Book 1,008: Out of Bounds (Browerton University #7) – A.J. Truman

This is the classic jock and art/nerd student getting together trope, but with the added layer of said art student being the jock’s older brother’s best friend. Cliff, the jock, is a first year and making waves in the basketball world. He’s winning games and really making an impact on campus with his popularity. Brennan is the “failed” artist coming back to school to rekindle his mojo and find his inspiration.

And of course they meet more as equals when Cliff signs up for an easy-A art class, but takes it seriously with Brennan tutoring him. They then start banging secretly and it goes from there. I’ll give Truman credit. He got me to chuckle occasionally, but nowhere near as much as Annabeth Albert,

Cliff shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but inside, he was chalanting in his damn pants. He’d never been called funny. (Loc. 624)

but for the most part I spent my time rolling my eyes reading the novel. Like this instance where either Truman took the art/sport analogy too far while throwing in a music metaphor.

Like many of his art cohort, he found sports overpraised and nowhere near as difficult as the act of creation. Yet he was ready to sing a different tune now that he was seeing Cliff’s skill up close. His body was a paintbrush and the court his canvas. (Loc. 926)

I don’t know, it just got me wrong and annoyed me. Some of that I think was, again, reading the series back-to-back without a palate cleanser so all the little things that annoyed me added up over time.  And then to really seal the deal, where I rolled my eyes, but also laughed at the ridiculousness you have this line from Cliff’s brother:

‘I’m like ninety-nine percent cool. But, if you break my brother’s heart, I will hunt you down and rip your sack off.’ He turned to Cliff.
‘And you, if you break my best friend’s heart, I will hunt you down and rip your sack off, too. Just give me a monocle and top hat because I will not be afraid to go around and collect all the nuts.’ (Loc. 3,313)

Overall, it was just meh. I found it better than the previous book and it at least brought the conclusion of the series back to Browerton and the sex scenes were REALLY well written, but it just didn’t do it for me. I was more annoyed than aroused and was glad to see the series done. I doubt I’ll keep an eye out for Truman in the future, but never say never right?

Recommendation: Meh, read it over the last book, Outside Looking In, but it wasn’t the best in the series and it definitely didn’t redeem the series in my eyes. I did enjoy it if only because I’m pretty sure it revisited every character/relationship from the series. I think I clocked every single mention of them, but I’m not sure I highlighted them all. Overall the two main characters just weren’t likeable and I didn’t believe their relationship for a huge portion of the novel. It also was way too much self-loathing and internalized homophobia for my taste.

Opening Line: “A toast to my little bro, Cliff.”

Closing Line: “Cliff’s smile would never tell. ‘So did I.'” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Out of Bounds
“Cliff’s gay subconscious had other plans, though. Being around Brennan had awoken an inner troublemaker, like Puck from A Midsummer’s Night Dream [sic] in his head (who was also appropriately known as Bottom). He found himself trying to flirt with his art tutor: a lingering smile after a sarcastic joke here, a hand on his forearm to ask a question there. Each time, Cliff pulled himself back from the edge before causing irreversible damage to their friendship. Brennan was not interested in him, and Cliff was not interested in coming out. He saved his fantasies for his dorm room—and Brennan’s shirt he’d swiped. Oops.” (Loc. 752)

“I guess technically since I’ve been with both, but I care more about the person I fall for than the package they come in.” (Loc. 1,771)

“Browerton might have had lots of openly gay students and even more allies. But Cliff was still a small-town Wisconsin boy at heart living in the hyper-masculine world of sports. Both environments were infused in his morrow.” (Loc. 2,139)

“Six guys sat around a fire pit. The guy they met at Azucar, Cameron, introduced the rest. There was Cameron’s husband Walker, definitely the oldest of the crew. Then Henry and Nolan, and Greg and Ethan. Cameron explained that they’d all gone to school together except for Walker.” (Loc. 2,279)

“‘This guy recognized my Browerton sweatshirt I was wearing. He had gone to Browerton! He and his boyfriend were in Paris for the weekend and invited me to stay in their hotel room. What are the odds?’
‘That’s awesome.’ Brennan’s mind reeled with scenarios.
‘They’re really cool. They met when the guy from Browerton was studying abroad, so I guess shit like this happens.'” (Loc. 2,429)

“The next night, I hopped a flight to Amsterdam with them. They were going to meet up with their friends who also went to Browerton because one of them was competing in an international robotics competition. It’s so easy to travel here! The flight was like an hour.” (Loc. 2,435)

“‘Nice! I was gonna say, even being gay, you could get plenty of action with your newfound campus celeb status. You could be The Buttpirate of Browerton.’ Cliff turned as red as the Jell-O desserts in front of him.
‘Please never call me that.'” (Loc. 3,412)