I couldn’t wait to get Jasper’s book after I finished Conventionally Yours, it’s been a little wait but so worth it. I really enjoyed Jasper and Milo’s story. Annabeth Albert did a fantastic job with creating two characters that have a strained past and even knowing what happened to cause that friction you still can’t help but root for them to get together.

Milo finds himself in a bit of trouble and he needs his ex-best friends help, Jasper, is the only person Milo thinks of to help him out of the predicament he found himself in. In all of the scenarios Milo had fluttering through his head never did he think things would lead to where they did.

Jasper still holds a grudge after what happened with Milo in High School but when he's not going to help him without getting something out of it for himself, so if he wants Jasper to help him find the rare cards he needs Jasper is going to make sure he helps out at the Children's Hospital...costume and all!

This story had some great Cosplay moments in it, and not your typical ones either. I really enjoyed the way Jasper and Milo gradually reconnected, they didn't let their guards down right away but you could see how they were chipped at until the walls finally gave way.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and really enjoyed it. Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin did a wonderful job with bringing Jasper and Milo to life.

If you enjoy New Adult MM Romances, Cosplay, or Nerd/Jock Relationships then this one is for you.

Happy Reading!!!

**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books** I also preordered a paperback copy of this book

I think the concept of this book is cute, but something about the writing style and the narrators voices were not working for me: I am sure I’m missing out on something adorable but I couldn’t do it.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Friends to enemies to friends to lovers!! I adored this story. Jasper and Milo used to be friends prior to a falling out in high school. Years later, Milo wanders into the game store Jasper works at to try and replace some cards of his brother’s that he lost. These two rekindle their old friendship and it ultimately turns into more. This story is steamy and raw. Two hearts being vulnerable and genuine. Adored these two!

I remember last year reading Conventionally Yours and thinking before I started “Am I really going to read a book about gamers going to a convention??” … fast forward to now and I couldn’t have been more excited to get back to my favourite Odyssey gamer nerds!

In Out of Character we get to see the lovable Jasper find his HEA in a most unexpected place- with his ex bestie who shunned him in high school to fit in with his new jock friends.

Jasper is still pretty hurt over Milo’s treatment when they were kids- but when Milo comes to him in need of help recouping some valuable lost Odyssey cards, Jasper can’t resist the chance to play the hero. In return for his help, Milo is conscripted to join Jasper’s cod-play group for their children’s hospital visits.

Jasper and Milo are completely adorable together and I loved seeing them work together as a team. Milo’s character goes through a great transformation as is given confidence to be his true self and share his talents with the world.

Some readers may read the back cover and be turned off by the idea of a bully romance- but this is not that. Milo was a scared and weak teenager- sure he didn’t stand up for Jasper and the others his friends harassed, but he was pretty much fighting his own battle to be accepted not only by these friends, but his father and brother too.

In the end- I loved hanging out with this crew again- the cameos from Alden and Conrad were icing on the cake… not to mention everyone’s favourite, Gamer Grandpa!

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and was easily swept up in the story. The narration distinctly depicted our two leads and gave voice to their personalities. I enjoyed the contrasting narration styles that was used for the characters and felt that they complimented each other well. The cadence and speed at which it was read made for an easy listening experience.

Out of Character by Annabeth Albert was released July 6th, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#OutOfCharacter #AnnabethAlbert #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

When it came to this book, I didn't read the back, i just picked it up. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the different perspectives-- it was always clear when it switched between the boys and the two narrator's was a great touch. I thought the acting was good and it was very fun and engaging to listen to this book!

The beginning had me wondering if it was building up to a nerdy quest? Spoiler alert: it was. Milo and Jasper are hurt and flawed and their story of coming together through this mega nerdy side quest was simply delightful. This is a New Adult Book about two young men figuring out love and life and who they are. About relationships. And really about being a giant nerd who is also gay--both of which cause some minor identity crises and drama. This is friends to enemies to something to so much told in a way that I think most people can relate to.

To be honest, I didn't realize this was second in a series, but I was not confused at all. This book is truly delightful all on its own! (you can take my word for it, I was definitely giddy)

This book was..okay. I wasn’t overly impressed with any of the characters and I also didn’t particularly care about the love story. I found it to be relatively unbelievable and lacking in depth and emotion.

This was a “bully to lovers” trope, but there was never a point where I even believed the characters cared about each other at all. All the words between them fell flat and felt over wrote.

I listened to this whole book, and after dedicating 9 hours of my life to it, I don’t even feel like I understand the characters. Some books are written in a way that the characters become friends and you can put yourself in their mind and understand them in the way you understand yourself. The characters in this book felt so two dimensional. Honestly, the only character I cared about was Jasper’s sister, and she barely ever appeared in scenes.

Overall, the story had potential, but it missed the mark for me.

I also was not a fan of the voices used for the audiobook. They sounded older than they should and the accents were overdone.

Out of Character is the second book in Annabeth Albert's True Colors series. Audiences first encounter Jasper, one of the main characters/narrators in Book 1 (Conventionally Yours). Despite this fact, I think you can read this as a standalone.

This was a really compelling audiobook. Hearing the two narrators was really cool as it provided a really great immersive experience. While I enjoyed the story, I felt that there was something missing. The characters seemed to be in their early twenties, yet there were a lot of moments where the book felt more YA in nature. Granted, the storyline does follow Jasper and Milo as the latter is coming to terms with owning his sexuality in a public manner. I think Albert wrote the characters well and it was an interesting novel overall. I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it. Reading this was a great way to spend an afternoon or evening.

Overall rating: 3/5

Out of Character will be available for purchase on July 15th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available to buy. Also, be sure to check out Annabeth Albert’s website!
I was lucky enough to be able to listen to this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

When I requested this ARC, I did not realize it was the same author who wrote Conventionally Yours, or that this was the next installation in the series. If I had known, I might not have requested the book- but, after finishing this soft, heartfelt romance, I am glad I did.

Out of Character centers around Jasper, a nerdy tabletop gamer, and Milo, the jock who was once his best friend. The two of them have to go on a treasure hunting adventure to fix a big mistake Milo made and along the way, they figure out more about themselves and their relationship.

I’ll keep this short and sweet, because truth be told, I didn’t have a lot of thoughts on this book. It was a good, okay book, and very romantic. It didn’t hold me on some intense emotional level, but it was a fun ride. If you’ve dealt with internalized homophobia, it might be a bit hard to read at times.

The one major complain I have was the voice actor for Jasper on the audiobook. Consistently, the narrator used insane accents for every voice, including Jaspers, and I found myself cringing at the way that things were said. Milo’s narrator, on the other hand, has a New Jersey accent, but it was more subtle, well done. Jasper’s narrator really felt like everything was a caricature, which made his chapters hard to listen to.

Other than that, I think this is a worthwhile summer romance to read if you’re a fan of geeky romances.

Milo and Jasper were best friends in elementary and middle school, but when Milo's jock friends started bullying Jasper in high school for being gay, Milo let it happen. Now a senior in college, Jasper works at a gaming store in town. When Milo loses some of his brother's prized Odyssey cards in a stupid bet, he heads to the gaming store, determined to do whatever it takes to replace the cards before his brother finds out. Jasper is not thrilled to see Milo again, but despite his resentment, he agrees to help Milo out. As the two start to spend time together again, Jasper can't help but feel sparks between him and Milo. Can he give Milo a second chance and forgive what happened in the past?

This is the second book in the series but can easily be read as a standalone. I liked the book but did not love it. I didn't care for the way the boys were narrated in the audiobook version, and I think that might have a little to do with it. I did enjoy the fact that Milo was the serious one and Jasper the more carefree one; usually, the jock is the carefree person and the nerd the serious one, so I liked seeing that flipped around.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

This audiobook was very well done. Great voices that made each character come alive but distinct from others, It really captured the neediness but romance of this story. A sweet fun read.

I enjoyed this second installment in the True Colors series about the same as I enjoyed the first book in the series, Conventionally Yours. It's a great New Adult romance, with a major focus on Milo coming to terms with his past and his present and getting his shit together.

There is just something about Annabeth Albert's writing that doesn't quite click for me. Maybe I'm just too old and as an elder millennial I can't connect with these young folk, I don't know. Neither Milo nor Jasper felt really fully fleshed out and REAL to me, and I didn't 100% buy into their chemistry. It was sort of like "Oh, now they're friends, oh, now they're in a relationship. I know because these words here say so," but I didn't ever really feel it.

Still, lots of fun descriptions of gaming, cosplay, streaming, and general nerdiness abound. Annabeth Albert also takes on some larger issues like learning disabilities and being afraid to come out when you're a jock.

I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin. At first, both narrators were really grating to me, especially the narrator for Jasper's chapters. Eventually I got more used to both their voices. I did appreciate how well both narrators did at keeping the character's voices/tone consistent regardless of who was narrating - Milo especially had a very distinct voice/dialect and the narrator for Jasper did a great job capturing that in his chapters.

This is the second book in the True Colors series, and can be read as a stand alone. The characters from the first book appear in this one as fairly minor side characters.

This book was incredible and I am so glad I got approved! This story follows Jasper and Milo while they embark on a quest to find some ultra rare cards. Milo and Jasper were friends in middle school but due to some unfortunate choices made by Milo and kind of a crappy world their friendship was broken for almost 10 years. This story was incredibly sweet, heartbreaking and wholly engaging. I felt for both boys as they tried to navigate the pieces of their broken friendship and the new connection they were forming. I also loved the cosplay element and I loved that it was used as so heavily here as a way for hijinks and intimacy to occur. The bond that these boys formed was incredible and fully based on open communication. Honestly read it, you won't regret it. I was lucky enough to be approved for both the audiobook and the ebook so I got to read and listen to it at the same time, which is my preferred method of consuming books. I loved that there were two narrators as it helped really distinguish Jasper and Milo. At first I didn't love Milo's narrator because the Italian-American accent felt unnatural but after a while it integrated itself with the story. This is the second book in the series and I cannot wait to pick up book number 1!

Okay… LISTEN! I liked Conventionally Yours, but Out of Character was EVEN BETTER! We are still in the same world, which is exciting, because everything I loved about Book 1 continues. While we get cameos from Conrad & Aldon, they are only side characters in this book.

Jasper & Milo were best friends long before the book began, but had a falling out. So we start the book with (Semi) Enemies vibes. Which, knowing at some point we were going to get to the lovers bit made me really want it even more.

I found Jasper’s closeted jock boy with the shitty friends schtick kinda hot, because obviously I have horrible taste in men, BUT!!! He does turn it around by the end, so maybe I just like a good project.

I know this is going to end up being a longer series, but if I could make one request from Anabeth Albert, it’s that I don’t want a redemption arc for George. Let him just stay the Villain. I obviously did not like him at all and just don’t want to ever like him. 😂

I really liked the enemies to lovers premise of this story with two main characters that are easy to root for and a second chance at redemption. The only thing that kept throwing me off was the ages of the main characters. They are young adults, but they story feels a bit younger and the voices sounded quite older. It threw me off and even though it was an enjoyable story, I think I would have liked this one more in print version.

Unspoilery Blurb
When Milo shows up in Jasper’s life again after years of friendship ending with silent bullying in high school, Jasper is wary. Although Jasper is reluctant to dig up the painful past, Milo’s life is crumbling around him and he needs Jasper’s help.

As the two guys set out on a hunt to find rare Odyssey cards to replace the ones Milo lost, they reform a connection that is more important than either of them dreamed of. But in the midst of gaming, cosplay, and scavenger hunts, Jasper and Milo need to decide if they can overcome their past and create a future.

Unspoilery Review
I went into this book expecting a mildly entertaining story with sweet characters. Instead, I was engulfed in an addictive book with two characters that I absolutely adored! I loved reading the two perspectives in this book, and it was wonderful to get to know Jasper and Milo.

Jasper is such an upbeat, exciting person who seems to make the best of any situation. He is so clever and kind, and I enjoyed seeing him working with kids, helping Milo, and kicking ass in Odyssey.

Milo is such a sweet, broken character. I felt so bad for everything he has gone through and all the pain and regret he is carrying for himself and his past. Milo grew so much in this book, and I am proud of him taking control of his life again after getting knocked down.

I enjoyed the elements of gaming in this book, and it did a wonderful job showing a person struggling with being openly gay. This coming out story was sweet and encouraging, and I thought it was an incredibly important perspective.

Overall, this was a fun book. It was full of games, exiting conversations, sweet characters, and addictive romance! I recommend this book to anyone looking for a summer romance about friendship and second chances at love and life.

Thanks for reading!

Oh wow.
I finished this and then promptly forgot it existed.
That does not bode well for this review, because when I was listening to it, I enjoyed it. But whenever I paused it because of being busy, I forgot to start it again and went on with podcasts.

It was a really cute mlm romance, but it wasn't one that kept me enamored.

Milo and Jasper used to be friends - but high school changed everything between them. Jasper was a geeky guy who knew himself already, Milo was a jock who was desperate to fit in with his new friends and find acceptance from his family. As a result - Milo was awful to Jasper and broke their friendship in a very serious and real way. Since that time, Jasper's start has continued to rise - while Milo has floundered. Milo lost his college scholarship for soccer after a drunk driving crash that left him with permanent damage. He feels stuck and just can't stop making bad decisions and moving his life forward. After one more big mistake - Milo begs Jasper for help and forgiveness.

I feel like the Brother's Osborne song - Younger Me could very easily be about Milo. He didn't have the same level of privilege as Jasper - in that Jasper had his family's support and assurance of unconditional love and acceptance. Most of the book involves Milo finding his courage to be true to himself. What Milo does in this book is no small thing - and it is shown in a way that will be very real and honest for others who have struggled in the same way he does.

Jasper is also at a coming of age crossroads. He is scared to leave his family - and worried about his younger sister feeling the same level of abandonment he felt as his siblings left home. Those changes are big and scary - and something I think everyone coming in to adulthood feels in some respect. Reconnecting with Milo gives Jasper a new anchor - but that anchor feels really tenuous to him because of Milo's issues.

Overall - I adored Milo and Jasper together and loved seeing some of the characters from the previous book. The scenes with Professor Tuttle and his husband were so touching and wonderful. The way they became Milo's found family was truly amazing.

I highly recommend this book and the previous one in the series - but you definitely don't need to read the other book before diving in to this one. Annabeth Albert is an amazing author and I can't seem to get enough of her writing.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and listened to the Audiobook version (which was fab) - but these opinions are all my own.

Kirt Graves is one of my favorite audiobook narrators. I was delighted to see (and hear) him on this one! Unfortunately Joel Froomkin isn't a favorite of mine, but it didn't detract terribly from the story.

Milo was a passive bystander while his supposed best friend, Jasper, was harassed all through high school. Now he needs Jasper to help him in a desperate way. Will Jasper be willing to help?

And what will happen as the two spend so much time together? Will their friendship resume? Will more bloom? How can Milo overcome his fears of others' opinions?

The story is like a traditional romance with the pair starting off at odds and follows a typical formula. It's a nice fluffy read.

The story follows Milo and Jasper, two friends that had a falling out in high school. Milo needs Jasper’s help after losing his older brother’s rare Odyssey cards in a drunken gaming night. The only way to get the cards back is to treasure hunt for them, as they are extremely rare and worth over $10,000. Jasper agrees to help, only if Milo will cosplay with him for a children’s hospital, to which Milo agrees.

The story is very sweet and follows along with a man who is coming into his own sexuality while falling in love with his ex-best friend. The enemies-to-lovers troupe has always been a favourite of mine and this story laid it out perfectly. It sounded natural, and it was so nice to hear a romance novel without a huge amount of drama surrounding the characters.

500/5⭐️

TW: Homophobia, loss of a parent, financial struggles, alcoholic parent, bullying, anxiety.

Huge thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audio copy of this book!

Ugh I keep trying to come up with the perfect words for this book but honestly, I just loved it and if you are in need of a new NA romance look no further. I’ve read Annabeths books for years now so I already going into this one expecting to love it and boy was I not wrong. I adored Milo and Jesper, I love friends to lovers but this story is a bit different it’s friends to enemies to lovers and ugh it was great! I found this dynamic to be so compelling. We have all the elements you love about friends to lovers, two people who already no and are familiar with each other but are now having to relearn the other person after growing apart and being angry at the other person. The journey we follow with these two, as a couple and individuals just was so great. I felt really connected to Milo and could really relate to his struggles. I also found the plot to be so much fun! This scavenger hunt to find these super rare cards was just such a great backdrop to a romance.

Honestly if you are a long time Annabeth fan or looking to start with a new one I highly recommend picking this one up. I know I’ll be revisiting Milo and Jesper again and again!