Wheels Up

Out of Uniform

De: Annabeth Albert

Narrado por: Greg Boudreaux

Their love is forbidden, but their hearts aren't listening to rules and regulations....

Lieutenant Dustin Strauss is a reformed man. No longer a 20-something hell-raiser, he's his SEAL team's new XO - and a man with a secret. Or seven. He's kept his bisexual identity under wraps for years, along with his kinky side and a fondness for the military-themed semi-anonymous hookup website Joe4Joe. His latest chat buddy is more than a sexy online distraction - they're taking their very not-safe-for-work relationship into real time.

Petty Officer Wes Lowe has a smart mouth, a take-charge attitude, and an uncanny ability for making things go boom. The life of an enlisted man isn't always enough to satisfy him, but one wild, no-questions-asked weekend with his online love comes close. When a transfer order comes in, Wes feels ready and centered. He'll make a good impression on his new SEAL team and keep his growing feelings for Dustin on the down low.

But as they log more time online and some very real emotions surface, Dustin and Wes struggle to pretend they're just a harmless fling. And when his commander introduces Dustin to his team's newest member, they're in for the shock of a lifetime...and a crushing disappointment: their difference in ranks means even a friendship without sexual contact could end their navy careers for good.

With their hearts on the line, Dustin and Wes may not survive their next mission, let alone find a way toward a future together.

This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you're looking for with an HEA/HFN. It's a promise!

©2017 Annabeth Albert (P)2017 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited.

Another winner!

I love the characters, and the ways the story builds on the previous books in the series. I actually put what I was listening to on hold to jump on this. can't wait for the next!

excellent

Love this struggle and the MCs ultimate commitment. I'll keep this one and come back and listen again in a while.

Greg Boudreau is great!

So Damn Good

I absofreakinglutely loved this story. Dustin and Wes are two of my favorite characters from Annabeth. Everything about this story hits all my buttons and the narration was so spot on. It was what I heard in my head when I read the story the first time.

Another wonderful story!

Wes and Dustin are so heartbreaking yet joyful to read/listen to. I adored the spot on accent for Wes. The author did a wonderful job of making the enlisted/officer aspect understandable even to non-military folks. The ending is simply amazing!

Favorite of the series so far

I loved this! I have a hard time with high angst high drama when it comes to the relationship in romances. There is no question as to how these two feel from the first. All the drama comes from external issues rather than uncertainty and miscommunication. My only issue was a small narration choice… the texts are read disjointedly as if someone were reading the words at the pace and awkward cadence of reading a text out loud as you were typing it rather than as if it was an actual conversation. It wouldn’t be such an issue except so much of the important parts of their relationship takes place in text conversations.

Loved it!

I love love! Really good story. 21+ for this one but still really good

3 Stars: K!nks, Explosions, and Some Serious Caree

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars: Solid. Well-written and enjoyable, but I won’t text my friends about it.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 Chilis: Spicy and detailed—frequent steam that brings the heat.

So, Wheels Up is a forbidden Navy SEAL romance, and if you like your love stories with a side of “we’re breaking all the rules but still can’t stay away from each other”, you’re in for a ride. Dustin is your classic tortured SEAL: commanding officer, closeted bi, and subby behind closed doors (who knew Navy SEALs had such a k!nky side?). Wes, on the other hand, is the explosives expert with a mouth on him, privately out, but still semi-closeted on the job—the kind of guy to blow things up and your mind.

These two meet on a gay military dating app (because, sure, that makes sense) and keep everything under wraps, with Wes being the only person Dustin has ever opened up to about his k!nky side. They’ve got a sweet emotional connection, and I do love how they support each other, breaking regs and putting themselves in hot water because they need each other. It’s not some “I can’t quit you” obsession; it’s more like “you need me, so I’ll be here” and honestly, that kind of caring, protective dynamic is insanely sexy.

But... we need to talk about Wes’s job as an explosives expert. He’s supposed to be top-notch at blowing things up, right? Except 3 out of 4 times they’ve tried to explode something, it’s gone wrong. THREE TIMES. This guy is getting transferred for being a bomb expert, yet 75% of his explosions are a disaster. At this point, I’m more worried about Wes getting court-martialed for being bad at his job than his forbidden romance with Dustin. I get that tension’s supposed to come from the forbidden nature of their relationship, but honestly, why did we have to keep hitting the same note of “oops, wrong detonation” repeatedly? Couldn’t we come up with some other source of struggle that didn’t involve Wes being incompetent?

Now, let’s talk about the audiobook experience because I did listen to this one, and Greg Boudreaux once again nailed it. Seriously, this guy could read me the phone book and I’d be all ears. His performance in this book was stellar, and he really brought the characters to life in a way that just made the whole thing even better. Love him.

In the end, I liked the romance but the constant “oops” explosions kinda killed the “super sexy SEALs” vibe for me. The chemistry is good, the emotional connection is real, and the k!nk is there (edited for Amazon). But I couldn’t get over how ridiculous it felt that Wes was this supposed expert yet was practically a walking bomb disaster. Three stars, because while the romance was sweet and hot, I’m not sure Wes should be trusted with anything that explodes.

JUST WOW, loved everything about this book

If you like a good MM book, a fan of contemporary military romance or just looking for a story that will push all your emotional buttons till they squeal- this is the book for you!

The narration was superb! i reat this book a week before it cam out on audio, and I had it pre-ordered already. while I was reaing I kept imagining how they would sound "live" and
and Greg Boudreaux did not let me down! he nailed their emotions, accents and just the feel of the book in his voice. it was a perfect narration to a wonderful book and i enjoyed it very much.

As the fourth book of the ‘Out Of Uniform’ series by the talented Annabeth Albert, it was no surprise I liked this book as much as I did. What captivates me about this book,Annabeth’s books in general, is her ability to write interesting, diverse and unique characters who feel alive so much you can almost touch them. I LOVED the connection Wes and Dustin have at the beginning of the book, after apparently having a six months friendship with sexual benefits online (I really want to read all the online chats they had before the story starts Annabeth! Don’t keep a girl in the dark here). I love a good Friends-to-Lovers story and this one really had the strong base on which to build that relationship on. That bond really shined throughout the book and was one of my favorite things about it. You can see them falling into lust, and later in love, with each other but also supporting one another through the hardships they face (Wes with his sick sister and Dustin with his struggle about his future and bisexuality).
That tenuous connection is tested in the real world very quickly were things are not as simple as they are online. Add to that the limitations and regulations of life in the army, dangerous operations and their own personal issues there is no wonder their road is anything but smooth. Wes and Dustin walk the fine line between getting what (and who) they want and losing their careers as well as finding themselves in court martial. Both have their family in mind and are torn between their heart’s desire and the responsibilities they have for the army and their loved ones. And there really isn’t any right or wrong, they both need to compromise and fight to be together.

And let’s not forget the physical connection between these two, I mean ya’ll gonn’a have to sit in an ice bucket when you read this book to stop the house from burning down. Not only are the characters interesting, but the sexual computability is out of this world crazy, and the kinky steamy elements of their sex life are not just an extra, but another dimension of who they are and their relationship. Every detail is exquisitely written and well researched in both the kinky bits and the military parts of the story. There is not a single detail I would change, this book just felt completely and utterly whole and ‘right'.

SUPER

loved this series can't wait to read the other ones. Shows the soft side of men.

Best of the series - a real-world military story

Very engaging, believable story. Real-world problems, a dilemma with serious consequences without being angsty. This story is well-written, like most of Annabeth Albert's work, but something about this one feels so genuine - the MCs' wonder at discovering the power of their bond, the immediacy of their first-time experiences - all of it perfectly voiced by Greg Boudreaux. My only quibble is the lack of backstory on why one character (Curly) would have so betrayed his friend on a mere hunch, and then inexplicably remained silent when the truth became known - no clue about his motivation is given. There is a lot of sex in this story, but rather than feeling gratuitous, in some ways it IS the story; the need and fear that two career-focused soldiers struggle with, risking court-martial if they keep seeing each other, but unable to stop. The ending was particularly beautifully balanced, reinforcing the genuine peril the MCs faced better than an easy, stereotypical ride-into-the-sunset HEA.