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heabooknerd's review
4.0
The more I read of ARCTIC SUN the more I enjoyed it and got invested in the story. It's no secret that I'm a fan of Annabeth Albert's writing and her character driven romances. There is so much beautiful emotion in River and Griffin's story, both individually and as a couple. I'll admit I wasn't so sure about Griffin in the beginning but as I learned more about him I came to love him. Griffin is lonely and gruff and clearly does not enjoy big crowds and lots of social interaction. But a lot of his solitude is also a coping mechanism for the mistakes of his past. Both these men have struggled deeply in life and are still working through finding a new normal and this builds the majority of the emotion and angst in ARCTIC SUN.
While Griffin is set in his ways and his quiet life, River is always chasing the next adventure. River's outgoing, charming, and fun-loving but there's also a deep well of hurt in his life. He's working to overcome problems just as much as Griffin is and a lot of their healing comes from recognizing a kindred spirit. I really liked the balance that Griffin and River find in each other and the way that they learn to open up and lean a bit on someone else. It's hard work and they make some mistakes along the way, but ultimately River and Griffin learn how important trust and communication is to a successful relationship.
On top of the wonderful characters, there's the gorgeous Alaskan landscape and Albert had me ready to pack my bags and sign up for a Alaskan tour. The locales the tour visited were beautiful and I could feel the peaceful atmosphere just jumping off the pages. I also really enjoyed how River's enthusiasm and wonder helped Griffin re-experience what he loved about his home. A few side characters are introduced and I'm excited for their stories.
ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review
Content Warning: Griffin is a recovering alcoholic; River is recovering from an eating disorder
While Griffin is set in his ways and his quiet life, River is always chasing the next adventure. River's outgoing, charming, and fun-loving but there's also a deep well of hurt in his life. He's working to overcome problems just as much as Griffin is and a lot of their healing comes from recognizing a kindred spirit. I really liked the balance that Griffin and River find in each other and the way that they learn to open up and lean a bit on someone else. It's hard work and they make some mistakes along the way, but ultimately River and Griffin learn how important trust and communication is to a successful relationship.
On top of the wonderful characters, there's the gorgeous Alaskan landscape and Albert had me ready to pack my bags and sign up for a Alaskan tour. The locales the tour visited were beautiful and I could feel the peaceful atmosphere just jumping off the pages. I also really enjoyed how River's enthusiasm and wonder helped Griffin re-experience what he loved about his home. A few side characters are introduced and I'm excited for their stories.
ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review
Content Warning: Griffin is a recovering alcoholic; River is recovering from an eating disorder
jrv45's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
bookschaosnart's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet romance between two flawed but lovely humans. I really appreciated the descriptions of Alaska and how it was basically a third main character. I was slow to like the two main characters but by the end I appreciated them and their growth. It was a slower read for me but that was mostly due to the mental health aspects of the two characters. I would recommend taking the authors note seriously regarding content warnings. I really appreciated the way they were depicted but at times I did need to put it away for a bit. I am looking forward to the next book in the series and hope that the two main characters do make a cameo or two.
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
3.75
I was pretty certain about a four star rating for this book. Then I started to think about the review and it took me a few seconds to remember what the book was even about, even though I'd only finished it a couple of days ago. Now, I'm conflicted.
Still, there's a lot to love about this book and a lot of things about it that will stay with me for a long time. It gave me a better understanding of some topics I'd previously known little about. Just... the characters and the romance will likely not be the things I remember. Because even as I did like both, it was what the characters were dealing with that made the book good for me.
River is a "professional nomad" (title of his book, even). He loves to travel to new and beautiful places, and he loves making friends on the way. Travel calms him in a way nothing else does. But it's also a method of running away from the reality of his life and his world.
Griffin is an ex-military pilot and an occasional, and reluctant, tour guide. He lives in the beautiful wilderness of Alaska and he likes the calm and solitude, even from his own family, with whom he works. When Griffin's uncle is unable to handle the latest week-long tour, Griffin has to take his place, and that's when he meets River. He assumes River is just the pampered rich guy who won't be able to handle roughing it, given River's background as a model. And so begins the tale of gruff Griffin and flirty River.
This is a slow-going book. And that's not something I mind. I love slow burns and, at this point, I'm a little tired of reading sex scenes, so even if it had taken the two till the very end to really get together, I'd have been fine with it. But this was a different kind of slow-going.
River wants to have fun on this trip, but Griffin is cautious of getting intimate with anyone. Griffin has worked hard for his sobriety and he doesn't want to do anything that could rock the boat. Also, he's never been intimate with anyone while sober, so he has reasons to hesitate. River, despite the flirting, isn't looking for anything serious because he can't stay in one place. Travel has become a way for him to deal with his eating disorder. So we have two people with their own issues who find themselves attracted to one another and they adopt a let's-see-where-this-goes approach.
And that's kind of where the problem lies. There's too much uncertainty present. Neither of them are really deciding if they want something serious, rather they're just procrastinating. It's like reading late at night and going 'one more page' over and over. At some point, you gotta decide if you're gonna be reading till the end, or just close the fucking book.
Also, as much as loved reading about River's struggle with his eating disorder and Griffin's with alcoholism, they kind of became the sole points of interest for me. Both issues were written so well and very informative. It made me care about and understand the characters. And as powerful as that was, the romance seemed to fade in comparison. There were also parts that were a little dull for me. The tone of the book is so mellow that it becomes too mellow. It could've benefited with some scenes that stood in terms of intensity, and maybe some more humour.
Also, pictures. Photography is a pretty big part of the book as well, and there are endless description of the places Griffin and River visit. How cool would it be if there were actual pictures sprinkled throughout of those places? They could even be there as pictures that River or Griffin took.
Overall, this was a good book. And even though some parts were less memorable than others, it, in no way, dissuaded me from reading more books by the author.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was pretty certain about a four star rating for this book. Then I started to think about the review and it took me a few seconds to remember what the book was even about, even though I'd only finished it a couple of days ago. Now, I'm conflicted.
Still, there's a lot to love about this book and a lot of things about it that will stay with me for a long time. It gave me a better understanding of some topics I'd previously known little about. Just... the characters and the romance will likely not be the things I remember. Because even as I did like both, it was what the characters were dealing with that made the book good for me.
River is a "professional nomad" (title of his book, even). He loves to travel to new and beautiful places, and he loves making friends on the way. Travel calms him in a way nothing else does. But it's also a method of running away from the reality of his life and his world.
Griffin is an ex-military pilot and an occasional, and reluctant, tour guide. He lives in the beautiful wilderness of Alaska and he likes the calm and solitude, even from his own family, with whom he works. When Griffin's uncle is unable to handle the latest week-long tour, Griffin has to take his place, and that's when he meets River. He assumes River is just the pampered rich guy who won't be able to handle roughing it, given River's background as a model. And so begins the tale of gruff Griffin and flirty River.
This is a slow-going book. And that's not something I mind. I love slow burns and, at this point, I'm a little tired of reading sex scenes, so even if it had taken the two till the very end to really get together, I'd have been fine with it. But this was a different kind of slow-going.
River wants to have fun on this trip, but Griffin is cautious of getting intimate with anyone. Griffin has worked hard for his sobriety and he doesn't want to do anything that could rock the boat. Also, he's never been intimate with anyone while sober, so he has reasons to hesitate. River, despite the flirting, isn't looking for anything serious because he can't stay in one place. Travel has become a way for him to deal with his eating disorder. So we have two people with their own issues who find themselves attracted to one another and they adopt a let's-see-where-this-goes approach.
And that's kind of where the problem lies. There's too much uncertainty present. Neither of them are really deciding if they want something serious, rather they're just procrastinating. It's like reading late at night and going 'one more page' over and over. At some point, you gotta decide if you're gonna be reading till the end, or just close the fucking book.
Also, as much as loved reading about River's struggle with his eating disorder and Griffin's with alcoholism, they kind of became the sole points of interest for me. Both issues were written so well and very informative. It made me care about and understand the characters. And as powerful as that was, the romance seemed to fade in comparison. There were also parts that were a little dull for me. The tone of the book is so mellow that it becomes too mellow. It could've benefited with some scenes that stood in terms of intensity, and maybe some more humour.
Also, pictures. Photography is a pretty big part of the book as well, and there are endless description of the places Griffin and River visit. How cool would it be if there were actual pictures sprinkled throughout of those places? They could even be there as pictures that River or Griffin took.
Overall, this was a good book. And even though some parts were less memorable than others, it, in no way, dissuaded me from reading more books by the author.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
laure_frompariswithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
zaza_bdp's review against another edition
3.0
Sur le papier, ce roman avait tout pour me plaire : les grands espaces sauvages de l'Alaska, des héros cabossés par la vie, un couple improbable ... Cependant, si tous les ingrédients sont là, la recette a quelque peu raté pour moi.
J'ai quand même eu du mal avec River et son attitude assez "agressive" envers Griff : il le poursuit de ses assiduités, le pousse sans cesse dans ses retranchements, mais lorsque les rôles s'inversent, il pète un plomb ! Pour moi, leur relation n'est pas équilibrée, et si Griff se plie en douze pour faire plaisir à River et prendre soin de lui, j'ai trouvé que la réciprocité ne s'appliquait pas vraiment.
En fait ça m'a fait mal au coeur pour Griff de voir à quel point River le poussait hors de sa zone de confort, alors qu'il est en situation de grande fragilité, et qu'en face, River ne soit pas disposé à en faire de même. Certes, il est profondément enfoncé dans la souffrance et le déni, mais quand même ...
J'ai beaucoup aimé la première partie, avec ces descriptions de paysages, cette ambiance de voyage organisé en tout petit comité, avec des personnages secondaires bien présents. C'est après que cela se gâte, et, dans le fond, je me suis beaucoup ennuyée en lisant ce roman.
J'ai quand même eu du mal avec River et son attitude assez "agressive" envers Griff : il le poursuit de ses assiduités, le pousse sans cesse dans ses retranchements, mais lorsque les rôles s'inversent, il pète un plomb ! Pour moi, leur relation n'est pas équilibrée, et si Griff se plie en douze pour faire plaisir à River et prendre soin de lui, j'ai trouvé que la réciprocité ne s'appliquait pas vraiment.
En fait ça m'a fait mal au coeur pour Griff de voir à quel point River le poussait hors de sa zone de confort, alors qu'il est en situation de grande fragilité, et qu'en face, River ne soit pas disposé à en faire de même. Certes, il est profondément enfoncé dans la souffrance et le déni, mais quand même ...
J'ai beaucoup aimé la première partie, avec ces descriptions de paysages, cette ambiance de voyage organisé en tout petit comité, avec des personnages secondaires bien présents. C'est après que cela se gâte, et, dans le fond, je me suis beaucoup ennuyée en lisant ce roman.
nalia_danger's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
ceruleanpages's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Annabeth Albert has been a go-to author for me for a very long time. Her books are just great to get my mind off of things and indulge in a simple but still emotional romance.
But this one really took my heart in a special way. I love absolutely everything about this (also a huge plus that my favorite narrator did the audiobook). Definitely my favorite out of the many books ive read of hers so far 🧡
But this one really took my heart in a special way. I love absolutely everything about this (also a huge plus that my favorite narrator did the audiobook). Definitely my favorite out of the many books ive read of hers so far 🧡
vkelt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
calebmbuys's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0