Annabeth Albert

It's friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers in this LGBTQIA+ Romance for fans of Red, White & Royal Blueand The Pros of Cons. Milo Lionetti is not a gamer. Not even close. But when a stupid bet costs him his brother's prized cards, he'll do anything to replace them before anyone notices they're gone. To do that, he'll need a little help from the best gamer he knows...who also happens to hate him. Jasper Quigley is known for moonlighting on a popular gaming blog, but he's eager to stop playing the sidekick. The last thing he wants is to help out Milo and dredge up feelings he'd rather forget. But helping Milo comes with some perks, including getting his help running a cosplay event at the local children's hospital. All that forced proximity was not supposed to come with kissing, and definitely not falling in love...

Out of Character

This was a good book but there’s really nothing spectacular about it. It takes place in the same universe as “Conventionally Yours” which I enjoyed but I wasn’t obsessed with the writing style. I also enjoyed reading the characters interactions and how they behaved together, it was cute. I wish we got more of their past rather than it just being referenced but I understand. I read a review that said it was decently spicy and I guess it was but it wasn’t very specific or descriptive. I sort of felt as if the author was glossing over the good bits but I digress. I don’t think I would re-read this book anytime soon because the story felt a bit “been there, done that” which is fine but not really captivating. This book was perfectly adequate with no apparent flaws or shortcomings, but the story wasn’t all that compelling to me. Technically good plot wise if not a bit boring and tired. This has the “coming out” trope which I’ve grown a bit tired of reading. Overall good book, definitely not a waste of time, would recommend if you’re looking for a decent mlm read.

Drew Crespo

Cathy

if you listen carefully you can hear me sobbing because i am so lonely and even more lonely after reading this

Deborah Kerr

Caitlin 

3.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review! I haven’t read the first book in this series but because I was provided with an arc, I just jumped into it. It can definitely be read as a standalone.

While it wasn’t one of my favourite reads, it was really fun and enjoyable. I didn’t love the whole gaming aspect of the book, it went straight over my head to be honest🤣 but because it is a big part of the plot of the book, it can’t really be skimmed too much, which is why I had to bring the rating down. But if you’re a fan of gaming/cosplay you would definitely love and appreciate this book more than I did! Despite not loving that aspect, I did really enjoy the rest of the book and the relationship between Jasper and Milo. 

I felt really proud of Milo throughout this book and I loved the growth he went through. Jasper really helped him get there! 

I did feel like the story was dragged out a bit. It could have been shorter and the story would remain the same. But overall it was a really enjoyable read. If you love gaming and cosplay I think that you would really love this book!

Gabriel Noel 

ARC given by Netgalley for Honest Review
[3.5 stars]

Out Of Character was an enjoyable read full of goofs and fluff. I've seen some people shelve/tag this as young adult but I disagree and think it's an adult book.

I enjoyed the characters and I liked that Milo's character development seemed pretty realistic. Jasper and his friends felt very authentic with each other and I liked how, even though they were skeptical at first, were happy to let Milo into their group. Bruno's character was kind of boring in my opinion and didn't really spark any feelings when he returned at the end.

Something that was hard about this book was the dialogue. Some of it was just....cringey and cliché. The fact that all of these 20-somethings actively tried to not curse...was just totally unrealistic. It made me feel like I was actually reading a teen book at some points. Some of the interactions also just felt like they came out of an after-school special. Some people might like the cheesiness of it, but it wasn't for me.

Overall this is a sweet story with fun characters and delightfully nerdy. If you want a happy ending queer romance, this will definitely fill that quota.

Out of Character

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