When a plane crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, the best place to land is in the arms of a younger man… “Whether making my heart melt or my head burst into flames, Annabeth Albert draws the reader in and keeps them captivated.” –Gay Book Reviews Hotshot attorney Reuben Graham has finally agreed to take a vacation, when his plane suddenly plunges into the Alaskan wilderness. Just his … the Alaskan wilderness.
Just his luck.
But his frustrations have only begun as he finds himself stranded with the injured, and superhot, pilot, a man who’s endearingly sociable–and much too young for Reuben to be wanting him this badly.
As the sole provider for his sisters and ailing father, Tobias Kooly is devastated to learn his injuries will prevent him from working or even making it back home. So when Reuben insists on giving him a place to recover, not even Toby’s pride can make him refuse. He’s never been tempted by a silver fox before, but something about Reuben is impossible to resist.
Recuperating in Reuben’s care is the last thing Toby expected, yet the closer they become, the more incredibly right it feels, prompting workaholic Reuben to question the life he’s been living. But when the pressure Toby’s under starts closing in, both men will have to decide if there’s room in their hearts for a love they never saw coming.
Frozen Hearts
Book 1: Arctic Sun
Book 2: Arctic Wild
Book 3: Arctic Heat
Also by Annabeth Albert:
Shore Leave
Book 1: Sailor Proof
Book 2: Sink or Swim
Out of Uniform
Book 1: Off Base
Book 2: At Attention
Book 3: On Point
Book 4: Wheels Up
Book 5: Squared Away
Book 6: Tight Quarters
Book 7: Rough Terrain
more
Arctic Wild was a little different from my usual reads and I’m curious as to how many readers can say that. We have all read books with an age difference I’m sure, even some where they outright call the man a silver fox but can you say that you have read one about a silver bear? Or what about religion, I don’t think it’s mentioned in the majority of books I’ve read and I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book where the main character was Jewish. So yes this book is a little different because Reuben Graham is both a silver bear and Jewish. 😉 He’s also a lawyer who works crazy hours, divorced, the father of a teenage daughter that he just doesn’t know how to connect with, and about to embark on the trip of a lifetime without his two friends that were supposed to join him.
Tobias, Toby, is a tour guide in the beautiful state of Alaska. He takes care of his ailing father and is raising his two younger sisters. If I said he had a lot on his plate that would be the understatement of the year, but he works hard and is doing everything he can to make sure his sisters finish college and his father is taken care of. His pay helps but his tips help even more so when he finds out that two people of his three person tour has cancelled he’s not happy but is committed to make the tour the best one possible so maybe the lone tourist will leave him an even better tip.
What neither Reuben nor Toby expected was the attraction they would feel toward the other, or the way meeting would impact either of their lives.
I enjoyed the slow burn between Reuben and Toby, watching them progress from tour guide/client to friends and then to lovers. I also LOVED a couple of the secondary characters, Reuben’s daughter Amelia and Toby’s sister Nell, for me these two young ladies added a lot to the story.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and I have to say that the narrator did a wonderful job with the different characters. I never had to guess who was saying what at any point because each of his different voice inflections were very precise and held true throughout the book.
Arctic Wild is the second book in the Frozen Heart series but can easily be read as a standalone. I would recommend this to any one that is a fan of Annabeth Albert’s work, and if you haven’t read any of her books before this is a great place to start. If you enjoy MM Romance that has a slow burn, a silver fox/bear, or low angst I would recommend this book to you as well.
Happy Reading!!!
4.5 stars
Reuben is coerced into not canceling the Alaska vacation he was supposed to take with his work colleagues and instead ends up going alone. Well, not really “alone” since he takes a lot of work with him in addition to some heavy decisions. Let’s just say that he is a type A, totally work focused professional at the beginning of the story and a huge part of the charm in this story is his transformation into someone who is much different by the end.
Toby is used to clients like Reuben and he’s working overtime in his head to find something that Reuben will love about Alaska. Reuben, to his credit, does make an attempt to loosen up, and in doing so he wakes up some other sorts of feelings … toward Toby.
Bad weather throws a major wrench in any hookup plans. I really loved this part of Arctic Wild. There was great tension, raw emotions, and loads of “when will they be rescued” drama. The crash leaves Toby seriously injured and Reuben with serious considerations about his future. When Reuben needs rehab care after discharge, Reuben steps up and offers to help out and instead of heading home, his daughter comes to Alaska and they all share a place while Toby recuperates.
There is some conflict between Toby wanting to be with Reuben but yet be self-sufficient and both men learn a lot about relying on others. There’s also an age difference that doesn’t sit well with Toby’s father. It isn’t always easy for Toby or Reuben. I did love Reuben and his daughter nurturing their relationship with Toby’s helpful suggestions of activities.
I really liked this book. It captures the challenges of life in Alaska very well, and Reuben and Toby are an interesting couple. There is no insta-love or even insta-lust here… it’s a gradual building of a relationship and I loved that about it, especially all the changes that Reuben ends up making in his life. While it was a bit predictable, Arctic Wild has good amounts of all the elements that make an enjoyable read for me.
An ARC was provided for review.
Cold heat
This is a story about two men and their differences that pulls them together. Reuben is eager to take care of people and Toby is used to manage everything himself, what happens when they are developing feelings for each other?
This was a great story with a good storyline that progresses nicely to a happy ending.
No unnecessary descriptions of surroundings
Lots of good dialogues
Well described characters that’s developed in to different but realistic personalities. I found that the secondary character (Reuben’s daughter) stole my heart completely, but I’m sappy when kids are involved.
Sizzling hot chemistry that leads to sweet and intense love scenes.
Great 5 star mm romance.
Toby and Reuben were the perfect younger/older couple. Toby needed someone to lean on even though he fought it until the end. Reuben was the patient silver bear who was trying to re-build his relationship with his teenage daughter Amelia. The three of them built a family in the weeks they were together that was loving and understanding and supportive. I’m really excited for the third book in the series.
I really enjoyed this one. it’s definitely a slow burn…
I clicked on this novel in Net Galley for one superficial reason – I liked the cover. The series is set in Alaska and I’m a sucker for mountains and the wilderness, being an avid outdoors person myself.
Arctic Wild features two leads who are opposites in every way – Ruben Graham is a much older, successful lawyer who reluctantly goes on an Alaskan vacation after the couple who’d booked the trip with him bail at the last minute. He’s an intense workaholic, out of touch with his teenage daughter who just wants to a solid internet connection and a few hours of peace to get some documents read. Regarding the quest for internet and a few hours of peace, I can totally empathize.
Toby Kooley is a tour guide whose laid-back, social personality hides the burden of being the sole provider for his family. He is intrigued by Ruben’s intensity but, because of his work, he doesn’t pursue right away the spark of heat between them.
The romance between the two leads develops very slowly, accelerating after they experience a plane crash together in which Toby is seriously wounded. Ruben, out of a desire to be close to his daughter and a sense of duty towards Toby, takes a sabbatical from his work to care for Toby while he heals from his injuries.
I enjoyed the central love story of the novel. Often, I feel like mm romances tend to have less of a buildup and rush directly into the sex. This romance was a slow burn, where Ruben and Toby grow to genuinely enjoy each other’s company, becoming friends after the crash, and finally, acknowledging their attraction to become lovers. There is a bit of the frustrated love trope, where the leads think their romance cannot last beyond a certain expiration date and struggle to avoid investing emotionally in the relationship to minimize the pain of certain separation.
The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness were pleasurable. I particularly appreciated the realistic reminders of the limits of living near the arctic circle – cold winters and short days. I love an idealized setting as much as the next reader, but I respect an author who does their research to provide as much verisimilitude as possible about the place they’re describing.
There were times when I found Toby to be a bit too limited in his thinking and it made me impatient with him. A lot had to do with his financial duress resulting from his inability to work. But his father also contributed to this idea that he should handle his own business, not ask for help and bear the weight of total financial responsibility without complaint. This expectation of excessive self-reliance hampers Toby’s ability to see his way to a long-lasting relationship with Ruben and while it made the father unlikable, it went a long way towards understanding Toby’s behavior.
Toby’s father and sister’s resistance to Ruben was a bit baffling to me. I understand a wariness of outsiders, but I found their concerns to be bordering on the paranoid. Without enough clarity from the narrative as to why they were so hell-bent on disliking Ruben, despite his wealth, selflessness and obvious feelings for Toby, it felt like a plot device dropped into the narrative to generate external conflict. On the other hand, Ruben’s teenage daughter, Amelia was very well drawn character and furthered Ruben’s development during their interactions.
Overall, it was a well-earned and satisfying love story featuring characters I mostly rooted for. The setting is wonderful and the path to intimacy felt authentic. I have a soft spot for the slow burn and that was the case here. The writing was very pared down, as is often the case with contemporary romances, but it made for an easy read.
4 out of 5 stars.
When hotshot attorney Reuben is finally convinced to take a vacation, he certainly wasn’t expecting to get stuck with the hot pilot after their plane crashes. Nor was he expecting to somehow become involved in a fling with Toby, said pilot. But, it’s most certainly a fling with an expiration date, because Reuben is going back to his real life after, and Toby isn’t going anywhere but back home to care for his ailing father, and look after his sister. Neither expected catching feelings, but what can they do with those feelings? Not a whole hell of a lot according to Toby.
Unfortunately, Arctic Wild just did not work for me. It was really draggy in pace, and Toby’s back and forth drove me nuts. When he demanded space, I wanted to shake him. And then there are the secondary characters – Toby’s family of his father and his sister, and Reuben’s ex and his daughter Amelia. Yuck. All of them are terrible characters, terrible people. Amelia kinda grew on me a little, once she decided she wanted to stay with Reuben, but for most of the story, she was a typical obnoxious teen. Sigh…really the only bright spot was Reuben, who was sweet and loving. I wish there had been a lot more heat between Reuben and Toby, it would have gone a long way to making me enjoy what was mostly a boring story with little to no heat and emotion.
Okay, I will admit I completely forgot that this was supposed to be a hurt/comfort story. Look, I signed up for it a while ago, and then I got sick, and I took a long time before I was able to concentrate long enough to read anything beyond a funny article on Twitter. So I was shocked and appalled when I spent many pages sitting there reading about a guy recuperating.
Then I sat on the review for a little while, and I realized the book had stuck with me. And it had only stuck with me in good ways. So while I was kind of uncomfortable during the reading with the situation between Toby and Reuben, when I looked back on it I could only feel good. That’s honestly the sign of a great book.
Reuben felt very familiar when he first appeared on the page, probably because “East Coast workaholics” are my people. (I started up a review blog so I could say I was “working” when I was reading. No part of a lie.) Anyway, I felt bad for poor Toby for having to deal with him. As we got to know Toby and his family, I think I identified a little more strongly with them just because of the background.
What Albert has done here is she’s taken two guys, put them into an impossible situation, made it worse, and forced them to try to find a way through it. They don’t have only their pride and Toby’s injuries to deal with. Reuben has a daughter who is dealing with her own issues, some of which are of Reuben’s own making. Toby’s family has their own issues too. And True Love doesn’t automatically make everything better.
It does make the impossible easier to bear, which makes it easier to find a way around the impossible
I will be the first to tell you Arctic Wild did not make me want to pack a bag for Alaska. Boston is cold enough for me thanks. I do recommend this book on a chilly day when you’re in the mood for something to lift your spirits.
2 men moody teen wild Alaska: recipe for disaster or the start of something special?
June 5, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
4-4.5 stars
Really lovely story, with a spectacular frontier Alaska setting, plenty of action, romance, medium steam, interesting secondary characters and three principal characters who grow together during the long Alaskan summer days. It’s well-written and gives an in-depth view of two men, bush pilot/tour guide Toby and hard-driving big city attorney Reuben, who bridge the gap between their wildly different pasts to explore a joint present. Reuben’s teenage daughter Amelia is also a key lead character as Reuben struggles to reconnect with her. She’s totally the temperamental, technology-obsessed teen to begin and Reuben has to be persistent, but their transforming relationship is touching and Toby has a key role that he plays to perfection to create activities that help them grow closer.
I did feel that the pace of the story dragged at times, especially near the end, but otherwise this story was really good and seemed pretty realistic when it came to medical issues and the problems with Toby’s close family accepting Reuben’s sudden addition to Toby’s life. I would happily read more from this author.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
I really enjoyed this May-December, opposites attraction story. Reuben was fun to watch as he changed from a workaholic absentee father, to someone who wanted so much more for his life and his daughter. Toby was often frustrating to both Reuben and to me, since his father shaped so much of his attitude; but I really did like him, too. These two men seemed to have so little in common, but they helped each other to see how much better life could be when it was shared with a partner who understood you.
I enjoyed the conversations between Toby and Reuben, and their intimate scenes were terrific. I also loved seeing the growth and changes in Reuben’s daughter Amelia. I remained annoyed with Toby’s family for the most part, and I was left wondering how Toby ended up handled some of his problems. But overall, I was very happy with this story. The images the author’s words invoked only enhanced the desire I’ve always had to visit Alaska. This romance set in such a majestic place is one I will recommend to others.
Gripping, exciting and a love story that will blow your mind. Reuben Graham is taking a vacation in the Alaskan Wilderness alone – well him and his pilot Tobias “Toby” Kooly. They have a natural attraction to one another but after they go through something together they both wonder if what they are feeling is real and worth fighting for.
I loved this book, I actually read it all the way through because I just couldn’t put it down.
ARCTIC WILD is the second book in the Frozen Hearts series, and I am happy to report that Griffin and River make a cameo appearance. This book is all about Reuben and Toby though. Reuben goes on the trip initially to prove to his friend that he will, although he has no specific desire to. There he meets Toby, his tour guide. Everything is going well until a freak bout of weather sends them crashing to earth. The rest of the book is about Toby healing, and the two of them moving on from client and tour guide, to friends and lovers.
With a great cast of characters, this story supports Toby and Reuben as they learn about who each of them are, and what they really want. For me, Amelia has to be the star of the show though, and I loved the advice Reuben gave Natalie toward the end.
The pacing is smooth, and the storyline has not plotholes that I fell through. I understand Toby’s dilemma, but I didn’t particularly like it. It just seemed a tad out of place somehow, being as he was supposed to be thirty-one.
Anyway, moving swiftly on, there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading, and I once again thoroughly enjoyed my time in Alaska. I definitely recommend this book, and look forward to the next.
For me this is a 3 and a half star read.
This is book 2 in the series but can be read as a stand alone. Id call this an age gap romance but it didn’t quire hit the mark for me. It felt more about the setting than the characters and Toby’s family were really not very nice to him in parts and this made him seem ‘weak’ as he accepted it. Being part of a couple should be about we/them not I/me and it feels in part that Toby is with Reuben for the looking after ( and not in any daddy kink way). The concept and setting and story background work perfectly though in this Alaskan based series.
This is the second installment in the Frozen Hearts series. It is a MM contemporary adventure romance set in Alaska. This was a wonderfully touching story with older-younger main characters. It also contained quit a few secondary characters that were really involved in the story-line. The character development was excellent and the pace was good. Though this is the second installment, I feel it can be read as a stand-alone book.
I love this series and while I enjoyed the previous book (because I adored Griffin) I think I loved this one even more (plus the little nod to Space Villager!).
In this one we have a couple who appear to want different things from life but are actually perfect for each other. Includes a great teenager, and by great I mean realistic, and therefore all the better for it.
This is an opposites attract story in age, wealth, and relationship expectations. Toby is 30, struggling to make ends meet, and a one night stand kinda guy. Reuben is 48, a high flying and well paid lawyer and a serial monogamist. Nothing in common, except they might just be the missing part of the other.
Really loved seeing the development of the relationship, not only between Toby and Reuben, but also between Reuben and his daughter, Amelia, and Amelia’s softening attitude to Toby. Once again the countryside is like another character, and it was great to get a brief catch up scene with Griffin and River.
Can’t wait for the next one.
I enjoyed this story very much. Great characters all around and they gave the story life. We have Reuben, 48 yr old corporate lawyer, Amelia his 14 yr old temperamental teenager, and Toby the 31 yr old tour guide who bears the weight of financially caring for his entire family. Reuben is the typical east coast workaholic who ends up going solo on what was suppose to be a group vacation. At first he’s abrasive but then he seems to mellow (thankfully)! Reuben and Toby are involved in an airplane accident that leaves Toby injured. Feeling responsible Reuben offers to stick around and help Toby during his recovery. The romance between these two builds slowly and when Amelia joins them they form a nice little family unit. But can this last considering how different these two men are? Will Reuben and Amelia stay and make a home with Toby or will he return to his high powered job? Their story is one I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a nice M/M romance.
I would rate this 4.25 stars.
This is the second book in this series, but can be read as a standalone without any issues. Rueben’s best friend Craig, the spouse of a colleague at his law firm, has talked him into finally taking a vacation for his 48th birthday. Unfortunately, his friends cancel, leaving him alone with his guide. This trip wasn’t his idea and he doesn’t want to be in Alaska. It takes time for the scenery and companionship to grow on him. After Rueben unplugs from his phone and laptop, he is grudgingly starting to have a good time, and flirt with his guide. Tobias may be a smooth talker, but he has hidden depths behind his charming personality and quick smile. He also digs out his ethics and doesn’t sleep with his client when he has the chance. By the time the plane crash happens, I was already hooked on both these characters. Tobias is devastated his injuries might keep him from helping his sisters and his dad. He has little choice but to accept help from Reuben while he recuperates. The crash mades Rueben question his future and what he wants out of it. He vows to spend more time with his 14 year old daughter Amelia. What could go wrong with renting a house for the summer for all three of them?
For a relationship guy like Rueben, who likes to care for people, to agree to a summer fling is rare. For a hookup guy like Tobias to be friends with, and basically live with someone he’s having sex with, is equally unusual. I liked watching them both learn more about themselves. It’s not the age gap coming into play so much as the fact that this is Tobias’s first real relationship; he is not used to dealing with sharing his feelings or burdens. It’s also the first time he has prioritized something he wants for himself. Tobias’s father is such a large influence on him and his thought processes, that it takes him time to navigate through his inner conflict. Rueben hasn’t had the best luck at relationships, learning to put his job first because it gave him most of his sense of self worth. He has to work through breaking old habits–relearning to prioritize his daughter over his job, his life over his work.
This had all of the great writing, depth, and hot love scenes I would expect from this author. This book had an expansion of characters without making them flat or sacrificing any of the love story for the main characters. I thought the interactions with their respective family members all rang authentic. As a long novel, this really takes its time to immerse the reader in details about the activities, scenery, and characters. I found the plane crash to be realistically described while actually adding to the character development, rather than only as an excuse to trap the MCs together. This has some great tropes: opposites attract, fish out of water, age gap, slow burn, hurt/comfort and second chances. I would recommend reading both of these and look forward to the third one.
Toby and Reuben are so good together!
Arctic Wild is my favorite type of age-gap story…it doesn’t beat the age difference to death like some books do. It’s book two in the Frozen Hearts series but you won’t feel lost if you haven’t read book one, Arctic Sun (you will be missing a great story, though).
I’m loving this series so much; mostly because it’s Annabeth Albert but also because I got to go on a bucket list trip to Alaska last year with friends and family. The things that Annabeth describes in the book remind me so much of what I saw when I was there; it’s absolutely beautiful. I have to be honest, though, I don’t think I could take the dark winter days and that is something that Toby warns Reuben about in Arctic Wild.
We know from the books blurb that Toby and Reuben are in a plane crash but to experience it while reading the book was nail-bitingly real. I can’t even imagine the research that Annabeth did to help her writing be so realistic sounding.
I loved everything about this story: how workaholic Reuben learns to slow down and connect with his daughter and how Toby eventually learns that it’s OK to accept help from people who care about you. Arctic Wild is another great book from one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait for the third book in the series.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on 6/3/19)
This is one story that I started off liking and ended up loving. Toby and Reuben seem an unlikely pair, and Reuben’s kid is such a brat at first. They all have to take the summer to assess their lives and what they want from it. While I liked seeing the dynamic between these guys, and let me tell ya- Reuben is not your typical male love interest (which made him more awesome), the second half of this book really made me love it. The emotion, with all they are dealing with, and the fact that Toby’s family isn’t super supportive, and he’s under so much stress! But also when Reuben hurts, I hurt. I felt it all. I loved it.
Arctic Wild is second in Annabeth Albert’s Frozen Hearts series. Book one, Arctic Sun, is not required reading to dive into Arctic Wild.
Reuben is a high powered attorney whose firm is trying to cajole him into retirement. A workaholic, he truly can not see himself doing anything different. Forced on a vacation to the wilds of Alaska with friends, he knows this isn’t his cup of tea. And then his friends cancel, leaving Reuben on a trip he really didnt want to take, with an all to mesmerizing tour guide.
Toby is the tour guide for Reuben’s Alaska trip. Completely smitten with the silver fox, Toby has his work cut out for him since they seem so opposite of each other. When an unforseen storm rears its head, Toby is forced to make an emergency crash landing. Living through the crash is one thing, but now they have to plain out survive!
I enjoyed the story of an older man/younger man, opposites attract troupe. Both characters were believable and I liked them equally. Throw in a 14 year old and her moodiness, I bought the whole scenario Annabeth created!
The only thing that was off was the pacing for me. It seemed to drag quite often. I am not a fan of unnecessary angst or drama, and we did not get either-but I felt this could’ve wrapped much earlier than it did. I was still pleased with the story and happy with the ending!
I voluntarily chose to review a gifted ARC copy from the publisher through NetGalley. The rating and review are my opinion.