Rough Terrain

Albert throws a gun-shy Navy SEAL and a flirtatious nursing student together in the strong final Out of Uniform contemporary. Renzo Bianchi is Canaan Finley’s fantasy man come to life. After overhearing that Renzo is bisexual, Canaan coyly asks him to hang out. Restless and interested, Renzo takes Canaan up on his invitation. But their impromptu adventure ends in a deeper attraction instead of a hook-up. Canaan then invites Renzo on a weekend camping trip, but there’s a catch: Canaan needs Renzo to pretend they’re a couple in front of his old bandmates. Despite serious misgivings, Renzo agrees to the charade. The two head out a fake couple but return, after a harrowing experience, deeply bonded and truly together. Canaan’s frankness about sex helps Renzo overcome his hang-ups, filling their relationship with laughter, eroticism, and a love worth fighting to keep when Renzo’s next assignment threatens to separate them permanently. Albert pushes Renzo and Canaan to an emotional openness that makes this a happily-ever-after built on more than just explosive chemistry. Agent: Deidre Knight, Knight Agency. (Feb.)