Out of Sync

by Vanessa North

Jacks Williams is Ritchie Ford’s one great love. Their life as the rhythm section of the band Vertical Smile is perfect—only upstaged by the one they share as lovers. Until one night Jacks locks himself in the bathroom and slices his arms open, shattering everything Ritchie knows.

Ten years earlier, Jackson Williams, III appeared to lead a charmed life. In reality, it was hell. Trapped in an abusive home, Jacks acted out small rebellions and dreamed of freedom. Until Ritchie Ford rescued him like a puppy, and everything changed. He would be perfect for Ritchie—it was the least he could do.

Months after Jacks attempted suicide, the two men struggle to navigate their formerly perfect relationship. After ten years of loving their idealized versions of each other, can they make a life together out of the truth?

Note: This book shares characters with Off Limits: A Rose & Thorns novel. The events in Out of Sync take place several months after those in Off Limits. Both novels can be read as standalones.

Genres: LGBT, Romance, M M Romance, Queer, Contemporary, Audiobook, Mental Illness

227 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2021

About the author

Author of over a dozen novels, novellas, and short stories, Vanessa North delights in giving happy-ever-afters to characters who don’t think they deserve them. Relentless curiosity led her to take up knitting and run a few marathons “just to see if she could.” She started writing for the same reason. Her very patient husband pretends not to notice when her hobbies take over the house. Living and writing in Northwest Georgia, she finds her attempts to keep a quiet home are frequently thwarted by twin boy-children and a very, very large dog.

Reviews

[Elke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the spectacular novellas A SONG FOR SWEATER BOY, OFF LIMITS, and BLUEBERRY BOYS by Vanessa North, I knew I would be in for a treat with the author's latest work, OUT OF SYNC. This time, she went for a full-length novel, told out of two perspectives with a gap of 10 years in between.

Reading it like that sounds like a daunting task, and it is at face value. How can you possibly tell a story of two people who remain together from start to finish -hey, this is romance, so there *is* a happy ending!- without a major breakup in between? Well, I won't tell you but what I will tell you is that this is not how you imagine a book about two guys who are in a band would usually go. Throw all your preconceptions out of the window because this will blow your mind.

This is neither about the underdog who will make it big nor about the protégée in need of a mentor (or vice versa) but about two people with all their needs and flaws who would want to find a way to make their love (lots of attraction here!) and relationship work. At times, this is nail-bitingly intense and hair-roughing annoying (hey, it's REAL!), but in the end, we see the two protagonists and all the unforgettable side characters -who will get their own stage in book two (and three?)- pull through.

Highly recommended for everyone who's looking for a well-written romance novel, that leaves the same-old mold of what "music business romance" is supposed to be, filled instead with a hefty dose of feels and love.

I received an ARC from the author for my honest review.

[Sheryl Beesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional roller coaster and I loved every page.

[Roberta Blablanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rock star romance is my go-to trope, hands down, so I had high hopes for Out of Sync. North did not disappoint.

Out of Sync is not a fluffy, lighthearted read; there's lots of angst and heavy topics. Mental illness (including suicide) is not sugar coated, so be prepared.

Jacks and Ritchie's meet cute happens at Ritchie's band's concert. From there, Ritchie places boundaries on their relationship which, I think, solidifies their connection. I enjoyed the evolution of their friendship to romantic to live-in partners.

Found family is a strong theme. Their fellow bandmates and friends make up a tightknit support system that proves blood isn't the strongest of all bonds. Each character is full and rich, and plays an important part in the couple's story.

There is an unexpected change in the dynamic of Jacks and Ritchie's relationship and the roles they play that surprised me and kept me riveted. Overall, Out of Sync is a complex story that delves into real life struggles without holding back.

***I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.***

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Jacks and Richie. The author does a great job building the story and painting her scenes beautifully. She brings all the feels as she takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride. It's an emotional story that had me glued to the paged from start to finish. Loved reading their story!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be keeping my eye out for more stories by this author. The love story of Jacks and Richie was a poignant emotional roller coaster ride. Jacks inability to deal with his depression and his actions caused such a betrayal to his relationship. I loved how this author took such care with coping with pain through counseling, friends, and acceptance—beautifully written.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan65 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, lots of depth, but… I felt like I was always one step behind and missing major parts of the storyline. Most of the important, big moments happened off screen and you don’t know what happened until the layers are slowly peeled back.
I would much prefer to have experienced the moment Jacks saw his parents again that led to his attempt on his life, as this was a major part of the whole story and I felt like it was accidentally deleted in my copy of the book. I missed understanding how Ritchie and Jacks grew apart because, again, it was hidden. Not really how I like my stories, but I loved the characters.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful love story but also difficult to read as there was mental and physical abuse to a 16 year old who took to cutting himself to get rid of his pain. He falls for an 18 year old who is a band member. The good thing is the 18 yr old refused to have sex with him until he becomes of age. He waited two years for him. The mental anguish was so sad.

[Phobos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love it when a book fucks me up.

—

Notes: multiple first person POV, time jump

Content Warnings: child/domestic abuse, self harm, sexual content, off-page but heavily referenced su*cide attempt

[Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s was good I very emotional story it always gets me. Love how the relationship progress during the book. I am not a big fan of books that is decided in 2 with timeline I prefer flashbacks that why I put 4/5.

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stunning book. My heart broke for Jacks and Ritchie, as they tried to navigate hard pasts and mental Illness. This book was real and raw and so gorgeous

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly obsessed with this. It captures growing up, freedom, family, and the struggle with mental health wrapped around a raw and emotional but beautiful love story.

[Sweet Panda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Mya Pace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book, but a lot of telling and not showing which was a disappointment!