Rating: 3.5
Steam: 2
PoV: dual, 3rd person
Genre: contemporary military romance, MM
Tropes / tags: hookup to more, secret relationship, slow burn
Service Before Self was a sweet romance, and I loved seeing Alex and Finn slowly fall for each other, despite the odds against them.
Alex and Finn’s relationship development was full of complications and hesitance, both of them had their fair share of baggage and weren’t necessarily looking for a relationship. I liked their chemistry and how well they fit together, seeing them flirting over text / on app was really sweet! Their easy banter and connection worked well here and it was fun to see them get to know each other and go on not-dates together.
There was some drama with Finn’s ex husband, and that paired with regulations forbidding them to be together, meant that these two had quite a long and bumpy road until they found their HEA. The plot was a little predictable at times, and the evil ex-thing felt a little exaggerated and sadly didn’t fully work for me. It was easy to root for Alex and Finn though, and I liked how they both grew attached to one another without really meaning to.
Service Before Self was overall a sweet romance story and I enjoyed the military aspect of it. It wasn’t like any other military romance I’ve read, which was refreshing. This was a new author for me, and I look forward to read more by them – I’ve already added Weston, Sage and Val’s novella to my TBR.
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
The Secret Librarian 