Book Reviews

Book Blurb

He’s built a quiet life for himself in Alaska. But it doesn’t stand a chance against the unrelenting pull of a man who’s everything he shouldn’t want.


Griffin
As an ex-military mountain man, I like my solitude. It keeps me from falling back into old habits. Bad habits. I’ve fought too hard for my sobriety to lose control now. This new gig as a wildlife guide is presenting itself with a whole new kind of temptation in the form of superhot supermodel River Vale. Nothing the Alaskan wilderness has to offer has ever called to me so badly. And that can only lead to trouble… The closer I get to River, the easier it is to ignore every reason I should run.

River
Chasing adventure means always moving forward. Nobody’s ever made me want to stand still before—until Griffin Barrett. The rugged bush pilot is the best kind of distraction, but the emotions he’s stirring up in me are starting to feel anything but casual, and I’m in no position to stay put. With temptation lurking in close quarters, keeping even a shred of distance between us seems to be a challenge neither of us is willing to meet.  

 

First edition published by Carina Press, April 2019.

 

Book Review

This was a very middle of the road read for me. The first two thirds of the book consists of the relationship dance, with both men struggling emotionally to identify what they are feeling and rejecting those feelings on the basis that they aren’t worthy. The last third of the book contains post-breakup dramatics and the heart-to-heart talking that should have been happening in the first part.

This is a hurt/comfort/healing book. The two main characters are both dealing with personal issues – Griff sustained a training injury that killed his best friend and spiraled into depression, drinking and gambling. Dane is a former male supermodel and unable to cope with the passing of his mother, and struggles with an eating disorder that he still fights. Poor self-esteem, lots of self-deprecation, emotional scars and issues. For myself, had it been one person, I might have been able to tolerate the emotional turmoil, but for two? It didn’t work for me and I struggled to stay engaged.

I’ll be blunt – both characters are trying to sabotage the relationship before it even starts – this was like watching a car wreck in slow motion because the foreshadowing was so heavy, it was a matter of when, not if. There was so much negative self talk that again, I struggled to stay engaged.

ALL the heart-to-heart and emotional growth happens in the last third of the book. By this time I lost my ability to empathize with either character.

What I DID like about this story was opposites attract, with men from two totally different worlds finding they have so much in common. I enjoyed watching first impressions and assumptions being broken down and proven wrong. I enjoyed the Alaskan setting quite a bit – life with float planes, the remoteness, planning ahead to get supplies. So there was some positivity that kept me engaged.

As with any book, some folks are going to be able connect with the themes presented. I might have been better able to empathize if it had been one character and not both struggling with recovery issues. If you like strong hurt/comfort/healing books, then this may be for you.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of a review. This review was first published on Gay Book Reviews.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 384 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	24-February-2025
Price	$5.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Sun-Grumpy-Sunshine-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DF3TZLVX