Reviews

Arctic Wild by Annabeth Albert

zaza_bdp's review against another edition

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3.0

Avec ce deuxième tome de la série Frozen Hearts on retrouve la beauté sauvage et immense de l'Alaska, aux côtés du régional de l'étape, Toby, et de Reuben, le citadin accro au boulot.
Comme dans le tome 1, on part en voyage organisé au fin fond de l'Alaska, et cette fois-ci, pas de minibus, mais plutôt un avion, enfin ... selon Reuben, cela tient plus d'un coucou qu'autre chose ... Rien ne va se passer comme prévu, et les deux hommes vont assez vite se retrouver dans une situation assez dramatique, qui posera les bases du reste du roman, et les conduira à passer beaucoup de temps ensemble.

Si j'ai bien plutôt bien aimé Reuben, j'ai eu plus de mal avec Toby, qui a fini par m'agacer, même si je peux comprendre ses réticences. Et du coup, je trouve la fin bâclée, alors qu'il y a un épilogue ... La romance en elle-même n'est pas transcendante, on sait que leur relation progresse, mais nous n'y assistons pas vraiment, et je trouve cela un peu dommage.

Pour finir sur une note plus positive, j'ai apprécié les relations entre les personnages, notamment celles entre Amelia et les autres.

vkelt's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

camill3's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pretty similar to the first book but i liked that the author included more about Toby's culture & heritage.

chadjames312's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review against another edition

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4.0

As a tourist guide and a pilot, Toby has taken many travelers throughout Alaska, but it is not until he takes Reuben, a man traveling alone that things don't go as smoothly as they should. Although he fights his attraction to Reuben an unfortunate landing has them both relying on each other. But will the high powered attorney go back to NJ and forget about the friendship he made? Or will the two reconnect and hopefully have a future? With a storyline that I could not put down and characters you cannot help but fall in love with once again Annabeth Albert does not disappoint. Love this series and cannot wait for more.

kaitlin_durante's review against another edition

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4.0

4 stars.
A great addition to the series. I love the setting of these books.

kady_cordova's review against another edition

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4.0

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.5

An interesting journey to discovering yourself and a new love you never thought you’d have!

Annabeth’s writing is incredible. Diverse, dynamic and entertaining. I enjoyed the adventure with Tody and Reuben. What starts as a surprising solo vacation turns into a summer full of discovering, connection and healing.

Both Reuben and Tody are great characters, each with their own issues and opinions. When Reuben is forced to take a previously organized group vacation solo he hopes to just get it over with and have plenty of downtime to stay on top of work and his cases. Little does he expect the charming, young, charismatic Tody to be his tour guide. As they set off on the exclusive tour, Toby tries he best to get Reuben to appreciate where he is and tries to get him off his phone and be present. As they form a friendship and flirtation, Reuben starts to disconnect from work and explore the idyllic scenery around him. Their tour continues and tragedy strikes forcing both Reuben and Toby to face a new reality and turns Reuben’s life onto a path of self-discovery and growth. He decides to take a leave of absence from work to help Toby heal and reconnect with his daughter Amelia. As they all spend more time together, bonds are formed and a new family is created. Reuben and Toby develop strong feelings for each other and with pride, ego and Toby’s family getting in the way their journey together is not easy!

I found Toby and Reuben’s connection organic and enjoyed their constant back and forth, I didn’t like how they couldn’t admit to their feelings but there has to be some angst so I get it. Other things I didn’t really like was Toby’s father and sister Nell’s instant judgment and dislike of Reuben, which seemed to be solely based on his age and bank balance. I got frustrated at Toby’s father’s pride and “a man handles his own shit” mentality and was saddened at how much this affected Toby. I wished these issues with Nell and Toby’s dad could have been explored more and discussed to find a resolution rather than, “oh, you’re happy, then okay” kind of switch later in the book. My other comment is that Reuben didn’t really express his past out load. There was a lot of talk that he started with nothing and worked damn hard to get where he is. I thought this being discussed could have softened Toby, Nell and Tony’s dad to Reuben a bit more and see what a good and generous person he was.

Either way, this was a great story of self-discovery and a once in a lifetime chance at a new life and a love both these characters deserved. I love Annabeth’s writing and look forward to Book 3 up next!!

Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com 📚

saeruh's review against another edition

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Picked this up from a thrift store a while ago because I’ve read a few others from this author and either liked or loved those + the high stakes sounded interesting. However, after getting 100 pages into this, I am just so bored and don’t care any of the characters. Absolutely no stakes with the plane crashing, they get saved immediately, and the rest of the book is just a slow burn talking about their feelings. Not for me personally

rhe323's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

adammm's review against another edition

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4.0

Reuben is a high-powered workaholic corporate lawyer who ends up taking a trip to Alaska on his own. Toby is his tour guide/pilot. When a plane crash occurs, they are left to reconsider what they really want from life. Shenanigans ensue.

A few thoughts: first of all, I feel like I've read this before. I know I haven't, but maybe it's because there are a limited number of "takes-place-in-Alaska" plots out there? It's very similar to the first in this series, as well as Up North by Allison Temple, for what it's worth.

Second, and not to be controversial, but I think I understand why I find Annabeth Albert's output so uneven: she is really good at third-person stories but not so good at first-person ones. No shade here - personally, when I write, I tend to have a stronger first-person voice than third. Albert's output of the last few years has been primarily first-person and, I find, not very good. I wonder if she'll switch back to third-person in future books?

Finally, I find it curious that the plane crash is such an integral part of this book and yet it is barely even present. Like, the incident takes all of, what, 10 pages? The incident reverberates throughout the book, but I kind of wish it lasted a bit longer.

Overall, not a bad read. Recommended for fans of hurt/comfort (physical hurt, that is); interesting locations; and family-based plots.