the children. Although other relatives are prepared to help out, only those two are prepared to keep the children together in their current home. They agree to share responsibilities – at least until the courts decide who has the greater claim – and to live together in Mark’s old family home, which he now owns following his sister’s death.

Both the guys take steps towards being in a position to look after and financially support the children by themselves if necessary. Although Mark comes from a much wealthier background, Isaiah also has a potential family network, even if his academic father disapproves of his decision to set up in business as a landscape gardener. Meanwhile, their attraction to each other is rekindled – more strongly on Mark’s part, although he rarely experiences desire beyond random crushes – and alternately helped and hindered by people they meet all assuming that they must be a couple since they have one to three children with them much of the time. The looming legal guardianship case, however, threatens to create a rift between them, even before they’ve figured out what to do about their developing feelings.

I really enjoyed this book. The guys’ families were very believable in their keenness to help out – but only on their specific individual terms – and it was great to see real help coming to the newly blending family from heroes from the previous books (not to mention their kids in one particular case). I was a little frustrated at times by both our current heroes’ abilities to stick their heads in the sand where legal matters were concerned and to fail to talk to each other about how their family matters were going to be resolved. Some of that did tie in with their past failures to intervene in their relatives’ issues that led to the children being orphaned, so I suppose we can blame residual guilt for a lot of it. All in all, a great addition to a series that I still want to see plenty more from.

Grade: B

I was really hoping this would be brilliant as there are not enough novels of this sort in my opinion. However I was a bit disappointed. It seemed, rushed, unfinished, and there was not enough depth to the flow of the book. The characters lacked that spark to make them realistic and fell flat.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. All the stars, you guys. Is this my favorite Out of Uniform book? I want to say...maybe? I managed to read this book in one sitting, because I could not put it down. It's hard to beat At Attention and On Point, BUT this might have done just that.

The story starts out in the past, to the day Mark and Isaiah meet for the first time at Mark's sister's wedding. Back then, Mark definitely thinks Isaiah as being too wild and too young. The backstory is actually a sad one, marked by tragedy. Mark's sister, Dani, and brother-in-law, Cal, have been killed in a car accident and leaves behind three children. Cal is Isaiah's cousin. And while Mark was away in the military, Isaiah was the one who babysat and looked after the children. Mark knows next to nothing about raising kids, but will do anything within his power to make sure he gets custody.

Once upon a time, Isaiah was infatuated with Mark. But he wants custody of the kids and is not willing to give them up to a man who has rarely even been around them. The story is wrought with emotion. The two love interests are still reeling from the death of their beloved family members and having to find a way to push that aside for the children, and putting a strong front in front of one another.

I would say this book is definitely heavier than previous books in this series, but it never feels like it's too much or overwhelming.

We've met Mark before in On Point, as the SEAL medic known as Wizard. I loved reading this story and getting a chance to see him get his HEA. Isaiah was in both At Attention and Wheels Up, hitting on some of the love interests in those books. Isaiah has a bit of a reputation by the point Squared Away starts, of having slept with many men. This makes Mark feel insecure because he's worried about not being able to give Isaiah what Mark thinks he needs.

Mark's insecurity stems from Mark still trying to figure out his sexualtiy. I love that Mark is older and still doesn't quite know. He is ace, but doesn't know whether he identifies as demisexual or gray ace. And I love that while he's not sure, the book passes on the message that it's totally okay that he doesn't know.Isaiah is never judgmental about it, and him and Mark have a nice, honest conversation about it. This story is respectful and honest, and just overall really, REALLY lovely. <3

This is also the first of this series where we have a POC character as the main love interest. Isaiah is biracial (and so are the kids). It's nice to see an interracial relationship in MM romance.

Like, I said, I did read this story all in one sitting, but I did find the ending cute, even if it seemed a little bit rushed. It gives the characters the happy, perfect ending they deserve, so I can't begrudge them that.

I'm looking forward to reading Bacon's story next in Tight Quarters, because we might finally learn his real name!

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

Squared Away is the fifth book in the Out of Uniform series, but can be read as a standalone, as I did. However, I must say that now I have found out what an exceptional writer Annabeth Albert is, it won't be the last book of hers I read!

Isaiah is a bit of a 'flirt', and at eighteen he decides he is going to lose his V-card to a SEAL at his brother's wedding. However Mark, the SEAL, isn't interested in just being 'someone' to sleep with, and so tells Isaiah he isn't gay or interested. He then manages to avoid Isaiah for the next five years, although he still hears about Isaiah's exploits. Trust me, he is no longer a card-carrying member! These two get thrown together by tragedy, and are both left in charge of three children. This story revolves around the decisions they make, and how they learn to love and live together, whilst loving three mini-humans who demand so much time.

Squared Away is a complex love story that goes so slow it is completely and utterly scintillating. I wondered how it would work with Isaiah's reputation, but it was simply amazing. Yes, his reputation bites him in the ass, but with Mark, he goes slow - and it is beautiful. There are reasons for this as Mark is demisexual. We find out exactly what this means for Mark, and the struggles he has, both with it and with being scared to want more with Isaiah. Oh man, this is so good. I mean, seriously! The chemistry between these two melted my kindle, and I loved every word. It is heart-breaking, it is beautiful.

With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, Squared Away is an exceptional story, told by a brilliant author. Her style of writing is realistic, with plenty of complex emotions and situations. Life doesn't always go smoothly, but it can be worth the effort you put in to a difficult situation. Absolutely amazing, and I am now putting more books by this author on my T-B-R list! You'd be a fool not to read this one.

I wasn’t feeling this one. It took Isaiah and Mark forever to get on the same page, because they weren’t brave enough to communicate with each other, avoided each other, and weren’t very self-aware and honest with themselves. I really didn’t understand them at all. I don’t know why people who are in a relationship, whether or not they are having sex, wouldn’t talk to each other about where their relationship is going and what they want from each other. I seriously cannot stand it when grown adults don’t talk things out, and if they do, take forever before they get around to it. I was too frustrated with their indecisiveness to fully enjoy this novel. Not to mention, the plot was rather thin.

The Out of Uniform series is one of my favorites and so far, I’ve enjoyed every story I’ve read. Sadly, the fifth book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but it wasn’t a total miss either. It landed somewhere in the middle.

Wizard (or Mark) and Isaiah have been present in previous books, but we never really got to know them. In this book we learn a lot about Mark and his sexuality, and we get to know Isaiah pretty well. Mark is reliable, calm under pressure, the teammate everyone depends on when things really go south during a mission. Isaiah is probably the opposite of him. He likes to party and have a good time, he is very social, has friends everywhere, and he has a strong sense of family, even if his father didn’t help him acquire it.

I was looking forward to reading this next installment in this series—as always—but, sadly, I wasn’t as engaged in it as I was in the previous ones. I didn’t feel a connection between the MCs, the miscommunication frustrated me, and there were way too many coincidences. The romance moved too fast, and everything fell into place too easily at the end. Also, Mark and Isaiah got too cheesy for me at times, and that’s a huge drawback where I’m concerned. I can’t say that I felt much of anything while reading this book and while on one hand that was a good thing, because I read it after an extremely emotional story and wanted the calm and quiet; on the other hand, when you read a book you want to feel some connection to it, you want to feel some of the characters’ feelings. It didn’t happen here even though there was supposed to be at least some emotion, as the whole story happened because of a deadly accident. Still, I didn’t think that the characters ever really mourned for their loved ones.

Also, the kids seemed like they were very easily handled. I think they were behaving according to their age and not appearing older but other than that, I don’t think the portrayal of the situation at home was very realistic. Except for a bit of a struggle with sleeping time, they were perfectly cooperative the rest of the time. They were easily placated and happy to go along with any plan. All three of them were supposed to be under the age of six, so I expected at least a little bit of a mess and partial destruction in the house. Maybe I’m wrong here, I don’t presume to be an expert on the topic, but from what I know, when the number of small kids in a room goes up, so does the chaos. Of course, it could be that, in the end, Wizard really did have magic powers and that’s why it was so easy to suddenly care for three kids with no problem and while having no experience at all.

On a positive note, I liked seeing Dylan, Apollo and their girls again! Even if they had very small parts, it was still nice to visit with them again. We also saw Ben and Maddox living happily together and raising their dogs. Cupcakes were, of course, present too.

I was a bit disappointed with this book, but that’s just me. It was still a great story and I liked reading it. It had scenes that I enjoyed a lot; it was just much less than what I got in the previous books. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on the series. No way! This series is great, and I’m looking forward to the next book. It’s going to be Bacon’s story, and I can’t wait to see who the author is going to pair him up with!

Smooth writing and good storyline, I loved the characters a d their developing relationship. The book was very sexy reading!!

I was really loving this series up until wheels up. Things started to slip for me a bit in that book. And I was hoping with this book that it would’ve pulled me back in. But I have to say... I struggled with most of this book. It wasn’t bad. But it definitely took me awhile to get into it.

I had a hard time with Mark’s character. I have to admit I didn’t know a lot about Marks sexuality. He had a lot of worries about what he couldn’t do. It really took a toll on him. He wanted a relationship he didn’t care if it was a man or with a woman. He never thought he could have that because of his sexual needs. They were really different than other people.

He needed to really connect with a person. He also didn’t find the typical things people find as attractive like looks and body. He found other things attractive like voice snd smiles and just conversations...connecting with someone. That’s what did it for him.

This was definitely different for me. And a lot slower. It wasn’t bad. But I was able to appreciate their time together. But I still missed that little bit of action. We only got that once in this book. The bathroom scene! I really enjoyed that!! But he still struggled.

“I’m scared of being hurt again, but I’m more scared of what happens if we don’t try.”

Mark for most of the book kept Isaiah in the dark about a lot of things. He thought he could make these decisions without including Isaiah in them. That really got to me. Because he treated Isaiah like he was always going to take off on him. Even though Isaiah told and proved that he was willing to go the extra mile for him and the kids.
I loved Isaiah’s character. He was so loving and caring towards Mark and the kids. He really made them pull together and be a family. And I loved that!

Like I said before.... it took me a while to get into this book. But the story did picked up for me at the 60% mark. It’s a little too late for me. But I’m still glad I read this book. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Tears... I should have known given the description, but there were tears!

I really liked this book in the Out of Uniform series, for so many reasons. I love books that include kids, especially books that include them for more than just props. I also love books that center around a strong sense of family... Squared Away had all that and more.

Mark loved his family, but his life as a Seal kept him away. Isaiah loved his family too and even though he played the part of "wild party boy" he had his priorities. He was there for them and not just because of his proximity. Because of the physical distance between them, it was natural for Mark to not really know the man that Isaiah had grown into. It didn't take long for Mark to realize that his assumptions had been wrong, but he still couldn't shake the idea that Isaiah might fall back into the person who couldn't commit and wasn't dependable enough to take on the responsibility of his sister's kids - plus, he wanted to keep his heart safe.

One of the other reasons why I loved this book is because it was so "real." The juggling of kids and working. The crushing grief that both Mark and Isaiah experienced and the strength they had to muster to be there for the kids. The judgement that came with Isaiah not only being a man, but gay. Mark wasn't the only one who thought that Isaiah was in over his head, so he had a lot to prove. The kids came first, regardless and in the end, that's what made me grow to admire both Mark and Isaiah. Neither one of them were perfect, but together, they were great.

Basically, this story had a lot of heart and was a great addition to the Out of Uniform series. <3 A couple of characters from past books made appearances in Squared Away and fit in well - offering the support that both Isaiah and Mark needed. Tight Quarters is next and I can't wait!

This was lovely. Romantic and full of feelz. The book starts six years in the past when Mark and Isaiah meet for the first time. Isaiah's cousin is marrying Mark's sister. The two men have a connection and Isaiah makes a pass which Mark brushes off. There's an age difference and Mark feels Isaiah is too young.

The two men are thrown back together when their sister and cousin are killed in a car accident and they are left with their three small children. The legal documents aren't clear as to which of them is going to be given custody so while they're working this out they live together and take care of the kids. Mark has it in his mind Isaiah is a party boy and is pretty hard on him at first. As the story goes on Mark realizes Isaiah is becoming the rock of their little family.

Mark has never been very sexually attracted to other people and he knows he's different than most. As the story progresses he and Isaiah have a lot of conversations about Mark's orientation and his wants and needs. It was really well done and it was a unique plot twist. There aren't a lot of sexually explicit scenes but there is a lot of romances, touches, talking, kissing. It made for a beautiful romance. It was nice to see a couple get to know each other and to fall in love without the ever present sex scenes that fill most romance stories. This was a lovely example of how love and sex aren't the same thing all the time.

This ended up being one of my favorite books in this series. I think the author did a really great job with this one.

3,5 Stars

I’ve only read one book in this series so I went into this one a bit scared because I like reading in order and I have every plan of reading the books I’ve missed here. But even if I’ve maybe missed the mention of these characters before, I was still able to enjoy this as a standalone which I can appreciate.

SQUARED AWAY packs an emotional punch. The situations both of these characters find themselves in are not easy and I think the author did a great job at bringing us in on that journey with them. As they adapt to their new lives, to their heartache, and to their feelings for each other. As they discovered who the other person really is.

I really enjoyed this romance because it is very character focused and I loved both characters. There was almost an innocence about parts of this story that I really liked. But it could feel slow at times as well which is why I’m not rating this higher. Overall, it’s a nice enjoyable read and it’s definitely left me wanting more from this author and this world.

4 stars

Synopsis: Mark is a medic and is on a mission when he is pulled away from his team because his sister and brother-in-law are killed in an accident. Mark knows that he will be called on to look after his sister's kids, and heads home to do just that. Once there, he finds that his brother-in-law's cousin has been looking after the children. Mark remembers Isaiah as a party boy who sleeps around, and doesn't believe that he is what is best for the children.
Isaiah tried to lose his virginity to Mark at his cousin's wedding, but was shot down. In the ensuing years, he hasn't found a job that he can make a career of, or a man that wants more than a fling with him. What he has done, though, is to be there for his cousin's children, even before his cousin died.
There are conflicting wills, one leaving the children to Mark and the other suggesting that the children be cared for by Isaiah. Until everything is settled, it is suggested that the two of them live together and take care of the children.

What I liked: how Isaiah and Mark communicated and looked after the children together. Isaiah was a little lost after losing a man who he considered his brother, and determined to do right by the children. He refuses to crush on Mark again, and just wants to provide a stable environment for both Mark and the children. Isaiah is tired of not being enough for a serious relationship.
Mark has no other close family, since his parents died a few years earlier in an accident. He doesn't really know his nieces or nephew, and didn't know how bad his sister's habits had gotten. He also wants what is best for the children, and after an incident at the hospital with them, takes steps to make sure that they are all secure, even though those steps are essentially trying to cut Isaiah out.
Mark is also asexual, or somewhere close to it. I really, really liked how understanding and undemanding Isaiah is when he finds out, and that he never puts pressure on Mark, or makes him feel that what he wants is not valid.

What I didn't like: that Mark thought he knew what was best, and kept thinking that Isaiah would want to go back to his mostly empty lifestyle. Mark just kept plugging on, without consulting the people who would be most effected by his decisions.

Overall impression: told in third person POV, from both Mark and Isaiah. I enjoyed the story, but felt that Mark came across as condescending because he was older, although he was supportive of Isaiah starting his own business.

*I received copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Guys – I’ve never read Annabeth Albert. What the heck, self??? I think a publicist reached out about this book asking for a guest post, and when I read the blurb I thought – ooooh, I’ll give this one a try. And I ended up really enjoying this author’s voice. She gives us Isaiah, biracial, and younger than Mark. And Mark, a Navy SEAL who working out his identity.

Mark, who has been deployed for many months gets the news that his sister, Danielle and brother-in-law, Cal have died in a car accident, he rushes home to care for his two nieces and nephew – but someone has already taken over. Isaiah, Cal’s cousin, has stepped in as temporary guardian of a five-year old, three-year-ish, and a baby under the age of one.

Isaiah and Mark know each other, and at Mark’s sister wedding, ten years ago, Isaiah, a fresh-faced eighteen year old, even tried to make out with Mark, who was already a SEAL at that point. Isaiah had the hots for Mark – big time. When he put the moves on Mark that night, Mark somewhat reluctantly pushed him away – and then got deployed and they lost touch.

Isaiah has had a little less direction in his life than Mark. Changing his majors, not sure the path he wanted to take, he recently got a landscaping certificate and has decided that is what he wants to do with his life. But then Danielle and Cal dies, and he steps in (as there is no local family) as a guardian, and while it’s exhausting, it has never felt more right. When Mark arrives home, he assumes Isaiah will flake out and want to go back to his partying, younger life. But Isaiah wants to be there for the kids, and as him and Mark work out custody (along with the courts) they cohabited, and start a romance.

First let me say, there are three kids in this book, as they are the catalyst for bringing Mark and Isaiah together. These kids are well written, thank the book gods (or maybe thank you Annabeth Albert). They are written age appropriate. The five-year old is not handing out relationship advice! And while the kids are in the book a lot, they didn’t annoy me one bit. (Although I do think the grief could have been examined a little more closely with the five-year old but I’m not here to judge! Maybe just a little!)

What also stands out in this story is that Mark admits to Isaiah, once he feels safe enough, about his sexuality:

“Like naked pictures don’t usually do it for me. I’m the only guy in the world for whom porn doesn’t work.”

“Hardly. I’ve known others. What does do it for you, though?”

“Words. Like someone’s voice. Or a glancing contact.” Mark thought about that morning, Isaiah’s long fingers on his waist. Or how Isaiah’s laugh just always worked for him on some deeper level. “Like I’ll know someone a long time, and then they’ll say something nice or do something for me, and all of a sudden I’ll realize I’m turned on. But I have to… I don’t know… feel a connection or something. It’s rare and never happens with strangers.”

“Words and voices can be fucking sexy.” Isaiah’s voice was reassuring. “All genders?”

“Gender doesn’t seem to really matter. It’s more how much I like someone, if that makes sense. More often it’s with guys, but I’ve felt it a few times with women too. My body’s just wired strange—”

“Quit saying that about yourself.” Isaiah punched him lightly on the arm. “It sounds like you’re ace, but maybe you’re more gray ace or demisexual, where you only get turned on after an emotional bond with people.”

Mark initially thinks this will be a point against him when it comes to Isaiah, who is known for his playboy and sleeping around habits. But Isaiah, who still holds that crush on Mark from all those years ago, is very open and patient and accepting of who Mark is. It’s so sweet and mature, and they have open and honest conversations about it – ongoing too! They just don’t talk about it once and it’s done. They talk bring it up as their relationship progresses and it made their relationship feel full and romantic. Mark still struggles with publicly admitting he is falling in love with a man, and that is addressed well too.

Conflict is brought in when the courts have to clear Mark and Isaiah for guardianship. There were two wills, and they conflicted a bit, and Mark, with his SEAL organization and precision, tries to take the reins and be in charge, inadvertently hurting Isaiah in the process. The communication surrounding this could have been handled better and it was a little predictable.

The grief over losing a sister and best friend are there, there is a slow-burning, sexy romance. Two really good guys, an interracial couple and lots of chest muscles.

And guys – most of all – the way Mark, Mr. Navy SEAL, mops a floor or cleans a bathroom – until they are absolutely spotless – had both Isaiah and myself swooning off our chairs.

Fun book.

Grade: B

Each time I read an Annabeth Albert book I am guaranteed several things - lots of emotions, steamy hot chemistry, good character connections and supporting characters that I wish were my friends. Squared Away delivered on all the points and more. Mark and Isaiah reconnect over less than positive circumstances as they both have to deal with the death of their family members, while also trying to learn to parent the three small people left behind. So many emotions. So much angst. So much chemistry. Isaiah knows that his attraction toward Mark has never gone away, but he also knows that right now Mark may need a friend more than anything. Mark, being the tough SEAL that he is doesn't want to need anyone or anything but he also sees that Isaiah is there for him however he needs him. Mark is fighting with himself over the feelings he is having toward Isaiah, giving in may be the best thing he's ever done.

These two men blew me away with their care, their honesty, their desire. I hurt for Mark in trying to make sense of his feelings, to own what he needs to feel whole and happy. I cheered for Isaiah as he owned what he wanted, as he fought to be the parent to these three children and build a family with Mark. Just a beautiful told story and again this whole cast of characters in this series are just so well done by Albert. Loved it!!!

Mark and Isaiah…Mark’s sister married Isaiah’s cousin, and thus a crush is born.

At their wedding several years ago, Isaiah saw Mark and wanted him so bad. Unfortuntaely, Mark being a Navy SEAL, and Isaiah being so young, Mark turned him down when Isaiah propositioned him, then spent the next several years avoiding him as best he could. Then, tragedy strikes and they lose the people they had in common, and it’s so hard on both of them. Harder even because they’ve left their three kids behind, with a confusing will and neither know what to do about it, but both of them want the kids. Have I mentioned, ever how big of a sucker I am for hot guys with cute kids? I mean come on! Who doesn’t love that?!?!

Isaiah may have been a party boy and may have been flighty and irresponsible before, but with those kids…he’s fierce and protective and they all love each other so much. He would’ve went down swinging for them for sure. Unfortunately, Mark had been deployed and busy with his own life, so he didn’t have a relationship with them, but wanted to, now that he could. He couldn’t do it without Isaiah though, he was the one holding them all together.

Now, there were terms I had to look up, because I didn’t understand what gray ace was, or demisexual, there are so many different labels, I had to look them up. I wonder how many people struggle with that? Thinking that there’s something wrong with them and not knowing what…Or feeling broken somehow and not knowing that there are other people out there with the same preferences. I loved that this story used that. I was ignorant to it before and I like learning new things, so… thanks for that!

There were times I wanted to shake Mark and wonder how in the world he didn’t know that some of the things he was doing, could and probably would hurt Isaiah, because in my opinion…Isaiah was so much more patient and understanding than I would’ve been. Not about Mark coming out, but just about everything. Mark was kind of lost, and trying to find his way with this new “relationship”, not only romantically, but as uncles who were raising 3 children and trying to the best they could with that they had. A lot fell on Isaiah, and it had to be a lot of strain on him…I admired him for keeping it together and wanting to do what was right for the babies, even when he was hurting so bad, with everything that was getting thrown at him, left and right. I was rooting for both of them, but I had such a soft spot in my heart for Isaiah.

I also loved seeing the other guys from this series, and seeing how they took Mark’s back when he needed them, even though it took him forever to let his guard down and trust them to have it. Tackling same sex marriages in the military at all is tricky business, so I love reading stories where it’s accepted and even celebrated, even if only in small ways. One of these days we’ll get to a place where it won’t be a thing we even have to differientiate. Fingers crossed.

Until then, I’ll keep reading and loving these stories, and I thought this one was an excellent addition.

4 pieces of eye candy from me!

Annabeth Albert has delivered an amazing book touching on so many topics it might make your head spin. But hold on tight, because Annabeth does it with style. This book deals with a main character, whose a SEAL, trying to figure out his sexuality while in a relationship with an openly gay male, all the while taking over guardianship of three very young kids after a tragic family accident occurs. Even one of those items can be daunting, but all of them??? Kudos for getting it all in and not overwhelming the reader with too many details.

Although this book was very angsty for me, I wholeheartedly loved reading it! Annabeth gives us a peek into a demisexual/gray-ACE sexuality. Mark is the SEAL and he is trying to figure out what he is sexually, and it baffles him. He wants to label it, but he's still confused. He has tried some varied things in the past with both men and women, and knows what he doesn't get into. I liked finding out what makes him excited. And how Isaiah seems to be that person that excites him is intriguing.

Isaiah propositioned Mark many years ago, and although he was turned down, he never forgot a kiss they shared. When they are forced into a situation of cohabitating while legal details are sorted, things take a turn. Attraction is there and as time goes, there is a mutual respect gained.

This is a slow building story, so if you are looking for a lot of SEAL drama and action, this is not that book. There are very little sex scenes involved as well. This is a relationship building type book and it deals with feelings-so many feelings! We get dual POV so we get to see how the other is feeling-right or wrong. I love that in a book.

Overall, this is a heartfelt, caring, and loving book. Both men have to come to terms with so many things, and all at once. It was overwhelming and demanding, but very enlightening. They made the best choices they could, and little by little, made changes. Both grew as a person from these experiences and it was a pleasure to see it happen.

reviewed by Deb

4 Stars!

After Isaiah's cousin and his wife die in a tragic accident, both him and Mark Whitley's, the wife's brother, are left dealing with the aftermath and trying to keep the couple's 3 young children in their custody. Mark thinks Isaiah is too young at 24 to really know what he's getting into and Isaiah is determined to prove him wrong.

Squared Away is book 5 in the Out of Uniform series and can be read as a standalone, although I suggest you pick the whole series as it's amazing and you won't regret it.

When I started reading the book, I found Isaiah very likable and wasn't too sure about Mark, then I started liking Mark and getting slightly frustrated with Isaiah, and thankfully, by the end, I got to a happy medium and ended up liking both of them. Isaiah was young and wasn't too certain of what he really wanted to do with his life, other than taking care of his cousin Cal's children, and I really enjoyed seeing him find something he could be passionate about. He was great with the children and I really enjoyed their interactions. Of course, he was also in a bit over his head and refused to ask for help until Dylan pointed it out that he should put the children's welfare above his ego. He was really patient with Mark as he figured things out, and really, I can't fault him for getting fed up that Mark just refused to give it a try. Now, Mark, well, I wasn't too sure what to make of him at first, although I liked his journey of self-discovery as he finally accepted his sexuality and kind of settled on a label. It took him a long time, too, which was a bit annoying. I just couldn't understand what the problem was with others finding out he was with Isaiah, but I guess all's well that ends well.

Overall, I think the two of them showed a lot of growth throughout the book and it was nice seeing the progression of their relationship.

While Squared Away wasn't my favorite book in the series, it was still pretty good, a bit angsty and heavy in parts, but well balanced with the romance and becoming an instant family. I loved that the kids were such an integral part of the story without taking it over, too. And of course, it was nice catching up with other characters from the series. All in all, this was a lovely hurt/comfort read and I have no trouble recommending it.

*** Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley by Carina Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

I just want to start by saying that this book is the fifth of Out of Uniform series but it can be read as a standalone, which is what I did. As in many romance novels, the characters may have appeared before, but I had no problems.

In the beginning, Isaiah is just determined to lose his virginity to the brother of the bride (and his cousin’s wife). Yet Mark despite being really tempted, declines the ‘invitation’. Fast forward six years in the future, Mark, the badass navy SEAL with the nickname ‘Wizard’ comes back home due to a tragic event – his sister and her husband have been killed driving while drunk, and leaving behind them three children.

Despite being a young and irresponsible (and also known as promiscuous), Isaiah takes care of the three children when they cannot reach Mark. And even though he is struggling, and rejecting help from others, Isaiah is doing quite a good job despite the circumstances. He’s helped taking care of them before so he knew them.

But when Mark comes home, two conflicting wills create…well, a conflict. And Mark and Isaiah have to live in the same house and take care of children together. To be honest, I found Mark a bit annoying in the beginning. He comes back home and suddenly he is the one who should take care of the children despite barely knowing them?

But as the story progressed, I started liking Mark more. Trying to figure out his relationship with Isaiah, his sexuality, AND dealing with children and grief makes for a hard time. I loved how patient Isaiah was with Mark as well as Mark trying to figure it all out and dealing with it and eventually telling his friends he is gray-ace.

I think the dealing with grief was quite well done, it seemed realistic and it was not over in a couple of seconds but it took a lot of time to start dealing with it. The children were also lovable and realistic.

But one of my favourite parts of all was Isaiah finding the job he took pleasure in. Despite his father criticising it a lot and almost forcing him to go back to school, he stands up for himself and finds work that he takes pleasure in (and which also help him take care of children).

All in all, it was a nice book and I will definitely pick up the author’s other books as well.

3 Stars - Isaiah and Mark met each other at Dani and Cal’s wedding (Mark’s sister and Isaiah’s cousin), six years ago. At the time, Isaiah was eighteen and wanted to lose his virginity. He’d chose Mark but not only Mark rejected him but he claimed he’s not gay. Six years later, Dani and Cal die in a car accident. They both had separate wills and in each will, one of Mark or Isaiah were chosen to be the guardianship. So until the court settles everything, they have to share custody. And both of them want to prove they are the best choice for the guardianship!
Well, this one is my least favorite in this series so far. For the first half I really struggled and thought maybe the second half would be better but no, that didn’t happen and after reading 60% of the book I started skimming. I couldn’t connect with the characters, both of them. Told in dual POV, 3rd person. It’s the fifth installment in the "Out of Uniform" series, with character crossover but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Thanks to Annabeth Albert, NetGalley and Carina Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange an honest review.