Winning and losing are subject to sexy interpretation…
Navy chief Calder Euler loves to win big. His latest score? A remote mountain cabin. Checking it out is supposed to be a quick trip, but Calder’s luck abruptly turns when a freak injury and a freakier snowstorm leave him stranded.
Oh, and the cabin isn’t empty. A silver fox caring for two young girls claims that the property is his, but Calder’s paperwork says otherwise.
Felix Sigurd is on a losing streak, and his ex-husband risking the cabin in a reckless bet is only the latest in a series of misfortunes. He’ll tolerate the handsome stranger for a couple nights–even care for his injuries—but that’s it.
Calder doesn’t know a damn thing about kids, but making pancakes for Felix’s girls is a surprising delight. Trapped in the cabin, the four of them slip easily into the rhythms of a family. But when the ice melts, they’ll have to decide if a future together is in the cards.
👨👨👧👦 family
⛵️ sailor
🩺 doctor
💞 lovely romance
Sink or Swim is the second book in the Shore Leave series by Annabeth Albert. I really enjoyed the first book so I was happy to have a chance to review the second book. You don’t have to have read the first book in the series to read this one, but there are cameos from previous characters!
Calder is a gambler and a tad overly competitive. That’s how he ends up at a high stakes poker game that results in him winning a cabin. The problem is that when he arrives at the cabin… it turns out that it belongs to someone else. In fact, said cabin belongs to the ex husband of the man he won it from.
Felix is shocked when he arrives at his family cabin to find a handsome sailor settling in there. But, a sprained ankle, some snow and some fun with his nieces leads to the two men becoming friends. They’re attracted to one another from the beginning, but Calder doesn’t want to date anyone and Felix has too much going on as he tries to raise his nieces.
As the story progresses, Calder and Felix become closer. They’re definitely at different stages in their lives. Calder is on shore leave because of a concussion and he is itching to get back on the sub. He likes the order of life in the navy, enjoys organizing things and being needed. Felix is doing his best to raise his nieces after his split with Tim. Tim just didn’t fit with their little family but Felix doesn’t even want to try to fit with someone again – it’s too hard on the girls and too hard on him.?
This is a romance novel with “more” than just romance. This is about found family, making room in life for change and growth. There are changes that can feel too huge and there are opportunities that aren’t clear… both main characters in this lovely novel find themselves uncertain even as they continue to move forward.
Annabeth Albert is a great writer and certainly an expert on romance. This book is a lovely addition to the series, and a great stand-alone romance!
Goodreads || Author || Publisher
I received an ARC of Sink or Swim by Annabeth Albert from Carina Press via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 