Out of My Mind

Browerton University #3

by A.J. Truman

A no-strings-attached hookup with his "straight" roommate? Mac hit the college sex jackpot.

After being dumped and evicted by his boyfriend, Mac needed a place to live ASAP.

But room with Gideon? The guy who held off announcing he was straight until after Mac went in for a kiss two years ago?

Sure, Gideon’s still his charming, popular self. And his love of walking around the apartment shirtless is a nice perk. Mac could look and not touch.

Until one drunken night. When there’s lots of touching.

With Gideon’s heterosexuality now firmly in flux, they commence fooling around on the regular. But only in the apartment, which kind of makes Mac feel like a frog in biology class: used for experimentation only.

It’s tough to keep things sex-only, especially when Gideon reveals the genuine, thoughtful guy under the “no homo” bravado, the guy whose Big Man on Campus persona masks deep-seeded shame around being gay.

Mac thought he could play the dirty little secret game, but his heart is rapidly running out of patience. And the happy ending he keeps imagining with his roommate feels more and more out of reach.

Out of My Mind has all your roommates-to-lovers, coming out, MM college romance needs. It’s the third book in the Browerton University series, but can be read as a standalone.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, College, Contemporary, Audiobook, LGBT, New Adult

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2016

About the author

Welcome! I’m a gay male author who writes MM romance filled with humor, heart, and hot guys. My characters fall into bed and fall in love, usually in that order. Think LOL meets DTF.

I live in central Indiana, surrounded by churches and Olive Gardens, with my husband, kids, and cats. When I’m not writing, I’m chasing around a toddler or sneaking off to a movie.

Make sure to sign up for my newsletter The Outsiders to get the latest updates on my books and to start reading free stories.

http://www.ajtruman.com/outsiders/

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.J. Truman is a new-to-me author, and I was a little nervous about trying this one. To start, I jumped into the series at book 3 (which was fine to do, by the way, because this can totally be a stand-alone). I also am wary of trying new authors, rightfully so, because I've been buuuuurned time after time by sub-par writing.

Out of My Mind was a VERY cute surprise.

I'm a HUGE sucker for the roommate-to-lover premise, and give me some horny college boys any day of the week! However, this book started off a bit... rocky for me. The action seemed a little sudden, and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this one. The writing wasn't super polished, and I was worried that it wouldn't be slow-burny enough for me.

Once the story got going, though, it really got better. I love stories about people struggling and discovering their sexuality, and I liked seeing Gideon come to terms with his feelings. Sure, there was more back and forth, lying, and melodrama than I usually like, but the chemistry between Mac and Gideon was strong enough that I didn't mind. Plus, I found them to be smokin' in bed!

I liked this one WAY more than I expected. If you want a fun, sexy new adult coming out story, this one will fit the bill.

*ARC provided by the author*

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

Oh geez, I'm the first review.



Okay so this one was pretty much straight up 3.5 stars for me, but thanks to Goodreads I'll go ahead and round up since I didn't skim.

And it was pretty good, but I can't say I loved it. I don't know it just felt a bit juvenile to me? Immature?

I mean, I know they are in college. And maybe I'm just too far removed to read books set in college.



I found Gideon especially to act pretty immature. I never really warmed to him. I did so more to Mac. I wouldn't say there was a lot of angst couple wise. Mostly because they really weren't a couple for most of the book, which is another personal preference peeve of mine.

Things also got a bit melodramatic towards the end.

I will say the steam factor in this one picked up from the previous book(s). That was a definite plus.

And I did like this one enough to want to continue on with the series, as I have liked them all. This was an easy, entertaining enough read for my Sunday.

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ Note: I beta read this book for A.J. and provided feedback regarding my initial thoughts, but also re-read the final version of the finished book as well. ]

During their first week at college, Mac and Gideon met and immediately clicked, but when Mac mistakes Gideon's friendly conversation as flirting and kisses him, their budding friendship ends there.

Fast forward two years and both guys are in desperate need of roommates, having just been unceremoniously dumped by their respective love interests.

Neither is thrilled at the prospect of the awkward living situation, but after a two-week trial period, Mac and Gideon are both surprised to find that they're not only capable of living together, but actually enjoy it and are becoming real friends.

But 'perfect son' Gideon isn't quite as straight as he'd like everyone to believe, so they eventually become friends with benefits.

An unintentional betrayal of Gideon's trust eventually causes Mac to move out, but neither guy can forget the other, even after they begin seeing other people.

When tragedy befalls a member of Mac's family, however, it's Gideon who shows up to make sure that Mac is okay. And to finally divulge his true feelings.

Gideon has his own drama, though, with a deceased father, a brother living by his own rules to make himself happy, and a match making, guilt-friendly mother who wants her sons to live the lives that she has envisioned for them.

There's plenty of drama to go around for the last half of the book, but the guys do eventually get their HEA, which I was happy to see.

I'd rate "Out of My Mind" at a solid 4 stars for the decent number of feels and sexy times to be had. And, although this is the 4th story in the series, it's perfectly fine to read as a standalone book.

------------------------------------------------

My ARC copy of the story was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.25 stars~

"Why was Mac keeping a banana in his stuff?

Gideon squatted down and picked it up. But bananas shouldn't be rubbery. And bananas weren't this large. Gideon put on his glasses and realized he was gripping a thick, yellow dildo in his nice Jewish boy hand."

I really, really love this author's writing! It's so funny and effortless, but it can easily punch you to the gut too.

Pay attention to the blurb. It does a wonderful job describing the plot, and I don't want to spoil the story by rehashing it.

Out of my Mind is funny, sweet and sexy. It's also heartbreaking.

The time jumps really worked for me here, and I think they benefited the narrative. The story is told from dual POV and I loved that. Mac's voice is pretty funny and I loved being in his head. Gideon is kind of complex; his perspective was necessary.

Also, this is much steamier than the other books in the series.

Family plays a big role in Out of My Mind. Gideon is The Good Son. His brother is the irrisponsible one, the one who keeps giving their mom grief. And in order for Gideon to be the good son, he will have to keep lying, which is second nature to him. He lies to his mother, his brother, his friends. He lies to Mac. He lies to himself.

Mac escaped his parents and his hometown, and in a way, he hasn't stopped running since. He jumps from one boyfriend to another, but he is still bitter and hasn't faced the one thing that hurt him the most in the past.

I really liked how the family issues were handled in Out of My Mind. I find that in this genre, more often than not, families are either super supportive and awesome, or just pure evil. But in reality, there's a gray area too! Mac's parents were ignorant cowards, yes. But they did care and love him. Gideon's mom was meddling and unsupportive, yes. But Gideon didn't give her a chance by lying to her. In any case, it's not always black and white. In the end, there's room for improvement on both sides. I really appreciated this here.

In the second half of the book there's a lot of angst (I can't really call it drama because they were events that mattered to the plot). My niggle is that it was a little unbalanced. The first half is light and funny, and the second...well, it isn't. At all.

I also felt that Gideon' reaction towards Mac's parents was a little sudden and OTT the first time. That is only a small niggle, though, and the scene was brief.

Overall, this was great. In one word, unputdownable! Did I mention funny?

"And if you 're still feeling down, Big Bird can probably cheer you up."

"Big Bird?" Mac asked before getting it. He smacked Gideon in the shoulder,
"I am not calling it Big Bird. You 've just ruined my childhood."

Recommended!

*Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews*

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen College, igual que el primero de la serie (no he leído el segundo). Entretenido, los momentos entre ellos son sexys cuando debe ser, y románticos también, el autor maneja muy bien las emociones y te da un pellizquito en el corazón sin montar un drama. Los temas que se tocan son habituales dentro del subgénero: el coming out, la negación, la vida de estudiantes, con su dosis perfecta de angst sin recrearse en ella.

Si os gustan los College, muy recomendable.

[Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lazy review: 3.5 Stars
Full on GFY. BIG TIME.

I liked the characters. Both had a lot of issues that involved family. I liked them together.

I liked Gideon’s long journey of self discovery—it wasn’t rushed and the denial was there but not overpowering.

Mac had serious family issues which really came to a dramatic head. On top of that there was more drama (which I’m not sure was necessary).

The audiobook by Mr. Cendese was fabulous! He can do a New York Jewish mother like no other!!

[MaDoReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 y subo a 3 porque creo que es cosa mía, que no estaba de humor para un personaje como Gideon, que me ha aburrido soberanamente :/ Mac hijo, búscate a otro!

[dammit, liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a whole lot of fun. It's another coming of age story of two college boys falling in lust, separating, and getting to know one another again. This is a standalone, and the focus felt more on the relationship between the two MCs than the first book in the series. A big part of the story was Gideon exploring his sexuality, which was very, very hot.

Gideon and Mac meet at the beginning of their freshman year, but Gideon panics after they kiss and dismisses Mac, leaving him pretty heartbroken. They meet again their junior year after breakups put them in the situation of needing roommates. It's awkward as hell for them both, but they decide to give it a go. The tension between the two is intense, though Gideon is pretty stuck in his head with his Big Gay Freakout. When they finally decide to act on their desires, fireworks happen. Their second first kiss is absolutely lovely, as is their first everything else.

My favorite thing about these two is the difference in their life approaches. Gideon is meticulous and people pleasing. He's terrified to break the mold, and he's set on not disappointing his mother, even if it makes him a martyr and a bit of a jerk. Mac, on the other hand, does things his own way. He's true to himself, and he gives the middle finger to naysayers. He flies off the handle a bit too easily and doesn't always have the ability to think outside of himself. I loved that he was never afraid to stand up to his parents, even if he got a bit carried away and drunk dialed his dad, telling him "I’ll be sure to watch my fucking cunt cock shit damn Barack Obama mouth.” These guys are flawed and idiots at times, but that's an important part of growing up. They learned from their mistakes.

My biggest complaint was that there seemed to be some editing issues in this one. I noticed some incorrect words and inconsistencies that occasionally took me out of the story. I also think the dialogue would've felt a bit less stilted if there were more contractions, but that's just me. It was a great, feel good story, but it might've benefited from an extra set of eyes on it.

I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the series and someone looking for a low-ish angst college story. It's different from the first book, but I had a lot of fun with it.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Aeren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha sorprendido mucho y para bien, buen ritmo en la narracion y los personajes bastante bien desarrollados, temía odiar a Gideon pero al final acabó convirtiéndose en mi favorito, sin embargo, he encontrado algún que otro error que creo que podría haber sido resuelto con un buen beteo, por ejemplo eso del condón mágico que aparece una frase después de que los chicos deciden no usarlo es un fail total, y es una lástima porque son estos detalles lo que le restan brillo a una historia por otro lado muy recomendable, iré a por el resto de la serie pero como ya me he leido el tercero (ejem... mi memoria de boquerón es así :P) pues eso, que no iré en orden XDDD

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at Sinfully.

Gah! This book! How do I review a book where for about the first 70% I actively disliked one of the main characters? Before you go any further, just know that Gideon was not my kind of guy. That’s a totally personal opinion. He may be your type of guy and I’m sure he will be very sympathetic to many readers. Yes, he comes through for Mac big time in the end – it’s a romance after all – but I pretty much growled at him through most of the book.

After that disclaimer, this may sound odd, but I enjoyed the book regardless of my distaste for Gideon.

Gideon and Mac meet at a party at the start of their freshman year. They chat, Mac is happy with his first ever attempt at flirting with a guy and he eventually asks Gideon back to his dorm room. Everything is going great until Mac kisses Gideon and Gideon has a straight guy gay panic freak out. Mac is hurt and embarrassed. Flash forward two years and Mac, having been dumped by his boyfriend of two years, is looking for a place to live and unwittingly shows up at Gideon’s awesome apartment. Gideon has been dumped by his girlfriend just as they were about to move in together. While he’s not happy about it, he agrees to let Mac have a trial roommate period to see if things will be as weird as he expects them to be. He fully expects to be rid of Mac no later than that.

Mac had a tough time as teen and left home to move in with his Aunt Rita, the only person he still considers family. His parents wrote him off and he has done his best to forget them. His best friend Delia has his back too (and is a wonderful secondary character), but he hasn’t even told her the full story of what happened. He is now happily out and living his life. Gideon’s rejection in their freshman year stung and that is in the back of his mind as Gideon’s mixed signals eventually result in their relationship morphing into a friends who experiment with sex deal. My heart was with Mac since the first page. He is funny, sweet and just wants to be happy and if that happiness comes with Gideon by his side it would be more than he could hope for.

Gideon’s mother is stereotypical Jewish mother. She is widowed and most of her life revolves around making sure her sons marry nice Jewish girls and give her grandchildren and something to brag about at temple. Her oldest son, Noah, has decided that his life is his own and he is living it on his terms. Gideon sees this as disrespect to their mother and family and has made it his mission to be the good, responsible son his mother wants. He represses his wants and does his best to conform, dating the girls she sets him up with and being a referee between his mother and brother. He is also a big fat liar. He spins little lies like a web, lying to his mother, his friends and himself. It’s almost pathological. The stress of it all really starts getting to him as things with Mac and their experimenting start to get intense.

It was hard for me to feel sympathy for Gideon or find anything redeeming in his attitude and his treatment of Mac. Frankly he came off as an asshole most of the time and his problems were all of his own making. But see, I did love Mac and kept reading for him and his situation and to see if A.J. Truman could get me to come around to Gideon (and just maybe I kept hoping that Mac would tell Gideon to get lost).

While the first part of the book was pretty light, the second part of the story ramps up the drama. Hot, hidden sex can only go so far before feelings start to get involved and someone eventually gets hurt. Gideon’s lies are piling up and Mac is getting too emotionally involved and it’s taking its toll. Things eventually implode and, for Mac especially, there is pain and heartache and a life-changing loss. There are also family issues that need to be worked out on both men’s parts. So did I come around to like Gideon? Like may be a strong word, but I was happy with the turn the relationship took towards the end of the story.

This is the first book I’ve read in the series (it easily works as a standalone) as well as the first book I’ve read by A.J. Truman. I had a few niggles with the editing, but for the most part I liked the pace of the book and the ups and downs of the story. It runs the gamut from humorous to sad, sexy to scary and almost everything in between. The family issues were dealt with well and, as it often is in reality, not everything was necessarily as cut and dried as Mac and Gideon each thought when everything came to light.

I would definitely pick up another story in the series when I’m again in the mood for some sexy college boy shenanigans.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no-strings-attached hookup with his "straight" roommate? Mac thought he had hit the jackpot. After he was dumped and evicted by his last boyfriend, Mac needed a place to live ASAP. But room with Gideon??? The guy who held off announcing he was straight until after Mac kissed him two years ago??? Sure, Gideon’s still his charming, popular self. And his love of walking around the apartment shirtless is a nice perk. Mac could look and not touch, until one drunken night when there’s lots of touching.
Two years ago, Mac met Gideon at a party the start of freshman year. Mac thought there was great chemistry, and he was reading all the signs correctly, but when Mac kissed Gideon, Gideon freaked out and ran away. Now, it's two years later and they haven’t spoken a word to each other and Gideon refused to even be friends. But now Gideon needs a roommate, and Mac needs a place to live, so our two guys decide to give it a shot.

Things were a bit rough at first. Gideon is a "neat freak", and Mac is anything but.... not to mention the tension that exits between them. Neither have forgotten two years ago. They eventually settle in as roommates, and they slowly begin to become friends. They bond over recent breakups, and they start to share more about themselves and their families during late nights while eating mac and cheese. Mac has had a bad history with his parents who quickly rejected him as a teen. Gideon places pressure on himself to be the “good son,” sacrificing his own happiness to avoid rocking the boat with his family...so they both have some issues they are dealing with and can share with one another.

The chemistry that was between them as freshman is still there. and they start hooking up. Gideon starts experimenting with other men for the first time...so Mac knows he should not fall for Gideon. He's even still claiming that he's straight, but his feelings are growing stronger. The guys have to figure out now if there can be any type of real relationship between them, and if Gideon will be brave enough to reach for what he wants with Mac despite how others may feel.

The story starts out well... young love, college guys, roommates, and a twist of "enemies to lovers". Then when it picks up two years later, both of these guys have had relationships that just ended, and suddenly here they are face to face again. It takes a little bit for them to settle in together, and they start to build a solid friendship. For Mac, the attraction is still there, but he keeps reminding himself that Gideon is straight. This time, despite Gideon still claiming not to be gay, he is interested in some "experimentation". Where it all ran into trouble for me was that I honestly, never really liked Gideon to start with. He's having sex with Mac but he's still claiming to be straight. He invites himself along to a gay bar and then tells everyone he meets that he is straight. We could see how easily Gideon found it to lie about everything. He was so concerned about keeping up appearances and continually saying what people wanted to hear. These happenings continued through most of the book. I wanted to slap him upside the head!

Overall, A.J. Truman always does a nice job. In the end he pulled the story together. His stories are always fun, and I did enjoy this one, as well as all his others. If he keeps writing them, I'll keep buying and reading them...a win, win for both of us.

[Anyta Sunday]

Books one and two are amazing! Not to be missed. Loved the tension and structure.

This one was fine too, though too much sex for my taste and while there was outward conflict, the tension/conflict between the two MC's was a little too quickly resolved.

Still, obviously a gifted writer here. I look forward to seeing where book 4 takes us.
:D

[Sara]

♥♥FOUR HEARTS♥♥

This book had many of my favorite tropes to read all wrapped up in one super sweet and sexy story.

When Mac and Gideon meet, they are both confused freshman out on their own at Browerton University ready to start a new life. They boys hit it off and when a chat turns into flirting, they take things to the next level. Only this next level took a wrong turn at Albuquerque when an innocent kiss isn’t returned because, well Gideon is straight. Not only is he straight, he’s kind of a dick and tells Mac he is Out of His Mind when he suggests a friendship after the failed attempt at making out.

Sigh.

See, I am a huge sucker for not only unrequited love, but second chances and boys in the closet who take a “sex only” approach to exploring their sexuality who end up falling for their new best friend and fuck buddy. Yup, this book has it all and it made for one hell of a happy ginger as I lapped up this story like a thirsty hiker on the PCT who forgot to fill up at the last aid station and finally finds water.

What? Never mind.

Anyway.

That tragic kiss happens, the boys go their separate ways until two years later when Gideon needs a roommate since he is suddenly single. When a friend of a friend suggests a friend needs a place, the boys meet once again and it’s a bit awkward, of course.

I love that we get dual POV’s in this story. For me, when you have the exploration of a character who thought they were straight or who has interest in both sexes but never went for the one the story involves, i.e. - the “straight boy” who know lusts after his male roommate, I need to know what’s going on in both brains and libidos. We know that Mac has never forgotten that kiss or the remark Gideon threw at him. We know that he is also, suddenly single and while he really doesn’t want to room with a dude who fucked with his emotions all too quickly, the place and price is too sweet to pass up so they boys decide on a trial run and go from there.

This wasn’t the first time he’d had thoughts like these over the years. But he never acted on them, and that’s what mattered. The good son would never do something so irresponsible.
Being the good son was exhausting.

I knew from the first glance Gideon has of a shirtless Mac he was going to be a joy to read. I said earlier, I have a soft spot for boys in the closet and Gideon was a classic case with an added bonus of familial guilt on his shoulders. He is the youngest of two brothers with a single Jewish mother who tells him over and over again how is the “good son” and after his father’s death, it’s truly want Gideon wants. But the fight over being “good” and the fight over being his true self begins early.

Like all embarrassing, soul-crushing moments, it loved popping back into his mind at the most random occasions, usually when Mac was already feeling down on himself. It was the cherry on top of a crappy mood.
And then there were those times when Mac thought about that night, but with an alternate version that didn’t have them stopping.

Mac, by dear Mac. You were a mess of a boy in so many ways but so strong once we learn your back story. To know why you left home, to go through your losses with you and to watch you find your strength as you learn to fight for yourself only to have to fight in a new way was nothing short of heartbreaking. To know that you had a thing for Gideon all this time and still tried to be friends with your “straight” roommate and then attempt to attend Geology class with him and have boundaries… sigh. Boy oh boy did I love each time I got into your head even though you gave me a bit of angst.

This was what he did. Lies on top of lies. Giving the people the stories they wanted.

The amount of lies Gideon tells to keep his secret, to keep himself safe became exhausting. Not in the way that you want him to tell the truth, which I totally did, but the mere fact that he had to come up with them, had to categorize and catalog them so they didn't fail or become tangled made me so tired. I just wanted to wrap him up, make him mac and cheese and tell him that it gets better. I cannot imagine living the way he did for so long and trying so hard to make sure no one knew. I love that his brother Noah was positive in his life and I am so grateful that this wonderful young man is who he is and made the right choices at the end.

This was fun and does has a few darker moments to deal with. Though they are present, they lend to the story to provide growth for the characters when needed. I will admit the last bit was a tad over the top and I wasn’t exactly keen on a few things because they didn’t add up, at the end. But I am happy with how it all turned out.

So, yeah. I really liked this. As I have only read book one in this series I can tell you this works fine as a standalone thought it was nice to see Ethan and Greg for a few seconds.

I look forward to reading the other books in the series and to the new one coming out in 2017. Browerton University is proving to be a setting I truly appreciate.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of My Mind is the third novel in A.J. Truman’s Browerton University series, but it can easily be read as a stand alone.

As with Out in the Open and Out on a Limb, I ended up binge reading this book! I started reading late one night, planning to stop after only a few chapters, and next thing I know it’s 3 in the morning and I’m almost finished!! Work was EXTREMELY painful the next day.

More about the book…

When Mac arrives to Browerton his freshman year, he’s determined to be out and proud. He meets Gideon at a fresher mixer and determines there is a high probability that Gideon is flirting with him. When Mac finally makes a move, Gideon is horrified and the two men spend the next two years avoiding each other. Flash-forward past those two years: Gideon is suddenly in need of a roommate, and Mac shows up knocking on his door looking to rent a room.

I LOVED this book!! No, it isn’t perfect and is entirely too predictable, but it just hit on all the things I love when reading new adult. Especially when it comes to the CRAZY HOT experimentation…and everything else that comes with a good out-for-you story. Both guys have their quirks: Gideon, the compulsive liar and neat-freak, and Mac, the slobby roommate with the massive “non-banana” hidden in his Jenga-ish pile of junk. Gideon with his fear of no longer being the “good son” and Mac with his fear of being left alone and rejected. Somehow, Gideon and Mac are able to overcome their differences and reservations and discover they were meant to be together in the end. But it won’t be easy getting there.

Both characters were believable and easy to connect with. I smiled, I laughed out loud, and I even teared up a few times…sad tears and happy tears. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I was happy it ended with all the big obstacles resolved.

Oh oh oh, I almost forgot to mention the few cameos of Greg and Ethan from Out in the Open. Again, I also recommend their book, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy Gideon and Mac’s story.

Hmm, who will become the next gay love story at Browerton University??

4.5 Stars

Reviewed for The Blogger Girls

[Monica Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the mcs is just an awful person. The writing is good and narration is fantastic but Gideon just sucks

[raccoon reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly good. I read it at the same time as another author's mm college roommate contemporary romance and this one was waaay better. So far Truman has been middle of the road (his newer stuff) but this one resonated more with me so maybe that's why the extra star.

Tropes/Themes you can expect:
🏳‍🌈 Forced proximity
🏳‍🌈 Homophobic behavior including one assault off screen and one very serious assault on screen :(
🏳‍🌈 Religious themes
🏳‍🌈 Coming out
🏳‍🌈 Closeted mc
🏳‍🌈 Drunken frivolity! (at least for one night. My favorite kind of icebreaker.)
🏳‍🌈 Liar Liar Pants on Fire (Srsly Gideon. WTF.)

Gideon is giving clear signals to Mac on their first day of college and Mac makes a move (a kiss). Gideon runs off like he's on fire and basically hurls insults on his way out the door. Mac avoids Gideon like the plague for the next two years then wouldn't you know it....he ends up rooming with the guy. (Forced proximity for the win!)

Don't read this book if you're bothered by religious persecution, homophobia of the worst kind, families abandoning children because of their sexuality, and "let's have sex because I'm drunk and that's the only way this is happening." I personally love that trope but I know a lot of people don't.

Also, I appreciated the religious exploration of what queer kids can face in a small town where the church runs everything. I grew up in that town. I lived in that town. Yes things are changing but it still exists out there and we still need representation in stories where the struggle is there.

And boy does Truman bring the struggle. Gideon has crafted a house of cards built on his numerous numerous lies. At first I disliked Gideon and didn't see how that would change, but slowly and surely (maybe about the time Gideon shows up at Mac's apartment clearly missing him) I realized Gideon had wormed his way into my heart. He's not a bad guy. He's just made bad choices. And it's killing him. Honestly, his type of avoidance and lying and fear is the type that can lead to young people having suicidal thoughts. Gideon didn't go that path but he could have very easily. He's perhaps too pissy and tenacious to have even considered options beyond just pleasing his mom. He's put so much pressure on himself to be the "good son" and it's soooo heartbreaking to watch it build and build before his life implodes. 🖤🖤🖤

I appreciated so much of Truman's writing of these characters. Even the parents, obnoxious as they were. The Jewish guilt was palpable. The Christian homophobia was anger provoking. I appreciated how Gideon became a bulldog for Mac to his parents and appreciated the complexity of Mac's emotions when he saw this play out. Do we want someone to take up for us? Yes. Sure. But can we also feel guilty when you see your parents get told off? Also yes. It's not black and white. It's not always clear cut. Truman did a good job of writing this out.

Look. When Gideon shows up at the funeral? If I hadn't been at work I would have cried. It was the perfect moment for Gideon to come to his senses. He was there when it mattered. And then again when he just *KNOWS* something is up with his boyfriend and everyone else is like "don't worry, it's just been three days" but he knows their relationship is solid and his boyfriend wouldn't ghost him- Gideon goes into bulldog mode again until he tracks him down. Between the attack and Gideon showing up at the hospital I really thought I was going to cry a few more times. Again, work. So I sucked it up buttercup.

Lastly let's talk about those parents again. I normally don't like redemption stories for parents because I'm a bitter bitter bitch. But this one was done well. Normally authors make it too tidy. Too wrapped up in a perfect bow that isn't relatable. But Truman didn't. He wrote out their redemption arc in a believable and earnest way. The story was more complex than the cookie cutter parent redemptions that I've seen (and hate) in the past. There's more layers. I love a good enemy to hate and often it's ex's and parents but in this story Gideon is the jerk for a while, then the parents, and then ultimately the real bad guy shows up and puts Mac in the hospital. Heart.Fucking.Breaking. The redemption here for the good guys was hard won and felt authentic.

Two further notes: That broken leg joke before surgery was gold. The Nazi reference took me out. 💀

I think this is my favorite Truman book to date.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lurve me some sweet roommate action! I liked both these guys individually as well as together, so it was great watching their progression. They had some bumps in the road, and didn't always make the right decisions, but we really got to see into their heads. Therefore when someone was an ass, like Gideon with his lying or like the way Mac treated Rafe, we could understand it.

There were only three time jumps. The book starts with their ill fated interaction freshman year, which was good that we got to see it unfold and not just hear about it. Again, this allowed us to understand where they both were coming from (even though it was from Mac's POV). Then jumps to two years later. Pretty much the entire book takes place here in the present, with a 6 week time jump in the middle which was needed to pass over some time apart. I appreciate not getting all the nitty gritty, but only giving us the important stuff that really effected the relationship development. Then just a 6 month time skip at the end for an epiloguey last chapter.

Even through all the back and forth, and even through the first half of the book where they were apart or just friends, I enjoyed every bit. It's hard to verbalize, but between the primary characters, good secondary characters, plot, and writing, it just all worked. I liked the secondary theme about religion, and the commentary that a lot of people who spout anti-gay Bible verses may not care about the gay so much as they care about the way their congregation perceives them. It's all really just another form of peer pressure, the fear of potential gossip and of being the brunt of that gossip. It's a different perspective than in seen in a lot of romances who have religious parents characters.

The added dramas of Gideon's brother, Mac's Aunt, Gideon's Mom, Mac's parents, etc all worked with the story. It didn't feel like too much and it didn't feel like obvious or forced plot points, it felt organic to the characters lives and the progression of their story. I would definitely check out more from the author.

Oh, and it always bears saying, the sex was hawt!

P.S. This is actually really sweet and funny and poignant, and I wish the cover conveyed that.

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a gay man and a straight man be “just friends”? Just ask A. J. Truman. Out of My Mind, the third book in the Browerton University series explores the on, off, on again relationship of two fascinating characters: Mac and Gideon. Mac is gay. He literally escaped his small town to the relative safety of life with his aunt in Pittsburgh, and defines his heretofore life in the closet as a survival tactic until he was able to attend Browerton University; a college he chose because it was a liberal place where he could be “openly gay and flirt with other openly gay guys”. So, he had to be out of his mind to kiss Gideon in the first place. Gideon is straight; his mother's “good son". He dates the right girls and makes skillful use of lying to maintain the perfect relationship images which will make his mother walk proud every time she goes to temple. The problem is his relationships lack intimacy of any kind. He’s not gay! He told Mac so when he kissed him. So, he must be out of his mind to accept Mac as a much needed roommate. This is a fast and steady moving story which proves the best recipe for love is to be out of your mind.

Though part of a series, Out of My Mind can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone. The benefit to reading the series is the pleasure of enjoying cameo appearances by some of the students we have come to know and love: Nolan, Henry, Greg, Ethan and Rafe. A.J. Truman writes that he wrote and rewrote this story and its characters until it was a work he was very proud of. The evidence is clear as the reader experiences what I have come to call signature A.J. Truman. His characters meet, discover, relate, struggle and survive. This is so much more than a romance novel, but to understand what I mean you will just have to read the book. I highly recommend it.

This book was provided to me by the author for a fair and honest review.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.J. Truman is my type of author. His writing, characters and plotlines just click with me, but I have really mixed feelings about this book.

The first half of the story was awesome. Out-For-You is one of my favorite tropes and the book was funny enough to make me laugh more than once, and the steam level was definitely higher than in his other books.

But the second half fell short of my expectations. I think it's the weakest book in the series literary-wise, too messy, rushed and overly melodramatic toward the end.

Still, I can't rate it any lower, because I read it in one sitting and, despite a couple of issues, it was really good.

[DaisyGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars

I really love this series and consider myself a true-blue A. J. Truman fan. That said, this book was just okay. I had difficulty connecting with the MCs and Gideon's constant lying was a turn off. I understood the"experiment" but didn't feel enough chemistry between the MCs to believe they'd pine for each other after the big blow up. Things improved towards the end of the book but there were a number of plot devices needed to finally get us there.

Bottom line: Just okay.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. So often when I’m reading a book one of the characters, in this case Gideon, is a complete ass. Usually the other main character hangs around and they eventually change. It always irritates me. I want them to leave and go out with someone else. When Gideon refuses to accept himself as gay Mac leaves. I was so proud of him.

This book is full of all the feels. I was so times angry with Gideon and Mac, but they both grew and that made up for it. Another winner for me by A. J. Truman.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book I haven't read any other book from the series and didn't feel like i missed anything. So this can be read as a standalone.
Gideon is a gay guy insisting on his straightness to be a good Jewish son. Mac is a newly out gay guy. They have an encounter that goes terribly wrong freshman year.
The majority of the book is them acting like room mates but hooking up on the sly. There is quite a bit of immaturity from Gideon but he grew on me.
There is not much angst. But lots of drama. Aunt Rita, Macs relationship with hisparents, Noah and then the accident.
You could see there was a connection between the two Mcs. The book was well written and flowed really well. I enjoyed the fact that the basis of this book was really friendship.
I loved the continued reference and innuendo of big bird.
I will be looking into this authors other work.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first, but better than the second.

It was a little bit too drama-filled for my liking (and probably for what the first book set us up for). But generally I loved the concept, the characters were decent, and the writing was fluid as ever.

I liked the 'meat' to the story: a college-aged kid who's struggling with his sexuality and then coming out of the closet. That's all sorts of believable and relatable, and thus a good starting point for a story.

But for some reason, I never fully connected with the two leads as an item, I didn't feel the love and passion the way I did in the first. It's hard to put my finger on, but I suppose you'd describe it as chemistry and I just didn't get that anywhere. From either of them.

Overall I liked it, but didn't love. On to book 4.

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ignored my usual dislike of college romances to try this one out, because I wanted something short and simple, and this is an author I've been meaning to check out. This is the third book in a series, but they're all standalones, and this one was free to borrow. I liked it! A roommates lovers, second chance-ish, coming out romance set in college. Mac and Gideon had a lot of chemistry when they first met two years ago, but a kiss sends things spinning in the wrong direction, and they haven't spoken in years. Now they're roommates by necessity, and their personalities clash a lot, but there's still all that chemistry. I always like coming out romances, and Gideon's struggles were really sympathetically and convincingly written. I like how his issues with his family bled into his real life, and how he builds this house of cards that inevitably has to come down. I wouldn't call this a romcom, but there were enough cute and fun moments. I didn't really fall in love with the romance and I feel like both characters could have been fleshed out more, but there were enough heartfelt moments (especially with Mac and his aunt and his parents) to make it satisfying.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Alexander Cendese, who I don't always like, but I definitely enjoyed him here. He just has a great college guy/frat boy voice, idk. And I loved his different accents; they got sliiiiightly caricaturish, but in a way that felt intentional, and not over the top. This was cute overall; not amazing, but a good way to pass the time.

Content warnings: death of a loved one, cancer, homophobia, gay bashing

[Alli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
This one had a little bit more depth to the book. The characters were better developed and it had a solid plot. The writer is definitely getting better.

[Alexis Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

A copy of this book was provided free in return for an honest review.

2.5 stars

This book three simply wasn't as good as book one. Back again for another year at Browerton U., Mac and Gideon are juniors who met at a freshman mixer, but when Mac made a move on him, Gideon freaked out. Two years later, they end up roommates after their respective girl/boyfriends break up with them. The tension is thick enough you can cut it with a knife, but eventually the freezing thaws and even begins to heat up. They move from roommates to roommates-with-benefits. Meanwhile, there's massive amounts of drama in both men's lives. Gideon lies through his teeth to his mom in order to be portrayed as the good son, while Mac still hasn't recovered from his parents rejection four years ago.

There's ups and downs, hurt and comfort, a huge coming out, violence and sex. There's the good, there's the bad, and then there's just the ugly.

Good/Fair: fairly realistic portrayal of campus life, including living off campus. Though the boys never seem to be studying or working, there are only mentioned in passing. Having been a Jewish girl on a college campus and somewhat active in Hillel, it was nice to see those references. And again, would a scene of Gideon interacting at one of these been such a hardship. (Oh yeah, I know how to lay on the Jewish guilt trip.) I also liked seeing the couple from book one. I'll assume book two's guys were there, but I haven't read it yet. (Reading the prior books was not needed.)

One highlight is the humor. There were several parts that had me in giggles. Especially geology class (and I'll say no more to avoid spoiling it). However, the matzoh ball jokes got stale by the end.

Bad: the timeline felt totally garbled. I couldn't get a firm grasp on when school began, when the High Holy Days started, the passage of time between the two holy days. Some times it felt rushed, others delayed. If the story was written specifically for 2016, then I'm willing to give some leeway, but I think the story would have benefited from having actual August start dates, and a truer sense of when the Jewish holiday started, which typically falls mid month.

Ugly: perhaps it hurt that before reading this, I was reviewing some other reader comments, one of which mentioned the over the top analogies and expressions. Yeah. They are here in this book too. A lot. Some are okay, but a few actually made me stop and go WTF?

“Every nerve on every inch of skin was more alert than a syringe full of Red Bull.”

“There was nothing delicate about his body. It was hardy and full. Stew, not salad.”

Additionally, I like a well written sex scene and I didn't get that here. I got this:

“He grunted with orgasm and covered his chest and stomach with streaks of himself.”

The word orgasm should never be used like that...ever. And the first time they had sex they talked about not having/using a condom and then one magically appears. *sigh* Their encounters felt rushed and uncomfortable. This was new territory for Gideon and I wanted great descriptions of this new and exciting time, but all I got was cheated.

There are books that I just can’t put down. Sadly this wasn’t one of them. I’d thought to rate this 3 stars, but when I stopped reading this to read something else...I had to drop it just a bit more.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Angst to Spare

This is a tough one.

You have Mac (on the cover, though he looks in his late 20's there, not 20), a boy from West Virginia who was thrown out of his home after he was "caught" being gay and went off at age 16 to live with his Aunt Rita in Pittsburgh. He is filled with hate for his parents who believed the religious zealots who brutalized him and after a down-low two years in Pittsburgh is now ready to come out at Browerton.

Then you have Gideon, the perfect (and I mean perfect) nice Jewish boy from the New York suburbs who is filled with resentment over the fact that he has to be the strong one in the family, yes-yessing his mother on every little detail in his life (which involves lying). He also has to deal with the fact that his older brother takes no responsibility in a family that has yet to recover from his father's death from cancer eight years before.

Gideon and Mac meet at a mixer on the first day of Freshman class, they hit it off, go back to Mac's room to continue their conversation. But when Mac decides that Gideon might also be gay, he kisses him and Mac's whole world explodes. "I'm straight!!!" screams Gideon, who makes a beeline for the door and slams it in Mac's, and the reader's face.

And that's just the Prologue.

The first of alternative POV chapters takes place two years later when Gideon is setting himself up in an apartment for him and his girlfriend--who never shows up. When she does, she lets him, and us, know that Gideon is not the marrying kind--which we infer from all the hints author Truman has thrown at us about how on how many girls he's conquered at Browerton. Now, Gideon needs a roommate.

Mac, on the other hand, bounced off Gideon's rejection into a two-year affair with a boy named Davis, who dumps him unceremoniously for another junior and asks him to leave their apartment. Mac somehow gets a lead on a roommate situation and that turns out to be--surprise!--Gideon, whose path he has not crossed in two years.

Now comes the angst and here is where you have to have some faith in A.J. Truman's ability to develop characters that fit into, flee from, or are forced to confront, events that they spur or cross their paths. And boy!, are there a ton of them here.

What sets this book apart from a lot of others that get into these kinds of situations is that both Mac and Gideon refuse to confront their demons on a frustratingly long journey to their overall "redemption." It takes a lot of faith on the part of the reader that things will turn out OK for them--but Truman's plot devices are so completely out of the blue that you are forced to charge, rather than muddle, on to the end.

In the end you might actually get to like these men, though it appears to me that the publisher made a huge mistake by leaving Gideon off the cover. That's because he is the least likable of the two almost throughout the book, but in the end, this is his story. Even though I've given it five stars I feel cheated by the lack of his presence on the cover.

This is the third part of the series, and while there are some brief appearances by characters from Book 1, this is a stand-alone IMHO.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book--as I have all the books in the series. And while, yes, it is part of a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.

Gideon and Mac meet during freshman orientation. They hang out during a mixer: talk, laugh, flirt... at least that's what Mac thinks they are doing, until he makes his move and Gideon shuts him down-- HARD (and, no, not in any "fun" version of the word). They part ways. For two years, there is basically no contact, beyond a glimpse here or there on campus-- until fate intervenes and suddenly Gideon finds himself in need of a roommate, and wouldn't you know it, Mac needs a room.

The premise here might seem lighthearted, and there are most definitely a ton of fun moments. Gideon is socially awkward and at times not very likeable. I wanted to shake him, smack him, tell him to wake up. Mac is somewhat more sure of himself, the more likeable character, and between the two of them there is a unique dynamic and chemistry. They find themselves in the midst of some fun-loving antics, but there is more to the story than that. As they get to know one another, there comes more serious situations; heart-breaking moments. The underlying issue for both MCs is that of familial pressure and expectations and how these young men interpret what the older generation and society thinks of them. It taints all they do. Trying to please people. Trying to be the men that they are expected to be. I think the author does a good job showing the reader this and letting us feel that angst and pain.

There is a whole lot of angst, some drama, tons of miscommunication and lack of communication... but it all led the way to self-discovery. It was a great addition to the series. And if nothing else you should read it for one simple reason: BIG BIRD. =)

[Stacey Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Mac has a tumultuous past with his parents in a town that treated him horribly because he is gay. After a gay bashing, he moves away to live with his aunt. He specifically picks a college where being gay is acceptable. Mac meets Gideon soon after getting to campus their freshman year. They immediately hit it off, but have disastrous consequences when Mac makes a move. Gideon makes it clear he doesn’t want to be friends. Jump forward to their junior year. Gideon needs a roommate and Mac shows up, not knowing it’s Gideon. They decide to give it a trial period. It’s not long before Gideon realizes he can no longer fight and hideaway his attraction toward men when he realizes he’s falling for Mac. They start a friends with benefits relationship that ends up going further than either of them realize and Gideon in particular can’t handle the lies that are piling up. Gideon finally has to face the relationship head on while Mac is dealing with a tragedy in his own life and facing down his own demons. Gideon has to decide what he wants, which is to take control and stand up for the guy he loves, because Mac really needs Gideon to be there for him.

This was a very well put together story. I adored both Mac and Gideon. Gideon was so awkward at the start that he was just sweet. He really came into his own and stood up for Mac who isn’t as put together as he seems. They make a good pair. The sex is hot! It’s a nice hurt/comfort kind of story. There were some issues with the editing. It could have used a good beta. For instance, they discuss not having a condom and then they are putting on a condom. There were some other issues with inconsistencies but although I noticed them, they were minor. It was still a very good story that I highly recommend.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*copy provided by author/publisher and in exchange for an honest review*

Mac and Gideon meet at a party their first night away from home at college. They hit it off immediately and spend the night talking and flirting or at least Mac thinks they are flirting, but after a kiss, Gideon informs Mac that he's straight and takes off. Fast forward two years, and after being dumped by his girlfriend he was supposed to be moving in with, Gideon is looking for a Roommate. After being dumped by his boyfriend, Mac is left looking for a place to live. When Mac shows up at Gideon's front door, can they put the past behind them and live together in harmony?


This was a great book, definitely the best and my favorite in the series so far. I loved Mac from the very first page of the book. Even with everything he's been through, he is still strong enough to be himself. Caring, sweet, funny, friendly and open. Gideon, well, I really didn't care for him at first, but once he opens up and is honest with not only Mac, but himself, as well, he jumps in with both feet and was an amazing character, also.

Mac and Gideon shared an undeniable chemistry and a love you could feel coming off the pages at you. The story is well-written and flows well, in fact, I find each book gets better and better as A.J. Improves as a writer. I adored the secondary characters of Delia and Seth, they were great friends and supporters of Mac and Gideon.

This was an enjoyable book packed with emotion and heart. A.J. took me on an emotional rollercoaster of pain, guilt and heartache, but also sweetness, romance, hot sex and most of all love!! Highly recommended!!