Oh, this book struck a nerve with me - how could it have a score of 3.5 from fellow Thingers! I'll read the comments later.

As unlikely as it seemed at first that the leads would come together, experiencing the evolving relationship between Griffin and River was amazing to me. How River brought Griffin out of his shell, whew! And then how Griff picked up on who River was, his vulnerabilities being hidden so tightly below a socially accomplished exterior.

Annabeth Albert is superb at portraying tender vulnerable moments. Awe-inspiring. I noticed a slower start than usual for this kind of novel, but Artcic Sun has the length to accommodate the slow development. I'd return to the audiobook and think, I'm glad there's still a while till the finish! It was that kind of meaty beautiful novel. Usually, I'm against a romance being more than about 8, max 9 hours, listening. This is 11 hours, which is not exactly long, but well worth it.

So great to be in the wild beauty of Alaska too.

I've heard many books narrated by Cooper North, but for some reason it never bothers me that he is portraying different characters - this is something that I've complained about many times, especially with female narrators, that the echoes of the other characters they have portrayed invade the one I am trying to get to know in a new book.

But with Cooper North, not so. He has a kind of universal voice. As incredible as his perfectly open throated velvet voice is, it's a device, a medium, a vessel. His narrations are deeply empathetic; a master!

I want to say a word about the HEA. There are a set number of plot formulas that the author can follow to reach the romance novel'd defining HEA, and even though I know how the trajectories go, I still appreciate subtlety. I don't like the clunckly spanner in the works thrown into the relationship/story about 3/4 of the way through, just to create that final roadblock before the HEA finale.

Annabeth Albert takes this route - but her fine writing tamps down the obviousness of the plot markers. The road to the HEA has been windy from the beginning - through introspection and revelation in the characters' lives.

The HEA is simply the kind of yearning we all have about our lives, that we find peace, fulfilment, happiness. It may be contrived within the plot, but that doesn't mean it wasn't always a possibility, an outcome that we hope we could have had the smarts and the persistence to engineer for ourselves in the same circumstances.

I guess what I'm wanting to do here is to advocate for this kind of storytelling as legitimate - no less justified or realistic than with the 'literary' novel where the state of play at finish line is unknown.

Hey! thanks for your comments below Marlboro - nice to know we are on the same wavelength. ( )

Almost 4.5 stars

Well, this must be one of the few times that I am more enthusiastic than most. :D

I liked this book a lot. Is it long or slow? Yes, it is. But in my opinion, both Griff as River, and their baggage need it. And the setting deserves it.

I wasn't bored; I felt immersed in the scenery (Alaska is in my bucket list long ago); I felt the chemistry between the main characters, their struggles –Griff is a recovering alcoholic, River has an eating disorder–, and their gradual acceptance that they deserve to love and be loved.

I'll keep reading Frozen Hearts series, no doubt. ( )

I got to read the NetGalley ARC of this novel. This is my review freely given: I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this story. There is a pace to it that you can't fight.

I advise you not to. Settle in and get comfortable. Despite the timeframe, this is the slowest of slow burns between two vastly different men with different flaws, in terrific settings.

If at times in other stories you've wondered about the compulsions and hurdles characters navigate, rest assured you get everything spelled out here sooner or later. Ordinarily I'd find that annoying, but for some reason, with these two guys, it's just fine. I did enjoy the Alaska scenery, but as always with romances, it's the love story that makes or breaks the experience, and I really, really liked how River and Griff compromised for each other. I also appreciated that our intrepid author made River's job as hard as it is - that's real life experience, right there. Writing IS hard. ( )

The first half of the book takes places during a very special nature photography tour in Alaska, and the descriptions made me feel like I was in the heart of Alaska. River and Griff were fighting so hard to NOT be attracted to one another as both men had had problems in their past and were more than leery of inviting more even though their hearts say to go for it. It’s a beautiful story of love and healing. I love the depth that Annabeth Albert puts into her characters, and this book did not in any way disappoint in character development. It does seem to be a bit slower than her other books. That said, the story was full of deep feels and excellent plotting that made a heartwarming story in which River and Griffin learn to accept themselves and each other as they are. ( )

I think this is a 3.5.

After having read and enjoyed multiple series by Annabeth Albert, it was exciting to get into her new series with a very different location this time. I think I went into this one with not many expectations and that definitely worked in my favor.

The thing that stands out for me in this book is the setting - Alaska. As Griffin is a tour guide and River is a tourist/ travel author, we get to see this beautiful place through their eyes and it was an amazing experience. The author does a wonderful job describing the beauty of Alaska, the wilderness, their hiking, camping and flying experiences and all of this added a very soothing ambiance to the story. While Griff is a retired Air Force pilot and recovering alcoholic, River is a former model and now author who still has to deal with the remnants of his eating disorder - this makes for a very angsty, push and pull kinda dynamic between them while I really enjoyed most times, but also got frustrated in parts. They both still have a lot to deal with in their own lives, which leads to the usual miscommunication / separation that we see in so many books. However, at times it really felt like they were each other’s safe space and they could be open and vulnerable and share all their issues with each other, which was wonderful. I also thought that the author’s idea of giving importance to more intimacy than just sex, was perfect for the two characters.

This is a sometimes sweet, sometimes emotional angsty love story which is great for a one time read. And you’ll definitely fall in love with Alaska and want to visit it immediately. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. ( )