Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Bring Me Home

SERIES: Safe Harbor (Book 1)

AUTHOR: Annabeth Albert

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 281 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 27, 2023

BLURB:

Help!

I’ve inherited my aunt’s historic house in small-town Oregon, and I need to fix it up and sell it fast before I move on to my big-city dreams. I’m one of the navy’s best investigators, but twenty years of living in base housing means DIY isn’t part of my extensive skill set.

Luckily, my best friend has the solution: his twenty-three-year-old son. Knox recently graduated from college, needs a room for the summer, and comes with a giant cat and years of remodeling experience.

Not only is Knox all grown up and hot as sin, but I recognize him. He’s the bossy, bearded guy I shared the hottest kiss of my life with. No way can my buddy find out I’ve got it bad for his son. But with all the stripping, hammering, and drilling, my defenses crumble one dance break at a time.

As our sexy secret summer fling continues, Knox also proves himself handy at fixing my grumpy mood and wounded heart. Now I can’t imagine a future without him. I can solve any problem the navy throws at me, but I have no clue what to do about loving Knox or the damage this could do to my decades-long friendship.

Can we build a forever together, or are we destined to go our separate ways?

BRING ME HOME is a small-town Dad’s-best-friend MM romance. It features a forty-something grumpy former naval investigator, a much younger ray of sunshine, a matchmaking cat, sexy times in unusual locations, enough heat to burn the neighborhood, and a warm fuzzy hug’s worth of found-family feels. Dual point-of-view and big fluffy HEA guaranteed!

BRING ME HOME launches the brand-new Safe Harbor series from acclaimed author Annabeth Albert. Knox, Monroe, and the rest of Safe Harbor, Oregon, welcome readers to a historic town with a tight friend group, memorable secondary characters, quirky businesses, and long-held secrets. Each book stands alone with a fresh couple, but the background mystery of the town’s secrets ties the series together.

REVIEW:

Yay! I get to go visit Oregon again through Annabeth Albert’s words.

Monroe has his hands full since he recently retired from the Navy’s NCIS unit and returned to Safe Harbor, Oregon to renovate and put up for sale the large Victorian home that his Great-Aunt Henri has left to him. He spent his final years of high school living with her and has a close group of friends that have welcomed him home. Include in that group is Rob, who is now Chief of Police and using his investigative skills to look over some of the town’s cold cases, especially the one that involves the deaths of their good friend back then Worth’s parents, the Stapleton’s. Something always felt a bit off  that it was Worth’s dad that caused the disappearance of his mom. And his own death of a massive heart attack had raised some suspicions also. Now Rob has another need that he’s spinning as a help. Knox, his son that he had just after their high school graduation, is back in town but their house is overflowing with their triplet daughters and a new baby on the way very soon. Plus his wife’s family is here from Australia to help with the new addition. His solution, Monroe needs major help with his reno and Know needs a place to stay. Plus he is experienced in renovating there. Win/win in Rob’s mind. So, when it turns out that the very sexy younger guy that Monroe danced and kissed at the Bachelor party in Portland Rebound is Knox there is plenty of concerns. But can he keep his hands off the guy he is incredibly attracted too or is this plan flawed from the start?

Oh my goodness gracious are these two perfect for each other. First off, Knox is an old soul. I felt so bad that he has basically been the “toss around kid” for most of his life. His parent’s high school mishap didn’t mean that they loved each other. But when both his mom and his dad remarried it was obvious that he was simply an inconvenience that had finally grown up so they didn’t really need to bother to include him. Thankfully Jessica, Rob’s wife, made sure to include him and call his dad out on his mistakes, which in my mind were way too many that had gone on for too long. Knox was someone to brag about to you friends but you don’t have room for in your life unless you need his help with something.  It broke my heart that he was always searching for his home. Thankfully he found that in Monroe. Likewise Monroe had felt like a third wheel after his father remarried. I’m so thankful the Henri knew just what her great-nephew needed…a place and community to call his and Knox helped him find what he had been searching for even if he didn’t recognize it himself. And these two men, with very similar abandonment and trust issues, melded well with each other. Age wasn’t as much a factor as they thought and love snuck into their hearts.

I am always eager for the newest Annabeth Albert book because she is such a talented author. But when it is an Oregon based book I get major grabby hands. Annabeth takes me on a journey back home to my native Oregon and all my years spent on the Oregon coast. She captures the unique and rich heritage and camaraderie that I have experienced living in these small coastal hamlets.

I am extremely eager to get more of this series. I know that each story revolves around a different couple but I have a feeling that Monroe, Knox, Holden and Sam will always have a key role in what’s going on. And the back, reoccurring theme will always include the story of Worth’s mother’s disappearance cold case. I can say that I’m hooked and waiting to be reeled in with the next book. I am eager to hear Holden’s story and hope we get Sam’s too! But I really hope we get more of this sweet couple in the future too. They wormed their way into my heart and I simply need more!

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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