Title: Out of Character (True Colors #2)
Author: Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication date: July 6th, 2021
400 pages
4/5 stars
Goodreads Synopsis
It’s friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers in this LGBTQIA+ Romance for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Pros of Cons who enjoy:
• Ex-best-friends falling in love
• Gaming, conventions, fandom & cosplay
• Nerd culture at its finest
• Learning how to be true to yourself
Jasper Quigley is tired of being everyone’s favorite sidekick. He wants to become the hero of his own life, but that’s not going to happen if he agrees to help out his former best friend turned king of the jocks, Milo Lionetti. High school was miserable enough, thanks, and Jasper has no interest in dredging up painful memories of his old secret crush.
But Milo’s got nowhere else to go. His life is spiraling out of control and he’s looking to turn things back around. Step one? Replace the rare Odyssey cards he lost in an idiotic bet. Step two? Tell his ex-best-friend exactly how he feels—how he’s always felt.
Jasper may be reluctant to reopen old wounds, but he never could resist Milo. There’s a catch, though: if Milo wants his help, he’s going to have to pitch in to make the upcoming children’s hospital charity ball the best ever. But as the two don cosplay for the kids and hunt for rare cards, nostalgia for their lost friendship may turn into something even more lasting…
Review
Out of Character is the companion novel to Conventionally Yours, and is a gay romance with enemies to lovers, a discussion on homophobia, and a nerdy board game. Jasper and Milo are ex best friends from high school, after Milo dropped Jasper because he came out as gay. It’s now college, and Milo finds himself needing Jasper’s help after making a few mistakes. The two rekindle their friendship slowly, and then see if they could be more.
I was really happy to see Jasper get his own book. He didn’t play a huge role in Conventionally Yours, but you got glimpses of his personality and I wanted to see more from him. I’m so glad we did, because Jasper’s character was so kindhearted and selfless, even when it wasn’t deserved. Milo was clearly a character trying to grow and make changes, and he’s the type of character you root for. They are well suited for each other and a joy to read about.
This book may be a bit slower than Conventionally Yours. Without the big road trip, there wasn’t as much to take of page space and it dragged a bit at parts. The steam level is similar to that of Conventionally Yours, though I would say there are more open door scenes comparatively.
Be sure to check out Out of Character, especially during Pride Month!
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Happy reading, folks!
Baltimore Bibliophile 