Out of Character

Annabeth Albert

Jul 2021 · True Colors Book 2 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

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...

Praise for Conventionally Yours:

"Fast, funny, and fantastic."—Eoin Colfer, New York Times bestselling author

"Uniquely quirky."—Carrie Ryan, New York Times and USA Today bestelling author

"You will ship this couple."—Sarina Bowen, USA Today bestselling author

Ratings and reviews

Annabeth Albert continues to crack me up with her stories of gamers! A world I truly know little about, but I'm captivated (probably because it's so different from everything I knowJ). Ms. Albert does a marvelous job explaining how these things work - collecting and building the decks, the actual playing of the game, and the whole culture surrounding it. A true friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, Out of Character is a whole lotta fun. Dual audio by Kirt Graves and Joel Froomkin. (The narrators take turns performing with each of their pov's.) I always love Kirt Graves' accents, and he does a wonderful job with Milo here.

Out of Character was a sweet, entertaining second chance, childhood friends to enemies to friendly to lovers romance. I liked both Jasper and Milo and it made me sad thinking of the years they lost as friends. Milo's screw up was a blessing in disguise, as it led these two back together. While Milo had a lot to answer for, due to his past misdeeds, I liked how he owned up to them. And once he came clean to Jasper about a lot of things in his life, it made more sense why he did the things he did. Even if it didn't make things right, I understood why. Jasper was understandably leery at getting mixed up with Milo again, but I appreciated how open he was and how willing he was to help. I liked seeing these two work together to right Milo's wrongs. And I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other again, and seeing their feelings grow. The story did start to drag a bit in the middle for me, but I liked how everything worked out and wrapped up in the end. Even though I'm not a gamer I've enjoyed both books in this series. While the gaming world definitely plays a big role in the books, I like that the romances and friendships are really the focus.

Jasper and Milo were best friends as kids. But in high school, they went their separate ways—Milo joining up with the jocks, and Jasper with the gamers. Now, as seniors in college, Milo needs Jasper's help. He lost his brother's trading cards in a bet, having no idea how valuable they were. He needs to get replacements before his brother returns from his deployment. Jasper's still angry over how their friendship ended, but he's willing to help if Milo does him a favor in return. As they spend time together, they reconnect—first as friends, then as lovers. But can Jasper ever truly trust Milo again? This is a sweet friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, jock/geek romance. Both characters have wounds from their past that drive their choices in the present. Milo is tired of living in the closet but afraid of how his family and friends will react if he comes out. It's satisfying to see how Jasper helps him become the man he wants to be. This is a lower-steam read. The intimate scenes are open-door but not detailed. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary read.

About the author

When she's not adding to her keeper shelf, Annabeth Albert is a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer. Her popular LGBTQ+ romances include several fan-favorite and critically acclaimed series. She lives with her spouse and two children in Oregon. To find out what she's working on next—as well as other fun extras—check out her website or connect with Annabeth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.