📖My Thoughts📖

Oh my! I really enjoyed this fun yet very inspiring book! I loved watching Milo grow and evolve so much in this book. I like how it was light yet had some deep moments in it. I’ve read a decent amount of LGBTQ books, but I don’t think I’ve really read many in which a character is finally ready to come out, so that aspect was a new one to me. It tugged on my heart strings in so many ways. I have a huge appreciation for Milo and all he overcame throughout this book. The book takes turns going back and forth between the two main characters, so that was also interesting to see how they were both perceiving things. Overall I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Annabeth Albert for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

LOVE! Omg wow I was blown away I highly recommend. I loved the characters and the story line. It always kept me wanting more

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of Out of Character.

This was a fun little gay romance with a bunch of sweet nerds and a good climax that didn't use the poor communication trope at all. I love that in a romance book. I enjoyed the nerd culture, especially the allegory to Magic the Gathering. Watching my own partner play the game and tell me the rules and the cool decks he is building reminds me of how Milo was in awe of Jasper playing. It was fluffy and sweet.

But it didn't stand out to me beyond that. There was some interesting discussion of how to navigate being in a couple with someone who hasn't told anyone their sexuality. I wish it was deeper though. I don't think there is enough of that in the books that I've read. Nothing with earnest nuance. Otherwise, I enjoyed the time I spent with Milo and Jasper.

A note on the audiobook narrators - I just did not connect with their character voices for Milo and Jasper. Again, I think this is just preference but it did wear on me a little bit when their personality and voice did not match for me.

If you are looking for something just to bring some joy into your life for a little while, pick this one up.

I rounded up on the star selection, as I would prefer to give this 3.5. I went through different feelings on this book. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. While I understand Jasper having a background with Milo to put him on edge and make him angry, the tone of it was offputting. In my mind, I guess I would think the immediate response to Milo would be out of seething anger depicted by ignoring Milo or being very cold. Instead, it felt too hot too quick, and it just didn't feel right. As the story went on, I found myself more into the story, as the tone settled down out of seething anger. By the midpoint, I was good to go. I enjoyed Milo and his perception of his problems and how he was handling them, and how both he and Jasper tried to get out of each other's way in feeling their emotions without abandoning the other completely.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I love Annabeth Albert's books, but I could not get into this story.

Such great LGBTQ representation in this book! I loved the audiobook so much and these characters as well! This book is written where you literally can’t dislike these characters. They’re both so unique and have such awesome personalities. I had such a delight listening to the narrator and loved the chemistry in this. What a wonderful and heartwarming read!

Another great book by Annabeth Albert. I have read many of her other adult romance books and this was just as great! She has now become one of by auto-buy authors. I always love a queer romance.

Super cute! Really fun, tender, and a joy to read. Wish I would've read the first book in the series before this but I still enjoyed it!

Read the book as I listened to the audiobook and I HATED Milo's voice. Other than that I mostly enjoyed this story of friends turned enemies who join forces on a quest to acquire rare plating cards. Readers be warned: you have to have a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief, but if you picked up a love story, that's kind of a given.

2/5 Did not enjoy one bit so I couldn't finish it all. I was just not feeling it but I know a lot of people would really enjoy this so that's why the two stars instead of one (that and the fact that there were no bad themes in it which I usually reserve for one-star reviews)

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was fun and dorky in all the best ways! I loved all the firsts and twists with this story. The main characters were well balanced and kept me engaged. I loved the dueling perspectives in the story and narration. As always I am a huge fan to the friends to lovers storyline-gimme more!! I'd certainly read more about Jasper and Milo!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of ‘Out of Character’ by Annabeth Albert. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have read the first book in this series. I enjoyed this one a bit more than the previous book. The couple was super cute kind of a friends to enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. I thought the discussions and portrayals of toxic family were something I wish more books tackled so I appreciated seeing that. I also thought the villain was fun to root against. Ugh he was the worst so I was really pulling for the heroes to beat him. I liked the scenes of the two heroes working together towards this goal and how it brought them together.

This book did feel a bit Young Adult to me although there were some sex scenes that weren’t YA obviously. I do think the college lifestyle was well represented and I really like when books with college characters also show different paths to college and that traditional college straight out of high school may not happen for everyone and that’s ok. I like seeing this normalized particularly because college is so expensive and students loans suck.

The narrators did a great job. Their voices were so distinct and really fit the characters and portrayed their journeys and emotions so well.

3/5 stars

2nd chance romance. M/M. Former best friends run into one another after several tragedies have occurred. Milo has some big apologies to make. Jasper is tired of being the next guy and getting kicked for it.
Milo cannot believe that he has screwed up yet again. His life has spun out and he has no idea how he can fix it. When he runs into his childhood best friend who he hurt badly in high school, he knows he needs to make some changes.
I really loved that Jasper was not allowing Milo to slide by. If Milo wants his help, he has to do the work.
It is definitely a story where some hard truths have to be discussed.
I loved how they were able to come together and learn one another again.

DNF @ 45%

Though I liked the first novel of the series, this one personally wasn't as enjoyable. It has a really cute premise but I couldn't see much chemistry between the characters. I probably just don't fit into the target audience for this novel book sadly. Definitely don't take this as a cue to not read it! Check out other reviews and decide for yourself.

In this charming frenemies-to-lovers romance, Annabeth Albert revisits the group of gamer friends we met in last year’s Conventionally Yours. If you read or listened to that book, you may recall Jasper Quigley, who had originally planned to join Alden and Conrad on their road trip, but who had to return home due to a family emergency after the first day. Out of Character opens a few months after that and finds Jasper who, in his last year of college, is still working part-time at the local game store and participating in the Gamer Grandpa vlog, wondering how on earth he’s going to find a replacement Prince Neptune for his cosplay group. Jasper and a few other Odyssey players – including his younger sister April – regularly visit the children’s ward at the local hospital to chat and play a game or two with some of the older kids on the ward, and Prince Neptune is probably the most popular character. But with the group’s regular Neptune away on vacation, Jasper is a man down, and with only a couple of days to go before their next visit has so far not managed to find anyone to take his place.

Milo Lionetti was Jasper’s best friend from when they were little kids, but that changed when they went to high school and Milo was selected for the football team. Wanting to be one of the cool crowd meant not being seen with the nerds – and especially not one who openly went to Rainbow Alliance meetings – and not wanting to be the target of bullies himself, Milo stood by and did nothing when Jasper and his friends were subjected to the ribbing and insults of his new teammates. Milo and Jasper haven’t seen much – if anything – of each other for years, but now Milo desperately needs Jasper’s help, and although he knows he doesn’t deserve it, he screws up his courage to venture into the game store where Jasper works.

His former best friend is the last person Jasper expects to see in the store, and at first thinks his request for help in tracking down some extremely rare Odyssey cards must be some kind of prank. But as Milo explains what happened – that he’d been talked into playing a game with someone with a reputation as a bit of a shark and had lost the four extremely valuable cards belonging to his older brother Bruno (who is away on active duty) – Jasper realises he’s telling the truth… and spots an opportunity. Milo, with his football player’s physique and his Italianate good looks, will make the perfect Prince Neptune; Jasper says he’ll see what he can do to help Milo if Milo will play the prince at their next hospital visit. Wary but intensely relieved, Milo agrees.

Jasper and Milo are appealing, likeable characters, even taking into account Milo’s crappy behaviour towards Jasper in their high school days. He’s had a rough few years and went off the rails a bit after his father died, disappointing his mother and brother and needing Bruno’s help to pull him out of the scrapes he got into. Milo sees himself as a screw-up who can’t do anything right and is going nowhere, yet it’s very clear that he regrets what he did to Jasper and that he very much wants to do better. Jasper isn’t so easily won over, however. He’s a lovely guy – intelligent, outgoing and generous of spirit, he loves to see the people around him happy – but he can’t easily forget or forgive Milo. He’s an absolute sweetheart – but after years as the dependable side-kick (not quite the best Odyssey player, not quite the best-looking in his friendship group, not quite the funniest…) he longs to be someone’s hero.

But he does soon realise that Milo’s desire to repair their friendship is genuine, and he also can’t help noticing how nicely Milo has grown into himself – and how hot he looks in Prince Neptune’s costume! After the cosplay evening, Jasper sets out to fulfil his part of the bargain and starts looking for the cards Milo needs, and they end up doing online research, solving puzzles, doing a treasure hunt and even going to an Odyssey tournament together. All the time they spend together gives Milo and Jasper the chance to really talk – about what happened to their friendship and about where they go from here – and to get to know each other as the people they are now.

Out of Character is a charming and heartfelt romance that sees these two former best friends finding their way back together on a journey that, for Milo particularly, involves a lot of personal growth and discovery. His redemption arc – as both a friend and a person – is really well done, and I adored the way Jasper’s support and encouragement enable Milo to see himself in a new light and gain a new sense of self-belief. They have terrific chemistry and their romance is sweet and full of genuine affection as Jasper helps Milo navigate his way through their changing relationship, and most importantly, there’s a real sense of equality between them in the way they talk and listen to each other. It’s obvious just how good they are for one another as Jasper becomes Milo’s hero and Milo learns how to be his best and truest self.

I was pleased to see that Joel Froomkin and Kirt Graves had signed on to narrate Out of Character as I’d greatly enjoyed listening to them in Conventionally Yours. Just as you’d expect from two such experienced performers, they bring considerable expertise to the table, so pacing, characterisations and differentiation are excellent across the board. Mr. Froomkin reads the chapters from Jasper’s PoV and he captures the essence of the character perfectly; his sunny nature, his dry wit and that hint of vulnerability beneath the generally confident exterior are all right there in his voice. Mr Graves’ interpretation of Milo is equally good, the somewhat downbeat delivery he employs – especially at the start – working well to give the impression of someone who is generally fed up with himself and a bit beaten down by life. Both narrators do a great job with the supporting cast (Mr. Froomkin’s turn as Professor Tuttle is a hoot!) and they are absolutely wonderful when it comes to conveying the growing connection and intimacy between Jasper and Milo; there’s a lovely sense of ‘rightness’ when they’re together.

Out of Character is a low-angst, feel-good story about love, forgiveness, being brave and second chances. I enjoyed it in print, but the excellent performances from Joel Froomkin and Kirt Graves definitely take it to another level, and I’m more than happy to recommend the book in audio format.

Grade: Narration - A-; Content - B - 4.5 stars

It was cute! Not my style of MLM romance but I enjoyed it regardless. I got an ARC audiobook from Netgalley, and my enjoyment of the book might have been colored by the narrator - not my favorite.

This is the second in the True Colors series, and while I haven’t read the first I thought this worked pretty well as a stand-alone.

Jasper Quigley and Milo Lionetti used to be best friends when they were young…until Milo started hanging with the soccer jocks and didn’t want to be seen hanging around with a nerd like Jasper anymore. Years later when Milo needs Jasper’s help he is reluctant to provide it. Eventually, Milo wears him down, after agreeing to do several favors in return, and the two are much thrown together in their quest. One thing leads to another and Milo comes out, and the two end up in a relationship. It’s not all smooth sailing though. There are internal struggles, self-esteem issues, family drama, and bullies to get past if these two stand a chance at their happy ever after.

While I did enjoy the premise of this book, and I liked the characters well enough, I felt like they were very immature for men in their twenties. In my mind they seemed more like they were 17 and I kept getting shocked all over again when one of them would mention their age. Plus the two characters, while having different interests and family situations had almost indistinguishable personalities so I often got a bit lost with whose point of view I was actually reading. I wanted more from both of them, to really hear their distinct voices, and feel like I really knew them. Overall, an enjoyable read, it just didn’t wow me, unfortunately.

The audiobook is narrated by Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin and comes in at just under 10 hours. To be honest, I had a bit of an issue with Milo’s accent. It sounded terribly ‘put on’ and was just difficult to listen to. I’ve listened to other audiobooks by this narrator that were great—this particular performance just really irritated me for some reason.

The True Colors series has been an unexpected geeky gem that I never knew I needed in my life. I'm not a huge D&D, LARP, card/online/video gamer, cosplay person so I don't get the whole subject of the True Colors books but I am a huge fan of Annabeth Albert so picking this up was a no-brainer. And boy does Annabeth bring all the elements I absolutely adore about her books. Not to mention I absolutely, unequivocally LOVE Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin (aka Joel Leslie) as narrators. Always have, always will. They are just ridiculously talented and the whole audiobook is like closing your eyes and listening to your fav show or movie (except it's a book... so, we get so much more!)

Out of Character is the second book in the True Colors series. This book features Jasper and his long-lost buddy, erm, I mean... frienemy from high school, Milo. Jasper and Milo used to be friends in high school until Jasper in his geeky and recently outed gay ways ended up not matching Milo's jock aspirations. So, Milo took the dudebro way out and started being a total dudebro to Jasper. Cut to several years later when Milo made the huge mistake of betting away his brothers Odyssey cards and he is seeking Jasper's help in getting them back. Little does Milo know that his brother's cards were super rare and he has to make amends and practically beg Jasper to help him procure new cards before his brother returns drop deployment.

Annabeth Albert never fails to bring all the feels to the yard when she writes. The book synopsis sort of screamed a second chance-y vibe, which I normally stay far away from because I'm salty and there is usually never enough groveling and apologize to get over my removed feelings about a fictional character to even. But, we actually got some very decent apologizing and groveling here and I was all for it. I loved the elements of redemption and being true to one's self that was layered throughout the book without overtly saying it.

I am a huge sucker for m/m romances that feature someone deeply closeted that grows to discover their sexuality and/or develop the courage and proper support to come out. Here, we get so much more than just a gay virgin, we got a never been kissed never anything virgin, which just hit so many of my go buttons, I can't even quantify. I felt that Out of Character was a bit steamier than Conventionally Yours, and I am down with all that.

Not only do we get a continuation of the Odyssey card gaming but Jasper throws in a cosplay element when he volunteers at the Children's Hospital. We are also brought on our very own quest filled with anonymous online hidden clue sort of scavenger hunt which I found super fun.

As I wrote above, I simply adore Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin (aka Joel Leslie) as narrators. They both individually are some of the best male narrators out there. Together? Fire, ya'll. I cannot say enough good things about them. When I am considering buying or borrowing an audiobook and they are listed as narrators, it's an automatic buy.

Jasper and Milo were a great couple and I loved every minute of their journey. I absolutely cannot wait for more in the series.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Out of Character was a lot of fun to listen to. The story flowed nicely and the pacing was consistent throughout. I really enjoyed the two main characters a nd seeing how different both of their experiences were. It was nice to see different kinds of representation. This book is the perfect blend of nerd culture and a hopeless romantic love story. My biggest gripe story wise was with Jasper and Milo's relationship, I felt that a lot of the important conversations were left out and they both kind of glossed over their past and why they stopped being friends. They rushed into their relationship in aa way to me that seemed very unhealthy. I also wasn't a huge fan of the narrator for Jasper, at times it was hard to listen to. With that being said it was a cute love story with dynamic and unique relationships, and tons of fun and nerdy material!

Why oh why did I wait so long to get to this absolutely heartfelt coming of age love story between two estranged former best friends?!? I was so there for all the nerdy geekdom. Jasper is a cos-playing, fantasy gamer (think Magic the gathering) and his former best friend Milo treated him like garbage in high school ruining their friendship. When Milo gambles away his brother's gaming cards he turns to Jasper to help him win a replacement set. I loved how tender and vulnerable these characters were. The dual perspective really allowed readers to get inside both Jasper and Milo's heads. Jasper grew up in a more accepting family and came out early in high school but Milo was a jock with a less than approving father who is only now trying to live more openly as a young gay man. I found Milo's journey exploring his sexuality with Jasper so beautiful. Highly recommended especially for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue, The extraordinaries or Jay's gay agenda. Great on audio with two narrators who did a wonderful job bringing to life Jasper and Milo! I can't wait to read Conventionally yours, the author's last gay romance. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.