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.
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Sailor Proof is the first book in the Shore Leave series by Annabeth Albert. The fake relationship trope is my favorite trope, so I was excited for this one. Arthur Euler agrees to help his navy brother’s friend out with a plan to make his ex jealous. What was supposed to be just a welcome home kiss turns into a fake relationship that they have to keep up with during the Euler annual summer vacation. Arthur doesn’t date military men and Derrick is done with relationships, but they decide to take this opportunity to practice being better boyfriends for the future. Unsurprisingly, their fake relationship turns into real feelings and Arthur has to decide if he can handle being in a relationship with the Naval Chief.
“And for a second- a literal instant when our eyes met and time stopped- I forgot it wasn’t real. And in that moment, I wanted it to be.”
Ahhh Sailor Proof had so many of my favorite tropes in it! Fake relationship ✔ the one bed dilemma ✔ first time experiences ✔ It did it all with two great characters. Arthur is a quirky musician whose family makes fun of his lack of athletic ability and his music passion, which includes obscure musical instruments. He had the biggest heart and had a great connection with all his younger cousins that will melt your heart. Derrick was sweet and charming. He was uncomfortable with their arrangement at first, but once he accepted his feelings for Arthur he was all in and pampered Arthur with attention. They were just adorable as a couple, for two people who thought they were bad boyfriends they sure did a good job at pretending. The physical chemistry between them was hot hot hot, there is a bit of sexual tension/angst between them at first but it doesn’t last long and things between them become steamy fast.
“Bet we’d both sleep better with a goodnight kiss…”
That got a growl from Derrick.
“If I kiss you, we’re not stopping till morning.”
Sailor Proof is a light-hearted, low angst romance between a Naval Chief and a music lover that is guaranteed to give you a smile. Filled with camping fun, shared baths, and lots of steam, and I look forward to more book sin the series.
OnceUpon_A_BookDream 