Out of Character, Annabeth Albert's fun and nerdy second book in the True Colors series, focuses on healing from the past and looking toward the future.
Jasper never expected his old friend Milo to walk into his gaming store. The two were inseparable as children, but Milo shunned Jasper for the popular soccer kids when they got to high school. Milo was never into gaming, let alone the card game Odyssey. But he's in trouble--he lost his brother's rare Odyssey cards worth a fortune, and he needs a new set. Milo feels like this is just one in a series of disappointments he's put upon his family, so he's desperate to make a deal with Jasper. Jasper decides to help Milo find replacements for the four cards, and in return, Milo will cosplay Prince Neptune (a popular Odyssey character) for Jasper's children's hospital outreach group. As the two work together and get out of their comfort zones, their friendship rekindles and old feelings come back that are too hard to ignore.
Though Jasper has been out since high school, Milo's sexuality is closeted. Milo struggles to come out and be open with his family and new friends, but as he heals his relationship with Jasper, he finds ways to be more himself. Jasper fights his impulse to jump right into a relationship with Milo because of his past hurt. Their slightly angsty courtship is fun to watch blossom, but the sexiest part is watching Jasper and Milo communicate about their feelings and resolve their pasts together. --Amy Dittmeier, librarian, Blue Island Public Library