Annabeth Albert - At Attention

Lieutenant Apollo Floros can ace tactical training missions, but being a single dad to his twin daughters is more than he can handle. He needs live-in help, and he's lucky a friend's younger brother needs a place to stay. He's surprised to see Dylan all grown up with a college degree…and a college athlete's body. Apollo's widowed heart may still be broken, but Dylan has his blood heating up.
It's been eight years since the teenage Dylan followed Apollo around like a lovesick puppy, and it's time he showed Lieutenant Hard-to-Please that he's all man now—an adult who's fully capable of choosing responsibility over lust. He can handle Apollo's muscular sex appeal, but Apollo the caring father? Dylan can't afford to fall for that guy. He's determined to hold out for someone who's able to love him back, not someone who only sees him as a kid brother.
Apollo is shocked by the intensity of his attraction to Dylan. Maybe some no-strings summer fun will bring this former SEAL back to life. But the combination of scorching desire and warm affection is more than he'd expected, and the emotion between them scares him senseless. No fling lasts forever, and Apollo will need to decide what's more important—his past or his future—if he wants to keep Dylan in his life.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Out of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert. I had read the first book back in 2017 - actually, it was my first book by the author as well - and could not remember I had liked it that much, but I did. 

I simply got distracted by other series (truth to be told, with less installments) but decided to give this one another go.

Apollo Floros is a man who is used to be in charge of a team in critical missions, but he knows he can't manage his twin daughters on his own. Thankfully, his friend Dustin's younger brother is available to help him, while he is preparing to go back home.

Dylan has always had a crush on Apollo and his interest hasn't changed with the years. He likes working with children and in education in general so it's not a difficult decision to help with the twins. However, living in Apollo's house and seeing him so often isn't good for his peace of mind... especially since Apollo also seems to like what he sees in Dylan...

I didn't remember anything from the first book in this series when I started this one, not even the characters' names. Since the book isn't big, it was still easy to go through and some small things came to mind as I was reading but it was practically a novelty again. This book would feature a age gap romance but also a romance with people who had known each other before... this isn't really my preferred dynamic, but I had hopes to be entertained.

Apollo is a man with an established life, and he has his daughters to worry about and to take care of, but now that he is a widower he knows things will be harder to manage. While his usual helper, his mother, is away he decides to accept his friend's Dustin idea of hiring Dylan, Dustin's younger brother. Apollo still remembers him as a teenager but the truth is that Dylan is now a 23 year old with a physique to prove it and the credentials in education to justify the decision.

Dylan, as expected, remembers Apollo quite well and he doesn't hide it that he is attracted to him still, but he isn't that naive to assume that things will change easily. At first their interactions are very proper, even with the aura of mutual attraction, but it gets to a point Apollo will need to figure out if he wants to stick to the image of his past relationship, or if he feels ready to accept Dylan isn't only his age.

In terms of how these two got along and interacted while dealing with feelings for one another, things were captivating enough and the age gap plays quite an important role in why they don't simply start something right away. I also liked it that they were both conscious of being around two kids and that they shouldn't act in such a way that would confuse them. Nevertheless, it becomes obvious they are going to end up together and the journey towards that was the key element to look for. Honestly, the story develops in a quick fashion and I wasn't that thrilled by who they were as a couple.

Dylan and Apollo have interesting backgrounds and I was glad they finally found each other but their relationship is very cliche and it wasn't that special to read about them as a couple who is eager to have a life in common. It is to be expected that they don't think this right away, Apollo in particular, and then to have them behave as if they were a couple and then a conflict happens and then they change their minds again... the story isn't big enough for these elements to feel convincing to me. But, to be fair, if they hadn't known each other before, perhaps this would not have sounded as "weak" to me.

As other readers have mentioned, I struggled to feel an emotional connection with these two.Everything about them is great on paper but there was a time I actually envisioned dramatic scenarios in which they would separate and would mourn each other instead and that would be a surprising end instead... Of course, they get their HEA so this isn't what happens, but...it would have been an OK end to me anyway, you know?

Things do end in a happy note for them, which is great. But I don't think I'll miss them as characters.

Now I'm wondering if I'll stick to this series or if I'll try another one by the author instead...

Grade: 6/10