It's time to throw in the towel. I've tried multiple times to read this and couldn't get into it; I found it dull. 

DNF, no rating.

**GoodReads review has no rating since I didn't finish but have to add one hear in order to send feedback.

Outside the Lines is a fairly straightforward M/M romance with plenty of the usual tropes and an unusual amount of charm. It is a fairly short, afternoon read that will satisfy your craving for warm romance that includes a whole family and their everyday trials. I myself can never resist such books, especially when one of the MCs has adorable, realistically written kids.


Mitch’s life came crashing down when his wife died unexpectedly, leaving him with two small kids. His nanny is horrible and his in-laws are just waiting for an opportunity to take his kids away from him. He is overtired and overwhelmed, desperate for any kind of help. When his genderqueer neighbor Chi-Chi jumps in to save the day, Mitch doesn’t know whether to hire him as nanny or date him. He only knows that he can’t do both. 

Chi-Chi Ramirez is a delightful character, a study in contradictions. He is tiny and flamboyant, but unyielding and strong. He’s equally good at putting on make-up and fixing cars. He is gentle and tough, resourceful and needy, a kind, generous young man with soft words and loud actions. It’s impossible not to love him from the start. Even after being almost killed by his father, Chi-Chi believes in people and he believes in himself.

As for Mitch, the most amazing thing about him is that he doesn’t really waver in his affections. He doesn’t hide behind his children or his broken heart. When he does falter, it’s merely because he is justifiably afraid of losing his kids, but even then it doesn’t last long. At first he gives the impression of barely holding it together, but he too is a strong, determined man with a backbone of steel.

I have such a soft spot for romances with kids and Outside the Lines is no different. Jack and Sadie were both written beautifully and believably, not too childish or too mature for their age. I love how easily they accepted Chi-Chi and his relationship with their father, even when it seemed like they might struggle with all the changes. Their fears were always justified and their reactions precisely what could be expected under the circumstances. 

Although the book has few original elements to speak of, the combination of familiar themes works like a charm. Chi-Chi’s gender bending behavior and Mitch’s absolute acceptance are perhaps the best thing about this book, but overall, it has so much more going for it.

This story did a lot of things right in my world: there's a straightforward plot, clearly delineated characters, and a sense of something important at stake. For bonus points, one of the MCs is a newly widowed straight man, the other a struggling drag-queen.

If I'm not 4-star raving about it, it's because everything felt just a little too neat: [Mitch came to terms with being attracted to Chi-Chi too readily, his children accepted their mother's death and Chi-Chi's presence with almost no problems, and Mitch's in-laws (set up as the big baddies) retired from the field after a single encounter). (hide spoiler)] But I'll read the other books in this series if I come across them.

Outside the Lines by A.R. Barley is book number three of the Boundaries series but I read it out of order and had no trouble understanding the storyline.

Basically, Mitch’s wife died 2 years ago and he needs a nanny.  In comes the cross dressing Chi-Chi to the rescue.  While Mitch is reserved, disorganized and intense, Chi-Chi is a diamond in the rough with a sparkling personality and a way around the kitchen.  He needs to money to put towards his dream of heading off to Broadway so he takes on the job of nanny to Mitch’s kids.

Mitch has always been bi but has pretty much zero real experience with guys.  He and Chi-Chi have chemistry but are trying to keep things platonic so as to not interfere with the whole Boss/Nanny relationship.  That doesn’t work very well, however, and things heat up.  I liked the heat between them and watching Mitch learn his way around a gay relationship was fun.  And, of course, there is cross dressing which is always fun!

There is drama towards the end…dreams of Broadway dissipating, coming out to homophobic family members, a bit of chaos and anger.  What would a drag queen romance be without a little drama, right? They will get their happily ever after eventually.

My Drag Queen Romance notes:

    There is some serious inconsistency in the book when it comes to the dead wife.  Supposedly she died 2 years ago but why is Mitch just now getting a nanny?  And why hasn’t he gotten his crap together when it comes to organizing his kids and getting them out the door on time.  It’s been 2 years…not 2 months.  And the Kindergarten teacher talks to Mitch about what his wife ‘used to do’ when she would not have even had his child in her class 2 years ago.  There needs to be some serious rethinking going on about the time line.

    I loved Chi-Chi’s character.  There is this perfect blend of girly girl and manly man.  Loves getting dressed up and can make a mean batch of muffins but is also equally handy fixing a car engine and throwing a punch.  Just really seemed like a well developed character. This character is really amazing. Terrified of becoming his abusive father and struggling to overcome his poor childhood.

     This cute little drag queen romance was very well written (other than some story line inconsistencies that need to be addressed) with unique characters and just the right amount of heat and drama to keep it interesting. I felt like I got to know Chi-Chi much better than I did Mitch.  I think he needed a bit more development. He struggled with accepting Chi-Chi’s uniqueness in front of others but loved the feminine side of him behind closed doors. Vic,  Chi-Chi’se brother, seems like a good guy in a ‘break your knees if you hurt my baby brother’ sort of way. Protective but definitely a bit of a troublemaker.

Overall, I enjoyed Outside the Lines by A.R. Barley quite a bit.  The story and characters really kept my attention, however it definitely needs some serious proofreading and story editing to fix all the inconsistencies.

I love a good m/m romance and the single father falls for a drag queen premise instantly caught my attention. It can always be a risk trying a new author, but I have to say I was more pleased than I expect to be and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this story. Mitch is a widower raising his two children. He is bisexual, but has never been with a man and is hesitant about it working out long term. He can't deny his attraction to his neighbor Chi-Chi, but when he is desperate for child care, his feelings are not as important as finding someone competent to watch his children. Chi-Chi and Mitch's children stole the for me. Chi-Chi was larger than life. I loved how passionate he was and how he was not afraid to work hard to make his dreams a reality. Despite his go get them attitude, he lacked the confidence to believe any man would want him long term. He also has plans to move to NY and work on Broadway, which doesn't leave much possibility for a relationship at home. Mitch despite his fears and inexperience really jumped in both feet first when he decided to take a chance on Chi-Chi. He was such a sweet and loving man. These two were perfect for each other and I loved watching them fall in love! This is part of series, but can definitely be read as a standalone.

Nice, harmless m-m romance with little tension and some sex. Brain candy. Fluffy, little read. 

It gets a little more serious towards the end, with the required drama and usual shenanigans of any typical romance story. The plot is decent, the main characters well drawn. Besides Mitch and Chi-Chi, the most vivid was Vic. I probably wouldn't mind reading a romance centered around him.

I read this out of synch with the entire series and it worked just fine as a standalone story.

I received this free e-copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, thank you!