I never managed to read the ARC I got for this one, but I'm glad I gave this one another chance and listened to the audiobook. I liked Canaan and loved Renzo, and even though the book was fairly predictable, it managed to surprise me pleasantly a few times.

Reading or listening to a lot of books by the same author always highlights both their strengths and weaknesses. Annabeth Albert's strength are without a doubt her characters, and the relationships between them. She always does a good job rooting the characters in their lives, and it never feels like the book is just about the two main characters. The same is true for the places the books are set in; they always have a texture to them. She also does a great job of connecting the books in a series.

As for weaknesses, I do think she relies on clichés (like the jealous ex) a little too much. Or maybe it's that there tend to be too many clichés at once? And there is a tendency of her not digging deep enough into stuff - sometimes she brushes issues I think would be interesting to explore but she never goes far enough for my liking. And as for this series - this is a question of my taste and ideologies - while it does a great job at portraying the reality of military life, the fact that there needs to be that military is always taken for granted, and that got a little much for me sometimes. (I realize no one is forcing me to read books about the military, but it still bugs me, so.) However, what I like least is the amount of sex scenes. Especially when listening while running you tend to notice if there is too many of them - I've lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes while out thinking, "Again?!". This, too, of course is a question of personal taste - less is more when it comes to sex scenes in my opinion.
But the thing is, even if there are things I'm not a fan of sometimes, overall I had a great time listening to these books, and it certainly won't be the last time I do so.

While there were some enjoyable moments in this book, I have to admit this might be one of my least favorite in the series. I will say that I have only read it once, and I have before discovered that I like a book much more after a first take, so I am definitely not saying you shouldn’t give this one a try. There were plenty of enjoyable moments here for everyone.

First, I had a hard time getting past my initial impression of Canaan from On Point. Which is slightly unfair, but still. I did eventually manage it, but it was a slight obstacle for me.

I do enjoy a fake boyfriends trop when it is well done and I do think that Albert did a good job here. I love the way that she handled the way that the lead singer of Canaan’s band did treat him and how that informs who Canaan is now that he’s no longer in the band. I loved Canaan’s devotion to his grandfather and the way in which his sacrifice–giving up the band as it was on the rise–was a testament to how lovely and loving Canaan is despite his reputation as being a bit of a SEAL chaser.

Rooster and his story–particularly aspects involving his issues with sex and intimacy–fell a bit flat for me. This book in particular felt like an example of a particular story element–why Rooster has issues with sex–which felt like a plot device. Generally I feel like Albert does a great job with approaching and depicting a spectrum of identities and issues with intimacy and sex. This one just did not work for me that much.

I did like the ways in which the author shows us how Rooster wants to move beyond an identitiy he feels boxed into with his fellow SEALs and the ways in which first impressions can really stick with someone; particularly in this case, the ways in which Rooster felt like he had to keep up the image they had of him while also resenting it.

Overall, I think this story fell a little flat for me in a way I can’t put my finger on just yet. I think this story could stand alone, but I don’t think I’d recommend it as an entry into the series.

Renzo (Rooster) & Canaan. We first meet Canaan in book 3 On Point, when he has a couple nights with Maddox and Ben. And with Rooster we start to see him through out the series but finally here he gets his own book.

This time around one of our military group is bi-sexual and is 'packing' which comes with problems. However, Canaan to the rescue to help guide Renzo to sexual freedom with his sexuality and intimacy.

The thing I like most about MM romance is the strong characters and less martyrs but Renzo had a bit of martyrdom when he gets transferred and didn't know how to be happy and make his family happy.

" . . . If you love me, let me be an adult, make my own choices."

Thankfully Canaan is the strong one and can guide Renzo through. I did like Renzo and Canaan together but I think Canaan's relationship with his grandpa is my favorite part of the book.

I adore this series and hope there will be more.


3.5/5

I have become a huge fan of Annabeth Albert, I definitely indulged hardcore in the Out of Uniform Series when I started it several months ago. I can admit that each one is definitely a new flavor, some hit or misses on my spectrum of obsession, but I still cannot deny I really enjoy the writing style of Annabeth. I think honestly it is her characters. She really dives deep in each angle of dynamics to ensure each romance is different.

And speaking of characters, Renzo and Canaan were definitely different, not what I was expecting. Renzo was a bit of an issue for me. One one end, I really liked his broody, complicated yet caring individual. He had this blend of sexy, confident yet insecurity about himself that was downright adorable. And I really enjoyed how Canaan really helped Renzo see how amazing he was both as a person and as a sexual piece of man meat. Unfortunately my biggest issue with Renzo comes with his supporting characters, his family. I felt his personality was dictated way too much by his family and honestly made his character appear .... questionable. It made it hard to connect with him. Plus his reasoning for breaking things off (gotta love the drama tropes) with Canaan was.... interesting, not one of my favorite.

Canaan too was interesting. I liked him yet he annoyed me. Though I can honestly say I enjoyed how much Canaan did for Renzo, again, he really brought out the brighter side of Renzo's character but there was still a lot I disliked just as much as liked towards him. He had this free spirit yet always appeared jaded, he was outspoken and yet countered this with insecurity of his past, it was very flip flop. But I still loved getting to know Canaan, especially when I know he appeared in previous books on the Out of Uniform series, he was always a delight then and was a delight even now.

Canaan and Renzo together - oh my lanta, they were delicious. I loved their easy flow with one another, even at the beginning. Being able to read their sexual growth together was just phenomenal. The discovered each others personality, their sexual wants and needs, it really aided in the actual chemistry of their relationship. They had a great chemistry at the beginning, they had fun together and bottom line sexual chemistry was fun.

And though I can honestly admit, I did enjoy the chemistry between Renzo and Canaan, I simply could not get over the 'fake boyfriend' trope. It was something that I felt wasn't needed in this plot. I get why, Canaan's ex-boyfriend was a total tool, but just could have been just as amazing without this dynamic.

Overall, I liked Rough Terrain, but I just did not love it. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, though the chemistry was decent, it wasn't anything to go for a home run for if I am being honest. There was still just a lack luster with the entirety of it that I think that basically threw me for a loop. Between the 'Fake Boyfriend' trope and the honest to goody good 'Break up for the best' kind of angle was just a little overdone when it could have been more simple, especially considering what I felt were plot holes.

Even still, this is a great addition to this wonderful series. Each character dynamic gives a different angle to their emotional struggles that it is just always beautiful to see each one evolve into a better human. The romance is definitely fierce, very passionate in this one. I am definitely excited to see what or who comes next!

Honestly, I just felt like there wasn't really that much plot.. Like, all the drama and everything was really unnecessary.
I especially am not a big fan of the whole "I'm breaking up with you for your own sake" spiel...

This book was all right. I didn't hate it, it didn't wow me. Our two heroes had decent enough chemistry. The settings were the fun part, going from soda shop to army base to peril in the woods. The characters didn't really pop off the page, and there were a lot of cliches, but it wasn't a bad read.

This was such a steamy read! For those of you who are looking to break through the LGBTQ+ romance genre, this title by Annabeth Albert should have a well-deserved spot in your radar / TBR. The way this was written was quite unique, and I really appreciated seeing all these different sides to the characters, and the way their story unfolded intrigued me. I was hooked in no less than a few chapters, and I just can't help but feel like I need to read more from the author. Will rectify this in no time, I hope!

've thought previous books in this series were the last one (it's odd for one series to have 7 books in it, I suppose) but I'm pretty sure when I say now that this is the last book in this series of SEAL novels.

And I was so pleasantly surprised! After the last book, Tight Quarters, I wasn't sure that there was a lot more to explore that hadn't already been carted out in previous books of the series.

We had the forced proximity trope in Off Base
A man with a deceased husband and kids in At Attention
Friends to lovers in On Point
Forbidden love and a take on the gay for you trope in Wheels Up
Family death and new responsibility (as well as a demisexual character!!!) in Squared Away

In this novel, we get Rooster's story, Renzo's story rather, because as it turns out he kinda hates that nickname and can't get away from it. However, his chance might be coming up if he gets this transfer that will pull him closer to his family. Which is important to him, especially given that his parents have the job of looking after his older brother who's had a brain injury since childhood. And Renzo has a hero complex to match.

Canaan happens to work at the juice bar that a lot of the navy SEALs end up visiting. He quite enjoys the eye candy. Most of all, he enjoys seeing Renzo. Although he's been watching the other man for some time, they haven't spoken yet and Renzo is entirely unaware of Canaan's little crush.

This changes when the two of them end up having a night out together at Canaan's invitation. At first, Renzo was just about alleviating some boredom, but things turn a bit more intimate when the two of them go away for a holiday with some of Canaan's old band mates.

This is such a slow burn book with amazing side characters and lovely pacing. I particularly like the family ties that both Canaan and Renzo have. Grandpa was definitely my favourite character here.

While I love this series, this was not my favorite. Renzo and Canaan definitely had plenty of heat, but I just didn't feel the tension that some of the earlier books had.

I don't want to say goodbye to these amazing SEALs! For the last time in this series, Annabeth Albert touched my heart with Rooster and Canaan. I've been wanting Rooster's story for a long time now, and it did not disappoint. He had a hard time opening up to Canaan, but when extreme conditions sort of forced the issue between them, that was when the book went from good to awesome.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves hot, m/m military books. They're romantic and sexy and emotional - they always exceed my expectations. I can't wait to see what Annabeth Albert comes out with next!

Cute and fun read with an a slightly obvious plot line. The chemistry between Canaan & Renzo (Rooster) is not obvious in the beginning and develops with the story.

What a fantastic way to end what has been an amazing series. Annabeth Albert is a master at contemporary romance and this military series has been one of the best I've read. She fully brings you into the world of the characters and experience everything right along with them.
Canaan is a 28 year old who has experienced a lot in life but made the right decisions for himself at the time and is happy with the life he has. Training to be a nurse but wanting to meet up with ex band mates is all well and good until he says that he has a boyfriend, who is a SEAL..... who doesn't exist.
Renzo is looking to move back closer to his family and is just focusing on making his way through the ranks towards chief. He didn't expect the wonderful distraction that is Canaan. Or to feel such a connection to the man who is so very accepting of all of Renzo's worries, hang ups and protective instincts.
Together they make good memories, support each other when the times are tough and enjoy moments with families. It's a story that is a joy to read and will, I'm sure, be reread on several occasions.
Whilst this one didn't have any severe nerve wracking/death defying moments, it doesn't mean that the two men don't experience a roller-coaster together in a relationship neither wanted or expected. They work perfectly together, however, and are a wonder to read. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud and a few more that had me upset or angry on their behalf. The intimate moments between the two men are a wonder to read with so much worry coming from Renzo and Canaan bringing confidence and reassurance that they can both enjoy whatever it is they do, a great way to be with your partner.
There are, of course, a great cast of characters. Pop up moments of previous characters from this series as well as new ones from Canaan's life and Renzo's family. My favourites being Canaan's Granpa and Renzo's brother. They bring even more heart and warmth to a great romance.

Unfortunately, this did not do it for me. I skimmed the last 20% of the novel, including the sex scenes. The writing was rather uninspiring, and Renzo’s indecisiveness was irritating. He had a lot of issues, guilt from an incident in his childhood and insecurities about sex, specifically penetrative sex. Because he had a mighty sized d*** which made his partners uncomfortable. He didn’t know if he was good in bed. Canaan of course was his opposite, super sex positive, secure about his wants and needs. So, for most of the book, Canaan was set on proving to Renzo how good sex could be. He was hardcore seducing Renzo, but eventually the chase and the lust gave way to more tender feelings. Canaan started to see Renzo as more than just a hot SEAL but a genuinely good person who was always looking out for him. This was all good relationship development but it seemed like every conversation between them ended up with them having sex. Whether it involved penetration or not, the sex scenes felt like textbook m/m romance. Can’t wait want you need you now. Also, so confused about feelings it’s too soon to say I love you and tell my partner how I really feel. Not to mention, the fake boyfriend trope didn’t pay off. It’s supposed to be exciting. I want to feel giddy anticipating the reveal. But nothing happened because no one was there to see it. We didn’t see Renzo and Canaan make a big appearance as a couple. Pretty much everyone around them was like, meh. Even Renzo’s anxiety about his family and the way he felt pressured to be perfect turned out to be not that big of a deal. It was apparently resolved in one phone call. Renzo’s guilt was also dropped from the story after serving its purpose to show how great Renzo was and how great Canaan was for feeling for him and seeing him for who he really was. Renzo’s issues became non-issues much too easily. The high point for me was when Ben and Maddox, my favorite couple in this series, made a surprise cameo. The skydiving scene was rather poignant. And I liked how Canaan was a fighter. I liked Canaan much more than Renzo, in fact. This was definitely not the best in this series. It had me at fake boyfriend, but lost me around the time they got trapped in a rainstorm which was supposed to be a bonding moment, the moment that changed them forever, but instead felt rather underwhelming. I keep trying with this author, but I don’t know if I can anymore. This book was tedious to read, and I just didn’t feel much passion in her writing.

I liked this so much. Really liked it. I've got this soft spot for this series and at first, I was worried I wasn't going to like this. Just something at the begining or maybe the blurb... not sure what really. I was just worried.

I should have known better. This book was fun and entertaining, with a little bit of adventue. I enjoyed the way Renzo and Canaan got to know each other, the tentative way they made their way and worked on being friends. And I liked that it was so much more than just them surviving on a trip because that happens and is passed quickly with so much more book left. This is where the blurb is sort of misleading because beyone that on incident, they have a lot more to work through, towards, and accomplish. The work they put into it is where the book shined for me.

So, another hit for Annabeth Albert.

Ahh...this is what I love about Annabeth Albert.
Canaan works in a smoothie shop as he makes his way through nursing school, Renzo is our resident SEAL in this story. You remember Canaan? He may have had a little part in a threesome with a couple of our other fave SEALs from On Point.
I loved Canaan's relationship with his grandpa, and while Renzo had a bit of a guilt ridden relationship with his family, he loved them completely.
All in all, I really enjoyed Renzo and Canaan. They got to know each other over a series of dates and a little exciting adventure. I liked their growth as people and as a couple. I would have said things were a bit too perfect, I mean even Renzo's problem is sort of the perfect problem for Canaan to solve (and what a really fun, steamy solving they do)...but then there was the "I know what is best for you" issue and I realized that even the best characters have their flaws. :)
I will admit that I didn't quite understand the fake boyfriend plot, that I think it would have been a little more believable if Canaan had asked Renzo to go with him as a friend and presented him as such. Like, "Hey, douchbag ex-boyfriend, the whole bring my boyfriend thing didn't work out but here is my friend Renzo."
I am sorry to see this series end, but I am sure Annabeth will keep us updated on Renzo, Canaan and all the other Out of Uniform guys!

This is a wonderful conclusion to an interesting series. I loved Rooster/Renzo and Canaan, especially the stranded part. It was easy to read and interesting, like all books by Annabeth Albert. Full review to come soon.

Rough Terrain features the following:
❤️ fake boyfriend trope
💛 camping trip from hell
💚 Canaan, hipster smoothie barista/nursing student/former drummer
💙 Renzo, the buff SEAL/fitness guru/Insta influencer, who has a rather, erm, LARGE problem
💜 Family bonding
💞 Sweet and sexy times

I have really enjoyed the whole Out of Uniform series, and Rough Terrain is a solid book to finish the series on. What made this series special for me is that each couple/MC is so uniquely different and they all faced different challenges

Après avoir été séduite par le précédent opus, il me tardait de savoir ce que l'auteur allait me réserver avec ces SEAL ultras torrides... Et bien à nouveau, ce fut un pur régal...

L'histoire suit celle de Canaan & Renzo. Un duo hors norme comme tout qui m'a séduite chacun à leur manière. Tous deux portent de lourds bagages. Ensemble et individuellement, ces deux forts caractères imparfaitement parfaits vont vous surprendre à bien des égards.

Le premier est un jeune barman ouvert et franc en fin d'études d'infirmier qui a toujours le béguin pour ce ténébreux SEAL. L'autre est un militaire complexe qui suite à une douloureuse expérience a du mal à donner sa confiance. Mais il aura suffit d'une proposition des plus étonnantes et un malencontreux évènement pour que leur vie prenne un tournant à 360°. Ensemble, ils vont devoir faire face à ces troublants sentiments ainsi qu'à de nombreux obstacles s'ils veulent une chance d'un avenir...

En bref... Un final qui porte le titre parfait (Terrain Difficile) dans tous les sens du terme... Une lecture qui vous happe dès les premières pages et qui vous fera vibrer de la meilleure façon qui soit... Une magnifique histoire avec des moments doux, émouvants mais également torrides qui évolue tout en douceur... C'est simple j'ai adoré chaque instant dans ce livre... Je dois bien le reconnaître que le style d'Annabeth Albert ainsi que l'univers si particulier des SEAL m'ont littéralement captivée. Et j'espère que beaucoup d'entre vous se laisseront tenter....

A nice love story and an enjoyable read. Nothing spectacular but worth adding to a library collection.

This is a great fake boyfriend to real boyfriend story. Renzo is a SEAL, loves being a SEAL and the only thing that would make it better would be stationed closer to home and becoming a jumpmaster. Canaan had a career in a band, but family called him home and he had to find a new path.

Canaan is set to go on a retreat with his former band, but doesn't have a plus one. He and Renzo have just connected, and while hard to ask, Canaan goes for it anyway. Renzo agrees, but a little reluctantly. And while neither of them are opposed to hooking up while under the ruse, Renzo is afraid of relationships, and tries to keep his distance. But while on the retreat, the intimacy is better then Renzo has had in a long time. Then a disaster bonds Renzo and Canaan even closer together. But the real challenge is when Renzo gets wants, and how hard he is willing to fight to have it all.

I liked in the this book how the big tough SEAL is the more modest and reserved partner. Was refreshing to show the big strong guy as the less experienced, and less confident partner in the physical relationship. And I loved the importance of communication and finding balance, where their likes overlapped, to have the best chemistry. If you like HEA, and military, you will really like this book.