Title: Squared Away
Author: Annabeth Albert
Series: Out of Uniform #5
Pages: 199
After the unexpected death of his sister, SEAL Mark Whitley finds himself as guardian to her three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to the husband’s cousin, Isaiah James. The man who Mark pushed away years ago.
This was another emotional and wonderful book. I was instantly sucked into Mark and Isaiah’s story. I don’t usually love stories with children but this one really sucked me in. Mark is on the asexual spectrum and has only really got fired up with thoughts of Isaiah. Mark struggles with believing that Isaiah will go slow and that sex won’t always be on the table. He is also afraid of relying on anyone and struggles to let Isaiah in. Mark’s struggles with his sexuality and having a relationship were very relatable and emotional. But also, I did want to smack him sometimes and say let Isaiah in!
Isaiah has been considered a screw up for most of his life. He has multiple degrees but just recently found his passion in horticulture. I loved his dedication to the children and his determination to keep them together. He always put them first and tried to keep them on a route that would help them cope with missing their parents. Isaiah also struggles with letting Mark in and letting him take control in situations. They are a great couple, but they both had a lot of internal barriers they had to get through.
Mark and Isaiah’s relationship was extremely sweet and slow. I loved that Isaiah never pushed Mark for things he wasn’t ready for and was always asking before prompting intimacy. It was just wonderful seeing that kind of acceptance right away. While everything else might have been falling apart, I loved seeing their love life being consensual, comforting, and sweet.
Overall, this was another wonderful military romance. I am loving this series and wish I had read it sooner.
Trigger warnings: death of family from drunk driving; grief; custody concerns
Previous books and reviews for the series:
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