Arctic Sun

I think this is a 3.5.

After having read and enjoyed multiple series by Annabeth Albert, it was exciting to get into her new series with a very different location this time. I think I went into this one with not many expectations and that definitely worked in my favor.

The thing that stands out for me in this book is the setting - Alaska. As Griffin is a tour guide and River is a tourist/ travel author, we get to see this beautiful place through their eyes and it was an amazing experience. The author does a wonderful job describing the beauty of Alaska, the wilderness, their hiking, camping and flying experiences and all of this added a very soothing ambiance to the story. While Griff is a retired Air Force pilot and recovering alcoholic, River is a former model and now author who still has to deal with the remnants of his eating disorder - this makes for a very angsty, push and pull kinda dynamic between them while I really enjoyed most times, but also got frustrated in parts. They both still have a lot to deal with in their own lives, which leads to the usual miscommunication / separation that we see in so many books. However, at times it really felt like they were each other's safe space and they could be open and vulnerable and share all their issues with each other, which was wonderful. I also thought that the author's idea of giving importance to more intimacy than just sex, was perfect for the two characters.

This is a sometimes sweet, sometimes emotional angsty love story which is great for a one time read. And you'll definitely fall in love with Alaska and want to visit it immediately. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.