I liked the first book in the True Colors series, but I enjoyed this one even more.

It’s listed as a “rivals” story, and while there’s an element of that trope, to me it felt more like a second chance at romance. Milo was never really Jasper’s enemy; they went from being friends to Milo standing aside while Milo’s friends picked on Jasper in high school. Not Milo’s finest hour, but his behavior grew out of his treatment by his father, a drunk whose toxic masculinity scared Milo out of being friends with a gay kid, much less himself displaying any behavior that might be classed that way. When Milo meets Jasper again, he knows he’s got a lot to atone for, and Milo is certainly willing to try because he greatly regrets turning away from Jasper all those years ago. When their renewed friendship turns to romance, it’s really sweet.

It’s also something of a hurt/comfort story. Milo’s upbringing really messed him up, and he’s got very, very little confidence in himself for a variety of reasons. Jasper sees all of Milo’s strengths, though, and puts a lot of effort into helping Milo recognize that he’s not as worthless as he thinks. He also encourages Milo to be who he wants to be, rather than worrying about what others think.

What I really liked about the way this aspect of the storyline was handled was that, while he loves supporting Milo, Jasper also learns when to step back and let Milo stand on his own. Jasper wants to be a hero to other people, but he recognizes that him stepping up to do things for others isn’t always the right thing to do. So, it’s not just Milo who learns and grows over the course of the book
.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys new adult romance. I’d be happy to see more books in this series, too.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope, so this friends- to enemies- to friends- to lovers story was just perfection!!

Milo and Jasper were once best friends, absolutely and without a doubt. They never thought they would be anything but a dynamic duo. But one day, at the age of 14, their friendship dissolved in an incredibly hurtful way. Jasper was a nerd and he was out. Milo was a jock and cared more about his image than standing by his best friend. Milo never outright bullied Jasper, but he stood by and let his “friends” tear down the one person he should have always defended.

Fast forward 8 years later and Milo waltzes back into Jasper’s life because he needs a favor. Jasper of course wants to kick Milo to the curb, but his hero complex won’t let him turn him away. Their journey back to solid ground is shaky, and they are both wary of the other, with good reason. Jasper isn’t convinced that Milo has really changed and Milo is afraid he will never prove that he has.

I LOVED that the growth of their friendship wasn’t easy and that there were bumps and struggles along the way. It made the characters feel more real and therefore made their growth feel more genuine. I was rooting for them both, but especially Milo the entire way through!!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Out of Character was a really sweet romance between gamer, Jasper Quigley and his jock, ex-best friend, Milo Lionetti. Jasper and Milo were the best of friends until freshman year of high school when Milo joins the soccer team, and Jasper comes out. Milo falls in with a bad crowd that become Jasper's biggest tormentors. Years later, Jasper still holds a grudge against Milo for dropping him and never standing up for him in high school.

When Milo walks into the store where Jasper works and begs him for his help finding duplicates of his brothers gaming cards that he lost, Jasper initially says no. But Milo is desperate and when Jasper finds himself in need of an extra person to round out their cosplay group, Milo just so happens to be the perfect person to play Prince Neptune. They eventually come to a deal with Milo joining their cosplay groups for their children's hospital visits, and in exchange Jasper will help him locate the cards that Milo lost.

Slowly Jasper starts to realize that present day Milo is not the same person he was in high school, and the remnants of the person he used to be are still there. And in return Milo starts to see Jasper as more than just the gamer kid, but a confident person who's always there for those he loves even if it comes at a cost to himself.

There were a lot of cool things about this book. I loved the quests that Jasper and Milo went on when they were trying to find the cards. There were four cards in all, and I liked the way the author made acquiring each card a different journey, and coming full circle in the end. Each journey was different and Milo and Jasper bonded just a little more each time.

I really liked the character growth aspect of the book. The characters who came out at the end of the book were pretty different from the ones who were there at the start of the book, and I really enjoyed seeing that journey of personal growth and the way they grew together as a couple.

The secondary characters were also pretty cool. I especially liked Jasper's professor and his husband. Their videos for their channel, Gamer Grandpa, were pretty cool and it gave us multiple opportunities to see the entire crew together.

I haven't read the first book so I can't comment on it, but even without reading it, I was able to enjoy this book on its own! I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun and light opposite's attract, friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance that's hopeful and filled with love and growth!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC!

Out of Character, the second book in Annabeth Albert’s True Colors series (but very much able to be read on its own) is about college student and near-professional gamer Jasper being reunited with his childhood best friend turned high school bully Milo under some weirdly extreme circumstances. The boys are working together for their personal gain, but of course they fall in love along the way, and the book has a happy ending, which did not come as a surprise.

The book is recommended for fans of Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue, and while I did enjoy both books, I would hesitate to make that connection myself, and would caution other readers going into Out of Character with that expectation. Aside from the writing style being completely different, as Albert’s book is written in first person and swaps POV every chapter between Jasper and Milo, her main characters are vastly different Alex and Henry in RWRB. They read as younger (I actually didn’t believe they were really late college age at first) and if you were trying to match the two pairs up, I couldn’t tell you which boy was the Alex and which was the Henry.

Despite the poor comparison there, I did enjoy Out of Character, more than I thought I would. I was slow to get into it; I don’t typically enjoy first person point of view, and I really struggled with how young these two seemed, despite knowing it was billed as a New Adult novel.

Frankly, I also thought they were a bit ridiculous. Milo needed a therapist far more than he needed to even consider needing a boyfriend, and both of the boys had just a lot going on. The tragic backstory seemed a bit heavy for both of them, as well as the redeeming tropes. Milo, the former bully, was hiding all his soft and sensitive qualities, and Jasper was still holding a grudge that honestly added to how dang young he seemed for the first ten chapters or so.

Then they got me. I hit the 35% mark on my kindle and I did not stop reading until I got to the end and suddenly it was nearing midnight (thankfully it was a Friday night...)

“That sort of yearning was dangerous.
But I couldn’t seem to stop.”

If I could sum up the entire story with one quote from the book, it would be that one. This book was 50% pining and romance, 40% trauma dumping and problem solving, and 10% slightly off kilter sex scenes (more on that in a bit).

It was a delight. It was an easy read, the secondary characters were fun, and best of all, these boys communicated. As tropey as this story was, not once did a stupid miscommunication cause a rift between them, and trust me, I was waiting for it. It was actually so refreshing and heartening to witness these two talk things out and grow, both in the relationship they built and as individuals.

However.

Accordingly to her website, Annabeth Albert is a queer, cis woman. And while I normally try and avoid telling people what they can and can’t write, it’s a bit off-putting to me that all of her books seem to be mlm and most of them are smut (https://www.annabethalbert.com/tropes/) I have not read anything of hers aside from Out of Character so I could be incorrect, but that is certainly the assumption being given off by her website.

On top of the mlm smut, there were very few female characters in Out of Character, and they were less developed and typically there to add to the boys’ stories (like Jasper’s little sister April, who’s chronically ill, and who Jasper enjoys playing hero for). It was frustrating, to have a queer woman writing a book about queer men, and all the named women in the book were moms or straight or both. It’s 2021, my friend. Be nicer to women.

All of this is to say that I did genuinely enjoy this book, and if you’re looking for a fun read that makes you say “awww” out loud and encourages open communication in relationships, you should definitely check it out when it’s released.

Having loved Conventionally Yours, I was dying to get my hands on the number two in the series, even though second books are rarely actually good. But this one was!

Milo and Jasper were childhood friends who drifted apart when Milo defected to the jock crowd, standing by the same people who bullied Jasper. Many years later, they meet again because Jasper might be the only person who can and is willing to help Milo find very rare cards he'd lost from his older brother's collection. The quest will do more than cure the wounds they bear.

As expected, this isn't on the same level as Conventionally Yours, but it comes close enough. You should also note it can be read as a standalone, even more than a lot of series of this type. If I didn't already know it was a series, even having read the first book, it would have taken me half a book to realize it. Also, no spoilers on the previous one—unless you count knowing whether the couple ends together, but then you've probably never read this genre—, if you just want to begin from Out of Character.

The setting is again curious. We have this card game that connects the whole series and I've personally never played any to compare but I'll risk saying it's like Yugioh seems to be to me, and the book is very good with informing us all we need to know without sounding didactic. In this game, there's a rare set, and that's what Milo is looking for. In exchange for Jasper's help, he'll have to cosplay as the good-looking one of the cards and play with the sick kids in the hospital, which isn't a bad deal except for having to wear a toga. Good for us, and I would have loved to see this book turned into a movie!

I love the chemistry between the couple. They're cute together! Jasper is always ready to help everyone, which explains why he ends up helping someone who wasn't good to him in the past. And Milo regrets everything he's become now he may have disappointed his brother one more time, on top of all else. If there's a flaw, I'll say I didn't get the actual conflict. Yes, I read Milo was friends with guys who weren't nice to Jasper, but I didn't feel enough of it in the story, not to the point Jasper's whole family hates Milo's guts. It would have been interesting to me as a reader to taste more of that adversity toward Milo. As it was, I got that he was bitter, but it always sounded more like he missed his old friend a lot than anything. Which works for the development of their relationship, but it should have been more.

Another problem was that the story dragged at times. It wasn't because of the game or anything like it, but we get some fluffy moments that take too long when we're not even halfway, and they made me wonder for also too long whether the book would just be that until we find the next crisis. Some cutting could have made the read more dynamic, in other words.

But as a whole, the book was cute and entertaining. I also liked the steps we took until the end, especially how complete the resolution came to be, and mostly in a realistic manner. I love how Annabeth Albert's stories go deep when it comes to emotions, families, inner conflicts, and this was no exception.

Recommended to any fan of romance.

To say that I enjoyed this book would be a total understatement! This was perhaps one of those unexpected books which you had been craving for a while and went into all you 'anticipated' reads to find it but only find disappointment until you picked a book because you were too bored and the cover was good. And BAM!!

I loved the characters. I loved the storyline. I am not a part of the Western culture and in India, there is really no such thing as nerd/geek culture. If there is, then it's nothing like this. So, this was a little different at first but I got the hang of it pretty soon.

Highly character-driven and based around a redemption arc for Milo. I am a sucker for well-written redemption arcs and this was kind of perfect!!

What else? I loved everything, 5 shining stars!!

I wasn't sure about this book at first because it sounded like a rom-com and I'm not the biggest fan of that genre. But I received it as an ARC so i decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad i did. You know those things that you can't stop reading because you want to know what happens next, but at the same time you don't want to finish because you're in love with the characters? This is that book.

There's a lot of gaming information here and I'll admit I'm not a RPG person, but the book kind of made me wish i was. Until COVID i was an avid con attendee so I'm familiar enough with the culture that this felt real to me. But the thing about the book is that while it's set in the gaming world, it could have been set in space or Victorian times and it wouldn't matter because it's all about the characters. I don't always like flipping between POVs but in this case it worked. You saw them both working on how they felt about each other and the payoff when they were on the same page. It was beautiful

Great second entry in the True Colors series.

Set in a fictional college town in New Jersey, our two main characters were best friends in childhood, then turned enemies when Milo's friends and family couldn't accept Jasper even hinting at being gay. Rather than defend Jasper, Milo remained silent and Jasper had the good sense to end their friendship. Years later, Milo needs the type of help only Jasper can provide; he gambled away expensive, rare Odyssey cards that didn't even belong to him. Not only is Jasper a whiz at internet research, but he also works at the local comic-book shop which hosts table top gaming.

My favorite thing about 'Out of Character' is the familiarity between Jasper and Milo. They grew up in each other's houses, with each other's sibling madness, and it shows. They take turns narrating the chapters and their memories of time previously spent together clearly affects their present-day interactions. Watching Milo's hard outward persona soften up and treating Jasper right was very satisfying, and I found Jasper to be incredibly sweet and easy to root for.

This is a slow-burn, former best friends-to-lovers tale with minimal, PG-13 heat. It’s technically classified as New Adult due to the main characters being in their early 20’s but I am comfortable recommending this to mature YA readers (and gaming fans) who have seen the trigger warning and want to read former best friends get together.

'Out of Character' is available on July 6, 2021. Please note: Trigger warnings for homophobia and bullying.

This book was super cute! I loved watching Jasper and Milo come together and help each other grow as people as they learn to trust and love one another again, and move on from the high school days that broke their friendship. Their relationship was adorably sweet and remarkably healthy! Their quest for the cards they needed to find was also just fun to follow along with. It was tough seeing the self esteem issues Milo dealt with but it was great to see him overcoming his doubts. The mental and physical disability rep also seemed well done to my understanding, as was the portrayal of 2 different experiences regarding accepting one's sexuality and coming out to others. And beyond just Jasper and Milo, the side characters added so much to the story! April was so fun and the kids at the hospital were heartwarming. And seeing more of the characters from the first book, most notably Conrad and Alden, was really nice. This book is an amazing follow up to Conventionally Yours, and I cannot wait to see where Annabeth Albert takes this world next.

Another great book from Annabeth Albert!

Like Conventionally Yours, book one in the True Colors series, Out of Character had a lot of gaming jargon in the dialogue. I am so not a gamer – lol – but I still loved this book. Friends-to-lovers and second chance stories are two of my favorite romance tropes. While Out of Character was technically a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers it still checked off the trope boxes for me.

Milo and Jasper were best friends until Milo screwed up when they were in high school. Now Milo needs Jasper’s help but Jasper’s not too willing at this point. Jasper finally decides to help but Milo has to pay the asking price and do Jasper a favor. And that is the beginning of them getting their friendship back on track.

This was such a good book! Milo was truly remorseful for how he behaved in high school and as they spend more time together Jasper realizes how much he wants to have Milo back in his life. Milo is still coming to terms with being gay and he’s not ready to be out. He’s afraid of disappointing his mother and brother.

This story took me on an adventure into a gaming world that I really know nothing about but was fun to read about. I loved the way that Annabeth brought these characters back to each other. Milo had to face some difficult decisions but came through when it mattered this time.

Kirt Graves and Joel (Leslie) Froomkin are two of my favorite audiobook performers and they did a fantastic job with Out of Character. I didn’t listen to book one in the series – I read it, but after listening to this one I want to go back and hear their version of Conventionally Yours.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

First and foremost: Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Netgalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Now what to say? I am torn because I honestly love Annabeth Albert. Her 'Portland Heat' series is one of my favourite collections to read and reread and the diversity of characters she writes is inspiring... But for some reason I struggled with both this title and its predecessor ('Conventionally Yours').

'Out of Character' is a fun, sweet, friends turned enemies turned lovers tale interspersed with a bit of Cosplay here, a scavenger hunt there, and some high stakes gaming for good measure. I enjoyed the premise. I enjoyed the characters. But, something about the pacing felt not quite right--neither of the books in this series are particularly long, yet both lacked a certain momentum or even romantic tension that usually compels me to keep reading. I did not feel super invested in the plot arc or the characters emotional journey together and never really questioned if or how it would all work out in the end. Consequently, these felt rather slow (to me at least).

That said, I am still giving this 4 Stars because of the reasons I did enjoy it overall: It was sweet, a little like reading a warm hug. And I like the gaming community and sense of found family. I still think this title absolutely has a place in the ever expanding and evolving LGBTQIA+ Romance world and whether it was perfect or not, I do not regret the time I spend reading about Jasper and Milo.

ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH

You have no idea how happy I am to read this book so early, AYYY I'M THE HAPPEST PERSON EVER!
Seriously, you're not ready to meet Jasper, you're not ready to feel the energy and light that Jasper projects with just his presence, and you're definitely not ready for Baby Milo's beautiful and heartbreaking redemption arc.
AAAAAAAHHHHH EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK!

It's not just because the characters are so special and so precious, it's the message they give you.
The story centers on our precious hero Jasper, whom we met briefly in Conventionally Yours. Jasper is an extremely upbeat and positive guy who loves to help people, and right now he's in a bit of a problem... or two. One of the guys who cosplay with him on visits to the children's hospital can't attend and Jasper NEEDS to get a Prince Neptune as soon as possible. In hindsight, that's the least of his problems as suddenly his ex-best friend and ex-crush, Milo, comes to visit him and begs him to help him get some extremely valuable cards from Odyssey that Milo has lost in a bet.
Jasper, however, hasn't forgotten how much his old best friend hurt him, and even though he's suspicious about helping him and doesn't trust him, he decides to make a deal. If Milo is cosplaying Prince Neptune on the hospital visit and he makes the kids happy, Jasper will help him find the cards he needs.
But in the process he will realize that the feelings he had for Milo have not disappeared and he will discover truths that he would not have imagined, both his and Milo's.

It really is a very precious story, it is a JEWEL.
Honestly, I was a little undecided about whether to read this book or not because we at Conventionally Yours hardly had time to get attached to Jasper, but I am very happy that I had the opportunity to read it. Jasper is a gift from Annabeth Albert and I am not lying when I say that I would give my life for that little bit of light that Jasper is, I love him very much.
Jasper is not only extremely cheerful and intelligent, he is also a sweetheart as he loves to help others and it gives him incredible gratification to make others happy. He is a very mature person, something that surprised me a lot. He is the type of person who knows where he stands, what he wants and where he is going, he is very sincere and very sweet and I love him with all my heart. Knowing that deeper side of Jasper fills me with a lot of happiness and I can't wait for you guys to get to know him too.

As for Milo, I have mixed feelings there because, like Jasper, at the beginning of the reading I was suspicious about the character and the role he played in Jasper's life at the time. However, as I read about the boy I ended up completely in love and, although I do not love him as much as Jasper, the truth is that I love him very much. Milo is a very sweet person, very talented but who unfortunately gets carried away by the opinions of others. He is insecure, full of flaws and fears and many times he cannot help but let himself be carried away by them. Still, he is a very sweet person, who just needs time and space to flourish, time to find himself and be who he really is.
The truth is, I loved his redemption arc with all my heart, because although it does not justify in any way what he did, I feel that his path to forgiveness, acceptance and change is a very important one that, honestly, I have not seen that many authors drive on their books. That is why I am very happy with Annabeth Albert for having written Milo and his redemption arc this way.

Inside here you will find many adventures that these two will star in. Mini trips, a tireless search for a lost treasure, you will see these two characters reconnect, find themselves and grow with each other. There are jokes, a lot of beautiful scenes that will fill your heart with pure love and happiness and you will also find good drama that fascinates us so much.

I can say, without a doubt, that this is my favorite book from the True Colors saga. Don't get me wrong, I love Conrad and Alden but I feel like I connected so much more with Milo and Jasper and at this point I'm sure I would give my life for these two cinnamon rolls.

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

ESPAÑOL

No tienen idea de lo feliz que estoy por haber leído este libro tan temprano, AYYY SOY LA PERSONA MÁS FELIZ DE LA VIDA!
En serio, no estan listos para conocer a Jasper, no están listos para sentir la energía y luz que Jasper proyecta con su sola presencia y en definitiva no están listos para el hermoso y desgarrador arco de redención de bebé Milo.
AAAAAAAHHHHH TODO MUNDO NECESITA LEER ESTE LIBRO!

No es sólo porque los personajes son sumamente especiales y sumamente preciosos, es el mensaje que te da.
La historia se centra en nuestro precioso héroe Jasper, a quien conocimos brevemente en Conventionally Yours. Jasper es un chico sumamente alegre y positivo que le encanta ayudar a las personas, y ahorita está en un pequeño aprieto... O dos. Uno de los chicos que hace cosplay con él en sus visitas al hospital infantil no puede asistir y Jasper NECESITA conseguir a un Principe Neptune lo más pronto posible. En retrospectiva, ese es el menor de sus problemas pues de repente su ex mejor amigo y antiguo crush, Milo, llega a visitarlo y le ruega que le ayude a conseguir cartas sumamente valiosas de Odyssey que Milo ha perdido en una apuesta.
Jasper sin embargo, no ha olvidado lo mucho que lo lastimó su antiguo mejor amigo, y aunque está receloso sobre ayudarle y no confía en él, decide hacer un trato. Si Milo hace cosplay de Prince Neptune en la visita al hospital y hace felices a los niños, Jasper lo ayudará a conseguir sus cartas de nuevo.
Pero en el proceso se dará cuenta que los sentimientos que tenía por Milo no han desaparecido y descubrirá verdades que no se habría imaginado, tanto suyas como de Milo.

En verdad es una historia sumamente preciosa, es una JOYA.
Honestamente, estaba algo indecisa sobre si leer este libro o no pues en Conventionally Yours casi no tuvimos tiempo de encariñarnos con Jasper, pero estoy muy feliz de haber tenido la oportunidad de leerlo. Jasper es un regalo de Annabeth Albert y no miento al decir que daría mi vida por ese pequeño pedacito de luz, lo quiero mucho.
Jasper no es sólo sumamente alegre e inteligente, también es un amor de persona pues le encanta ayudar a otros y le produce una gratificación increíble hacer felices a los demás. Es una persona muy madura, algo que me sorprendió muchísimo. Él es el tipo de persona que sabe en dónde está parado, qué quiere y hacia donde va, es muy sincero y muy dulce y yo lo amo con todo mi corazón. Conocer ese lado más profundo de Jasper me llena de mucha felicidad y no puedo esperar para que ustedes lo conozcan también.

En cuanto a Milo, tengo sentimientos encontrados ahí porque, al igual que Jasper, al inicio de la lectura me sentía recelosa sobre el personaje y el papel que jugó en la vida de Jasper en su momento. Sin embargo, conforme fui leyendo sobre el chico terminé completamente enamorada y, aunque no lo amo tanto como a Jasper, la verdad es que lo quiero mucho. Milo es una persona muy dulce, muy talentosa pero que desgraciadamente se deja llevar por las opiniones de los demás. Es inseguro, lleno de defectos y miedos y muchas veces no puede evitar dejarse llevar por ellos. Aún así, es una persona muy dulce, que sólo necesita tiempo y espacio para florecer, tiempo para encontrarse y ser quien en realidad es.
La verdad, amé con todo mi corazón su arco de redención, porque aunque no justifica de ninguna forma lo que hizo siento que su camino hacia el perdón, la aceptación y el cambio es uno muy importante que, honestamente, no he visto que muchos autores manejen en sus libros. Por eso estoy muy feliz con Annabeth Albert por haber escrito a Milo y su arco de esta manera.

Aquí adentro encontrarás muchas aventuras que protagonizarán estos dos. Mini viajes, una busqueda incansable por un tesoro perdido, podrás ver a estos dos personajes volver a reconectarse, a encontrarse a sí mismos y crecer uno con el otro. Hay chistes, un montón de escenas preciosas que te llenarán tu corazón de puro amor y felicidad y también encontrarás drama del bueno que tanto nos fascina.

Puedo decir, sin lugar a dudas, que de la saga True Colors este es mi libro favorito. No me malentiendan, me encantan Conrad y Alden pero siento que conecté muchísimo más con Milo y Jasper y en este punto estoy segura de que daría mi vida por estos dos cinnamon roll.

El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta: MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Out of Character is a cute, nerdy, M/M romance where two former best friends fall in love. Similarly to other reviewers I liked this but didn't love it, thought I'm not entirely certain why that is.

I enjoyed the nerdy card game elements, and I loved how much heart the story has. The characters have to grow individually and together to deal with things from the past. It's cute and the characters are good, I just wasn't deeply invested.

This is a YA novel featuring second chances, enemies to lovers, coming out, finding your place in the world and more. It is a M/M, and there is some sexual content, but it is written in a PG-17 kind of way. Not very graphic or detailed, but you know what's happening. The two main characters are quite opposite. One is the lean, nerdy type with his head on straight, while the other is the well build jock who is a little lost. They were best friends growing up but had a falling out in high school. A few years later, a gaming mishap brings them together. There are some rather sweet moments. A little bit of angst and self-loathing. It alternates POVs. It's well written, but does take some time to read. Not a quick read. While there are some deeper subject matters covered, it's not really a heavy read, yet not exactly light-hearted. Kinda runs in the middle. It does have a common theme of 'believing in yourself' running through.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I knew read Annabeth Albert’s first book in this series, so I wasn’t sure what to expect!

Jasper and Milo were friends when they were young, but when Milo starts playing sports in high school and Jasper publicly comes out as gay, Milo decides to cut ties to save face with his team. Years later, the two reconnect when Milo needs Jasper’s help to find super rare Odyssey cards that he lost. Jasper decides to help, but only because he can use Milo’s help as a cosplayer for various events. While the two of them start working together, their friendship starts repairing and Milo realizes he may see Jasper as more than just that.

This is a very cute, nerdy mlm romance. The two boys haven’t had the easiest of lives and we watch as they work through their old pain and rebuild a real friendship. For those who are into games like D&D, you will love to see the game of Odyssey throughout the book and how it connects so many characters in the story. For me personally, I could have used a little less of it but, alas!

One thing that was a little odd to me is that this reads so much like a YA novel, but it is not. I guess I would classify it as New Adult? The boys are both in their early 20s and there is some pretty graphic steamy steams, so beware if that isn’t something you are comfortable with! The novel as a whole feels somewhat young, so the contrast between those scenes and the rest of the story felt off.

Overall, this is a sweet queer book with a perfect friends-to-lovers trope. If you are into cosplay or fantasy card games, this will definitely be up your alley!

⭐⭐⭐💫

I was fortunate to get an ARC of “Out of Character” by @annabeth_albert from @netgalley for an honest review.

This book was such a delight! I was not familiar with this series or author but I definitely would like to go back and read the first book.

The story starts off with Jasper, a senior in college, who was working at a card store when Milo, former best friend turned enemy, comes barreling into the store in need of help. He had lost a bet and sold very rare and expensive card set.

Jasper was hesitant to help Milo as Milo and his so called friends did not make life easy for him in high school. But Jasper cannot not help someone. Over the course of weeks and a trip to Philly to win some of cards back - feelings began to surface. Jasper has always been out but Milo, knew he was gay for awhile but has never explored. Milo also lived with those high school friends who were not good people and made him miserable.

From there, the chemistry was undeniable even when Jasper didn’t fully allow himself to be open to Milo. He didn’t want to his experiment or chance that he’d break his heart. But after time Milo earned his trust and worked on not caring what others around him thought.

I don’t want to say much more about their quest to finding the cards, Milo changing his life & coming and their future together. But if you are looking for a cute, male/male romance with cosplay & an adventure, this is the book for you!!!

I think this book captures in a real and human way how it feels to be reconnected with someone from your past. It's awkward, it's messy, you remember a lot of things that have remained the same about that person, you don't know a lot of new things about that person. Loved seeing that in this book. This book is also super cute and nerdy and I loved the representation in it.

This book is emotional and deals with heavy, but important topics that I was not expecting from the synopsis or the cover - just something to keep in mind if you're thinking about picking this up!

I will say both the tone and the characters' personalities felt a little disparate to me. The tone read really young at some parts, but then really mature in others, and not that a book can't have both of those in play, but they felt disjointed to me. Also, I, unfortunately, did not connect with either main character that much. They both said mean and hurtful things in my opinion. They'd also be nice at some points too, but I just never felt a connective throughline between their actions.

This is a great and heartwarming read. Milo and Jasper were best friends growing up, until they go to high school and had a falling out. Milo became a jock, whose friends regularly bullied Jasper for being gay and a geek -- and Milo did nothing to stop them. Several years later, Jasper is a senior at a top college, where he is a strong student with a robust social life. Milo had to drop out of school after an injury, and move back home.

When Milo loses four of his brother's valuable cards that are part of a popular game, he is forced to reconnect with Jasper and seek his help. While Jasper had a secret crush on Milo while growing up, he's not eager to see him given everything that happened in high school. Jasper ends up reluctantly agreeing to help, but only if Milo will help him with his project helping sick children at the local hospital. As the two work together on the two projects, they both feel nostalgia for their past friendship and perhaps the spark of even more as they look to the future, but can they overcome their pasts?

This is a fun, funny, and delightful read. Highly recommended!

Jasper Quigley is the guy everyone can depend on. Milo Lionetti is the guy who used to be his best friend, right up until Jasper came out in high school and Milo joined the jocks. But now Jasper is a senior in college, working at the local game shop. Milo desperately needs some rare game cards, and Jasper needs someone to fill in with a cosplay group for the local children's hospital. Jasper is determined to keep his heart guarded, but maybe he and Milo can be friends again, or maybe even something more.

This is a wonderful romance with two guys who are both realistically flawed but trying to be the best people they can be. In those moments where you think, "If you just talked to each other, you could get past this so easily!", you also understand why they can't. They are both prickly and adorable, making for a quirky, charming read.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Out of character tells the story of the former best friends Jasper and Milo that are forced to work together.
This book is perfect if you need a fun and quick read on a free afternoon. I liked the writing and the nerd atmosphere that was an essential part of this work.
The romance though didn't convince me. Jasper and Milo's story lacked chemistry and depth. There were parts that I was incredibly bored and annoyed.
A strong point of the book was Milo's growth and development. He was an interesting character to follow and I really rooted for him!
If you like nerds and a fun room-com this book is for you!