Scan barcode
kaitlin_durante's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars.
A great addition to the series. I love the setting of these books.
A great addition to the series. I love the setting of these books.
kady_cordova's review against another edition
4.0
đđđđ 4.5 stars
đ„đ„đ„ Heat Level: 3.5
An interesting journey to discovering yourself and a new love you never thought youâd have!
Annabethâs 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 Reubenâs 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 Tobyâs family getting in the way their journey together is not easy!
I found Toby and Reubenâs connection organic and enjoyed their constant back and forth, I didnât like how they couldnât admit to their feelings but there has to be some angst so I get it. Other things I didnât really like was Tobyâs father and sister Nellâs instant judgment and dislike of Reuben, which seemed to be solely based on his age and bank balance. I got frustrated at Tobyâs fatherâs pride and âa man handles his own shitâ mentality and was saddened at how much this affected Toby. I wished these issues with Nell and Tobyâs dad could have been explored more and discussed to find a resolution rather than, âoh, youâre happy, then okayâ kind of switch later in the book. My other comment is that Reuben didnât 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 Tonyâs 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 Annabethâs writing and look forward to Book 3 up next!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com đ
đ„đ„đ„ Heat Level: 3.5
An interesting journey to discovering yourself and a new love you never thought youâd have!
Annabethâs 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 Reubenâs 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 Tobyâs family getting in the way their journey together is not easy!
I found Toby and Reubenâs connection organic and enjoyed their constant back and forth, I didnât like how they couldnât admit to their feelings but there has to be some angst so I get it. Other things I didnât really like was Tobyâs father and sister Nellâs instant judgment and dislike of Reuben, which seemed to be solely based on his age and bank balance. I got frustrated at Tobyâs fatherâs pride and âa man handles his own shitâ mentality and was saddened at how much this affected Toby. I wished these issues with Nell and Tobyâs dad could have been explored more and discussed to find a resolution rather than, âoh, youâre happy, then okayâ kind of switch later in the book. My other comment is that Reuben didnât 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 Tonyâs 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 Annabethâs writing and look forward to Book 3 up next!!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit https://bookstattoosandtea.wordpress.com đ
saeruh's review against another edition
Picked this up from a thrift store a while ago because Iâve 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 donât 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
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
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.
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.
islandreader's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 âïž listened to this book on audiobook with one of my favorite narrator Iggy Toma. But this book was just meh. Still enjoyable but almost dnf it. The beginning first like 30% of the story I liked but it kinda went downhill after that. Wish the story was a little different
iam's review against another edition
4.0
Arctic Wild is very much an Annabeth Albert book, with which I mean it's the exact same formula I've seen from this author before. If [b:Arctic Sun|42354665|Arctic Sun (Frozen Hearts, #1)|Annabeth Albert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1549648632s/42354665.jpg|66003456] and [b:Rough Terrain|41121276|Rough Terrain (Out of Uniform #7)|Annabeth Albert|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1538585079s/41121276.jpg|64243038] had a book child, this would be it, minus the military character background.
Which isn't to say Arctic Wild was boring - I enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed those other two books - it was just predictable in how the story would be structured and when key events would occur.
Content warnings include: plane crash, stuck in wilderness, fear of flying, heavy injuries from the crash (multiple fractures, character spends rest of the book in casts and a wheelchair,) one character is a workaholic, antagonistic parent; mentions of more heavy injury leading to disability, death of parents and brief custody battle.
I enjoyed reading this for the most part. I loved corporate lawyer and workaholic Reuben's transformation from reluctance, only doing the trip to prove that he can, and wanting to constantly check his phone for emails, to genuinely enjoying himself, falling in love with Alaska, overcoming his fears and reconnecting with his daughter.
Toby, the pilot and tour guide assigned to Reuben's trip, doesn't have quite such a nice arc. He starts out pretty even keeled, and even when his life gets turned upside down he mostly keeps his cool and ability to work his charm. It's only when his family and how the accident affects them comes into play that he crumbles.
What I didn't like was the conflict (though luckily it was rather short and resolved quickly.) It's strongly connected to Toby's dad, who I disliked. He's not a hateful or malicious character, but his pride and suspiciousness of outsiders was off-putting, especially with how he tries to push these sentiments onto his son.
On the flipside I adored the rest of the plot around the protagonist's families. There's Nell, Toby's youngest sister (with a few appearances of his other sister Hannah) and especially Amelia, Reuben's daughter, was a delight. I loved Amelia both as a character (and wasn't that like looking back at parts of myself when I was a teen!) and how her relationship with both Toby and Reuben develops. I really liked how she wasn't reduced to a stereotype, like the little princess or the tough-cool-girl like protagonist's kids are often handled: instead she was a complex character with a lot of quirks, flaws and many different interests.
There was a lovely little side plot about Toby connecting with Amelia by teaching her about his Native Alaskan, specifically Athabaskan, heritage, just like his mother used to teach him.
Something that stood out to me and that I strongly disliked was how a character saying "I'm not interested in relationships" was immediately met with "I bet you'll change your mind someday." This happened two times, with the characters not wanting relationships being two different ones and the one replying the same in both scenes. In the second instance it's at least followed up with the admittance that nothing is wrong with not wanting relationships, but it still grated.
That also made it weird that Toby, who definitely says he's not interesting in a relationship, then obviously ends up in one.... while his previous disinterest is never really mentioned again.
The romance plot still works and I mostly liked it, though I wish there had been a bit more explicit conversation around it from time to time.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Which isn't to say Arctic Wild was boring - I enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed those other two books - it was just predictable in how the story would be structured and when key events would occur.
Content warnings include: plane crash, stuck in wilderness, fear of flying, heavy injuries from the crash (multiple fractures, character spends rest of the book in casts and a wheelchair,) one character is a workaholic, antagonistic parent; mentions of more heavy injury leading to disability, death of parents and brief custody battle.
I enjoyed reading this for the most part. I loved corporate lawyer and workaholic Reuben's transformation from reluctance, only doing the trip to prove that he can, and wanting to constantly check his phone for emails, to genuinely enjoying himself, falling in love with Alaska, overcoming his fears and reconnecting with his daughter.
Toby, the pilot and tour guide assigned to Reuben's trip, doesn't have quite such a nice arc. He starts out pretty even keeled, and even when his life gets turned upside down he mostly keeps his cool and ability to work his charm. It's only when his family and how the accident affects them comes into play that he crumbles.
What I didn't like was the conflict (though luckily it was rather short and resolved quickly.) It's strongly connected to Toby's dad, who I disliked. He's not a hateful or malicious character, but his pride and suspiciousness of outsiders was off-putting, especially with how he tries to push these sentiments onto his son.
On the flipside I adored the rest of the plot around the protagonist's families. There's Nell, Toby's youngest sister (with a few appearances of his other sister Hannah) and especially Amelia, Reuben's daughter, was a delight. I loved Amelia both as a character (and wasn't that like looking back at parts of myself when I was a teen!) and how her relationship with both Toby and Reuben develops. I really liked how she wasn't reduced to a stereotype, like the little princess or the tough-cool-girl like protagonist's kids are often handled: instead she was a complex character with a lot of quirks, flaws and many different interests.
There was a lovely little side plot about Toby connecting with Amelia by teaching her about his Native Alaskan, specifically Athabaskan, heritage, just like his mother used to teach him.
Something that stood out to me and that I strongly disliked was how a character saying "I'm not interested in relationships" was immediately met with "I bet you'll change your mind someday." This happened two times, with the characters not wanting relationships being two different ones and the one replying the same in both scenes. In the second instance it's at least followed up with the admittance that nothing is wrong with not wanting relationships, but it still grated.
That also made it weird that Toby, who definitely says he's not interesting in a relationship, then obviously ends up in one.... while his previous disinterest is never really mentioned again.
The romance plot still works and I mostly liked it, though I wish there had been a bit more explicit conversation around it from time to time.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
4.0
High-powered NJ attorney Reuben is going on an Alaskan wilderness adventure with 2 of his friends to celebrate his 48th birthday. When his friends have to back out at the last second, they donât believe he will follow through and go on his own. Determined to prove them wrong, he sets off alone for Alaska - hoping for a gruff, older, silent tour guide who will leave him alone to work each night.
What he finds waiting for him instead is Toby - a hot 30ish charming guy who loves to talk. Both feel a connection right from the start but know they wonât act on it because of the circumstances. But when things happen and they end up in a forced proximity situation...who knows what will happen?
I really enjoyed this read - the characters both had opportunities to grow and evolve through the book. It also brings the steam! đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
What he finds waiting for him instead is Toby - a hot 30ish charming guy who loves to talk. Both feel a connection right from the start but know they wonât act on it because of the circumstances. But when things happen and they end up in a forced proximity situation...who knows what will happen?
I really enjoyed this read - the characters both had opportunities to grow and evolve through the book. It also brings the steam! đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„
Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
lost_windsock's review
emotional
tense
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
4.5
This story has just the right balance of excitement and emotion. I really liked both Toby and Reuben, and felt like their relationship predictably took the stereotypical turns, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment of reading about them. I really liked the addition of Toby's sister and Reuben's daughter, too. They added to the plot without totally consuming it and gave each character a lot more depth. I did appreciate that their big argument only lasted one day, as I was definitely bracing for a big break up and for Reuben to go back to his condo, which would have just been the worst. I really liked the end of the book as well, getting to see how much Amelia loved Toby and how well she was doing living with them.