Monthly Mini Review

Wheels Up by Annabeth Albert, narrated by Greg Boudreaux – B- Navy SEAL Lt. Dustin Strauss has been exploring his bisexuality via an app called Joe for Joe and has developed a connection with a fellow SEAL, Petty Officer Wes Lowe. Although because they use avatars, neither knows the other is a SEAL until Wes joins Dustin’s SEAL team. They had a hot in person hookup in DC but Wes was called away suddenly and they hadn’t had a chance to do much talking. Also, Dustin had let Wes believe he was a marine and Wes had told Dustin he was in “security”. So, when Wes does join the SEAL team, it’s a very unwelcome surprise. As much as Dustin has enjoyed their cyber sex and exploring his kinky side with Wes, it is against the fraternisation rules for them to even be friends. Their attraction is too much to deny and a distraction on the job and it also puts their careers are risk. Dustin could be court-martialed. It’s a big deal.

Dustin is into submission with a bit of pain (no blood) and it turns Wes’s crank to let out his inner Dominant for Dustin. As they keep having more and more (and always unwise) encounters their feelings become stronger until something has to give.

Why I read it: This was a gift because I was too cheap to buy it myself (it’s expensive for a novella – really, $6 – $8 at Kobo – is just TOO MUCH).

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) The only easy day is yesterday. BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training is known for being the toughest, meanest, most physically punishing program in the entire U.S. Navy, and a new crop of tadpoles have arrived in Coronado eager to prove their worth—to make it through Hell Week, and become U.S. Navy SEALs.

Although Izzy prefers assignments out in the “real world,” he’s glad to be an instructor for the current BUD/S class, because it allows him to spend time at home with his wife, Eden, and her lively and lovable extended family.

Eden’s sixteen-year-old brother, Ben, is dealing with a new crush and a homophobic bully in his high school, but it soon appears that things are not as they seem.

Meanwhile, Eden’s other brother (and Izzy’s SEAL teammate and former frenemy) Danny Gillman and his wife Jenn have just had a baby who has colic and cries constantly.

As Ben deals with the type of too-serious high school drama that could involve a body count, and Danny and Jenn juggle a new baby, lack of sleep, and postpartum blues, Izzy is intrigued by “Boat Squad John,” a misfit team of young SEAL candidates all named John, including the intriguing young Seagull, his swim buddy Timebomb, and Seagull’s nemesis Hans.

Does Seagull have what it takes keep Boat Squad John still standing when the dust of BUD/S Hell Week settles or will they ring out?

Set in Coronado during BUD/S training Hell Week, in Ready to Roll Brockmann introduces the SEAL officer and instructor nicknamed Grunge—Lt. Peter Greene—as she delivers what she does best: a story celebrating the U.S. Navy SEALs—and the women (and sometimes men) who wholeheartedly love and support them.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): I’ve been a fan of Suzanne Brockmann’s novels and in particular her Troubleshooters series for years. They tend to hold up well for me on re-reads. I didn’t even get super cross about the whole Decker, Sophia, Dave and Tracy thing. So I say this in love. Please for the love of all that is good in a book, do not write stage directions in first person narratives. This is not Twitter. Continue reading