Friday, March 11, 2016

[ARC Review]: "Out of Frame"

Out of Frame by Megan Erickson
Publisher: InterMix (March 15, 2016)
Series: In Focus, 3
Genre: New Adult M/M 

Romance trades the open road for the high seas in the latest from the author of Focus on Me and Trust the Focus...

Perpetually shy, Quinn Mathers is content to remain in the shadow of his brash best friend Jess Hartman. But before their college graduation, he and Jess have planned one last hurrah: a spring break Caribbean cruise.

And it won’t be just any cruise. On board are members of the reality show Trip League, which follows young twenty-somethings on adventures around the world. Since the show’s beginning, Quinn has been fascinated by J. R. Butler, with his amazing body, warm eyes, and killer grin. Unfortunately, he’s straight—or so the world thinks.

At nineteen, J. R. signed a contract to play straight for the show, and there’s no way to get out of it now. Yet with each passing day, Quinn and J. R. find it harder to keep their hands off each other and to keep out of the camera’s frame. But when the lens finally focuses on them, J. R. must decide if he’s willing to risk his career by admitting his bisexuality, and Quinn must determine if he's bold enough to stand in the spotlight with the man of his dreams...



Where to Buy*:
More Info:

Reviews of Erickson's Previous Novels:



My Review:



"Quit thinking of anything else but right now. Right here. With me."

His arms wrapped around my neck and his fingers dug into my skull. He pulled my head back so our eyes met, and his expression was earnest. "You're right. Just this moment."

"Freeze-frame it," I whispered.

He made a clicking sound with his tongue, like a camera shutter. "Done."



You may recall that I adore Megan Erickson's In Focus series. (Okay, so that's putting it mildly; whatever.) Book 1 and 2 have all the angsty feels. While Out of Frame is a bit lighter on the angst, Erickson still creates two guys that the reader will love, worry about, and root for.


Like the previous books in this series, OoF focuses just as much on the young men's romantic relationship as it does on their own struggles to figure out who they are and what they want. It is, after all, new adult.




"I thought I was in the homestretch. I was so close to the end, I could taste it. And now I don't know what to do, because another marathon has been tacked onto this race. And all I want to do is take a detour with you."




Jay (J.R.) is bisexual, but has been told he has to play the part of the angry, straight black man if he wants his acting career to take off. He hates lying about who he is, but he doesn't want to risk coming out and losing his career, and therefore the money that helps his family.




I nodded and swallowed, that familiar knot of anxiety in my gut, the feeling that always made me not take that step. Not jump.

Dammit, I wanted to jump. And I wanted to jump with Jay.




Quinn has been stuck under the weight of his over-protective parents, always doing what's expected of him. After graduation, his parents just assume he'll live at home and take the job offer in his home town. But after spring break -- and time spent with Jay -- he realizes it's time to find his own path, even if the thought scares him.





But then J.R. took a deep breath and lifted his head. 


And when his gaze met mine, I knew there was no coming back from this.

Not when he placed his palms on the wall beside my head, not when his face drew closer, and especially not when his lips brushed mine.

"Quinn," he whispered.

"Yeah?"

There was a beat of silence. "Fuck it."

And then there was no gentle brush of his lips on mine. There was no mistaking this as anything but a kiss full of lust and pent-up attraction and want

He devoured my mouth, opening it with his lips and dipping his tongue inside to meet mine. I lifted my hands and grabbed his head, digging my fingers into the skin behind his ears, holding his head to mine because holy shit, we were kissing. 

Something about making out, a hot body pressed against mine, melted away my restraint. It always did. And this was no exception as I pulled him closer, as I hooked a leg around his thigh, wanting to climb him, anything to get him closer, anything to grind my hips against his, get some friction on my neglected dick.

"Fuck yes," he whispered against my mouth as he grabbed the back of my thighs and wrapped my legs around his waist. He braced my back against the wall and continued to plunder my mouth, rolling his hips against mine.




Quinn and Jay are perfect together. I loved their easy banter and hot chemistry. I loved their sweet moments together and their self-discovery moments apart. Fine, fine, I loved everything about these two and highlighted a ton of scenes and quotes.



"No, you didn't fall for me."

Quinn didn't move, didn't breathe, as he stared up at me. "I didn't?"

"You fell with me, Lucky. We fell together." 



In short, I loved this book. If you're looking for an angst-light read filled with spring break fun and great chemistry, Out of Frame is the book to grab. If you want something more angsty, grab the previous books. Hell, grab them anyway and thank me later. While this is the third in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I'm very much looking forward to Levi's story next. From the minute he stepped onto the page, I knew I wanted his story.


4 STARS! 

~ * ~ * ~

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Note: The quotes used belong to Megan Erickson; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim them.
Any errors or typos in the quotes are entirely my fault.

~ * ~ * ~



Seriously, all the happy sighs over this book. I can't stop recommending this entire series -- hell, all of Megan's books! You don't want to miss this one. 



Enjoy!


Until Next Time,


Photobucket

  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

No comments :