The first prompt for 2026’s TBR Challenge is “still here”, so I went for a book in a series I started reading a while ago and haven’t yet finished. Delivered Fast (from 2015) is the third book in Annabeth Albert’s Portland Heat series – where, according to the series blurb, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go.

Now in his mid-thirties, Chris O’Neal had moved to Portland to open a vegan coffee shop with his boyfriend, but when Randy decided he wanted to open another café a few hundred miles away near the coast, their relationship, which had been rocky for a while, didn’t survive. Chris knows grumpy has become his default over the past year or so, but he doesn’t have time for anything else – certainly not flirting with the hot young delivery guy from the local bakery.

Lance Degrassi is twenty-two and comes from a large Italian family who – unlike Chris, who was disowned when he came out – accepts him completely and love him for who he is. He’s just taken over this particular delivery run and makes no bones about showing his interest in Chris from the get-go. Chris has that whole hipster lumberjack thing going on and clearly has no clue how hot he is, which Lance finds more than a bit endearing, and even though Chris tries hard not to flirt with him, Lance isn’t deterred.

Chris tells himself Lance is too young for him, but can’t help being drawn to his confidence, his intelligence and his good humour. A one-time hook-up (that Chris recognises as transformative but decides to ignore) leads to a friends-with-benefits arrangement, although the lines become blurred as the two of them begin spending more time together, sharing meals, watching movies and generally hanging out, and even moreso when Chris suggests Lance should come over to take advantage of the quiet to study while he (Chris) is at work. It’s clear to the reader that this thing between them has already gone way beyond friendship, but Chris is in denial, telling himself that friendship and sex is all he wants and all he can have from Lance, stubbornly clinging to the knowledge that Lance will be leaving to go to college (for post-grad) in a few month’s time. Lance is young and should be free to experience everything that comes with it; he certainly shouldn’t be thinking about putting his life on hold for a cranky older guy whose life has become hemmed in by responsibilities and regrets.

Annabeth Albert’s character work is always excellent, and I really liked the two leads here. Lance is bright, bubbly and persistent without being creepy or pushy, and he’s exactly what Chris – who has allowed himself to be ground down by the weight of work and obligation – needs to pull him out of his funk and start to realise that maybe he needs to start chasing his own dreams again. They have terrific chemistry and the attraction between them is palpable; the sex scenes are hot and well-written and even though Chris is the story’s sole narrator, the author does a great job of showing us exactly why he and Lance are so drawn to each other and how their feelings are evolving.

The I-don’t-want-you-to-give-up-your-dreams-for-me trope often shows up in age-gap romances; usually the older partner decides they’re too old for the younger and deliberately pushes them away, even though like it’s a stab to the heart and it’s obviously making them both miserable. I don’t like it when one partner makes a unilateral ‘it’s for your own good’ decision – but Chris’ reasoning makes sense here because we know that he did exactly that – put his wants and needs second – only to have the relationship fail, so it’s understandable that he would think as he does. The third-act break-up is, thankfully, fairly brief, with Chris taking the time they’re apart to realise that what he has with Lance is different and worth fighting for.

Delivered Fast is a quick, sexy and emotionally satisfying read with just enough conflict to keep things interesting. It’s a good reminder that I need to dig out the rest of the Portland Heat books and keep them closer to the top of my TBR pile.