Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Sailor Proof
SERIES: Shore Leave #1
AUTHOR: Annabeth Albert
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
LENGTH: 320 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 28, 2021
BLURB:
The sexy Navy chief and his best friend’s adorkable little brother…
It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon and Derrick knows all too well there won’t be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome.
Enter one ill-advised plan…
Arthur Euler is the guy you go to in a pinch—he’s excellent at out-of-the-box solutions. It’s what the genius music-slash-computer nerd is known for. So when he finds out Derrick needs a favor, he’s happy to help. He can muster the sort of welcome a Naval Chief deserves, no problem at all.
Except it is a problem. A very big problem.
When Arthur’s homecoming welcome is a little too convincing, when a video of their gangplank smooch goes enormously viral, they’re caught between a dock and a hard place. Neither of them ever expected a temporary fake relationship to look—or feel—so real. And Arthur certainly never considered he’d be fighting for a very much not-fake forever with a military man.
REVIEW:
Sailor Proof is a fake boyfriend, military romance in Annabeth Albert’s new Shore Leave series. After reading (and enjoying) a pair of the author’s new adult novels, I was looking forward to her return to military romance. This lighter, fluffier story doesn’t have much in common, though, with her edgier Out of Uniform series that I love.
Derrick wants to make his cheating ex-boyfriend, Steve, jealous and not look like a fool in front of him. Steve’s new boyfriend is a fellow submariner on the submarine Derrick is stationed on. They’re returning to base and Derrick has no family or friends to meet him on Homecoming Day. His best friend, Calder, suggests finding a fake boyfriend, specifically Calder’s younger brother Arthur, to annoy Steve.
Derrick and Arthur haven’t seen each other in years and they’re both impressed with the other. Amidst the fanfare, Arthur greets Derrick with a big, steamy, very public kiss so realistic it convinces Arthur’s parents they are a real couple. And so, instead of disappointing his mom and dad, once again, by admitting they’re faking it, Arthur begs Derrick to continue the ruse during a week-long family reunion vacation with lots of extended relatives.
See, Arthur has long been a disappointment to his family. As a musician, he’s the odd man out among all the do-gooders in the family – members of the military, first responders, and nurses. No one respects the youngest son. They make cracks about his career choice, his boyfriends or lack thereof, and call him an irresponsible nerd. Derrick is one of the few people who sees and likes Arthur for who he is, and laughs with him instead of at him. The family loves Derrick, though, so it makes Arthur feel more accepted.
The reunion – sigh. It sounds like torture for poor Arthur, with all the teasing, put-downs, pushiness, and betting that Arthur will fail at something. Or everything. It wasn’t all that fun to read, either, and unfortunately, it lasted for nearly two-thirds of the book! Much too much annoying family with their focus on winning, losing, and competition.
Derrick and Arthur are both very likable characters with good chemistry and a nice understanding of each other. That by itself is not enough to carry this book, however, and I didn’t enjoy it much. Sailor Proof doesn’t offer a fresh take on either the military theme or the fake boyfriend trope. The pace is sluggish and I ended up skimming the last half of the book. Overall, I rate the book average.
RATING: 
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