Book Review: "Up All Night" by Annabeth Albert

After more than 20 years and two children, Sean’s marriage to his best friend has ended amicably, and he decides to return to his hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, to fill in for a firefighter on maternity leave. He moves in with one of his oldest friends, Eric, to help him deal with the death of husband and help care for his four children.

When Sean meets Denver, the overnight cook at the local diner, the handsome, rugged man awakens feelings he’d always kept inside. And when their encounter turns physical, Sean is hooked right away, but Denver isn’t the type to want a relationship—or even put down roots anywhere.

As their hookups intensify and feelings grow stronger, Sean wants Denver to be a bigger part of his life. But Denver is getting ready to leave again before he gets burned emotionally—although his heart wants to stay with Sean.

While Sean has a fairly good relationship with his parents and a solid group of friends, Denver hasn’t let himself get too close to anyone. Growing up in foster care, he learned to tamp down emotional expectations and quash relationships before they hurt him. But being with Sean makes him feel good, although he’s wary of getting in too deep.

I felt like there were a number of issues in the book that were really glossed over. For one, Sean literally had sex and decided to come out—no anguish, no nothing—and that seemed odd to me. And second, Eric was raising four teenage kids who had come from foster care. Eric’s husband died, and yet for the most part, the kids had no issues. (And don’t get me started on the eleventh-hour appearance of Sean’s adult son.)

There’s intense chemistry and steam between Sean and Denver, and I enjoyed Sean’s circle of friends. I just wish the book was less disjointed and inconsistent. However, I am a fan of Annabeth Albert's books, so I may give this series one more try.