Tis the season for Christmas stories! And for me there is no better way than with a book by one of my favorite authors.

This story deviated from her norm in that it was set in upstate NY (not the Pacific Northwest or San Diego) and it featured an Army MP (not a Navy Seal). And it was adorable.

Nick is in his last month of active duty as an Army mp before he retires. Sounds like he was pushed into retirement, but I don't think it was ever explained why. And without giving anything away, the events surrounding the tragedy in Nick's family was never really explained either. Small details most probably won't notice.

Teddy runs a non-profit in his home town. A hometown that seems to be overrun by his extended family. Nick is persuaded to help Teddy and the non profit by dressing as Santa for some pictures and other events leading up to Christmas.

To say Nick and Teddy are polar opposites is putting it mildly. Nick is super grumpy, minimalistic, isn't close to his family and doesn't care about the holidays. And he much prefers sun and surf to snow and ice. Teddy is a do-gooder, perpetually happy, is ridiculously close to his family and adores the holidays.

I loved Teddy's confidence. He puts himself out there with Nick and when he is turned down he doesn't get all mopey and feeling sorry for himself. He just continues on. The way he slowly insinuated himself into Nick's life as a friend was super cute.

And then they did get together and wow. That would melt the snow on the roof.

I appreciated that the book included Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve in the story line. It was a fairly happy, low angst book with all of the holiday and family feels.

`m not a big fan off holliday special stories,but this one is too much fun
and cute to not read it.
It has a age-cap,witch I love,a fairytale town that makes a great storyline.
an bossy elf (social worker) a grumpy militaire about to retire.
what can possible go wrong,when the latter agrees to help out his boss
by volunteering.His last good deed before leaving the town.
Both guys have different ideas about there futures.
and agree to a month off adult fun.

I liked the storyline,It is well putt together,very well written.
I loved both guys they deserved their HEA

Arc is provided by Carina press (less)

4+ Stars

There’s something endearing about a gruff island kind of military man play boisterous Father Christmas. And when a sassy, too young and too cheerful Charity Director played his elf for the event is added to the mix, the result is something beyond adorable! Moreover when there’s age gap between the characters of such contrasting personalities!

Annabeth Albert’s latest writing paired Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki and Teddy MacNally in “Better Not Pout” a standalone set in Mineral Spirit, a (fictional) small town in upstate New York. It’s such a sweet and charming holiday romance that would warm one’s heart that I couldn’t help but fell for both characters and consequently the story in general. Not to mention there’s a generous portion of humor dotted here and there, giving “Better Not Pout” a soul and draw reader to devour the characters’ journey.

I truly enjoyed the interaction between Nick and Teddy (Teddy’s endless nickname for Nick were the stuff of giggle: Sergeant Major Stuffy Butt, Sergeant Major Santa, Sergeant Major Bossy Pants...) and how their POVs illustrated their opposite personalities well. The one trait they shared - the ingrained stubbornness to stick to their plan - was both a pain and attribute to story development. After a sort of unhurried pace the majority of the book, the end did feel a bit of a dash to me. But heck, overall “Better Not Pout” just delivered that satisfied-smile-after-reading and lifted-up the mood! And look at that cute cover; aren’t they just adorable there? I couldn’t recommend this book enough!!


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I completely enjoyed Better Not Pout. Annabeth Albert is one of my favorite authors and her books never fail to blow me away. Teddy was almost too wholesome at first and then he surprised me with a large backbone and a great deal of determination. Nick at first seemed too old for Teddy but somewhere in the middle of the book they just plain clicked and the age difference was immaterial, The chemistry was there but it was the connection that was the glue to this relationship, A great holiday read with a great plot and substance. Though they were together a short time it never felt like insta love. I highly recommend this book.

Love this Christmas story, It was sweet, funny, and sexy at the same time. Annabeth always writes tremendous books and this one didn't 'disappoint. You can tell Teddy and Nick are opposites but they are the perfect couple.
You can tell they have a great connection from start to finish.
I love Teddy's family they had me laughing out loud, and I was smiling the entire time I was reading it. The book seems so real even though it's fiction. Looking forward to the next book.

Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert is why I love holiday reads.



Feel good + grumpy Santa + loving Elf + Snowstorm + hot chemistry + Annabeth Albert = WINNER.

What I loved:

-Opposites attract. Nick and Teddy had completely different personalities but complimented each other well.

-Dual POVs

-Relationship development. Their feelings going from casual to serious felt very natural and genuine. They were perfect for one another in and out of the bedroom, and we were shown this throughout the book.

-Teddy. Although I loved both main characters, Teddy truly stole my heart. His giving nature and maturity made me wish he was real.

-Age gap. What I wrote for opposites attract would apply here as well- despite their age difference (46 and 28) these two clicked. Teddy came at a time in Nick's life where his old life was ending, and a new journey begins.

-Chemistry: smoking hot.

-And the end was warm fuzzy goodness.

Any negatives?NONE.

Do I recommend this? Hell, yeah!

5 Stars

Loved it!

4.5 cute Christmas stars

This book was love at first chapter.

We have a broody, grumpy Santa Sergeant Major Nicholas - Saint Nick and a cute Elf with a heart of gold named Teddy who is all about positive vibes.

Mix these two polar opposites, Grumpy Santa and bubbly Elf together and we get one big explosive Christmas romance.

Like Teddy, i love Christmas and this book provided the right recipe for a feel good holiday book.

Teddy loves Christmas and is tasked to play an Elf in one of his charity events. He is paired with the Grumpy Santa nicknamed Saint Nick, and Teddy makes it his mission to help grumpy Santa love the holiday too. I enjoyed the wooing part, from the get go, these two had some major chemistry going on. I loved how Teddy slowly broke down Nick's not so permanent walls.

The romance was so well done. The slow-burn , the build up and everything in between was so romantic.

The kisses! damn the Kisses! oh my i loved them, these two had some hot panty melting makeout sessions and the sex was hot too and well balanced throughout the story.

Teddy's family provided a solid supporting characters, loved them all and also Nick's sister and her family were a nice addition to the story.

Overall it was a sweet Christmas read and i really loved it.

Highly Recommended when you are in the mood for a feel good holiday story.

ARC kindly received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

This was such a sweet holiday love story! It really got me into the spirit! Nick and Teddy are definitely the “odd” couple from the start but AnnaBeth really draws the reader to see things from both men’s perspective. I loved the Christmas-y theme with the Santa and Elf jobs. It had all the necessary elements, and I would recommend.

Set in upstate New York, Teddy lives in a small town and runs the community center. They meet as Nick, about to retire from MP, does his commanding officer a favor by playing santa as her husband is unable. Sparks ensure but with the large age gap, and kicks plans to head south to Florida the future is uncertain.

I loved that teddy was a Bignotti personality and didn’t back down! All around seeet read!

So humorous to watch Teddy, in his elf costume, win over Nick. Nick is a Scrooge, but is kind enough to do a favor for his CO and play Santa. The characters are great. A lovable holiday story.

3.5 to 4*


It took me awhile to settle into this book and honestly early on it was touch and go for a while. This was mainly due to Nick who does a very good impersonation of the grinch.
But I’m getting ahead of myself let me start at the beginning.

We have Sergeant Major Nicholas Nowicki who somehow gets roped into playing Santa. Now Nick is counting down. He’s weeks away from retiring from the army after twenty-eight years service. They won’t let him re-up so in a months time he’s heading to Florida. His plans are set, no more snow he’s buying a boat and enjoying some sun.
Nick is forty-six and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book. I like an age gap romance.

Teddy MacNally is an absolute delight. I loved everything about him. He’s twenty-eight, out and fully accepted by the small town he lives in. That in itself is refreshing.

I enjoyed a lot of this book. Teddy in particular but also when Nick relaxes and we see him with Teddy. The heat sizzles and the sex is slow and hot. These scenes are incredibly well written.

My main problem was Nick. His past is explained and I understand why he’s like he is. And I truly wanted him to find happiness with Teddy and acceptance in Mineral Spirits. But at times his character felt a bit flat and his obsession with the age difference really annoyed me.
Okay so the age difference is nearly twenty years so I appreciate it’s going to give him pause. Especially when you take Micah into consideration. But Nick get over it already Teddy is perfect grab him with both hands and never let go.

I finished this book in the early hours and my rating then was 3 to 3.5*. But while writing this review I realised it’s a better book than that so I’m upping it to 3.5 to 4*.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley.

3.5 stars

LGBT Romance is a new genre for me. I have read some romance in the past and it’s a genre that I have been reading more recently in my personal genre study. I didn’t know what to except when I started this book but ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I did have some minor issues with the age difference between the characters (more on that later) and Nick’s fairly quick transformation from gruff, Christmas hating Sergeant Major to loving, holiday spirit filled guy but I thought that was a fun holiday read.
A few things I liked about this book:
-Teddy and his wonderful, loving, supportive family.
-The tight-knit community that welcomed Nick from the very beginning
-The Christmas spirit that was prevalent throughout the book

A few things I didn’t like about this book:
-I wish there were more scenes that showed Nick and Teddy falling in love and not just having sex (this seems weird to say about a romance novel but I wanted to see more of what made the characters actually want to commit to each other besides hot sex).
-The main characters seemed a bit cookie cutter to me (young, happy guy that falls for older, curmudgeon)
-The age difference was a bit strange to me because when it was first brought up in the book, I thought it would have been a bigger part of the story. When it wasn’t, it left me questioning why the author decided to make the age gap so large.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read that got me excited for the Christmas season. While there were things I liked, there were some issues I had with the characters and the ending that seemed rushed.

Is it too early for Christmas story? Never! This is a very sweet and cute holiday theme May/December romance. And the best part: Is a full length novel! We have grumpy bear, veteran, Nick and the bundle of sunshine, Teddy, even his name is cute. Nick is the reluctant Santa for the month at Mineral Spirit and Teddy, the young director of the charity organization vowed to make Nick enjoyed the holiday season. Okay, part of his motivation is to get Nick into bed for a holiday fling, but who can blame him. We all have a thing for big tough veteran and the picking is slim at the small town.

Nick put on a fight initially but in the end he had to succumb to Teddy charm. Teddy is such a joy to be around and I love seeing how he slowly thaw Nick's heart and make Nick feel at home in the cold as fuck town. There isn't any big drama and despite Nick keep saying he will be leaving for Florida soon, the story is low on angst. Mainly a lot of delicious longing on both their part to make their relationship last. Nick had to do some soul searching to figure out what he want for his future. At the end of the day, I'm just happy to see Nick finally found a place he belong, which is with Teddy of course.

I loved this book. I read it in one day. The main romance was so sweet and passionate. The chemistry was so well written and the magic of Christmas is just something that makes the reader smile throughout.

Annabeth Albert + a Military MC + a festive setting = complete win!

I knew going into this one that I would - more likely than not - end up loving it as it had all the hallmarks of the great formula which has worked so well in Annabeth's Out of Uniform series (and if you've not read that yet, get on it!

This is magic, a lonely Sergeant Major being pushed into retirement after 28 years service, a younger man who lives in the town he grew up in, surrounded by his extended family and a support network but never taking risks.

They meet when Nick is cajoled by his Commanding Officer into taking over the role of Santa that her husband usually plays when he's invalided out following a heart attack. Nick is not a <i>jolly Santa</i> at all, he's a serious character whose really only ever known the Army life.

While there is tragedy in his past, it's not dwelled upon, it's something he's pushed deep inside and so Teddy's open and expressive way of life and the closeness he has with his own family, even though they too have had a similar painful experience, is something he's not sure how to deal with.

I loved watching Teddy slowly break down all Nick's walls, not even deliberately, he just is Teddy and Nick slowly realises there might be an alternative to living the remainder of his days alone in a Florida setting he's only heading for because he promised an old Army buddy he'd invest in his tour business.

Teddy's not all fluff though, he knows he's got his own issues and the safety and security of his small hometown where he knows everyone is just one of the things which holds him back. Nick opens up a future he hadn't thought was possible.

I love me a good Christmas/festive romance and I love me a good military romance, especially with an age gap and complete opposites attract, and Annabeth delivers on all three. Put this one at the top of your reading list, it'll make a lovely present!

Well the holiday season is soon upon us but many holiday stories are already out there if you are in the mood for holiday cheer. I have read a few of Ms. Albert's books and really love her military mc's. In Better Not Pout Nick is a 46 yr old Sergeant Major in the Army's MP unit. He is used to the warm temperatures of his previous duty stations and is having a hard time with the winter he is facing in upper New York. Nick is also unhappy with the fact that he is being forced to retire after 28 years in service. Because of this, and other issues, Nick plans on staying detached from those around him. When his commanding officer askes for a favor Nick see no choice but to say yes.

Teddy is 26 and the coordinator of a charity organization in his home town. He has never really been away from home, or his family which is quit large. Being gay makes things a little tricky but his family is supportive and he hopes to one day have what his parents do. He is a little surprised by his reaction to Nick and wonders what is head.

This story has a lot going for it. There is the military angle, the May/December aspect and of course the holiday cheer. While both characters have issues to overcome, the story is not angst driven but it is also not bogged down in holiday sweetness either. Fans of Ms. Albert will love this new book and will want to give the story a try even if holiday books aren't your cup of tea.

I really enjoyed this! The grumpy trope, the age difference, the slow-burn. A great, fast book for m/m romance readers!

4.5 Jolly Stars!
Review by Nancy
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

Better Not Pout by Annabeth Albert was phenomenal. It made me wish I could skip right into December. A slow burn opposites attract romance. This book was heartfelt, sexy, sweet and full of holiday cheer. I, for one, can read holiday novels year round, I know that’s not the case for everyone but this one is worth the read.

Nick has dedicated his entire life to the military but is now being forced into early retirement. He has decided to retire to Florida were he will go into business with other veterans. Before he can fully retire, he is will play Santa for the town’s charity foundation. A little grumpy and a lot sexy, he reluctantly makes his way to the charity foundation where, low and behold, he bumps into a very handsome elf.

Teddy, the director of the charity foundation, is young, good looking, funny and a family man. He is an extremely busy man with very few opportunities to find love. That is, until he meets the volunteer who will be playing Santa. Despite Nicks grumpy personality and their age gap, Teddy is going to take a leap and ask Nick out on a date. He knows he has about a month before Nick leaves for Florida but is willing to give it a go anyways.

The book starts off a little slow but quickly captured my full and utter attention. Nick and Teddy are perfect for each other. It's very cliche, but they are the definition of opposites attract. Nick thinks he is way too old to be feeling an attraction towards Teddy, but Teddy is resilient and determined to make Nick see the beauty of the holiday season and hopefully along the way find love.

What started as a fling with a deadline, soon becomes an undeniable, full forced, steamy happily ever after. This book had it all! It was bittersweet, tugged at my heart, gave me all the feels, was a little bit angsty and very cheery. It was the perfect holiday novel!

**ARC provided for an honest review**

*****

Roped into playing Santa when his commanding officers husband has a heart attack Nick has one goal in mind, finish his last month in the army and retire on the beaches of Florida running a boat tour company with his buddy. He not expecting his helping elf, to come along and make his mind start playing tricks on him.

Teddy, a fun loving family man, who enjoys helping others knows hes in for a battle when Nick shows up in the Santa suit. Expecting a happy go lucky Santa hea met with a grumpy 46 yr old who would rather be anywhere else.

Can this fun loving, naturally happy man get through Nick's hardened demeanor, and get him into the holiday spirit?

Let's just say life doesnt always go as planned.

A cute holiday snowed-in romance.

I love Annabeth Albert and her stories tend to have a softness to them, even when they make you emotional. <u>Better Not Pout</u> is about Nick Nowicki, a member of the Military Police who’s completed 28 years of service is now up for retirement. His commanding officer’s husband ends up unable to fulfill his Santa obligations, so Nick steps up and heads to Mineral Spirits, where he meets Teddy MacNally. Teddy is the director of the local rec center and he does lots of fundraising and special events, like a Giving Tree, to help out his community. Teddy also has a large family who all are active members of the community.

This book was a little too insta-attraction for my preferences, but I still really enjoyed the development between Teddy and Nick. I’m always a fan of grumpy x sunshine pairings, and this one executes that wonderfully. I also loved the community and family scenes. Teddy’s family is very there for him and I enjoyed seeing Nick welcomed with open arms.

There are a few heavier moments in the story. Nick feels like he’s lost his purpose because he’s kind of being forced to retire because of his age (46), and all he’d ever wanted to be was a police officer. Nick also has a mother with a history of alcohol dependence, though she is sober at the time of the story; Nick has trouble trusting her sobriety because she has a history of falling off the wagon. Finally, both Nick and Teddy have lost a brother, but how their family reacted to the grief differed sharply. For Nick, his family fell apart and he took on a lot of guilt, and that was the catalyst for his mom’s drinking. For Teddy, the loss of his older brother kind of brought his parents closer, having each other to support them.

I liked all the contrasts and the ways Nick and Teddy complimented one another, and by the end there was some lovely character growth. The final chapter is super sweet and I hope these characters will show up in future books so we can see how their lives have gone.

3.5 stars

Teddy is a life-long resident of Mineral Spirits and he runs a charity resource center for local residents. Nick is a soon-to-be retired military policeman who is ready to head south for warmer weather. When Nick's commanding officer's husband falls ill, Nick volunteers to fill in as Santa for the resource center's fundraising campaign. That's when he meets Teddy and starts feeling things he never intended to want for his life.

I really liked Nick and Teddy together. Teddy is a very positive, free spirit who initially viewed Nick as a convenient hook-up but his feelings for Nick quickly grew. But Nick's intentions of moving to Florida were hanging over them. Nick had his future all planned out but Teddy began to worm his way into Nick's heart.

This may be a minority opinion but, while I enjoyed the story and liked the MC's, I wasn't overwhelmed with emotion for these guys. It took me several days to finish the book because I wasn't "compelled" to finish it. I would recommend it for anyone wanting a sweet, low-angst holiday read.