Out of Bounds (1)

Out and About #1

by Nicki Bennett, Ariel Tachna

An Out and About Novel Out and About: No commitments, just fun.   Liam Gruene and his best friend, Kate Weaver, start Out and About to give LGBTQ singles fun, safe, stress-free events where they can meet other LGBTQ singles. Liam hopes—but doesn’t really expect—to meet someone for himself in the process. Erik Jansen moved to Houston a few months ago after a bad breakup. Since his move, he’s thrown himself into work at the expense of a social life. When Liam withdraws funds managed by Erik’s firm to finance his new venture, it brings Out and About to his attention and he thinks what the hell. It can’t be any worse than trying to meet someone at any of the gay clubs and bars around the city. Erik and Liam hit it off right away, but Erik can’t forget that Liam is a client and Out and About is Liam’s job. Erik has an ironclad rule against mixing business and pleasure, and that puts Liam firmly out of bounds.

Genres: M M Romance, M M Contemporary, Contemporary, Romance

206 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2018

About the author

Growing up in Chicago, Nicki Bennett spent every Saturday at the central library, losing herself in the world of books. A voracious reader, she eventually found it difficult to find enough of the kind of stories she liked to read and decided to start writing them herself.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure that this one gave me whiplash...

First off, I'd like to say if you loved this book good on you and feel free to ignore me and carry one because I truly don't think that this is about anyone being right or wrong it's just a case of it worked for you and not for me and we all know that happens. I'm pretty sure if I compared books with all of my friends I'd find at least one book that I loved and they didn't and vice versa...it's part of the beauty of free choice we all get to decide what's good for us and what's not.

Now, I'm going to try and be brief and to the point here...I'm good with a nice slow burn and a nice solid relationship build that gives me more than just some down and dirty, hot, steamy sex that's suppose to make me believe that two people who have barely done more than say hello are suddenly soulmates. But when I get approximately 182 pages of 'oh no we can't have a relationship because...' and suddenly with only 12 pages left in the book it takes less than 5 pages for things to do a 180 and 'oh no we can't' becomes 'I love you, I can't believe I almost lost you, I want to spend forever with you' and to top if all off there still hasn't been any sex...sorry, but no, just no, forget slow burn I'm not even sure there was ever even a fire and then things go from zero to 100 so fast that race car drivers everywhere are green with envy!

Prior to all of this there was in fact one kiss between the MCs, albeit a supposedly hot and steamy kiss that left one of the MCs feeling more than a little confused and frustrated and the other MC needing to 'get out of dodge' and sober up! and that's it seriously for the first 182 pages there was that kiss. Sorry but some personal hand action in the shower doesn't count as romance.

Anyways, you win some, you lose some and for me this one just wasn't the winner that I'd hoped for. There were some other issues with this one for me but I have to admit this was the biggie...the iceberg that sank the ship...yes, there's a cruise that happens in this and it's towards the end of the story and was definitely the beginning of the end and with that I think I've reached the end of my little babble about this one as well.

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A copy of 'Out of Bounds' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Didi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3- Stars

I read Ariel Tachna and Nicki Bennett collaboration in sci-fi space opera before, but it was way different from this pilot into their new contemporary series.

“Out of Bounds” is the first entry to “Out and About,” a series that revolved around people met in gatherings and activities held for LGBTQ singles organized by two best friends Kate and Liam. As the first entry, this book delved into the start-up process of Out and About, which introduced Liam to Erik, a Houston transplant who (after a bad break-up) moved from LA to head a finance firm branch. It was attraction at first sight, although Erik refused to act on it on the basis Liam was his client.

It’s an age-gap, slow-burn, dual POVs romance of which pursuing comprised close to ten months; all in all set in laid back atmosphere. Individually, I thought Erik and Liam were pretty likable characters. Both had issues, left-over (emotional) scars from their past relationship.

Now come the delicate part where the book became a bit of a let-down for me. First, the tedious exposition of things going on both in Out and About events and Erik and Liam’s life. I get that as the first entry, this book set the path on where the series likely would go as well as introduced potential characters for the upcoming books in the series. There was an assemble interesting people after all. But - by way of relating to our lead casts - I guess I just felt the whole getting to know new friends episodes too bland.

Secondly - and the bigger issue for me - was the characters’ disposition. While I totally understood the reservation that both men felt, I wasn’t down with the way Erik treated Liam - especially considering he’s the older one of the two. His hot and cold manner exasperated me and in turn didn’t depict good picture of his romance with Liam. That Erik finally changed his mind - while expected - struck me as rushed, making all his previous reasoning futile, and frankly just felt as if the authors ran out of page (and excuse) to prolong his reluctance.

The above issues aside, I like the general idea of the series and still look forward to what other shenanigans the Out and About people would get up to on the next book. And hopefully, the next pair on the spotlight would deliver more oomph on their story than Erik and Liam did.


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Jambrea Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna write together and Out of Bounds was no different. This story was a slow burn and I loved the growing relationship between Liam and Erik.

The concept of the story was two friends starting their own business where LGBTQ singles could meet up with no expectations. They had an event every month. Something different so they could get more people to attend. It was a brilliant idea and there should be something like it in every town.

Erik moved from LA to Texas because of something that happened with a relationship he had in LA. His aunt is on him to be more social and he hears about the meets and decides to go. I wish we had more with the aunt. I liked her and wished she would have visited in the epilogue. lol

Out of Bounds is a wonderful story that is sure to be in my comfort reread pile.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good book. And a great idea. An events group catered to LGBT+ clientele. For people to feel safe and comfortable being themselves.i really liked it

[Penumbra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of Bounds is the story of Liam Gruene, who starts an LGBTQ event business with his best friend, Kate Weaver. The other MC is Erik Jansen, a financial advisor who has recently moved to Houston. The story is told in third person from both Liam and Erik’s pov.



When I read the blurb for this book and saw the cover, I definitely wanted to read it. I dove right in and was…disappointed. There are always books where other readers love a story and I’m on the opposite side. This was one of those times. Why was I disappointed? Let me count the ways. First, something I liked about this book was the cover. It’s different from the usual two men silhouetted against the background of a city or some other landscape. I liked the cover for its uniqueness.

Now on to why this story didn’t work for me. The main issue was how the plot played out. If a person has read enough books, you’ll notice that plots have patterns, ups and downs like roller coasters. Some are huge rollercoasters if it’s an action/spy/murder or something similar. If it’s a fluffy story, the critical points usually aren’t as high or the dips as lows, but that’s not always the case. This book had no high are low points significant enough to pull any emotion from me or to increase tension. It was like a flat-line on a heart monitor. Numerous times, I put down the book because I was bored and had to push myself to pick it back up and read. Honestly, if I hadn’t agreed to review this, it would have been a DNF for me. Which leads me to the next issue.

This story was a prime example of too much exposition. The first chapters were almost all about Liam and Kate talking about setting up ‘Out and About’, their new business. I felt like I was in the middle of a boring business meeting. The rest of the book was predictable. People would meet for one of ‘Out and About’s’ events, then next chapter or scene, Liam or mostly Erik, would go out to dinner/lunch. They would then talk about the food, description of food, friends would urge Erik to give Liam a chance, Erik would waffle on how he couldn’t, then repeat in the next chapters. There were changes of scenery, changes of food and people, but it was always the same. Lots of description and some talking with nothing exciting that happened.

There were a couple, what I call writing quirks, I noticed and which probably won’t bother other readers, but they did me. The first one was, many chapters started with one or more of the characters walking into their apartment or home and ‘toeing off their shoes’. It happened numerous times. It’s the repetitive way of how 'toeing off shoes' was described, that I noticed. I don’t remember any other written variation on the action mentioned. The next writing quirk was the winking. So many characters winked at each other. What was with all the winking? Even though I’m around numerous people every day, I’ve never noticed people winking at others or me as much as they did in this book. Judicious use of actions works better than applying the same action too often.

As to the characters, the authors did a good job of making each character distinctive and keeping them consistent throughout the book. I especially liked Eamon, who was a professor. He was fun every time he appeared on page. On the other hand, I couldn’t figure out why Liam liked Erik. Erik didn’t have much of a personality and I didn’t feel the connection between them. It seemed like Liam was falling for some fantasy he made up in his head. Readers are just told that Liam liked certain traits about Erik, but I didn’t really see much of an emotional interaction happen between them. Instead, it was about where they went, what the two men did, which doesn’t convey attachment or developing feelings. Also this story takes place over approximately two years, and the chapters are usually centered around the monthly gathering of Out and About. Liam and Erik don't get a good chance to speak to each other since Liam is busy with the attendees. They never become friends until a couple months before the end of the book.

The culmination of the so called 'relationship' is where I had another issue. Liam and Erik don’t get together until ten pages before the story ends. Erik suddenly decides something along the lines of “How could I ever have let him (meaning Liam) slip through my fingers?” Next thing you know, they have sex and are expressing their love for each other. The ending didn’t work for me because there was never enough of an emotional buildup indicated throughout the story that convinced me these two men were meant for each other. The ending seemed like a rush job.

The writing was smooth and the authors did a good job of transitioning from scene to scene and from character to character. I didn’t have a problem figuring out who was speaking or what was happening throughout the book.

I dislike writing these kind of reviews, but at the same time I don’t feel it’s fair to write a glowing review for a story that doesn’t work for me because of the flaws I found in it. I’m sure there are other readers who won’t be bothered in the least by the issues that bothered me. In the end, the things I liked about Out of Bounds were the distinctive characters, except for Erik, and the nice cover. Other than that, I can’t honestly recommend this book to anyone. I give this book 2 Stars.

I was kindly given a copy of this book for an honest and unbiased review.

[Samsunthunderpaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I asked for and was given an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Out of Bounds is the base book for the new Out and About series by Ariel Tachna and Nicki Bennett. Out and About is a monthly meet up for the full spectrum of the LBGTQ rainbow, created by best friends, Kate (a bisexual woman) and Liam (a gay man). Out and About premise is to have a safe space to meet and make friends with like-minded people. It takes some capital to run this meetup, and while an inheritance they both received from Kate's grandmother, it will take a bit more capital to get this idea off the ground. Enter Erik, Liam's new financial planner. Sparks begin to fly between Erik and Liam, though those sparks do not fan the flames of love between to the two because of, well, reasons. We get introduced to a set of members of the fledgling Out and About group. These characters seem to audition to be the love interest of Liam or Erik. Erik and Liam are far too distracted as they dance around each other to be interested in anything but friendship from these new people,

The story is told mainly through dialog to give us the details of the meetup group and the lives outside of the once-a-month meetup. The dialog at times bogged down the story with a lot of day to day minutia of the organizers. The highlight was what went on during the meetup activities and when either Erik or Liam was with Eamon (an older widowed man and University Professor), Kurt, and Travis. At times, these secondary characters were the better read in this book, and they will have a story of their own soon enough.

The story is a slow burn romance, born of both Liam and Erik's past paramours who cheated or left to find someone more exciting. They are haunted by the parting actions and words of their former lovers, which is an effective cock-blocker. I was cheering for them both throughout the book, and in turn, wanted to throttle them both with their bouts of self-doubt. Once reason finally beat sense into the two, those sparks turned into a satisfactory bonfire.

The songs that came into my mind was, as it always is an eclectic mix.
This is Gospel, I Don't Know What to Do with Myself, and Don't You Want me Baby came to mind as I read about Erik and Liam's former lovers. Temptation and Don't Stand so Close to Me are Erik's song track when he's close to Liam; All of My Heart and All I have to Do is Dream are on Liam's song track. The Imperial March and The Entertainer are from their time playing piano together, and finally, This is Love is a nice ending for the story.

Here is the playlist for the book and the artists:
This is Gospel – Panic at the Disco
I Don't Know – The White Stripes
Temptation – Destiny's Child
Don't Stand So Close to Me – The Police
Don't You Want Me Baby – Human League
All of My Heart – ABC
All I Have to Do is Dream – Everly Brothers
Imperial March – London Symphony Orchestra
The Entertainer – Scott Joplin
This is the Love – Spandau Ballet

Enjoy!

[Natosha Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. At first I wasn’t not sure if I would or not but as I got to reading it and got into the story of these two men, it truly drew me in. It is one of those books that is about longing, heartache, new beginnings, and second and sometimes third chances. This was an excellent read and I truly hope that there will be another book to make his into a series.

Liam and his best friend have an idea. They want to open their own business for like minded people to have a place to meet other like minded people. It is based around making new friendships and in some cases maybe even more. Out and Bound is a company that comes up with different events for people to get together and to lean more about each other. It can either be a baseball game or it could be wine tasting. There is no ends to what it could be.

When Liam and Kate decide to open the company Liam will not let Kate be the only one to put up the start up money. So Liam decides to take some of his money from his investments and that is how he meets a man named Erik. When he meets Erik he is automatically attracted to him but he does not know if Erik swings his way. Of course Erik wants to know why Liam need the money and when he hears about the business Liam and Kate plans to open, he is immediately intrigued.

When Out and About has its first even Liam is surprise me to learn that Erik is on the list of attendees. And of course is even more surprised to learn that Erik is gay. Over the next few events Liam tries to get closer to Erik but so far it has not happened. Though Erik is interested he has not let on and refuses to give in to temptation. Erik has been burned in the past and is not willing to fall for the same mistakes again. But Liam has hopes.

After several turns that looks as if he and Erik are never going to see each other the same way, one thing leads to another and Erik is on the path to having to decide if he wants to be with Liam or if he wants to go his seperate way. Can these two men finally meet in th middle Of is it a hopeless cause?

This was such an excellent read. I really hope that this will turn into a series because I would definitely read it. Nicki Bennett did a great job on this book. I look forward to more in the future.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts out with Erik (an investment manager) needing a change in life after his ex-boyfriend is found cheating on him with one of his clients. So he decides to move from L.A. to Houston to manage the branch there.
Liam and Kate (his BFF/roommate) decide to start an LGBTQ company that provides activities for the LGBTQ community to meet others with like interests and make friends. It's not a matchmaking company but if people get together all the better.
Liam goes to his investment company to liquidate some assets, for his part of the company start-up, and that's where he meets Erik. Erik decides to join Out and About to make friends and get out of the house.
So this is a really long slow burn book. I had trouble continuing to read it since there wasn't much drama or any love connection. Erik and Liam are attracted to each other from the first and Liam puts himself out to connect with Erik and gets shot down every time. There's a scene where they're having coffee and Liam asks Erik out for a real date and Erik just abruptly shuts him down and leaves. It's real uncomfortable and I felt like Erik was giving Liam mixed signals and leading him on. I felt like the book took too much time with the friendships (Liam/Kate, Liam/Eamon, Kate/Miri, Erik/Travis, Erik/Eamon, Travis/Kurt/Martin) and that the romance of Erik and Liam just happened in the last 5% of the book. It didn't feel natural. I felt like Erik and Liam were casual friends but never felt a true love connection. Kate and Miri where glossed over and yet by the end of the book they're in love and moving in together as well. I didn't feel anything stronger than friendship from any of the characters. I felt a deeper connection with Eamon since to me he seemed the realest most honest character. Some of this non-connection for me could be explained by setting up a new book series but I felt like some of the outings and friendship stuff could've been edited out for the romance to be a little more fluid and believable.
I definitely won't read this book again but I might give book 2 a chance.

ARC given for an honest review

[Tori Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well was one slooooow burning book!

After discovering that his boyfriend has been cheating on him with one of his investment clients, Erik Jansen relocates to Houston for a fresh start. He just can't pass up the opportunity to work at a different office for the same company. He settles in to his new job, but struggles to make friends, much less find anyone to date.

Liam Gruene's best friend/housemate Kate, comes to him with the fabulous idea of opening an LGBTQ social networking business. Not a match making service, but a business hosting events where folks can make friends. If more than friendship develops, that's a bonus! Liam needs to pull some money out of his investments for his share of the start-up money, so he visits the company that manages his money, where he meets Erik.

This gets the two acquainted but it takes a long time for them to become more than friends.

Now I like a slow burn book, don't get me wrong, but this was too slow for me! There is no sex until the end of the book, and I had a hard time seeing any emotional connection between Erik and Liam. I did like them as individuals, but needed them to be a couple a lot sooner. I didn't care for Erik's hot and cold treatment of Liam, and his lack of communication. I also would have liked conflict of some sort to make the plot a little more interesting. I initially liked the descriptions of the events that Liam and Kate host, and the details about Houston, but it got old by the end of the book. I liked the extra characters, I'd be curious to see if any of them get their own stories.

I didn't dislike this book, but it just didn't have enough connection between Liam and Erik for me to really get into it. It's unfortunate since I've LOVED books from both of these authors before. But not every book is for every reader, and other readers might love the slowness of this one just fine.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher/authors in exchange for an honest review.

[Tomo in Booksland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je n'ai pas vraiment accroché à ce roman, je ne sais pas vraiment qu'elle était le but mais c'était long.
Liam décide de lancer sa boite avec sa meilleure amie Kate, leur but organiser des sorties pour célibataire LGBTQ. Pour son projet, il va voir son nouvel expert financier. Erik vient d'apprendre que son copain le trompe alors il décide de partir faire sa vie ailleurs alors quand son client lui parle de son projet il décide de participer.
Déjà j'ai un problème avec le style d'écriture, beaucoup de dialogues et pas assez de narration. Il faut ajouter à cela que parfois les dialogues ne sont pas franchement intéressants, les brainstormings entre Liam et Kate. Un autre exemple me vient, c'est une conversation sur la météo. En fait, c'est une succession de dialogues banals sans profondeur.
Il y a aussi le problème qu'on n'est pas vraiment dans une romance, en tout cas la romance commence à prendre forme à plus de la moitié du livre. Du côté de Liam on se concentre sur la création de son entreprise et pour Erik on le voit forger des amitiés.
J'ai aussi eu du mal à bien comprendre les personnages, comme on a très peu de narration je trouve qu'on reste trop en surface quand il s'agit de comprendre leur choix, apprendre à les connaître.
Ce livre n'est vraiment pas pour moi, pas très intéressant, ennuyeux, ça nous raconte trop le quotidien. La romance ne vient que tardivement et pas forcément très prenante, je suis arrivée à un point où je me demande qu'elle était le but de ce livre.

[Milly Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this book I really liked and other parts that didn’t work for me, overall it was pretty enjoyable but I like to become quite invested in the MCs and that didn’t happen for me with this story.
The things that didn’t work for me. I didn’t feel like I could see Erik and Liam’s relationship evolving, it seemed to be non-existent for most of the story and then rushed at the end. There seemed to be a lot of page time dedicated to interactions with secondary characters which I felt took away from Liam and Erik.
The parts of the book I liked. It’s a great premise for a series and it’s fantastic to read a book with such positivity, it was an uplifting read and I’d love it if there was a group like Out and About near me. There was a range of characters across ages, genders and orientations rather than just gay men with chiseled six packs. Some of the secondary characters are awesome and hilarious. I really hope they get their own stories in the series.
I am definitely interested in reading further books in the series, so this book is worth a read to introduce you to the people it will feature.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meet Liam and Erik, two recently single, all-around good guys. They're both very stable, dependable men who are still looking for Mr. Right. Neither guy is a drama king. Both have stable jobs and solid career plans. They're very likeable and are attracted to one another.

Considering Erik is pretty staid, the small scandal he experiences is life changing for him and the source of the conflict in the story. The book picks up pace during the two or maybe  three moments of mini-angst. But, for the most part it just sort of flows along like a typical day. There is a section where the whole story sorta stalls. Both guys are just so stable that there really isn't any drama to move things along.

I didn't feel like Erik was the star of the book, though. I found I liked Eamon and really wanted to meet Martin for more than a second. So there is definitely enough there for me to want a sequel. I hope I get to see Travis and Kurt's story in the future.

* Advanced copy provided for an honest review.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet story as much about making friends as it is about finding the courage to take a chance on love. Erik has been betrayed and has set up personal boundaries based on that betrayal. When he meets Liam and feels an immediate attraction to him, Erik refuses to break his self-imposed rules. Meanwhile, Liam and his best friend set up a new business planning events so that those in the LGBT+ community can make new friends and potentially find love along the way. I love this idea!
Erik attends some of the events and does make some great friends, and there is laughter and a sense of belonging that he welcomes. Unfortunately, he can't turn off the feelings he has for Liam, and it only gets more difficult when Liam makes no secret about his own interest in Erik. I freaking love Liam! Actually, I think the entire cast is pretty awesome, and I really enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to learning more about all of these characters in the next book. I hope to see lots more of Liam and Erik, and I can't wait to find out who will get their happy ending next time.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out Of Bounds by Ariel Tachna & Nicki Bennett was given to me for an happy nest review. This is a sweet story of Erik starting over in a new city to get away from a cheating boyfriend and Liam who is gun shy after his ex emotionally abuses him.

Erik starts attending the business Liam and his friend Katie started called Out and About which was a service to help LGBTQ community meet at different events and make friends.

Although Erik is very attracted to Liam he has boundaries he has set when he moved to not get involved with his financial clients. But Liam wants more and as they start to spend time together Erik is starting to see that Liam may indeed be his Happily Ever After if he could stop running away.

There were times I wanted to bop Erik on the head so he can see how wonderful Liam was for him. I especially loved His Aunt Marjorie whom I wish many families had one who loves unconditionally. I really enjoyed this book with its slow burn and a great reward in the end.

[Marcine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Out of Bounds as an ARC copy in a contest I entered.

I have to say it was a fun book to read. I wasn't totally in love with Erik at first, but Liam was a great character. By the end, I was totally rooting for Erik and Liam to become more than friends.

I liked the progression of going from just meeting, to friends, to something more, to finally having a relationship that is more than friends.

I liked the side characters and their attempts at relationships, and the set-up to see what happens in their lives next. Hopefully, we will see what happens to Kurt, Travis, Eamon, and Martin as well as how Liam and Katie keep the business running.

All in all a great afternoon read and the start of a fun series.

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so much to like this book. (Love the cover.) I have read and enjoyed both authors in the past. This one, however, just wasn't for me.

The outline was good.... Liam and Kate and their startup was a fresh new plot line. The pace was just off. Several chapters in and it was a chore to continue. For me a good book is something you can't put down even at 2 in the morning. Just one more paragraph, one more page, one more chapter. You are invested in the characters and HAVE to know what happens next.

This one has gotten several good reviews so maybe this book and I just weren't right for each other. The wonderful thing about reading is what doesn't work for one person totally grabs the imagination of the next.

[Shymsal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good! The romance was a slow burn, which I appreciated. Though I must say I was worried for a moment that Erik might get involved with Travis! Which would have been a tragedy.
Thankfully Ariel and Nicki didn't go there! But Erik needed to get a helmet a little faster than he did. Liam was in so deep and Erik yanked him about a bit, but all's well, etc.

I find myself wondering about Martin and Kurt, and hoping for something for Eamon.

Thank you to Ariel & Nicki for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Despite this being slow-burn, because Erik is adamant in only making Liam his friend, unfortunately, it's not the type of slow-burn story that I enjoy. In fact, the story felt dry. Maybe because Erik and Liam didn't really interact as much as I would. Liam was busy with his business. Erik was trying to make friends, NOT Liam.

So this felt like a story about two men with their lives but didn't really share those moments, you know? There weren't many "let's get to know one another" sessions.

And when Erik decided he wanted to give the romantic relationship a try, it felt rather forced... maybe because the authors realized that they needed to get the story to end somehow *shrugs*,

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great slow burn story and a great start to a series. I love Erik and Liam and how they get to know each other. This is a first for me reading Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna and it will definitely will not be my last. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Vinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series.
Loved the story and the characters.
Can't wait to read the next book.